Chapter 3
Chapter Three
Luke spent a week trying to dismiss Claire’s analysis as nonsense that didn’t apply to real-world ranching operations. He read it three times, annotated the margins, and drafted two separate rebuttals before admitting that some of her points had merit.
Not all of them—but a few.
It stung, but even he could admit when he’d been wrong. He’d called her yesterday and invited her out for a full operational review. If she was going to question his methods, she could at least see them in action instead of judging numbers on a page.
He regretted the invitation the instant she stepped out of her sedan wearing a cream-colored blazer over a blue blouse, pressed slacks, and heels that belonged in a boardroom, not his ranch.
She’d pulled her hair back in another ponytail, and the ends swished over her shoulders as she walked toward him holding a leather portfolio.
“Thought you understood what we were doing today?” He leaned against his truck and crossed his arms. “You’re completely unprepared to walk around the ranch.”
Claire’s smile dimmed. “Good morning to you too.” She picked up one foot and wiggled it side to side. “These are my favorite heels. You don’t have to worry about me.”
“Not worried.” That couldn’t be what the tight feeling in his chest meant.
Maybe he worried she’d fall and break her leg, then try to sue him.
But that was all. He pushed away from the truck.
“Ready to get started?” At her nod, he motioned toward the barn.
“Fair warning, we’re not stopping every ten feet so you can take notes. This is a working ranch, not a museum.”
“Well aware. I do know what happens at a ranch.” Her expression remained calm and polite, which caused his stomach to twist a tiny bit. “I’ll keep up.”
Right. Back to business. He doubted her reassurance at being able to keep up with him, but he wasn’t about to argue with her in the driveway.
He led the way to the barn, pointing out buildings and explaining operations. He showed her the equipment shed, the hay storage, and the cattle handling facilities—all of it organized with his systematic precision that made sense and gave everyone the ability to find anything.
Claire asked several questions as they walked. She understood the difference between operational costs and expenditure and recognized the value of his rotational grazing system.
To his surprise, she even noticed the solar panels he’d installed on the barn roof last year to help reduce energy consumption and complimented him on his forward thinking.
Maybe this wasn’t a complete waste of time.
Claire took a step, her arm raised to shield her eyes from the sun. She stumbled, her heel dipping hard to the right.
His hand shot out, years of reflexes honed after working cattle and needing to react in an instant throwing him into motion. He caught her elbow, steadying her before she fell. “Easy.”
A short, ragged gasp filled the air, and she leaned into his side. “Sorry. Guess you were right about the heels.” Her cheeks flushed.
“You think?” He kept hold of her arm, hyperaware of the slight grasp she felt under his hand and how completely out of place she looked standing in the middle of his ranch in her city clothes. The reality of his tone settled hard as stone, and he winced. “Sorry. I don’t mean to sound so…”
“Self-righteous? Accusatory? Gratified?” Claire stared up at him, a tiny grin on her lips. “Feel free to stop me when I get it right.”
He chuckled and shook his head. Here she was trying to help him, and he was putting down her footwear. There had to be some kind of rule about that. “The ground’s rough out here. I can get you a pair of boots.”
“Might not be a bad idea, but I’ll watch where I’m walking.” She eased away from him, and he realized he’d slid an arm around her waist, locking her to his side.
He dropped his hand, resisting the urge to shake out the tingles shooting up his arm.
They continued toward the calving barn, and he slowed his steps to give her more time to pick her path.
The barn smelled like hay and livestock, the earthy reality of agricultural life.
He pushed the door wide open, letting sunlight spill across the stalls where three cows mooed at him in hopes of a second breakfast.
Claire stepped up beside him. “How many hands do you have during calving season?”
“Four full-time, two part-time.” He walked down the row of stalls, checking each cow in the process. “We used to have six full-time employees, but I streamlined operations two years ago. Turns out you don’t need as many people if you’ve got better systems.”
“Or you need as many people but you’re working a smaller staff harder than necessary.” Claire rubbed one of the cow’s head, grinning when the cow stuck out its long tongue and licked her hand. “That can ultimately lead to burnout much faster.”
“My hands are paid competitive wages and work reasonable hours.”
“I’m sure they are.” She didn’t back down, but she also avoided looking at him. “I’m just wondering if efficiency always equals improvement, or if at this point it means spreading people thinner.”
His mouth opened with an immediate protest.
“Luke, what’s going on? I didn’t know we were expecting company.” His younger brother Graham appeared in the doorway, grinning with his typical easy charm that made him everyone’s favorite Calloway.
“Graham, this is Claire. She’s the one doing the financial review of the ranch.”
Graham strode forward, hand extended. “The famous Claire. Dad’s been talking about you. You’re the one getting Luke all riled up.”
“I’m not riled up.” Annoyed at times but nothing else.
Claire laughed and shook Graham’s hand. “Nice to meet you.”
Graham winked at Claire. “This is Luke not being riled up. Just his relaxed, easygoing self.”
Claire’s grin widened, and she covered her mouth with one hand, struggling to compose her face. “I have that effect on some people. It’s not easy having a woman CPA.”
“That has nothing to do with it.” Luke moved toward the door, all too eager to escape his brother’s knowing look. “I was wrapping up showing Claire the calving operation.”
“Well, don’t let me interrupt.” Graham stepped aside, but his grin didn’t fade. “Mom saw you pull up. She wanted me to make sure Claire knew she’s invited to lunch.”
So Graham had known who she was all along but decided to turn this into his own personal entertainment.
One of these days, he’d pay his brother back for making him look like a fool in front of Claire.
“We’re not staying for lunch. Once I’ve walked Claire through the rest of the day-to-day stuff, I’m sure she’ll be ready to leave.
” Ready to get out of the muck and mire of a working cattle operation.
Ready to get away from him.
“Good luck telling Mom that.” Graham tipped his hat at Claire. “Nice meeting you, Claire. He’ll talk spreadsheets till your ears bleed. If you need a break, give me a shout.”
After Graham disappeared around the corner, Claire turned to Luke. “He seems fun.”
“He’s a pain.” But he couldn’t help smiling as they continued their tour through the hay fields, past the line cabin that needed repairs, and around the irrigation system he’d upgraded last year.
“What happened to the community garden your grandfather started? Granny Mama told me about it yesterday. It sounded like a great benefit to the community.” She gestured toward a fallow plot near the main house.
Luke ignored the pinch in his chest. “Discontinued it. Wasn’t worth the water and maintenance costs and took up resources better allocated elsewhere.” He kept walking, avoiding looking at the empty spot where crops once thrived.
“And the equipment loan program?”
“Ended it when people started borrowing our equipment, then bringing it back broken, leaving us with all the repair bills.” He took off his hat and brushed invisible dust from the brim before setting it in place again. “Too much liability.”
“Even though it helped young ranchers get started without crippling debt?” Her voice came out flat, with zero inflection, but he felt the sucker punch to his solar plexus.
He stopped and faced her. “At what cost to us? The last time I loaned out our hay rake, it came back totaled. We were the ones forced to buy a brand-new piece of equipment, which sunk us so deep in debt we had to sell some of our stock to cover the payments.”
Claire winced. “Okay, I see where you’re coming from on that one. But it’s not always like that.”
“You’d be surprised.” He stopped before he gave away too much.
The screen door on the main house banged open.
Mom stepped to the edge of the porch, hands on her hips and her eyes narrowed at him.
“Luke Calloway, you bring that girl inside right now.” Her voice carried across the yard, bringing back years of memories.
The woman who’d raised four sons and didn’t take arguments from any of them expected to be obeyed the first time. No questions asked.
Luke shook his head. “We’re not staying.”
“Yes, you are.” Mom descended the steps with short, clipped strides, stopping next to the post where they hitched their horses. “I didn’t raise you to show guests around without feeding them.”
Claire’s expression shifted from amusement to worry, her gaze bouncing between him and Mom. “Mrs. Calloway, I don’t want to impose—”
“You’re not, honey. You’re accepting hospitality.” Mom held out both arms and hugged Claire like they were the best of friends. “Even if my son didn’t offer it like I taught him. Besides,” she squeezed Claire’s shoulders, “I want to hear all about your time here since coming back.”
“Mom—”
“Inside. Both of you.” She turned toward the house, clearly expecting obedience.
Luke rubbed his forehead. They didn’t have much choice. “My mother doesn’t take no for an answer, and my brothers will probably show up because they have a sixth sense for when embarrassment is imminent.”
Claire’s laugh was soft and surprised. “Then I guess we’re having lunch.”