A cowboy’s word

With his harrowing childhood behind him, cowboy Jess Holden made some promises to himself. He’ll remain a bachelor. Won’t ever get involved with a certain kind of woman. But then he rescues a lovely newcomer—and two scared calves—from a flash flood in the middle of Texas Hill Country. Not only is veterinarian’s assistant Gabi Newberry a reminder of his past, she’s the granddaughter of a Mule Hollow matchmaker! But as sweet, spunky Gabi tends the ailing cattle on his ranch, Jess begins to discover that some promises were made to be broken.

“I’m not as easy to read as you think I am, cowboy,” Gabi said.

Jess paused to look down at her. She blinked innocently and her smile widened. He had known her all of thirty minutes and he’d already figured her out. “I never said you were easy to read. Matter of fact, I have a feeling you probably work real hard at being complicated.”

Gabi chuckled behind him. “You know what?”

He was walking past her with the other calf and paused to let it loose before facing her. “What?” he asked, grinning because there was nothing else to do.

“I like you even if you are bossy. I’m going to have fun keeping you on your toes.”

If he’d had a hat, he’d have tipped it at her, but it was somewhere downstream stuck in the mud. Instead he just nodded. “Have at it. I like a woman who keeps me guessing.”

“Then you’re going to love me,” she quipped.

Her Lone Star Cowboy

Debra Clopton

Since ye have taken off your old self

with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge

in the image of its Creator.

—Colossians 3:9–10

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Dear Reader

Questions for Discussion

Chapter One

Veterinary assistant Gabi Newberry pulled her light jacket tight, useless as it was against the rain. She huddled inside it and stared at the tire of the cattle trailer she’d been pulling behind the clinic’s truck. Buried axle deep in thick clay mud, the trailer was sitting at a very risky angle. Grimacing, Gabi felt embarrassment creep up her skin as she studied her handiwork. What had she been thinking?

Susan Turner, her new boss and the local vet here in Mule Hollow, had asked Gabi if she was comfortable pulling a trailer. “Sure,” Gabi had quipped with confidence. She was, but she hadn’t planned on the torrential rain blowing in and crashing her party. What a mess.

The two black calves in the back of the small trailer bawled loudly, making her feel even worse. The poor animals were struggling to keep their balance in the precariously tipped trailer. Gabi empathized with them, having felt as if she’d been trying to do the same thing with her life, up until a few weeks ago.

“I’m sorry, little fellas—” she said, just as thunder boomed and lightning struck, far too close for comfort. At the same instant, a ferocious gust of wind whipped her baseball cap from her head! Gabi squealed and made a wild grab for the hat. A lost cause, she watched in dismay as it flew up and out of her reach, then dove dramatically, straight into the rushing water of the deep ditch beside her.

Watching how quickly the swift current swept her hat away sent a shiver of alarm running through Gabi. A few more feet and she’d have been in real trouble, with the trailer very likely tipping all the way over with the poor calves inside.

“This is bad,” she muttered, her gut twisting with unease.

When she’d come back home to Mule Hollow, she hadn’t expected to get caught in a flash flood her first week here. Her grandmother, Adela, would be worried about her out in this weather. Though she’d been raised till she was twelve near the Texas Hill Country, it had been thirteen years since she’d spent more than a week during the summer here. But still, she remembered how quickly flash flooding could happen and the dangers involved.

The sky had just been threatening rain when she’d headed out to return these calves to their owner less than an hour ago. Now it was almost black as the distant thunder clouds had taken a sudden swing in her direction. The lower peaks of the ominous clouds dipped in ice-cream-cone-shaped tags. Anyone in these parts knew that clearly spelled “tornado warning.”

Without her hat Gabi’s hair was drenched in seconds and rivulets of water washed down her face. Blinking, she studied the situation. There was no way she could get the trailer out by herself. Cellphone service was awful out here too, so calling for help wasn’t an option. Bottom line—she was on her own.

Turning, she searched the horizon, squinting against the wind and rain pelting her face. Spying a rooftop in the distance, her heart jumped with a rush of hope.

It was pretty far off and the lightning was bad. Still, she knew despite the risk she needed to seek help there.

The only other choice though was to get in the truck and wait for someone to come by. With the calves bawling louder, Gabi stood there contemplating what to do. The situation was worsening by the second.

Her mouth went dry as panic crept over her.

Take action!

She could not just sit there and wait for someone to come rescue her. Gabi pushed her hair out of her eyes and decided cutting cross-country to the house was her best chance.

Drenched from head to toe, she started toward the water. Then she hesitated. Should she let the calves out of the trailer? She decided getting back here with help was still her best possibility, and so she continued down to the edge of the rushing water.

Sticking her foot into the water, she braced herself then trudged forward. The water was higher than she’d realized, the ditch much deeper. Struggling against the rushing water, she managed to make it across without taking a plunge. Lightning exploded across the sky and thunder boomed just as she started up the incline—

The fierceness of it was startling and took Gabi’s breath. She slipped and fell to her knees. Gasping, unable to catch her balance, she plunged straight toward the rushing water!

* * *

Jess Holden couldn’t believe what he was seeing! The trailer was in a dangerous position, but it was the woman careening toward the rushing water that had him slamming on his brakes.

Bursting from his truck at a dead run, he slipped on the wet clay mud but held his balance as he went down on bent knee and skated the incline like a runner sliding feet first into home plate. She’d just started trying to regain her balance after hitting the water, but the current and the slick mud weren’t cooperating. She lost her footing again and the water carried her swiftly downstream. Her head went under and her hands flailed above water. Jess staggered through the water after her, grabbed for her but missed. Diving for her again, he snagged the first thing he could reach—the collar of her shirt! Dragging her up out of the water, she coughed and sputtered, twisting around as her feet scrambled to find purchase in the muddy water.

“It’s okay,” he yelled over the wind. “I’ve got you.” Holding his ground in the rising water, he seized her around the waist and hauled her up and out. Her feet came free of her boots as he slung her over his shoulder.

“What are you doing?” the woman sputtered. “Put me down. My boots!”

Concentrating on keeping them both upright, he held tight and turned back the way he’d come. “I’m saving you, lady, that’s what I’m doing.”

“But my boots. They’re—” She struggled like a wildcat in a tote sack.

When he made it to the top of the muddy incline, he set her loose.

She immediately put distance between them. “I could have done that myself,” she snapped, pushing a wild mass of wet hair out of her face. She had mud on her cheek that the rain quickly washed away.

“Are you kidding me? You weren’t doing so well, and I wasn’t taking any chances.” Ignoring her anger, he turned his attention to the trailer and the unhappy animals staring at him.

“We need to get them out of here. What were you doing on the other side of that ditch anyway?” Jess asked, shaking his head.

“I was crossing the pasture to get help at that ranch, that’s what.” She waved a hand in the direction of the ridiculously distant house. “I couldn’t get the trailer unstuck and I needed to get help for these little guys.”

“Crossing a pasture during a thunderstorm like this—not smart,” he scolded. “That trailer is down for the count right now.” He strode toward his truck. The clueless woman trailed him.

“I know that. But I couldn’t get it unstuck by myself. What should we do?”

The storm raged and he gauged the angry-looking sky. Flash flood and tornado warnings were in effect all over the area. “We’re getting out of here. That’s what.”

Her eyes flared wide. “But you can’t just leave them—” She stuck her hand on his chest.

He chuckled, despite the dire situation then, sidestepping her, he yanked open the back door of his double-cab truck. Quickly he flipped up his seats, then winked at the bedraggled gal as he backtracked past her in an attempt to ease her alarm. It was hard to tell what she really looked like with her hair being plastered to her face. Her big eyes widened at his wink.

“You’re going to put them in there?” she asked, slipping and sliding to keep up with him.

“Yep, that’s the plan,” he drawled.

When he got the latch up on the trailer, she automatically grasped the door and held it open for him. Easing inside, careful not to slip, Jess grabbed the nearest calf and hoisted it into his arms.

After he got the first terrified calf in the truck, she was waiting at the trailer, ready to open the door for him when he went in for the second baby.

In a matter of minutes, working together they had both dripping-wet calves in the backseat area of his truck cab. Lightning crackled across the sky as they finally slid into the front seat and slammed the doors against the storm.

“I’m Jess Holden,” he said the second they hit the road.

“I’m Gabi Newberry,” she practically yelled over the wailing calves. “Thanks for coming along when you did.”

Finally relaxing a bit, he shot her a grin. “You’re welcome. But listen, the next time you get caught in the middle of a storm like this or even just a lightning storm, don’t take off across open pasture. You were asking to get yourself killed back there.” He’d lost his hat somewhere out in the storm so he took one hand off the wheel long enough to sweep his wet hair from his eyes.

Her big eyes narrowed as he glanced at her. He hadn’t noticed before but they were a sharp, clear John Deere green and looked almost unreal as they caught the flash of lightning that lit the sky in front of them. Her skin was a soft gold, having gotten some color back after he had first snatched her from the water. She sort of resembled Gwyneth Paltrow. In short, wet hair and all, the woman sitting in the truck beside him was beautiful. Though the hike of her brow at the comment told him there was more spunk in those gentle features than met the eye.

“I wasn’t getting killed,” she denied, her spine stiffening. “I was getting help like I needed to.”

“You were on a collision course with a lightning bolt, if you didn’t drown before that.”

He slid his gaze back toward the road, worried they might not make it back to the main road before the gravel washed away. Leaving them stranded out here.

He kept that bit of info to himself—no need to rile her up anymore.

She suddenly smiled. “You know what, you’re right. I’m so glad you showed up when you did. God sent you along just at the right moment. Thank you, Jess Holden, my knight in shining armor.”

Jess chuckled. He wasn’t surprised by much, but she’d gotten him with her complete turnaround. “You’re welcome. You’re Adela’s granddaughter, right?” He’d heard the fellas talking about her down at Sam’s Diner. Adela Ledbetter Green was one of the older ladies in town. She was married to Sam who owned the local diner and there had been much excitement surrounding Adela’s granddaughter coming to town.

“Yes, I am.”

He grinned. “Seeing as how Adela is one of three older ladies known as the Matchmaking Posse of Mule Hollow, do you know what you’re getting yourself into by moving back here?”

They’d finally reached the blacktop and Jess breathed a little easier. He paused at the stop sign and studied his passenger, waiting for her to answer his question. He’d been holding off the matchmakers for a while, a bit startled that they hadn’t tried harder to match him up with someone. Those three ladies had the “fix’n up” on the brain.

Gabi smiled, exposing a deep dimple. “Oh, I’m aware of what my grandmother does. But I already told her I was off-limits for now. Believe me, I’ll be looking for a husband again—I mean, someday soon. But right now I just want to get settled.” She cocked her wet head to the side, her gaze probing. “Do you know the Lord?”

Jess had been caught off guard by the “again” and then by her wanting to know if he knew the Lord. “Sure,” he very nearly stammered, feeling a little uncomfortable. He and God knew each other, but they kept their distance.

“Oh, wonderful,” she gushed, grinning, bright and beautiful. Her eyes warmed with joy. “Just wonderful! I gave my life to God about a month ago and I’m about to bust figuring out what He has in store for me.”

Excitement radiated off Gabi like sunshine off new snow. It had Jess forgetting to press the gas pedal, leaving them sitting at the edge of the road. She winked at him—probably because his expression mirrored his surprise.

“I know, I know, I get a little excited over this. And I have to admit that getting stuck on the side of the road in tornado weather isn’t exactly what I was expecting today. But you know what?—I think God must have meant for me to meet you today and that’s what all of this is about. And if so, this craziness has been well worth everything.”

“Thanks,” he chuckled. The woman had an infectious way about her and he couldn’t help the grin that lingered as he held her gaze. She was studying him like he was a painting on a wall or something. He lost his train of thought for a second and decided it was time to drive. He eased the truck onto the pavement. At last, after miles of soggy dirt road, he felt his wheels meet with solid ground. Feeling her gaze, he glanced at Gabi again and yup, she was studying him again.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong.” She sighed. “I’m just trying to figure out why God sent you into my life.”

One thing was for certain, Gabi Newberry was different. “That’s easy enough,” he teased, hiking a brow as he looked back at the road. “You obviously needed someone to rescue you from the water and tell you to stay out of the elements.” He was only half joking.

“You’re one of those men who has to be bossy, aren’t you?” she asked, reaching to turn up the heat in the truck—since they were both soaked, it was a bit chilly in the cab.

“I’m just being honest.”

She gave a short laugh. “You’re being bossy. I wouldn’t have drowned. I can swim like a fish.”

The rain had slowed up to a drizzle and he could see a patch of sun peeking through the gray clouds. The lightning had moved farther off but still flashed in the distance over Gabi’s shoulder. He glanced at her just as a flash sparked behind her. It mirrored the spark of challenge he saw in their green depths. “Um, you were drowning when I pulled you out. You risked your life when you should have been waiting for help.”

“I did what I thought I needed to do. I couldn’t just let these little guys stay out there and risk that trailer going over.” As if knowing they were being discussed, the calves bawled louder and stuck their wet noses over the seat.

“Look, Gabi. I’ve just met you, but out of respect for your grandmother, I need to warn you to be more careful. You need to think smarter if you’re going to be traipsing around out here in the country by yourself.”

A calf poked its nose in her ear, causing her to laugh. She tucked her legs underneath her and turned to pet the calves that began trying to come over the seat. “You, Mr. Holden, are about as pushy as these boys. Thanks for your concern. I hear what you’re saying, but I did what I had to do.”

The vet clinic came into view. It was obvious that she was not going to take his advice to heart. Stubborn woman. “Next time you might not be so lucky.” He pulled to a stop beside the holding pens behind the clinic.

Her gaze twinkled as she placed her hand on his arm. Her touch was warm and a spark of awareness danced along his skin. Her expression was a mixture of humor, laced with a firm you-aren’t-going-to-tell-me-what-to-do attitude.

“So be it,” she said, pulling away her hand and reaching for the door handle. “Thanks for the rescue and the ride.”

“But not the advice,” Jess said as he climbed out of the truck. He wasn’t sure if the woman was soft on the brain, stubborn or both. Either way it was bothersome. He strode around to her side of the truck, where she waited with her hands on her narrow hips, her hair hung in tiny curls wisping about her forehead—they’d dried on the trip in and were a pale honey blond. His pulse kicked in abruptly, when she smiled that smile that lit across her face and let the dimple out of its hiding place.

“You can give me all the advice you want to. I’ll consider it. I’ll even thank you for it.”

“But you won’t take it. That’s about what I’d expect.” He opened the door and reached for the nearest calf.

Gabi already had the gate opened. She had a hand on her hip and one hand on the gate as he tramped past her. “Don’t get comfortable thinking you know what to expect. I’m not as easy to read as you think I am, cowboy.”

He paused to look down at her. She blinked innocently and her smile widened showing a bright white smile. There was nothing innocent in that smile. He had known her all of thirty minutes and he’d already figured her out. “I never said you were easy to read. Matter of fact, I have a feeling you probably work real hard at being complicated.” He went for the other calf.

Gabi chuckled behind him. “You know what?”

He was walking past her with the other calf and paused to let it loose before facing her. “What?” he asked, grinning because there was nothing else to do.

“I like you even if you are bossy. I’m going to have fun keeping you on your toes.”

If he’d have had a hat, he’d have tipped it at her, but it was somewhere downstream stuck in the mud. Instead he just nodded. “Have at it. I like a woman who keeps me guessing.”

“Then you’re going to love me,” she quipped, and strode toward the office.

Chapter Two

The jukebox was playing a lively country song when Gabi walked in the door of Sam’s Diner after work. Immediately, the aroma of grilled steak and burgers had Gabi’s stomach growling, reminding her that due to the wild day she’d had, she’d missed lunch. The scent of hot coffee pressed through the other unbelievably delicious scents and drew her gaze to the fresh pot of java sitting behind the counter.

“Gabi! Over here.” Esther Mae Wilcox, her bright red hair bobbing, waved enthusiastically from the back booth. Her neon lime blouse was a splash of color against the backdrop of rustic wooden walls and oak booths.

Gabi said hello to a couple cowboys sitting at a table as she passed them. She’d helped administer vaccines to some cattle for them the day before. One of them had asked her out, and though she was officially unattached after her recent breakup with her fiancé, she was quick to thank him for the offer but told him she wasn’t dating. He’d been cute when he’d proceeded to tease her that his heart was broken—it had been endearing actually, but nothing more. Where men were concerned she was a little numb, and she wasn’t prepared to go there just yet. She had her life to get in order and her priorities figured out. One thing was certain, when she did start dating again, this time she knew the kind of man she wanted was the complete opposite of the one she’d chosen before.

Her number one priority when she looked for a husband this time was finding a man who loved the Lord as much as she did.

But for now, she was happy being here in Mule Hollow with her grandmother and her friends. They were going to help her become the kind of woman she wanted to be. Reaching the booth, Gabi hugged her grandmother, Adela, and her two friends Norma Sue Jenkins and Esther Mae Wilcox, before sitting in the empty seat beside Esther Mae. The three ladies were a contrast to each other. Esther Mae was as vibrant as her colored red hair, bright clothes and personality. Her Gram was a dainty, elegant lady with wispy white hair and a serene, fine-boned face that was dominated by electric blue eyes. Norma Sue was robust with wiry gray hair and a beaming smile.

“Sit down and tell us about this exciting day you’ve had.”

Norma Sue’s words startled Gabi.

“Don’t look so surprised,” Norma Sue continued. “News in a small town travels faster than a greased pig down a water slide.”

“That’s the truth,” Esther Mae added. “We want all the details. Adela told us you got stuck this morning and that Jess Holden came to your rescue!”

Before Gabi could answer, the swinging doors of the kitchen opened and Sam came striding out, giving her a reprieve from further questions.

“Hey, Gabi girl,” he called, his weathered face lit with a grin. A small man, built like a jockey, he moved with brisk intent. Snagging the coffee pot from the burner, he grabbed a cup in the other hand and strode, with his bowlegged gait, to the table and poured her a cup. “What were you a doin’ out thar in the middle of a tornado anyway?” he asked, studying her sternly as he poured.

So much for a reprieve! Gabi realized she was in for it as all eyes zeroed in on her.

“It was tur-a-ble out thar. Jest tur-a-ble,” Sam continued, crossing his arms, letting the half-full coffee carafe dangle at his elbow.

“Terrible is the right word,” Esther Mae gushed, turning in the booth seat so she was facing Gabi. “I’m so glad Jess found you. I can just see that handsome hunk of cowboy rushing in to pull you out of the raging waters. This would make a wonderful story for Molly’s column.”

“What!” Gabi gasped. She’d called Adela after she’d gotten back to the clinic, wanting to make sure Adela had made it through the storm okay, too. How did they know about Jess pulling her from the flooded ditch?

“You all right, thar?” Sam asked, patting her gently on the back.

A vivid image of an overblown story about her and Jess meeting in a violent storm with a tornado bearing down upon them popped into her imagination. Molly was a local writer who did a syndicated newspaper article about the little town, the cowboys and the matchmakers. It was hugely popular and she was a fan herself. But… “No—no article,” she stuttered, choking on coffee. “Seriously—no.”

Norma Sue hooted, slapping the table with her hand. “We’re just having some fun with you.”

“That’s right,” Esther Mae chuckled. “No need to get all choked up. Who do you think we are?”

“The Matchmaking Posse, that’s who!” Gabi blurted out. Squinting her eyes she gave them all a teasing, but firm warning. “Gram, please tell them I’m off the market.”

“That’s totally understandable after what you’ve been through,” Adela said, her smile sympathetic.

“It sure is,” Esther Mae cut in. “I can’t believe that man broke up with you because of your faith.”

“Hmmph,” Norma Sue snorted. “You’re better off without him.”

“Unequally yoked isn’t a good thing,” Adela said. “God has plans for you with a good Christian man.”

The conversation was bouncing around more than a pair of wet sneakers in a hot dryer. Unwanted, a sense of loss for Phillip stabbed Gabi’s heart. Sadly though, Norma Sue was right. Six weeks ago she and her fiancé had called off their engagement after she’d given her life to the Lord. Looking back now, Gabi knew the relationship had been doomed in the first place. But still, she hadn’t expected the man she’d thought she loved to leave her because he didn’t care for her newfound faith. But then, she knew there was more to the story. More to it than the ladies or even her Gram knew.

A tight knot filled Gabi’s chest. Her gaze dropped to her empty ring finger and the slow boil of anger and embarrassment bubbled inside of her. “Come on, y’all. You know I’m not here looking to build a relationship with a man. I’m here to build my relationship with God. I’m going to make up for lost time and try to make a difference in someone’s life. I’m here to learn how to do that from y’all, not have y’all match me up with one of your cowboys.” And work on herself—the Lord only knew she had a lot of work to do on herself.

“And God will use you,” Adela assured her. “I’m so glad you’re safe and you’ve at last made the decision to let Him be the Lord of your life.”

“Me too,” Gabi agreed, understanding how close she’d come to disaster—both with the car accident and her life in general. “Every time I think about slamming into that telephone pole and how totaled my car was.” She paused, her heart catching. “I just can’t believe I walked away with minor injuries.”

It had been a horrible wreck…. Gabi pushed thoughts of it aside, not wanting to think on it.

“I agree,” Esther Mae said, her glass of sweet tea paused in midair before taking a sip. “God’s got a plan for you. He has a plan for everyone and I just love watching Him work.”

“God still wants you ta use yor head, though. The next time a tornado is coming, you need ta not head out with a load of cattle,” Sam continued admonishing her, not letting go of his role as her protector.

“Sam, I wasn’t expecting that storm to blow this way.”

“It wasn’t supposed to.” The frown deepened on his weathered face—Gabi was surprised that it could get any deeper. “Out here, you got ta remember that you jest never know. Like Jess said, ya need ta be more careful. And that means don’t be trying to traipse off across a pasture in the middle of a lightning storm.”

“Jess told you that?” She hadn’t said anything to Adela about going across the ditch for help. What had the cowboy been saying? Sam’s next sentence confirmed her suspicions.

“Yup, came in right after he’d dropped your truck and trailer off at the clinic. The boy was still wet.”

Boy. Jess Holden was a man, not a boy—the fact distracted her for a moment. Over six feet tall, arms like iron and strength to carry her easily up the hill, heart-stoppingly blue eyes, square jaw, dark hair curling with the rain. There had been nothing about the handsome cowboy that reminded her of a boy. Jess’s smile flashed across her mind’s eye—okay, so he did have some boyish charm.

She was grateful to him for what he’d done, but coming in here and talking about it was not good. “What exactly did he say?”

Adela smiled gently and worry creased her eyes. “He said you were falling into the ditch full of raging water when he first saw you. That you got swept off your feet and towed underwater before he could get to you. Just a few more seconds and he might not have seen you fall in or go under. He was thankful, and so are we, that he’d managed to be there when he was. God’s taking care of you again, my dear.”

Good deed though it was, Gabi was having a hard time getting past the fact that Jess had been in the diner talking about rescuing her. Was he bragging? He hadn’t really seemed the type.

What mattered to her was that he’d been telling details she’d rather have kept silent so as not to worry her Gram. There was no call for that. None at all. And it bothered Gabi more than he could possibly know. She’d put her Gram through enough worry over the years and was determined to protect her from any more. That meant not making her worry over Gabi’s frustrations with the cowboy.

“Yes, Gram, you’re right,” she managed to say, trying to hide her displeasure at Jess, while also being truly grateful for God’s protective hand being on her life. “God has had His hands full looking out for me.”

It was so true. Gabi’s life had spiraled out of control before she’d given her life to the Lord. The drinking and partying lifestyle she and her fiancé had been living had been an empty one. Even more empty than she’d realized. And then she’d almost had a head-on collision with an oncoming car. She was still so thankful to the nurse who’d shared her personal testimony with Gabi and awakened her to the dead-end path she was taking with her life.

“I’d have been all right, with or without Jess’s help. Honestly, it wasn’t as desperate as he’s obviously made it sound.”

Sam looked less than convinced. “Jess said you were in the water b’cause you were on yor way fer help across the pasture. Gabi girl, you might have made it out of the water, but nothing about any of that’s smart. Par-ticularly, traipsing in the middle of the worst electrical storm we’ve had this year.”

Gabi took a slow, deep breath. “I was fine. I just did what I needed to do.”

“I can take care of myself, too,” Norma Sue drawled, jumping on the frown wagon with Sam. “But sometimes that means staying inside where it’s safe.”

The conversation was going downhill. How had it changed from worrying about some kind of crazy, romantic setup from the posse, to them jumping on her about not being careful? “Sooo, how are the plans for the second homecoming rodeo going?” she asked, deciding it was time to change the subject. She’d come home to Mule Hollow to be closer to Gram and to start a new life here. Adjusting to this many people trying to give input into her life would take some getting used to.

To her relief, Sam headed off to check on the new cook he was training in the kitchen and the ladies launched into a discussion about the second of three rodeos the town was having over the summer. The rodeos were to draw crowds to the small town but also to honor people who’d once lived here. There was a hope that some of them might move back like Gabi had chosen to do.

She listened and prayed for patience and the ability to make good choices. It was embarrassing to her to review and see what a mess she’d made of her life. It was hard knowing she hadn’t made good choices, but she was determined she was going to do better. Learning to trust herself was going to be hard on so many levels.

Learning to take advice was going to be even harder.

But she could do it.

She would do it.

God had given her a second chance and she wasn’t about to waste it. She was determined to start making a difference in the world around her. She just had to take a deep breath and stop messing up.

* * *

Jess swiped his brow with the back of his hand. There were definitely no storm clouds on the horizon today, like there had been two days earlier when he’d pulled Gabi Newberry from the flood waters.

“They look good,” he said, gazing from the new bunch of cattle he’d just bought and unloaded, to his older brother. They’d been working cattle in the heat all day and Luke looked as hot and sweaty as he was.

“Real good,” Luke agreed, a satisfied gleam in his eyes. “With these added to the herd we’re going to look pretty good come next year with calves. The ranch is doing great, Jess. If we get some nice, slow rain soon, we’ll be perfect.”

“Yeah, would be great.” Jess patted his neck with his bandana.

“Now you and Colt just need to find someone to love and be loved by and get married.” Though Luke was grinning, Jess knew how serious he was.

“Never thought I’d see the day, but you surprised us both and bite the bullet,” Jess said and then smiled.

Luke looked at him, totally contented. “Montana makes me happy—I’m more alive than I ever was before meeting her. I want that for you. I never knew how it felt to have someone love me like she does. I know I sound sappy but it’s true, Jess.”

“Sap,” Jess grunted and they both laughed, understanding where they’d once been and how far they’d come. He was glad for Luke. The three brothers’ childhoods had been less than perfect and Luke was Jess’s hero.

Only four years older than Jess when their mother had run off and left them to fend for themselves with their alcoholic father, Luke had taken on a man’s responsibility at the age of fourteen. Jess owed him.

“You held us together all of our lives. Strong doesn’t hold a candle to you, bro, so you can be as sappy as you want to be.”

“Seriously, Jess, it’s good to have Montana in my life. But I want this ranch and these cattle to mean as much to you and Colt as it does to me.”

“We’re in it with you, Luke. But you’ve always worried about us. Been responsible for us. We’re better men because of it. You know that.” No one really understood exactly how Luke had been there for them. No one understood how bad it had been.

“You know I’d do anything for you,” Jess continued. “But when it comes to marriage, I have to go with my own plans. Luke—it’s time for you to think about yourself now. Me and Colt, we’re doing all right.”

Luke had had visions of Jess and Colt with lots of kids. The ranch was to be the backdrop for a picture-perfect life he and his brothers hadn’t known as kids. Problem was, Jess had gone along with his vision for years because he didn’t want to tell Luke he had no desire for family, and wasn’t certain he ever would. Some people weren’t cut out for love and he was one of them.

He had commitment issues—no matter how hard Luke had tried to protect him, it still remained that his dad had been committed to a booze bottle and his mother had been committed to herself. True, he was surrounded by people in Mule Hollow who were committed to long and healthy relationships, but he didn’t have their genes. He had Holden genes. He wished Luke the best. But Jess was better on his own.

He liked it that way.

He enjoyed his freedom and didn’t plan on giving that up any time soon.

Not even for Luke.

“I’m just not sure I’m the commitment kind of guy,” he said, though he knew deep down Luke got it. They both knew their childhoods played a significant role.

“Yes, you are, Jess. The day you find the right woman, you’ll commit for life. No doubt about it. You finish what you start, Jess, you always have. You’re too hardheaded not to and you’ve been that way ever since you were a little kid.”

Jess shot his brother a half grin. “That’s called survival skills.”

Walking along the corral toward their trucks, Luke paused. “Yeah, but don’t you forget that God promises He will make good from bad for those who love Him, and your life proves it. Colt’s, too. I’m proud of both of you and day before yesterday, you made me real proud by helping out Adela’s granddaughter.”

Jess had thought about the feisty Gabi many times since then. He grinned, thinking about how she’d asked him about his relationship with God. He wondered if she asked everyone she met or if she had some kind of radar that zeroed in on trouble. Jess hadn’t told her that he and God weren’t on the best of terms right now. But still, he had thought of her often.

“She was in a bind,” he said, not elaborating. “I’m glad I was there to help or it could have been worse.”

“I’m glad you were there, too. But the thing is, you were there and without thinking about it, you committed yourself to seeing it through to the end. Sam told me yesterday that you went back there, pulled her truck and trailer out and then drove it to her. You didn’t have to do that.”

“Anybody would have done that. It was the right thing to do.”

“Maybe and maybe not. Thing is, you did.” He paused. “I hear she’s single.”

Here we go. “Yeah, I heard the same thing.”

“You interested?”

Jess heard the hope in his brother’s voice. “Maybe. We’ll see. Honestly, she’s the one who didn’t seem too interested.”

Luke pulled open his truck door. “There ya go, buddy. You can change her mind, if you want to. And I can tell you the casual thing is a dead end.”

“Okay, man, back down. Right now I’m committed to a herd of ladies in the south pasture who are waiting on this hay.”

Luke chuckled as he got in his truck and slammed the door. “Well, I’ve got a lady at home waiting on me and she’s a whole lot prettier than any of those hairy gals you’re heading out to see. Talk to you later.” Luke grinned at him through the open window and as he backed up the truck he called, “Think about it, Jess. I’m praying for God to send you a woman.”

Shaking his head, Jess headed out in his own truck to the cattle in the south pasture. He had work to do. While Luke was praying for God to send him a woman, he needed to pray for God to send some rain. Of course, Jess wasn’t praying, he figured prayers didn’t really matter that much. If God felt like answering a prayer, then God answered. Not before.

Jess had stopped asking for anything a long time ago.

Looking across the pasture, he turned up the radio and took in his surroundings. He loved it here on the ranch. Luke had gotten one thing totally right. And that was the fact that Jess liked having a place to call his own. This ranch filled a hole in his heart, eased an ache he’d had for as long as he could remember. Here on this ranch, he was happy and content. He wasn’t sure he’d ever risk that by getting married.

He’d do anything for Luke, but get married…

Couldn’t do it.

Topping the ridge of a low hill, his attention was snagged by a group of buzzards circling in the pale blue sky.

Something was dead. Buzzards were a common sight here in the country, but Jess always checked it out when he was looking after the cattle. Driving toward the next ridge, he scanned the pastureland stretched before him. It was dry, not much grasslands left, thus the hay and feed they were having to put out, but it was still pretty land they’d bought.

The herd of Angus cattle grazed near a pond that was two feet low of water even after the rain they’d had two days before.

Topping the second hill, the pasture came into view.

Jess’s gaze zeroed in on the heifer laying halfway down the hillside. His heart sank. Dead cattle were expensive and a threat to the entire herd.

There was no mistaking this heifer had been dead for some time. Hanging his head for a brief moment, he looked up and scanned the pasture. In the distance he was certain he spotted a second large mound that would be another heifer.

Not good. Not good at all.

Chapter Three

Gabi drove the truck over the cattle guard of Jess Holden’s ranch. He’d found four dead heifers the evening before. Four at one time. They’d been dead too long for a necropsy to determine the cause of death, so her boss Susan sent her out to draw blood. For some reason, the idea of seeing the cowboy again caused a nervousness to wash over her.

Susan had confided to her that Jess and his two brothers had worked hard to scrape together the money to buy their ranch and stock it. The potential for these deaths to be something that could affect their entire herd had to be worrying them. Maybe make or break them.

Gabi hated to hear that. She was still thinking about it as the corral and Jess came into view. She would have been lying if she denied that she wasn’t curious about the cowboy.

Standing beside the corral at the corner of the pasture, he watched her pull to a halt, his face a work of seriousness. The man was better looking than she remembered—if that were even possible. How in the world this guy was still walking around single in a town that had gone wild with matchmaking was a huge mystery. His hair was just the length to make a woman want to run her fingers through it, tucking it behind his ear. On some guys she might have thought it scruffy looking, but not on Jess. Nope. On him it looked great. It looked right—

What are you doing?

Surprised that she was thinking about Jess more intimately than she wanted to, Gabi shook her head. She’d just broken up with her fiancé a month ago. This proved what she’d realized earlier—she hadn’t truly been in love with Phillip. Still, she was shocked by how swiftly she could become attracted to someone else.

Not just someone—Jess Holden.

Parking the truck she hopped from the cab, all business. She’d come to do her job. She didn’t want his cattle to get all sick and die, but she didn’t want to marry the guy, either—Gabi tripped at the thought, snagging her boot toe and nearly taking a dive at his feet.

“Watch it.” Jess caught her arm. “Are you all right?”

“Oh yeah, I’m just a tripper.” Her voice shook as she tugged away her arm from his warm grasp.

He chuckled. “So that’s what happened the other day.”

She made a face at him.

“Where’s Susan?” he asked, his gaze flitting past her to the truck.

“She sent me on ahead to draw some blood for testing so the labs could get it started.”

A brief hint of worry flashed across his expression. She knew he’d have rather Susan had showed up.

“That sounds like a good plan,” he said, hiding his disappointment. “I pulled the cattle I think we should look at. They’re in the corral.”

Gabi didn’t normally let negative reactions bother her, especially in such a stressful situation like this. After all the man was worried about his cattle. She followed him to the corral, a little stunned by how his reactions were affecting her. But she tried hard not to take it personally.

* * *

Jess had searched the property for any other sick or dead cattle and had found four total. He was worried. Everything they had was invested in this land, these cattle and the livestock. He owned his cattle rig outright but that was about the only thing the bank didn’t actually own.

“Is this all of them?” Gabi asked surveying the ten cows.

“So far. I watched them this morning, trying to pick out any that might even look slightly ill.”

Gabi stood quietly and observed them milling around. Her gaze skimmed the animals, lingering here and there. “They do look a little distressed. Not only their nasal activity, but some of them are drawn-looking in their stomachs.”

“Yeah, they were sluggish about eating.”

She glanced his way, her sparkling green eyes lit with agreement. “When stock is slow to eat, they’re sick. Problem is, how sick? Let me grab my bag and we’ll get to work. The quicker my part is done, the sooner Susan can give you answers.”

“I’ll have one in by the squeeze chute by the time you’re ready.”

“Sounds good.” She paused after taking a couple steps and glanced at him over her shoulder. “We’re going to figure this out, Jess.”

She gave him a reassuring smile before continuing toward the truck for her equipment. He opened the gate and entered the pen with the cattle. It didn’t take him but a few minutes to cull one from the bunch and herd him into the alley that led to the steel squeeze chute. He’d just pulled the lever that brought the bars in close, holding the heifer in place so that Gabi could draw the blood.

“You’re quick,” she said, striding to the pen.

“I should be,” he said. “I do this every day.” As worried about his livestock as he was, he couldn’t help noticing that she looked as sunny and bright as a fresh summer day. She wore old jeans and scuffed boots that looked like they’d seen a lot of miles. Her tank top was bright pink and fresh looking and showed off her sun-kissed arms. She’d pulled her hair back into a ponytail with a bright yellow ribbon that fluttered in the warm breeze. He watched as she pulled out the syringe and prepared to take the first sample with speedy efficiency. “You look pretty quick yourself.”

“I should be. I do this every day,” she copied him and smiled through the steel bars before inserting the needle in the heifer’s neck.

The animal hardly reacted to her expert touch. For some reason he’d had visions of Gabi making the animals nervous.

“You know, I’m mad at you.” She didn’t look up as she spoke.

“About what?”

She met his curious stare with frank eyes. “You bragged in the diner about rescuing me from that rushing water.”

“I wasn’t bragging. Sam asked why I was dripping water on his wood floors so I told him. There was no bragging involved. Concern? Yeah. Bragging? No way.”

“You worried my grandmother for no reason.”

He hadn’t thought of that. “I told them you were safe.” The cute quirk of her left eyebrow told him she was mad at him. Not to mention the green flash of fire in her eyes.

“You didn’t have to tell them the details. You should have known it would cause Adela to worry.” She pushed hard on the steel lever, releasing the heifer.

Jess let the next one into the chute. “She seemed fine to me. You’re getting all bent out of shape for nothing.”

“You think? My gram was worried and there was no need in it.”

He thought about it for a minute. He hadn’t called Colt or Luke and told them about the dead heifers or about the cattle that were looking ill. Why hadn’t he? Because he didn’t want to worry them. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t think.”

She met his gaze through the bars. “It’s just that I’ve worried her enough in my lifetime. I’d rather not do that anymore.”

There was a long silence as they worked together. He wondered what she’d done to make Adela worry. If she was prone to traipsing across pastures during electrical storms, then he could understand why. “I’m sure you didn’t worry her too much,” he said, unable to let her comment linger in the air.

Pulling more blood into the syringe, she frowned. “Sadly, I did. Anyway, I guess in some way all kids worry their parents and grandparents. Still, I don’t want to cause Adela any more worry.”

Jess could have told her that that wasn’t necessarily true. Parents had to care before they could be worried. “You are lucky to have Adela in your life.”

She yanked the lever again, releasing another heifer. “I’m not lucky. I’m blessed. God did right by me when He gave me my mother and my grandmother.”

Growing up, Jess had watched other kids with parents who cared. He’d wondered what that would feel like.

“I know Miss Adela is a good woman, I’m sure your mother is too,” he said, as they continued working through the cattle. She smiled, just enough to show a bit of the dimple that he’d seen during the storm.

“You know what my goal is now?” Light seemed drawn to her, making her blond ponytail sparkle and her suntanned skin glow.

“What?”

“I want to be a blessing to my Gram and anyone else who I meet. I’m not sure I can do it, but I’m trying.” She finished pulling the blood. “You know what I mean?” Sincerity vibrated in her voice as she pulled the lever and let the last animal run free.

Jess hadn’t ever thought about being a blessing to anyone. Looking at her, he almost wished he could say he knew exactly what she meant. But that wasn’t true. “No. I don’t know what you mean,” he said, his brows crunching slightly as he spoke. “But, I can tell you that if that blood work comes back clear, you’ll have been a big blessing to me.”

She smiled a dazzler of a smile that blew his boots off.

“I hope so.” She picked up the case full of blood samples and headed toward her truck. He closed the gate behind him and followed her, watching as she set them in the seat.

“Let’s pray that this report comes back and it’s an easy fix, or better yet that nothing is wrong with these heifers,” she said turning back to him and holding her hand out toward him.

“That’d be great,” he said, not sure what she was doing.

She cocked her head slightly then wiggled her fingers. “Hold my hand.”

Jess was by no means a fool. He wasn’t about to forego holding the hand of a beautiful woman. When he took her hand, his pulse kicked up a notch… .

“Let’s pray.” She bowed her head.

Pray? Now?

“Oh, Father,” she prayed, squeezing his hand in hers. “Please watch over Jess’s cattle and let them stay healthy and strong. If they are ill, we pray You’ll lead us to the answer quickly and that You’ll help us to know what to do for them so that they return to health quickly. We ask in Your name that Your will be done. Amen.”

Jess wasn’t surprised by much, but this was twice that Gabi Newberry had done it. First asking about his salvation and now taking his hand and praying out loud—he wasn’t sure which had him most startled. He was staring at the top of her head as she finished and raised happy eyes to his. She took his breath away.

“There that should do it.” She grinned, squeezing his hand before letting go and stepping away from him. “I’m heading back so I can get these samples to Susan. We should know something soon.”

“Great,” Jess said, still reeling from her prayer and the touch of her hand. He’d felt a wave of awareness the instant her hand had touched his.

Gabi Newberry had the ability to catch him off guard when most didn’t. He liked that, but she also had a close relationship with the Lord. He wasn’t used to that. Even Luke, who had a strong faith, didn’t pray out loud unless it was before a meal. Jess didn’t pray. He’d stopped a long time ago.

And he was fine with that.

Luke and several of his friends never gave up though. They asked him to come to church all the time. And every once in a while he went so they would feel better. But it didn’t feel right to him, knowing how much resentment about his past he had buried inside of him. He didn’t let his past affect him in many ways, but church was a hard fit.

Attractive to him as she was, Gabi’s front-and-center faith had him backtracking.

Besides, he had a gut feeling that once she found out he wasn’t sold on Jesus like she was, two things could happen. One, she’d want nothing to do with him even if she was attracted to him. Or two, she would make him her project, deciding she needed to “fix” him.

He was fine the way he was and didn’t need, or want to be, fixed! Nope, that idea didn’t sit well at all. Matter of fact, Jess figured the best course of action would be to steer clear of Gabi altogether, which was one more good reason to hope his cattle hadn’t contracted anything that would require a lot of interaction with the vet clinic—or Gabi.

He needed favorable test results. He did not need Gabi out here testing cattle, drawing blood or trying to help him in any way.

Watching her drive off, he felt a pang of regret…she was like a ray of sunshine. Even mad at him. That made him smile.

Yup. He needed healthy cattle.

And he needed to steer clear of Gabi Newberry.

* * *

“I think it’s a plant.”

“A plant?” Gabi was changing the dressing on Peanut’s wound when Susan came through the swinging door from the front of the clinic. Despite the painful wound, the colt was doing great. It wasn’t every animal that would allow people to touch it after experiencing such a traumatic injury. Especially a vicious attack like Peanut had endured. “That could be good or bad. What are your thoughts?”

Gabi ran a gentle hand along Peanut’s flank before stepping out of the stall. She’d had Jess on her mind more than she’d wanted to. She’d been worrying about him and his ranch—after what Susan had told her, Gabi couldn’t stand the thought of something bad being wrong with his cattle and them all dying and leaving him and his brothers in a financial bind. She’d tried to be mad at him when she’d gone to take the blood samples, but she’d been unable to maintain her ire.

Goodness, when the man turned those silky brown eyes on her, it was kinda hard to stay mad. It was maddening, really.

Susan crossed her arms and leaned against the stall gate, checking out the colt’s condition as she spoke. “I found that the liver values showed there was damage. I’m fairly certain that’s what it is. But we both know that I can’t be sure what kind of plant specifically without seeing the contents of the dead animal’s stomach. That’ll show what the cattle have eaten, and we can quickly get to the bottom of this if we got there in time. We don’t want any more of Jess’s livestock to die, so we are going to pray that we’re able to locate the plant culprit and solve the issue before any more life is lost.”

Just as Gabi had thought! “I agree,” she said, hoping on the one hand she’d be sent to test, and on the other hand wishing she wouldn’t. “So do you need me to find it?” she asked. There was no way Susan had time to traipse about Jess’s pasture in search of a poisonous plant. The array of deadly plants and weeds was big, especially in drought conditions when weeds tended to pop up and good grasses were eaten down. It could be something hard to find. Plus, Susan knew Gabi had experience with this.

Susan nodded. “That’s exactly what I need you to do. So grab a sample box and get out there to Jess’s pastures and find any poisonous plant you can.”

Hope and purpose filled Gabi—and yes, anticipation of seeing Jess Holden again. But she had a job to do and if she did it well, she might be able to prevent any more of Jess’s cattle from dying. “I’ll get right to it!”

“Love your attitude,” Susan said, heading back toward the office. “I’ll contact Jess and tell him you’re heading his way. I know he’ll be excited.”

Gabi laughed because she wasn’t so sure about that. She was fairly certain Jess would rather have Susan on the case, but hopefully he’d trust Gabi enough to give her a chance.

She ignored the excitement she felt at seeing him again. She was going to have to get a cap on that unwanted emotion. She was here in Mule Hollow to draw closer to God, and that had nothing whatsoever to do with a man. She was excited about getting to be a blessing to someone, anyone. That someone might just be Jess Holden.

Chapter Four

“There’s some.” Gabi pointed from the seat of his truck the a small patch of purple flowering weeds.

“Vetch,” Jess said, shocked she was pointing at the very common weed here in Texas pastures. The list of plants that could have killed the heifers was long, but her pointing to vetch took him by surprise, as did her excitement about looking for poisonous plants on his ranch. He’d welcomed her enthusiasm for finding the plant that might be responsible for the death of his heifers. The woman had been hard at it from the moment she’d driven up. He was glad for the help but trying not to let his thoughts linger too long on how cute she was. She was there to help him out. And he was glad of it. But this? Vetch? It was everywhere. If it was poisonous, then he felt pretty stupid.

“Yes, hairy vetch is a very poisonous plant when it wants to be.”

“Seriously? I’ve never heard of vetch killing cattle. It’s a good, nutritious feed source.”

“Most of the time it’s a great food source. Stop here and let me get a sample. See, vetch is a real tricky little plant. You can graze cattle on it forever and never have a problem and then one day, boom—you’ve got sick cattle. Dead cattle.”

“How have I not known this?”

She laughed. “You aren’t stupid. It’s a sneaky plant. It also just affects dark-skinned animals, like your Angus and Angus mixes.”

“That’s weird. What does it do?”

“It causes skin lesions around the head and the neck area, and also the tailhead.”

“I didn’t notice that on the heifers that died.”

“I didn’t notice it on any of the cattle you brought up for testing either. This is definitely not your culprit. But I’m getting samples of everything I see. Who knows, we could be surprised. There are some worse symptoms from vetch that you would have noticed, far more obvious alerts that something was wrong.”

Floored, Jess listened to her finish talking about the symptoms this plant could cause in his cattle. He had to admit that he was impressed. She knew her stuff.

Full speed ahead, she hopped from the truck and took some plastic baggies with her. He followed, watching as she snipped different plants and placed them in bags. Hands on his hips, he stared at his pasture with renewed wariness and wondered what other toxic plants he might be harboring right beneath his nose that he was clueless about.

“Stop feeling bad about not realizing vetch is a toxic plant,” Gabi said, reading his mind as she squinted up at him in the late afternoon sun. “There’s only about a hundred known toxic plants in Texas alone. It’s not like you’d know them all. And, believe me, you’d be surprised by some of them. Some ranchers know a few, but honestly, not many ranchers would know them all. That’s what makes this so difficult. Some mimic others and some are toxic only under certain conditions.”

She was close enough that he could see the tiny iridescent dark blue specks rimming her sparkling green eyes. Her eyes were incredible. He couldn’t stop staring. This need to look at Gabi Newberry had to be curbed.

“How did you get to be so smart?” Lame question, Holden. “Did they teach you that in tech school?”

“Are you kidding? Susan’s the vet, and even she has to pull out books and do a search to figure out which one it could be.”

“So what you’re telling me is you’re extremely smart and you just know all this stuff about toxic plants that you’ve been rattling off to me.” That got him a big laugh and a wave of her blunt-cut nails.

“No, no. I’m no brain. Me, I’m an in-the-trenches kinda gal. You know, I have to do the grunt work, get my hands dirty and learn things that way.”

That made him smile. “So how do you know this?”

She shrugged. “One of the places I worked my first year on the job had a major problem. Cattle were dropping left and right. It was a terrible thing. It took us weeks and a ton of dead livestock before we found out what the problem was. Turned out it was a combination of two things, not just toxic plants. That was what had everyone turned around so we couldn’t figure it out. Plain bad coincidence that there was a fungus in the feed they were buying and a Tarweed plant problem at the same time.”

“So you spent a lot of hours in the pastures taking samples.”

“You got it. And more time pouring through books and on the internet researching symptoms. Plants are really, really hard to diagnose. That’s why Susan thought I could at least come on out to see what the obvious plants could be that might be your problem. Not super smart, just super tenacious. I don’t tend to give up if I’m on a project.”

“I’m impressed.”

“Don’t be. Not one thing here to be impressed about. I’m a fairly stupid person. My past speaks loud and clear.”

That made him even more curious about her past, but he didn’t pry. “I am impressed and grateful too for your help. If it had been one cow, it could have been anything. But four at one time worries me that they could all drop dead by morning.”

“Then let’s get busy. Show me where the cows were found and let’s search those areas first. Chances are if it was toxic plants, the poisoning happened over a period of time. But it also could have been almost immediate. If so, we are on a race against time. Who knows, maybe we’ll catch a break and figure it out immediately.”

Jess had a bad feeling that wasn’t going to happen as he led the way back to the truck and they headed toward the pasture where he’d found the dead cattle.

Soon as he stopped, Gabi went to work. He tagged along beside her. They talked plants for a while and then took some samples.

“Why did you decide to move here?” Jess asked, filling the silence that settled between them when they were again in the truck. He glanced at her as he drove through one gate toward the back pasture where the cattle had been grazing.

“To be near my Gram. And God. Oh, wow, do I have a lot of catching up to do between me and God. And that is what I’m here for. Tell me about you, Jess,” she said, looking serious. “You and your brothers own this wonderful place. So you ranch all the time?”

“This ranch is what I do with my brothers. My business is I buy and transport cattle for myself and others. That income supplements this ranch. The same goes for Luke. He has his rodeo stock. I’m just as worried about his stock as I am our cattle. He’s got a full schedule lined up for them and if we’ve got something infectious going on, then this isn’t good.”

“I’m trying to be positive here, but truth is either way it could be bad.” She didn’t mince words, he liked that, but she gave him a reassuring smile. “On the other hand, it could also be okay. And we know that. So let’s concentrate on figuring this out. The rodeo stock is kept separate from your livestock, right?”

“Right.” He pulled the truck to a stop where another one of the cows had been found.

“It’s not going to be bad. God’s going to come through on this. We just have to do our part to figure it out. Right?”

Jess didn’t answer her question as she hopped from the truck. Pausing with her hand on the door, she cocked her head to the side. “Right?” she clarified. “You do believe that God’s got this figured out, don’t you?”

Jess frowned, not exactly sure how to answer the perky vet tech. When was the last time God ever took care of anything where he was concerned? Unfortunately, that wasn’t exactly the answer a newfound Christian gal with an enthusiastic heart for God wanted to hear. So, he kept his mouth shut.

* * *

Saturday evening Gabi went to Bible study at Norma Sue’s. Gram was there, plus Esther Mae and several couples around her age. She knew many of them from her visits, but there were several that had moved to Mule Hollow who she didn’t know. A really sweet couple sat beside her. Stacy and Emmitt were shy but nice. Roy Don, Norma Sue’s husband led the study on being a good steward with your life. That really hit home for Gabi, since she was trying hard to be responsible. Attending Bible study on a Saturday night was a big step—it was certainly different from hitting the bars and waking up with a booming headache.

Yes, life was different.

Life was better.

She thought about her friends back in Austin who she and Phillip had hung out with almost every night. Most of them had been musicians like Phillip, playing hard both on stage and off. Not all of them were out of control. Some of them were responsible and knew when to say no to another drink. She hadn’t been one of them. And it had really scared her. If she hadn’t woke up when she did, giving up alcohol wouldn’t have been as easy. Without God’s help, she wasn’t sure if she could have at all. There wasn’t a day that went by that she didn’t think about it. Keeping busy and studying the Bible was helping.

She listened intently as different people talked about what they’d done to use God’s gifts in their lives responsibly. She took mental notes and kept her mouth shut. She hadn’t talked to anyone about her past, and she didn’t plan on doing it any time soon. She didn’t feel like opening up about all of her mistakes. Talk about embarrassing. Sure, she’d insinuated a few things to Jess about her life. But then she’d caught herself and hadn’t revealed too much.

Nothing about how really out of control she’d been…what would people think of her if they knew?

Nope, she was here to move forward. Not to look back and be judged by her past.

There was nothing wrong with a girl wanting her privacy. Nothing at all.

Chapter Five

Sunday morning brought a big smile to Gabi’s heart as she rolled over in bed and stared out the window from her room in Gram’s house. Breathing in the scent of lemon wax and rose petals, she stretched slowly, taking advantage of the last few minutes before she sprang out of bed.

When Gram had married Sam she’d chosen to move from the small house she’d lived in for years, which happened to be beside the large family home that Adela had grown up in. She’d turned that spacious treasure into an apartment house. The grand old house sat on Main Street at the entrance of town with its wide porches, majestic turrets and many, many memories from Gabi’s childhood. It was here that her faith had been grounded by both Gram and her mother. She’d no excuse for turning her back on God.

Beside it, though she’d moved to Sam’s home in the country, Adela had kept her small home—just in case family came to visit or wanted to move home. She’d insisted that Gabi live here. Staring out the window, Gabi could see a red bird sitting on the rain gutter. Joy filled her. She loved her life and was so thankful just to be living the opportunity she’d been given. She was home in so many ways than the obvious.

She dressed quickly, yanking on an old pair of jeans and an oversized green T-shirt. She tugged her boots on, then headed out the door. She had animals to tend at the clinic before getting ready for church.

The clinic was quiet as she unlocked the door and entered. From the back, the colt nickered. Knowing she was going to help the hurting animal renewed Gabi’s certainty that she was doing what she was supposed to do with her life.

“Hey, Peanut,” she said, softly. He ambled up and watched her open the gate and enter his stall. Gabi ran her hand over the silken star on his forehead, enjoying the trust in his eyes.

“You’re going to be okay, boy,” she assured him, then gently she began cleaning his wound. She loved that she could help hurting animals heal. She also liked knowing she could help animal owners too…. Jess came instantly to mind.

The handsome cowboy had been in her thoughts all night. Even after she’d left the ranch, she’d spent time digging through her book of toxic plants. But that wasn’t the one thing she was thinking about. It was his reaction to her talking about God.

He’d sidestepped her attempt at getting him to agree that God had the situation under control. She was certain he’d purposefully began talking about plants in order to not talk about God. Why?

Peanut flinched as she rubbed salve on his wound. “Sorry, fella,” she apologized. “Why wouldn’t Jess want to talk about God, huh, Peanut? I mean, ever since asking God into my life, I like to talk about Him.” It was a relationship and she wanted to get closer to Him.

After she finished with the colt, she checked the other patients then hurried back home, showered and dressed. There were several groups of people standing around on the grass in front of the white plank building when Gabi arrived at the Mule Hollow Church of Faith. She loved the steep rooftop and tall white steeple of the church. Though it was a typical country church, it had stood the test of time well. There could be no doubt in anyone’s mind that this house of God was well cared for and had been built on a solid foundation. Just looking at it gave Gabi a sense of peace and excitement at the same time. She had a smile on her face as she hurried from her old truck and headed toward her friends.

Life was good. How could it get any better?

“Ain’t you a pretty sight this morning,” Applegate Thornton boomed, loud enough for everyone within a mile radius to hear. Skinny as a man could be and not break in half, his seemingly perpetual frown lifted in a smile.

Gabi beamed at his good-natured greeting. “Why, thank you, Mr. Applegate.” She’d pulled on a white blouse and a red skirt with white sandals and was feeling fresh and summery. After wearing jeans and boots at work all week, it was fun to be a little girly. “Even a tomboy like me enjoys frilling up at least once a week.”

“You done good,” Stanley Orr added, almost as loud as his buddy App. His cherry cheeks beamed. The two men were in their late seventies, hard of hearing and retired. They could be found most mornings frowning over a game of checkers at Sam’s Diner. Gabi usually saw them when she stopped in for her morning coffee. She enjoyed giving them a hard time and they relished throwing it right back at her and everyone else who stopped in. They were certainly part of Mule Hollow’s charm.

Before she could say more, Esther Mae and Norma Sue hurried over.

“That’s some hat, Esther Mae.” Gabi was unable to take her eyes off the multicolored monstrosity. There were feathers and flowers erupting all over the place. It looked like a flower arrangement that had had a head-on collision with several flocks of birds.

“Thank you. Joseph had a coat of many colors and I have a hat of many colors. Don’t you just love it!”

Norma Sue grunted. “If Joseph’s coat was as gosh-awful as that hat, then it’s no wonder his brothers sold him off to Egypt. Just shows you that God will use anything to accomplish His will.”

Esther Mae harrumphed and hiked her chin in the air. “They were jealous of his coat.” She patted her feathers and gave her friend a teasing grin. “You can’t have it, Norma Sue, get your own.”

“My own! We can only hope it’s one of a kind.”

Gabi laughed, “Y’all never stop.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” App boomed. Giving them a sour look, he shook his head then addressed Gabi again. “I was about ta ask you—before we were inter-rupted.” He gave them another hard look for good measure. “What’d ya find out at Jess’s place yesterday about his cattle?”

“That’s what we came to ask about, too,” Esther Mae said, turning serious. “Did you find a poisonous plant killing all his cattle?”

News sure did travel fast. She hadn’t told her Gram, so how had they all found out about this? “I was just out there looking—and before y’all get all up in a tizzy, it was only four heifers.”

Stanley looked shocked. “Four’s enough, but I heard it was more on the lines of ten.”

“I don’t know where you’re getting your information but it was only four.”

“For now,” App said, sounding dire. “I shor hope you find the plant.”

“We don’t know for certain that it is a plant. Susan suspects it from the blood work she’s seen, and wanted me to get more information on it.”

That had them all bursting into advice on the various toxic plants that they were aware of in the county. Several other people stopped by to join in on the conversation. Gabi listened, taking in every bit of knowledge she could gleam from the folks who knew this area best. It was not to be taken lightly.

They were all talking when suddenly Norma Sue elbowed Esther Mae so hard her hat slid forward. She nodded toward the parking lot and everyone, including Gabi, turned to see what had Norma Sue’s mouth hanging open. It was Jess.

* * *

Half the front lawn of the church turned to look at Jess as he walked across the parking lot. Glancing at his watch, he knew he’d hit the time between Sunday school and church services. Normally when he came, he timed it so he got there right before Adela started playing the piano and everyone was already inside the church. Today he’d rushed it just a little.

His gaze was drawn instantly to Gabi standing among the group. Her blond hair sparkled in the sun like it always did. It was the first time he’d seen it hanging free of the ponytail she usually wore and it really caught the sun this way. She was in a skirt. It was red, and swung around her calves, very feminine. He had half expected her to be in her jeans, and was surprised and pleased to see her like this. And that was the reason he was about to get himself in trouble. Because half the congregation knew what had brought him out this morning. That was the reason, instead of going into the sanctuary when Adela had clearly begun to play the piano, they were still watching him.

He was asking for trouble, stirring up talk by showing up at church for the first time all summer. They all knew why he’d come.

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