Page 65 of The Cowboy’s Reckoning

Jordan shook his head as he half-laughed. He did like the way his dad’s brain worked. “Before we start building the stye, let’s see if Connery follows through and gives me a contact name.” He pushed his chair back. “In the meantime, I’m going home.” The words came out so naturally that he didn’t realize what he’d said until Hayes raised his eyebrows.

Was the Willow Creek home?

Temporary or not, it was starting to feel that way, and it wasn’t because he was getting attached to the ranch itself. It was the woman who lived there that made him want to get back to the property he never should have owned in the first place.

When Jordan drove over the Willow Creek cattleguard twenty minutes later, spraying water from the mud puddle on the other side, he caught sight of Lil driving a cow and calf across the pasture. The calf’s head bobbed with each step, indicating it was lame and Lil was bringing it in to treat. After parking, he made his way to the gate that she’d left open, closing it when she drove mama and baby through.

“Thanks,” she said, before maneuvering the pair into a smaller pen. “I thought I was going to have to wait until Meg got home to doctor.” The cow tried to turn back as Lil spoke, but she brandished her stock stick and Mama changed her mind.

“You’ve been busy since I left.” Her hair was escaping her ponytail, and dirt caked the knees of her jeans, indicating that an adventure had occurred.

“I work for a living,” she proclaimed with a mock sniff.

“That a fact?” He let the words roll out on a suggestive note.

Her eyebrows lifted as she played the game. “I was filling badger holes in the pasture, so nobody breaks a leg, when I saw the limping calf. It’s going to tick me off if he strained it in a badger hole, but it’s hard to keep on top of those things.” She blew out a puff of breath as she watched the calf hide behind its mother who shook her head at Lil.

“Maybe I should get him,” Jordan suggested, already knowing what her answer would be.

Lil pushed the hair off her forehead with her gloved hand, leaving a streak. “I’ve got this.”

“As you wish.”

It took less than a minute for Lil to expertly separate the cow from the calf, sending the mother out of the pen, Jordan stepped inside and closed the gate. The cow whirled around, surprised that her baby wasn’t behind her. The calf bawled and shot past Lil, adrenaline helping him forget his lame foot. Jordan grabbed at the little guy as he went by, got a hold, then lost it. The calf charged to the opposite side of the pen, then back toward mom, giving Lil a chance to grab him around his neck and slowly tip him to one side like a bulldogger in a rodeo. She was panting by the time she had the little guy laid out.

“I guess I should have taken you up on your offer.”

“You think?” Jordan asked, taking hold of the injured leg and stretching it out.

It was easy to see what the problem was. A rock was jammed in the juncture of his cloven hoof.

“He’s bigger than I thought.” She looked over her shoulder. “Can you see what it is?”

“Rock.” He pulled out his knife and used it to wedge the stone free. “There.”

Lil shifted her weight and the calf struggled, his tail hitting her in the face. “We’ll trade next time.” Lil rolled off the calf and sat in the dirt.

The baby let out another bawl and headed toward where mom was throwing dirt on the opposite side of the gate.

“I thought we’d be treating him for days.” She held out her hand and Jordan pulled her to her feet. She attempted to brush the corral mud off her jeans, then gave up. “Thanks.”

“No problem.”

After herding the mom back into the field, Lil said, “How’d the brainstorming go with your brothers?”

“About as expected, but we’re all on the same page. Wade has a plan that involves pigs, but we’re hoping it doesn’t come to that.”

“Pigs?”

He smiled at her as he opened the last gate. “Pigs.”

They walked down the side of the barn, then Lil stopped at the edge of the driveway. “Meg and I are going out with Aubrey tonight. Want to come? Take your mind off things for a while.”

“You’re inviting me to girls’ night out?”

She shrugged. “We’ll make an exception for you. We’re leaving in about an hour.” Lil glanced down at her dirty front as if judging whether she had enough time to get ready, then grimaced. “I hope.”

“Thanks, but I have some other stuff to attend to.”