Page 4 of The Cowboy's Unlikely Love

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Colt drove down thenarrow, paved road toward the old Ardent ranch. Of course, there were no cattle left on the place, and the spread hadn’t been farmed in years. As he got close, the falling-down fence line led him the rest of the way to the entrance of the ranch drive. The house was about a quarter mile down the road, and he soon pulled up in front of the well-worn porch that wrapped around the house.

He sat in his truck for a moment, studying his surroundings. A short distance down the drive was a large wooden barn, the red paint so worn and faded it could hardly be seen at this distance. His eyes craved the sight of livestock but found none. Sagging fence led off into the distance, and the whole vista just made him sad.

He got out of the truck and walked up the rickety steps, knocking on the old wooden screen door with its peeling white paint. He took a step back, hands on his hips, and waited.

A moment later, a well-preserved woman who looked to be in her late sixties stepped outside. “I don’t get many people knocking at my door. Who might you be?”

The corner of his mouth lifted. Shannon Kent was just what he’d expected. “I’m Colt Meadows. Did you get the note that I gave Taylor?”

Her eyes narrowed, but she smiled. “I did. I was thinking of calling you today, and here you go showing up on my doorstep.” She looked him up and down. “So, you’re a handyman?”

He grinned. “Well, I’m handy at fixing things, and I’m a man.”

Shannon laughed. “You’ll do, Colt Meadows. If you work for free iced tea, that is.”

His grin widened. “I do dearly love my iced tea, ma’am.”

“Taylor works days at the Lazy Days Inn, but if you’re serious about helping out around here, there’s plenty that needs doing.” She eyed him again as if to assess his earnestness.

“I couldn’t be more serious, ma’am,” he said, this time without a smile. “How can I help you today?”

“My brother died a few years back of cirrhosis of the liver, leaving me this place in a state of disaster, as I’m sure you can see.” She brushed past him and motioned to the front steps. “These are probably the worst problem I have around here. I’m afraid I’ll break my neck every time I walk into the house. Do you think you can fix them?”

He walked over and examined the steps for a moment. “This won’t be a problem. I’ll go into town for some supplies first, and I’ll be right back.”

Shannon reached out her hand. “Thanks, Colt. You’re a sight for sore eyes this morning.”

***

Colt arrived back atShannon’s house an hour and a half later and backed his truck up to the porch steps. As he unloaded the two-by-sixes and other supplies, Shannon stepped out the door with two glasses of iced tea.

She offered one to him and said, “Take a break, young man, before you get started on that mess.”

After taking a long swallow, he smiled and said, “Can’t beat iced tea on a hot fall day.”

“So you grew up around here, Colt?” Shannon asked, then took a drink from her glass.

“Yes. Like I told Taylor, my family’s ranch isn’t far from here.”

Her brows drew together. “I’ve been gone more than thirty years, so I’ve forgotten a lot. Which direction is your place?”

He pointed southeast. “About seven minutes that way, I guess.”

She nodded. “You have any family?”

He bit back a smile. The woman was really giving him a grilling. “I live with my parents, and my older sister, Amy, lives in Dallas. I attended Tarleton State, the best rodeo college in Texas, and rode bareback broncs. I didn’t go professional because my dad needs me here on the ranch.”

Shannon’s eyes narrowed as she peered at him. “So you’re a rodeo cowboy, huh?”

She’d said that like it was a bad thing. “Uh, yes, ma’am.”

“Uh-huh,” she said and then got quiet. But before he could find out what was going on, she shocked him with, “Well, rodeo cowboy, are you dating anyone?”

This time he couldn’t help but grin. “No, ma’am, I’m not.”

This seemed to satisfy her, and she took a long drink from her glass. Taking his cue from her, he did the same, finishing the remainder of his drink in three swallows.

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