*The following weekend, Jethro managed to arrange the delivery of his loaner bull.
Chance leaned over the fence and watched Bulldozer sniff his new pasture. “Remember what I said about him. Don’t let anyone in the pasture unless they’re on a horse. If you need to check him for injuries, bring him into the standing stock to do it. Got it?”
Jethro watched Bulldozer pawing the ground and nodded. “Yeah. I got it.” The beast was bigger close up. Scarily big and a force to be reckoned with. If half his cows got in calf with this bull, his future would be secure.
“He might look like a pussycat, but believe me, he can turn nasty with the blink of an eye.” Chance rubbed his leg. “I can attest to that, although Callie thinks he’s a big softie. She never has any trouble with him.”
“I doubt I’m going to throw caution to the wind with him. Too big and mean looking to forget what he’s capable of. I don’t know how to thank you, Chance. It’s not often people lend out their prize bull. Especially to someone like me.” He leaned on the fence and watched Bulldozer sniff the breeze.
“Yeah, well. It’s not often someone steps in for my brother and helps bring my nephew into the world either. I figure it’s a fair trade. And you need to think better of yourself.” He checked his watch. “Listen, Layla’s important to me. She’s like the sister I never had. Rumor has it that Sadie’s spending a bit of time over here with you. Don’t want you to go and upset the apple cart. Layla doesn’t want to lose her because some cowboy breaks her heart. You hearing me?”
“Loud and clear. Still the bossy cousin, I see. Glad some things never change.”
“And they won’t either. It’s got nothing to do with the family history, so get that out of your head. I couldn’t care less if your great aunt is my father’s sister or whatever. That’s past and nothing to do with us. It’s more to do with the crap you gave Rupert that rubs me the wrong way. He didn’t deserve it when all he was doing was what he thought was best for you boys. But seeing as how you’re trying to do the right thing, I won’t complain.”
Considering Chance had just offloaded his bull for free, Jethro didn’t feel in a position to argue. Besides, Chance was right and they all knew it. Better to roll with it.
“All I’m saying is, don’t mess things up for Sadie. Last thing we want is her heading back to Denver because you broke her heart. Layla wants to offer her a partnership so she can spend less time at work and more time with her son, but don’t go spreading the word yet. She wants to do it herself once she has the paperwork sorted. I wanted to let you know what was on the line here so that if all you’re thinking of doing is having a love ’em and leave ’em kind of relationship—my advice is, don’t.”
“Duly noted. On both accounts.”
“Good. Now that I’ve said my piece, I’ll leave you to it.” He lifted the tailgate of the truck and locked it in place before he turned back to Jethro. “Those brothers of yours? Are they starting to pull their weight?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Nothing. Just asking.” He lifted a hand in farewell, got in the truck, and drove away.
Clumsy leaned into Jethro’s leg. “What am I going to do? I can’t tell her, but I bet it would go a long way to helping her make up her mind if she knew she had a permanent place here.” Even if it wasn’t how she saw her future all those years ago.
He stood gazing at the bull. What chance did he have of making this thing between him and Sadie work? It didn’t seem to matter to her that he was poor and she was better off with someone who matched her businesswise. Tyson and Layla had made it work. Sure, there were problems at first. They sorted them out before the baby came along, and Sadie was so much like Layla it gave him a surge of hope. Same background, same goals. They wouldn’t be the first couple in the world that had to work at a relationship. Nor would they be the last.
Now all he had to do was make subtle suggestions and let her think that the ideas were all hers. He wouldn’t railroad her.
*
“I hope you don’t mind, but I had to come and see the great beast.” She slammed her car door and reached a hand out when Clumsy ambled toward her. It hadn’t taken long for her to get used to the old dog. Truth be told, she was rather partial to him. Sadie tried not to be bitter about the way her father manipulated her emotions when she wanted a pet of her own. That part of her life was done and there was no point chewing over what was lost.
“Hey, fella. I missed you too.”
“That dog’s been mooning down the drive for the last few days. I think he misses you more than I do.” Jethro gave her a lopsided smile that made her legs quiver.
“Is that a fact? At least you both missed me. Makes a girl feel good hearing that. So…”—she strode over and slipped her arm through his after giving him a soft kiss on the cheek—“show me this massive, man-killing beast that’s going to woo your girls.”
“Listen to you, sounding all of a sudden like you were brought up on the land. I like it. Does something to my heart.” He flapped his hand over his chest. “Goes all pitter-patter like.”
“Oh, you!” Sadie swatted him on the arm. He made her feel normal, wanted, and oh, so pretty without all the trappings she was used to. Just the way he spoke to her as if she was a normal person and not someone clawing her way up the corporate ladder who needed to gather scalps along the way made her feel something she hadn’t felt before.
The sense of calm swaddling her now was the closest thing to perfect she’d come to. Denver was crazy; she understood that. Her workday started early and finished late. If they had a big case, they worked through the night. Making it to partner was a cutthroat business, and Sadie had thrived on it, didn’t give a single thought to those who she nudged out of the way on the climb up. It was business, pure and simple. Any lawyer seeking partner did it.
But now she found herself not as hungry as she had been. And it all had to do with this hunky cowboy who didn’t have an agenda to topple others and the warm community feeling she was getting from the good folk of Marietta.
He walked her over to the fence and leaned on it. “There he is.”
“Oh, my goodness. He’s huge.” Those horns and beady eyes scared the daylights out of her. How should she respond in a way that would make Jethro happy when all she wanted to do was run the other way? “That’s one big ball of muscle if ever I’ve seen one.” She placed a foot on the fence railing, rested her arms on the top. “How on earth Chance lived to tell the tale after having a tussle with that animal is beyond me.”
“He’s beautiful. Look at the width of his shoulders; that roll of muscle over his hips. If his offspring are anything half as good as Bulldozer, we’ll be set. I’ll pick the best bull and keep him for breeding. Probably be able to sell the others for good money, too, and buy more cows.” He turned to her, took her face in his hands and smiled. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done for me?”
She heard the wonder in his voice, and her throat closed over. All she could do was shake her head.
“You’ve put us back on track to make something of this place. Grandpa would’ve loved you.” He leaned down, placed his lips over hers, and she lost herself. Her arms wound around his neck of their own volition, and she melted into his body. His hands came around her back and slid down to her hips where he held her close.
When she came up for breath, she peeked at his face. His eyes were shut, and she smiled and went back for another kiss. A rumble and a roar broke them apart; Sadie squealed, gripping his arm. “What the heck is that?”
Bulldozer scraped the ground with his front hoof and snorted, his lip curling as he sniffed the air, turning to amble toward a black and white heifer.
Jethro laughed, pulled her face against his chest. “Oh, dear. I don’t know if you want to see this, but he’s found his first date.”
Sadie glanced under his arm, horrified as the big beast circled the seemingly willing cow that stood flicking her tail in his direction. “I don’t think I need to see this. Buy me a coffee, point me in the direction of the dirty washing pile, anything but this. Please.” She grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the house but Jethro stumbled because he was laughing so hard.
“Wait. I want to see how this goes. You don’t have to look, but I want to make sure he’s working properly before I give them privacy. I think you should go in the barn with Clumsy and have a seat. Pretty sure he’d like the attention. I won’t be long, promise.” The look on his face was so cute. Like he had to protect her from the side of ranch life she wasn’t used to.
She screwed up her face as he nudged her toward the barn and went back to watch the love match. Sadie shuddered and reached for Clumsy. “I don’t believe this. Watching cows do it seems kind of perverse, don’t you think? Like a Peeping Tom or something. Yuck.” Clumsy seemed to agree and closed his eyes as he leaned against her. She closed her ears to the mooing and stamping coming from the pasture and tried to keep up a line of chatter to drown out the sound, which, in turn, did little to keep the images out of her mind.
When Jethro came strolling in with a big grin on his face ten minutes later, she jumped up to greet him. “It’s over?”
“For that heifer, yes, but he already has his eye on plenty more. The animal has stamina like you wouldn’t believe.”
“I don’t think I needed to know that.” She smoothed down her jeans and smiled at him. “Sorry. I know it’s your business and something you’re invested in, but it’s not something I’m used to.”
He grinned at her. “I know.”
“I want to fit in.” She stood up and stepped toward him. “I want to fit in with you.”
“I know, and you will so long as you don’t forget who you are. I don’t want you to lose you in the process. I like you as you are.” He stepped closer and cupped her chin. “I like you a lot more than I thought I would.”
A dash of feathers fluttered around her legs with a keening gobble of noise, and she screamed before leaping into his arms, clinging to him for dear life.
Jethro held her up and shook his head. “Oh, boy, talk about being thrown in the deep end of ranch life. He won’t hurt you none.” Jethro let her slide down until her feet hit the ground, but she daren’t let go of him. A turkey strutted around them with his tail fanned out and his head bobbing. Her heart raced. This was the first time she’d met one of these birds in real life, and if she had to be honest, she wasn’t keen to repeat the process. Beady little eyes and a sharp beak sent a shiver down her spine.
She should’ve given this visit to the ranch a bit more thought. At least a nighttime visit would mean she could pretend all this animal stuff and dirt didn’t exist, purely because she couldn’t see it.
The house was okay if not a little dated. It was clean and functional if not unlike her place. Some of the touches were quaint and made her smile. Like the photos of the three young boys swimming in a creek that hung on the living room walls, the hand-stitched cushions that now lay flat on the chairs after years of being pummeled into a comfortable shape. The mix of pretty plates with the more obvious newer Walmart products.
Even the old wood fireplace in the living room was comforting, unlike the great outdoors she was experiencing now. And it was safe. Unlike being in the barn too close to animals.
Today’s visit was going to haunt her sleep for weeks. Too much information, too many experiences she wasn’t ready for in one day made her nervous. “I told you animals dislike me. He’s looking like he’s going in for the kill.”
“No. Not at all. He’s doing a dance for you, Miss St. Martin. Never seen old Christmas do that for anyone. Knew you were a special lady.”
Sadie stared down at the turkey and winced. Jethro was going to think she was such a chicken behaving like this when, really, all the stupid bird had done was give her a fright. Jethro didn’t need to be babying her. She doubted the fainting female type would be something that would interest him. Step it up, Sadie, and get a grip. “You call him Christmas? What is wrong with you?” But while Sadie should’ve been focusing on how awful it was that he’d named a turkey Christmas, instead she found herself smiling over the fact he thought she was special.