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The weekend was approaching faster than Brynn would have ever wished it to. She hadn’t brought up the prospect of staying at the ranch long term to Miguel, and every day that passed reminded her that she needed to do it sooner rather than later. Eventually she would run out of days. By Monday all the parts for his car would have arrived, and then he’d be gone just as quickly as he’d arrived.
The good news was that Miguel had turned into quite the roper that week—with her help, of course. And because he’d agreed to help with the branding, and Brooklyn had agreed to come home, Brenda had given them the go-ahead.
The days leading up to it had been an absolute circus. Blaire had tracked down a chuckwagon cook to provide food for all the locals who usually came out and helped, then she’d given long grocery lists to the housekeepers so they could help him out by getting all the ingredients he’d need.
Brynn and Bridget had made flyers that they passed out around town, then started making lists of people who would ride together to where each group of cows were pasturing. Having groups would make it easier to round up the cows from different areas. Each group would have a designated leader, and since there were four it seemed best to have each of the men lead a group.
Russel and Justin were told to saddle up all of the horses so they could be ridden by each person to ensure they’d be ready for the long drives. Cole and Miguel set up the panels out in the nearest pasture to make a makeshift corral. Then everyone helped to dig temporary fire pits for the branding irons.
Not all cattle ranchers still operated this way, but when you had thirty-two hundred calves to brand, there wasn’t a more efficient way to do it than roping them in the field with tons of volunteers to vaccinate, ear tag, and castrate the bulls all at the same time.
“I had no idea so much went into this,” Miguel admitted as he helped Brynn go through their inventory of vaccines. She had to make sure they’d have enough for all of their calves. If they ran out before all the calves were vaccinated, it was a nightmare, if not basically impossible, to try to single out any calves that were missed.
“Yeah. Having a cow-calf operation is a lot of work. Sometimes I wish we just ran yearlings so we didn’t have to worry about calving and then branding,” Brynn admitted. “On one hand it’s the best part, but it makes things complicated—that’s for sure.”
“How often do you have to do this?” Miguel asked.
“Thankfully, only once a year.”
“Wow. Great timing on my part, huh?”
Brynn’s eyebrows scrunched. “What do you mean?”
“I’m excited! I’ve never been part of anything like this! I can’t believe I got so lucky,” he said.
“Oh, really?” Brynn was shocked.
Miguel shrugged. “Yeah. I mean. I’ve really enjoyed practicing roping and riding horses. Like I said, I was always around the ranching lifestyle, but I wasn’t really a part of it. It’s fun, and I always enjoy learning new skills.”
“Well, you caught on fast. Hopefully you’re just as efficient at chopping off bull calf testicles,” Brynn said.
Miguel’s eyes bulged. “What?”
Brynn laughed. “Did I forget to mention that part? Whoops.”
“Uh, yeah. You definitely did,” he said.
“Don’t worry, you only have to do it about half the time. The rest are heifers,” Brynn pointed out.
“Can I do something else?” Miguel asked.
Brynn laughed again, but harder this time. “Of course, you can do something else. I’m just teasing you. You’ll probably be roping most of the time, but if you ever want a break from that you can do the actual branding, or you can vaccinate.”
Miguel let out a long breath. “Oh, good. I think I can handle either of those things.”
“Don’t worry. People love to come to brandings. We will have a lot of volunteers from the valley. We provide food, water, and drinks, and the cows provide the fun,” Brynn said.
“So, it’s not just me that thinks this is going to be fun, then?” Miguel asked.
Brynn smiled and shook her head. “Nope. Brandings are kind of a staple in the cowboy way of life. I think a lot of people feel how you did. They see it, but they also want to be a part of it. This is their one chance. It’s hard work, but if I suddenly didn’t have to do it anymore, I’d miss it. Maybe not all of it, but the big gathering of people at least. It’s definitely a special event.”
“I can’t wait,” Miguel said.
* * *
THE NEXT MORNING MIGUEL woke up before the sun. He tromped out to the barn to find Blaire and Cole, Brenda and Justin, Russel, Brynn, Bridget, Brittany, and Brooklyn already saddling their horses. He checked his watch to see if he was late, but he’d gotten there right at four thirty like Brynn had told him.
“Hey, you,” she said as she walked toward him. She was leading a beautiful bay horse, that was already saddled, by the reins with her as well.
“You remember Skip?” she asked.
“Is this the same horse I rode earlier this week?”
“Yep. Hopefully the two of you got well enough acquainted. You’re about to spend a lot of time together,” Brynn said.
“We’ll be fine. Won’t we, boy?” Miguel asked the horse as he stroked its neck.
“He wouldn’t tell you if he didn’t like you,” Brynn said. “He’s too polite.”
Miguel laughed. “Oh, yeah? And what about his owner, would she tell me?”
Brynn handed Miguel the reins, but wouldn’t look him in the eye. He could tell his question caught her off guard. “It’s too early in the morning for that conversation. I wouldn’t want to hurt your feelings before you’ve had your coffee.”
Miguel laughed hesitantly. He wasn’t sure if she was joking or not. He tried to see her facial expression, but the light was too dim. “So, what should I do now?”
“Just wait. The other cowboys from town should be here soon. We’ll get into four groups to go out and gather the cows from each of the grazing areas, then when we all get back here, we’ll start the main event,” Brynn explained.
“Am I going to be in your group?” Miguel asked.
“Of course. I’m not letting you out of my sight,” Brynn said.
Miguel smiled. They’d grown closer all week, and each day that passed made Miguel dread saying goodbye that much more. He didn’t want to let Brynn out of his sight either. In fact, being around Brynn made him see everything clearer.
* * *
“SO, WHAT DO YOU THINK?” Brynn asked after she and Miguel, and four other volunteers had rounded up the calves from their forest grazing area into one large group. Kenny, one of the guys from town who’d come to help, took the lead, and the others were on either side of the herd. She and Miguel were pushing in the back.
“I think I haven’t inhaled this much dust in my entire life,” Miguel said, pulling his shirt over his nose and mouth.
“Yeah, they kick up a lot of dust in the areas where vegetation is sparse. I should have warned you, but it’ll get better when we get back onto some grass,” Brynn assured him.
Miguel nodded. “It’s honestly been fun, though. I don’t want you to think I hate it. This will probably be all I talk about for the next several months to my coworkers.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“They won’t believe me, but I’m sure I’ll still be learning how to walk again when I get back to work—so I’ll have proof!” he joked.
“Are you feeling sore?”
“Not too bad yet, but after a few more hours in the saddle someone will have to pry me off.”
Brynn laughed. “Don’t worry. I’ll help you.”
“Glad I can count on you,” he said.
Could he though? Her connection to Miguel was real, but she didn’t know if she dared to push it any further. Over the past week she had vacillated between being certain he would stay if she asked him to, or certain that there was no way he would ever stay.
It was exhausting going back and forth so much, and all she needed to do so she could be at peace was ask him. She just hoped participating in the branding would make him a little more invested in Firestone Falls. She didn’t want to ask him until she had to, and she didn’t have to yet.
“What’s on your mind?” Miguel asked after a while.
“Why do you always ask me that?”
Miguel chuckled. “Because you frequently look lost in thought.”
Brynn smiled. “Okay. Fair enough. I was just wondering if all the groups would get back to the ranch around the same time, or if we’d be staggered a little bit.”
Miguel gave her a questioning look. “Really?”
Brynn didn’t know what to say. She was usually very honest about what she was thinking—it kind of went hand in hand with her impulsiveness, so she was sure he could tell she was lying.
“And—” she started.
“Yes?”
“Okay, you can’t make fun of me, but I was thinking about going to Thailand,” she admitted.
“Oh, really?” Miguel sounded genuinely surprised.
“Yeah. I’ve always wanted to go, and ever since my dad passed, I just can’t shake the thought.”
“What is it about Thailand that makes you want to go so badly?” he asked.
“Well, I love elephants, and I’ve always dreamed of riding one. And I don’t know, I met a few people when I was in college who’d been. It sounds so amazing. I’ve spent tons of time looking at pictures, and imagining what it would be like. I told myself after I moved home that I would never be able to go, but I’ve been dreaming about it more and more,” she said.
“Then you should go!”
“Trust me. I want to. It’s just more complicated than it sounds.”
“You know what this trip has made me realize, Brynn?” Miguel asked.
“What?”
“That the only thing holding us back is usually ourselves. I told myself forever that I had to stay in New Mexico to be close to my parents, that I had to make them proud, but this week I’ve realized there was so much happiness and freedom waiting for me if I would’ve just followed my heart. Don’t put yourself in a cage. You can decide your own future,” he said.
Brynn nodded. “I guess you’re right. I don’t know. I don’t want my sisters to feel like I left them in a bad position. We need more help at the ranch and until all the positions are filled, I don’t feel like I can leave. Bridget is having a really hard time finding someone to hire, and since she kind of trained my new hire I feel like I have to help her.”
It was the first time Brynn had admitted out loud that she was looking for someone to hire, and she wondered what Miguel thought about it. If he’d even consider himself as that person.
“Well, you do what you need to, but don’t let the fear of disappointing others dictate what you do. Trust me. I’ve been living in that prison for way too long.”
“Thanks for the encouragement. I’m working on a plan. We’ll see how it goes.” What she didn’t say was that plan was basically hinging on him accepting a position at the ranch. She only hoped she had the courage to ask him to stay when the time came.
* * *
MIGUEL COULDN’T HAVE dreamed up how an operation of this magnitude could work so flawlessly. Branding so many calves seemed like such a huge undertaking that could take weeks, but the Firestone sisters—with the help of a few volunteers—would get it done in two days.
After roping all day, and only taking a break in the late afternoon for one big meal that was lunch and dinner, Miguel wondered if he would be good for anything the next morning.
“I’m really not sure if I’ll be able to walk tomorrow,” he said to Brynn as she walked with him back to his apartment.
“Don’t worry. You don’t have to. Skip will do all the walking for you.”
Miguel chuckled. “I guess I should’ve said that I’m not sure if I’ll be able to sit on a horse again tomorrow then.”
“The good news is that all of the cows are already here, so we won’t have to ride as much tomorrow. And we’re halfway done, so you won’t have to spend as many hours sitting in a saddle. If you don’t feel up to it though, no worries. You’re not obligated to do anything. We’re just grateful you were willing to help at all,” she said.
“Well, I’m not about to miss out on all the fun,” Miguel protested.
Brynn shook her head. “I’m not really sure what you want me to say here. You can’t seem to make up your mind.”
Miguel looked Brynn up and down. She was absolutely filthy, and he wasn’t sure if he was smelling himself, or her, but they were both covered in cow manure and dirt. Somehow, though, none of that could conceal Brynn’s beauty. He wanted to ask her if she knew how beautiful she looked right then, but he couldn’t bring himself to make the first move.
“Oh, my mind is made up. I just hope my body cooperates,” he said.
Brynn laughed. “Me too, cowboy. Hey, thanks for helping me unsaddle the horses and brush them. They worked so hard today. I always love pampering them as much as possible after a day like this.”
“Anytime. Skip is an amazing horse. There were ropes flying around like crazy today and he never flinched. I’ve never wanted a horse before, but now I’m trying to figure out how I can hook a trailer to the back of my car so I can take one home with me.”
“Hey! Horse stealing could get you killed around here! That’s not funny!” Brynn said, pointing a finger at him.
Miguel put his hands up. “Hey, hey. Let’s not get violent. I was just kidding. I have nowhere to keep a horse in New Mexico anyway. I live in an apartment that doesn’t allow pets, and definitely not horses.”
Brynn shoved his chest playfully. “Well then don’t go saying crazy things like that.”
Miguel smiled, his belly growing warm from Brynn’s touch. “So, should I meet you at the barn again tomorrow morning?” he asked, taking a small step forward. He was studying her face, and he was close enough to see the dust coating her hair and clinging to her eyelashes.
“Yep. We start a little later the second day since we don’t have to drive the cows in. We’ll meet there at six,” she said.
Miguel nodded, watching her lips carefully as she spoke. He ached to pull her into him and feel her body against his, then press his lips to hers. He’d fantasized about kissing her more than once since he met her, but the urge was so powerful in that moment that he almost couldn’t resist.
He wasn’t sure if it was because he was more exhausted than he’d ever been in his entire life, or if it was because they’d spent the day together bonding over something totally new to him, but he felt like he wouldn’t be able to breathe for one more minute if he didn’t touch her.
“Okay,” he finally said after a few silent seconds ticked by. “I’ll be there.”
“Great,” Brynn said, not moving away from him.
Miguel took another step closer to her. Now he could see the tiniest specks of dirt on her face, and in the fine lines around her eyes. He was close enough to her that if he leaned in just the tiniest bit, their noses would touch. He swallowed hard, then reached up and brushed a strand of hair that had fallen out of her messy ponytail back behind her ear.
“Great,” he said.
A few seconds later, when the pain of not touching her was growing too much to bear, Miguel turned away and opened the door to the little studio apartment he’d called home for almost a week now.
“Goodnight,” he said after he’d crossed the threshold.
“Goodnight.”
He didn’t turn around to watch Brynn walk away. He was afraid if he did, that he’d run after her, spin her around, pull her into him and kiss her with all the passion he’d been holding back. And he knew if he did that, they could never go back to this.
Once that line was crossed, they could never again come back to the easy friendship they enjoyed now, and Miguel wasn’t sure if he wanted to give that up just yet.