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Authors: Helen Evans

The Cowboys Heart 1 (4 page)

BOOK: The Cowboys Heart 1
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“Two large pizzas? One cheese, one pepperoni,” the delivery
guy said.

“That’s me,” I said, taking the two boxes from him. I turned
to set them on the nearest counter so I could grab the money I’d set there, but
before I had the chance, Hudson was pulling bills out of his wallet.

“Keep the change,” Hudson said to the delivery guy. He
closed the door.

I set the pizzas on the stove and sighed. “You didn’t have
to do that you know. I invited you, it was my treat.”

“I know, but I’m not the type of man who allows a woman to
pay for a meal,” he said simply.

I had to resist the urge to squeal like a teenage girl who
was just asked out by the hottest, most popular boy in school. “Thanks. Seems
like that’s all I’ve been saying to you today.”

He smiled. “Good thing that’s my favorite word then, huh?”

I laughed. It was so easy to be with him, to talk with him,
to laugh. It was a welcomed change from being with Phillip, who was always so
serious and intense. I took three plates from the cupboard and handed him one.
I loaded a second one with three slices of pepperoni. “I promised Jamie he could
eat in his room tonight.”

“I take it he doesn’t like it around here too much.”

“That’s a colossal understatement. I keep hoping he’ll
eventually come around.”

“I’m sure he will. Kids are resilient.”

“Do you have any?” I asked.

“No, but I have several nieces.”

I smiled. There was nothing sexier than a man who adored
children. “Okay, help yourself. I’ll be right back.” I left him in the kitchen
and headed upstairs, the smile never leaving my face. I had a feeling tonight
was going to be a very good night.

Chapter Five

I
stumbled downstairs at 5:45 a.m., barely awake.
After pizza last night, Hudson had hung around, and we’d spent the night
talking. He hadn’t left until a little after midnight, and I was so excited, I
hadn’t been able to fall asleep. I was certainly going to pay for it today. I
yawned and rubbed my eyes. Richard and Hudson would be arriving in fifteen
minutes, and they were expecting a breakfast I’d promised them. What I really
wanted to do was go back to bed for a few hours.

“Morning,” Jamie said as he walked into the kitchen. He was
dressed for school in his usual jeans and T-shirt. His Converse sneakers were
firmly laced up his feet, and his backpack was slung over one shoulder.

“Morning.” I smiled. “Hungry? I’m making bacon and eggs.”

“Nope.” He grabbed a donut from the half empty box and took
a large bite.

I shook my head, wishing he’d learn to eat better. Of
course, greasy bacon and fried eggs weren’t all that healthy, but it was better
than a chocolate topped, cream filled donut. “Are you coming straight home
today?”

He shrugged, grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl and shoved
it into his backpack. “Maybe. Dean mentioned something about going to the pool
hall after school.”

“Yeah?” Hope swelled in my chest. Dean was Monica’s son – my
parents’ maid – and he and Jamie had really hit it off the first time they’d
met. I knew they stayed in touch via phone and internet, but until just now,
Jamie hadn’t expressed any interest in hanging out with Dean. “Well, you’re
welcome to go as long as you call to check in.”

He stopped with the donut half way to his mouth. “I am?”

I laughed and playfully swatted at him with the dish towel.
“Yes. In fact, I think it would do you some good to get out of this house and
socialize. Dean’s a good kid.”

“You’re only saying that because you know his mom.”

I rolled my eyes and reached for my purse. “Here.” I handed
him a twenty dollar bill. “Make sure you get yourself something to eat. I’m not
sure what the plans are for dinner yet.” Part of me hoped it would be a repeat
of last night, but chances were good I’d have to cash in the raincheck I took
with my parents last night.

“Thanks, Mom.” He kissed me on the cheek. “I’ll call after
school.” Then he was out the door and down the driveway.

I watched him for a moment, lingering long enough to see him
safely board the bus. It was a habit I’d never been able to break, watching him
get on the bus. When we’d lived in the city, he had to walk a block to the bus
stop, so I was deprived of watching him, so it was nice to be able to do that
again. As soon as the bus pulled away, I began to prepare breakfast.

“Morning, Miss Heather.” Richard entered and tipped his head
in greeting.

“Hi, Richard.” I tossed a smile at him over my shoulder and
turned back to the frying bacon. “Breakfast is almost ready. Have a seat.”

“Smells delicious,” Hudson said, stepping out from behind
Richard.

I momentarily froze, the sound of his voice paralyzing me,
warming me from the inside out. “Hello,” I said, my voice giving out slightly.
“Uh, I’m almost finished with breakfast. So, have a seat.” It was hard to
concentrate on not burning the eggs when I knew Hudson was watching me. His
gaze was like a warm, loving caress on my back.

“Oh,” I said suddenly, turning to face them. “I’m sorry.
Richard, this is Hudson Lyle. Hudson, this is my new ranch supervisor,
Richard.”

The two men exchanged handshakes and pleasantries as I put
the finishing touches on breakfast. I brought each of them a plate, and made
myself a smaller one. “There’s some orange juice in the fridge, or I have
freshly brewed coffee.”

“Coffee,” they both said simultaneously. I laughed and
poured three mugs of coffee. Then I sat and dug into my food.

“So, did you two ever meet before?” I asked looking back and
forth between them. Hudson gave me an odd look, so I added, “I mean, with
Richard having worked on the ranch for so long and with Hudson having done
business with my grandmother before…”

“No, I didn’t really come over here all that much,” Hudson
said, chewing on a piece of bacon. “Most of my interactions with Noreen were in
town when we’d meet in passing.”

“Oh. Well, Richard… Hudson here as graciously offered to
help me learn the ropes a little better and get the ranch back in a smooth
working order. I figured the three of us could work together this morning on
all the lists and duties.”

“Whatever you like, Miss Heather.”

I sighed. Richard was an older gentleman, nice, but the
constant “Miss Heather” was getting on my nerves. I knew it was a sign of
respect, but it drove me nuts. “Okay then.” I gathered up the dirty dishes and
placed them in the sink then returned to the table with a notebook and a pen.

“The best place to start is probably with a list of repairs
that need to be made,” Hudson said. “During my ride over here yesterday, I noticed
a few things. That whole in the fence for starters.” He winked at me, and I
quickly looked away, afraid Richard would see how smitten I was with Hudson.
Not that I had anything to be embarrassed about, but I didn’t need my ranch
hands thinking I was a sap or something. “That barn door.”

Richard nodded in agreement. “The horse stable needs a new
roof. It’s holding up for now, but the first bad storm we get and it’ll be torn
off like a wet Band-Aid.”

I sighed and wrote the items on the pad of paper. “Any idea
who can fix these issues and how much it will cost?” There wasn’t much money
left in the ranch’s maintenance account, and I’d spent all of my personal
savings on travel expenses for the funeral and then the move here.

“I can fix them,” Hudson said, tapping his fingers on the
table.

I stared at him. “You can?”

He nodded. “Yes. I’ll start with the fence so you don’t lose
anymore animals.” He chuckled, giving me a playful smile. “I believe I’ve got
some spare fencing back at my place I don’t need. And the barn door just needs
some new hinges. The stable roof will need a bit more, but I think between my
guys and your ranch hands, we should be able to get it done this weekend.”
Hudson looked to Richard, who was smiling and nodding.

“Wow. Thanks.” I was a bit overwhelmed by the amount of help
and generosity Hudson was giving me. I was a stranger to him, yet he was going
out of his way to help me, help keep this ranch functional. “Okay, so, let me
know what you’ll need for the stable roof and I’ll call around on supply prices
today.”

“Good. I would also suggest we take a full tour of the
ranch, inspect things to make sure nothing else needs repairs.” Hudson cleared
his throat. “You do know how to ride, don’t you?”

If I wasn’t mistaken, I thought I heard a bit of contempt in
his voice. Just because I’d moved here from the city didn’t mean I didn’t know
how to ride a horse. I had been born and raised here for crying out loud. “Yes,
I know how to ride,” I said, giving him a dirty look.

He laughed, and so did Richard. I rolled my eyes, trying to
be mad, but I smiled nonetheless. “You’re a jerk,” I mumbled, and Hudson only
laughed harder.

“Aw, we’re just teasing, Miss Heather. You’re so easy to get
going. Just like Noreen.”

I smiled fondly. I loved to hear how much people around here
adored my grandmother. If only I hadn’t been so stubborn, if only I’d spent
more of my adulthood here. I sighed. There wasn’t a thing I could do to change
the past, but I could – and would – work my ass off on this ranch to make her
proud.

“All right, back to work.” I tried to make my voice stern
and authoritative, but the mood was too light, too easygoing, and that was
fine. It was better than working with people who were grumpy and unreceptive.
“So, we’ve got a plan for the repairs. What’s next?”

“Daily chores,” Richard said. “Every day, the animals need
to be fed, cleaned, and watered. The cows and horses need to be let out to
pasture, and then put back in at night.”

“Okay.” I took a deep breath. That seemed easy enough. “Who
is currently doing that?”

“Frank, Larry, and I feed and water the cows while Hank,
Chris, and Jeremy feed and groom the horses. Then we let them out to pasture
and work on cleaning the barn and stable. After that, Noreen usually gave us
other tasks to do.”

Now it all made sense why Richard and the other guys were
lost and needing direction from me. Too bad I had no idea what to have them do.
“Okay,” I said slowly, “well, what did Noreen normally have you do?”

“All sorts of things. She usually sent me into town once or
twice a week for supplies. Hank would generally travel to the next town over to
get hay. If one of the animals were sick, she’d have us contact the vet. And
then whatever other things she needed done.”

I nodded and set the pen down, stretching my arms over my
head. Who knew there was so much to running a ranch? “So, you’re okay with
still doing those things?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Good.” I stood and refilled my coffee mug, offering both of
them more, too. “Then we’ll stay on this schedule for the time being. When the
morning chores are done, you guys can help Hudson with the repairs. And I’d
like a complete list of supplies we need. So as you’re going about your day,
keep an eye on things that need to be fixed and supply’s we may need..etc.

“Sure thing,” Richard said.

“Thank you both for your help.”

I sipped my coffee and wracked my brain for anything I might
be missing, but nothing jumped out at me. “All right, let’s get to work then.”

Richard stood and smiled. “Thanks, Miss Heather. And if you
need anything, just give a shout. One of us is always around to lend a hand.”

“Thanks, Richard.” When he left, I turned to Hudson, who was
still seated at the table. “I really can’t thank you enough for all of your
help. I know you have your own ranch to worry about, so if you can’t help
around here, I’ll understand.”

“I have a great team of men at my ranch. They can handle
things around there for a few days while I help around here, and if they need
me, they know how to reach me. In fact,” Hudson retrieved a business card from
his wallet and handed it to me, “there’s my personal cell phone number on
there. Call me any time…. for anything.”

I took his card and clutched it in my hand. “Thank you.” I
wondered if his invitation to call any time for anything included personal
reasons. Forcing the thought from my mind, I refocused on the tasks at hand.
Daydreaming about a real date with Hudson was silly. If he liked me in that
way, he would’ve asked me out last night. Lord knows I’d given him plenty of
opportunities, and he hadn’t picked up on a single one of them. Or maybe he had
and had chosen to ignore them, which only confirmed my fears that he wasn’t
interested in me romantically.

“If you’re ready, we can head out on that ride around the
ranch. Anything you see that you want repaired, point it out, and I can notice
things you might not.”

“Sounds good.” I finished my coffee and put the mug in the
sink. “I should warn you, it’s been years since I’ve ridden, but it’s like
riding a bike, right?” I laughed.

He grinned. “Yeah, something like that.” Hudson held the
front door open for me, and I stepped out into the bright, rising sun. I
shielded my gaze against the shine and considered going back inside to get my
sunglasses.

“How well do you know the horses in the stable?” he asked as
we walked toward the barn.

“Uh, not well. I know Biscuit is gentle. One of the last
times I was here, Grandma let me ride her, so I’ll more than likely take her
out today. I’m sure one of the ranchers can direct you to a horse that’ll suit
you.”

“Fair enough.”

We walked in silence to the horse barn. When we entered,
Hank smiled. “Miss Heather.”

I smiled to hide my annoyance. I should really send a memo
or something to let the men know they don’t have to constantly call me Miss
Heather; that just plain ‘ole Heather is sufficient. “Morning, Hank. My friend
here needs a horse. Do you have any suggestions?”

“Nico is a good, strong horse. He’s well trained and easy to
handle.”

“Perfect,” Hudson said.

“And I’ll be riding Biscuit,” I said.

“Yes, ma’am. I’ll get her saddled up for you. Nico is all
the way down at the end. Saddles are on the far wall.” Hank pointed toward the
opposite end of the barn.

Hudson moved down there and busied himself with getting Nico
ready to ride. I hung by Hank, watching how he saddled Biscuit. I used to know
how to do all of that, but it had been so long. Made me wonder if riding a
horse was anything like riding a bike – would I really remember once I was up
on her back? I took a deep breath. The last thing I wanted was to prove
Hudson’s teasing to be true. I wanted to show him I could ride alongside him
without too many problems.

Several moments later, I mounted Biscuit and met Hudson
outside. He was atop Nico, a calm, serene look upon his face. Being on
horseback was home to him, and it looked damn good on him, too. He was so sexy
and confident and totally not interested in me. I frowned. “Let’s go,” I said,
wanting to get this over with so I wouldn’t have to force him to spend a moment
longer with me when he clearly wanted to be somewhere else.

Hudson nudged Nico and the horse began a lazy walk. I
maneuvered Biscuit the same way and was soon right next to Hudson. We started
at the house and rode along the perimeter of the fence.

“I don’t know when the last time this fence was repaired,
but if you’ve got one hole, chances are good you’ve got more, so we’ll check
this out first then make our way around the rest of the property,” he said.

“Okay.” I gripped Biscuits’ reins a little tighter and
studied the fence as we moved past it. So far, things looked good. Maybe I’d
get lucky and there would only be the one hole.

BOOK: The Cowboys Heart 1
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ads

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