Читать книгу Rocky Mountain Hero - Audra Harders - Страница 11

“Jason,” Melanie yelled, as she caught her son by his shirt collar. “Stay back!”

“Mom! He’s going to rip down the fence!”

As Jason struggled toward the cattle pens he obviously wasn’t listening to the danger in his own words. The way the fence panels rattled, she didn’t doubt the whole thing might come down. “Jason, let them handle it. Stay out of the way.”

Even as she cautioned him, she and Jason followed the crowd. Melanie scooped up the edges of the blanket wrapped around her and stumbled along, clenching her jaw each time she stepped on a rock with her bare feet.

She held Jason back a good distance from the pens, not wanting him to get in the way. Gabe stood on the third rail, his hat in his hand as he waved the bull away. The animal shook his head and swung around. White hide and black eyes flashed as the massive body connected with the panel again. Melanie stood in shock, sensing the waves of anger rolling off the animal.

Another slam into the panel, and Gabe lost his foothold. Melanie tasted bile as she watched him hook his arm over the top rail and regain his hold. The bull bounced against the rails. Gabe yelled and waved his hat much like the other cowboys positioned around the pen.

Metal clanked against metal. The bull bellowed, his sights set on the open gate into another chute. The bull bucked across the pen, snorted and trotted out. Corral panels locked together and voices rose above the clamor of the disgruntled bovine.

Gabe hopped to the ground and cradled his bruised arm. Melanie searched for further danger before approaching the injured cowboy. An uncomfortable mixture of awe and fear churned in her belly. This was not the kind of place she and Jason needed to spend time. As soon as her truck got pulled up to the road, they’d be on their way. Didn’t matter if she had to drive to Montrose with a dented fender.

They needed to get out of here.

“Are you okay? That bull didn’t look happy.”

He stood shaking his injured arm, his chest rising and falling in a rapid beat. “Nothing worse than a cranky animal having a bad day. I can’t always vouch for the dispositions of the stock my brother sends home.”

This was a gift? Melanie peeked through the rails at the bull standing quietly in the back pen, swishing his tail as if nothing was wrong. “So, what does your brother have against you?”

Gabe stared at her a moment. A grin tugged at his lips. “This isn’t a bull for me. It’s for the auction we’re having.” Gabe looked over his shoulder. “All the stock you see in the pens here is up for auction.”

“You’re going to let some poor unsuspecting person bid on that killer?” Her mouth fell open. “That’s worse.”

“A bull is a bull. It’s the nature of the beast.” His brows drew together, sharpening his dark gaze. “No one is going to buy a killer. The auction discloses the history of every animal.”

Her heart slowed and she regained a small measure of composure. This was none of her business. What did she know about working ranches? Nothing. And she planned to keep it that way without offending her rescuer any further.

She offered a weak smile. “Good luck with that.”

His brow raised, and in the back of her mind Melanie didn’t think he’d formed a complimentary opinion of her.

“Wow.” Jason scooted around the side panel, his mouth open and eyes wide. “Are all your cows like that?”

“That would be a bull, Bud. He’d get mighty ornery if he hears you calling him a girl. Some of the rodeo stock my brother sends me have a bit of attitude.”

Jason planted his foot on the bottom rail of the panel and stared at the empty pen with wonder. “That’s a real bucking bull?”

“He was.” Gabe bent down and picked up his muddied, battered hat, slapped it against his leg and settled it on his head. He gripped the top rail and rattled the pen with force. Jason snapped around.

“Don’t ever underestimate an animal, Bud. They’ll throw you for a loop quicker than you’ll know what hit you. Do me a favor? Don’t go near this bull or any of the livestock alone. Stick with Fletcher, okay?” He stuck out his boot and swatted dust and mud from his jeans. “If you want to see any of the animals, ask me or Hank to go with you.”

“Sure, Mr. Davidson.”

Gabe hunkered down to eye level. Melanie took a step closer, her senses on high alert. If this cowboy wanted to chew someone out for ignorance, he’d better deal with her.

“Hey, Bud.” Gabe softened his tone. “Around livestock, things can happen pretty fast, and we don’t take much time with formality here. I know your mother has taught you right, but just think, if you’d seen that bull charging me, which would get my attention faster—‘Mis-ter Da-vid-son,’” he enunciated, “or ‘Gabe!’?”

“Gabe?” Jason questioned in a small voice and turned to look at her.

She caught Gabe’s earnest gaze and released her breath. She nodded at Jason. He turned back to the cowboy.

Jason cleared his throat. “Gabe.”

Gabe pretended to evaluate. “One more time with feeling.”

Jason took a deep breath. “Gabe!”

The cowboy grinned and patted Jason on the back. “That’ll get my attention every time. Gotta keep the name short and sweet.”

“Like you call me Bud?”

“That’s right.”

Jason thought a moment, and then peered up at him again. “What will you call my mom?”

Every drop of spit dried in her mouth. Melanie swallowed hard at the thought of anyone getting hurt, including the commanding cowboy. She dropped the edge of her blanket.

“Bud, I call your Mom ‘Smart enough to stay away from danger.’”

“Enough talking.” Grace approached, her arms crossed over her chest. “Let the girl get cleaned up. She’s beginning to look like a mummy.”

Jason giggled.

“I was just getting to that.” Gabe shook his head. “Can’t get everything done at once.”

“Maybe not.” An older man dressed in jeans and green cotton work shirt came up to stand with them. “But we gotta do the important things first.” He held out his hand. “Martin Davidson. Nice to meet you.” He nodded at Gabe. “Gotta keep the young’uns in line.”

Color rushed up Gabe’s neck at his dad’s assessment, and he didn’t look quite as menacing anymore. Melanie grinned. She liked Martin already. “I agree. The young’uns get in trouble all the time.”

Gabe narrowed his eyes and then winked at her. “Dad, that young one by your side is Jason.”

Her toes beneath the blanket curled tighter.

Martin stuck his hand out to Jason. “What do you know, young man?”

“Lots of stuff.”

Grace laughed. “Oh yeah? Well how about you help Mr. Martin with that gate over there while your mom cleans up?”

“Mom?” Jason glanced up at her. “Can I?”

Her stomach churned again at the thought of Jason running around unattended. “Maybe you should stick with me, honey.”

“If it makes you feel better, I’ll keep a close eye on him while we go check that pasture fence.” Martin nudged Jason. “You ever string wire?”

Jason’s eye grew wide. “No, sir.”

“Well, how can a young man leave Hawk Ridge without stringing wire?” Martin peeked over at her. “We’ll be real careful.”

She’d make this a very quick shower. “Listen carefully to Mr. Martin, okay, Jason?”

“Thanks, Mom.” Jason fell in line with Martin, and the two of them headed to a field away from the pens.

“C’mon, darlin’. Let’s get you cleaned up before you catch a cold.” Grace tugged on Melanie’s blanket.

Melanie looked at the sprawling log ranch house and fell in step. “I appreciate the offer, but my clothes are still in the truck.”

Grace shook her head. “Not to worry. We always have extras.” She threw a glance over her shoulder. “Gabriel. A little soap and water might do you good, too.”

Melanie snuck a peek at the well-built cowboy who’d just battled an angry bull. He stood and squinted into the sun as if wrestling with a decision. Apparently resigned, he tipped his hat back with one finger and headed down a path into the pines.

Melanie grinned as she turned back to Grace. Not hard to tell who ran the show around the Circle D.

Hair still wet from his shower, Gabe propped one leg along the top of his desk as he read the repair receipt Manny had handed him. Replacement parts for the old truck were pricier than he thought. The cost wasn’t the only problem they had on their hands.

A noisy bark in the yard announced his time of grace ended. Father, give me words to comfort the blow of this painfully expensive situation. Gabe sensed Melanie carried a load of pride along with her penchant for responsibility.

She swept into his office on a whirlwind of dog, laughter and sunshine. “I called and rescheduled the interview. Glad they’re flexible.”

Oh, she has a beautiful smile. Not that he had time to daydream about Melanie Hunter, but he had noticed a couple things about her. Especially dressed in his old flannel shirt and jeans. Even back when he could fit into that size, they’d never looked that good on him.

The familiar scent of soap and shampoo filled the air as she tucked her hair behind her ear, the sunny blond strands just sweeping her shoulders. She smelled good, looked good and felt good. Gabe stood and slapped his thigh to call Fletcher. Tongue lolling out the side of his mouth, Fletch trotted over to him and heeled.

“Glad he’s trained so well.” Melanie caught her breath. “He’d be a handful if he didn’t listen.”

“Don’t let him fool you. Fletcher has his own agenda most of the time.”

Her laughter faded to a smile as she looked around his office. “Nice place you have here.”

Stacks of paperwork were piled around his desk and heaped onto the floor. Magazines and periodicals flowed over his filing cabinet. A cup of coffee gathered dust on the side table. Gabe winced. “Someday I’ll unearth my desk.”

“Never know what you’ll find.” She tapped a stack with her finger. “Looks like filing isn’t a priority, is it?”

“You may not believe this, but I know where to find all the important stuff.”

She wrinkled her nose. “You’re kidding, right?”

“I think better when all my work is in front of me.”

“Looks like you’re shaping a trail to the barn.”

Her even white teeth matched the sparkle in her eyes. His balance faltered when he realized she smiled at him. Gabe grabbed the folder from the nearest stack and indicated the chairs in front of his desk. “Here, have a seat. I have some news for you.”

Melanie shot him a wary glance and stood her ground. “Good news or bad? Doesn’t matter. I think I’ll take my news standing up.”

“I have some of both for you. The good news is that Manny can fix your truck as soon as the parts get here.”

“That’s great!” She hurried toward the door, her cheeks flushed with excitement. “Sorry to bother you, but maybe you can give us a lift into town where we can rent a truck for a few days?”

“I can take you anywhere you want to go. But wait, there’s a bad side to this news, too.”

She stopped and turned. Her round eyes narrowed and her slender frame stiffened as if awaiting a blow.

Gabe drew a breath. “Older trucks like yours are easy to putter with, very few complicated electronic parts to get in the way. The problem you have is the major component you need won’t get here for at least two weeks.” He handed her the page of internet research on parts and ship times.

“Two weeks?” Her voice remained steady as she scanned the page.

Gabe glanced at the remaining paperwork in his hand and winced. “There’s more.” He handed her the parts estimate.

She sucked in a breath and snapped her gaze up to meet his. “Is this a joke?”

His stomach pitched against tense, tired muscles. “No joke. Your truck may be simple to repair, but the parts aren’t mass-produced any longer. The common parts will be interchangeable, but something as large as a radiator, well…” he trailed, praying for the right words. “Let’s just say it took a bit of searching to find a used one for your make and model that inexpensive. Insurance?”

Melanie eased into the nearby chair and set her elbows on his desk. “Liability. I can cover the other guy, not myself.”

His standard offer to pray with her and ask for the Father’s help was on the tip of his tongue, but for some reason, he hesitated. He leaned against the edge of his desk. She’d never indicated how strong her faith was, or even if she had faith at all. Trust in the Almighty remained Gabe’s answer, even if it meant holding his words at the moment. Okay, Lord, so what do I do?

“I’ve waited so long for a job like this to come up.” Her voice almost a whisper as she compared the two pieces of paper. “Now, even if I get it, I won’t be able to pay this and move.” Eyelids closed, she tipped her head back. “I guess I’ll cash in my vacation time and just go back to work.” She sat up straight and blinked. “I have to tell Jason.”

Her agony twisted his gut. “How much time did you have?”

“Three weeks. Three long, glorious weeks.”

Gabe glanced at his calendar. Just enough time. “I might be able to help you.”

She looked up. Any spark of light in her eyes, gone.

It was a long shot, but he’d never know until he asked. “Look around this office. I haven’t a dream of catching up any time soon.”

She looked around. “Looks more like a nightmare to me.”

He shook his head. “Seasonal deadlines. Stock reports, financials, the like…and I have this barbecue planned for the Fourth of July.”

Her brows drew close as if trying to make sense of his rambling.

“It’s just a simple barbecue picnic to go along with the auction.” He rushed on before she refused. “Plan for about a hundred families. You’ll have help from the local ladies with food. They’ve been this route before—you just need to be the one in charge.” He held his breath as he eyed her frozen features, worried she might explode any moment. “Don’t worry about the auction. I’ll take care of that.”

Seconds passed before her clenched jaw relaxed. She tilted her chin and squinted up at him. “You want me to plan a party?”

Gabe leaned across the desk and slipped the two-page estimate from her fingertips. He scanned the amount again before turning the printed sheets toward her. It was worth it to him if it was worth it to her. “If you help me out with this barbecue, I’ll pay for the repairs, provide a place for you to stay, and cover any costs of changing your plans.”

Melanie reclaimed the sheets from him and stared at the pages. Gabe shot bullets of prayer toward heaven on behalf of her decision. She pressed her lips together and leveled a cold, clear glare in his direction. “I don’t really have a choice, do I?”

Nothing could have knocked the air out of him faster than the tone of her accusation. Gabe looked out the window at a tractor idling beside the loading chute. No, he hadn’t given her any choices. In his haste to solve his own problem, he’d never considered the importance of her plans. “Yes, you have a choice.”

She raised a brow.

“I’ll loan you a ranch truck free of charge. Use it as long as you need. Return the truck when your pickup is fixed.”

He pulled out his chair, careful not to topple the pile of statements for Zac. Sinking into his seat, Gabe mentally organized his priorities for the day. He’d hoped to have an early evening tonight, obviously—

“Why would you offer the use of your truck? You don’t even know me.”

Suspicion, distrust, anger warred across her face. All thoughts of his personal convenience evaporated as his irritation piqued. “What do I need to know? You need transportation, don’t you?”

She wrinkled her nose at him, reminding him of Jason when Fletcher wouldn’t release the ball. Guess he knew where the boy got his intense concentration.

Melanie stood. Her blond hair brushed her shoulder blades as she crossed to the open doorway. Gabe caught his breath when she stopped and turned toward him, the yellow flecks in her brilliant blue eyes danced in anger.

“I’ll be back.” She glared a moment longer and then pushed away from the doorjamb.

Gabe blew out his breath and watched her stalk across his yard. Famous last words, but really, could he blame her?