The Cowboy and the Girl Next Door: (A Clean, Enemies to Lovers Romance) Wyle Away Ranch Book 1

by Janette Rallison

  She stared at the milk bars for several minutes and then bought two. Apparently her best judgement could be swayed by packaging that promised easier filling and cleaning. She also bought nearly every bottle the store had. She would return what she didn’t use.

  Milk replacer came in several different types with varying protein content. The bags cost around sixty dollars, and hurried math told Kate she would go through two a day. This was going to be so expensive. She piled a variety of bags into her cart, enough to last her a couple weeks. Two thousand dollars, gone.

  In line, Kate read the directions for the milk replacer. It said calves should be fed approximately ten percent of their birth body weight daily. Was she supposed to weigh them every day? It also said she needed to watch for bloating because it could kill calves quickly.

  Then there were the vaccines to figure out. She’d watched Dewayne give them to cattle in the chute, but that didn’t mean she could do it. The calves were so little and skinny. If the needle went too deep or not deep enough it might affect the vaccine’s potency.

  Paying a vet to come to Coyote Glen to administer them would add an extra expense and she had to watch her costs. Plus, Angelina would treat her like she was stupid for taking on forty bottle calves when she had a ranch to run, no help, and calving season was on the horizon. Should Kate even bother explaining that Gary, her soon-to-be-convict foreman, had ordered them without telling her?

  The entire town would no doubt talk about her for years to come: the girl who thought she could waltz in and run a ranch.

  Kate paid for her things, loaded them into the back of her truck, and drove to the vet’s to pick up antibiotics, electrolytes and vaccines. She couldn’t bring herself to ask for help giving them. She’d figure it out. Hopefully.

  As she drove toward Coyote Glen, guilt pushed into her. Her pride shouldn’t matter as much as the calves’ lives. She was already in debt, what did another vet bill matter? Once she got back to the ranch, she should call Angelina and ask her to send someone out.

  No one would arrive for a while, which was just as well because she had to find space for the calves, put down straw, feed them, and clean up the mess they were making in the barn right now. And after that, she’d have all her regular evening chores to do and Gary’s too.

  Kate gripped the steering wheel and wondered what it felt like to have a nervous breakdown. Her breaths were coming too fast, and her insides were thrumming. This was too overwhelming. Taking care of the calves wasn’t a job that ended today. It would be every day for months, and she could barely manage the livestock she had. If she tried to take on forty babies too, she’d fail miserably and they’d all die.

  The only sound in the truck was the noise of the road passing beneath her wheels, but somehow she heard the discordant chorus of the frightened calves mooing in the barn. The memory of their large brown eyes staring at her would be stuck in her mind for a long time. It would be the defining image of her failure as a rancher.

  She was going to lose everything.

  She needed help so badly.

  Her phone rang, and her father’s number came up on the screen. Finally. As she went to answer, she hesitated. Her father was sixteen hundred miles away and hadn’t taken care of cattle in twenty-five years. He’d also given her some less-than-stellar council when it came to running Coyote Glen. Landon, on the other hand, lived next door, had run cattle his whole life, and might possibly still love her.

  She didn’t need to answer the phone to know her parents would tell her not to trust Landon. But then again, her grandfather had trusted Landon. Maybe it was time to started listening to him.

  She declined her father’s call with a message that she’d call back later.

  Landon had told her he wouldn’t help her with her cattle. It seemed so presumptuous to ask him anyway. And yet, instead of continuing down the highway past the Wyle Away, at the turnoff, she pulled into their drive. Landon might not help her with the calves, but he’d at least give her advice. And right now she wanted to see him—needed it somehow.

  She texted him. I’m at the gate. I have to talk to you.

  A moment later, the gate swung open, and her phone buzzed with a text from him. I’m in the barn.

  Her mind and heart were too jumbled to think how to put her request. Words spun away from her like dry leaves in a wind. All she wanted to say was, “Everything is horrible, and I can’t do it anymore.”

  His truck sat in front of the barn. White and sturdy with dirt rimming the bottom. She parked next to it and went to find Landon. Before she reached the door, he came out. When he caught sight of her, his eyes grew concerned. “What’s wrong?”

  And still her words tumbled uselessly in her mind, unable to string themselves into sentences. She didn’t know where to start. So many things were wrong.

  He stepped closer. “What’s happened? Who’s injured?”

  I am, she wanted to say. All of the work she’d put into the ranch, the time, the love, it seemed to be laid out bare in front of her like an open wound. “I’ve got forty bottle calves, and I don’t know how to take care of them. I know you said you wouldn’t help with my cattle, but this isn’t about inheriting the ranch anymore. This is about a lot of calves dying if I don’t get help.”

  “Wait.” Landon cocked his head. “Why do you have so many bottle calves?”

  Kate told him, in a semicoherent manner, how she’d threatened to turn Gary over to the police unless he retrieved her cattle or bought more. “A truck delivered them a couple hours ago. I figured they were older calves, weaned ones. I was so focused on making sure I wasn’t being charged, I didn’t look at them before I signed.”

  Landon listened to the story with only a flex of his jaw muscle to show he was angry. Most likely because she’d come to him with cattle problems despite knowing it put him in a bad position.

  Instead of mentioning that, he said, “I bet Gary still found a way to pass the charge onto you. A zero balance just means you didn’t have to pay anything on delivery. Check your credit cards and any other accounts Gary had access to.”

  And the day just kept getting worse. Landon was right. She might end up with a four-thousand-dollar bill.

  He still hadn’t said whether he’d help her. Maybe he hadn’t decided.

  “I’ve probably already lost the ranch,” she said. “I realize that, but I don’t want these calves to die. They’re so young and vulnerable.” Tears sprang to her eyes, and it was all she could do to hold them back. “Can you please help me?”

  Without a word, he pulled her into his arms and held her as though he could give her some of his strength that way. She hadn’t realized she was shaking until she felt his chest, strong and unmovable, against her own trembling one.

  “Don’t worry,” he said. “It’s going to be okay.”

  Did that mean he would help her, or was he just telling her she shouldn’t be upset if most of the calves died? That had been the driver’s attitude: losing a bunch of bottle calves wasn’t an excessive business expense. This wasn’t about the money, though.

  “They’re so frightened,” she said.

  “I know.” Landon’s voice was slow and soothing. He kept his arms around her. “Take some deep breaths.”

  “They don’t have anyone else.”

  “I know.”

  “They need you.” She wasn’t talking about the calves anymore.

  “I know.” He murmured the words into her hair. Maybe he realized she wasn’t referring to the calves. She stopped herself before adding, “They miss you.”

  She lifted her head to see his expression. “Will you help me? I have vaccines and antibiotics in the truck, but I’ve never given them before. I don’t even know where to put all the calves or how much to feed them.”

  Landon placed his hands on her shoulders. “Move your horses into a pasture and use their stalls until we work something out. I’ll come over to help you get the calves sorted, fed, and vaccinated.”

 
Relief swept through Kate. She wouldn’t have to do everything alone. “Thank you.”

  He dropped his hands from her shoulders. “You’ll need to hire a replacement for Gary as soon as possible. Do you want some leads, or are you relying on your dad to come up with someone again?” Landon’s tone made it clear he thought the latter was a mistake.

  She lowered her eyes.

  He let out a cough of disbelief. “You’re still going to trust your dad’s judgment over mine?”

  “No.” She met his eyes but found she couldn’t hold the gaze. Admitting the truth was too humiliating. “I don’t have the funds to hire a new foreman.”

  Landon didn’t speak for a moment. “It’s that bad?”

  She wasn’t sure if his surprise was a compliment or an indictment. He was either surprised because he’d thought she was more than capable of running a ranch successfully or he was surprised that she’d run through Coyote Glen’s assets so quickly.

  By way of explanation, she added, “The insurance won’t pay for my missing cattle because an employee stole them.” She attempted a shrug. “I told you I probably already lost the ranch. I’ve already been in the red for a month.” Her eyes flicked to his. She was afraid his expression would be triumphant.

  Instead his eyes were soft. “I thought you were exaggerating.”

  She shook her head. Pushing words through the lump in her throat was too hard.

  “You might find a way to get out of debt before the three-month period ends. And September is nearly six months away. You shouldn’t count yourself out yet. Your grandfather’s will didn’t specify how old the cattle on the ranch had to be, just the number. You’ve got forty more now.”

  It seemed ridiculous that Landon—a man who wanted to inherit the ranch—was giving her a pep talk. Even if she managed to have enough cattle, she’d need a miracle to put Coyote Glen in the black in time to meet the will’s provisions. The milk replacer would cost over seven thousand. She hadn’t even researched what the calves’ feed would run.

  “You’ve got to hire some sort of help for calving season,” Landon said. “Otherwise you’ll run yourself ragged.”

  “I guess I’d better get used to ragged then. I might be able to come up with the money to feed the bottle calves, but not if I hire help.”

  Landon let out a sound that was half sigh, half outright pity. “I’m sorry…”

  She didn’t want pity, not even from him. Or maybe, especially not from him. She forced a smile she didn’t feel. “Just help me get the calves situated and teach me how to take care of them. I’ll worry about the ranch’s bottom line later. Right now I need to take care of the cattle.” That’s what her grandfather would expect her to do—work until she’d fixed the problem.

  Landon nodded, and even that motion seemed to be filled with sympathy. “I’ve got a milk bar you can use. Let me get it for you.”

  While he went into his barn to fetch it, Kate regarded the Wyle Away’s fields and barn. Things were so calm and orderly here, so peaceful. Must be nice to have brothers helping you, nice to always have someone to count on.

  Landon returned a few minutes later and put the tub in the back of her truck. “I’ll drive over in about an hour—sooner if I can get things tied up here. Leave the gate open for me.”

  “I will.” That was an easy request because she hadn’t remembered to take it off automatic after the Colemans’ visit. “I really appreciate this.” She wanted to give Landon a hug goodbye but suddenly felt shy. She wasn’t sure whether he was coming to her aid because he felt sorry for her or whether his help was a sign of his feelings for her. He did have feelings for her, didn’t he? The flirting at church meant something.

  She started to ask and then decided against it. If the news was bad, well, her heart couldn’t take more disappointment today. “I’ll see you soon,” she said and left.

  Chapter Thirty

  The calves had made a stinking mess of the barn. In the time Kate had been away, all forty seemed to have relieved themselves on the floor. She pushed, pulled, herded, and dragged them into stalls. Four lay listlessly on the floor. She put down straw along the wall by the storage room and tied them there so Landon could look at them when he came. Then she cleaned up the mess and rinsed out bottles.

  By that time, Landon arrived. She’d never seen anyone look as handsome, self-assured, and amazingly competent. Competency was hot. Competency was the new rich. If she wasn’t too exhausted at the end of all these chores, she was totally going to throw herself at him.

  With Landon helping her, the process of feeding the calves went a lot faster. He hung up bottles and guided bawling animals to nipples with a practiced hand. Sometimes the calves had to be redirected several times in order to understand that the bottle was a food source, but when they started drinking, they wagged their tails like happy puppies. The sight was precious.

  The four in the back refused to eat at all. Kate didn’t ask Landon if those ones were bound to die soon. He left them with their bottles and went for the vaccines and antibiotics.

  He gave the first shots to show her how it was done, then held the animals still and made her do the rest. After the first few, she was so fast that the calves didn’t even cry out from the prick of pain.

  She and Landon went back to the calves who hadn’t eaten to see if they would give their bottles a second shot. They still refused to drink. He checked their noses for dehydration and their ears for sign of a temperature. “They’re not too bad right now, and hopefully the antibiotics will help, but a calf can go downhill fast. They might need to be tube fed or given some intravenous fluids.” He paused and glanced at her. “Don’t try that by yourself.”

  Like sticking a tube down a calf’s throat was an option she would consider. “You know how to give calves IVs?”

  “After you’ve been ranching for a few years, you do a lot of your own vet work.”

  Those words shouldn’t have stung, but did. She wouldn’t be ranching much longer. She petted one of the calves, running her fingers through its smooth black coat. The animal hardly seemed to notice her touch. “You’ll pull through,” she murmured. “Everything will be all right.” She stopped herself and stood up. “This is a new feeling. I’m lying to cows.”

  “You’re not lying. You’re being optimistic.”

  The barn door opened, and a female voice called, “Hello?”

  Kate turned to see Pastor Pieroni and his wife Brenda, stepping inside. Kate inwardly sighed. She’d never had a social call while she’d been at Coyote Glen, and this seemed like the worst possible day for her first one. The barn smelled of antiseptic and diarrhea. The calves were raising a racket, sadly mooing for their mothers. Kate didn’t have time for pleasantries. She still had questions for Landon, and despite his insistence that she’d be fine with the calves, just the thought of him leaving made her want to whimper.

  Kate smiled at the pastor anyway. “Hello. What brings you here?”

  Instead of answering, he called over his shoulder, “Come in, girls. She’s in here.”

  Great. Children were involved with this visit. Two preteen girls slipped through the door and took their place beside their mother. They wore jeans, pig-tails, and cautious smiles.

  Kate strolled over. “I’d shake your hand, but I’ve just been checking calf tails for signs of scours, so I’d better pass. What can I do for you?”

  The pastor gave her a look of friendly concern, the sort of expression he used while delivering sermons. “We’ve wanted to drop by since we heard about your foreman to see how you’re doing.”

  Brenda’s expression matched her husband’s, gracious and worried. “I still can’t believe that man stole from you—your father’s friend. It’s so horrible, so low.”

  The pastor and his wife were both waiting for Kate’s response, but she couldn’t just lay out the wreckage of her life during a social visit. “It’s been very upsetting,” she managed. She should say something else for politeness sake, assure them
she would be all right, but the words weren’t there.

  “And then to stick you with so many calves…” Brenda shook her head. “When Landon told us you needed people to take care of them, we came right away. The girls raised a calf last year and had a great time. We told them they could pick one for each of us.”

  Kate blinked at her. What had Landon told them? Her eyes went to him for explanation.

  He scratched the back of his neck, a gesture that was meant to look casual. “I forgot to tell you that I called a few folks about your predicament. I figured you wouldn’t mind if people helped out. You’ll still pay for the food, and people will just take care of the calves at their places until they’re weaned.”

  “We want to do it,” the pastor insisted. “The calves will be a lot of fun for our girls.” He placed his hand on his youngest daughter’s shoulder. “Isn’t that right?”

  Kate realized why Landon hadn’t told her what he’d done until now. He’d worried she’d be too proud to accept help from anyone in the community, so he waited until two eager girls had shown up. Kate wasn’t too proud to accept help, though. The family’s offer was touching, a very pastor-y thing to do.

  The youngest girl craned her head around the barn. “Do you have any Brown Swiss or Holstein?”

  Kate gestured to the stalls. “I’ve got lots of Holstein bull calves.”

  The girl took her father’s hand, nearly jumping up and down. “Can I pick mine now?”

  The pastor looked to Kate for that answer. “Of course,” she said. “Take whichever ones you’d like.”

  No doubt any calves they brought home would be spoiled. “I’ve got sacks of milk replacer in the back room.”

  The pastor and his family moved past Kate and went to peer into the stalls. Kate nudged Landon. “That was a sweet thing to do. How many people did you call?”

  “Just a few.”

  The barn door opened again. This time Mrs. Reynolds and Mrs. Bassencherry swept inside. Kate’s mouth nearly dropped open. The woman who’d been rude to her in the feed store and the gossipy church lady had come. They were the last people Kate would expect to help her, and even as they traipsed toward her, she wondered if they were here for some other reason.