over, and a ranch that was going to get a dusting of snow. How
much more could a girl dream of?
He kissed her passionately and held her on his knee as
they watched the sky slowly darken overhead. When the lights flickered on in
the town down in the valley, Chance released her and they headed indoors to
light the fire and prepare dinner.
CHAPTER
THIRTEEN
By the time Callie and Chance crawled out of bed the
next day the sky was overcast and the air frigid. She hurried through
breakfast, determined to get a round done of the cows paddock before the
weather made it impossible to stay outside any longer. Last thing she wanted
was to lose any calves to the freezing weather. They were far too valuable.
Nothing Chance said could calm her down; she was hell bent on riding the
paddock to make sure the stock was okay.
“Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine. I’m rugged up and
I have the horse and Sherbet with me. I won’t be long, and then we can go and
snuggle in front of the fire again and watch the snow blanket the ground.”
Chance wrapped his arms around her, holding her close.
He didn’t want her to go out in the cold but she was taking her job seriously
and for that he was proud of her. She knew what she was doing. “If you don’t
come back in before lunch, I’m calling Tyson.”
“You won’t have to, I promise. One trip around the
paddock and I’ll be back before you know it.” She kissed him soundly and pulled
away, wiggling her gloved fingers at him before hurrying out the door with her
dog at her heels.
Chance watched her hurry down to the barn and he was
still standing at the window when ten minutes later she rode Sultan out of the
barn and headed down to the cow paddock. He made himself a cup of coffee and
hobbled into the lounge room and threw another couple of logs onto the fire
before turning on the radio to distract him from worrying about her.
An hour passed as he sat and looked into the flames,
all but ignoring the chatter on the local station. Instead Chance was trying to
find the right words to tell his brothers what his plans were. But no matter
how he worded it, it still sounded bad in his mind. He couldn’t figure out how
to tell them he hated his rodeo life and longed for the simple pleasures of
working his own ranch with his wife by his side. They would ask why he’d stayed
on the circuit as long as he had if it wasn’t what he wanted. There was nothing
he could say that would make it sound like he was doing it for himself when he
had been propping them all up with his winnings.
What man would be happy to hear that? Certainly not
his brothers. They all thought they were independent and could stand on their
own two feet. Knowing he had done it to make up for his guilt at leaving them
with their drunken father would cause a rift between the brothers he wasn’t
ready to deal with just yet, if ever.
He glanced at his watch and cursed. Three hours had passed
while he’d been sitting in front of the fire worrying about something he had no
control over. It might be best to just tell his brothers he’d had a change of
heart and was over the high life he’d been leading the last twelve years. If he
was careful, he could be convincing and make them believe him. What other
choice did he have?
Chance got up and put more wood on the fire before
heading into the kitchen to do the breakfast dishes. If Callie wasn’t back by
the time he’d finished, he was calling Tyson. Five long drawn out minutes
later, she still hadn’t shown up. Chance reached for the phone and called his
brother.
“What do you mean, she hasn’t come back? Hell, Chance.
I told you she was wrong for the bloody job. I’ll be right there.” He slammed
the phone down with a curse. Chance looked down toward the barn, all but
impossible to see now the snow was coming down harder. He paced the kitchen
until he saw the lights coming toward the house.
When Tyson opened the truck door, Chance was waiting
for him.
much more could a girl dream of?
He kissed her passionately and held her on his knee as
they watched the sky slowly darken overhead. When the lights flickered on in
the town down in the valley, Chance released her and they headed indoors to
light the fire and prepare dinner.
CHAPTER
THIRTEEN
By the time Callie and Chance crawled out of bed the
next day the sky was overcast and the air frigid. She hurried through
breakfast, determined to get a round done of the cows paddock before the
weather made it impossible to stay outside any longer. Last thing she wanted
was to lose any calves to the freezing weather. They were far too valuable.
Nothing Chance said could calm her down; she was hell bent on riding the
paddock to make sure the stock was okay.
“Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine. I’m rugged up and
I have the horse and Sherbet with me. I won’t be long, and then we can go and
snuggle in front of the fire again and watch the snow blanket the ground.”
Chance wrapped his arms around her, holding her close.
He didn’t want her to go out in the cold but she was taking her job seriously
and for that he was proud of her. She knew what she was doing. “If you don’t
come back in before lunch, I’m calling Tyson.”
“You won’t have to, I promise. One trip around the
paddock and I’ll be back before you know it.” She kissed him soundly and pulled
away, wiggling her gloved fingers at him before hurrying out the door with her
dog at her heels.
Chance watched her hurry down to the barn and he was
still standing at the window when ten minutes later she rode Sultan out of the
barn and headed down to the cow paddock. He made himself a cup of coffee and
hobbled into the lounge room and threw another couple of logs onto the fire
before turning on the radio to distract him from worrying about her.
An hour passed as he sat and looked into the flames,
all but ignoring the chatter on the local station. Instead Chance was trying to
find the right words to tell his brothers what his plans were. But no matter
how he worded it, it still sounded bad in his mind. He couldn’t figure out how
to tell them he hated his rodeo life and longed for the simple pleasures of
working his own ranch with his wife by his side. They would ask why he’d stayed
on the circuit as long as he had if it wasn’t what he wanted. There was nothing
he could say that would make it sound like he was doing it for himself when he
had been propping them all up with his winnings.
What man would be happy to hear that? Certainly not
his brothers. They all thought they were independent and could stand on their
own two feet. Knowing he had done it to make up for his guilt at leaving them
with their drunken father would cause a rift between the brothers he wasn’t
ready to deal with just yet, if ever.
He glanced at his watch and cursed. Three hours had passed
while he’d been sitting in front of the fire worrying about something he had no
control over. It might be best to just tell his brothers he’d had a change of
heart and was over the high life he’d been leading the last twelve years. If he
was careful, he could be convincing and make them believe him. What other
choice did he have?
Chance got up and put more wood on the fire before
heading into the kitchen to do the breakfast dishes. If Callie wasn’t back by
the time he’d finished, he was calling Tyson. Five long drawn out minutes
later, she still hadn’t shown up. Chance reached for the phone and called his
brother.
“What do you mean, she hasn’t come back? Hell, Chance.
I told you she was wrong for the bloody job. I’ll be right there.” He slammed
the phone down with a curse. Chance looked down toward the barn, all but
impossible to see now the snow was coming down harder. He paced the kitchen
until he saw the lights coming toward the house.
When Tyson opened the truck door, Chance was waiting
for him.
Similar Books
