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

by Janette Rallison

  “We heard what Gary Williams did to you,” Mrs. Reynolds said as though all of them were old friends. “I always knew he was trouble. He graffitied the high school back when I worked there, and they let him off with a hand slap. If they’d given him a proper consequence back then, maybe he wouldn’t have kept breaking the law.” She paused for Kate to comment.

  “I didn’t know about the graffiti,” Kate said. Or the fact that Mrs. Reynolds had once been a teacher.

  “Well, now he’s done worse,” Mrs. Bassencherry said. “I hope they give him a long sentence.”

  Mrs. Reynolds nodded, a motion that made her double chin jiggle. “They ought to make him work off the money he stole. That would be justice.”

  And the day just got even more surreal. Kate found herself nodding in agreement with Mrs. Reynolds.

  Mrs. Reynolds tucked her purse under her arm and peered around the barn with an inspector’s eye. “I can take six calves. I brought my trailer.”

  “I really appreciate it.” Kate gestured to the stalls. “Choose whichever ones you’d like, and I’ll help you load them.”

  As Mrs. Reynolds made her way to the first stall, Kate called, “Bags of milk replacer are in the storage room.”

  Mrs. Reynolds paused and turned back. “I don’t use just anything off the shelf. I’m particular about nutrition. I’ll buy my own and send you the bill.”

  Well, some things about this day were still normal. Without even checking the brands in the back, Mrs. Reynolds had assumed Kate had gotten the wrong kind.

  Mrs. Bassencherry laid her hand on Kate’s arm to draw her attention. “I’ll take three: the ones that are faring the worst. I don’t like to brag, but I have a way with cattle. Scours, bloat. I’ve brought calves through it all. I’m not promising anything, mind you. Sometimes there’s nothing that can be done, but at least with me, the calves will have a chance.”

  Meaning, they didn’t have a chance here at all. Kate was too grateful to be offended. “The ones against the back wall have been listless.”

  For the next few minutes, the barn was noisy with sounds of people examining calves. Kate felt some of the stress of the day leave. She would be left with twenty-six. It was still a huge number, a run-yourself-ragged-number, but at least she knew that thirteen of the calves would be in good hands.

  Mrs. Reynolds decided on six calves that had been in the same stall. “Might as well keep them together,” she pronounced. “They’ve already been sharing germs.”

  Landon carried a little black one out of the pen. “We’ll load them for you.”

  Kate went with him, guiding a mottled red one who seemed to be considering making a break for freedom. She had to keep one hand on him. The sun had set, and the last thing she wanted was for the calf to disappear on the ranch in the dark.

  When she got outside, she followed Landon to a nearby white trailer. Landon carried the black calf inside and came back for the red one. Kate was still in a bit of shock from these unexpected visitors, from this gesture of kindness, and her mind was stuck on that instead of paying attention to her surroundings. So it wasn’t until she turned back toward the barn that she caught sight of the road leading to her property.

  Three sets of headlights headed her way. Three. All of them had trailers.

  She stood staring at them stupidly like they were a vision that might disappear. “How many people did you ask?”

  Landon joined her. “Just a few.”

  While they watched, another set of headlights turned onto the road behind the other three. They made a trail of light coming toward her.

  Landon brushed his fingers against hers. “I told you ranchers help each other. You just needed to give them a chance.”

  Kate had kept tears at bay all day, but now they came. She broke down and cried in front of Mrs. Reynolds’s trailer, big sobbing tears. She’d hoped Landon would help her but hadn’t even been sure of that. This parade of good Samaritans was a gift she’d never expected and couldn’t repay. Everyone was going to see her crying and maybe that was okay. Maybe they should know that hers wasn’t just polite gratitude.

  “Kitty,” Landon said soothingly and gathered her into his arms. A comfortable place to be. She was getting used to it. “I told you everything would be all right.”

  She finally felt that at least in some ways it would be.

  Two of the trucks belonged to people in the church congregation. The other two were men who’d been her grandfather’s friends. All of them asked her, since they were already here, if she had any eggs for sale. She gave them away, practically emptying her fridge.

  As the last of her visitors were leaving with their animals, Jaxon pulled into the ranch with a trailer. He and Preston sauntered into the barn, dusty from their day’s work. By then only eight of the calves remained. Jaxon surveyed the group. “So, we’re loading the rest up?”

  “You want to take eight?” Kate asked. No one else had taken more than six. “I can’t burden you with that many. You’re all busy.”

  “No trouble.” Jaxon said. Preston strode over to the closest stall and picked up a black calf.

  “You don’t need to take all eight,” Kate insisted. “They’re my responsibility. I ought to at least take care of some of them.” She couldn’t ask people to do work for her that she herself wasn’t doing.

  “You’ve got the rest of the ranch to run,” Jaxon said, but he looked at Landon for direction.

  “Leave a couple,” Landon told him. “You know how Kitty likes to mother cute furry things.”

  Jaxon nodded, and he, Preston, and Landon went about putting the rest in their trailer. Kate carried a bag of milk replacer to their truck and returned the milk bar. They’d be needing that next feeding.

  She was afraid Landon would get in his truck and leave with his brothers. Instead he strolled back toward the barn with her.

  That was good news. He was staying longer than kindness required.

  He joined her at the barn’s sink and washed his hands. She needed to clean the horse stalls so she could bring them back in, but she didn’t want to do that right now. Not while Landon was here.

  “Can I interest you in some fresh air?” She wandered toward the door.

  Landon followed her. “Only if it comes with a sky full of stars.”

  Kate stepped outside and waited for him near the door. “Thanks for all this. It’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me.” She wanted to reach out and take his hands in hers. She hesitated. Perhaps that was too forward. She didn’t want to ruin the moment by making him uncomfortable.

  Landon looped his thumbs in his pockets. “I didn’t do much. Everyone chipped in.”

  “They came because you asked them to.”

  “They came because they knew you ended up with a raw deal. They want to help.”

  A couple of moths were determined to throw themselves at the light by the door and kept swooping near Kate’s face. She moved a few feet away and leaned against the side of the building. Her shoulders ached, and she hadn’t even been lifting much. The pain was from the tension of the day. “I’m surprised people are willing to help me. Aren’t they worried that helping me might cost you the ranch?”

  Landon didn’t speak for a moment. “I told them my family would make you another offer for Coyote Glen. I guess they figure you’ll take it.”

  “Oh.” She went a little limp. Even he didn’t believe his earlier pep talk about not counting herself out. Everyone was counting her out. “The people who came tonight were really helping you by taking the calves. They knew they’d end up being yours.” The warm feeling that had surrounded her the last hour dulled, disintegrated, and left her hollow. She’d been stupid for crying in gratitude in front of everybody. She’d even hugged them goodbye. None of their kindness had been for her.

  “Don’t say that,” Landon muttered. “They didn’t come because forty bottle calves will make a difference to my bottom line. They came because they respected the fact that you car
ed so much about those animals you were going to exhaust yourself trying to take care of them. That makes you one of us.” He let out a low sigh. “I just wish you could see that.”

  What did it matter if she saw it? She was going to lose the ranch. Her chest felt as tight as violin strings. “When will you make your second offer?” The words came out with more bitterness than she’d intended. Any offer on his part was generous. He could just sit back and wait to inherit.

  He reluctantly pulled a folded check from his pocket.

  “That fast?” It seemed like an eviction notice. “Well, I guess I should have let Jaxon take the calves after all.”

  Landon tapped the check against his palm. He looked as unhappy as she felt. “I talked with my brothers about your situation before I came over. The offer isn’t as much as our first, but we think your family should have some compensation. Cal would’ve wanted that.”

  Kate swallowed and folded her arms. At this point, she’d be a fool to turn down even a low offer, but she didn’t reach for the check, and he didn’t hand it to her. He just kept grimly scowling and tapping it against his palm. “You’ll have enough to cover the startup costs of a design business. That’s what you want, isn’t it?”

  She was glad she’d moved away from the light. She was afraid she’d start crying again. She wanted Landon, but she couldn’t tell him that.

  He shoved the check back into his pocket. “I don’t think I can do this.”

  Her gaze shot to his. He’d changed his mind about offering her even a low amount?

  There wasn’t indecision in his eyes, only pain. “Earlier, you said you couldn’t win, but as I see it, I’m the one who can’t win. If you don’t inherit Coyote Glen, you’ll leave. If you do inherit, you’ll leave. I just want you to stick it out for the rest of the year in the selfish hope that you’ll change your mind about us.” His voice dropped and went low with whispered earnestness. “I love you. If you don’t believe anything else, will you believe me about that?”

  He loved her. She did believe him, and those words changed everything, were everything. They were warmth and hope handed back to her. The tightness in her chest vanished, replaced by lightness.

  She didn’t answer; she just flung herself into his arms with a sound that was half gasp, half sob. He wrapped his arms around her and leaned his head against hers. “Kitty, don’t leave. I know Arizona will never be as green as Washington but—”

  She didn’t let him finish. She stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips against his. He seemed quite willing to kiss her instead of finishing the conversation. His lips were eager, then insistent. His hand traveled the length of her back and the heat of his fingertips left her breathless. She didn’t want to ever let him go again.

  After a few minutes, his hand wound up at the end of her French braid. He slipped off the elastic and loosened the braid, strand by strand, all while dropping kisses on her mouth. Her hair came undone. So did she. The feel of his hands tangling in her hair sent shivers down her spine.

  His lips moved to her earlobe. “You haven’t said that you love me.”

  Her lips had been busy until now. “I love you,” she whispered. “I think I’ve loved you since the first day you came over to help me.”

  She felt his mouth smile against the skin on her neck. “You haven’t said you’ll stay.”

  “I’ll stay. After all, leaving before September would be hasty. I might still inherit the ranch.”

  His lips returned to the spot of skin underneath her ear. “You know, there’s another way you can get Coyote Glen.”

  Forming coherent sentences was taking a lot of concentration. “What would that be?”

  “You could marry me. Then we’d own the land jointly.”

  Her heart beat faster. “Are you suggesting I marry you just so I’ll still have the land?”

  “Well, there would be other perks too.” He kissed her again, long and deeply, in case she wasn’t clear about what those perks were.

  When he lifted his head, she lazily opened her eyes. “I can definitely see the benefits.”

  He threaded his hands around her waist and pulled her closer. “You ain’t seen nothing yet.”

  He lowered his head, but she didn’t let him kiss her this time. “So is this an actual proposal or a theoretical exercise?” She was fully prepared to call him out for leading her on with more talk of marriage and pigeon sanctuaries.

  “Wasn’t I clear about that? Okay, let’s do this properly.” He stepped away from her, took her hand, and peered around. “I’d always planned on proposing in a more romantic location. Sunset on a mountain ridge somewhere.” He scanned the ground. “Or at least someplace I wouldn’t accidentally kneel in manure.”

  Her eyes widened. “Wait, you’re actually proposing?”

  He squeezed her hand. “Well, I’ve got to do it before the next German tourist in fake leather cowboy boots comes through town. Don’t want to take a chance of losing you.”

  Kate wasn’t sure how to respond. Landon was teasing and yet he wasn’t. The thought of herself as his wife—of being with him in real life and not just in those Sunday fantasies when she was ignoring sermons—it left her a little speechless.

  Perhaps Landon misread her shock for reluctance. His teasing expression faded. “I know this is fast, but I’ve already waited for you longer than I want. I understand, though, if you need more time.”

  She didn’t. In the time it took him to speak, she’d already thought it through. Making any big decision was a risk, but this was one risk she wanted to take. She knew what sort of man Landon was, she loved him, and she wanted to share her life with him. And besides, he made a compelling case for the perks of marriage. Really compelling.

  Still holding his hand, she pulled him away from the barn. “My grandmother’s gazebo.”

  “What?”

  “It’s a perfect place to propose.”

  He grinned and strolled beside her toward her house. “I’m guessing you’ll want to get married at Coyote Glen? You’ve been promoting it as a wedding venue.”

  “I can’t let all those decorations go to waste.”

  “You’ve already got the dress. We could do it next weekend.”

  He apparently hadn’t been kidding when he said he didn’t want to wait. “A reception takes time to plan,” she pointed out. “We’ll have to see when the pastor can officiate, order invitations, send them out, hire a photographer and a caterer, choose colors, flowers, centerpieces and bridesmaid’s dresses, find places for out-of-town guests to stay, and make your brothers wear tuxedos. It will take at least a few months.” She bit her lip. “And I’ll also have to break the news to my parents.”

  Landon walked for a few moments in silence. “They’ll try to talk you out of marrying me.”

  He was right about that. Despite all indications to the contrary, they would think Landon wanted to marry her so that if she inherited the land, he could coerce her not to sell. They would also worry she was rushing into things. They didn’t know Landon like she did. “They’ll come around. Eventually. By our ten-year anniversary, at least.” Although certainly not soon enough to save Kate the drama of their disapproval. All the wedding preparations would be tinged with it. And that would pretty much suck the joy out of the process.

  Would they fly out immediately to try and change her mind or just call incessantly? Her mother would probably cry. A lot of fights would ensue. Both her parents would look stricken in the wedding photos. Hopefully, they wouldn’t say anything insinuating during the toast. The day was bound to be an exercise in patience. And Kate really didn’t want it to be that way.

  Kate and Landon reached the backyard. While they walked by the side of the house, Kate flipped on the strings of lights that ran across the lawn to gazebo. Instant ambiance. The place dripped with romance.

  Landon led her up the steps and paused in the middle. Holding her hand, he got down on one knee. “Kitty, marry me, and I promise to not only love, honor, and
cherish you, I promise not to kill all the pigeons that find their way into our barns. Think of them as you answer.”

  Only he could make her swoon and laugh at the same time. “Yes.” Almost without a pause, she added, “And we should elope and keep it a secret. Or wait until after you inherit Coyote Glen to let people know we’re even a couple. That way my parents won’t think you have ulterior motives for proposing.”

  Landon stood, his fingers still intertwined with hers. “In that case, I vote to elope and keep it secret.”

  “Okay.” Not waiting had definite advantages, and most of them involved spending time in Landon’s embrace. “After the will is taken care of, I’ll say I want to stay in Arizona and do some interior design here. We’ll sit at church together and mention that we’ve started dating. A few months later, we’ll announce an engagement. Then we’ll have an official wedding ceremony where we invite our friends and family. The wedding will be much better that way because no one will be gnashing their teeth in the family photos. At least not either of us.”

  “You want to live in separate houses until then?” Landon clearly didn’t.

  Kate ran her thumb across his hand. “You can come over every day. You’ve got a vested interest in seeing to this ranch.”

  He nodded. “I’m not going to bring up any problems I see with that plan because I don’t want to wait.”

  “What problems?”

  “There aren’t any. We’ll just hope no one ever asks to see the date on our wedding certificate, and my brothers will have to wonder why I’m over at your house late every night.”

  “Vested interest,” she repeated. “You’re very diligent about that.”

  He looked across the yard, already making plans. “Let’s drive to Marana so we don’t have to worry about being recognized at the Bisbee courthouse. I’ll hire some men to handle your ranch while we’re gone.”