Page 20 of Waiting for the Rancher
Another caress—this one on her forehead—drew her further into wakefulness. Her lashes fluttered up to find a broad form bent over her—long denim-clad legs, a heavy duster coat over a muscular body, and a handsome scruff-covered face.
It was Maverick. He was holding a steaming mug in one hand, and with the other he was touching her face, his finger drawing a soft line down her temple and then her cheek. His blue eyes were darker than she’d ever seen them, lingering over her face, almost as if he’d been enjoying watching her sleep.
She lifted her lashes more fully and peered up at his handsome features—squared jaw covered in a layer of dark scruff, bronzed cheeks and nose, and prominent chin that showed his strength. As if that weren’t enough, his heart-stopping grin fell into place, making her stomach tumble head over heels.
He brushed his knuckles against her other cheek. “Morning, angel.”
Angel?
Her pulse came to an abrupt halt. She’d never in all her days heard him call any woman by that term of endearment. Why was he doing so now?
“You’re sleeping on the job.” His tone held a note of teasing.
She pushed up so that she was sitting, her gaze darting to a shadowed corner of the haymow where Tiny and her foal had last been resting when she’d finally allowed herself to fall asleep. They were still there, and the foal was suckling noisily while Tiny waited, swishing her tail back and forth.
“Thought you might need this.” Maverick held the mug toward her, and the scent of coffee filled her nostrils again.
“Thank you, Maverick. You’re always so thoughtful.” It wasn’t the first time he’d brought her coffee after a long night of foaling. He truly was a sensitive man who considered the needs of others. It was just one of the many reasons why he was so irresistible.
She took the mug, wrapping her stiff fingers around it, suddenly realizing how cold the air in the barn was.
Before she could shudder, he was draping her coat over her shoulders. “Got at least a foot of snow on the ground, and it’s still coming down heavy.”
“Shoot.” Her thoughts turned to home and the cattle that Sterling and his ranch hands had already moved to one of the north pastures. Hopefully, they’d had time to round them up and bring them back closer to the barn, where they’d be protected by the foothills, the trees, and the buildings, especially since the calves would need more shelter.
One of their first springs in Colorado, they’d learned the hard way just how dangerous a late winter snowstorm could be to the livestock. Their cattle had been grazing in an area farther out, foraging for grass left from the previous year. When the storm struck, the snow had been too heavy and blinding to round up the cattle. Many of the steers had been buried alive. Others hadfound places to wait out the storm and survive. But they’d lost at least forty, and it had taken several weeks before they’d tracked down the stragglers.
The serious slant of Maverick’s eyes told her he was thinking about the danger too. “I’ll be heading out with the fellas to drive the steers in closer.”
Even though the Oakleys didn’t have as many cattle as her family, they wouldn’t want to lose any of theirs either. “How far out are they?”
“Hopefully only about a quarter mile or so.”
If the snow was already deep and coming down hard, it would be challenging to move the herd. But they had to bring them in closer, just in case the storm got worse. “And the horses?”
“We’ve spent the past couple of hours moving them in.” His coat and hat were damp. Even his long, dark lashes were laden with moisture.
“So you didn’t get any sleep?”
He shrugged and then cocked his head toward her hay pile. “We can’t all be so lucky.”
She started to climb to her feet, and he was at her side in the next instant, assisting her until she was standing. “I’ll go help with the horses. We can bring some of the mares in here, and there’s room in the other barn too.”
He nodded. “Reckoned you’d want to do that.”
She took a sip of the coffee, letting it warm her as her mind went to work finding places for as many of the horses as she could fit in the barns. By June and July, many would be sold, and they’d have plenty of room again. But this time of year, they always had a surplus and not enough stalls for all of them.
Maverick held the coffee for her while she shrugged into her coat and hat, all the while giving her more details about theconditions out in the fields. When she finished and he handed her back her coffee, she spun and began to stalk away.
“Hang on now.” He snaked out a hand and stopped her. “Don’t run yourself ragged.”
She spun to face him again while taking another sip of coffee. “I’ll be fine.”
“Don’t stay out there too long.”
“I’m just as sturdy as any man you’ve got working this ranch, and you know it.”
“Even so . . .”
