Page 21 of Taming the Wild Cowboy

Mac jumped when he spoke, then gave him a yeah-right look to cover up. Like she was going to share her thoughts with a guy who smelled too damned good. “Just thinking about the weather.”

“Right.” His half-smile made her wonder if he could read minds.

“Don’t you have cows to check or something?”

“Already did that. Killer Moo says hello.”

“Hi back,” she said dryly. “I need to get going.” As she turned toward her truck, she caught the toe of her boot on a half-buried hay string and stumbled. Trev caught her by the arm and hauled her back to her feet.

“Easy there.”

“Easy yourself.” She pulled herself free, but it was too late to douse the surge of gut-level attraction that swamped her. Damn the man. Maclyn cleared her throat as she ran her hands down the front of her jacket. “I really do need to get going.”

“I’ll see you in the morning then.” He was watching her as if he knew why she was unnerved. Maclyn told herself she was imagining things.

“Bright and early.” She hated sounding chirpy, but there she was. Chirping.

“Bright and early,” he agreed. “You want to leave your trailer here?”

She wanted to get out of Dodge. “Tomorrow,” she said. Her clothing and toiletries were in boxes in the tack compartment, and she didn’t want to sort through the stuff in front of him.

“Works for me.”

Maclyn had several miles of highway between the Tree Fork and Marietta to not think about Trev. Instead, she spent the time making a mental list of people she could contact to find future employment. It wasn’t a long list, but she had resources. Only five days had passed since the Sweet Grass had cut her loose. She had a check coming to help tide her over, but she needed to pinch her pennies. Even if she could squeeze a few more weeks out of the Tree Fork after the three Trev had promised her, did she want to?

You’re helping the guy out. This isn’t a one-way street.

It was true. While he might have hired her out of either guilt or sympathy, she was earning her keep and the keep of her horses. The matter was transactional, a circumstance she understood.

She swung into the parking lot of the motel but didn’t turn off the ignition. The rates were high, even off-season, but it was the hand-lettered sign propped in the window that caught her eye. Pets welcome with fee.

She glanced down at Raisin, who responded with a charming canine grin.

“Nothing’s free, is it, girl?”

No matter what, someone had to pay.

*

Trev stifled a yawn as he rinsed his coffee cup. Three of the cows had chosen to calve in the wee hours, but they hadn’t been in any hurry to get the job done. Wade had woken Trev shortly after midnight, and the two of them had watched one of the ladies for close to forty minutes before deciding to intervene. Apparently being brought into the barn was all the encouragement she needed because as soon as they closed the gate on the pen, she’d gone down. They hadn’t had to pull the calf or call the vet. The little bull wasn’t exactly vigorous, but after mom had given him a good tongue bath, he’d managed to get to his feet and eventually nurse. Trev had gone to bed shortly thereafter, only to be roused by his alarm less than an hour later. The long night was about to turn into a long day. Maybe, once he got Maclyn fully trained to do his day work, he could catch up on his sleep while she was there.

Right.

He couldn’t bring himself to do such a thing. A rumble sounded from outside and he went to the window, expecting to see Maclyn’s truck even though it was early.

“Is that your girl?” Wade called from the living room.

“Woman,” he replied, in an effort to keep his uncle from being taken off at the knees. Either way, she wasn’t his. “It’s Jim.” The guy who leased their fields for farming since the longtime foreman had quit. Wade simply hadn’t been able to keep up with everything without full-time help.

“Tell him I’ll be right out.” Wade disappeared down the hall to his bedroom. “Gotta put on a shirt.”

“Hey, Jim.” Trev swung the door open. “Coffee?” Like Wade, Jim Reed was a bona fide caffeine fiend. Trev assumed he had at least one thermos in his truck and would stop for another on the way home.

“I’m on my way to Livingston, but I don’t mind a cup.”

Trev filled two cups, set them on the table for Wade and Jim, then began pulling on his boots. “Got to feed. Wade will be out in a second.”

“Cattle wait for no man, which is why I stick to farming. Anyway, I thought I’d let you know that you have a trespasser on the Fremont Creek Meadow. Looks like they’re camping there.”