Read Online Betting on Texas by Amanda Renee - Free Book Online Page B

much room for him to find out much about her, other than
her desire to learn about the Lone Star State. Questions came from all
directions on every subject. Her passion and excitement allowed him to see
everything fresh and new.
    Drive Carefully—Stop Wildlife Squish in Albany
    The sign appeared out of nowhere. Jesse held his amusement in
check until Miranda burst out laughing. Tears ran down her cheeks causing Jesse
to lose control himself. Afraid he would drive the truck off the road, he pulled
into the Dairy Queen parking lot.
    “Wildlife squish!” Miranda wiped at her eyes. “Oh, my sides
hurt. I’m sorry. I know it wasn’t very funny, but it came as such a
surprise.”
    Jesse rested his arm across the back of the bench seat and
gently pushed a strand of hair away from her face. It had been a long time since
he last had some humor in his life. Enjoyment was something he’d long since
forgotten. Now he owed his newfound sense of it all to Miranda. The one person
he should despise more than anyone else on this planet.
    She looked at him with such an openness and honesty, he didn’t
understand how he could be so cruel to her. From the second he first laid eyes
on the woman beside him, she captured a piece of his heart he was certain he’d
lost forever. Once he realized his vision of beauty was the new owner, all bets
were off. Miranda took from him the one thing he wanted most in this world. The
chance for a life and a family, on the land that meant everything to him.
    Afraid he might lose himself in a moment of weakness, Jesse
proceeded through Albany’s business district and into its tidy town square. They
stopped at Albany’s only traffic light where Miranda gasped at the impressive
courthouse before her. Its limestone grandeur had astounded visitors for over a
century. The sculpture garden in front of the art museum was equally as
impressive, but Jesse didn’t want to waste time sightseeing. The sky had an
ominous look to it. He wanted to get the horses delivered to Blueford and be on
their way before they had to contend with a Texas monsoon.
    “There must be a million cattle out there! This place is
incredible.”
    Through Miranda’s eyes, Jesse truly saw Four Oaks Ranch for the
first time. Each ranch had always been just another potential customer. He took
its simple beauty for granted until he witnessed her amazement. As they watched
the swell of brown-and-white Hereford in the distance, he realized every rancher
probably had the same hopes and dreams he did.
    “You see out there?” Jesse pointed to a couple of men on
horseback. “Those are cutting horses. They can anticipate the cattle’s next move
before the rider does. Those dogs are Australian cattle dogs, same as Max. In
fact, Max is one of Blueford’s pups.”
    Together as one, both man and beast danced across the land.
Every step was precise yet graceful. Each horse led its rider through a perilous
maze, where one false move could trigger a lethal stampede in an instant. The
dogs yipped and nipped as they rounded up the stragglers left behind.
    “You trained those horses?” Miranda said, unable to take her
eyes off the group of riders.
    “Sure did. That’s Jitterbug, closest to us. Toughest darn horse
to train, but worth every minute of it. He turned out to be the best one yet,
outside of General Lee.”
    Above all else, Jesse took pride in his work. He wasn’t shy
about showing it, not even to her. As proud as he was, his years at Double
Trouble had ended. It was time to move on. It was a shame, too. Eight horses
remained in the stables and he was in the process of training seven of them. Now
he’ll have to start over in Abilene. Something he didn’t look forward to. Unless
he could convince Miranda to change her mind and sell him the ranch. Deep down,
he knew that wouldn’t happen anytime soon. She dug her nails in deeper and held
on tighter every day.
    They reached the stable area as Blueford stepped down from a
sleek black gelding.