A Cowboy to Rely On by Jill Kemerer

Author:Jill Kemerer
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2021-10-15T12:43:59+00:00

* * *

The first of April arrived with a vengeance. This entire day had felt like one bad April Fools’ joke.

Jet ducked his chin firmly into his chest as cold rain pelted him on his way to the barn that evening. Last night he’d taken the midnight shift, riding around the pasture on the UTV, not seeing any signs of cows delivering calves. Then he’d gotten a call at three in the morning from Mateo that one of the pregnant cows was in labor but something didn’t seem right. So he’d driven out there and spent what felt like forever waiting for the first-time mama to have the calf.

He’d had to drive the calf to the shed, put it in a warming box and then bring it back to her. It had taken some coaxing before it would nurse. Thankfully, they both seemed to be doing okay.

But he’d only gotten an hour’s nap, and since then, there’d been a birthing bonanza. Had every cow on the ranch decided today was the day to have her baby?

A colder, more miserable day, they couldn’t have picked.

All he wanted was a hot shower, a warm meal and his bed. In that order.

Well, not quite. He wanted to listen to Holly’s chatter while he ate. He’d been so tired yesterday, he’d almost fallen asleep while she told him about the labels she’d designed for Reagan’s new scents. He’d been interested, too. Usually, he didn’t get all that excited about the candle business, but hearing her describe it made it alluring.

She probably thought he was a jerk or that she was boring him. Nothing could be further from the truth.

He was simply tired.

He opened the barn door and strode to the office as he shook the rain from his hat. After scanning the spreadsheet he kept on all the cows, he scrawled a list of tags for Mateo to check that night. Was he forgetting any of them? He didn’t know, and he was too exhausted to care.

A light in the stables behind the barn caught his attention. His part-timer, Colin, mucked stalls. Jet checked his watch. After six thirty. He usually let Colin off duty at six, but unfortunately, calving meant more work for everyone.

“Why don’t you go ahead and take off.” He met the skinny kid’s eyes. Colin was graduating from high school soon. Worked hard. Never complained.

“Okay. Should I come early tomorrow?”

Jet tried to think of what was happening tomorrow. What day was it, anyhow?

“Last Saturday you told me to wait until noon.”

Oh, it was Friday. Right. “Noon will be fine. I hope you’re hanging out with friends tonight.”

The kid blushed as he propped the pitchfork against the stall. “Yeah. Gigi Hollis is having people over.”

“Gigi, huh?” Jet knew the family, but not well.

“Everyone’s going. She and Aiden Cox broke up this week. She told me I should come over tonight.” He blinked, frowned and then shrugged. “I’ve got nothing else to do.”

“You like her?”

His face grew brick-red. “Yeah, she’s cool.”

Jet wouldn’t torment the kid.

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