[Snowy Owl Ranchers 01] - His Ranch or Hers by Roz Denny Fox

Author:Roz Denny Fox [Fox, Roz Denny]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2015-02-01T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

Morning brought gray cloudy skies and blustery north winds.

“Do you think it’s going to snow?” Zeke asked Myra. He stood at the kitchen window eating his toast.

“I hope not.” She peered over his shoulder. “The fields are dry. If we have to bale wet alfalfa, it’ll mold before we need it as feed over the winter. Every rancher in the area will be rushing to finish. Our next few days will be busy running from ranch to ranch.”

They tidied up, dressed warmly and went to the barn. Myra drove the combine. Zeke rode shotgun. Talk was limited until Myra noticed Zeke’s new jacket.

“I’m glad I bought it,” he said. “The wool lining blocks this wind.”

Their conversation ended. Myra didn’t know what she had expected. After the way they’d parted the previous night, she’d been prepared for some discussion of their relationship. Obviously it weighed heavier on her mind than on his. And she should be the one paying attention to duty. It did still grate on her, how yesterday he’d called her bossy after asking for her expertise and opinions. Then he’d kissed her, of all things.

They lumbered up to the field. Myra stopped the combine and explained to Zeke how they cut swaths up and down the long direction.

“Seems easy enough. Show me how to operate this machine,” he said.

She did and it surprised her how quickly he caught on. For the first time since he’d set foot on the ranch, Myra felt as if she wasn’t needed. She sat in the jump seat doing nothing as he cut two perfectly straight rows. “It’s noticeably colder up here,” she said, raising her voice to be heard above the noise of the combine engine.

Zeke made another turn. “I can handle this if you have something else that needs doing.”

Myra stiffened, feeling dismissed. But that was foolish. “Let me off. I’ll go saddle Cayenne and ride out to bring down the rest of the herd.”

“Can you do that alone?”

“Of course.”

Taking her at her word, he stopped and helped her down. “If you haven’t returned by the time I finish, do I drive to the barn?”

“Do you have your phone?” At his nod, she said, “Program in Dave’s number. He’ll come over or send someone to pick up the combine. Later, we go help Hank.”

Myra thought he’d have more questions, but he added the number she gave him and pocketed his phone again.

A brisk ride up to the herd in an even brisker wind cooled her ire and brought clarity to her situation. She’d been running on the false hope that Zeke Maxwell would fail and she’d reclaim the Flying Owl. While he had walked away from one dirty job, he could easily hire these kinds of things in the future. Calving and branding were chores even she brought in help for. And Zeke had a military pension. A one-man operation didn’t require as much funding to stay solvent. That was the truth of it.

Tears leaked from her eyes as she chose a cow to tie a cowbell on so the herd would follow.

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