by Hope Moore
Finally, he said, “Bulls have equipment that cows don’t have and cows have equipment that bulls don’t have. It’s a pretty major distinction. And visible. You were joking, right?”
She turned the color of a ripe strawberry. He hated he’d embarrassed her but on a ranch, there was a lot of breeding going on so it was a common subject.
“Well, not completely serious,” she hedged. “But in a way…at one point I didn’t realize that cows could have horns. Ginny set me straight and told me that was one piece of equipment either female or male can have and I didn’t realize that.”
That sizzle raced between them and he stamped it out and concentrated on the conversation. “Well, Ginny would be right about that. So, what’s her story?” he asked, curious about the woman who was Allie’s friend and so different than her.
“She was raised on a vineyard. They had a few head of cattle, which she says justifies her love of cowgirl hats. She’s got a collection. She’s always trying to get me to wear one of them but I feel awkward in a hat and never do. Kind of squashes my face down and it’s not a good look. And, well, a girl has got to do what she can.”
He thought she would look good in anything she put on her head but he didn’t tell her that. This girl and Ginny were two very different people. It was hard to put them as best friends.
“What about that ride? You never answered me.”
“You’re really, seriously inviting me to go riding?” she asked with a look of complete disbelief on her pretty face. “You need to work and I might get in the way.”
His gut tightened and he realized that he really wanted her to go along with him.
“Yeah, I do. You’re going to be here for three months and like you said, you’re going to get bored and you’ll want to do something. So the best thing is to jump in there and let me show you the place. So maybe somewhere along the way you’ll see something that hits a chord in you and might interest you to do.”
“I’m not going to repair a fence.”
He laughed. “Funny. We’ll find you something. Lord knows I would get bored out of my mind if I was just sittin’ around. I’d probably go stir-crazy.”
Her lips twitched. “Something told me that’s how you felt. I bet you work from morning until night.”
“And love every minute of it.”
“I thought so.” She raked a hand through her thick hair and looked at Bay Boy weirdly. “You’re going to give me one that’s not likely going to bolt? I have visions of me on the back of a horse flying across the pastures, barely hanging on as you race behind me, trying to catch up so you can save me before we reach the cliffs.”
He stared at her, his mind envisioning what she had just said. “You have been watching way too many movies.”
She laughed. “Hey, they all have that in them, or some variation of it. You promise me that’s not going to happen to me? I mean, the Guadalupe is out there—oh, sorry, the Pedernales is out there. And some cliffs.”
He shook his head and grinned at her. Something he was doing a lot since marrying her. “I promise you that those cliffs you’re seeing I do own but we won’t be crossing the river. I’m not taking any chances in making that vision of yours come true. Even as far-fetched as that would be for Ladybug, the horse you will be riding, to do. I don’t even think she would do that if she got a bee up under her saddle. How’s that sound?”
“Well, it actually sounds romantic. You know, like the old Westerns where he rescues the damsel from the runaway horse or the stagecoach heading for destruction.”
She was funny. “You have one major imagination.”
“I know. I’ve always been a book lover. Growing up, I planted my nose in a book as often as possible.”
“Sounds like you should write your own stories.”
She laughed disbelievingly. “Oh no, I would never be able to write. I can’t spell well and I was a terrible English student. Writing wouldn’t be for me.”
“I think you should give it a shot. I’m going to saddle Ladybug for you. She hasn’t been ridden in a while, so you’re going to make her day.”
He went to the fence and whistled, glancing back to see Allie’s smile as she watched the small horse come trotting toward them. When he saw the smile of delight on Allie’s face, satisfaction swarmed through him. It was going to be a good day. As hard as it had been for him to believe that was possible after being forced to marry a total stranger, at the moment none of that mattered. Destressing Allie and seeing delight on her face made it all seem, for now, worth it all.
She was going horseback riding with Wade. Her husband. Her hunky, gorgeous, cowboy husband. As she’d been standing there talking with him, she had felt drawn to him in so many ways.
She eyed the adorable, multicolored horse with the sweet face and eyes that were so calming that Allie had no fear. “So, what do I do to get on this horse? Ladybug looks exactly like the kind of horse I would get along with fantastically.”
“I think so too, that’s why I’m saddling her for you.”
“Wade, thank you. I’m really looking forward to this. The last few months have been so awful with the wreck, my poor dad’s death and then my mom…I’ve been under so much pressure I haven’t really had a chance to grieve my dad. And as I was walking across the parking lot out here and listening to the birds singing and seeing this beautiful place, I’ve just had this huge weight lifted off my shoulders.” Her voice wobbled. “Wade, I just feel happy right now.”
She had been tied up in knots with worry and grief and some depression because she was failing her daddy when she couldn’t take care of her mama. It was just the worst feeling in the world. Thinking about it, her tears welled in her eyes and she swiped them away really quick and gave a short laugh. “I didn’t mean to start crying. I mean, I’m happy and I’m grateful. And I just need to tell you that again.”
Wade moved to her side and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. She laid her head on his chest and felt his wonderful heart beating against her temple and his strong arms holding her protectively against him. She felt comfort she hadn’t known since the wreck that had changed her life. His hand gently rubbed the tense muscles between her shoulder blades.
“It’s okay, Allie. I totally understand. And I’m so glad when I was in that truck stop you asked about how I was doing. Because I couldn’t bring myself to ask anyone else. I was out of options. I’m so grateful to you, too. And I promise you I’m going to do everything I can to help you. So that when you walk away from this in three months, you’ll be as happy and maybe a little more worry-free than you are right now. I’m so sorry about your daddy. I understand grief…I’m still grieving my grandpa. Man, I loved that man. He was taken too soon. And I know your daddy was taken too soon. And I’m praying for your mama. Is she going to be okay?”
She sighed. “I’m not sure she will recover. But thanks to you and the Lord bringing you into that truck stop when He did, I’m giving Mama her best shot.”
Getting all the courage she could muster, she lifted her head from his shoulder and looked up at him, which was kinda bad because that put her face really close to his jaw and his lips. He looked at her with those gorgeous eyes and all she could think about was that kiss yesterday when they had been pronounced man and wife. Her knees went weak and she knew she needed to move. “I hope you and your brothers find peace with your granddaddy’s death and the will. It is such a blessing to me…I can’t help but believe he meant it for good in some way.”
She took a deep breath and willed herself to stop looking at his lips. She forced herself to say what she needed to say. “Maybe this is his way to get you to test the waters of marriage. And then later you’ll fall in love the right way. I mean, you’ll really fall in love and you’ll get married and you’ll fill this place with babies and he’ll look down from heaven with a big smile on his face.”
“Maybe.” His gaze sought hers out. “But I’m not planning on marrying for real.”
To her surprise, he kissed her forehead. It was gentle and warm and sent thrills of tingling sensations shooting throughout her entire body.
As if realizing what he’d done, he released her. “You’re a very positive person. But in all honesty, it would take a miracle for me to really marry. And I think Granddaddy knew that. This is his last-ditch effort to try to change my resolve. It’s not happening. Let’s ride.”
She backed a few steps away from him, tempted to embarrass herself by throwing her arms around him and planting her lips against his. That would only embarrass them both. “Get me on that horse and let’s do this. How’s that for positive thinking?”
Chapter Seven
It was a beautiful May morning, warming up but not too warm to keep them from enjoying the ride. And the wildflowers were still blooming before the July heat came in and burned everything up. It was a good time for her to be here. By the end of July, it would be really hot and it wouldn’t be so enjoyable for her.
They rode slowly through several pastures, with him paying special attention to helping her be comfortable in the saddle. In between instructions, they talked about the different wildflowers as they rode. When they rode over the crest and he saw Clay and several of his other ranch hands, Allie gasped.
“It looks just like a scene from a movie, with them branding them and whatever else they’re doing.”
It did look that way, he realized. “They’re giving them shots against certain illnesses and things like that.”
“Oh, I don’t want to brand a cow.”
He grinned. “I didn’t think you did.”
In the end, she watched. And then let him know as they were riding away after saying good-bye to the other cowboys, that that was not something she wanted to spend her time doing while she was here for three months.
“I assumed as much.” He’d laughed. “But I have something in mind.”
After watching the men work cattle, they rode to the river.
Allie stared at the rushing water and the wide expanse of the river. “I’m still in awe about how beautiful this place is. Do you ever float down this river—you know, like they do on the Guadalupe?”
“Not much. But you’ll find people who do. Not like they do in New Braunfels. Or in Hunt, Texas. You know, the Guadalupe starts up there near Hunt. You can walk right there to the very end of it, see it coming up out of the sandstone.”
She stared at him. “You actually can see where the river starts?”
“Yeah, it’s pretty cool. I haven’t been down there in a while but there’s a real cute little resort. It’s nothing fancy. We used to go there when I was a kid. You can canoe from right there to the end of it and park your canoe and wade right up to the end of it. It’s really cool. I mean, there are spots in it that the water has hollowed out the sandstone and you can sit in it like a bathtub or something and let the water pool around you. And if you keep walking up, you get to where you’re just wading through real thin water and you can actually see it bubbling up out of the ground.”
“Wow. That would be interesting to see.”
“Maybe we can go before you leave and I can show you.”
“I would like that, if you end up having the time.”
“We’ll do it. I’ll call them and book the room for a night. We’ll go up there and we’ll do that.”
This man could really be right up there with the best person she’d ever met in her entire life. She was still having a hard time realizing he was worth as much money as he was worth. Talking to him, you’d never know it. And she kept forgetting about it all day until she would spot one of the black steel oil pumping stations.
She got off Ladybug and tied the reins to a tree branch. “I want to put my toes in it. Is that okay?”
He got off the horse, too, and tied him to the tree branch beside Ladybug. “I’ll watch you put your toes in. I’m not going to take my boots off.”
She hurried over to a big flat rock beside the water. She bent down and untied her tennis shoes, and set them on a rock. She stood and he stepped beside her as she walked to the river and stuck her toe in the water.
Instantly, she jumped. “Oh my gosh! It’s cold! It’s like ice water.”
“Yup, it’s quite a jolt.”
She stuck her hand in the water and felt the coolness of it and let her fingers drift through the water as she looked at it. “I’m not sure I could get in that but it is really lovely. I love watching water rush by like that. Does it ever get out of the banks down here—I mean, like with the flash floods and you know, when we have the rains and everything?”
He sobered. “Yeah. You’ll have to be careful and heed flash flood warnings. It can be dangerous.”
“Okay, I will.” Her stomach growled. She had only eaten that bacon this morning but she wasn’t going to tell him that. She was definitely going to be ready to eat when they got back to the house. But this had been a remarkable day and she had loved every moment of it. On the way back, after riding by the fence he had wanted to check out, they passed a small barn not too far from view of the house. “What’s that?”
“I’ll show that to you on another day. I’m gonna get you home right now so you can eat. But that’s where we keep the calves whose mothers didn’t have milk or for some reason abandoned them. We bottle feed them.”
“Really? I’d love to see that. I mean, I’d like to try to feed a calf. I’ve never fed a calf before.”
“Well then, tomorrow or the next day, we’ll come down here and I’ll let you feed one. However, I really have to get back for a conference call this afternoon. I’ll show you the foals too.”
“Sounds wonderful.” And it truly did.
By the time the evening had come around, Allie had explored the grounds around the house and she’d even considered taking a swim in the pool. But she decided against it for now. It was going to take some getting used to being here at this beautiful place. She had ended up on the side terrace that was made of tile and bordered with a sandstone rock foot high ledge. She had a view of the barn and stable.
She could get used to ranch life. It was busy and alive and there was so much going on. She’d watched cowboys ride in on horseback and dismount and head into the barns and stables. She’d also watched other cowboys drive in, pulling trailer loads of cattle. And there had been others ride up over the horizon on four-wheel all-terrain vehicles.
Wade had said they used those, too, and she thought it would be fun. She had enjoyed spending time with him and getting to know him. Now, he was in his office working on paperwork, she assumed, and she continued to sit out on the terrace outside of the kitchen and large family room. It had a very similar view as the one from his bedroom but from a different angle and more a view of a wider swath of river. But it was a good distance from the house and there were a lot more cattle between her and the river. The sun was starting to set lower in the sky and as she sat there, it truly occurred to her that about now, she would’ve been going to work at the truck stop and she would’ve just left checking on her mom at the rehabilitation center. She felt a pang of guilt at not being there. She would call again tomorrow and make sure everything was still going well there. She had been reassured several times that there was really no reason for her to come to the center every day. Still, it was hard not to want to be there to make sure everything was okay.
She closed her eyes and tried to let the peace of the evening fill her as she rocked in the rustic porch swing. The barns had quieted down; the cowboys had gone for the day. She rocked in the swing and just sat there. Until now, she had very little time to just sit and think and she wasn’t sure what to do with herself. But for a moment, she was indulgent and she didn’t move or let her mind roam to her responsibilities.
The door behind her opened and she turned to see Wade step out onto the veranda. As usual, her heart did a little skip when she saw him and butterflies danced in her stomach and rose into her chest. He smiled an easy smile and every cell in her body just went crazy.
“You enjoying the evening? Mind if I join you?”
She patted the swing she was sitting in. “It is lovely. It’s so nice out. I was just enjoying watching the cowboys finish up for the day then hurry home. And then letting the peace of the evening settle in around me. I’m still trying to adjust to the fact that I’m actually here. I know, I know…I’m like a broken record.”
“No, I’m totally getting where you’re coming from. Today was nice.” He sat down in the swing and it creaked with his weight.
She was very aware of the fact that there was only about twelve inches between them on the seat. He placed both hands on his thighs and rubbed them very slowly to his knees and back, as if he were nervous. That was almost laughable. He didn’t seem to be the nervous type to her. But she was. She clasped her hands together in her lap and yes, her palms were slightly damp. Not very ladylike but that’s just the way it was at the moment. The man made her nervous. Like, really nervous. He’d showered at some point and smelled of spicy soap and light aftershave…or probably some expensive cologne. She inhaled deeply, enjoying the scent.
“Nelda left some lasagna in the oven warming for us.” He rested an arm along the back of the swing. “And some garlic bread. Whenever you feel like you’re hungry, we can eat, inside or, if you prefer, out here on the veranda as my grandmother always called it.”
She smiled at him. “Out here, please. And it’s so large, I actually thought of it as a veranda myself.”
“Growing up, we had all our family gatherings out here, including my Granddaddy’s brother and all of his family. He had one son, Uncle Jude, who had four kids. We were all around the same age and a rowdy bunch, It was nice though. We would barbecue and swim in the pool. It was much louder than it is now. I can tell you, a herd of little boys and one very hard headed girl are not quiet. I remember back then my granddaddy was really happy. He was preoccupied with work, as always because he was building up the ranch. By then, he’d hit oil and instead of sitting back and enjoying the royalties, he’d started expanding. He’d been successful before the oil and had dreams, but the oil multiplied his dreams.”