“AJ! You look so nice,” Emma said.
“Thank you. So do you.” Travis’s little sister wore a teal blue prairie dress cinched at the waist with a wide black belt.
“Travis tells me you and Bess are quite the team.”
“She’s an amazing barrel horse,” AJ said. “Handles the ground really well. It’s obvious you put a lot of work into training her.”
“I haven’t been able to keep up her daily drills the way I’d like to, but a few of the girls from the ranch have been helping me out. You’re welcome to work with them. In fact, they’d love to have a trainer. I know you have a heavy workload with Travis. I hate to even ask.”
“No. I’d really like that. I’ll find time.”
“They’ll be delighted.”
Travis lowered his head between them. “Ladies, will you excuse me for a minute? I see an old friend I’d like to harass.”
“Go ahead, Travis. We’ll just talk about you while you’re gone,” Emma said. “Your ears will be burning.”
“I expect nothing less,” he returned with a wink. “And could you try not to eat all the food?”
Emma gave his shoulder a playful punch. Her gaze followed his retreat. “The man claims he’s an introvert, yet he’s always right in the thick of things. Ever notice?”
AJ nodded with agreement at the astute observation. “Is your sister here?” she asked.
“No. One of the triplets isn’t feeling well. But she’ll be at the rodeo tomorrow. You heard the big news?” Emma grinned.
“I did. Congratulations. So you’re going to be an aunt again?”
“Yes and it will be a Christmas baby,” Emma said. “It used to be just the three of us, all alone in the world, but the Lord keeps multiplying and blessing the Maxwells.”
Emma’s happiness was contagious and for the first time AJ found herself wondering what it would be like to have a sister or a brother. Jace had been a grown man when they’d become step siblings. If anything, he’d resented her intrusion into his life at holidays. What would it be like to be part of a real family again? The thought gave her an ache of longing. Was she destined to be alone forever?
A moment later the music began and an elderly, silver-haired cowboy came to claim Emma in a dance.
“Do you mind?” Emma asked.
“No. Of course not.” AJ turned to the buffet table. She took a small white plate and evaluated the varied platters on the table before choosing a pastry.
The plump, elderly woman next to her turned and smiled brightly. Then she paused, eyes widening with recognition. “Jennifer?”
“No. I’m AJ Rowe.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry. I’m Estelle. Pastor Parr’s long-suffering mother-in-law.”
AJ chuckled. “Pleased to meet you.”
“I thought you were Jennifer, Travis Maxwell’s fiancée. Silly me. I left my glasses at home.”
AJ stood staring at the dance floor but not really seeing anything. Travis was engaged? Flirting with her when he was promised to another woman? Besides the fact that he was her boss and shouldn’t be flirting, period, the startling revelation left her angry and confused.
She moved to the left when a cowboy obstructed her view of the dance floor. Glancing up, she realized that it was Rafe Diego.
Hat in hand, the cowboy bowed. “Ma’am, would you do me the honor of a dance?”
“I, um...”
He placed a hand on his heart. “Surely you won’t hold my behavior at the auction against me. I certainly apologize.”
“Are you bothering the lady?” Travis asked as he approached and stepped right in Rafe’s personal space. Her nose was inches from the cowboy’s.
“If I am, I imagine she can answer for herself,” Diego said, his face reddening.
“Excuse me, gentlemen.” AJ handed a surprised Travis her plate and hooked her arm onto Dutch’s as he passed by.
“That’s a pretty slick trick you pulled there,” Dutch said as he led her across the dance floor. “How come you’re dancing with an old codger like me instead of a beau?”
“I don’t have a beau,” she said.
“Right.” Dutch nodded. “On account of you being so hideous and having six eyeballs.” He whirled her around and smiled. “And look at you. You can dance.”
“Travis taught me.”
“You’re doing a fine job.”
“I appreciate you helping me out, Dutch. I hope Rue doesn’t mind.”
“Aw, Rue and I are friends first. She won’t mind.”
“Why aren’t you up there playing?” AJ asked.
“I like to give some of the new fellers a chance to shine.”
The music wound down and Dutch released her. “Thank you, Miss AJ. Not often I dance with my boss.” He scratched his head. “Truth be told, I ain’t never danced with my boss.”
“May I have this dance?”
AJ turned to find Travis at her side. “I, um... Probably not a good idea. You’re my boss.”
“You’re Dutch’s boss and you danced with him,” he remarked.
“Fine,” she returned, hesitantly placing her hand in his.
Before she could change her mind, Travis had an arm around her and they were smoothly two-stepping.
“Did I do something to annoy you?” he asked.
Arms extended, she stepped back, keeping as much distance as possible while she considered the question. Was Travis Maxwell another in a long line of bosses she couldn’t trust?
“You sure are thinking hard. A simple yes or no will do,” he murmured as he led her across the dance floor.
AJ slid another look at him. His personal life was none of her business. Travis was a charmer and she was no doubt reading more into his flirtations than he intended.
“Well?” he prompted.
She fully intended to keep her mouth shut but her brain disagreed with the decision.
“You’re engaged. And I look like your fiancée.”
“Whoa!” His head jerked back and he missed a step. “Who told you that? And, for the record, she’s my ex-fiancée.”
“The pastor’s mother-in-law.”
Travis rolled his eyes and said nothing.
“Does everyone think I look like her?” AJ’s nervous gaze swept the room.
Around her, couples were moving back to the dance floor as the chords of a slow song continued.
“In so much as you have blond hair and blue eyes,” he answered, “yes. But hey, if your last boyfriend had dark hair and dark eyes, I’d be a dead ringer, too. Makes as much sense.”
“Except I’ve never had a boyfriend.”
He blinked. “Never? Like the same never as you don’t dance never?”
“Are you making fun of me?”
“No. Absolutely not. But you have to admit it’s a little hard to believe.”
“Why?”
“You’re beautiful. That’s why.”
She turned on her heel and spun out of his arms. “My civic duty is done.”
“Wait a minute.”
She was out the door and across the parking lot before his long strides caught up with her.
“What just happened here?” Travis called from behind her.
Pulling her keys from her pocket, she stopped short at her truck. The streetlamp illuminated the fact that the rear left tire was flat.
AJ groaned. She kicked the rubber with her booted foot.
Travis knelt next to the tire. “That’s one bald tire. You’re fortunate it didn’t blow while you were on the road.”
She took a deep breath and said nothing.
“Come on. I’ll change the tire.”
“I’m perfectly capable of changing my own tire.” Then she sighed. “If I had a spare.”
“You don’t have a spare?”
“Tough decision. That was a really good suit. As for the tire, we can take care of this after the rodeo.” He held out a hand. “Give me your keys and I’ll have Dutch get the truck towed to the ranch.”
“That’s not necessary.”
“Do you plan to fight me on everything? Maybe you could pick a few battles to let me win. Just for fun.”
She frowned and handed him the keys.
“Thank you.” He turned. “My truck’s parked over here.”
The ride home was silent. When Travis pulled up to the admin building and turned off the engine, AJ reached for the door handle.
“Can you explain to me why you were so upset on the dance floor?”
“Look, Travis, I’ve been down this road before.”
“What road?”
“Don’t you think it’s a bit odd that I look like your ex-fiancée?”
“Sure, but that’s not my fault.” He scratched his head. “I have no idea what that has to do with whatever road you’re referring to anyhow.”
“I don’t want folks to get the idea that I was hired because I look like your fiancée.”
“Ex-fiancée. And if you recall, I didn’t want to hire you.”
“Right. Right.” She looked out the window. “How long has she been your ex?”
“Four and a half years.” He tapped the steering wheel. “Listen, the truth is I was just arm candy to Jennifer. She’s a rich gal who followed the rodeo circuit. When Jace was winning buckles, she was his biggest fan, and then it was me. I was too naive to figure out she was interested in rodeo glory and not me. When I left the circuit for Big Heart Ranch, she moved on to the next champ. Or, more likely, the next chump.”
“She started the feud between you and Jace?”
Travis nodded. “Yep. That and the finals in Vegas. He lost the girl and the buckle.”
AJ nodded. “Now it’s all starting to make sense.”
“What about you? There’s more than thinking you look like my ex-fiancée, isn’t there?” he asked. “What’s the real story here?”
“Travis, I don’t want anyone to say AJ Rowe is the assistant foreman at Big Heart Ranch for any other reason than because I earned the title. Not because I’m cozying up to the boss or because I have a pretty face.”
“You’re talking about Rafe Diego?”
AJ shook her head. “There are Rafe Diegos on every ranch I’ve worked, along with bosses who are more than willing to cross the line.”
Travis inhaled sharply, but she continued.
“Rumors spread faster than an F5 tornado and then I find myself driving down the road with my suitcase, looking for a job. Been there, trust me.”
Travis opened his door. “You’re working for me because, so far, you’ve done the job you were hired to do. I really resent any implication otherwise.”
The words were flat, his eyes steely as he looked at her across the cab. After he climbed out of the truck, he took a deep breath and walked away.
Travis was mad. Plenty mad.
It was for the best, AJ told herself as she slowly eased down from the truck. She didn’t need complications in her life. She definitely didn’t need Travis Maxwell and the feelings he stirred up. All she really wanted was a place to unpack her boxes and put her hat. She prayed that, after this misstep with her boss, Big Heart Ranch might still be that home.
Chapter Six
Rodeo or no rodeo, there were still chores to be done before she could head into Timber. AJ grabbed her hat, yanked open the screen door of the bunkhouse and tripped over something right in the middle of the porch. When she reached inside the bunkhouse and turned on the porch light, a June bug dive-bombed straight into her face.
Hands flapping against the insect, she nearly flattened the large, white, lidded rectangular box that was the reason for her stumble.
“I surrender!” She sank into the porch rocker and pulled the plain package into her lap.
Inside the box, a card was nestled in layers of white tissue. “‘From Lucy, Travis and Emma. Thank you for representing Big Heart Ranch.’”
Folding back the tissue revealed butter-soft, parchment-colored leather chaps. AJ pulled them from the box. Show chaps with full rear fringe. They came with a matching burgundy Western shirt embellished with pearl buttons.
“Oh, my,” she whispered. The chaps alone cost more than her paycheck. Overwhelmed by emotion, AJ felt her eyes sting with moisture and she rubbed them with her fingers.
Dust. It was clearly a dusty morning.
AJ turned the card over. “‘Your tire is fixed. Keys are under the mat. Thought you’d want to go to the rodeo yourself. Don’t want to make you nervous.’”
Remorse nipped at her. Perhaps she’d overreacted last night. Her harsh treatment of the cowboy was a knee-jerk reaction based on her past. Had she judged him unfairly?
She sighed. One thing for certain, no one had ever done anything this nice for her.
After tucking away the gift, she headed out to the Ute.
Her heart was light as she led Ace along the fence line. The morning was silent, her only companion the pink glow of the sun as it stretched across the sky, waking up the day.
Daybreak continued to silhouette the conifers as she made her way from pasture to pasture. A sudden sound had her pull up on the horse’s reins. She stopped and listened. The unmistakable sound of the metal clanging of an empty trailer bumping over the land filled the morning air. Who would be driving in the middle of the pasture at this time of day? Moments later she had her answer as the running lights of a vehicle glowed in the distance.
Straight ahead, another Big Heart Ranch utility vehicle was parked next to the fence. The closer she got, the louder Dutch’s snoring became. The wrangler charged with night shift was asleep in the Ute, his head back against the seat and his mouth gaping open.
“Dutch, wake up.”
The old cowboy roused enough to change position, his eyes never opening. “I’m not sleeping. Resting my eyes before the next set.”
“Dutch, you aren’t playing the fiddle. Wake up.” AJ pulled off her leather gloves and tossed one at his head.
He swatted furiously and sat straight, blinking. “What’s going on? Was that a hawk that attacked me?”
“Dutch, pay attention. I need you to call Travis and tell him to meet me out here. We’ve got rustlers. And then call the Timber police.”
“You ain’t going out there by yourself, are you?”
“Sure I am. Now call Travis.”
“They’ll see you.”
“I’ll stay behind the trees.”
Dutch looked down at the glove in his hand and tossed it back to her. “No, sirree, I can’t say I feel good you doing that. In fact, I’m sure Travis will have my head if he finds out I let you go out there alone.”
“Dutch, I’m your boss. It’s me you better be worried about. I have no intention of trying to take down cattle rustlers by myself, but if I can get close enough, I can see their license plate.”
“I don’t know.”
“That was not a question. It was a direct order. Call Travis. Now.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He fumbled in his pocket for his phone as she turned Ace around.
She rode straight to a circle of trees and watched the burgundy truck and silver trailer parked smack in the middle of Big Heart Ranch pasture land. Cattle mooed as two riders moved the animals toward a ramp to load them into the truck. The men were tall and lean. No way was either of them Jace McAlester, but that was absolutely his truck.
AJ rode as close as she could to the truck, hoping to snap a picture of the vehicle from her position behind a group
of trees. What would they do if they saw her? Chase her and leave the cattle? Maybe she’d be better off to find out where they had cut the fence and find a way to delay their departure.
“What are you doing?”
AJ turned to find Travis next to her. Her eyes widened. Normally neat and pressed, his wrinkled T-shirt was inside out and even his Wranglers were rumpled. And yet, Travis Maxwell on Midnight was the best thing she had seen since she’d gotten up this morning. Well, besides the chaps.
“How’d you get here so fast?” she asked, last night’s argument set aside for now.
“Are you kidding? When Dutch told me what you were up to, I couldn’t believe it. I nearly killed myself running across the gravel to the stable barefoot. Do you have a death wish? What if one of those guys has a rifle?”
“They don’t.”
Travis adjusted his hat and peered through the trees. “You don’t know that.”
“I can see that they don’t.” Indignation was definitely getting the better of her, but she was on a roll and couldn’t stop. “You have a better idea, boss?”
He narrowed his eyes at her comment. “Yeah. I do. The Timber police are on their way. This situation has gotten way out of hand. I blame myself. I should have swallowed my pride and called them the first time this happened.”
“It’s not Jace,” she said.
“Looks suspiciously like his truck.”
“Doesn’t matter. He’s not there.”
“Like you said. It doesn’t matter.”
The loud creak of metal as the trailer door closed ended conversation. The cowboys split up and began to walk around the truck.
“They’re going to leave,” AJ said.
“Can’t have that,” Travis said.
“What do we do?”
“I’ll signal Dutch with my phone. He’ll come at them from behind with the Ute. You go around the left side of the truck. I’ll go right. Knock them to the ground if you have to. Dutch will keep them there with the Ute until Chief Daniels gets here.”
AJ nodded.
“Here we go,” Travis said, leaning forward on his horse.
Dutch revved the engine on the Ute and hit the horn.
Falling for the Cowgirl Page 8
