Read Online Love Finds You in Sundance, Wyoming by Miralee Ferrell - Free Book Online
Authors: Miralee Ferrell
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fight?”
Travis wagged his head and sighed. “The next cowpoke who opens his mouth when he shouldn’t stays here and builds the new branding pen.”
Immediate silence fell, and all heads bent over their meal. Forks scraped across plates in the still room. Travis grunted with satisfaction and hazarded a look at his sister. Poor Libby. The past few months had been hard on her. She’d come from a genteel background and married a man who’d treated her like fine china. Had it not been for their mother insisting Libby learn to cook and clean while growing up, she’d be helpless. It hadn’t been easy on her, moving so far from society. He needed to pray for his sister instead of allowing himself to get irritated.
A motion on his left pulled him that direction. Angel Ramirez carefully folded her napkin and placed it beside her plate. “I’d like to get to work now, if you don’t mind?”
Her quiet voice surprised him. Why had he thought her rough and uncouth last night? She’d begged off having the evening meal with them, saying she wasn’t hungry and needed to sleep. This was the first time he’d seen her up close with her hair braided and face scrubbed. Her sun-kissed skin was the color of a golden panther, and her dark eyes smoldered with an emotion he couldn’t quite peg.
Trouble. Beautiful trouble, but nevertheless, still trouble. He’d better ride herd on his men for the next few days, or they’d stampede after this girl like wild buffalo in the middle of a lightning storm. He tossed his napkin on top of his plate, his appetite gone. “Sure thing. Come to my office, and I’ll show you on the map where we’ve sighted the wolf packs over the past few weeks.” He turned toward the kitchen again. “Smokey?”
The cook stepped back into view. “Yeah, Boss?”
“Pack a lunch for Miss Ramirez. She’ll be out all day.”
“Sure thing.” The man grinned, exposing a gold tooth. “I’ll whip you up something special for your first day, Miss.”
Angel pushed back her chair and stood. “A couple of biscuits and a slice of leftover beef will do. I’ll get my rifle and meet you in your office.”
Travis nodded. “On the far side of the living room there’s a door. The window in my office looks out over the barn and corrals.”
A hush fell over the room.
A low whistle came from somewhere down the table and Travis turned his head, staring at each of his men in turn. Not one sheepish look graced the countenance of a single cowboy, but admiration appeared in nearly every set of eyes. Including James’s. He might have more trouble than he’d bargained for.
He shoved his chair back and launched to his feet. “All right, you big-eyed calves. Get to work or find a new job.”
All four men jumped to their feet and bolted for the door, barely looking back with a mumbled “ma’am” toward Libby. Of the cowboys, only his manager, Nate, remained, and he shook his head, not meeting Travis’s gaze.
Travis glared at his foreman. “They’re your responsibility today. I’m riding out with Miss Ramirez to show her some of the landmarks. Keep those boys close to the ranch, even if you put them to building fence. One of them shows up dogging our new hand, and he’s done.
Got it?”
Nate bit his lip and turned his head away, but from where Travis stood, he appeared to be struggling to hold back a smile. “Got it, Boss. Have yourself a good ride.” The man walked quickly out of the room, but Travis could swear he heard a chuckle drift back.
Chapter Seven
Travis pushed open the door of his office and stepped inside. Angel stood with her back to him, gazing at the large wall map of the ranch and surrounding area. Her long black braid hung between her shoulder blades, and she must have stopped by her room, as her gun sat snug in its holster. He clenched his teeth, feeling as though a Texas tornado had slammed into his ranch and uprooted everything he held dear. Life hadn’t been perfect, but it had been
Travis wagged his head and sighed. “The next cowpoke who opens his mouth when he shouldn’t stays here and builds the new branding pen.”
Immediate silence fell, and all heads bent over their meal. Forks scraped across plates in the still room. Travis grunted with satisfaction and hazarded a look at his sister. Poor Libby. The past few months had been hard on her. She’d come from a genteel background and married a man who’d treated her like fine china. Had it not been for their mother insisting Libby learn to cook and clean while growing up, she’d be helpless. It hadn’t been easy on her, moving so far from society. He needed to pray for his sister instead of allowing himself to get irritated.
A motion on his left pulled him that direction. Angel Ramirez carefully folded her napkin and placed it beside her plate. “I’d like to get to work now, if you don’t mind?”
Her quiet voice surprised him. Why had he thought her rough and uncouth last night? She’d begged off having the evening meal with them, saying she wasn’t hungry and needed to sleep. This was the first time he’d seen her up close with her hair braided and face scrubbed. Her sun-kissed skin was the color of a golden panther, and her dark eyes smoldered with an emotion he couldn’t quite peg.
Trouble. Beautiful trouble, but nevertheless, still trouble. He’d better ride herd on his men for the next few days, or they’d stampede after this girl like wild buffalo in the middle of a lightning storm. He tossed his napkin on top of his plate, his appetite gone. “Sure thing. Come to my office, and I’ll show you on the map where we’ve sighted the wolf packs over the past few weeks.” He turned toward the kitchen again. “Smokey?”
The cook stepped back into view. “Yeah, Boss?”
“Pack a lunch for Miss Ramirez. She’ll be out all day.”
“Sure thing.” The man grinned, exposing a gold tooth. “I’ll whip you up something special for your first day, Miss.”
Angel pushed back her chair and stood. “A couple of biscuits and a slice of leftover beef will do. I’ll get my rifle and meet you in your office.”
Travis nodded. “On the far side of the living room there’s a door. The window in my office looks out over the barn and corrals.”
A hush fell over the room.
A low whistle came from somewhere down the table and Travis turned his head, staring at each of his men in turn. Not one sheepish look graced the countenance of a single cowboy, but admiration appeared in nearly every set of eyes. Including James’s. He might have more trouble than he’d bargained for.
He shoved his chair back and launched to his feet. “All right, you big-eyed calves. Get to work or find a new job.”
All four men jumped to their feet and bolted for the door, barely looking back with a mumbled “ma’am” toward Libby. Of the cowboys, only his manager, Nate, remained, and he shook his head, not meeting Travis’s gaze.
Travis glared at his foreman. “They’re your responsibility today. I’m riding out with Miss Ramirez to show her some of the landmarks. Keep those boys close to the ranch, even if you put them to building fence. One of them shows up dogging our new hand, and he’s done.
Got it?”
Nate bit his lip and turned his head away, but from where Travis stood, he appeared to be struggling to hold back a smile. “Got it, Boss. Have yourself a good ride.” The man walked quickly out of the room, but Travis could swear he heard a chuckle drift back.
Chapter Seven
Travis pushed open the door of his office and stepped inside. Angel stood with her back to him, gazing at the large wall map of the ranch and surrounding area. Her long black braid hung between her shoulder blades, and she must have stopped by her room, as her gun sat snug in its holster. He clenched his teeth, feeling as though a Texas tornado had slammed into his ranch and uprooted everything he held dear. Life hadn’t been perfect, but it had been
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