Read Online Love Finds You in Sundance, Wyoming by Miralee Ferrell - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Miralee Ferrell
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much less complicated a few short hours ago.
It wasn’t fitting, a woman wearing a gun on her hip and toting a rifle. She should be wearing a dress and—he stopped, suddenly ashamed, as a memory returned. Travis had been teasing his sister because she was a girl. Mother had told him that, with God’s help, he could be anything he wanted to be, but so could his sister.
He hadn’t understood at the time, but a small patch of light shone into the darkness of his past prejudice. Could a person really become what he desired with God’s help? Did God care about what he did with his life?
Angel whirled around and stared at him, her hand clenched. He took a step back and rubbed his jaw. “I apologize, Miss Ramirez. I didn’t mean to startle you.”
Her chin jutted out. “I wish everyone would quit calling me that. My name is Angel. Is that so difficult?”
Surprise coursed through him, and he raised his hands, palms out. “Hold on there, Miss…er…Angel. No need to get riled.”
Her posture gradually relaxed. “Sorry. It’s been—difficult—the past few hours.”
“Difficult? How?” As soon as the words left his mouth, he wanted to jerk them back. Of course. Coming to a new place, being questioned and stared at.
“It probably doesn’t matter, seeing I won’t be here long. But if everyone would call me by my given name, it would help. I’m not used to such proper talk.”
“Wait.” He stopped her before a torrent of words could bury him. “I understand. Let’s start over. Angel it is.” He strode forward and pointed at the map. “You probably spotted the ranch house.” He touched the lower left quadrant. “Did you come through Sundance?”
She nodded. “I skirted around the town, but yes, that’s the trail I took.”
Travis drew a large circle with his finger. “The ranch encompasses roughly two thousand acres. I homesteaded the first section and purchased land from ranchers wanting out.” He touched three places on the map. “These are the main points where wolf packs have been sighted.”
She kept her gaze fixed on the map.
He lightly touched her arm. “I’ve changed my mind about sending you out today.”
Angel swung toward him. “You’re making me stay here?”
“No. I’m just not sending you alone. I’ll show you some of the landmarks. We can’t cover half of the ranch today, but I can help you get the lay of the land.”
Angel shook her head, and her braid flipped over her shoulder. “No need. I can find my way.”
Travis stifled an irritated remark. “I’m sure you can, but my way will save time.”
She tapped her toe. “I understand how to read a map. I’ve been working the range for years.”
Travis wanted to snap at her stubbornness. “I’m sure you have, but I prefer to take you out the first day.”
She hesitated, clearly torn. “All right. You’re the boss. I’ll meet you in the barn.”
Travis stuffed down his impatience and grabbed his hat off the desk, slapping it on his head. Hopefully he’d made the right decision in hiring this woman. Why he thought he might be tempted to neglect his ranch work with this pretty employee around, he couldn’t imagine. He just prayed he could keep from going loco until he found somebody else.
Angel slung her saddle onto Bella’s back and stuffed her rifle in its sheath. The last thing she wanted was her new boss breathing down her neck. It would’ve been easier maintaining her old role, but she couldn’t deny the feelings of rebellion at the lie she’d lived for so long. People needed to accept her for who she was, not for what they thought she should be.
Travis grasped his horse’s reins. “Ready?”
“Yes.”
They swung into the saddle and rode out of the barn at a hard trot, heading northeast. Neither spoke for the next twenty minutes or so, but Angel didn’t mind. Getting a feel for this country was important— she was thankful Travis wasn’t talkative. Her mind drifted to the cowboy called
It wasn’t fitting, a woman wearing a gun on her hip and toting a rifle. She should be wearing a dress and—he stopped, suddenly ashamed, as a memory returned. Travis had been teasing his sister because she was a girl. Mother had told him that, with God’s help, he could be anything he wanted to be, but so could his sister.
He hadn’t understood at the time, but a small patch of light shone into the darkness of his past prejudice. Could a person really become what he desired with God’s help? Did God care about what he did with his life?
Angel whirled around and stared at him, her hand clenched. He took a step back and rubbed his jaw. “I apologize, Miss Ramirez. I didn’t mean to startle you.”
Her chin jutted out. “I wish everyone would quit calling me that. My name is Angel. Is that so difficult?”
Surprise coursed through him, and he raised his hands, palms out. “Hold on there, Miss…er…Angel. No need to get riled.”
Her posture gradually relaxed. “Sorry. It’s been—difficult—the past few hours.”
“Difficult? How?” As soon as the words left his mouth, he wanted to jerk them back. Of course. Coming to a new place, being questioned and stared at.
“It probably doesn’t matter, seeing I won’t be here long. But if everyone would call me by my given name, it would help. I’m not used to such proper talk.”
“Wait.” He stopped her before a torrent of words could bury him. “I understand. Let’s start over. Angel it is.” He strode forward and pointed at the map. “You probably spotted the ranch house.” He touched the lower left quadrant. “Did you come through Sundance?”
She nodded. “I skirted around the town, but yes, that’s the trail I took.”
Travis drew a large circle with his finger. “The ranch encompasses roughly two thousand acres. I homesteaded the first section and purchased land from ranchers wanting out.” He touched three places on the map. “These are the main points where wolf packs have been sighted.”
She kept her gaze fixed on the map.
He lightly touched her arm. “I’ve changed my mind about sending you out today.”
Angel swung toward him. “You’re making me stay here?”
“No. I’m just not sending you alone. I’ll show you some of the landmarks. We can’t cover half of the ranch today, but I can help you get the lay of the land.”
Angel shook her head, and her braid flipped over her shoulder. “No need. I can find my way.”
Travis stifled an irritated remark. “I’m sure you can, but my way will save time.”
She tapped her toe. “I understand how to read a map. I’ve been working the range for years.”
Travis wanted to snap at her stubbornness. “I’m sure you have, but I prefer to take you out the first day.”
She hesitated, clearly torn. “All right. You’re the boss. I’ll meet you in the barn.”
Travis stuffed down his impatience and grabbed his hat off the desk, slapping it on his head. Hopefully he’d made the right decision in hiring this woman. Why he thought he might be tempted to neglect his ranch work with this pretty employee around, he couldn’t imagine. He just prayed he could keep from going loco until he found somebody else.
Angel slung her saddle onto Bella’s back and stuffed her rifle in its sheath. The last thing she wanted was her new boss breathing down her neck. It would’ve been easier maintaining her old role, but she couldn’t deny the feelings of rebellion at the lie she’d lived for so long. People needed to accept her for who she was, not for what they thought she should be.
Travis grasped his horse’s reins. “Ready?”
“Yes.”
They swung into the saddle and rode out of the barn at a hard trot, heading northeast. Neither spoke for the next twenty minutes or so, but Angel didn’t mind. Getting a feel for this country was important— she was thankful Travis wasn’t talkative. Her mind drifted to the cowboy called
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