Falling Hard for the Billionaire Cowboy

18. AUSTIN

Chapter eighteen

AUSTIN

Earlier …

Bzzt. Bzzt.

Bzzt. Bzzt.

Large horse flies buzz around the horses, adding to the humid air. I shovel the manure to be transported to the farm, and although my hands are busy – my mind wanders far away.

It's been five days since my date with Hayley, and I haven't seen her around the estate. I think the date went well, but I wonder if she's avoiding me again. I decide I'll go to the cottage tonight to check if she's all right.

I pause my work on the farm, my gaze drifting to the path leading towards the cottage. Sebastian catches me staring and approaches and asks: "Boss, you okay?" I look up, realizing I have paused mid-shovel.

"I'm fine," I assure him, wiping sweat from my forehead. "Sebastian, take the reins for the current operation. I need to head into town to order some more feed."

"Sure thing, boss," Sebastian nods, immediately switching to his foreman operations.

Assured that everything will be taken care of, I return to the house, clean up, and get ready to go to town. As I pass my dogs, I ruffle their fur.

"Hold down the fort, boys," I tell them. "I'll be back soon."

This time, rather than going straight to town, I decide to go the long way, passing the second gate. As I drive past the cottage, I can't help but look towards the front. Hayley's car isn't in the driveway.

"She probably went to town," I mumble to myself.

The thought of running into her in town crosses my mind. It's a small town, after all.

At the feed store, the manager, Geoffrey, greets me. "Austin! What brings you in today?"

"Need to place an order for that special feed for our new bulls," I explain.

As Geoffrey jots down the order, he casually mentions, "Say, you know that new girl, Hayley? Heard she opened up a law firm in town. Brave move, if you ask me. Not much legal work around here beyond simple disputes."

I raise an eyebrow, surprised. "Is that so? I wasn't aware."

My mind races. Should I go see her? But if she didn't tell me about the firm, wouldn't she find it strange?

Fate, it seems, has other plans. As I leave the feed store, I spot Hayley across the street. My heart skips a beat. She looks beautiful, her hair catching the sunlight in that moment.

"Hayley," I call out, unable to stop myself from smiling. "Fancy meeting you here."

She turns, a smile lighting up her face. "Austin! What a surprise."

As she talks, I can't take my eyes off her face. She's as beautiful as ever, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.

"I just opened a law firm," she says excitedly. "Want to see it?"

I nod, following her lead as she unlocks the front door. I’m so impressed as we enter a spacious reception area. The wide plank oak floors sparkle as if they were just waxed and buffed ( probably were ). A reception desk sits just inside the door, empty as yet. I’m sure she’ll need help when she gets more established.

I realize I’m lost in thought for a few moments as I take in the large space instead of listening to my tour guide. She snaps my attention back as she gestures grandly at two small glass-fronted offices and what looks like a conference room that could fit about six or eight people.

I hear her ask what I think of the pale blue and tan décor, and when I tell her quite honestly how beautiful it is, she beams. Her corner office is a combination of rustic and chic - lovely, just like her. A small kitchen, an even smaller copy room, and a good-size bathroom complete the tour, or so I think.

But she’s not done. Pushing the button for the elevator that I hadn’t even noticed, she takes me upstairs where one large office sits – front and center. The wide windows overlook Main Street where she can “watch all the goings-on” she explains. The office is quite bare, which surprises me. But it makes sense when she explains that she’ll need to be on the ground floor until she can hire a receptionist or legal aide. Makes sense.

Throughout the tour, I'm captivated by her animated eyes, her expressions, the passion in her voice as she talks about her plans.

Remembering Geoffrey's words about client inflow, I feel a twinge of concern.

"And so yeah, that's about it," she says wistfully.

For some reason, whenever I'm with her, time seems to fly so fast – and each time I have to leave, I wish I could stay.

"It’s really great, Hayley." I say, tipping my hat. I finally leave her place, and for the first time in my life, I find myself actively seeking out one person - Mrs. Beatrice.

There's only one place she would be at this time – the bar.

The moment she spots me, her eyes glisten with curiosity. "Well, well, Austin Hawkins seeking me out? The world must be ending," she teases.

I chuckle. "Hello, Mrs. Beatrice. How are you today?"

"Oh, cut the pleasantries, young man," she waves her hand. "I heard you went on a date with Martha's girl. Spill the beans!"

I feel my cheeks warm. "News travels fast, doesn't it?"

"Honey, in this town, the news travels faster when I’m there," she winks.

I chuckle, ready to change the topic when she says,

"So how was the date?"

Blast it, I think inwardly.

"It was a thank you dinner. She helped with the birth of a calf," I continue, hoping this would suffice.

"Is it," she says, her eyes glistening with the new information. "Now, what's on your mind? You never stick around for my 'intrusive questions' as you call them."

I clear my throat. "It's about Hayley's new law firm..."

"Ah, looking out for your girl, eh?" Mrs. Beatrice's eyes twinkle mischievously.

"She's not... I mean, we're not..." I stammer. "I was hoping you could spread the word to the ladies during brunch. You know, promote her firm a bit."

Mrs. Beatrice's grin widens. "Oh, Austin Hawkins, you've got it bad. Don't worry, sugar. I'll make sure every gossip in town knows about Hayley's firm by sundown."

I feel a mix of relief and embarrassment. "Thank you, Mrs. Beatrice. I appreciate it."

"Oh, don't thank me yet," she winks. "This favor comes with a price. You'll have to join us for tea sometime and give us all the juicy details about your budding romance."

I groan inwardly but manage a smile. "You drive a hard bargain, ma'am."

As I walk away, I hear Mrs. Beatrice call out, "Don't you worry, Austin. We'll have that girl's calendar filled up faster than you can say 'objection'!"

I can't help but laugh, shaking my head. As I drive back to the ranch, I feel a warmth in my chest. It might not be much, but at least I've done something to help Hayley. And maybe, just maybe, this will give me another excuse to see her again soon.

***

I hear the sound of birds fluttering through the blinds, my wake-up call to stand up. Groaning, I'm about to turn to my side when I'm met with the heavy weight of one of my dogs around my midsection, immediately waking me up.

I gently push Rusty off before stretching, feeling the satisfying pop of my joints as I swing my legs over the side of the bed. It's another day on the ranch, and there's work to be done.

As I pull on my worn jeans and button up my plaid shirt, my mind drifts to Hayley. She's been struggling to attract new clients to her law firm, and I've been doing what I can to help—without her knowing, of course. Yesterday, I spent my lunch break at the local diner, casually mentioning Hayley's office to anyone who'd listen.

"Didn't you have a problem with some of the tourists," I'd said to Mrs. Rice. "I bet she’ll be able to take care of the problem for you in no time."

I grin, remembering how Mrs. Rice's eyes had lit up. "Well, I've been meaning to call the station again, but there was nothing they could do," she'd mused.

Shaking off the memory, I head out to start my day. The cool morning air nips at my skin as I make my way to the stables. The ranch hands are already bustling about, and I nod a greeting to each of them.

"Mornin', boss," Tom croaks, tipping his hat. "We've got those new horses to break in today."

"Right," I reply, rolling up my sleeves. "Let's get to it."

The morning flies by in a whirlwind of activity. We mend fences – a problem we had found after three of the horses went off property. After that, I check on the cattle, including mama and baby, and tend to the endless list of chores that come with ranch life. By midday, I'm covered in a sheen of sweat, my shirt clinging to my skin as I work.

As the afternoon sun beats down, we gather in the corral to tackle the main task – breaking in the new horses. Most of the ranch hands have gathered to watch- because after all, this is supposedly exciting.

"Alright, boys," I call out, "let's show these horses who's boss."

We start with the easier ones, but as we work our way through the group, we come to a stunning black stallion that's been giving us trouble all week.

"Watch out!" Sebastian yells as the horse rears up, nearly trampling one of the younger hands.

My heart races as I see the panic in the horse's eyes. Without thinking, I grab my lasso and swing it over my head. Time seems to slow as the rope flies through the air, landing perfectly around the horse's neck.

"Easy now," I murmur, approaching slowly.

Neighhhh!

The horse's nostrils flare, its eyes wild with fear.

I place a hand on its flank, feeling the tremors running through its powerful body. "It's alright, boy," I soothe, my voice low and steady. "No one's gonna hurt you."

Gradually, the horse calms under my touch. I seize the moment and hoist myself onto its back. For a second, it's like sitting on a powder keg—I can feel the raw energy coiled beneath me, ready to explode.

And then it does. The horse takes off like a shot, and suddenly we're flying across the land.

I can feel the wind on my skin, cooling the sweat beads I had felt earlier. My heart is also pounding in time with the horse's thundering hooves. It's terrifying and exhilarating all at once.

"WHOOO! Go Boss!"

"You're the man!"

"BOSS!"

"Let's Gooo!"

I can hear the cheers coming from the ranch hands watching, creating this intense atmosphere. I lean forward, speaking softly into the horse's ear as we run. Slowly, ever so slowly, I feel the tension start to leave its body. Its strides become less wild, more controlled. Finally, after what feels like hours but must only be minutes, we come to a stop in the center of the corral.

A cheer goes up from the ranch hands, and I can't help but grin. As I dismount, patting the horse's neck, Sebastian approaches with a grin.

"That was something else, boss," he says, shaking his head. "Never knew you could handle a horse like that"

I shrug, trying to play it cool despite the adrenaline still coursing through my veins. "I am a cowboy after all. Just takes a little patience and understanding, that's all." Turning to the rest of the crowd, I yell. "Okay, time to get to work. Come on guys!"

Although there are a few grumbles, the work resumes immediately. The rest of the afternoon passes in a blur, but there's still that excitement from the morning. The initial success with the black stallion seems to have energized everyone, and I can only chuckle as I wonder what Noah would say if he heard this from them.

As the sun begins to set, returning to the dark skies of the night, it's finally time to retire for the day. I begin to walk along the perimeter of the property with our oldest ranch dog, Blue. The old boy has got a limp these days, but he still insists on making his rounds. He mostly does his afternoon shift by hobbling across a few yards, but I decide to take him for a quick walk tonight.

"What do you think, Blue?" I ask, scratching behind his ears. "Think we did alright today?"

Blue gives a soft woof in response, and I chuckle. "Yeah, I think so too."

We make our way back to the main house, where I could almost swear I smell the scent of Hayley's omelet wafting from the kitchen – But there's no way.

My stomach growls, reminding me I haven't eaten since breakfast.

As I step onto the porch, I pause for a moment, taking in the view of the ranch bathed in the day's dying light. It's been a good day—hard work, a bit of excitement, but the satisfaction of a job well done is greater.

I think about Hayley again, wondering if she's gotten back, and if she had any luck with new clients. Maybe I'll give her a call after dinner, just to check in. For now, though, it's time to clean up.