Chapter 4
THE WIND HAD picked up slightly as they rode across the ranch’s eastern pasture.
The sky, which had been a dull gray all morning, now carried a darker, heavier shade, the kind that made Trent glance at the horizon and wonder if they’d get caught in something bigger.
Snowflakes began to drift down, sparse at first, then more persistent.
They melted against the warmth of his gloved hands, but a chill crept through his coat.
Holger reined in his horse, signaling for the group to stop near a patch of trees bordering the far fence line.
“This here’s one of the fields we’re thinking about letting go fallow for a season,” he explained, gesturing to the expanse of dormant land.
“Naomi, you’ll see the soil’s compacted from overuse. ”
Naomi nodded, her sharp green eyes taking in every detail as she spoke her detailed notes into her phone. Her breath puffed out in soft clouds as she asked, “Do you rotate your livestock through here, or do they graze elsewhere?”
“Elsewhere,” Holger said, adjusting his scarf. “We could bring them here, though, if you think it’ll help the soil recover.”
“Absolutely,” Naomi said, putting her phone away. “Manure is one of the best natural fertilizers you can use, and grazing animals can help aerate the soil. It’s a win-win.”
“See, Trent?” Holger said with a grin. “You’ve been reading about all this, right? Makes sense, doesn’t it?”
Trent shrugged, pulling his hat lower against the wind. “Yeah, it does. But I’m more worried about the snow. If it keeps up, we might not see our way back.”
Colton snorted. “You afraid of a little snow, Trent? You Oklahomans don’t get much, do ya?”
Trent shot him a look, his tone dry. “Not much. And I’m not about to pretend to enjoy freezing my butt off.”
Naomi chuckled softly, and Trent caught the faintest trace of a smile on her lips before she turned back to Holger. “How often do you deal with snow like this?”
“Pretty regularly this time of year,” Holger said. “But it might not amount to much.”
As if to prove him wrong, the snow began to fall more heavily, swirling around them in fat, lazy flakes. The horses stamped their hooves, their breaths fogging the air. Trent’s gelding shifted beneath him, and he gave the horse a reassuring pat.
They started moving again, heading toward the creek that cut through the property. Holger wanted Naomi to see a low-lying area where spring runoff often flooded. But as they approached, Trent noticed something unusual—a dark shape near the frozen creek bed, partially obscured by the falling snow.
“Hold up,” he called out, raising a hand.
“What is it?” Holger asked, pulling his horse to a stop.
Trent dismounted, his boots crunching in the thin layer of snow as he approached the shape. The others waited, their horses shifting uneasily.
Then, a sharp, muffled sound cracked through the cold air—a sudden yelp, followed by a frantic rustling in the underbrush near the creek. All four riders pulled their horses to a halt, the animals shifting nervously.
“What was that?” Naomi asked, her eyes wide.
“Coyote?” Colton guessed, already scanning the tree line.
“Not likely this time of day,” Holger said.
Trent hollered back, “I think it’s a dog.”
“Hang on,” Naomi said, dismounting quickly. “If it’s hurt, I can help.”
Trent raised an eyebrow but didn’t argue.
As they approached, the noise grew louder—whimpering, high-pitched and frantic. Trent pushed aside a low-hanging branch and stopped short.
A dog—thin, shivering, and tangled in a mess of barbed wire—lay half-submerged in the partially frozen creek. Its coat was matted with mud and blood, and its eyes were wide with fear.
“Poor thing,” Naomi whispered, already crouching beside it.
“Careful,” Trent warned. “It might snap at you.”
Naomi nodded but didn’t hesitate. She moved slowly, murmuring softly to the animal as she put her hands around the wire ends. “I’ve got this,” she said, her voice steady.
Trent knelt beside her, holding the dog still while she worked. The animal flinched but didn’t fight, as if it understood they were trying to help.
“We should carry wire cutters around,” he joked.
“Always prepared,” Naomi replied with a faint smile. “My brother was a Boy Scout. I have his old Swiss army knife in my pocket, but I … there … I got it.”
Trent huffed a laugh, though his focus remained on the dog. Naomi freed the dog from the barbed wire. Trent scooped the animal into his arms, its small body trembling against him.
“We need to get it back to the house,” Naomi said, already heading toward the horses. “It’s hypothermic.”
“Agreed,” Holger called from where he waited. “Colton, ride ahead and let Sophie know we’re bringing in a rescue.”
As they mounted up and headed back toward the ranch, Trent glanced down at the dog in his arms. It wasn’t the first time he’d carried a small animal on horseback, though it had always been a stray calf and always quite wiggly.
This little fellow was completely out of energy.
It looked up at him with tired, grateful eyes, and he hugged it closer.
The snow had changed from fat, sloppy flakes to pellets of ice that bombarded their heads and shoulders.
***
There was something appealing about this man, Naomi thought, but she wasn’t here to date, she was here to help the Olsens revitalize their farm.
Still, she couldn’t help admiring a few more things about Trent: he was gentle with the pup; he was confident on the horse; he seemed smart and patient and caring.
Okay, she didn’t want to let herself stare too much at him, but he was in the category of very, very easy to look at.
She wondered about Colton’s comment calling Trent an Oklahoman. He was a far cry from home. Of course, so was she, but … hmm, she had to quit thinking about … hmm … the possibilities.
Holger trailed behind them and when they got to the barn, she and Holger both dismounted quickly, intending to help Trent.
Holger reached for the pup and Naomi grabbed the horse’s reins.
Trent lifted the dog down and slid off the horse smoothly, right next to her.
Their eyes met and he smiled. Her throat closed up and she tried to swallow. Gosh, he was cute.
Naomi turned away quickly, leading her horse toward the barn, trying to focus on anything other than Trent’s smile.
Holger started for the house with the dog, his boots grinding into the fresh-frozen snow.
“You take care of the horses, Trent,” Holger said, glancing over his shoulder.
“Sophie will have a spot ready in the laundry room for the pup. Come on, Ms. Foster.”
“Um, I’ll help with the horses, if that’s all right.”
“If that’s what suits you, fine by me.”
“You don’t have to help,” Trent said to her, his voice calm but full of purpose. “But I’m glad you offered. We’ll put them in the back stalls, away from the cows. We’ve got six in the barn here.”
“Horses and cows? Any goats or chickens?”
“Nope.”
Naomi busied herself unbuckling the saddle straps. She worked efficiently, her fingers nimble despite the cold, but she couldn’t ignore Trent in her peripheral vision as he led his horse into the next stall.
“So, Oklahoma, huh?” she asked, her voice light as she removed the saddle and set it on the rack. “What’s a cowboy from the Sooner State doing all the way up here?”
Trent chuckled, the sound warm and rich. “Long story. Short version? Needed a change of scenery.” He paused, leaning his forearm casually on the top of the stall door. “What about you? Montana isn’t exactly the big leagues for sustainable farming consultants, is it?”
Naomi smirked, brushing her horse’s flank with firm strokes. “I go where I’m needed. Besides, the big leagues are overrated.” She shot him a glance, trying to gauge his reaction.
He grinned. “You might be right about that. What’s wrong with a quiet life, anyway?”
“Not a thing,” she admitted, moving to hang the bridle on a nearby hook. “But you don’t strike me as someone who likes things too quiet. You seem … restless.”
Trent tilted his head, a spark of curiosity lighting his dark eyes. “Restless, huh? You think you’ve got me figured out already?”
Naomi shrugged, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face. “I’m pretty good at reading people.”
“Is that so?” Trent stepped closer, the light snowfall outside casting a soft glow into the barn. “All right, then. What else do you think you know about me?”
Naomi felt her cheeks warm despite the cold air.
His words and actions should have alerted that sixth sense she had around certain guys, but she felt remarkably safe and comfortable with him.
She leaned casually against the stall door, meeting his gaze.
“You’re smart. You like a challenge. And you’re not as interested in this sustainable farming thing as you make out to be. ”
Trent laughed, a genuine, deep laugh that made her stomach flip. “Not bad,” he said, nodding. “But what about the stuff that’s harder to see?”
Naomi arched a brow, crossing her arms. “You mean the deep, mysterious layers you’ve got hidden under all that cowboy charm?”
“Something like that.” His grin was playful now, his eyes locked on hers.
She shook her head, biting back a smile. “Sorry, cowboy, I don’t do deep dives on the first meeting.”
“Darn.” Trent stepped back, grabbing a brush to start on his horse. “Guess I’ll just have to stick around here, pester you a bit, and let you get to know me better.”
Naomi’s breath caught for a moment, but she quickly recovered, turning back to her horse. “You have a choice? I thought the guys here … uh …”
“Levi and I are free to come and go as we please, but with jobs scarce and winter upon us, well, we feel pretty fortunate to work for room and board.”
“But the other guys …?”
“They’re cool. Colton did his time and stayed on, gets paid. Wyatt and Mason have a few weeks left.”
“And the woman? Taylor?”
Trent chuckled. “She lost her apartment and the Olsens took her in. I’ve got a suspicion, though, that when Mason leaves, she might go, too.”
Naomi nodded. “I thought they acted like a couple.” She finished up and Trent put the horse in its stall.
“Come on,” he said. “Let’s see if Mrs. O. has house-trained that pup yet. I wouldn’t put it past her.”
A small smile tugged at Naomi’s lips as they left the barn.