Catching a Cowboy's Eye
by Patricia Antone
The men kept checking their watches while doing the ranch’s chores. Having started since just after dawn, the clock watching didn’t begin until late morning. Breaking for lunch, they ate quickly, getting right back to work. As the afternoon wore on, their hovering by the barn’s doors for any sign of a truck coming down the driveway became constant.
Their newly hired ‘House Manager’ intending to arrive today. A week ago, she started her cross-5country drive at their job offer. She was hired willing to move all the way from New York City, to live and work at their family’s cattle ranch in Clanden, Wyoming.
Her job as ‘House Manager’ would be keeping the main house. An added bonus to her qualifications? Being a Registered Nurse.
Kyle and his brother Levi lost their mother 5 years ago to cancer. Riddled in grief, they worried about their father’s declining health. The brothers felt supervision at the house would be a good thing. Running a large ranch made for a long exhausting day for the men trying to do it all. The long list of responsibilities made for not enough hours in the day to do it all in.
Kyle walked to the barn door while glancing at his watch, again.
“She’ll get here.”
“I know she’ll get here. I just hope she stays.”
Levi chuckled then stopped what he is doing to talk. “We already padded the money offer, twice. Add in the new truck, remodeling of her living quarters, and totally upfront about the ranch’s needs.” He gestures off. “Our expectations are totally within reason.”
Leaning on a pitchfork he seems to ponder something. “We can offer her one of the houses on the property if the apartment isn’t to her liking.”
Kyle nods absently at the idea. “If we need to. I want to keep it as a last resort for now.”
Two of the houses belonged to Levi and Kyle. Assorted family, or employees, have lived in the others over the years. A schedule has one of them staying with their dad certain nights. It also means one of them got a good night’s sleep. Their father being a tad demanding. The joke the hands made says their dad is equal to a needy puppy.
Kyle’s sigh radiates his worry.
“Unfortunately, no backup plan in the world will mean shit. We have been honest with the all of them. The last one lasted barely three months.”
Levi chuckles, as that had been ugly, along with embarrassing, for him.
“Too bad she wasn’t my type. She was more than willing,” Levi notes.
That comment earning Levi a nasty look from his brother. He smiles with a shrug. “What? I found her in my bed. I didn’t invite her there.”
Kyle disgusted, gets snotty. “We need a house manager. Not a woman looking for a dating arena.”
Unfortunately, it is a dating arena as men outnumber women. A new, single woman, arriving in town is almost front-page news. The single men in the area might make it a sport vying for her attentions. Scott, their friend, and the town’s Sheriff has promised to keep an eye on her just in case.
Kyle refocuses on his brother.
“The little bit Helen said indicated she wants new scenery. I hear escape.” Levi’s eyes conveyed his concern over their new employee clearly. “If she is truly on her own, maybe we should try to be a support net? It’s not like she has any friends being new in town.”
Kyle shrugs with indifference at the observation.
“Let her dictate. She sees us as her bosses. The divorce she touched on sounded messy. I didn’t ask details.”
His brother looks off towards the driveway before he continues. “As I went through one, I can totally understand. If I had only known what a selfish bitch she is.”
Levi bites his tongue. No point in agreeing. She put his brother through hell. Levi made sure to mention a little item he took care of.
“I already warned the hands to treat her like gold.”
With an appreciative smile for that, they went back to work. At least the chores filled the time waiting. Working silently, each tried to be as optimistic as possible. No sense borrowing trouble.
Unfortunately, Levi knew his brother to be right. So far in several months, they had been through way too many applicants. The process is getting extremely frustrating. They made it clear to every applicant Clanden is a small town. They also made it clear they lived on a cattle ranch. They repeatedly made it clear they were not exaggerating about being way off that beaten path.
Over 40 miles to be precise.
The final insults had been their father’s out of hand behavior. The man went out of his way to chase off applicants. Kyle worriedly voices his concern.
“Hopefully, she can handle dad. The last few used him as an excuse to leave. Worse, they avoided him making his care tougher.”
Shouts get their attention before Levi could answer.
“We got a runner!”
“Bull loose!”
Quickly they headed to mount saddled horses grazing in a nearby coral. A voice shouts to inform everyone what bull had gotten loose. “It’s Diablo!”
Kyle is not happy to hear that.
“Shit! Let’s completely scare the new gal. She might turn around and drive straight back to New York!”
Hooves thunder as they chase after their escapee. Kyle calls to the hands, “Push him towards the south pen!”
Levi’s shrill whistle brings their Border collies they use for herding. “Roland! Chester! Get the bull!”
The dogs quickly bolting to do as ordered. Barking echoes with hooves as they race after the large, mean tempered animal.
Diablo may be one of their best breeding bulls, but he has the temperament of a total bastard. He would charge anything, or anyone, that he spotted. This put their new employee in danger if she pulls in while he’s lose.
# # #
He believed love to be overrated. Most likely why he is unprepared for when that pickup pulled in……
Garrett Cole’s life is nice and quiet. Just the way he likes it since his divorce. He’s found horses are proving to be much more loyal than any woman in his opinion. When that pickup truck pulls into the yard carrying the new House Manager for Three Rivers Ranch? Garrett’s world is upended like he got tossed off a bucking bronc. The little gal that gets out catching his attention right quick. The problem being is he has no idea what to do about it.
A New York City transplant, Helen Arnold has reached Nirvana arriving at her new job. A ranch in the middle of nowhere Wyoming, with no neighbors for miles. Best of all, no one knows who she is. This job offer presented her the chance to start her life over. The last year of her life so drama filled, she craves quiet in the worst way. Putting the pedal to the metal, she happily left it all in the dust.
It absolutely is no hardship to leave behind a deceitful ex-husband and his secret life. Well, not so secret anymore after having made page one of the New York Post, much to her embarrassment. No more hiding for this gal! She is free!
Upon settling in at Three Rivers, she finds herself contending with a brooding cowboy among other things. Whatever. The only excitement in her life right now is wrangling her cranky home care patient. The keeping of the main house for him and his sons, not really a challenge compared to a hospital floor, but it keeps her busy.
The men at Three Rivers treat her well. They set out to prove friends are possible knowing she needs some to go with her new home. Her last group having been back stabbers when it came down to choosing. Here, she has begun some much-needed healing. Emotionally.
When Helen’s ex-husband finds her, dragging her into his mess, her life is endangered. Garrett finds there is no choice but for him to get involved. He is lost trying to get his nerve up to tell her how he feels towards her. It seems the little city gal caught this cowboy’s eye roping him right in.
With trouble circling in closer endangering Helen, is Garrett going to get the chance to do something about it before it’s too late?
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