This conversation was rapidly making Sean feel more and more uncomfortable. Especially since Christine’s face kept flashing in his mind along with her earlier confession that her job was on the line too. And if he were honest with himself, he was torn between saving his ranch and helping Christine. Even though it felt strange to admit.
Why couldn’t both sides benefit? Maybe if he did help, they could figure everything out. Protect the ranch and satisfy the government. Was it too much to hope?
Desperate to get off the phone with his dad, he turned his attention back to the receiver. “Got it, Dad. I’ll get it done.”
His dad cleared his throat. “Good to hear.”
“I should go. I’ve got an early morning.”
“We’ll talk soon?”
Not if Sean could help it. “Sure. I’ll talk to you soon.”
“Goodnight.”
“Night.”
Chapter Ten
Sean
Sean’s alarm blared too soon the next morning. Groaning, he reached over and hit the snooze button. Ten more minutes and then he’d get up. Just as he slipped back to sleep, the alarm rang again.
Time to get up.
He pulled the covers off of his lap and sat up. He swung his feet over the side of the bed and opened his door. He needed a shower. That always woke him up.
When he got to the bathroom, he jiggled the handle. Locked.
He cursed under his breath. Hopefully Pops hadn’t barricaded himself in the bathroom again. He raised his hand to knock. Before his knuckles made contact, the door opened and Christine’s bright blue eyes peered over at him.
Sean took a step back as his gaze roamed over her damp hair, down her long neck, and to the top of the towel that she had wrapped around her body. He swallowed as he forced his gaze up to meet hers.
Her eyes were just as wide as he caught her staring at his chest. Suddenly, he remembered that he was standing there in only a pair of pajama bottoms. Never in his life had he felt more exposed—especially when her gaze lingered on the raised tissue of his scar on his shoulder.
Her gaze made its way up to his. Heat rushed across his skin as he peered into her eyes. She seemed just as vulnerable as he felt. Had she seen him check her out?
Speak, idiot!
“What are you doing?” Wow. Not only did his voice sound strange, he decided to ask a stupid question.
“Showering?”
He nodded as images flashed into his mind that shouldn’t. “Okay. What I meant to say was, why are you up this early?”
She wrapped her arms around the towel and glanced down at the floor. “I guess I want to see what the rancher’s life entails.” She met his gaze. “And you kind of said I didn’t have what it takes, so here I am.”
He raised his eyebrows. “You’re coming with me?”
Christine nodded. “If that’s okay.”
Was that okay? What was he supposed to say? No? That having you around me confuses and frustrates me? That the fact you’re here to investigate the one thing that I have left in my life kills me inside?
He clenched his fists. He needed to get a grip. Confessing any of those things was way too much. Besides, he wasn’t sure if he wanted her to know that much about him. So he just nodded as he stepped closer to her.
Her eyes widened as she glanced up at him.
“I’ll meet you downstairs in fifteen minutes.” He peered down at her. He’d be lying to himself if he said he didn’t enjoy how close their bodies were at this moment. Or the way her cheeks hinted pink and her lips parted as if she wanted to say something but was scared.
It made her appear real. And human. And someone he could relate to.
Christine
Christine sat at the kitchen table, waiting for Sean to come down from upstairs. She adjusted the tank top that she’d picked out. It wasn’t Emma’s plaid shirt, but she couldn’t very well wear the same outfit two days in a row. Hopefully, her clothes were somewhat appropriate for whatever they were going to do.
The thought of Sean seeing her in her outfit caused her stomach to twist. Their earlier interaction rolled around in her mind. What had that been?
Her thoughts returned to his tanned chest. Well, she’d been right. He was pretty muscular. Ripped would probably be the correct word. And his scar? It ran from the top of his shoulder and disappeared into his underarm.
She wanted to ask him about it. The more time she spent around him, the more she wanted to know everything there was to know about Sean Petty. He confused and excited her at the same time. Butterflies flitted around her stomach as she thought about spending the day with him, learning what it was like to be a rancher.
The sound of heavy footsteps on the stairs filled the air, and Christine’s heart rate picked up. She shifted on her seat, hoping to appear relaxed instead of the nervous mess she’d become.
Sean walked into the room wearing a plaid shirt and jeans. His hair was damp and for a moment, Christine wondered what it might feel like to run her fingers through it.
Get your head on straight, she scolded herself.
“Get some food?” he asked.
Not sure what to do, Christine stood. “Um, no.”
He opened a cupboard and pulled out a container. “I hope you like oatmeal.”
She nodded. “Sounds amazing.” Then she winced at her words. Amazing—really?
He raised his eyebrows as he ran his gaze over her. “Do they not have oatmeal in Washington, DC?”
She leaned against the counter, hoping that she looked more relaxed then she felt. “No, they have oatmeal.”
He nodded as he grabbed some bowls. “You just really like it?”
Realizing that she wasn’t going to be able to redeem herself, she decided to just go along with it. “Yes.”
He chuckled as he filled the bowls with water and oatmeal and stuck them into the microwave. Five minutes later, they sat at the counter with their steaming bowls. Sean motioned toward the sugar at the far end of the counter.
“Feel free to use some for your amazing oatmeal.” He shot her a smile.
Christine merely nodded as she began spooning some oatmeal into her mouth. Just as the heat touched her tongue, she winced. Yeah, that was a bad idea. Shoving her face full of food with the hopes that she wouldn’t say anything stupid again was pretty dumb.
Maybe she should crawl back into bed. Was she ridiculous to think that just maybe, she could prove herself to this cowboy? That she just might have something she could offer him? That she could be something other than just a pencil-pushing auditor? Sometimes she could be such a fool.
After their bowls were empty, Sean grabbed them both and put them into the sink. He turned around, cracking his knuckles and smiling over at her.
“Well, let’s get to it then,” he said, motioning toward the door.
Christine nodded and made her way over to slip on Emma’s boots.
When she turned back around, she noticed Sean’s gaze.
“Is that what you’re wearing?” he asked, motioning toward her camisole and jeans.
“I don’t really have anything else.”
He raised an eyebrow as he reached past her and opened up a door. His arm brushed her shoulder, sending shivers down her skin.
“Here,” he said as he handed her a grey hoodie.
She took it and slipped it on. It was big—the sleeves hung down past her fingertips. She shoved them up to her elbows. The part that was throwing her off guard was how good it smelled. She had figured that ranchers stunk from the animals they were around all the time. But Sean’s hoodie didn’t.
It had a woodsy smell with a hint of flowery detergent. She wanted to close her eyes and breathe deep. But he would probably think she was crazy, so she decided against it.
Sean turned the handle and pulled the door open. “Let’s get to it,” he said, motioning toward the back steps.
Christine made her way out onto the porch as Sean joined her. He shut the door and then went d
own the stairs and led her over to the barn. The morning air was crisp and the beginning burst of light from the sun could barely be seen above the horizon.
Even though they were the first ones up, it seemed as if the wildlife had been awake for hours. A few cats meowed and rubbed themselves against her legs. She reached down to pet them.
Sean opened the barn door, which startled the cats and they bolted. He waved her over. “Come on,” he said.
Christine walked into the barn to see two four-wheelers parked along the wall. “We’re riding those?”
Sean picked up a helmet and handed it over to her. “Scared?”
She shook her head. Which was a lie. Truth was, she was terrified of crashing and losing a limb. She liked all her appendages and didn’t want to give any of them up.
Sean winked at her as he shook the helmet at her. “It’s okay. I’ll go slow.”
Christine nodded as she took it from him and slipped it on. Once she tightened the strap, she glanced over at Sean. He’d already gotten on the machine and was flipping buttons.
He nodded toward the spot behind him. “Climb aboard.”
She hesitated but then walked over. Not sure what to do with her hands, she finally pushed away all her fear and rested her hands on his shoulders. She felt his muscles tighten and then relax. It intrigued her that he had responded to her touch.
She swung her leg over the seat and sat down. She shifted, pulling her hips closer. He tensed again when she bumped into him.
“Wrap your arms around my waist,” he said. It might have been the helmet, but it sounded almost as if his voice had deepened. Like he too, was having a physical reaction from her close proximity.
Despite her better judgement—which was screaming at her to get off the four-wheeler and get back into the house—she held onto his broad chest. She pushed the thoughts that were rolling around in her mind away. The ones that said only pain and heartache came from having feelings for a cowboy.
She held her breath as her fingers grazed the muscles under his shirt. The warmth he gave off surrounded her and caused her heart to hammer in her chest. Even though her mind was screaming at her to run, she was frozen to this spot. Everything felt so right in this moment.
Sean counted down and in a few seconds, he peeled out of the barn. Christine had to hang on as the momentum of the four-wheeler tried to pull her back.
When Sean finally got to a good coasting speed, she shifted away from him and took in the sights. The tip of the sun was now visible on the horizon. There was a slight haze to the ground from the mist that still lingered in the air.
Grass spanned out in front of them. In the distance, she could see the dark figures of the cows moving around the fields. Trees dotted the terrain that rose and fell. It was peaceful and serene. Her chest swelled at the sight.
Sean neared the cows and drove around them. She couldn’t quite tell what he was doing, but it almost seemed as if he were looking for something. Most of the animals had their heads down, eating the grass. To her, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
After they circled the cows a few more times, Sean peeled off. She saw his head tilt toward her.
“I’m missing one,” he called to her.
Christine looked back. How did he know that? Was she supposed to believe that he knew each and every one of his animals? But, trying to have a conversation with their helmets on was pointless, so she just nodded as she held tighter to his back.
Chapter Eleven
Sean
Something was wrong. When he’d done his morning count of the cows and didn’t see the one with a white patch above its eye, he had a sinking feeling that was missing.
Bessie, the cow that he and his grandmother had raised together, was not with the group. Which could mean one of two things. One, she’d been attacked by a pack of wolves, which wasn’t unheard of around here. Or two, she had wandered off to give birth.
Either situation scared him.
He’d bottle-fed her from infancy up until she joined the herd. And if something ever happened to her—well, he wasn’t sure he’d ever forgive himself.
Thankfully, Christine didn’t question him. She just held on as he sped down the hills and valleys. Ten minutes into the search and Sean almost gave up. Perhaps it had been the coyotes after all.
Suddenly, a sharp tap drew his attention up. Christine leaned in and shouted, waving her hand toward his left. In the distance, Bessie was lying on the ground.
Sean’s heart surged as he sped over to where she was. Screeching to a halt, he turned off the ignition and unbuckled his helmet. He threw it to the side as he knelt down beside her. She was breathing—deep and jagged breaths, but she was alive and that was all he cared about at this moment.
His gaze roamed her body and stopped at her tail. Her sides were contracting.
“Um, Sean?” Christine’s voice startled him.
He looked up to see her standing there, staring at her rear end. Something wasn’t right.
“What?” he asked, standing and walking around to see the hind legs of a calf.
“Is she in labor?” Christine asked. Her hand went up to cover her mouth.
Sean didn’t have time to discuss this. From how limp Bessie’s head was, she’d been at this all night and that baby wasn’t coming out on its own.
“We need to help her,” he said, unbuttoning his shirt and pulling it off. Births could get messy.
“We, meaning me?” Christine stuck her thumb toward her chest.
Sean nodded. “You wanted to see what a rancher did. Here it is. It’s dirty and life threatening.” He steadied his gaze. Truth was, he was just as terrified. He didn’t want Christine to leave. He wanted her right here, next to him.
Her skin paled as she ran her gaze from Bessie over to him. “Sean”—she swallowed—“I’m not strong,” she whispered.
He shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. I’ll tell you everything you need to know.” He grabbed onto the calf’s hind legs and waited until he saw Bessie’s sides contract.
Then he pulled with all his might. Bessie mooed. She weakly brought her head up.
“Calm her,” he said, nodding toward Bessie.
Christine paced for a moment before she knelt down in front of the cow. He saw her lean over Bessie’s head. He could tell she was whispering things to the cow, but couldn’t make them out from where he sat.
After fifteen minutes of pulling along with the contractions, the calf wouldn’t budge. Bessie’s efforts were becoming weaker and weaker. As much as he hated it, he needed to perform a C-section. Bessie might not live, but the baby could. It was better than losing both.
“I need you to come over here,” he yelled, waving at Christine.
She hesitated but then stood. When she got close, he dropped the legs of the calf and motioned for her to take his place.
“I have to get my First-Aid kit in the four-wheeler. You need to stay here. When you see her contract, pull that sucker with all your strength.”
Christine’s eyes widened. “You want me to what?”
“Grab that baby’s legs and pull,” he said, tapping her shoulder and then making his way over to the four-wheeler. Any of her protests were lost on the wind as his mind raced with what he was going to have to do.
“Um, Sean?” Her voice broke through his clouded thoughts.
“Yeah?” he asked as he opened the seat and lifted out the kit. Knife. Gauze. He ticked the items off in his mind as he pulled them out and set them in a line next to each other.
“Sean!” Christine’s voice had turned frantic. He whipped around to see her covered in amniotic fluid and the calf right next to her. It was half covered in the birthing sac.
He dropped the Band-Aids in his hand and rushed over.
“Did you—”
Christine was shaking as she held up her hands that were covered in blood. “I think so,” she whispered.
Sean turned to the calf and began rubbing it with his shirt. It was limp. I
ts legs flopped against the ground as he tried to force life into the little guy.
“Come on,” he muttered, trying everything he could to wake it.
“Is it going to live?” Christine asked. He glanced over to see her kneeling on the ground. She had tears in her eyes as she looked over at him.
“I don’t know,” he said, turning his attention back to the baby.
Just as he was about ready to throw in the towel, the baby began to twitch its legs. Then its head began to move.
A shout of joy came from Christine. She knelt down and wiped at the baby’s eyes. “He’s alive,” she said. When she looked up at him, she was smiling through her tears.
Sean sat back on his heels and nodded. “Yeah. He’s going to be okay.”
Christine turned her attention back to the baby, a look of satisfaction written all over her face.
Twenty minutes later, Bessie and her baby were up and moving around in the grass. Just as Bessie would walk a few feet, the baby would stumble to catch up with her.
Christine turned and smiled at him. “That was pretty amazing,” she said, then moved her gaze to her hands. “I just wish it didn’t come with so many fluids.”
Sean nodded as he shrugged. “Sorry. Hazard of the trade I guess.” He squinted as he studied her. What she’d done had been pretty miraculous. She needed to know that. But he wasn’t sure how to tell her. “So what are you going to name him?” he asked.
Her eyes widened. “I get to name him?”
“It’s a Petty tradition. If you help birth the baby, you get to name it.”
She shifted her gaze to stare just behind him. “Dragon.”
He laughed. That was not what he’d been expecting. “Really?”
Fighting Love for the Cowboy (A Moose Falls Romance Book 1) Page 8