Falling for the Cowgirl

by Tina Radcliffe

  “That sounds like fun.”

  “It really is. Everyone brings a dish and the Maxwells provide the main course and beverages. Just like a family get-together.” She raised a finger. “You’ll have a chance to see Tripp’s culinary talent. Prepare to be amazed.”

  “I will.” AJ smiled. “An old-fashioned potluck. We used to do that with the wranglers and their families when my dad was alive.”

  “Oh, dear, I didn’t realize. And your mother?”

  “I lost her in college.”

  “I’m so sorry.”

  “I appreciate that.” AJ pulled Ranger into her lap. “Are you staying at the ranch tonight?”

  “No, I came by to follow up with one of our children. He’s fine. A rash. Nothing serious.”

  AJ nodded as she stroked Ranger’s soft fur.

  Rue slid into a chair next to AJ, an intense expression on her face.

  “Was there something else, Rue?”

  “I’ve been meaning to talk to you.”

  “Is everything okay with Dutch?”

  “Oh, yes. I simply wanted to express what a wonderful job I think you’re doing at the ranch, dear. Amazing really. It’s equally hard to believe that it’s only been eight weeks. Everyone is doing their job under your leadership and despite some grumbling...”

  “Dutch,” AJ chuckled.

  “Yes, my old cowboy.” She smiled tenderly. “Though he has a natural proclivity for sleep, make no mistake, Dutch has a great deal of respect for you. He thinks of you as the daughter he never had.”

  AJ bowed her head at the kind words.

  “By the way, he’s raving about your pie. He saved me a sliver. Delicious, dear.”

  “Thank you.”

  “And I couldn’t help but notice that the new hands you hired have the same work ethic that you do. It’s been nice to see Travis relax a little as the chores get done in a timely manner. A domino effect, really. When the boss is relaxed, everyone is, as well.”

  “Is the boss relaxed? I can’t tell, because he still paces across the office every day worrying about the grant, triple-checks my work and calls me at all hours with panicked questions.”

  “That’s just our Travis.” Rue chuckled. “Despite his denials, it is clear that he and Lucy are absolutely cut from the same cloth. That grant is connected to his control issues and his pride.”

  “Oh, I can agree with that.”

  “Lately,” Rue continued, “I sense his heart is softening. Perhaps he’s moved past the pain of the disappointments in his past. I may be off-base here, but it seems clear to me that he’s different when you’re around. I wonder...”

  “Oh, no. Don’t go there, Rue.” AJ gave a hard, fast shake of her head. “He’s my boss. There is nothing else. Absolutely, nothing else.”

  “If you say so, dear.” Rue patted AJ’s hand. “But what about you? Are you happy?”

  “Me?”

  “You’re certainly not the same person you were eight weeks ago. You’ve relaxed a bit, as well, and I couldn’t help but notice you brought in a box and unpacked. Does that mean you’re here for the duration or did you run out of clean socks?”

  “A little of both.”

  “I hope you’re giving serious thought to the future and are considering staying with us on Big Heart Ranch. We’re family here and you’ve become part of that family.” She reached over and rubbed Ranger’s head. “Especially now that you have this little guy.”

  “I’m thinking about the future, Rue, that’s for certain.” There was little else she thought about lately. The closer they got to the grant approval the more her uncertain future terrified her.

  “Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway.”

  She stared at Rue. Had the woman read her mind? Suddenly, AJ recalled where she’d heard that phrase and she started laughing. “You just quoted John Wayne.”

  “Did I?” She shrugged. “I blame Dutch. He insisted on a John Wayne marathon last weekend. I’ve been quoting the Duke all week.”

  “Oh, Rue.” AJ chuckled and waved her hands in the air. “How could I possibly leave all this?”

  “Exactly. We’re a quirky bunch, but we do grow on you.”

  “I couldn’t agree more.”

  Rue stood. “I better get going. Are you done for the evening?”

  “I’m scheduled for the last ranch check and then I’m off tomorrow. Monday morning, as soon as the feed store opens, I’m going to bring grain up to my horse and give him a workout.” She smiled broadly at the thought.

  “I didn’t know you have a horse here.”

  “He’s boarded elsewhere for now.”

  “Why is that when you live and work here?”

  AJ picked at a loose string on her Wranglers. “When I’m sure this is where I’ll be a year from now, I’ll bring Gus over.”

  “I thought we just settled that.”

  “I said I’d think about it, Rue.”

  “I won’t press you further, though it’s clear one of us has hearing problems and we know it couldn’t possibly be me.”

  AJ smiled as the general took off with a jaunty salute and a wave.

  The ruby lights of the Ute winked at her until they finally disappeared down the road, swallowed in the night’s canvas.

  A niggle of fear wound its way around AJ’s heart as she thought about the general’s words. Yes, things were going really well, and that made her nervous. A gripping fear held her back from committing to Big Heart Ranch. Until she could move past her fear, all she could handle was one day at a time. That would have to be enough for now.

  Chapter Ten

  Travis drove the Ute around the ranch, doing the morning check of his part of the Big Heart Ranch.

  Chickens, goats, cattle, bison and now a small black-and-white pup were his to watch over, and he was humbled by all that the Lord had charged him with.

  The sweet smell of cut grass filled his senses and he drank it in. He shaded his eyes against the rising sun as he inspected the pastures. Straight ahead his cattle dotted the landscape.

  One more week until the grant walk-through and then he’d be able to guarantee the future of the self-sustaining cattle program for Big Heart Ranch. He didn’t kid himself about how that happened. AJ Rowe was the key to the success of the last two months.

  He was beginning to rest in the confidence that the future of the cattle program was certain. Yes, he’d turned it over to the Lord, at AJ’s suggestion. Now all he had to do was prove to AJ that he and the ranch were tied to her tomorrows.

  Was he overconfident about that part? Perhaps, but he was fairly sure that the connection he and AJ had was worth investigating the possibility. He’d tried to show her that he cared, but the woman was prickly and it would take gentle wooing to convince her that his feelings were genuine.

  Travis drove the Ute toward the north pasture, cutting from the road to the well-worn path across the pasture. Overhead there was evidence that the fence camera installation was in progress. Tall poles had been placed and at least some of the cameras had been installed.

  When he rounded the bend, his booted foot slammed the brakes and he stared in disbelief.

  Tensile fencing in the bison pasture was down.

  This was a plentiful grazing area abundant with sweet grass. What would make the bison knock down a fence?

  Didn’t matter why. AJ’s bison were loose. They’d trampled the metal and were somewhere on the ranch.

  “Where the buffalo roam, huh?” he muttered as he got out of the Ute. Carefully protecting his walking boot, he stepped around the wire, examining what was left along the ground. Bison footprints were everywhere. There was no evidence anything had been cut. Jace McAlester and his cronies were not the culprits this time. Besides, Rafe Diego had been so grateful that charges hadn’t been filed,
Travis doubted he’d ever see the wrangler step foot on Big Heart Ranch again.

  Tamping back the anger that was rising faster than he could think straight, Travis pulled out his cell and dialed AJ’s number.

  “Travis?” she answered, her voice light, reminding him for a moment of the Sunday two weeks ago when they’d shared the day together. A day when anything seemed possible.

  Today seemed the total opposite. All that he’d worked for the last three months was on the line. He pushed aside everything but the task at hand.

  “We have a problem. Get as many hands as you can out to the north pasture. Now,” he said, not bothering with the details.

  AJ arrived mere minutes later on horseback, concern etched on her face. She’d shoved her hair into a ponytail and her clothes were disheveled as though she’d thrown them on only when he’d called.

  The rest of his ranch staff, including Tripp, was right behind her.

  He heard AJ’s gasp as she slid off her horse to examine the trampled wire. “Oh, no,” she said. “How could this have happened?”

  “You tell me,” Travis said, his temper barely restrained. “Bison. The ones I don’t want on my ranch,” he muttered.

  “I checked those fences when I did rounds last night. Everything was secure.”

  “AJ, you and I both know that those bison may look cute but they’re a danger to the kids on this ranch if they’re loose. It’s clear they took down the fence and right now they’re a danger to all our animals and staff.”

  “Seven-foot wire fence.” She looked up at him. “How did this happen without the night person seeing it or hearing something?”

  “One person can’t monitor five hundred acres.”

  “You’re right. I still don’t believe this happened.”

  “Doesn’t matter what you believe. They’re your bison. They’re loose and you better find them and fast. I’m holding you personally responsible for this.”

  “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” she murmured as if in shock.

  “Sorry isn’t going to mean anything if someone is hurt by those animals. Finding the animals is our first priority.”

  She closed her eyes for a moment, her face paling. When she looked at him, he knew AJ was thinking the same thing galloping through his mind like a runaway steer. Her bison could ruin the opportunity to obtain this year’s grant if they didn’t get a handle on the situation immediately.

  Despair was on AJ’s face and her eyes were distant as she faced him again. “How do you want to handle this?”

  “Call Lucy and Emma. I want the entire ranch on lockdown. That includes the front gate for now. Explain the potential dangers inherent with bison. No one should approach the animals. This is not a petting zoo and they can be aggressive.”

  “Yes, sir.” She mounted Ace and headed out without a backward glance in his direction.

  Travis turned to his equine manager. “Tripp, shut down both stables until further notice. We don’t need a horse gored.”

  “What about me, boss?” Dutch asked.

  “Repair that fence. Grab Josee and Tanya and use the extra seven-strand high tensile we purchased for the bull.”

  Dutch nodded to one of the part-time wranglers and the two of them turned their horses around and galloped in the direction of the supply barn.

  “Everyone else start looking for those bison. We don’t stop until we find them.” The staff dispersed as Travis continued to stare at the scene before him.

  No, he didn’t want bison. For good reason. The situation was a nightmare. He was going to look like a fool in front of his sisters, as well.

  Travis turned his head when he heard the jingle of horse tack. Tripp.

  “You need something, Tripp?”

  The horse whisperer gave a nod toward the mounting poles. “Wireless remote surveillance.”

  “Yeah, I know,” Travis said. “They’re still installing cameras.”

  “Those particular cameras are functional. Wireless video and sound.”

  “How’s it work?”

  “They detect movement outside working hours, including night vision.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yeah.”

  “How do I get a look at the feed?”

  “Eventually we’ll all have an app on our phones. Right now you can call the ranch security company. See if they picked up the playback from the camera company.”

  “I’ll do that right now.”

  “Something is not right about this entire situation, Travis. No reason for two females to stampede. They have plenty of food and water. If they were startled by prey they’d be more likely to head in the other direction than take down a fence that size. I plain don’t believe it.”

  “I guess we’ll find out.”

  “And, Travis?”

  Travis turned and met Tripp’s unflinching gaze. The horse whisperer was not happy.

  “You shouldn’t have dressed AJ down in front of her staff.”

  Travis took a deep breath. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

  “You’re telling the wrong person.”

  Travis rubbed a hand over his face as Tripp rode off.

  It had taken him all of five minutes to overreact and open his mouth too far. Far enough he could have gotten his boots and his saddle in.

  First he had to deal with the cameras and then he’d have to pray for a way to fix the damage he’d done to his relationship with AJ.

  After calling the security company and the camera company and rousing them both way too early, Travis headed to the admin building. They had a representative to the ranch within the hour with a connection set up on Travis’s laptop.

  “Your security company sent us the feed they had,” the rep explained as he typed a password. “Keep in mind that the cameras haven’t been positioned yet. This one—the one on the bison pasture—is only grabbing the corner of the viewing target.” He pointed to the time stamp.

  4:00 a.m.

  Tripp walked into the room and nodded a greeting.

  “You can see the black-and-white night view of the side of a truck coming up to the fence. That’s a male getting out on the driver’s side. There,” the rep said.

  “Yeah, I see that,” Travis said. “Can’t see his face.”

  “He never looks at the camera,” the rep said.

  “What’s he doing?” Travis asked. Then he answered his own question. “He’s tying a rope on the fence and pulling it down with his hitch. Providing an easy exit for the animals.”

  “Doesn’t make sense,” Tripp said. “How could he be sure the bison would even be interested in going over that fence?”

  “That’s how.” Travis nodded at the screen.

  The video had clearly recorded the same person herding the bison out over the downed wire and to the road.

  “You were right, Tripp.” Travis shook his head.

  “Are you calling the police?” Tripp asked.

  “We can’t identify who that is in the picture.”

  “You and I both know who it is,” Tripp said.

  “Once again, I can’t prove a thing.”

  The camera rep stood. “Installation will be finished by the end of next week and then we’ll need someone to work with our techs to adjust the camera view areas.”

  “Sure, give me a call when you’re ready,” Travis said. He offered his hand. “I appreciate you coming out this morning.”

  Travis walked outside with Tripp. The cowboy gave him a meaningful glance as they stood on the sidewalk.

  “I said I’d take care of the situation,” Travis said, knowing exactly what the horse manager didn’t have to put into words. He had to deal with AJ.

  “Sooner would be better than later,” Tripp muttered.

  As Tripp left for the stables, Dutch pulled up in the
Ute and hurried up the walkway toward Travis.

  “Is the new fencing up?” Travis asked.

  “All done.” Dutch took off his hat, wiped his brow and slapped it back on again. “Had to go into town for more supplies, but it’s done. No one is getting out of that pasture.”

  “Apparently it’s not who’s getting out that I should be concerned about, but who’s getting in.”

  “That, too.”

  “And the bison?” Travis asked.

  “Secure. They were walking down the road. No rush at all. Just walking,” Dutch said.

  “Where’s AJ?”

  “I don’t know. Haven’t seen her since this morning.”

  “Does she know we found the bison?”

  “Yeah, she’s the one who found them, boss.” Dutch tugged off his gloves. “She sure was torn up. Blames herself for everything.”

  Travis grimaced.

  “I tried to tell her these things happen. They’re animals. Doesn’t matter how high your fence is if they want to get out. They get out.”

  “Dutch, they didn’t get out by themselves.”

  The old cowboy narrowed his eyes. “What are you saying?”

  “We have video recordings. Someone let them out.”

  “Jace McAlester!”

  “Maybe, maybe not.”

  “They going to arrest him?”

  “We can’t go around pointing fingers without proof.”

  “You did it to AJ this morning, boss.”

  Travis’s head jerked back as if the words knocked the wind from him. He shook his head. “Yeah. I did, didn’t I?”

  Dutch gave a sad nod.

  “I messed up, and I better find her before she decides that was her invitation to leave Big Heart Ranch.”

  “Things always look clearer on the other side of the saddle. You’ll get through this. You need any advice on eating your words, feel free to give me a call.”

  “I might do that.” Travis frowned. “Who’s got night shift tonight?”

  “I thought the cameras were working.”

  “Night shift continues until everything is tested and functional on all the pastures.”

  “Well, then, AJ is on the schedule.”