Take the Reins (A Cowboy's Promise Book 2)

by Megan Squires

  “Just calling it like I see it.” Tanner’s horse continued sauntering ahead while Seth’s remained rooted in place. “I think you can do better, is all,” he called over his shoulder. “Maybe it’s time to cut ties and see what else is out there. Really explore your options. Take your time before settling down for good.”

  Seth tapped Scout’s belly with his spurs to push the horse into a trot to catch up with his brother. “You only say that because you want me out of the picture when it comes to the business.”

  “I only say that because I think Josie isn’t good enough for this family. She’s not like Amy. Not like Mom. She doesn’t fit in.”

  And that’s a good thing, Seth thought silently.

  “That girl is rougher than a sandpaper massage,” Tanner added before turning his head to spit into the dirt. “I’m just saying she could use some polishing up, is all.”

  Sure, Josie was a little rough around the edges, but Seth would take that over fake, drab, or boring any day. “I’m done talking about Josie. I suggest any other opinions you have of her you keep to yourself.”

  “Fair enough. But just know she’s not doing you any favors.”

  That was far from the truth. Having Josie by his side was a huge favor and Seth was well aware of that fact. She might not win Tanner over, but that was neither here nor there. Seth’s father approved. Maybe it wasn’t Josie he specifically approved of, but the fact that Seth had a woman at his side made a difference in his father’s eyes. A big one.

  With the conversation sufficiently buttoned up, they kicked their horses into gear and rode hard back to the barn. Seth made quick work of untacking Scout and sending him into the nearby grazing pasture, but it still wasn’t fast enough to beat the veterinarian’s arrival. The white pickup truck had pulled into the ranch sometime while Seth was still out with the cows. Dr. Cranford was already at the fence with Josie and another woman Seth figured must be the vet tech. Out of breath, Seth jogged up to greet them and when the trio turned around, he just about toppled over.

  “Bridgette.” Seth all but coughed out her name.

  “Hey, Seth.” Bridgette flashed her knee-weakening smile but luckily Seth’s were already locked in place from the sheer surprise of it all. He stood stock still. “I thought I would come out with Dr. Cranford to check out the horses. He was just over at our place and mentioned he would be heading your way after. I hope you don’t mind.”

  “No, not at all.” Seth gulped. “You’ve met—”

  “Your girlfriend?” Bridgette finished for him. She gave him an unreadable look. “Yes. Josie just introduced herself, but her reputation as a farrier precedes itself. I’ve been passing along her info for years now. She’s undoubtedly the best.”

  Standing several feet away, closer to the horses than the grouping of people, Josie’s expression was cloaked in apology, aware that she’d said too much. Seth wanted to assure her it was fine, but Bridgette bulldozed right through any attempt at making that happen.

  “I should be able to take the horses off your hands as soon as the stallion and colts are gelded, which, Dr. Cranford says, could happen as early as next week. Isn’t that great news?”

  “I thought you had the horse with strangles.”

  “We do, but he’s recovering nicely and should be in the clear soon. We’ve had him quarantined to limit exposure to the rest of the animals and so far, no one else has come down with it. We’ll be good to go before you know it. It’ll be great to get these horses in a proper setting where they can finally relax.”

  In Seth’s periphery, he could see Josie take another step back, peeling herself away from the conversation. She wrapped a hand around a pipe panel and slumped her weight against the fence.

  “I don’t know that they’ll be ready by then, Bridge. They still need a lot of work.”

  “And I have a lot of volunteers to help with that.” She touched Seth’s forearm in a familiar move. “Remember that grant I applied for last spring? It finally came through. I was able to set up a huge round pen and purchase five more pens with the money. Coincidentally, that’s the perfect amount for this little herd. It’s like it was meant to be.”

  Something resembling disappointment slid across Josie’s face. When Seth tried to give her a reassuring look, she diverted her gaze to her boots like they were the most interesting thing in the world. She wouldn’t look back up.

  “We’ll see,” was all Seth could commit to in the moment. “Dr. Cranford, what are your thoughts on gelding them? You think they’re ready?”

  “I will really need them halter broke before we do any procedures involving sedation. And hopefully that happens sooner than later because the colts are definitely of age,” the veterinarian said. “Wait too long and you’ll have to pull them from their mothers. You might also want to think about removing the stallion from the paddock, unless you want the mares bred back this quickly.”

  “Good advice,” Seth said with a nod. “Josie’s been working with them everyday. Shouldn’t be long before we can get a halter on them.”

  “But that’s a pretty big task to do one handed, isn’t it?” Bridgette’s eyes shifted toward Josie’s cast and she spoke low near Seth’s ear like two parents discussing their child in hushed tones.

  “I’m handling it just fine.” Josie piped up and took a step closer.

  Bridgette turned to Seth completely. “Seth, I’d be happy to send over a few of my volunteers to help Josie out. I can spare them, no problem. I want to make sure she’s not biting off more than she can chew—”

  “Didn’t you just hear her say she’s doing just fine on her own?”

  “I did, but—”

  “We’ll have the horses halter broke by early next week, Dr. Cranford.” Seth skirted Bridgette and thrust his hand forward to shake the doctor’s. “I appreciate you coming out to the ranch today. I’ll call the office this afternoon to get an appointment on the schedule for the procedures.”

  Seth made a movement to walk away, but Bridgette grabbed his elbow. “Can I speak with you in private for a moment?” she said in a breathy almost-whisper.

  Seth looked over his shoulder to glimpse Josie occupied in conversation with Dr. Cranford, discussing the upcoming procedure and the current condition of the horses. He nodded to Bridgette and moved out of their earshot.

  “Seth, I know you haven’t really been dating Josie.”

  “How would you know that?”

  Her hand was still on his arm. Seth thought about shaking it loose, but the feel of it was like a memory and he couldn’t say it wasn’t a good one.

  “Well, for one, in order for the two of you to be dating as long as she says you were, you would have been cheating on me. You’re a lot of things, Seth Ford, but a cheater isn’t one of them,” she reasoned. “And second, you had no idea who she was when I recommended her as a farrier. That was just last week. Things aren’t adding up.”

  Seth inhaled for several long moments before releasing the breath slowly through his mouth. “You’re right. I didn’t cheat on you, nor would I ever do that. And I didn’t know who Josie was until a few days ago. That’s true, too. But one thing led to another and—”

  “And now you’re suddenly a couple?”

  “A fake couple. It’s complicated. But I would appreciate your discretion concerning all of this. It’s a long story involving my parents, the ranch, and my future.”

  There was little chance any of this made sense, but it was all he could disclose at the moment. He just hoped it would appease Bridgette’s curiosity and tide her over temporarily.

  She chewed on her bottom lip and then finally nodded. “Okay. I can respect that. But please don’t spin the story to make me out to be the girl who’s been wronged. According to Josie, you two have been together a couple of years and that would completely overlap with our relationship. I’m not sure how you’re going to reconcile that.”

  “Already have. Everyone just thinks she’s you.”

  Bridgette
’s eyes turned huge. “That woman over there cannot be mistaken for me. Not to be rude or anything, but we’re clearly nothing alike.”

  “You don’t have to be anything alike. My family doesn’t really have any information about you to compare her to.”

  “Wow, Seth.” Bridgette looked offended. “I’m not sure how I should take that. In the entire time we were together, you never shared anything about me with your family? Your friends?”

  “Not anything important. But that’s not because you weren’t important, Bridge. I just like to keep my relationships to myself. You know that.”

  She fell silent a beat, then conceded, “I do know that, and truth be told, it’s something I greatly appreciated when we were dating. But now…I don’t know. It just feels a little like I’ve been erased. Like we’ve been erased.” She grabbed onto his hand and pulled him so close he could feel the warmth of her breath escape her mouth. “Breaking up with you messed me up, Seth. I thought we had a future, you know? And then to find out we were never on the same page? That hurt.” She gave a squeeze before she released his hand and took a step back. “Just be careful with her, okay? I know what it’s like to have my heart broken by you and I wouldn’t wish that upon any girlfriend. Real or not.”

  14

  Josie

  You should call Mom. She’s been asking about you.

  Josie reread the text from her older sister, Maren. Funny how she could hear the critical tone so clearly in those typed words.

  Will do, she punched across her phone screen.

  The Friar women used to have a relatively good relationship. But then tragedy struck, along with a lightning storm of lies that hit even harder. It was funny how—in one instant—life itself could completely upend. It had been years since her father’s death, but it was still the marker of things. Everything that came before was now washed in the haze of deceit. Everything after…well, it was like starting over.

  You up for an adventure?

  Josie had to do a double take. This text wasn’t from Maren.

  She smiled as she read Seth’s name at the top of her screen.

  Depends what your idea of adventure is.

  She didn’t like the way her heart picked up speed as she impatiently watched the typing bubbles pulse on the screen.

  You okay to ride a horse with that cast?

  She snorted. I could ride a horse with no hands if I had to. It’s all in the legs. You should know that, cowboy.

  And butt and thighs, but she left out those body parts. Just thinking them in regards to Seth made her face flush with warmth.

  The bubbles on the screen were their own kind of unique torture. When the phone finally vibrated with a reply, she jumped so suddenly the cell almost flew right out of her hand.

  I don’t have a response to that.

  More text bubbles…

  Meet me at the barn in ten.

  Josie didn’t need all ten minutes. She was there in five.

  “Looks like you’re thinking what I’m thinking.” He tugged on the sleeve of his rain jacket that matched Josie’s, all the way down to the olive green, camouflage print. “I can feel the storm coming.”

  “Same.”

  It was in the whipping of the wind that forced Josie to secure her hair back with a rubber band. It was in the petrichor scent of the air, that musky, earthy aroma that permeated the damp atmosphere before the clouds opened up and the deluge began. It was in the slight ache of her bones that knew something was shifting in the climate around her. It was everywhere.

  “You can ride Sally, my mom’s broodmare. She’s a good old gal. I’ve got her all tacked up and ready to go for you.” Seth handed off the reins hooked on the bridle of the bay horse. “There’s a first time calver out in the field that looks to need some assistance. I’m hoping to get to her before the storm gets to us, but we’ll have to hurry.”

  Seth stooped with a bended knee and interlocked his fingers to give Josie a boost up and onto the horse’s long back. She settled into the saddle and tried to avert her eyes when he hiked his leg over his own horse in the smoothest, sexiest motion she’d ever seen. She shook her head. Maybe the impending storm was messing with more of her senses than she realized.

  Josie had this unanchored feeling in her belly as they galloped out to the cows. It wasn’t excitement. It wasn’t dread. But it was a sensation that made her insides roil, this churning of weightless emotion each time she glimpsed Seth at her side. Tonight he wore his signature cowboy hat and the collar on his red and black plaid jacket peeked out the top of his rain slicker, snug up under his scruffy chin. His rope hung from the saddle horn, his reins were collected loosely in his hands, and his focus drilled into the pasture ahead, scanning the dusky fields for the calver in question.

  He was all things cowboy. Rugged. Skilled. And irrefutably gorgeous.

  Josie didn’t often get flustered by a handsome man. More often than not, God used up all the good parts on the outside and left little to be desired on the inside, anyway.

  She didn’t get that sense with Seth. His character was even more attractive than his impossibly square cut jaw, his dark, deep-set eyes the color of rich, melted chocolate, and his perfect lips that were made for kissing a woman fully and deeply.

  And it would be the sum of all of these combinations that would get Josie in trouble.

  Platonic, platonic, platonic.

  “There she is!” Seth spurred his horse and took off for the downed heifer at the far edge of the field. Reeds of waist high grasses enveloped the struggling animal, making her almost invisible in the rural landscape. Josie would have missed her altogether if it weren’t for the painful noises she emitted, the moos that bordered on moans of shear agony. Seth was right. This heifer needed their help and judging by the sound of things, they hadn’t arrived a minute too soon.

  “Would you mind tying off the horses for me?” Seth indicated toward the large wooden post that supported a gate. He unhooked his saddle bag and then passed Scout’s leather reins to Josie. “I’m going to check out what we’re dealing with and see if the heifer will let me tie her up, too.”

  The horses were more than happy to rest in tall grasses they hardly had to lower their heads to snack from. Josie secured both Sally and Scout and then hurried toward Seth, trampling dry reeds to make her own path in the overgrown pasture. She almost lost track of him in the thick brush, but when he flicked on a flashlight, it was like a lighthouse beacon drawing her to their exact location in the field.

  “Breech.” He had a gloved hand elbow deep in the struggling heifer. “You ever deliver a calf before?”

  “Goats, pigs, horses, and a llama.” Josie ticked off each animal on her fingers, one by one. “But never a calf.”

  “Any of them ever try to give you trouble and try to come out butt first?”

  She shook her head. She’d been lucky. In all of the livestock births she had assisted in, she’d never experienced anything too out of the ordinary. Some help she would be.

  “Should I call Dr. Cranford?” Josie started to reach for her phone in her jacket pocket.

  “No. He was heading to an appointment down in Sacramento after our visit. That’s a couple hours away. If this storm kicks into gear like it’s threatening to, maybe even longer. We’re going to have to figure this one out on our own.” With his free hand, he reached into his saddle bag and withdrew another set of long, plastic gloves and then tossed a bottle of lubricant Josie’s way. “Glove up.”

  Josie slipped one on and came up next to the cow. She ran her fingers and cast delicately along the side of the trembling animal, patting her at the widest point of her stomach. The whites of the heifer’s eyes flashed with fear, pain, and a look that came close to total resignation.

  “If you can stay up by her head and try to keep her calm, I’m going to see if I can manipulate the calf manually. I’ll have to push it back in a little to move it around so I can pull the hind feet out. That’s the only way we’re going to get
this calf on the ground at this point. Dead or alive.”

  He said it so matter-of-factly, Josie assumed this wasn’t his first breech rodeo. His hand sank back into the heifer and he got to work.

  “It’s okay, girl.” Josie tried to soothe the tired animal, her words hushed and low like a lullaby. Whatever Seth did at the other end, though, thwarted that attempt. The cow stomped and tossed her head in a wild circle, wailing a guttural noise that blasted into Josie’s eardrum. “It’s okay, girl. It’s gonna be okay.” She peered around the animal. “You doing alright back there?”

  Josie felt the heifer lurch forward before being yanked quickly back.

  “Got one foot into the birth canal!” Seth exclaimed, the rise in his voice full of energy from his success.

  Another forceful tug.

  “Once I get the other”—he continued in a heaving voice—“I’ll need your help with the chains.”

  “Chains?”

  The heifer rocked back again with Seth’s maneuvering. “The pull chains. We’ll have to use them to pull the calf out. It’s not going to come out any other way.”

  The poor girl opened her mouth to let out another strangled groan just as a flash of startling white illuminated the sky. Josie didn’t even have time to count the space between the lightning crack and the ensuing boom of parched earth rattling beneath them. The storm was close, teetering right on the edge of an inundating downpour.

  “We need to work fast.” Seth looked up at the angry skies. “Come on, girl. Work with me. We gotta get your baby out. We can do this together. I just need your help, sweet girl.”

  There was a tenderness in his voice despite the gravity of the situation. Josie knew the odds weren’t good for a live birth in a situation like this. Even still, this mama needed the baby on the ground, and the sooner the better.

  “Got it!”

  The heifer exhaled a massive sigh that Josie felt skim across her cheek, hot and damp, the smell of cut grass. “Need my help yet?”