Page 42 of Falling Hard for the Billionaire Cowboy

"Easy now," I murmur, approaching slowly.

Neighhhh!

The horse's nostrils flare, its eyes wild with fear.

I place a hand on its flank, feeling the tremors running through its powerful body. "It's alright, boy," I soothe, my voice low and steady. "No one's gonna hurt you."

Gradually, the horse calms under my touch. I seize the moment and hoist myself onto its back. For a second, it's like sitting on a powder keg—I can feel the raw energy coiled beneath me, ready to explode.

And then it does. The horse takes off like a shot, and suddenly we're flying across the land.

I can feel the wind on my skin, cooling the sweat beads I had felt earlier. My heart is also pounding in time with the horse's thundering hooves. It's terrifying and exhilarating all at once.

"WHOOO! Go Boss!"

"You're the man!"

"BOSS!"

"Let's Gooo!"

I can hear the cheers coming from the ranch hands watching, creating this intense atmosphere. I lean forward, speaking softly into the horse's ear as we run. Slowly, ever so slowly, I feel the tension start to leave its body. Its strides become less wild, more controlled. Finally, after what feels like hours but must only be minutes, we come to a stop in the center of the corral.

A cheer goes up from the ranch hands, and I can't help but grin. As I dismount, patting the horse's neck, Sebastian approaches with a grin.

"That was something else, boss," he says, shaking his head. "Never knew you could handle a horse like that"

I shrug, trying to play it cool despite the adrenaline still coursing through my veins. "I am a cowboy after all. Just takes a little patience and understanding, that's all." Turning to the rest of the crowd, I yell. "Okay, time to get to work. Come on guys!"

Although there are a few grumbles, the work resumes immediately. The rest of the afternoon passes in a blur, butthere's still that excitement from the morning. The initial success with the black stallion seems to have energized everyone, and I can only chuckle as I wonder what Noah would say if he heard this from them.

As the sun begins to set, returning to the dark skies of the night, it's finally time to retire for the day. I begin to walk along the perimeter of the property with our oldest ranch dog, Blue. The old boy has got a limp these days, but he still insists on making his rounds. He mostly does his afternoon shift by hobbling across a few yards, but I decide to take him for a quick walk tonight.

"What do you think, Blue?" I ask, scratching behind his ears. "Think we did alright today?"

Blue gives a soft woof in response, and I chuckle. "Yeah, I think so too."

We make our way back to the main house, where I could almost swear I smell the scent of Hayley's omelet wafting from the kitchen – But there's no way.

My stomach growls, reminding me I haven't eaten since breakfast.

As I step onto the porch, I pause for a moment, taking in the view of the ranch bathed in the day's dying light. It's been a good day—hard work, a bit of excitement, but the satisfaction of a job well done is greater.

I think about Hayley again, wondering if she's gotten back, and if she had any luck with new clients. Maybe I'll give her a call after dinner, just to check in. For now, though, it's time to clean up.

Chapter nineteen

HAYLEY

"Old Man Charles let his cows run on my farm, I heard there's something you can do about it!"

"The cheating skunk told me he would pay 16,000 dollars. He only paid five thousand, I want my money!"

"I'm planning on diverting the water to my farm. Is there something you can do for me?"

"How much do you charge, Beatrice said you can help collect compensation from tourists that destroy my property?"

Word quickly spreads across town about my law firm, and since I'm able to solve 90% of the cases, suddenly, I'm getting clients back-to-back.

---