Hill Country. The Black Angus cows stopped chewing and silently watched her stumble along the fence. With one hand on the rough cedar post, she stared back. “What are you looking at?”
Great—less than a day back in Texas and she was talking to cattle. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath. “Dear God, I know for the last twelve years I put You in the backseat, and now I’m asking for help every time I turn around. Please, just give me the peace to know You’re in control and I’m doing the right thing.” Peace. She doubted she’d recognize it if it turned out to be a rattlesnake about to bite her.
A loud engine broke the endless silence of rolling hills. Lorrie Ann swung around, fearful for a moment of being so alone in the middle of nowhere without her phone.
A blue work-worn truck appeared over the hill. Coming straight at her, the black deer guard on the front looked menacing. The driver slowed down and pulled off the road.
Swallowing, she started praying for it to be a friendly stranger. The door swung open, displaying the Childress quarter-horse logo. Her heartbeat settled. She remembered the Childress family.
From behind the door stepped a walking Hollywood version of the American Cowboy. Tall and lean, his work-faded jeans rode low over slim hips. The dark T-shirt hugged his broad shoulders under a waist-length denim jacket. His fit body looked shaped by hours of working outdoors, instead of designed by a personal trainer. He must be one of the hired ranch hands.
He stepped across the road with confidence and walked in a way that might tempt a girl to give up her plans. Each stride of his long legs moved him closer to her. Her heart flip-flopped. She bit her lip. Stupid heart.
She had returned to Clear Water, Texas, to reconnect with God and to refill her spiritual bank, not to get tangled up in another relationship. Having her mom’s defective gene for picking men, her best option would be to remain male free.
A welcoming smile eased across his face. Lines creased the corners of golden-brown eyes and ran down his well-formed cheeks. One lone dimple appeared on the left side. Her mouth went dry.
“Are you lost?”
His deep Texas drawl washed over her. Lorrie Ann shook her head and searched for words.
“No, but I’m sure that depends on who you ask.” A nervous laugh ran away from her lips. She looked at the ground. Ugh, let me count the ways to sound like an idiot. Raising her gaze, she flashed her best smile. In California it never failed her.
Instead, he glanced off into the pasture, at the cows. “Is that your car up ahead?”
She sighed. Apparently, Texas cowboys were a completely different breed from the men she had been working with in Los Angeles.
“Yeah, I ran out of gas.”
Bringing his gaze back to her, he looked puzzled. “Town is about eight miles that way.” His long fingers pointed in the opposite direction she faced.
“I know, but my phone is somewhere over here.” She waved toward the pasture, and her collection of bracelets jingled.
On cue, the phone rang somewhere on the other side of the barbed-wire fence. At least Brent was good for something. “Oh, it still works.” She tried to climb between two strands of wire, but a barb snagged her long silk shirt, and her sunglasses hit the ground. When she turned to free the blouse, the top wire caught her hat, causing her hair to fall forward. The thick waves covered her face, blinding her.
“Hold still.” The cowboy’s voice emitted assurance. Gently his hands freed the corner of her shirt and held the wires farther apart so she could easily step through.
When she stood on the other side, she pushed her hair back. She reached for her oversize shades and shoved them over her eyes. Ouch! She’d forgotten the bruise. Her skin throbbed with a dull ache.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” He leaned over the fence, handing her the hat.
Lorrie Ann didn’t like the look she read in the cowboy’s eyes. At best, it was concern, at worst, pity. Her nails cut into her palms. She hated pity.
“Anyone I can call for you?”
“No, no. Really, as soon as I get my phone, I’m good.”
He turned that devastating smile back on her. “How your phone ended up in a cow pasture is bound to be an interesting story.” He held his hand out to her, the fence still between them. “I’m John Levi.”
The phone sounded off again. Forgetting his hand, she spun around to locate the device. In a tall clump of gold grass, it vibrated. “I found it!” She lifted it high.
He smiled. “Now we just need to get you some gas, and you’ll be on your way. Where’re you headed?”
“Can you believe my destination is Clear Water?”
Lorrie Ann smiled back at him, a genuine smile this time. It felt good. The past couple years anything real had been hard to find, especially any type of happiness or joy.
“Come on.” He chuckled. “Let’s get you back on this side of the fence before the herd gets too curious.” He stepped on the bottom wire and held the top one up, leaving a large opening.
“Thanks.” With one hand on her hat, she stepped through without a problem this time.
“I’ll drive you to your car. I have some gas in a can in the back. Not sure your boots could make it down the hill.” She had forgotten cowboys always stayed prepared for anything. He held out his arm, like a gentleman from an old movie.
Her fingers wrapped around his denim sleeve. Masculine strength seeped through the sturdy material, warming her skin. “Thank you for helping.” Her shoulders rose and fell with a heavy sigh. “I can’t believe I ran out of gas this close to arriving home.”
“Home? You’re a local?” A deep chuckle rumbled from his chest. “I should know better than to judge by appearances or license plates.”
“Oh, I’m probably everything you thought. I’m sure if you ask anyone in town, they’ll give you all the gory details.”
“In order to ask them, I’d have to know your name.”
She looked up at him, assessing his expression. “Hmm...that’s true.” Fear of what they would say tightened her muscles. She had left town in a swirl of lies started by the homecoming queen.
He waited a moment with eyebrows lifted. He finally grinned and closed her door. The cowboy walked around to the driver’s side. Climbing into the cab, he continued to grin.
His eyes stayed focused ahead as he eased them back onto the road. “So what brings you back to Clear Water?”
“My aunt. Maggie Schultz.”
“You’re Maggie’s niece, Lorrie Ann Ortega? She didn’t say anything about you coming home.”
She shouldn’t be surprised he knew her. Her aunt volunteered on about every committee in the small town and had always helped anyone that needed something, including her. “She doesn’t know.”
“She’s going to be thrilled.”
Lorrie played with the rip in her shirt. He obviously didn’t know the whole story. “I’m not so sure about that. It’s been a long time.”
“She’s been waiting for you.” He flashed her a quick glance accompanied by a grin. “Trust me. She’ll be very excited to see you.”
“How do you know her?”
He gave a casual shrug and smiled. “We’re at the same church.”
The big truck pulled up behind her small BMW. “Go open your tank. I’ll get the gas.” With a quick motion, he jumped out of the cab and went to the bed of his truck.
Leaping down from the side step, Lorrie Ann made her way to the silver BMW. She glanced into her car and cringed.