Page 71 of The Guy Who Stole My Ranch

“Good morning.” I hated the stiffness of my words, but I also wanted to make sure that I kept my distance from Brooke. Emotionally speaking.

She looked up and gave me a small smile. “Hey.”

My self-imposed edict for the need to be professional with her always crumbled a bit under one of her smiles, even the kind that were merely twitches of her lips.

“Did you check the agenda?” she asked.

“I did.” I’d started a shared document that she could put tasks on. When we finished something, I’d mark it as completed and add any additional information I thought I might need later. “Looks like we have a busy day ahead of us.”

She slipped her phone into her front overall pocket and nodded. “Which means we should get started. I just got a message from Christopher saying the cows from next door have gotten out of their pasture and into ours. I loaded the repair gear into our saddle bags.”

I met her at the trough and rubbed Betsy’s nose. Betsy huffed and flared her nostrils in greeting, so I gave her the apple.

Brooke shook her head and led Jake toward the exit.

Frank trotted after her. I envied him because, unlike me, he could get close to Brooke and not hurt her.

“Are you coming?” Brooke said over her shoulder.

“Of course.” I gently tugged on Betsy’s reins, and she followed me out the door.

I purposely looked away as Brooke mounted her horse, because if I didn’t, I had a tendency to stare at her and daydream about what might happen if there could be something between us.

Betsy stood still as I got into my saddle. When I was settled, I patted her neck.

Brooke didn’t waste time as she and Jake took off at a trot.

Betsy didn’t like being left behind, so as soon as I clicked my tongue and touched my heels to her flank, she sprang forward and followed.

Frank happily ran beside the horses. I’d been afraid he would get trampled, but the horses were careful, and it seemed my dog was smarter than I’d thought.

The canter across the ranch invigorated me. I’d ridden a lot, but I’d rarely been anywhere that felt so wild. Despite being able to see a handful of buildings and the road, the expanse of the land around us made me feel isolated. Calm.

We passed the sheep pasture, and Frank did his best to scare the creatures away. Some scattered while others looked at my dog like he was an irritating insect.

Betsy and I easily kept up with Jake, and I could feel Betsy’s excitement as she got to run. I could also tell she wanted to pull ahead of the others. The horse had a competitive streak a mile wide. I gave her a bit of rein, and she gleefully took it and sped forward.

Brooke watched us pass her but said nothing. Jake wasn’t as concerned about getting to our destination as Betsy was.

The herd of cows, about two dozen strong, led us to the break in the fence. Apparently, the grass on this side looked better than it did on their side. I slowed as we approached, and Betsy danced to a stop as Brooke caught up.

Brooke frowned as she surveyed the wide gap in the fence. I could tell she was putting together a plan of attack.

I did the same, using everything she’d taught me so far to make informed decisions.

“So?” Brooke asked me. “What should we do first?”

We hadn’t dealt with escaped animals yet, but I presumed that should be our first order of business. “Get the cows back on their side?”

She nodded. “We could call Christopher to bring the dogs, or we can try to do it ourselves.”

I knew she wouldn’t normally call anyone for help, so I shrugged and said, “You may as well show me how to drive a small herd of cattle.”

“Have you ever dealt with cattle?” she asked.

“No.”

“They’re dumb as rocks, but we should be able to get them to move.” The cattle stood in a loose circle with just a few outliers. Brooke pointed at me. “You keep any more of them from wandering off, and I’ll go get the strays.”

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