Page 28 of Roping Her In

“You are handsome and smart and talented. You use those brains God gave you, and take care of yourself.”

“Yes, Momma,” he said dutifully.

“They’re just cows, Jake.”

He nodded, because he’d heard her tell his father that same thing many times growing up.

“Love you, Momma,” he said. “Love you, Daddy.”

They chorused back the “I love yous,” and Jake followed Carson out the front door to his brother’s truck.

He’d barely gotten in the passenger seat before his phone started going wild, the same bleepity-blooping sound happening over and over.

“Who is that?” Carson asked, and Jake instinctively turned his phone away from his brother, because that sound belonged to Hailey.

“Shoot,” he muttered. “I just forgot to text into the ranch and tell them what the doctor said.”

That was partially true, and Jake didn’t feel too bad for the little white lie. After all, Hailey was out at the ranch, and she was probably eating lunch with Libby and her family, or Pete and Chelsea, and they’d all want to know how he was doing.

It’s been hours, Jake, and you promised you’d tell me what the doctors said.

Jake wished he could see her face and hear her voice. Then he’d know if she was irritated with him or worried about him.

Maybe it’s both, he thought, and he let his fingers fly as he told her everything. After all, despite almost losing a cow and a calf and getting injured, last night had been one of the best of his life. He could still feel her fingers wrapped in his, and Jake desperately needed to find a way to tell her how he really felt.

Perhaps if he prayed hard enough, God would soften Hailey’s heart, and they could have a chance at something real, where she came to his rescue because she liked him and not because she wanted veterinary experience.

12

Hailey made the drive to Three Rivers Ranch for the second time in one day, a pan of her mother’s famous chicken enchiladas riding shotgun.

Jake had a sprained wrist and a sore elbow and a couple of bruised ribs, but nothing else too major. Still, when Hailey had texted her daddy to find out what he’d rubbed onto his ribs when he’d hurt them several years ago, the situation had turned into A Whole Thing.

Momma had met her at Feline Friends with the food and a care package that included a heating pad for Jake’s ribs, as well as the muscle relief ointment Daddy swore by.

Hailey actually didn’t mind the drive, as she kept the radio low and let her mind sift through what it needed to. She’d attended a full week of classes now. Two of them would be hands-on practicum courses, where she’d have very little homework outside of class. The other one required quite a bit of reading, but Hailey had learned how to make her phone play text, so she could listen to it whenever she drove.

It made her commute to and from Amarillo, and now to and from the ranch, more productive, and she liked that. Today, though, she just listened to the classic country she liked and prayed Jake would be feeling well—and be in a good mood—when she arrived.

She’d texted him a couple of hours ago when it had become apparent that Momma wasn’t going to give up on the idea of Hailey taking him dinner. She’d tried to put her off over and over, citing that she wouldn’t be at the ranch until Wednesday, and Momma had acted like another round-trip to the ranch that day wouldn’t be that big of a deal.

When she’d sent her double the amount of money it took to fill Hailey’s gas tank, she’d given in. She’d texted Jake and asked if he wanted it that night or if she could just bring it on Wednesday.

Your momma will find out if you don’t bring it tonight, he’d said. At least if she’s anything like my momma. In fact, she’s probably texted my momma, and I’m gonna need to send my mom a picture of whatever your mom made. So you might as well just bring it tonight.

Hailey had giggled and texted, You’re right. I’ll see you around seven if that’s not too late.

I’ll be lucky to be out of my office by seven, he said. In fact, if you stop by my house and I’m not there, I’m in my office.

Hailey knew Hartford was staying with Jake right now, and she semi-hoped Jake would still be in his office, so they could be alone together. That idea still felt semi-ridiculous to her, though she and Jake had gotten along quite well today and he’d texted her for a large portion of last night.

“Yeah, after he forgot to text you at all,” she muttered. Still, she made the turn onto the ranch and started west and around the sweeping arc before the buildings came into view.

Pete and Chelsea had been nothing but gracious and kind as she stayed with them, and she’d helped with two more births while on-call on Sunday.

Hailey eased past their house, and then the giant glass-front building of Courage Reins, a huge barn, and finally Libby’s homestead on the left.

She turned and trundled down the road with cabins lining it on her left, and barns, stables, and coops on the right. Jake’s house stood third down from the end nearest to the administration building, and two trucks already sat parked in the driveway, filling it. Hailey glanced in all of her mirrors and then eased off the shoulder, her tires sinking down on what would surely be his lawn come spring.