Chapter 3
CHAPTER 3
Brody yanked the fence wire up. “Get her under!”
“I’m trying.” Nash held his arms out and waved at the stubborn calf, but she decided to lie down rather than move back into the field.
“Forget it.” He let go, straightened, and yanked his gloves off. He pulled his bandana out of his back pocket and wiped the sweat from his neck. A loud moo sounded behind him. Turning, he faced Lulabelle, Tanner’s cow crush and mother to the errant calf. “Why’d you let her go out there in the first place?”
The cow just stared at him as if he were worthless.
He opened his arms toward the mom. “What? She’s your kid. Takes after you, too, you stubborn prima donna.”
“I don’t think she’s impressed.” Nash, his best friend and a ranch hand on the Rocky Road, ducked between the temporary wire before stepping up next to Lulabell. “What do you want to try next? There’s always food.”
Brody stuffed his bandana back in his pocket. “Great idea, but I don’t have any, do you?”
“Whoa, what’s got your panties in an uproar? You’ve been snapping all day, and don’t tell me it’s the heat. That’s a daily occurrence.” As if to accent his statement, he pulled off his hat and wiped the sleeve of his forearm across the light brown hair plastered to his forehead before placing his hat back on.
Shit. Nash was right. “Sorry, just got other crap on my mind that’s frustrating the heck out of me.”
Nash left off soothing Lulabell and came to stand next to him. “Is it that Kingsley property?”
“Yeah. I showed it to Miss Hannah last week and called her a few days ago, but she hasn’t called back.” He pulled his phone from his other back pocket and looked at it. “I even texted her this morning and nothing.”
“She’s ghosting you?”
He gripped his phone at that. “She better not be. I know where she lives. I can always go knock on her door and ask what’s going on.”
Nash resettled his hat on his head, something he always did when thinking. “I know you’re anxious to move on, but you said she just found out she owns the land. She may simply need some time.”
“But she could at least respond. I didn’t even mention buying the land last I saw her. I’m not that selfish.”
“You’re not selfish at all or you wouldn’t still be on this ranch. You have a point, but I still say give her a few more days before showing up on her doorstep. Discovering she owns a bunch of desert with burros and geckos is one thing, but having a handsome cowboy trying to buy it from her is a whole other ball game.” Nash nudged him with his shoulder.
“You have a good point. This handsome face probably sent her heart a-flutter.” He fluttered his lashes.
Nash groaned before walking away. “That may be, but it’s doing nothing for Lulabell here. Save the face for tomorrow night at The Stampede pool tournament, and put what’s under that hat of yours to work on how to get this calf back in here. You know if you lasso her, Lulabell will have you on your back in three seconds.”
He did know that and it wasn’t something he wanted to experience…again. “We just need to corral her so she—wait, I wonder if Cami could help.”
“It’s worth a try. Why don’t you go get her and I’ll stay here. I know your brother doesn’t like us out here alone, but you’re coming right back.”
It was a good plan and if it worked, he might be able to use Cami more often. The dog was still an unknown, but he connected with her immediately when he’d found her. Some asshole had abandoned her. Now, she slept on his bed every night and loved learning new things. “Let’s do it.”
He mounted Chaos and headed for the house. Cami was better suited to colder climes, which is why he made her stay indoors during the day. His father certainly didn’t mind, though Jeremiah Dunn would never admit it, after having forbidden pets decades ago. Mandy had even incorporated Cami into his dad’s therapies, now that he was doing a lot more.
He was glad his brother married Amanda. She brought his father a lot further than he’d expected after the massive stroke. Once Dad was as good as he was going to get, then Amanda could help on the ranch, which would make it even easier for him to leave.
As he drew closer to the house, the three bunkhouses set in a U for their new dude ranch operation came into view. They were done and ready for guests, but from what he understood, there was a lot more to be done, including finishing the clubhouse and marking new trails. There would be more employees, too, which made him that much more dispensable. His future was calling him, and it wasn’t on the ranch. Too bad Hannah wasn’t calling him, too.
He dismounted at the porch of his dad’s three-thousand-foot adobe ranch house, and looped Chaos’s reins over the hook to let him munch at the hay feeder there. As soon as he opened the front door, he heard Cami’s paws racing across the travertine tile. He stopped and braced himself. In the next instant his arms were full of ninety-five pounds of white fur. “Did you miss me?”
Cami licked at his face, and he strained his neck to avoided being slobbered on the mouth. Letting her down, he ruffled her neck. “How’d you like to come work with me?”
She cocked her head as if trying to understand.
“You want to go out?”
This time she jumped up on him again and he laughed. “Okay.” He stepped to the kitchen doorway but no one was in sight, so he yelled. “I’m taking Cami with me!”
“Okay.” The muffled reply came from his father’s office, which surprised him. Either Amanda was working in there, or she had his dad in there. Though curious, he let the matter go. Tanner would give him shit if he knew Nash was out on the north line alone.
As he stepped outside, he realized Cami would need the ATV. He wasn’t going to let her run all the way out there. “Come on, girl. We’re going for a ride.” He took Chaos with them and settled him in his stall, then patted the seat of the ATV. Immediately. Cami jumped up.
Settling in behind his large dog, he was on his way back in no time, but he took it slow. He needed to figure out a way to strap Cami in. Maybe there was something he could pull behind him. He’d go online later and see what he could find.
As he drew closer, he could see Nash no longer stood within the boundary. In fact, he seemed to be hiding behind the large boulder they had moved, when it had crashed through their wooden fence. It wasn’t until Lulabell turned at the sound of the ATV that he realized his mistake. “Shit.”
Quickly, he drove the ATV to the fence fifty yards from the mad cow and shut it off. “Come on, Cami.” He coaxed his dog down off the seat and ducking, led her between the rails of the wooden fence just as he heard the steps of a running cow. What was he thinking, to bring the very dog that had scared Lulabell so badly that to protect her calf, she’d knocked down half the birthing enclosure two months ago?
“Come, girl.” He patted his thigh and Cami obediently followed him down the fence line. He stopped before the wire fencing started, just in case. “Nash, are you hiding?”
“Damn right.” He pointed to Lulabelle. “She charged me.”
He swallowed a chuckle. “That’s because you weren’t helping. Where’s the calf?”
“Over there by that saguaro.”
The little calf had wandered at least twenty yards away. No wonder her mother was beside herself. He crouched down next to Cami, who sat watching the little calf. “Okay, girl. I want you to herd that little one this way. Can you do it?”
Cami didn’t look at him, her gaze locked on the baby.
He had no idea if she’d hurt the little one. Lulabell obviously thought her a threat. In fact, mama was starting to make a racket with strong bellows.
The little calf turned its head toward mom. Did it get that Lulabell was upset?
He kept his hand on Cami, not sure if letting her go towards the cow would be a good thing. The last thing he needed was for Lulabell to charge the wire fence and get cut. “Nash, can you move behind the calf?”
“Sure.” Nash walked slowly toward the calf.
The little thing looked at Nash then back at mom, but didn’t move.
“I need you to call Cami to you. I’m going to lift the wire in case the calf runs for mom or mom runs for the calf. Got it?”
At Nash’s nod, he let go of Cami. “Go see Nash, girl.”
She hesitated until Nash yelled for her. As soon as she ran toward him, Brody strode to the wire.
Lulabell immediately bellowed and started for the fence. He stretched the wire as high as he could, but if mama didn’t duck, she was going to get caught.
“Here she comes!”
At Nash’s yell, Brody looked over his shoulder to see the calf running toward him, Cami jogging behind. “Good girl!”
The wire jerked out of his hands as Lulabell hit it. She backed up a step ready to make another go, but he grabbed it again and lifted just as the little calf ran under to her mother. Immediately, he dropped the line, his hands burning and bleeding.
Cami ran up and sat in front of him. “Well done, girl.” He folded his fingers in and stroked her with his knuckles, not wanting to turn her white coat red because he was an idiot and forgot to put his gloves on again.
Lulabell had stopped her bawling and was now making soft humming noises even as she nudged her calf away from the fence.
Nash strode toward him. “Well, that worked. Whoever said animals don’t feel emotions has never met Lulabell.”
Too impressed with how Cami handled herself to spare much thought on Tanner’s lovesick cow, he wiped his hands on his jeans.
“Where’re your gloves?”
He scowled, ignoring the question. “We need to get that new fencing up tomorrow. It was put on the back burner because of the dude ranch build, but we can’t afford to lose any cows while that thing gets up and running.”
“I’ll let you tell Tanner it’s a priority. When I talk to him about the herd, he seems to only be half listening.” Nash shook his head as if thinking about anything beyond cattle was a serious defect in personality.
Brody ducked under the wire and back into the field, now that Lulabell was far enough away. “Yeah. He’s really nervous about this new dude ranch enterprise working and keeping the ranch alive. Tells you what he thinks of my persuasion skills.” He couldn’t help the resentment that colored his tone.
Nash slapped him on the back. “Well, he’s obviously lost touch with your skills. I’ve seen you convince a woman with no rhythm to dance with you, and an old woman who never gives samples of her baked goods at the fair to let you have a taste. I’d bet a hundred bucks you could get a thirsty man to give you his last beer.”
His friend’s words did soothe his ego. Nash knew him even better than his big brother. So there was that. He stopped at the ATV. “I appreciate it, though to be fair, the young woman who had no rhythm didn’t need it for that slow dance.”
Nash laughed as he continued to his horse. “See, and that was your luck. The band at Boots n’ Brew suddenly slowing it down like that. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you paid them to do that.”
He grinned as he remembered that spring night. “To be honest, the thought had crossed my mind. She really had no dance moves at all, but she was a great kisser.” He started up the ATV. “See you back at the barn. Come on, Cami.” He patted the seat in front of him and she jumped up.
As Nash mounted up, Brody headed back toward the house. He was halfway there when he felt his phone vibrate. Stopping the ATV, he adjusted Cami so he could look at the caller. Seeing Hannah’s name, he quickly shut the machine off. “Howdy, Hannah.”
“Oh, Brody. I’m so relieved it’s you.”
Now that made no sense at all since she called him. “Who did you think you called?”
A soft chuckle came across the phone. “I’m just relieved. My phone fell in a pot of boiling pasta at the Community Dine-in Center. Not only did we have to throw the whole batch out, but when I went to get a new phone, they were having a hard time transferring all my contacts. It took days.”
So that was why she didn’t get back to him. “You didn’t get my text this morning?”
“You texted? Hold on.”
He clamped his mouth shut, not really caring anymore that she hadn’t responded. He just wanted to know what she planned to do next, specifically with the land.
“Well, sugar. My notifications were muted. I’m sorry.”
“No problem. I was just texting to see if you had any more questions about the property.”
“You’re so thoughtful. Thank you. I’ve been doing some research. In fact, I’ve booked a room at the Lucky Lasso Saloon and Hotel in Four Peaks for the weekend. Do you know where that is?”
“I do.” Everyone did. There were only two hotels in town, and then the campgrounds and an RV park.
“Wonderful. Would you be able to meet me there on Friday sometime? I’d like your input on some ideas I have.”
Excitement and nervousness collided in his gut. On one hand, he was thrilled she was looking at him as a friend she could listen to, but the word ‘ideas’ made him nervous. Was she hoping to start ranching herself or some other enterprise? “I’d be happy to help. Is seven too early?”
“Seven PM?”
He patted Cami as he grinned. “No, AM. If that’s too early, I can come later.”
“No, no. That’s fine. I’ll buy you breakfast.”
“I accept. I’ll see you Friday then.”
As she thanked him and hung up, Cami turned her head and slobbered a wet one on his cheek. “Ugh, really?” He wiped his face with his sleeve. “Let’s get you home.” He started up the ATV again, held onto Cami, and headed for the barn.
Even in that short conversation, he learned a bit more about Miss Hannah Kingsley. He didn’t know anyone who used ‘sugar’ instead of ‘shit.’ So she obviously didn’t swear. She’d dropped her phone while volunteering, which meant she had a kind heart. She wasn’t afraid to learn, as she’d done research and had ideas. It could all help him persuade her to sell.
He pulled up to the barn, and no sooner had he stopped the machine than Cami jumped down. As he rolled the ATV back into its spot, his conscience started to niggle at him.
The fact was, Hannah had called him for help, as someone she trusted. She would be taking him into her confidence. He sighed, knowing he’d have to remind her he wanted to buy the property. He needed to be upfront with his motives.
Still, as he walked toward the house, Cami running ahead of him, he couldn’t wait until Friday morning.