Christine nodded. “How long until you think he’ll get back?”
Mr. Petty pushed away from the table and stood. He made his way over to the fridge and pulled open the door. When he turned back around, he had a pitcher of lemonade in his hands. He walked over to her cup, the fridge door shutting behind him.
“That’s one thing you’ll learn about a Montana ranch—nothing takes precedence over the farm or the livestock.” His gaze moved to the window where he got a nostalgic look on his face.
Christine nodded. What a different life than the one she lived in Washington, DC. A place that stayed up all night and never rested. Granted, everyone there never stopped working as well. But Christine had a feeling it was for a completely different reason.
“Well, I should probably head back into town to find a place to stay.” She pushed away from the table and grabbed her purse. “That way you can get working on the list I gave you.” She nodded toward the pile next to Mr. Petty.
“You’re staying in town?” he asked.
“Of course. It’s not like I can camp out here.” She smiled over at him.
Mr. Petty nodded. “Good idea. Well, I guess I’ll see you in the morning, and I’ll get started on your list.”
“That would be great.” Christine made her way over to the back door, where she pulled up the material of her pant leg and slipped on her shoes. “The sooner you get that around for me—the sooner I get out of your hair.” She shouldered her purse and the strap of her briefcase and then reached out and twisted the door handle.
“Well, you have a fantastic night, Miss Jordan.” Mr. Petty leaned against the counter.
“Thank you,” she said as she turned the handle and pulled open the door. The air was hot and surrounded her as she stepped onto the porch. Fields spanned out in front of her as she took in her surroundings. It was beautiful here. So much so that it took her breath away.
She made her way down the porch steps and over to her rental car. Once inside, she started it up, pulled out of the driveway, and took a left. She bounced and jostled on the dirt road. Dust picked up around her.
Sighing, she settled back into her seat. Her first field assignment seemed to be off to a good start. Mr. Petty was nice and seemed compliant. From the horror stories Tylinn had told her, Christine had been convinced that she was going to be spit on, shot at, or have a dog released on her. Or any combination of the three.
But, besides Sean’s bad attitude, it had gone smoothly. And she really couldn’t fault him for his reaction toward her. She was there to investigate his family. If she did find something amiss, it was her responsibility to report it. No matter how nice those who were getting investigated were.
She gripped the wheel as she thought back to her conversation with Parker. The one where he’d told her that he doubted her ability to be impartial to clients—that every time she got involved, emotions seemed to cloud her judgement.
He’d given her hints that her job was on the line. This was her last chance to prove herself to him. If she failed, she shouldn’t even bother coming back. And her uncle didn’t care. He’d told her that she reported to Parker. No matter what.
Just as she slowed in front of a random stop sign, the rental jolted and a loud popping sound caused her to jump. Her eyes widened as the hood of the car started billowing smoke.
She slammed on her brakes and turned the car off. “Oh, no. Oh, no,” she said as the pungent smell of burning rubber filled the air.
She grabbed the handle and pushed open the door. Her heels dug into the ground as she stepped out and made her way over to the front of her car. The smoke had turned a dark shade of grey. She didn’t know much about engines but she knew that this wasn’t good.
“Really?” she asked, glancing up at the sky. It was just her luck. Stuck in the middle of nowhere with a broken rental car.
She allowed herself a second to feel sorry for her situation and then she sighed and made her way to the back door of the car. After pulling out her purse and locating her phone, she swiped it on.
“Come on,” she said as she tilted her phone toward the sky. “Give me some bars.” But there was nothing. Zilch.
She threw her phone back into her purse and groaned. What was she going to do now? If she were completely honest with herself, she had no idea where she was. And from the looks of the car, there was no way she would get it to turn on long enough for the GPS to give her a good idea of the direction she needed to go.
She took a deep breath and turned her gaze toward the sun, summoning everything she had learned in the six months she’d done Girls Scouts as a kid. But she’d joined when it was cookie season, and she doubted her skill in convincing people to buy cookies would help in this situation.
She glanced down the road the way she’d just come. The only option she had was to head back to the Petty ranch. As her heels sunk deeper into the dirt, she knew that there was no way she was walking there in the shoes she was wearing.
Making her way to the trunk, she opened up the back and pulled out her suitcase. After unzipping it, she rifled around.
“Are you kidding me?” she called out when she realized that she’d forgotten her tennis shoes. In her haste to pack this morning, she must have left them next to the front door of her studio apartment.
Slamming the trunk closed, she sighed. She would just have to make do with what she had.
She slipped off her suit coat to reveal her satin camisole. The breeze raced around her skin, cooling her. She sighed, feeling the agitation that had built up inside of her lessen.
After changing her bun out for a ponytail, she lifted her purse and briefcase and crisscrossed the straps across her body. Hopefully, she could remember the roads back to the ranch. Or come across a car. But from the silence that surrounded her, the chances of finding any signs of life were slim to none.
Abandoning her car, she made her way down the gravel road. Her heels stabbed into the dirt, but she pushed away her frustration. She just needed to think positive thoughts. That was all.
Twenty minutes later, the only thing she could think about were the huge blisters that had begun to form on the back of her heels. Her feet hurt. Her back hurt. And she was thirsty. Montana stunk.
The wind picked up, swirling her hair around her head. She cursed as she pulled strands from her mouth. Next time she had a field assignment, she needed to do some research first. And be sure to pack the right attire.
She sighed as she paused, glancing around to make sure she recognized something. Anything. But cows and grass and dirt all looked the same. She wasn’t sure if she was headed in the right direction anymore.
She could just see the newspaper article now—IRS auditor found dead in Montana. Then everything her stepmom had ever said about her would ring true. That she wouldn’t ever amount to anything—that failure was her only future. Turning up dead on the side of the road was pretty much that prophecy come true.
Movement to her left caught her eye. She looked over to see a black horse racing across the field. She stopped to study the animal. It looked similar to the horse Sean had taken off on earlier. As she focused harder, she realized that it was the aggravating cowboy.
She thought about yelling and waving her arms, but that ridiculous idea only lasted a second before she pushed it out. There was no way she was going to ask Sean Petty for help. With the way he had glared at her earlier, he’d probably take her farther away from where she wanted to go. So she continued making her way down the road.
She groaned. From the corner of her eye, she’d seen the black horse draw closer. She quickened her pace and kept her head down. Maybe if she looked like she knew where she was going, he would leave her alone.
The sound of horse hooves filled the air. Christine kept on walking as if she hadn’t noticed.
“It’s amazing that you can walk that fast in those shoes.” Sean’s deep, playful voice sounded from behind her.
Christine swallowed as she slowed and tried to nonc
halantly turn around. She squinted as she glanced up at him. “Oh, hi. Where did you come from?”
Sean leaned forward on the saddle, resting an arm against the horn. “You mean, since you stopped and looked right at me?”
Not knowing what to do, Christine waved him away. “Oh. That was you?”
Sean drew his eyebrows together. “Did you think it was someone else?” He chuckled like that was a ridiculous idea. She glared at him, but it didn’t seem to faze him. Instead, he glanced behind her. “Where’s your car? Did you destroy its dreams as well?”
Heat flooded her body. “I—it broke down. It’s back there.” She waved in the direction she’d just come.
“Because you chased it away?”
She sighed. What was with this guy? “Well, at least I don’t run from my problems. I face them.”
“I face my problems.”
Christine pushed away the loose strands of hair that clung to her face. “Right. And speeding off on a horse is facing them.” Why was she letting this man get her all flustered? Sure, he was good looking. He was tan and, from where she stood, he had muscles for days. But he was rude and stuck up. And the last thing she wanted in a rescuer.
Sean clicked his tongue. “Well, since you already know so much about me, I’ll leave you to your meandering and head back to my ranch. After all, you seem to have everything under control.” He nudged his horse forward. “Do write me and let me know if you make it back to town.”
Christine stared at him. Was he serious? He was going to leave her here? To die? She silently cursed herself. But it was too late to ask for help now. So she forced a smile. “Sounds good.”
Sean studied her as he circled her on his horse. It was almost as if he were waiting for her to suddenly beg him for help. There was no way she’d do that now. Not when what was left of her pride was hanging by a thread.
“Don’t worry about me. I was a Girl Scout.”
Sean pursed his lips and nodded. “They taught you how to survive in Montana in the dark—with coyotes and bears?” He raised his eyebrows.
“There are no bears in Montana.” She glanced around. Were there?
Sean shrugged. “That wasn’t something covered in your lessons? Well, I guess you’ll just have to find out, now won’t you.” He clicked his tongue, and his horse started to walk away.
“Wait!” Christine called after him but then winced. The last thing she wanted to do was sound desperate.
Sean pulled on the reins and glanced behind him. The smug look on his face made her blood boil. “Yeah? Change your mind?”
Christine let out a slow breath. “Just wondering if you had some water. That’s it.”
Sean nudged the horse to turn so he could look at her. “Water?” He shook his head. “Nope. I’m all out.” He leaned forward again. “But I thought that preparation was something they taught in scouts.”
“I didn’t expect to get stranded in the middle of nowhere.” Christine tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “But if you don’t have anything, then I guess I’m good.” She waved her hand toward the road. “You can go.”
Sean scoffed and in the direction she motioned. “If you say so,” he said. He circled her one more time and then dug his heels into the horse’s sides. “I’ll see you tomorrow, dragon lady!” he called over his shoulder as his horse took off.
Christine watched as he grew smaller the farther he got. When he disappeared down a hill, she gritted her teeth. The only person who had passed by her in the last half hour was now gone because she had driven him away.
She pushed her bags up farther on her shoulders and winced as she took a few more steps. Her stepmom had been right about one thing. She could definitely be as stubborn as a mule. She only hoped that her stubbornness wouldn’t result in her death or serious maiming.
Chapter Three
Sean
Sean made his way down the road, leaving Christine in his dust. Frustration grew inside of him the farther he got.
What was her problem? He wasn’t invading her life, trying to destroy the only place she’d ever known. If anything, she should be nice to him. Or at least ask for his help.
He slowed Jersey to a trot. There was no reason to wear his horse out just because he was angry. Besides, it wasn’t like he was going to go far. In a few minutes, when he’d had time to calm himself down, he’d turn around and head back to Christine.
He hadn’t been taught by his mom or grandmother to leave a woman in distress. Even if she was hell-bent on convincing him that she was fine and could get back to town by herself.
Apparently, hiking wasn’t something she’d been taught in scouts. If it was, she’d realize that there was still twenty miles between her and town. She’d be rolling into Moose Falls Motel at about two in the morning.
“Whoa, girl,” he said, pulling on Jersey’s reins to stop her. He patted her shoulders and gave her a quick rub down. “Do you think we should go get the dragon?”
Jersey nickered and tossed her head.
Sean smiled. “Yeah. My thoughts exactly,” he said as he patted her back again. He glanced behind him and groaned, his grandmother’s voice echoing in his mind.
A gentleman never leaves a lady. He helps her. No matter what.
He could see his grandmother standing in the kitchen with her hands on her hips. She was scolding him because he’d raced Jane, his kid sister, from the tree house and won. Gran never understood how racing went.
But now he was grown up. He knew what the right thing was. So, he clicked his tongue and tapped Jersey’s sides.
“Come on, girl. Let’s go get the dragon.”
A few minutes later, at the top of a hill, he saw Christine making her way toward him. He saw her look at him and then drop her gaze. He smiled, enjoying the shocked expression that raced across her face.
As he approached, he glanced down at her. “Well, I figured I didn’t need the government after me for taxes and murder.” He pulled on Jersey’s reins and she stopped right next to Christine. “Need a ride?”
Christine scoffed. “So, you abandoned me as what, a joke?”
Sean stared at her. What was this lady’s problem? She had no reason to dislike him. He’d done nothing wrong. “I guess I wanted to give you some time to figure out if you wanted some help.”
She wiped her brow and squinted up at him. “I think I’ve got this under control.”
He scoffed as he glanced around. “Do you even know where you are going?” Man, this woman was stubborn. Hadn’t he given her enough time to realize that, maybe, she had no idea what she as doing? But from the way her gaze met his head on, he realized that she just might be as bull-headed as him.
He smirked at her as he took her in. A feeling arose in his gut that he couldn’t quite push away. One that said he’d be lying if he told himself she didn’t intrigue him. A woman who spoke her mind was refreshing.
Christine stopped walking, pulled both bags from off her shoulders, and set them down on the ground next to her. Sean tried to ignore how soft her skin looked underneath her lace camisole. She pulled her hair from the tie and shook it out.
Crap. He should have continued the ride to town instead of coming back. His mind was racing, so he swallowed and glanced down the road. He needed to remember what she was here to do. Focus on that.
After her hair was pulled back up into a ponytail and her bags returned to her shoulders, Sean looked down at her. She was studying him. Heat rushed across his body. Had she seen his reaction toward her?
From the mischievous glint in her eye, he knew that the chance was pretty high.
“Do you want a ride or not?” he asked, leaning forward and staring down at her. He had things to do and arguing with Christine was not one of them. No matter how fun it was.
She glanced over at Jersey and then back up to him. “Is there room?” She eyed the saddle.
Sean swung his leg over and hopped off Jersey. “There is definitely room,” he said, moving closer to her.
Christine’s eyes widened. “What are you doing?” she asked, taking a step back.
“If I’m going to give you a ride, you’re going to have to get up onto the horse.” He extended his hand while grasping onto the saddle with the other.
Christine’s skin paled as she stared at his hand. “I’ve never”—her voice dropped to a whisper—“ridden a horse before.”
He laughed. “It’s easy. Besides, I’ll be right behind you doing most of the work.”
She paused. From the look on her face, he could tell she was having an internal battle. He wanted to laugh and poke fun at her but decided against it.
The decision to get onto the horse seemed to win out because she shook her head, reached out, and took his hand. Sean tried to ignore the zap of electricity that raced up his skin from the contact. Silently, he cursed himself. This was the last thing he needed to be thinking about.
“Now, slip your foot into the stirrup,” he said, motioning toward the horse.
Christine nodded, lifted her foot up, and slipped it onto the stirrup. Just as she got it situated, Jersey shifted and threw her off balance. She yelped and began to tip toward him.
Out of instinct, Sean reached out and grabbed onto her. He let his hand rest on the small of her back as he met her gaze. “You okay?” he asked, cursing his voice for coming out so deep.
Christine nodded as she eyed the saddle. “I think so.”
Not wanting to risk another confusing reaction from touching her, Sean held onto her waist.
She whipped around and parted her lips like she was about to protest, but Sean wasn’t going to listen.
“Grab onto the sides of the saddle and I’ll boost you up.” He kept his gaze down, trying hard to focus on anything else but Christine and how tiny her waist felt in his hands.
“Okay,” she said. Once she was gripping the sides, Sean lifted her up and waited while she swung her leg to the other side.
As soon as it was evident that she wasn’t going to fall off, he dropped his hands. He rubbed his fingertips with his thumbs, hoping to dispel the feel of her body again them. This whole thing had been a huge mistake.
Fighting Love for the Cowboy (A Moose Falls Romance Book 1) Page 2