“I guess we’re at an impasse.”
“I think I can see to the other side of this, except I’ve got one small problem.”
“Oh?”
“I’m pretty sure I’m in love with you, Amanda.”
“What? You can’t be in love with me.”
“Why not?”
“I’m your assistant foreman.”
“Could I fire you and tell you I love you and then rehire you?”
She burst out laughing. “That’s the craziest thing I ever heard.”
Travis stepped closer and slipped his arms around her waist. “You’re fired.” He settled his lips on hers for a long, lingering kiss.
“I may have to join your Swoon Society. That was a very nice kiss and your idea has merit, too.”
If she wasn’t an employee she was free to have coffee in the Timber Diner with Travis. Why, they could even have dinner at the Oklahoma Rose.
No, she nixed the idea. It was time to stop worrying about what anyone but the Lord had to say.
“I don’t want to be fired,” she announced.
“You don’t?”
“No. I want to work at Big Heart Ranch and I want the world to know I’m crazy about the foreman.”
“You’re what?”
“I’m crazy in love with you, Travis Maxwell.”
Travis closed his eyes and took a shaky breath before his lips touched hers again.
“You know, for a day that started out sort of sideways, things are really looking up,” he murmured against her mouth.
“Are you saying this works for you?”
“Let’s review to make sure I understand.”
AJ nodded. “I forgive you. You forgive me.”
“And you love me?” he said with wonder. “I thought I had to take it slow. You were barely getting used to friendship.”
“That was before Jace knocked you out cold in the pasture. In that split second I realized that I thought Gus’s disappearance meant I’d lost everything. I was wrong. I still had you and I don’t want to ever lose you, Travis.”
She laced her fingers with his. “The funny thing about forgiveness is that it’s really more about you than it is about the other person.”
“You’re right.”
“Do I have my job back?” she asked.
“You’re my favorite assistant foreman and you’re my friend. I don’t want to lose you, AJ.”
“You haven’t. I’m here forever.”
“That’s a long time,” he said.
“Yes. I’m counting on that.”
* * *
AJ sat at the top of the ridge astride Gus, looking out over Big Heart Ranch. There was so much to be thankful for. Gus was back to his old self and so was she.
The summer program had begun and she fell into bed each night happy and exhausted. Ranger had flunked obedience school and she had no intention of enrolling him again. Yes, life was good.
She stared in the direction of McAlester Ranch. It was time to let it go. With Jace in jail, even for a short time, Lem had made the decision to pack up and move to Texas to live with his brother. Jace had put the ranch up for sale.
Travis had offered to buy McAlester Ranch but she’d turned down the idea. Resurrecting her father’s ranch wouldn’t bring her parents back. It was time to put down roots and she was happy to do that at Big Heart.
Her phone buzzed and she glanced at the screen. Travis was texting her.
Have you checked the bison this evening?
I’m not assigned to evening check. Is there a problem?
Could be.
She typed a response.
What does that mean?
Have you been over to the bison pasture lately?
No, I was checking on the weaned calves before heading in for dinner.
I’d get over there if I were you.
AJ was afraid to answer. She slipped her phone into her pocket and groaned. Not now. Not when things were going so good.
She nudged her horse around. “Come on, Gus. Let’s go see what kind of trouble those bison got us into this time.” Together they galloped over the ridge and around the pond to the north pasture. As the bison paddock came into view, she eased up on the reins. “Whoa, boy.” She patted Gus’s neck and stared out at the big animals.
“What...?” AJ blinked. There were three bison in the pasture instead of two. She glanced around, looking for Travis, but saw nothing. He would be furious. He still couldn’t stand the animals, though he now grudgingly admitted they had helped with the grant. His nicknames for them were Bio and Diva. She chuckled. He’d gotten that from biodiversity.
Inching closer, it appeared there were sandwich board signs draped over the bison like saddlebags.
Words were on the signs in big red letters.
“‘Amanda Rowe,’” she murmured, reading the first sign. Her gaze moved to the second sign. “‘Marry me?’” Her eyes rounded and she began to tremble as she looked to the third sign. “‘Will you.’”
“Aw, really?” Travis growled. He came up behind her on Midnight. “I tell you, those bison are nothing but trouble.”
AJ whirled around in the saddle. “Travis? What’s going on?”
He slid from his horse and stomped to the fence. Unlocking the padlock gate, he went in and pushed the bison cows around, rearranging their order until the signs read “Amanda Rowe. Will you marry me?”
She opened her mouth and stared.
Locking the gate behind him, he approached her horse. “That’s better.” A huge grin was on his face.
“There are three bison in there,” she said.
“That’s all you noticed?”
“I’m just saying.”
“I picked one up at a special sale this morning. Dutch went with me. I figured we can manage three, for educational purposes. We don’t have enough grazing land for more.”
“Three bison cows, correct?”
“I’m a rancher. I get how that works. Yes, all three are female.” He frowned. “Seriously, is that all you noticed?” He glanced back at the signs. “Are the words too small to read? Try moving closer.”
She slipped her leg over the saddle and slid from Gus to the ground. “Why did you buy another bison? I thought you hate bison.”
“Your birthday is tomorrow. I figured another would make you happy.”
AJ wiped at the moisture in her eyes. “I’m already happy.”
“Whoa!” Concern flashed across his face and he pulled her into his arms. “You don’t look happy. Are you crying?”
“No. I don’t cry. It’s very dusty out here.”
“Right.”
“Remember when you asked me what I dream of?” she whispered against his shoulder.
“Yeah. As I recall you said something about how you don’t dream.”
“Something happened that day in Pawnee. Something changed. I began to dream of a home. About a place I could put down roots, unpack my boxes and never leave. I dreamed of horses, cows and children, along with my house. My own children.” She bit her lip.
“I don’t suppose I’m anywhere in those dreams,” he whispered against her hair.
AJ stepped back from the circle of his arms and met his gaze. She trembled beneath his tender scrutiny. “You started those dreams, Travis. You, with your magazine-cover good looks, your kind heart and your bigger-than-life ideas.”
He chuckled. “You failed to mention my ego, my bruised ribs and fractured ankle and my control issues.”
“All part of the complete package that make you the Bachelor of the Year.”
“I’m hoping my reign is over. Someone else can take the crown.” Travis gestured toward the beasts grazing in the pasture. “What about this? Took me all last night to paint those signs.”
AJ
started to giggle.
“What’s so funny?”
She smiled and pointed.
Once again the bison had shifted position and the signs read “Amanda Rowe. Will you.” The last bison had completely shifted so her sign faced away from them.
“Cattle. Cattle would have stood still for me.” He got down on his knees, took her hand and reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet box.
“What’s that?”
“A ring. What did you think it was?”
“Try to be patient with me. I told you that I’ve never had a boyfriend before.”
“And if I have my way, you never will.” He popped open the box with one hand.
AJ gasped at the diamond solitaire inside. “It’s a diamond. And it’s huge. I don’t wear diamond rings.”
“Yeah, and you don’t dance, and you don’t dream. I remember. I remember.” He sighed. “We’re going to start working on turning all your don’ts into dos.”
“But rings can get caught on fences or hurt the horses.”
Travis shook his head. “AJ, you’re making this a whole lot more complicated than it needs to be. Now, hush for two minutes, will you?”
Her eyes rounded.
“Please.”
“Yes, boss,” she murmured.
“Amanda Rowe, I’m head over heels in love with you. I have been since the day you walked onto Big Heart Ranch, even though I didn’t know it at the time. Will you marry me? There’s no one else I want to dream about the future with.”
“What about my job on the ranch?” she asked.
He groaned and slowly got to his feet. “Are you asking for a raise?”
“No, a promotion.”
His head jerked back. “To what?”
“I’m thinking foreman.”
“I ask you to marry me and you want my job?”
“I’m in a position to negotiate today. This sort of leverage doesn’t happen very often.”
“You can have any job you want, including mine.”
“No. I don’t want your job. I want us to share the position. Partners. Forever.”
“Forever?”
She nodded.
“Does that mean yes?”
AJ looped her arms around his neck. “I love you, Travis. I didn’t think I’d ever find a man who I loved more than my horse, but then you came along.”
“You love me more than Gus?”
“Yes.” She pulled his head down to hers. “Please, kiss me.”
“What about this ring?”
She held out her hand and he carefully slipped the ring on her finger. AJ grinned. “Now could you kiss me?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
As his head lowered to hers, she put a hand on his lips. “Um, Travis, it’s after hours.” She pointed to the camera. “Are we being filmed?”
He chuckled. “Yeah, I guess we are. Wave at the camera, sweetheart.” Raising a hand, he grinned and hammed it up. “The staff will be seeing this on their phones right about now.”
“I can only pray they don’t put it on the internet,” she said.
Travis doubled over laughing. “I am never going to live this down with Tripp and Dutch. They’ll be giving me grief about this all summer.”
She shook her head. “We’re just one big happy family here at Big Heart Ranch, aren’t we?”
“Yeah, we sure are.” Travis took her hand and tugged. “Come over here. The camera can’t see us and I can kiss you to my heart’s content.”
AJ smiled and followed him.
Could all her dreams that she didn’t know she had be coming true? Well, this was certainly a start.
* * * * *
If you loved this story, pick up the first book in the
BIG HEART RANCH series from beloved author
Tina Radcliffe:
CLAIMING HER COWBOY
Available now from Love Inspired!
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Keep reading for an excerpt from HIS TWO LITTLE BLESSINGS by Mia Ross.
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Dear Reader,
Welcome back to Big Heart Ranch. Big Heart Ranch is located in the fictional town of Timber, Oklahoma, located near the real city of Pawhuska, Oklahoma.
In this second book you’ll meet even more of the staff and children of this ranch for orphaned, abused and neglected children, where love and the Lord reign. The ranch is owned and operated by the orphaned Maxwell siblings, Lucy, Travis and Emma.
Travis Maxwell and AJ—Amanda—Rowe have both faced devastating disappointment and heartbreak. It takes a leap of faith for these two characters to trust the path God has set before them. But stepping out in faith and partnering with each other is the only way they can achieve the fullness of what He has prepared for them.
It’s much the same for us. Faith is a walk in the dark. The first step is always the hardest.
I hope you’ll come back for more stories from Big Heart Ranch. Do drop me a note and let me know if you enjoyed this book. I can be reached through my website: www.tinaradcliffe.com.
Sincerely,
Tina Radcliffe
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His Two Little Blessings
by Mia Ross
Chapter One
“Miss Calhoun! Miss Calhoun!”
At the sound of a child’s voice calling out her name, Emma looked into the crowd milling around the annual Liberty Creek Arts and Crafts Show. It was a gorgeous New Hampshire day in early May, and there were dozens of kids in the tree-shaded square who might have shouted to her. Being the elementary school’s only art teacher, she knew most of the young ones in town, so it could have been any one of them.
Then she caught sight of a little girl running toward her stand near the white gazebo, hand waving enthusiastically in the air, a riot of blond curls bouncing behind her. When she stopped in front of Emma’s jewelry stand, her cheeks were pink from the exercise, her china-blue eyes shining in excitement as she exhaled a breathless “Hello.”
“Hello to you, too, Caitlin,” Emma replied, stepping out to give the bright kindergartener a hug. “I’m so glad you found me.”
“There’s a lot of people here,” she agreed, glancing around before looking back at Emma. “But my daddy’s tall, so he saw you from way over there.”
She pointed to the edge of the park, and Emma followed the motion to see Rick Marshall, the bank’s new assistant manager, moving toward them, carrying a smaller version of Caitlin in his arms. They’d met a few ti
mes at school functions, but she’d never spent more than a few minutes chatting with him. Wearing khaki shorts and a dark blue polo shirt, he had the look of someone who spent his days in suits and ties and was happy to be dressed down for the weekend.
The sun picked up some highlights in his brown hair, not to mention the color of his eyes that echoed his daughters’. His wife was a very fortunate woman, Emma mused as he joined them. “Good afternoon, Mr. Marshall. How are you today?”
“Just fine,” he replied with an easy smile. “And I know I’ve told you at least twice to call me Rick.”
Emma made it a policy to address her students’ parents—especially the good-looking fathers—in a formal way that couldn’t possibly be misinterpreted as flirting. Being twenty-six and single was hard enough without creating the kind of wrong impression that could earn her a reprimand from the district superintendent or a complaint from a jealous wife.
So she ignored the chiding and focused on the adorable cherub he held. “You must be Aubrey. Caitlin has told me a lot about you during art class, but it’s nice to finally meet you in person.”
The child gave her a bashful half smile before burying her head in her father’s chest.
“She’s a little shy,” Caitlin explained, patting her sister’s back in a comforting way that said she did it often. “Being four is scary.”
“It certainly is,” Emma confirmed, directing her comments to the older girl to avoid frightening the younger one. “Even grown-ups get scared about new things sometimes. That’s why it’s good to have a family watching out for you.”
They chatted about school and the new friends Caitlin had made since starting there during the winter term. After a couple of minutes Aubrey swiveled her face toward the conversation, clearly interested in what they were saying. Emma was careful not to look directly at the reserved child, but from Rick’s pleased expression, she guessed that Aubrey was slowly warming up to her. Being on the timid side herself, Emma hated it when people tried to force her to participate in a discussion when she wasn’t ready. She could definitely relate to Aubrey’s cautious approach to the world around her.
“So,” Rick said when their small talk died down, “when I stopped by Liberty Creek Forge to pick up my new garden gate the other day, your brother Brian was telling me that you make jewelry and you’d be selling some of it here today. Do you mind if we take a look?”
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