Fighting Love for the Cowboy (A Moose Falls Romance Book 1) Read online

  “She’s auditing my Pop’s farm,” he said, shoving his hands into his front pockets. In those five little words, all the feelings of frustration came rushing back to him. She was here to take away his farm. Something he’d been working like a dog to save.

  “Oh.” An uncomfortable look passed across Austin’s face. “I’m sorry.”

  The air became awkward around them. The need to get out of the room caused Sean to clap Austin on the shoulder. “Ready to get out of here?” Right now, he needed to work and not think.

  Austin nodded. “Yeah. Let’s go.” He stepped toward the staircase. “Em?” he called.

  A few seconds later, Emma appeared at the top of the stairs. She had on her bathrobe. “Yeah?”

  “This is Christine. She’s with Sean. Can she hang with you while we go brand some cattle?”

  Emma smiled down at them. “Sure. Come on up.” She waved her hand toward Christine. “I’m getting ready and with this giant stomach, it takes me ten times as long.”

  Christine hesitated, her gaze falling to Sean. He nodded and motioned for her to move. “Go ahead. I know it looks like she could devour you, but she won’t.”

  “Whack him for me, Austin.”

  Austin turned and punched him in the shoulder.

  “Ouch,” Sean said, moving away to rub his shoulder.

  Christine held up her hands. “I’m going before this turns into a brawl.”

  Sean nodded. “Probably a good idea. I’d wipe the floor with him.”

  Austin raised his eyebrows. “Them are fighting words.”

  Christine was halfway up the stairs, so Sean turned and stuck out his hand. “Truce?”

  Austin nodded. “Truce.” They shook, and then Austin waved toward the door. “Let’s go get this done.”

  Chapter Six

  Christine

  Christine sat on the arm chair, feeling awkward. She almost wanted to ask Emma if she should wait for her downstairs, but from the smiles that Emma was giving her she didn’t have the heart. Maybe this was customary in Montana. She didn’t want to be rude so she remained in the corner of Emma’s room while she hurried around, getting ready. Well, hurried as much as a gigantic pregnant woman could.

  Emma paused and smiled over at her. “How do you know Sean?” she asked, as she pulled out some concealer.

  “I’m—well, I’m with the IRS.” Why did she feel that, as soon as she spoke those words, she would be chased from the house? Those three little letters seemed to be the equivalent of a swear word in Montana.

  Emma lowered her hand. “Oh, really? For the Petty ranch?”

  Christine shifted against the chair. “Yeah.”

  She sucked in her breath. “That has to be hard.” She returned to her make-up. “Although, it does explain the business suit.” She waved toward Christine’s clothes. “Those don’t really speak to a rancher.”

  Christine laughed. “Me? A rancher? No. I rode on Sean’s horse yesterday and that’s about all I know about a farm or a ranch.”

  Emma lowered her hand as she glanced over at Christine. She was quiet as she studied her. “You know, I felt that way as well. But. . .” She pulled out a brush and rubbed some powder on her face. “There’s something about a Montana man that pulls you in and doesn’t let you go.”

  “Seems like it,” Christine nodded toward Emma’s stomach.

  She nodded as she reached down and patted it. “I was convinced that I wasn’t going to fall for the wiles of a cowboy and now look at me. I’m a house.”

  Fall for the wiles of a cowboy? Christine swallowed. That was not what she wanted to be thinking about right now. She was here for her job and that was it. There was no way she could make Montana anything but that.

  She pushed her hands through her hair and winced. She was in desperate need of a shower. Problem was, she had no idea when that was going to happen.

  Emma closed her makeup case and stepped away from her dresser. “All right. Let’s get you changed ‘cause there is no way you want to do what we are going to do in that get up.”

  Christine studied her suit and heels. “What are we going to do?”

  Emma smiled. “You just wait and see.” She pulled open a drawer and rifled around in it. She turned back around with a plaid shirt and jeans. “Here.”

  Christine stood and took them. “Are you sure?”

  “Definitely. It’s not like I can wear them right now.”

  “Thanks.” She glanced at the clothes and then back up, hoping what she was about to ask didn’t come off as creepy. “Do you think I could take a shower here?”

  Emma nodded. “Of course.” She waved for Christine to follow her.

  After Emma showed her how to turn on the water, she hung a dry towel on a hook and left. Christine slipped out of her day-old clothes and got in, the hot water hitting her muscles and relaxing her.

  Fifteen minutes later, she pulled open the bathroom door, feeling clean and rejuvenated. Even though she’d showered at the motel last night, wearing her sweaty clothes didn’t make her feel very refreshed. This was exactly what she’d needed. She was surprised to find that not only did Emma’s clothes fit her like a glove, they were comfortable—soft and worn in.

  Emma was nowhere to be found on the upper level, so Christine made her way to the kitchen, where she found Emma with four huge bottles. She was filling them with powder and then with water.

  “Getting ready for the baby early?” Christine asked as she slipped onto one of the stools that was pushed up next to the bar.

  Emma jumped and turned around. “You scared me,” she said, holding her hand to her heart.

  “Sorry.” That was the last thing Christine needed. Scaring a baby right out of Emma.

  She waved her comment away. “It’s no biggie. I’m a naturally jumpy person. You should see me with Disney movies.”

  Christine laughed. She liked Emma. There was a down-to-earth quality to her that told Christine they could definitely be friends. As she watched Emma screw on a nipple, she stood. “Do you need some help?”

  Emma nodded. “Sure. The little guys have a hard time waiting.”

  Christine walked over and stood there, not sure what to do.

  “Grab the powder and fill the other bottles. Two scoops.”

  Christine did as Emma instructed. “What is this for?”

  After the bottles were filled and the nipples secured, Emma grabbed one in each arm and nodded to the other two. “If you grab those and follow me, you’ll see.”

  Christine cradled each in the crook of her arm and followed Emma over to the door.

  “Slip on a pair of my boots,” Emma said, nodding toward the cowboy boots.

  When they were ready, Emma balanced a bottle on her hip as she turned the handle of the door and pulled it open. “Come on,” she called over her shoulder.

  Christine kept pace with her as they made their way down the porch steps and across the lawn. When they reached the barn, Emma opened the door, and the smell of animals and hay wafted out.

  “The boys’ll clean the stalls out when they get back, so it’s a little stinky in here. But wait until you see what’s waiting for us.” She made her way over toward the back of the barn.

  The sound of mooing could be heard from where Christine stood. It wasn’t the same animal sounds she remembered from the local zoo. It was softer. Like a baby.

  Emma stopped and moved out of her line of vision. There, on the other side of the gate was a tiny black cow. It was sticking its nose above the top rung and its giant tongue was sticking out of its mouth. Its wide brown eyes stared at them. When it saw the bottle, it mooed again.

  “Oh my goodness,” Christine said, setting the bottles down and reaching out to pat its fur. It wasn’t the same hide that she remembered from the adult cow she petted last year when she went to the farm with her niece. It was softer.

  “Christine, meet Grouch,” Emma said.

  “Hi, Grouch.”

  The calf mooed in response an
d moved so it could lick her hand.

  “You feed these babies?” she asked, turning to see all the calves that were peeking up over their gates.

  “Yeah. I don’t do branding. I get the best job—loving on these cuties. They’re mommas died in the storm a few months ago. Since then, I’ve taken care of them.” Emma set a bottle down and made her way over to Grouch’s neighbor. She tipped the bottle towards its lips and it happily took it.

  “You wanna feed him?” she asked, nodding toward the bottles.

  Christine wiped her hands on her jeans and reached up to braid her hair. Once it was secure, she grabbed a bottle and nodded. “Of course.” Grouch mooed in protest, and as soon as she tipped the nipple toward him, he sucked it in.

  They stood in silence while the cows drank the milk. She glanced over at Emma who was watching the calf.

  “Are you having fun with Sean?” she asked, her focus remaining on the bottle.

  “Fun?” She wasn’t sure she’d categorize her time with Sean as fun. Confusing, yes. But fun? Was investigating a family for dishonesty fun? No. And the truth was, the longer she spent around Sean, the more confused she got. How was she supposed to go through his records and dig up dirt? Especially when she was also learning that he just might be a good guy.

  “Yeah, Sean’s a great guy. He works hard. Ever since. . .” Her voice trailed off.

  Christine glanced over at her. That was the second person who’d started talking about Sean but then didn’t finish. She wanted to know what he was hiding.

  “Ever since what?”

  Emma patted the calf’s head. “When he was a senior in high school, he was at his grandfather’s ranch helping out. He got kicked by a cow in his right shoulder.”

  Christine winced at the thought. “That had to hurt.”

  “Yeah. Hurt. It also ruined his chances of keeping his scholarship from Purdue. He lost it all.”

  “Scholarship?”

  Emma turned to look at her. “He’s a swimmer—er, was. He hasn’t gotten in the water since then.” She pulled the now empty bottle from the calf, who protested loudly.

  Christine looked down to see that Grouch had emptied his bottle as well. “All because a cow kicked him?”

  Emma set the bottle down on the ground and grabbed a full one. “Yeah. I guess it’s just hard for him. It was all his dad wanted him to do. Go to Purdue and become a lawyer. His dad has a firm in Great Falls. He’d planned on doing it, but then he got hurt. His dad is pretty hard on him because, despite that, he chose the rancher life.”

  Christine studied the opening of the barn. The sky streaked with yellow and orange as the sun began to rise above the horizon. Somewhere out there, Sean was doing whatever ranchers did to brand cows. Personally, she thought it sounded barbaric, and she was glad they were doing it far away from her.

  Emma’s words rolled around in her mind as she thought of Sean’s face. His goofy grin or the way he made her laugh—or scream—caused butterflies to erupt in her stomach. If she were honest with herself, she wanted to see him again. She wanted to talk to him.

  And she wanted him to tell her all the things Emma had told her. She wanted to hear it from him. If that happened, then it meant he trusted her. And for some reason, right now, she wanted him to trust her.

  It wasn’t until after ten that Austin and Sean came pulling up to the house. They were both on four-wheelers and were covered with mud. Christine tried to still her emotions as she followed Emma out of the house and onto the front porch.

  “There’s my loving wife,” Austin said, pulling his helmet off his head and setting it on the four-wheeler. He was up the steps in two seconds and bent down for a kiss.

  Christine dropped her gaze, but not before she snuck a look at Sean. He was watching her but as soon as her gaze met his, he looked away.

  “Did you gals keep busy while we were gone?” Austin asked once he’d righted Emma. He glanced from Christine and then back to his wife.

  “Yep. Christine got to feed the babies for the first time. She’s a natural.” Emma smiled over at her.

  “It’s easy when they are so cute,” Christine said. Heat burned her cheeks as everyone’s attention fell to her.

  “Lunch?” Emma asked, glancing around.

  “We should head back. Christine needs to get started on the audit,” Sean said, stepping forward.

  Right. That was what she was here to do. Not play with calves or get to know Sean’s friends. She was here to audit his grandfather’s farm with the potential of shutting them down. She needed to get her head on straight.

  But as she thought the words, she couldn’t help the feeling of frustration that built up inside of her. Sure, she’d gotten emotionally involved. She was human. She wasn’t a robot just doing what she was told.

  As her gaze met Sean’s, her heart picked up speed. One thing she knew for sure—she would help him in any way she could.

  “Mind if I borrow these clothes?” she asked, waving toward Emma’s shirt and jeans.

  Emma nodded. “Of course not. I’m not going to need them anytime soon.”

  “Thanks.”

  Emma smiled and then reached both arms out and drew her into a hug. “Certainly. Just know, you’re welcome here anytime.”

  Christine pulled back and nodded. “That means a lot.” She liked Emma. A lot. There was something about her that was relatable. Maybe it was the fact that she was an outsider. A person who’d picked Moose Falls as a placed to stay.

  “Ready?” Sean called up to her.

  Christine nodded and headed down the stairs.

  “Oh, before I forget, are you all coming tomorrow? The Tavern is hosting a barn dance,” Emma said as she wiggled her eyebrows at Sean. “You should bring Christine. It would be fun.”

  Christine opened her lips to say that sounded fun, but Sean’s snort cut her words short. “Christine doesn’t want to go to a barn dance. Besides, she has too much to do.” He nodded toward her. “Right?”

  Her chest squeezed at his words. He seemed quick to respond. Did he really not want her to go? She knew that he hated her being here, but she thought that they’d had a connection last night at Susan’s diner. She’d allowed herself to think that perhaps he was seeing her as someone more than the lady who was there to crush his rancher dreams.

  Apparently not. She grabbed her purse and clothes that she’d placed by the front door and then made her way down the porch steps. Sean had already made his way toward his truck and opened his door. Christine waved to Emma and then climbed in after him.

  As he started up his truck and pulled out, Christine let the thought that she’d pushed to the back of her mind resurface. This cowboy would never see her as someone other than the IRS lady. The one to come and shut down his ranch.

  And no matter how much she wanted to get to know him, that was just one obstacle that he wouldn’t be able to get past. She should stop hoping and just focus on the audit. It was the smartest thing she could do. For her job and Sean.

  And her sanity. But that wasn’t a thought she was going to allow right now. Not if she wanted to leave Moose Falls, unaffected by its charms.

  Chapter Seven

  Sean

  Sean kept his focus on the road and not on Christine, who sat quietly next to him. She seemed preoccupied, keeping her gaze outside of the truck.

  When he’d pulled the four-wheeler up to Austin’s house and seen Christine in the plaid shirt and jeans standing next to Emma, his heart had about stopped. She looked so at ease. Like she belonged there. And for a moment, he’d wondered what it would feel like if she was there for him. And not for the audit.

  But then reality raced back, sending his thoughts to a screeching halt.

  Feeling stupid, he gripped the steering wheel and narrowed his eyes. How could he let this woman distract him like this? She was the last person in the world that he should be having those thoughts about. It must be exhaustion that was clouding his mind. That was all.

  “Have
fun with Emma?” he asked. He needed to do something to keep his mind busy. Especially since it kept slipping back to how amazing she had looked when her gaze had fallen on him. How her nose had crinkled and a small dimple appeared next to her pink lips as she smiled at him from the porch. And how much his head hurt, as he tried to figure out what that all meant.

  She sighed next to him. The sound was soft and feminine but was enough to bring him back to reality. “It was amazing. Emma is awesome.” She paused, and from the corner of his eye, he could see her turn and look at him. “Thanks for introducing me to her. I’m starting to see. . .” Her voice trailed off as she turned her attention back out the window.

  Why hadn’t she finished her sentence? He leaned closer to her. Had he missed the rest of it? “Starting to see what?” He glanced over at her to see that her gaze had dropped to her hands in her lap.

  “Why this is such an amazing place.”

  His heart swelled as he clenched his jaw. She thought Moose Falls was amazing? “Really?”

  Christine peered over at him. “The people are nice. It’s small and homey. I can see why you like it.”

  He cleared his throat, hoping to dispel the emotions that seemed as if they were choking him. For as much backlash as he got from his family about staying, it felt strange to hear someone understand why. Especially from an outsider. She was a city girl, but she had witnessed what Moose Falls had to offer.

  “Yeah. And can you see why I don’t want to leave?” He studied her, hoping she’d understand his meaning.

  Christine met his gaze and nodded. “Yeah. I can see that.”

  He swallowed again as he drew his attention back to the road. Fifteen minutes later, Christine’s rental car came into view. Thomas, the town’s tow-truck driver, was walking around the car and hooking it up. Sean pulled in behind it, grateful for the opportunity to get out of the truck. He needed some space from Christine right now. She was confusing him, and it made him feel uncomfortable.

  When Christine moved to unbuckle her seatbelt, Sean put up his hand. “I’ll grab it.”