Total pages in book: 127
Estimated words: 120708 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 604(@200wpm)___ 483(@250wpm)___ 402(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 120708 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 604(@200wpm)___ 483(@250wpm)___ 402(@300wpm)
Ty and I walked into the barn a few minutes after two. My father and Brock were leading four saddled-up horses out of the barn.
“Do you have any idea how damn stubborn your horse is, Tanner? She only wants to be turned out; it’s like she knows she’s on vacation,” my father said as he handed me the reins to Trigger.
“Hey there, sweetheart. Are you enjoying the countryside?” I asked as I ran my hand down her neck.
Trigger bobbed her head and nickered.
“I swear she knows what you’re saying to her, too,” Dad stated. “And I forgot she doesn’t like anyone else on her.”
Unable to help myself, I laughed. “Of course, she knows what I’m saying. She isn’t stupid.”
“You callin’ my horse stupid?” Brock asked as he led his horse out and jumped up on him.
“You said it, not me.”
Brock rolled his eyes.
“Who’s your heeler?” Dad asked me.
I looked between both Ty and Brock.
“I pick Dad.”
Both of them looked surprised as they turned to look at our father, who sat atop his horse with a wide grin. He nudged his horse toward the corral and said, “At least I raised one of ya right.”
The rest of the afternoon was spent with Ty and Brock taking turns with our father as we roped some steer. It felt good, but it didn’t make me miss competing. Not one bit. One look at Brock before I nodded for Ty to let the steer go, and I knew exactly what this afternoon had been about. I could still have the best of both worlds if I wanted. Sure, there wasn’t a crowd yelling out, or money to be won, but I didn’t need any of that. Seeing how happy my father was helped me realize that money and crowds would never fulfill me like this afternoon had. Family. That’s what this was all about. I smiled at Brock and he returned it with an even bigger shit-eating grin of his own.
“You can have it all if that’s what you want, little brother,” Brock said as he rode up to me after we had roped a steer in four seconds.
“I think I know what I need to do.”
Brock smiled. “I think you’ve known it for a while now. In your heart.”
“Can I give it a try?”
Timberlynn’s voice took me by surprise, and apparently it did Brock as well. We both turned to see our mom, Kaylee, and Lincoln, all standing at the fence with Timberlynn seated up on Rosie.
“Which one do you want to do? Header or heeler?” I called out.
The way she smiled made me want to groan. Why was she sending me such mixed signals? It was driving me mad. I wanted to be pissed—but I couldn’t be, not when she smiled at me like that. There had to be a reason she was pushing me away, and why she had acted like that last night. Simply seeing her, though, and I didn’t give a shit about what had happened. She was so goddamn beautiful, she stole my breath. I’d take Brock’s advice and be patient.
“Heeler, of course.”
Brock laughed. “By all means, Timberlynn, have at it.”
Brock and Timberlynn traded places, and I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face even if I had wanted to. “You think Rosie is up for this?” I asked.
Timberlynn reached down and gave the mare a light rub along her neck, then leaned down and said something to her. I shook my head and started to tell her how it worked.
“I’ll nod, Ty will let the steer go. Once I rope his head, you try for the feet. Have you ever…roped anything?”
All she did was wink at me. “Let’s stop talking and do some roping.”
I fell in love with her in that moment.
“This is gonna be interesting,” Ty said with a hearty laugh. My father also smiled, but when I met his gaze, he simply gave me a knowing nod.
“Ready?” I asked Timberlynn.
“Ready!” she called back. The excitement in her voice made me chuckle. Ty was right…it was going to be interesting, indeed.
I nodded, the steer took off, and I had his head roped in seconds. I watched as Timberlynn roped his back legs, turned Rosie, and faced me and Trigger. She had a huge damn smile on her face at her own success.
“Four-point-five seconds. Shit, son, she did better than Ty!” my father called out.
“You better marry that girl, Tanner!” one of the ranch hands yelled as Timberlynn looked at me, beaming.
“Give it slack, Timberlynn!” Ty called, and when she did, I did the same, letting the steer get free.
I rode over to her and shook my head. “Someone has been keeping secrets.”
With a casual shrug, she replied, “Don’t we all have hidden secrets and talents, Mr. Shaw?”
That made my body react. “You didn’t tell me you knew how to rope, Timber. I think I just fell in love with you, and apparently we now need to wed.”