He laughs and shakes his head as he walks back toward the herd, muttering, “My wife, ladies and gentlemen.”
I’m still standing by the gate like Carter told me, with my arms crossed, my rhinestone boots gleaming in the dust. Easy, right? Just stand here, wave my arms, keep the cows from running off.
Wrong.
One of the cows, a fucking big one, with broad shoulders and dead eyes, begins lumbering toward me.
My stomach drops.
“Carter!” I shriek, flailing immediately. “He’s coming for me! He knows I’m weak!”
From across the pen, Carter tips his hat back and stares, unimpressed. “Darlin’, that’s a heifer. She’s just walkin’.”
“Just walking? Toward me? That’s murder in cow language!” I wave my arms wildly, shrieking louder when the cow blinks at me and keeps going. “Back! Get back!”
The heifer pauses, looks at me like she’s over it, then turns away.
I sag against the gate, panting. “Oh my God. I just survived a near-death experience.”
Carter’s laughter rolls low across the field, his shoulders shaking as he shakes his head. “You’re somethin’ else, Catalina.”
Another cow tries to break for the side, and I gasp, throwing myself dramatically in its path, arms flailing. “Not today, Satan!”
The cow veers off, annoyed, and Carter whistles to the dogs, who swoop in and cut it off properly.
“Darlin’,” Carter calls, laughter still in his voice, “you don’t gotta throw yourself in front of ’em.”
“Yes, I do,” I huff, brushing dust off my shorts. “This is life or death. I’m basically a hero right now. You’re welcome.”
He rides closer, sliding off his horse, that damn grin tugging at his mouth. “Hero, huh?”
“Yep.” I stand taller. “I saved your cattle. Without me, this whole operation would’ve collapsed.”
He steps straight into my space, smelling of leather, sweat, and sunshine, his blue eyes burning with amusement. “You’re lucky I love you,” he mutters, pulling me into a kiss before I can argue.
My heart flips, my grin smug. “No, you’re lucky I love you.”
Another cow drifts too far from the herd, and instead of calmly waving like he told me, I take off after it in my rhinestone boots, across a pasture.
“Catalina!”
“I’ve got it!” I holler back, sprinting. Dust flies everywhere, my bow threatens to fall out of my hair, and the cow? Yeah, she doesn’t even speed up. She glances back like,really, this girl?
“Hyah!” I yell, clapping my hands on her butt. “Move!”
The cow flicks her tail and lumbers back toward the others, mostly because she feels like it, not because of me. I stop, panting, hands on my knees. “See? Natural cow whisperer.”
Carter rides up on his horse, glaring down at me. “Darlin’, you just chased her in a circle.”
I straighten, brushing my hair out of my face. “Circle or not, she went where I wanted. That’s called ranching.”
His jaw flexes, like he’s trying not to laugh. “You’re gonna drive me insane.”
Before I can retort, another one tries to slip past the dogs. I shriek and wave my arms, but it's too late, and it bolts. Carter whistles, the dogs dart, and in two seconds flat, the cow is back in line.
I glare at the dogs. “Okay, rude. I had it under control.”
“They did the job you were supposed to be doin’,” Carter says, deadpan.
