Page 45 of Marrying a Cowboy

He held up his hand to stop her. His jaw muscles were twitching. “The problem is, every band we cut loose will enable the animal to move more. She’ll try to pull away once she feels the pressurerelease.”

Emma studied him. Was he asking her opinion or was he just working the ideas out in his mind? She decided it was probably best to allow him to keep talking tohimself.

He stopped and then moved closer to the animal. “I’m just going to have to go for it.” Grabbing the wire cutters in both hands, he approached the cow. She protested and shifted as he gotcloser.

Helpless, Emma watched as he moved closer to the animal. Once he reached it, he laid his hand on its back and spook under his breath. Emma studied his lips, wondering what it was that he was saying. The cow stilled as she turned her ear closer to him. He methodically rubbed his hand on herback.

“Come here,” he said, nodding towardEmma.

She hesitated and then moved closer tohim.

“Stay away from her hooves but I need to you rub her back and tell her everything is going to be okay.” He moved his hand out of the way as he motioned at her to take hisplace.

Emma sucked in her breath as she rested her hand on the animal’s shoulder. The muscle was tight, and the hind was rough. Emma hadn’t expectedthat.

“Are you sure this is going to be okay?” she asked, glancing over athim.

Austin met her gaze. There was a look of uncertainty but then he nodded. “Yes. We’ll befine.”

Emma nodded. If she were honest with herself, she believed him. Her heart swelled with trust. If he had confidence in her that she could do it, then she could doit.

She stared whispering soothing things under her breath as she inched closer to the animal. She felt Austin’s gaze leave her face and turned to focus on the wire wrapped around the animal’s shoulders. He readied the wire cutters and then turned toher.

“Step back,” hesaid.

Emma removed her hand and did as heasked.

In one swift moment, Austin cut the first wire. The tension was released and the wire sprung from off its body. As if sensing a moment of freedom, the cow mooed andjolted.

“Again,” hesaid.

Emma’s heart was pounding as she inched closer to the franticanimal.

“It’s okay. It’s okay. We’re going to help you,” she said, keeping her voice as calm as shecould.

As she reached out her hand and rested it on the animal, it’s movements slowed again. A feeling of satisfaction rushed through her. She could do this. Maybe a life at Austin’s ranch was possible. Sure, she felt out of her element. But she cared about Austin and if he was willing to take a chance on her, why wouldn’t she do thesame?

As the animal stilled, she glanced over at Austin who was watching her. She smiled at him. How could she tell him that this life might be a possibility? That together, they would make a greatteam.

“This one’s a little deeper,” he said, as he gingerly rubbed his hand across thelaceration.

Emma nodded and stepped closer to the animal. It was being so brave. It’s chocolate brown eyes glanced over at her. She felt a kindred spirit to this animal. It was so hard living a life in the unknown. Here, this animal had no idea what was going on, just like she lived in uncertainty with her love life, her job, and pretty much every relationship she’d everhad.

Except with Austin. With him, she was pretty clear about what she wanted. And for the first time, she let herself say the words in hermind.

I loveAustin.

That was it. There was nothing else. Those three little words were all she needed. Everything else faded to the background. She loved him. Watching him out here, trying to save this animal just reaffirmed how much she cared about him. How much she didn’t want to leave. Her heart swelled with the thoughts that raced through hermind.

Right now, they’d free this animal and then, she’d tell him how she felt. That she didn’t want to leave. That a life here in Montana living on his ranch was all sheneeded.

“Get ready to step back,” Austinsaid.

Emmanodded.

He readied the cutters and then nodded in her direction. She stepped back and watched as he dug the cutters into the skin and snipped the wire. It sprang back, whipping inches from herface.

Out of instinct, sheducked.

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