THE COWGIRL OUTSHOT EVERY MAN AT THE FALL CONTEST — THE COWBOY WATCHING FELL FOR HER ON THE SPOT
Chapter 4
The next morning, Cole arrived before sunrise.
Emma found him in the barn carrying feed.
“You said tomorrow.”
“It is tomorrow.”
“It’s six in the morning.”
“Technically.”
She shook her head.
“You don’t know when to stop.”
“No.”
He smiled.
She tried not to smile back.
They spent the morning checking the cattle.
Cole immediately noticed something wrong.
“How long have they been losing weight?”
Emma looked at him.
“A few weeks.”
“What are you feeding them?”
She explained.
He crouched beside a feed bin.
“Your supplier changed the formula.”
“How do you know?”
“I’ve bought from them for years.”
He opened the bag.
“This isn’t what they sold your father.”
Emma stared.
“Could that be why?”
“Partly.”
He looked toward the pasture.
“Your soil is depleted too.”
She frowned.
“How do you know that?”
“Because your grass is yellow.”
Emma crossed her arms.
“You really do notice everything.”
“Occupational hazard.”
She sighed.
“I don’t have money for better feed.”
Cole looked at her.
“Then we find another solution.”
They spent the day researching.
By sunset, Cole had contacted a local feed cooperative.
They arranged a temporary discount.
Emma was grateful.
But she refused to let him pay.
“You don’t owe me anything,” he said.
“I know.”
“Then why won’t you let me?”
“Because I want to know I saved this ranch.”
He looked at her.
“You will.”
That evening, a storm rolled across the county.
The temperature dropped.
Rain turned into sleet.
The cattle became restless.
Emma and Cole worked through the night securing the barn.
At midnight, one of the younger calves broke through a gate.
Emma chased it into the pasture.
“Emma!”
She slipped.
Cole caught her before she hit the ground.
For a moment, they stood inches apart.
Rain soaked both of them.
“You okay?”
She nodded.
“Yes.”
His hands remained around her waist.
Neither moved.
Then Emma whispered:
“You should let go.”
“Right.”
He stepped back.
She smiled.
“Thank you.”
“For catching you?”
“For everything.”
He looked at her.
“Anytime.”
The storm lasted until morning.
When the sun finally appeared, the ranch had survived.
But something else had changed.
Emma no longer felt alone.
Weeks passed.
Cole became a regular presence.
He helped with cattle.
He repaired machinery.
He taught Emma how to negotiate better feed contracts.
She taught him how to cook biscuits.
He failed.
Spectacularly.
“These are rocks,” Emma said.
“They’re biscuits.”
“They’re weapons.”
He laughed.
One afternoon, they rode horses together along the western fence.
Emma’s mare moved calmly beside Cole’s gelding.
“You know,” Cole said, “you’re different when you’re riding.”
“How?”
“Less guarded.”
Emma looked at him.
“Maybe horses are easier than people.”
“Why?”
“They don’t pretend.”
Cole nodded.
“People do.”
“All the time.”
He looked at her.
“Do you think I pretend?”
Emma was quiet.
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because you say exactly what you think.”
He laughed.
“That’s not always a compliment.”
“No.”
They reached a hill overlooking the ranch.
Emma stopped.
Below them, the land stretched toward the horizon.
“My father loved this view.”
Cole looked at her.
“Do you?”
“I do.”
“Then you’ll keep it.”
She smiled.
“I hope so.”
Cole reached into his saddlebag.
He pulled out a folded document.
“What’s that?”
“A proposal.”
Her eyes widened.
“Already?”
He laughed.
“Not that kind.”
She opened it.
It was a plan for restructuring her ranch’s debt.
He had worked on it for days.
“You did this?”
“With a financial advisor.”
“Why?”
“Because I want you to stay here.”
Emma looked at him.
“Why?”
He hesitated.
Then said quietly:
“Because I want to see what this place looks like when you save it.”
Her heart skipped.
She looked down at the document.
But before she could answer, a truck appeared on the distant road.
Voss.
And beside him were two men from the bank.
Emma’s smile disappeared.
The fight for her ranch had just begun.
