Page 9 of Falling For Her Cowboy (Silver Creek Ranch #9)

She didn’t want to come off as if she couldn’t hold her own with them.

This was a momentary lapse, and she’d get through it.

She inhaled and offered a small smile. She snagged the next container and walked over to the gate.

Ridge’s gaze swept her again. There was something in his eyes she couldn’t read.

As if satisfied with what he saw, he turned to the chute.

Trent and Ethan worked on bringing the next cow over for its sample.

They all worked together, and pretty soon they had gathered all the samples from the targets from the list and a few extra.

Ridge was very thorough when it came to his job.

Melah made sure that everything was properly labeled, and she even had notes from comments Ridge had spoken jotted down on the notepad.

Ridge’s job actually had her interest piqued.

She hadn’t thought too much about what career she’d try to enter now she was out of the service.

She’d thought about moving back home with her father and enrolling in school.

It would be completely paid for by the government.

She knew plenty of soldiers who’d obtained their degrees either before entering the service or while they were serving.

Melah had taken a few classes online while enlisted, but she hadn’t truly found something that held her attention.

“Thanks for the help. This went much faster than I thought it would,” Ridge announced.

“Not a problem, as long as you were the one doing the shit collecting.” Trent moved toward Ethan and jerked his head at the empty troughs. “Let’s get them fed and watered before we leave.”

Melah figured she’d help the guys. She looked down at her watch. It was almost time for her to get off work. She’d been up and out on the ranch before dawn. She hadn’t gotten much sleep. Not that she needed much.

“How long until you get the results back?” Buck asked.

“Should be a few days. I’ll make it an urgent request so we can know for sure. If it’s something contagious, we’ll have to alert the neighboring ranches,” Ridge said.

“I know.” Buck nodded.

“What would be the best-case scenario?” Melah got to thinking that it wasn’t uncommon to have diarrhea here and there.

Everyone had it once in a while. She’d hate to think that everyone would go see a doctor with each bout.

What if the cows had some bad feed? Or tainted water?

Or ate each other’s shit, because she’d seen that before.

“If it had to be anything, I’m hoping not contagious, and something that could be treated with a simple round of antibiotics. If that’s the case, we’ll treat the entire herd to make sure they’re all good,” Ridge said.

“And worse-case?” she asked.

“The entire herd comes down with a deadly disease that will wipe them all out,” he replied grimly.

Silence fell between them. Melah hoped the cattle would be okay. She may not know the business side of a cattle ranch, but she could imagine an entire herd dying from a disease would be costly for Andy.

“Thanks for coming out again, Ridge. I better go. The day’s not quite over for me yet.” Buck nodded to her and Ridge then walked toward his horse.

Melah moved over to the gate and leaned her arms on it. The sounds of the cow grunts and moos filled the air. Trent and Ethan went around and ensured the water was filled to the brim and the food barrels were full.

Ridge came to stand by her without a word.

The sun was still high. The warmth beat down on her.

She needed a hot shower. A trail of sweat slid down the center of her back.

She tried to not look over at Ridge, but her body was responding to him standing so close to her.

She tried to will her heart rate to slow down.

How was the man pushing instruments into a cow one moment, then able to still smell so damn good?

“How did you know you wanted to be a vet?” She peeked over at him and found his attention off in the distance.

The Silver Creek Ranch was an alluring spread with ample rolling hills and flat land.

She’d already explored it several times with Daisy and hadn’t found a spot that wasn’t appealing.

He and his brother had been lucky growing up here.

She, on the other hand, had moved around with her father her entire childhood from base to base.

Some were here in the States while others were abroad.

She valued her time with her father, but it would have been nice to have a steady home when she was a kid.

She had gotten used to moving and having to start over with making new friends.

The only steady home she had known was her uncle and aunt’s house.

It wasn’t until she was seventeen that her father had purchased his first home near his brother.

Her Uncle Billy and Aunt Sherrie were her second set of parents.

When her father was deployed, she’d go and stay with them.

There were times he’d been deployed for three to six months, and the longest time she could remember was around eighteen months.

Billy and Sherrie were a blessing. They had opened up their home to her.

Their daughter, Athena, was the best cousin and friend a girl could have.

Athena was one year older than Melah. They’d grown up like sisters. She missed Athena something fierce, and now that she’d thought of her, she made a mental note to call her.

“I’ve known since I was a kid.” Ridge glanced down at his hands at first before looking over at her. “I guess I could say I’m lucky. I wanted to serve my country then I wanted to take care of animals. I’ve gotten to do both.”

“I can tell you really like what you do,” she said softly.

She found herself getting lost in his piercing blue eyes.

They reminded her of a clear sky. Her gaze dropped down to his mouth, and that was a dangerous move.

She swallowed hard and shifted her gaze down.

She didn’t even want to think about his lips on hers or placed anywhere on her body.

“I do. Animals are helpless and depend on us. When they are sick, they need someone to take care of them, or if they need help giving birth, I’m happy to help as well.”

“But when things go wrong, then what?” She brought her eyes back up to his face.

He was staring out at the cattle. She was sure his job wasn’t easy. Even she knew things went wrong with animals who were sick. As much as she had freaked out about Daisy, she was sure some other horse mom wasn’t as lucky.

“Then I want to be there for them still to ensure they pass as humanely as possible,” he said.

“Do you lose patients often?” She rested her cheek in her palm. She was truly fascinated with not only the man before her, but with what he did for a living. Not only had he accomplished one goal in life, but he was also fulfilling another one.

While here she was, trying to figure out her second phase in life.

She’d honestly thought she’d have stayed in the Army much longer.

She’d dreamed of going up in rank, but since accusing her staff sergeant of sexual assault, all of that was ruined.

Even though he’d been found guilty, she, the victim, had suffered even more.

She’d heard plenty of times that she should have kept her mouth shut. That she could have transferred out. What really pissed her off were those who’d tried to say she was the one who’d instigated the entire scheme.

That cut her deep.

What drove home the knife in her heart was that Pierce, the man she had been set to marry, believed she was having an affair with Theo and she’d got caught.

She swallowed hard and blinked a few times.

Her hand curled up in a fist as the memory of that argument surfaced.

“Are you shitting me?” she screamed.

“You’re gone all the time. I go days, maybe even weeks without hearing from you. If I’m the man you love, then why is that?” Pierce folded his arms.

Her mouth dropped open at his accusation.

“What don’t you get about being deployed?

I was in the fucking desert. Enemy territory.

Guns getting shoved in my face, and you are worried about me cheating on you?

” She had been deployed for six months and had recently come home.

When she should be getting comfort from her man after she’d officially filed her complaint against Theo, this was what she was met with.

“It happens all the time,” he snarled.

“Do you even know me? You know I’ve been faithful to you.”

“How do I?”

Melah blinked and shook off the memory. Pierce was a piece of shit. His true colors had come out that day, and she was so thankful she’d seen them then. It had hurt to have the man—one she’d thought loved her—abandon her almost immediately when things got tough.

According to Athena, she’d dodged a bullet.

“More than I like,” he murmured.

Melah couldn’t help but feel her heart tug at the sound of Ridge’s voice.

There was a pure sadness in the tone. He deserved to go out and be treated with a good meal.

It was the least she could do for him for looking after Daisy.

Dropping food off to him wouldn’t do. She turned to him and drew up her big girl panties.

“Are you available for a bite to eat tonight? I don’t want you to think I forgot about paying you for your trouble last night.”

He smirked and glanced over at her. Those blue eyes of his captured her again. That fluttering in her stomach reappeared. She’d never experienced this sensation before. There was something about Ridge.

This was not going to be a date.

It’s payment.

Keep your focus, woman .

“I am available.”

“Well, you pick out the place and I’ll treat.

” She stood to her full height, which didn’t do much.

She was five foot six, and standing next to Ridge made her appear to be much shorter.

He had to be about six one or two. She didn’t think she’d ever taken a man out to eat before.

Grabbing food in the barracks didn’t count when it was her and friends.

Again, this was not a date. This would be no different than her going out to grab a bite to eat with her friend, Issac. That goofball never let her pay. Even when it was his birthday and they had met up in his hometown of Dallas last year, he’d refused to allow her to open her purse.

“Mind if I drive?” Ridge arched an eyebrow at her while that devilish smile of his lingered.

She squeezed her legs together. Her core clenched at the heat that appeared in his gaze as it swept over her again. She may be getting in over her head with this one.

One dinner. That was it. She could handle this. Maybe they could even become friends. She hadn’t come here to hook up with anyone, but developing a friendship with others on the ranch wasn’t a bad idea.

“I guess I could let you.” She shrugged. She was still learning the town, so it would probably be best he did drive.

“Be ready at six.” He pushed off the gate and snagged his bag from the ground.

He ambled away from her, and she couldn’t tear her eyes off his ass if she tried.

Damn Wranglers and how well they looked on sexy cowboys.

She was sure they were the death of women everywhere.