Falling for the Cowgirl

by Tina Radcliffe

  The rancher blinked as if trying to focus and shook his head. “Was that you screaming?”

  “Yes.” She sank to the ground next to him. Her heart was about to burst with the realization that she loved this prideful, pigheaded man.

  “Whoa.” Travis grimaced and clutched his rib cage before he slowly sat up and glanced around. “Hey, are you okay?” he murmured, raising a hand and touching her hair.

  AJ lifted her head. “Me? Yes. I’m fine. I’m wonderful.”

  “All I do is eat dust these days.” He groaned and released a breath. “Help me up, will you.”

  She put her arm around him, feet planted apart, and struggled to get them both to their feet.

  “Well, that was downright humiliating. I didn’t even last eight seconds. Glad you were the only one around to witness it. I would have worn a Kevlar vest if I’d known I would be bull riding.” He looked around. “Where’s Jace? Please do not tell me that he got away.”

  “I sort of led him to the creek bed. He fell in the ravine.”

  “Nice job. Effective, yet perfectly legal.” He straightened and groaned.

  “What hurts?”

  “What doesn’t? I’m getting old,” he muttered. “It doesn’t help that he got me right in the same spot I bruised those ribs at the rodeo. This time he probably cracked a few. Knocked the wind right out of me.”

  “How’s your ankle?”

  “Oh, who knows? I’m falling apart.”

  “I’m so sorry.”

  “What are you sorry about? You were great. I had no idea you could run like that. I’m thinking next year we start a Big Heart Ranch softball team. Unless you’d prefer football.”

  She tried not to laugh. This was not a funny situation, she reminded herself. Yet she couldn’t help smiling.

  The sound of sirens once again broke through the spring night.

  Jace was still in the ravine, moaning, when Chief Daniels approached and stood over him with a flashlight. “That’s a sorry sight. You should be ashamed of yourself, son. Lem doesn’t deserve this humiliation.”

  The deputy moved in and pulled Jace up. “Let’s go, McAlester.” The cowboy-turned-cattle-rustler protested loudly as he was being handcuffed and led to the back of the police vehicle.

  “Travis, I’m going to have to start charging you for fuel,” Chief Daniels said as he approached them.

  “Oh, come on, Chief, I’m making you look good.”

  “That’s one way to look at it.” He narrowed his gaze and assessed Travis. “How many pieces are you in? Should I call an ambulance?”

  “No, but thanks, I can get there on my own if need be.”

  “He cut the fence?” the chief continued.

  “Yeah,” Travis said. “We have the cutters and everything is on the video.” He pointed to the cameras.

  “Remember, cameras film everything. There isn’t anything on there you don’t want me to see, is there?”

  “No, Chief, it’s all good,” Travis said.

  “Then that video will be mighty handy when you have your day in court.” He paused. “You are pressing charges this time, right?”

  “Unfortunately, I am. Trespassing, property damage, jaywalking, littering and anything else you can think of.” He looked over at AJ. “That all right with you?”

  “Yes. I’ll talk to Lem and see if we can get the pastor over to the jail for counseling.”

  Tripp and Dutch pulled up in the pickup truck. “Everything under control?” Dutch asked as he jumped out.

  “Control, no,” Travis said. “However, AJ managed to catch the cattle rustler and saved my life.”

  Tripp gave her a thumbs-up.

  “Can you get Travis into your truck?” AJ asked. “He needs to go to the emergency room in Pawhuska.”

  Travis held up a hand. “The Timber urgent care will be fine.”

  AJ blinked. “Are you sure?”

  “It’s time I started admitting that I’m an old, broke-down bronc rider with a pretty face.”

  Dutch laughed. “Yeah, well, the good news is you aren’t the oldest one on this ranch, you aren’t the most broke-down and you sure ain’t the prettiest.”

  AJ bit her lip at the truth in the words while Tripp and Dutch moved to either side of Travis and helped him to the truck.

  When they left, she pulled nylon cable ties from her truck and secured Natchez’s gate.

  What was Lem going to do? She didn’t know, but she was not going back to McAlester Ranch. Travis was wrong; she was ready to leave those memories in the past. She was ready for her future.

  All she had to do was to make it through the grant inspection. Then she could decide what that path looked like. Decision-making time was coming again.

  Decisions that were going to hurt.

  Oh, how she longed for the comfort of her horse right now. She’d whisper in his ear and lay her head against his neck. And, for a few minutes, everything would be okay.

  Her nose twitched as she fought against tears and stirred up some serious self-talk instead.

  There’s no time for sentiment. It’s time to move on.

  The pep talk wasn’t helping. Already her chest was heavy with an unspoken ache. Yes, she was going to miss this place. After three months she’d memorized each ridge, hill and gopher hole on Big Heart Ranch.

  She picked up a handful of red dirt and let it slip through her fingers. This was what mattered. The land. The land always told the truth.

  She’d be thinking about Big Heart Ranch long after she’d moved on to her next job. And at night she’d lay awake and dare to think about Travis Maxwell.

  * * *

  Travis straightened his bolo tie and rubbed his solitary tooled-leather Justin boot on the back of his Wranglers until the toe shined. His other foot wore an orthopedic boot yet again.

  He slipped his fingers between the blinds and peeked out the window of the conference room in the administrative building of Big Heart Ranch for the tenth time in as many minutes.

  No AJ. This did not bode well.

  The representative from the grant committee hadn’t showed up, either, so he tried to remain positive.

  Had AJ quit? Would she be a no-show today? No, never. She’d promised and AJ Rowe didn’t break promises. If he’d learned anything in the last ninety days, it was that she was a woman of character and his biggest failing was not exactly what she feared. He’d let her down. Not the other way around.

  The torrent of misery he’d experienced the last few days was completely his own doing.

  He rubbed his hands together and paced the floor. She’d show, he reminded himself again, but he wouldn’t blame her if she’d had enough of this job and had taken off for greener pastures.

  Truth was, he hadn’t actually seen much of her in the last few days, though he’d heard plenty from everyone else about how she’d been slamming through the ranch like a tornado with a flight plan.

  He’d seen evidence of that himself. The few times that they’d passed each other at the ranch, it seemed that she was going ninety-to-nothing in an effort to make sure a ranch in the middle of five hundred acres of red dirt was spit-shined, like a mother-in-law was due for a white-glove visit.

  His cell phone vibrated and he looked at the text. Another dead end in his search for Gus. Eight days. The horse could be in another state by now. Or worse. Dread plagued him as well as visions of a slaughterhouse ending for AJ’s animal.

  Jace denied he’d sold Gus when Chief Daniels had questioned him. Flat-out lied. Par for the course.

  Travis had to find Gus. AJ had lost everything. He knew what it was like to have everything plucked from you and was determined to help her salvage this small piece of herself.

  The front door of the building whooshed open and he heard the tap-tap-tap of heels on the vinyl floor echo dow
n the hall before AJ rushed into the room. She wore her gray interview suit, the same one she was wearing when they’d first met. Even her hair was pulled up in the same fancy twist like it was that day.

  He couldn’t resist a small smile. If only he could turn back the clock to that day. Ninety days later and he’d sure learned a lot. He’d learned that while he understood pain and suffering and loss, he didn’t know diddly about women.

  Basically he remained clueless.

  If he’d simply admitted that in April, things might have gone easier for him.

  AJ blew into the room and glanced around. “Sorry I’m late. I couldn’t find my heels. I never wear heels. They were under the bunk.” She kept babbling, her voice getting higher and tighter. “Ranger chewed my left shoe and I had to borrow heels from Tanya.”

  “We’re fine,” he soothed with a glance at his watch. “Don’t stress.”

  “How’s your ankle?” she asked.

  “Had another checkup today with my regular doctor.” Travis smiled. “I’m officially rodeo retired. He said, in no uncertain terms, no more bulls, broncs or cattle rustlers. If I agreed to the terms of probation, I can get this off again in another week.” He gestured to his left foot.

  “Wonderful.” She swayed for a moment and sank into a chair, dropping her briefcase to the floor where it fell over with a thud. Her face crumpled.

  Travis crossed the room. “AJ, what’s wrong?”

  “What if we don’t pass?” Her voice trembled with panic.

  He sat next to her, took her chilled hands in his and looked right into her eyes. She didn’t pull away, which he took as a good sign.

  “We’re going to pass, don’t worry. You’ve done everything to ensure that we’ll pass.”

  “It will be all my fault if we don’t. I take complete responsibility.” Her shoulders sagged and her chin touched her chest in defeat.

  This was what he’d done.

  Travis sighed. The woman had single-handedly whipped his ranch into shape and with a few harsh and demeaning words he’d undermined her confidence.

  “Listen to me.” He put a finger beneath her chin and raised her face. “You, AJ Rowe, are the best assistant ranch foreman in the history of assistant ranch foremen. Anyone who says any different is plain wrong. Including me.”

  Her lower lip quivered and she nodded.

  “Things have been a little rough for all of us lately, but we’re going to get through this.”

  Lucy’s admin, Iris, stepped into the room. She glanced at AJ and flinched. “Oh, excuse me.”

  “It’s okay, Iris,” Travis said.

  “I’m sorry, but Ms. Williams is here from the Ranchers and Farmers Grant Committee.”

  AJ perked up and she wiped her fingers beneath her eyes. “Jackie Williams?”

  “Yes, that’s what she said.”

  “Do you know her?” Travis asked AJ.

  “She was one of my professors at OU.”

  He raised his brows and offered a nod. “If this goes well, I may change my collegiate allegiance.”

  AJ stood and straightened her suit. “If this goes well, I’ll make you.”

  Travis chuckled. AJ Rowe was back and handing out sass. “Of course, you will,” he murmured.

  She turned to Travis. “How do I look?”

  As beautiful as the first time I met you. “Good. You look real good.”

  “Iris, you can bring her in,” Travis said.

  Moments later Jackie Williams entered the room and grinned. A friendly woman with a big smile, she walked straight to AJ and embraced her.

  “AJ. I’ve wondered what happened to my most promising ranch student. I couldn’t believe it when your paperwork came in. In fact, I specifically asked to do the walk-through at Big Heart Ranch.”

  “Oh, Jackie. Thank you so much.” She turned to Travis. “Jackie, this is my supervisor, Big Heart Ranch foreman, Travis Maxwell.”

  Jackie cocked her head and pointed a finger in his direction. “Weren’t you on the cover of Tulsa Now magazine?”

  He held back a groan. “Yes, ma’am. I hope you won’t hold that against me. My sisters made me do it. Wasn’t my idea.”

  Jackie chuckled and held out a hand that Travis took. “Relax,” she said. “The fact that you’re Bachelor of the Year has no relevance to your application for the grant. Although I may ask for your autograph before I leave. For the girls in my office, you understand.” She winked.

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “The information I read in the application is what is pertinent to today’s visit.” She turned to AJ. “Bison. I’m so impressed. Your ranch will be only the third ranch in the entire state to raise bison. You’re pioneers.”

  AJ turned to Travis. “Pioneers. I like that.”

  Travis kept his mouth shut. Clearly he was outnumbered when it came to his uncharitable thoughts about bison.

  “What made you decide to include bison?” Jackie asked.

  “Biodiversity,” Travis said with a nod. He was a little surprised he’d remembered the term, but there it was on the tip of his tongue when he needed it.

  “Have you had any issues with the bison?”

  Travis smiled and glanced at AJ. “Nope. No issues.” And that was the truth. There were plenty of people issues, but the bison had been on good behavior.

  He cleared his throat. “Everything’s working smoothly. We like to think that we’re fostering them. In return we’re learning more about the environment. We’re studying the forb and grasses in an effort to maintain a resilient and varied grazing pasture.”

  AJ’s eyes widened and her jaw sagged.

  “That’s impressive. I like an open-minded rancher who stays on top of what’s going on in the Ag industry.”

  “That’s our Travis,” AJ said.

  “Shall we begin?” Jackie asked. She pulled a clipboard from her briefcase and glanced down at the boxes. “I’ll want to tour all permanent fixtures for your livestock, and your yards and pastures. Then we can interview staff.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Travis said.

  “Did you drive here from OK City?” AJ asked.

  “I did. It was a beautiful drive this time of year, too. I plan to visit the Tall Grass Prairie Preserve when I leave here.” She turned to AJ. “Why don’t you and I do lunch first and catch up?”

  “I’d really like that,” AJ said. “The Oklahoma Rose in town has local beef. Travis tells me it’s a fine establishment.”

  “Travis, would you care to join us?” Jackie asked.

  “Oh, no, ma’am. You know what they say, never get between two women jawing about life or an old boyfriend.”

  Jackie stared at him and then burst out laughing. “Oh, that’s good. I’ve never heard that one before.” She turned to AJ and leaned close. “I like him.”

  “Stand in line. He’s got quite the fan club,” AJ murmured.

  “Oh, I’ll bet he does.”

  “This way, ladies,” Travis said with a hand toward the hall. “I’ve got the bigger Ute parked outside. It’ll fit all of us.”

  Travis worked to remain calm as he followed the chatting women down the hall. He tugged at the collar of his dress shirt.

  Ninety days and five years of his life. His entire career was on the line in this walk-through that would take all of an hour or two, give or take.

  Yet deep inside he sensed a release, as if the Lord was telling him to let it go. He’d already messed up once this week. He didn’t intend to do it again. Travis took a deep breath and let go, entrusting everything to AJ and Him.

  And why not? He glanced at AJ. She was standing tall, her confidence back in place, grinning like everything was going to be all right. Somehow, though the tables had turned and he was the one with the case of the jitters now, he believed her. One way or another, everything wa
s going to be all right.

  Chapter Twelve

  “I need your help,” Travis said.

  Tripp looked up from the mare he was grooming and pushed his hat to the back of his head. “How’s that?”

  “I have to track down a horse. Any idea how to do that?”

  “Is this a trick question?” he asked as he brushed the horse’s copper flank.

  “Look, I’ve exhausted all the usual options. I didn’t think it was going to be this difficult or I would have come to you first.”

  “What’s going on, Travis?”

  “AJ’s horse is missing.”

  Tripp’s hand stopped its movement. “I didn’t know she had a horse.”

  “She does. Gus. At least, she had a horse, eight days ago.”

  “How’d you find that out?”

  “Something AJ said struck me as off when we were sort of talking. So I called her stepfather after we arrested Jace. Turns out Jace found Gus’s papers and sold him.”

  “Nothing illegal about that.”

  “He didn’t own the horse and denies selling the horse. So it’s Lem’s word against his.” He released a breath of frustration. “I’ve been calling around myself, but haven’t made any traction.”

  “So AJ’s talking to you? Does she know you’re looking for her horse?”

  “We’re making headway. But no, she doesn’t know. I don’t want to get her hopes up yet.”

  “I’ve got a few favors I can pull in.”

  “Great. Thanks.” He turned to go.

  “Hold it,” Tripp said.

  Travis looked back. “I knew that was way too easy.”

  “My laptop is five years old and it was used when Lucy gave it to me. They laugh when I call for tech support.”

  “Fine. I’ll order you a new one.”

  Tripp gave a nod of thanks.

  “Anything else?”

  “I’m a simple man with simple needs. But since you mentioned it, my desk chair is plum worn out. I’m practically sitting on the ground.”

  “Simple man, my foot,” Travis muttered as he headed out of the stable and to his truck.

  When his cell phone rang later, he recognized Tripp’s number. “You found Gus?”