Falling Hard for the Billionaire Cowboy

8. AUSTIN

Chapter eight

AUSTIN

It’s not even dawn and I’m only half awake when I hear a noise in the back of my head.

Dan. Dan. Dan.

I had set the softest melody as my alarm so that I could wake up feeling refreshed.

But now, even the softest sound has become a nuisance.

Dan. Dan. Dan!

The alarm echoes from another room, each beat is a call to action.

“Right,” I mumble, the word sounding like a growl rather than a normal word as my alarm continues to ring. Blinking my eyes rapidly, I begin to notice other details. I realize I'm not in my bed but sprawled on the small sofa in my office, and my back- it’s killing me. “Hmghhh!”

Groaning, my hand blindly taps around the sofa arm for my phone. After a few attempts, I realize that my phone isn't on the sofa. Rather, the tone is coming from a different direction. And for some reason, the alarm seems to be getting even louder.

With another groan, I sit up, running a hand down my face. I swing my legs to the side, nearly tripping over Rusty and Duke who are sleeping on the floor. Even though they have slept past the alarm, one of them cracks open his eyes as soon as I stood up.

“It’s okay boy “ I whisper, and it seems to work, as he returns to sleep.

Sighing, for the twentieth time since I woke up, I pad over to the office table, finally locating the source of the hellish noise. As I swipe the alarm off, the sudden silence is almost deafening in itself. The screen glares at me: 6:00 AM.

I sigh; sleep is completely gone now. I'd fallen asleep late last night, and here I am, up for another day of work. The silence of this moment reminds me of my old life in the city, but it's different here. I can hear the distant sounds of cows and the chirping of birds. It's a reminder of why I chose this life.

With another sigh, I head out of my office and make my way to the kitchen. I start a fresh pot of coffee and pop two pieces of bread in the toaster. I also turn on the radio, and instantly, an early morning country song floats through the air.

“…have been waiting for a chance to see my lady…”

“My lady with the red shoes, but even with a bigger heart.”

“Makes no sense.” I chuckle, shaking my head. With the coffee brewing, I set the timer on the dog feeder, knowing that at least the boys will eat on time.

A couple of minutes later, it’s my turn, with the beeping sound of the coffee maker pulling me from my thoughts. I pour a steaming cup and grab my toast, then head out to the patio. The crisp morning air wakes me up more effectively than the coffee, and as I settle into a chair, my gaze drifts to the path leading to the cottage.

A small smile forms against the mug as I remember my encounter with Hayley last night. I had thought she might come back that same night and move in right away, but she hasn't come back yet. She'll probably take a couple more days, I think.

As I take another sip, my phone starts ringing from the kitchen table. I hurry back inside and grab it, seeing my horse guy Russell's name on the screen.

"You ain't sleeping, are you?" Russell's gruff voice greets me.

I chuckle. "No chance of that now. What's up? Any problems?"

"Nah, just the opposite. The vaccinations finished faster than expected. I was wondering if you'll be able to receive those horses you purchased today."

I nod, even though he can't see me. "Yeah, I'm free. Bring 'em over whenever you're ready."

"Alright then. See you in a few hours."

The line goes dead, and I drain my coffee cup. Looks like I'm going to need all the caffeine I can get. It's going to be a long day.

***

“Lift the post higher!”

“The nail gun! Who took my nail gun!”

“Pass me the rule, I think it needs a 2 by 4.”

It is currently ten o’clock, with the sun halfway up in the sky. The ranch hands and I are rebuilding the burned half of the second barn which is now empty. Some of the cows have been rehoused in the stables, but since this one was only half destroyed, it's been easier to add new wood rather than knock the whole thing down. With the way things are going, I’m sure the cows will be back in before the horses arrive.

Squinting at the sky, I’m once again reminded of how cold early mornings are. But look at it now. The hot sun is bringing up a sweat on all of us. Most of the guys have taken off their shirts, but I've kept mine on, my sleeves rolled up.

I’m not about to give them another route to make me the center of their banter.

Almost like someone had heard my thought, I hear, "Hey, boss, heard any more from that pretty lady of yours?"

I clamp my mouth shut, causing more of them to grin. “Will you guys quit it? We’ve got a barn to build.”

"Sure, sure," he grins, "that's why you were smiling to yourself all yesterday."

Before I can retort, Sebastian cuts in. "Leave the boss alone, Johnny. Focus on that nail before you hammer your thumb instead."

Sighing, I can relax a bit. With Sebastian supervising, the work is progressing faster, and by two hours later, the barn repairs are finally complete. I'm now standing on the roof we just built, checking the expanded side we added to see if there is anything else we need to do.

"Sebastian! Come up here for a second." I call out to him.

“In a second boss,” he yelled back, handing over the lead for the cows to the other ranch hands, so the cows can be herded back to the barn.

Within seconds, he is already up on the roof with me.

“You see a problem or something boss?”

“No. The barn is okay. I was thinking…. Russell will be here soon with the new stock. When they arrive, will you have the trailers stop near the entrance? The horses will need to stretch their legs and get a lay of the land before we take them to the stables." Just as I finish explaining, my phone rings, and it couldn’t have been more perfect timing. It’s Russell.

"Hello?"

"Austin, we're at the main gate."

"Perfect timing," I reply, glad that the horses made it down here in one piece. "I'll send Sebastian to open it up for you."

"Great. We've got quite a caravan here. Where do you want us?"

I run a hand through my hair, mentally mapping out the ranch. "Have the trailers stop near the entrance. You can bring your truck up to the main house."

"You got it. See you in a few."

As I end the call, I turn to Sebastian, who's been patiently waiting nearby. " Can you head down and open the main gates? Russell and the new stock have arrived."

Sebastian nods, already moving. "On it, Boss. Anything else you need?"

"Just make sure they know where to park the trailers. I'll meet Russell up here."

As Sebastian scurries off the roof and jogs off, I watch the distant gates swing open. A line of trailers begins to roll in, kicking up dust as they make their way along the path. They come to a stop near the entrance, just as instructed.

Russell's red truck breaks away from the pack, continuing up towards the house.

From my vantage point on the barn roof, I spot an unfamiliar car coming up the ranch road. I frown, trying to place it. It looks like Mrs. Tanya's car from town – she's always trying to sell me insurance. With how busy we are, I really can't deal with her right now.

As I climb down, I call Sebastian on the phone. "If that's Mrs. Tanya, tell her I'm busy and I'll see her later, okay?"

At the same time, Russell kills the engine and hops out, a wide grin on his face. "Austin! Good to see you, man. You ready for this?"

I match his smile, stepping forward to shake his hand. "As ready as I'll ever be. How was the drive?"

"Long, but smooth. You've got some beauties in those trailers. I'll tell you that."

I nod, my excitement growing. "Can't wait to see them. I told Sebastian to let them roam in the front pasture for now.” I say, telling him my idea.

“Good idea.” Russell agreed. “They’ve been cooped up for hours.”

He then claps me on the shoulder. "How’s ranch work, I see you already rebuilt the barn"

“Couldn’t wait any longer. There are a lot of things I need to do.”

From then on, we began discussing the horses, their vaccinations, and some of my pregnant cows. As we are talking, Sebastian comes back, looking confused.

"Boss," he says, "about that visitor..."

"What did Mrs. Tanya say?" I ask.

Sebastian's brow furrows. "She seemed angry, but... boss, is there another Mrs. Tanya? Because this one is real pretty."

I turn my gaze towards the gate, and suddenly it clicks. That car – I've seen it before, by the side of the road on the day of the fire. There's only one person it could be: Hayley.

"Not again," I mumble.

Another misunderstanding.

Both Russell and Sebastian are looking at me now, clearly expecting an explanation.

"Was that your girl?" Russell asks, a sly grin spreading across his face.

"What the…" I start, but Sebastian cuts me off.

"The boss wouldn't be so terrible as to turn his girl away at the gate. Right? Must have been someone else."

I pause, caught between amusement and exasperation as they wait for my response. Finally, I turn to Sebastian. "Can you take charge of the horses? I'll see you later, Russell."

Before either of them can say another word, I'm jogging towards the gate, leaving them to their speculation. As I round the corner, I see Hayley's car pulling away, kicking up a cloud of dust.

"Hayley!" I call out, waving my arms. "Wait!" I yell, running after the car.

Suddenly, the car stops, and for a moment, I think she might drive off, but she doesn't. The engine is still running though, and from where I stand, I can hear the low rumble coming from the motor.

Taking off my hat, I’m immediately grateful as a gust of wind blows in. This time it isn’t the humid hot air I had been feeling earlier, but a gentle breeze - cooling the sweat that's formed around the hat band on my head. I run a hand through my hair, lengthening my pace as I walk towards her car.

I can see her face in the side mirror, but the sunglasses perched on her nose make it impossible to read her expression.

Before I reach the driver's side, the car suddenly jolts forward, leaving me dumbfounded as I stare at its rear bumper. There are now a few feet between us, and I find myself looking from the back of the car to her face in the side mirror, trying to make sense of what just happened.

She pokes her head out the window, removing her sunglasses. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I seem to have pressed down on the wrong thing. Are you okay?" She says in a slow, honeyed voice.

The expression on her face seems innocent, and if I didn't know better, I'd be taken in by it. Knowing her as the feisty cat she is, I'm certain she did it intentionally. But it's okay, I had mistaken her car for another – I deserved that.

I shake my head, a smile tugging at my lips despite myself. As I approach the driver's side once again, she drives off, this time not stopping until she's a good distance away.

She pauses, then pokes her head out the window and yells, "How does that feel?" before speeding away, leaving nothing but a cloud of dust in her wake.

I look in the direction she heads, and after a few seconds, I can't help but chuckle, shaking my head in amusement. I put my hat back on, still grinning.

As I turn around to walk back to the ranch, I see that a crowd has gathered – my ranch hands observing it all from the gate. "Isn't this the perfect play," I say sarcastically, walking towards them.

As I get closer, I have three things in mind.

One: I'm going to put on the thickest-skinned mask possible as I walk between them.

Two: I'm going to see Little Miss Feisty later on.

Three: I really need to get back to work for now.