Allie Bock's Blog, page 5

My Cowboy of Convenience: Chapter 1

 Hi dear reader,

I thought it would be fun to read my latest release on my blog. Check out My Cowboy of Convenience below. If you enjoy it, it is for sale and available through the library.

Chapter OneErin

The cold April rainslashed against the windowpane as thunder rumbled in the distance, making megrateful that I was at home and not working in the cold. Mom placed twosteaming cups of hot chocolate on the table between us and sunk into the chairacross from me.

“You need to do something. Thisisn’t healthy,” she said.

“I know. I’m just having a hardtime getting myself out of this…this rut.” I waved my hand in the air.

It hit a pile of overdue bills,scattering them across the table. Mom picked them up and flipped through them quickly.She stacked them neatly on top of one another, placing them to the side. When sheglanced around the apartment, my cheeks heated with embarrassment. Dirty dishessat in the sink. Laundry piled on every surface. My dog Clifford, a standardLonghair Dachshund, laid on the unmade bed.

“Erin, honey, your father and I areworried about you. You haven’t left your apartment since February. You’re noteating well, and your friends have been calling about you.” Her hand reachedover and patted mine.

I snorted. “Some friends.”

She ignored that comment. “Howabout the money situation? Have you decided to go back to work?” She glanced atthe bills.

I sighed, raising the mug of hotchocolate to my lips. Chocolate and peppermint with a swirl of marshmallowfluff made the way I liked it. I sipped the drink. My gaze following the waterrivulets down the window.

“I’m not going back,” I said.

“And what are you going to doinstead?” Mom sipped from her drink.

I pushed the chair back and went tomy desk in the corner. A manila envelope perched on the top of a mountain ofpaper. I slid my fingers over it before clutching it to my chest and carried itback over to the table.

“I have a job offer.” I handed herthe manila envelope.

Her eyebrows raised. She loweredthe reading glasses from the top of her head to the bridge of her nose as sheopened the envelope. Several thick sheets of paper sat inside with a foldednewspaper.

“They called and offered me the jobbefore sending the packet.” I wrapped my fingers around the mug.

“I see.” Her eyes scanned theofficial looking letter, she flipped through the contract behind it, and pulledout the newspaper. “Where in the world is this?”

A small smile pulled at my lips.“Outside of San Antonio, Texas.”

Her mouth opened and closed. Shepursed her lips, setting the envelope and its contents to the side. She watchedme as tears filled the corners of her eyes.

“Are you sure that this is what youwant? It’s a long way from Iowa and your family. If things go bad, you can’tcome home for the weekend,” she said.

“I don’t know, yet. I can’t stayhere, though. Especially with all that happened.” I sighed. February seemedlike ages ago, but the betrayal stung. My heart broke every time I thoughtabout being stood up at my wedding.

The Sunnydale Times marched in darkletters across the top of the newsletter. The front-page article sported apicture of high school students shooting basketballs.

“It’s only temporary?”

I nodded and crossed my fingersunder the table. I hated lying to my mom. “Yes, just a way for me to clear myhead.” If I had it my way, I would never come back to my hometown, my old job,and the people that hurt me.

“Alright, if you must. We will missyou.”

I placed my hand over hers. “I’llmiss you and Dad, too.”

“Don’t forget your brother and thekids.”

“Of course. It might give you thechance to pull Dad away from the farm for a vacation.”

A dreamy look passed through hereyes. “Only, if you end up staying down there for any length of time.”

“I’m not promising anything, Mom.But I feel like I’ve lost myself and I need a change.” With everything thathappened, I decided I needed to branch out and try new things. This was thefirst step. A new job in a new town with new people. It was going to be thestart of my new, exciting life.

“Honey, we want the best for youand if you think this is it…well, we support you.”

“Thanks, Mom. That means a lot.”

#####

Afew days later, my old Buick rumbled past the city limit sign for Sunnydale. Itread: Population 2000, but someone blacked out the last zero and wrote a twounder it.

“Did you see that Clifford? Theyhave two thousand and two people. I guess, I bring the tally up to two thousandand three.” I laughed.

Clifford opened one eye, rolled ittoward me, and went back to sleep.

“According to the GPS. I only havea couple of more blocks to go before I get there.”

The Buick crept forward, passing afactory with cars parked out front. I stopped at a four way stop sign with aflashing red light. A cute coffee shop and gas station/automotive shop sat atopposite corners. The GPS told me to continue straight on highway Four for afew blocks.

“There it is!”

A wooden sign read SunnydaleVeterinary Clinic in faded black letters. A low squat tan building sat behind alarge gravel lot. Cattle pens peaked out from behind the building. A couple oftrailers were parked to the side and a horse jogged in the round pen whileseveral people watched it.

“This must be it. What do youthink, Clifford?”

He lifted his head a few inches offthe seat and blew out a woof. His lips flapped before he laid his head backdown.

“Yep, I think that this will workfor us too.”

I parked my car off to the side ofthe building in line with a couple other cars and a veterinary truck. My cellphone rested in the cup holder and I reached for it. I dialed my parents’number back in Iowa.

My mom picked up on the secondring.

“Hey, Mom. I made it.”

“Is it a nice town?” Worry in hervoice came through the line.

“I just arrived and haven’t checkedit out, yet. But they have a coffee shop.”

She laughed. “You should fit in….are you sure this what you want? You are so far from home, and we can’t helpyou easily.”

“Yes, Mom. I need to get away andfind myself after all that happened.”

“I just miss my little girl.”

“I’ll miss you too.” A tear rolleddown my cheek. I wiped it away. Now was not the time for tears. “Mom, I shouldgo meet my new boss and team.”

“Call me tonight.”

“Will do,” I promised.

“Have a great first day.” Her voicebroke up when she disconnected.

I rubbed Clifford’s silky ears. Hecracked an eye at me.

“Yep, I can do this.”

I pulled down the rear-view mirror,applied a new layer of mascara, and swiped on some lip gloss.

“Time to meet the new boss. Do youwant to come with me or sleep here?”

He stuffed his nose further underhis tail.

“I’ll crack the windows for you. Begood, buddy.” I ran my hand down his soft fur.

The warm April air floated aroundme as I exited the car. I shed my jacket and left it on the backseat. My bootscrunched over the gravel as I crossed the parking lot. The open sign hungcrookedly on the front door.

I pushed open the glass door to thelobby of the veterinary clinic. The tiles gleamed and the scent of disinfectantlingered in the air. A man sat with a Golden Retriever on the bench flippingthrough a hunting and fishing magazine.

A tall thin woman sat behind thecounter. Glasses perched on her nose as she typed on the ancient computer. Thecomputer whirled softly in the quiet of the room. She glanced up at me as thedoor slid closed behind me with a click.

“I’ll be right with you, sweetie.”She printed off a couple of sheets of paper. “Alright, Mr. Peters, here are thesurgery consent forms. I need your signature and a good phone number to reachyou. Also, you need to initial consent for bloodwork, IV catheter, microchip,and vaccines.” She placed the papers on the counter.

The man approached and scanned thepaper. He palmed the pen and scrawled his signature.

“Perfect.” The woman gathered thesheets up, lined up the edges, and stapled them in the corner. She slid it ontoa clipboard. “Alright, I’ll take Abby on back. She will be ready to go home anytime after four o’clock.”

The man bent over and ruffled hisdog’s ears. The Golden Retriever licked his hand and thumped her tail on thefloor before following the woman into the back of the vet office. He watchedhis dog leave before exiting the clinic.

I wandered around the waiting room.Diplomas and awards hung on the walls. Pictures of the staff and their petsgraced one wall. The other one held a giant corkboard, filled with pictures ofpets and people. A shelf full of collars and dog food sat in the corner.

After a few minutes, the womanappeared. She replaced the clipboard in a stack with others and then leaned herelbows on the counter.

“How can I help you?” Her Texanaccent lightly tinged the words.

“I’m Erin Murphy.” I extended myhand to hers and shook it. “Dr. Hansen offered me a job as a veterinarian.”

The blank look on her facedissolved into a wide smile. “Why, dear, we didn’t expect you until at leastthis afternoon! He’ll be so pleased.” She turned to go and hesitated. “Did youdo drive through the night?”

“Something like that.” I stopped ata hotel last night, but I couldn’t sleep. Much to Clifford’s disgust. I thoughtI might as well drive if I was going to lay awake all night, so that is what wedid. Stifling a yawn, it was going to catch up to me, but the sooner I leftIowa behind the better.

“Don’t worry. We won’t be too hardon you today.” She bustled out of the room.

Dr. Hansen appeared through thedoorway followed by the woman and two other staff members. A broad smilecreased his weather worn face. He shook my hand.

“We are so glad you decided to joinus, Dr. Murphy. Most everyone in these parts call me Doc. You can too.”

“I’m looking forward to it. It’llbe an adventure.”

He laughed. “It certainly will be.This here is my wife/receptionist/office manager, Patty.” He motioned to thetall thin woman. “And Louisa and Connie are our veterinary technicians.”

Louisa was younger of the two andclearly excited about working. Connie looked a decade younger than Doc andPatty. Lifelines and experience tempered her expression.

“Alright, ladies. We’ve got to getback to work. Surgeries need to be prepped and the horse outside needs to bebrought in for its treatments,” he said to Connie and Louisa.

Turning to me, he said, “I’m notexpecting you to work today. Patty found a duplex for you to rent so she willtake you to see it. Spend the day settling in and tomorrow we will go overeverything here. Now I have a dog spay to see to.” He pecked his wife on thecheek. “Enjoy Sunnydale, Erin. We are happy to have you.”

Patty beamed at me. “Let me finisha few things. Once they start surgery, I can leave to take you around town. Oneof the girls can answer the phone for a couple of hours. I’ll give you a brieftour before we head out.”

“Perfect.”

I sat down on the bench to wait. Ipulled out my cell phone, intending to start in on the Agatha Christie mysteryI downloaded from the library’s e-book catalog. Turning on the screen, thealert for new text messages flashed. I clicked on it. Dad, Mom, and my brotherall wished me well. It brought a smile to my face. The last message on thescreen drew a frown when my finger hovered over it. It was from Millie, myex-best friend.

Should I read it or not? What couldshe possibly have to say to me after the last couple of months?

Instead, I closed the text messageapp and opened my e-reader app to begin the mystery. I was about twenty-fivepercent through the book when Patty appeared in front of me.

“Ready for the tour?”

“Can’t wait.” I slipped my phoneinto my back pocket and stood up.

“It’s not much but it we are proudof it. The clinic serves us and the community well.”

I followed her through thereception area to the examination rooms to the treatment area to the kennels.We stopped in at the surgery suite to make small talk with Connie and Doc.Then, Patty showed me around the large animal area. Four horse stalls lined oneside of the building. There was an examination area and a chute system to workcattle on the other side.

“What do you think?”

“It’s very nice.” And it was.Everything was clean and tidy. Not a speck of hair, straw, or manure could befound.

Patty beamed. “We were worriedyou’d find it a little country.”

I laughed. “The little town whereI’m from is a little country. I’m used to it.”

“Now, let’s go look at that duplexI found for you.”

#####

A couple of hours later, I signed a lease for half of aduplex a few blocks off Main Street. Clifford claimed the sunspot in front ofthe sliding glass doors to the backyard. I unpacked my suitcases and the fewbelongings I brought with me. Placing my hands on my hips, I surveyed the tinyliving space.

“Well, Clifford, I think my nextstep would be to get some furniture. But, I need to make some money first.”

He rolled over on to his back andwagged his tail.

I scratched his belly. “I’m goingto check out that cute coffee shop. Will you be good here by yourself?”

He flopped his tail and rolled tohis side, closing his eyes. His fur glistened in the sun. Within a few moments,soft snores came from him.

“You’re a good boy,” I whispered tohim before straightening up. I grabbed my laptop and shoulder bag to walk thefew blocks to the coffee shop. The sign above the door read Coffee and Cakes.

“How cute,” I murmured to myself.

I pushed open the door. The scentof coffee and fresh baked muffins filled the air. One person sat in the cornerscribbling on a notebook. A woman with her hair in blue spikes wiped down thecounter. Classic country music played in the background. She glanced up at me.

“What can I get you?” A thicksouthern accent accented the words. Specials filled the blackboard behind herin a multitude of colors.

“I’ll take a raspberry muffin and achi latte.”

“Great choice. The muffins were ahit today. Eating here or to go.”

It was quiet in the coffee shop. Asign with the wi-fi password caught my eye. “Here.”

“Are you passing through or new totown?” She glanced at me out of the corner of her eye. Her hands moved deftlyat the machine, filling the stainless-steel tumbler with froth.

“I’m new. Just moved in thismorning.”

“Oh, really. Why here?” She transferredthe latte to a mug.

“Job.” I shrugged.

She raised an eyebrow as she setthe mug on the counter in front of me.

“Doc Hansen gave me a job at thevet clinic.”

“He’s a sweetie. Him and Patty comein once a week for a coffee date.”

“They seem like it.” I dug in mybag for the few dollars and change rolling around in the bottom of it.

She handed me the muffin and latte.“It’s on the house. Welcome to Sunnydale.”

“Thank you.” I smiled at her. Sheseemed friendly. Maybe moving here wasn’t such a crazy idea after all.

I carried my order to a table awayfrom the only other customer. Setting everything down, I opened my laptop. Itstarted up in a flash. The screen saver popped up as a generic photo of awoods. It replaced the photo of me and my ex-best friend hugging each other aftergraduating veterinary school.

“Erin, time to find some usedfurniture in your budget,” I muttered to myself.

I had a little bit of money leftfrom what my parents gave me to move and start over. It was enough to cover afuton and a dresser for my bedroom. Not great, but it would do until I got onmy feet, paid off some debt, and could afford real furniture. I scrolledthrough some online postings of used furniture for sale and sent a couple ofmessages. One person responded right away, saying they could bring both itemsover this afternoon if I paid in cash.

I checked my email. Nothing newthere. Then, I logged on to my online chess account. I played for thirtyminutes, playing multiple games at once. It wasn’t the same as playing inperson, but it kept me in practice. I sipped the chi latte and ate theraspberry muffin.

A shadow fell over the table,blocking the late morning light from the window. The woman from the other tablestood, grinning down at me.

“Viola Ann said that you were newin town.” Her blue eyes danced. “And that Doc hired you to work at the vetclinic.”

“Yep.” News traveled fast inSunnydale.

She placed her hand on her hip,bracing the notebook against her side. “About time he found a lady vet to workfor him.”

My brow furrowed. “Lady vet?”

“You are a veterinarian, right?”She cocked her head to the side. Her blond hair swinging forward.

“Yes…” I hesitated. How much do Isay to someone I just met.

She leaned in and lowered hervoice. “Between you and me he’s been looking for help for a long time. The lastperson he hired was a man. Not that that is bad. But he fell in love with adaughter of a client.” She flipped her blonde hair behind her shoulders. “Wellrumor is that she broke his heart. He left and Doc has been shorthanded eversince.”

“I see.”

“Anyway, I’m Katie. Katie Kisment.My family has been using Doc forever. You’ll probably meet the rest of thembefore long. My fiancé manages one of my brothers’ ranches.” She wiggled herleft hand at me, showing off a tasteful engagement ring. “I’ll make sure herequests you the next time he needs something.”

I didn’t know what to say to that,so I shrugged. “Works for me.”

She laughed. “I think we will get alonggreat. Well, I better go. Nice to meet you, new lady doc.” She beamed at me andleft the coffee shop.

“How could she possibly know thatwe are going to get along? I said like nine words to her,” I muttered tomyself.

The knight on my screen jumped towhere my rook sat, capturing it. I frowned at the laptop. I hadn’t thought myopponent would move their knight.

The proprietor, who must be ViolaAnn, approached my table with two steaming cups. She set them down, sinkinginto the seat next to me. There wasn’t anyone else in the place.

“Mind if I sit down?”

“No, I think you already did.”

Her lips pulled up. “That’s true.”

She slid one mug toward me andsipped from the other one.

I closed my laptop with a click andaccepted the mug. “I didn’t catch your name. I’m Erin Murphy.”

“Viola Ann Barrett. It’s nice tomeet another transplant.”

I took a cautious taste of the hotlatte. “You’re not from around here.”

“Oh, dear, no. Can’t you tell by myaccent?”

“It’s southern, that’s all.”

“You northern folks are funny. I’mfrom Georgia. I moved here last fall.”

“Why?”

“Long story for another day, but itwill be nice to know someone else not from around here.”

We talked for a while aboutSunnydale, the people in it, and fun things to do in the area. She avoided allmentions of her past and I avoided mine. She lived on the other half of theduplex from me and ran the coffee shop to make ends meet. We planned to meet upfor drinks later in the week when the factory bell tolled.

“Well, I better get back to thecounter. Lunch is my second busiest time of the day.”

I glanced at my phone. It was11:30AM. It was time to pick up the furniture, settle into my new place, andtake a nap. Who knew what tomorrow would bring?

#####

Ifound myself in front of Doc Hansen’s desk before the first light of the nextmorning. Coffee percolated in the small machine on the counter. Books filledthe shelves and paper strewn about his desk. The contract lay between us.

“The last piece of business is thisclause here.” He flipped to the second to last page. “No employee of SunnydaleVeterinary Clinic shall become romantically involved with a current client ofSunnydale Veterinary Clinic.” He peered through his glasses at the page as heread. “If such relationship develops, said person’s employment will beterminated. All benefits and paid-time-off will be paid out to that day. Anyquestions?”

“None at all.” The last thing Iwanted was a romantic relationship of any kind. No thank you.

He raised his eyebrows, questioningme.

“It’s not a problem at all.” I tooka pen from the coffee mug that read the World’s Greatest Grandpa and signed myname on the last page. I set the pen down.

“Welcome aboard, Dr. Murphy. We areexcited to have you on the team.” Doc extended his hand across the desk.

We shook hands. He beamed at me fora minute as nerves and anxiety rippled through me. I had done it. I took thenext step in my life, ending the chapter of my first job after veterinaryschool and everything left in Iowa. It was freeing. A smile tugged on my face.

“I’m ready to get to work.” I stoodup, feeling like myself for the first time in months.

“Great, I have some cattle to workfor one of my big ranches. I’ll have you in the clinic for the next couple ofdays to learn the ropes around here.” He went to the door and stuck his headout. “Connie! Come here when you have a minute.”

“Sure thing, Doc,” she called back.

“Connie has been here since I opened.Patty and she will help you get acclimated. You’ve been practicing for a while,so you don’t need me to be breathing down your back.”

“Not at all. I can pretty muchhandle it.”

“I’ll be a phone call away if youneed anything. Don’t be afraid to ask. We have things down here that youwouldn’t have seen in Iowa.”

I wrinkled my nose. “Like snakes.”

“Exactly.”

Connie appeared in the doorway afew minutes later in bright pink scrubs. “I’m done with the kennels andcleaning the stall. Your truck is stocked for the appointment at the KismentRanch this morning.”

Kisment ranch? The name soundedfamiliar. Oh yeah, that was the last name of the girl I met yesterday.

“Thank you,” Doc said. “I’ll takeLouisa with me. I want you to show Dr. Murphy around the clinic this morning.”

“There isn’t anything on theschedule for her to do,” said Connie

“That’s fine. She can get settledinto her office, get acquainted with the clinic, set her surgery packs the wayshe wants them, and get her vet truck organized.” He grabbed a hat from thewhere it perched on the edge of some books and placed it on his head. “She alsoneeds to order clinic clothes. Patty can do that. I better go. It’s never goodto be late.” He flashed a smile at me and patted Connie on the shoulder as he walkedon by.

Connie turned to me. “Did you eatbreakfast yet?”

“No, why?” My stomach gave a gurglethat betrayed how hungry I was.

“Let’s go to Susie’s Café and getsomething. The clinic won’t be open for another hour. No sense sitting herestaring at each other.”

“I could use breakfast.” I rubbedmy stomach lightly. I just had a glass of milk on my way out the door.

“Great, I’ll text Patty. She’llprobably join us.” She hurried ahead of me with her fingers tapping on herphone.

Connie and I made our way to thefront door as Doc left with Louisa in the front seat of his pick-up truck.

“It’s not too busy when he’s outworking cattle.”

I nodded.

“There are always walk-in patientsyou can see.” She locked the door behind us. “At least until, we get you on theschedule. They weren’t sure when you were going to arrive.”

“That’s fine. I’m sure I’ll catchon quick,” I said.

“We’ll take my car.” She unlockedthe doors to a silver sporty car. “Parking can be hard to find by Susie’s.”

She was right. Even though itwasn’t yet seven in the morning, the street in front of Susie’s Café was packedwith cars and trucks of various shapes and sizes. She squeezed into a spot on aside street, and we walked to the front door. Red and white bunting hung limplyagainst the spotless glass. The bell above the door rang when we walked in. Alleyes turned to us, and the conversation died to a whisper.

“Ya’ll, this here is our new vet.”Connie announced. “Dr. Erin Murphy.”

A hot blush spread up my neck andburned my ears under all their gazes. I gave a weak hand wave.

A woman with gray hair under herhair net and a coffee pot in her hand stepped up. Her nametag read Susie, Owneron her chest. “Welcome to Sunnydale. Ya’ll must be hungry. Right this way.”

She led us to a table buried in theback, making coffee cups appear out of nowhere. “Tommy, will you let the ladieshave your table?” She asked the young man that sat by himself at a table forfour.

He pulled his cowboy hat from hishead. “Sure thing, ma’am. Anything for pretty ladies.” He smiled at us. Hisfront teeth were large, and pimples covered his face.

“Tommy, we are too old for you,”Connie said.

“It never hurts to try.” He noddedto us and found a seat with boys his own age.

“Gotta watch out for Tommy. In afew years, he’ll be a heartbreaker. I should know.” Susie smiled at us. “He’smy nephew. Lindsay will be right with you.” She merged back into the packedcafé.

Connie handed me a menu from astack against the window. “Everything is good here. Fattening but good.”

The café had a long counter thatran the length of one side. Men of all shapes and sizes sat on stools drinkingcoffee and reading the paper. Susie slipped behind the counter and filled orderson the grill. Bacon sizzled, gravy simmered in a large pot, and the coffee potbeeped. The rest of the room was filled with tables and booths that held two tofour people. There were only a couple empty seats. Few women sat amongst themen.

Connie noticed me checking out thecrowd. “Most of the cowboys and ranch hands come here to eat breakfast. Exceptthe Kisment ranch, they have a cook, and those boys hardly ever leave the ranchexcept to come into town on the weekend.”

“Why’s that?”

“The boss man out there runs atight ship.” She turned back to her menu. “He likes to be up and at them beforethe sun is up. That’s why Doc had to leave so early.”

A busty blond approached our table.She wore a short denim skirt and a flowing blouse and her blond hair pulledback into a high ponytail. She extracted a note pad from her apron pocket.

“Susie said you’re new to town,”she said around her gum. “I’m Lindsay. What can I get you?”

“I’ll do the cowboy scrambler.”Connie pointed to the item on the menu and then looked to me.

“Umm.” I hadn’t even looked at whatthe specials were or what they served. My eyes scanned the menu and then swungaround the room, trying to see what other people ordered. “What’s good here?”

“We have the best cinnamon rolls.”Lindsay tapped her pencil on the paper. “If you want, I can get Susie to Frenchit.”

“What does that mean?”

“She splits them in half and dipsthem in an egg mixture and makes them like French toast. It’s to die for.”

My stomach rumbled. “I think thatsounds amazing.”

“Coming right up.” Lindsay spun onher heel.

Connie and I made small talk untilour order came up. Several cowboys stopped by the table and introducedthemselves. Their names and faces became a blur. Patty joined us after our foodarrived and ordered coffee.

“It was a long morning with the newrescue horses. Some of them didn’t want to get caught. A couple need theirteeth looked at as they didn’t want to eat. And we have a miniature donkey thatkeeps getting out.” She blew on her coffee. “I could use this today.”

Another couple of cowboys came overto our table and introduced themselves as working for the Lazy B Ranch. Ismiled politely and shook their hands. As they left, I blew out a sigh and sunkinto the booth.

“I’m never going to remember all oftheir names.” I cut a forkful of cinnamon roll and scooped up the meltingfrosting.

“You don’t have to. They’re comingover to check out the new girl in town.” Lindsay stopped by and topped offcoffee mugs. “I bet that the bunkhouses will be full of talk tonight.” Shegrinned.

“Ugh,” I buried my face in myhands.

“It could be worse,” said Patty.“Right now, they are going to be talking about how pretty you are.”

I looked at her through my fingers.

“In a week or so, they’ll be sayingwhat a good job you are doing.” She smiled at me and glanced at the clock onthe wall. “I better go and switch over the phones. Doors open in twenty.” Shedropped a wad of cash on the table. “Breakfast on me.”

Connie scooped up the last of hereggs. “Is this your first time away from your hometown?”

“Besides veterinary school, yes.The local practice offered me a job right out of school, and I took it.” I blewon the mug of coffee in front of me.

“What made you move down here? It’sfar way away from Iowa.” Connie leaned toward me.

I shrugged and swallowed the lumpin my throat. I wasn’t going to think about it right now. I wasn’t going to getemotional on my first day. “I needed a change of scenery.”

She studied me for a moment. Hereyes softened. “I hope Sunnydale becomes your new home.”

“I hope so too.”

“We better get going.” She drankthe rest of her coffee.

We pushed our plates to the centerof the table and left. It was the first day of my new life. Hope, excitement,and nerves danced around me. I couldn’t wait.

Author's Note: What do you think so far? Change is always hard. Can Erin handle it?

If you liked it, you can buy the book from me or all other retailers.

Leave a comment!

Hugs,

Allie

Happy Independence Day from a small town!

 

Hi Dear Reader!

I am writing to you from my living room couch. The kids are sleeping and Tank, the Dachshund, is curled up next to me. He isn’t super thrilled about the fireworks being shot off. The city is having a great show from the fairgrounds and my neighbors are also shooting some off. Do you enjoy fireworks?

Photo by Elisha Terada on Unsplash

Except for the four years of vet school in Madison, WI, I have lived in a small town for most of my life. Different ones all over the country and some smaller than others. In my current small town, the sheriff lives on my block. He always waves and is offering help to anyone who needs it. The other day he was in his police car and stopped to give some kids riding their bikes stickers for their helmets. The neighbors meet in the street in the late afternoon to share gossip. That is Toddler Bock’s favorite time to go to the park as the neighbors give her treats and juice boxes. When we get to the park, we see the same people everyday. The kids all play together as the adults talk. There is just a charm to living in a small town.

This week’s book giveaway is all romances set in a small town. Maybe you’ll find one or two or three that need to be on your ereader!

July Small Town Romance

If you want to check out my Substack, we are in the middle of reading Second Chance with My Bull Rider. This week's chapter is so sweet and tender. It gave me the feels writing it. You can find it Here! 

 

Other than that, I promise I will write more frequently. Work is finally slowing down and life is starting to normalize!

Hugs,

Allie

Weekly Update: Back to work and just starting to write

 

HiDear Reader,

Welcome back to the blog. 

Life Update/Vet story:

This past week has been busy at the Bockhousehold. My maternity leave ended and I started back to work. Itwas a little sad as it seemed like the 6 weeks went by so fast andpart of me wasn’t quite to go back to work. The other part of mewas excited to get back to my clients and their horses. Maternityleave felt a little like a self-imposed isolation and I am lookingforward to talking about horses again.

So Hubby and I packed up the two kiddos and took them with us thisweek. One of our first appointments was to geld a colt. It was abittersweet appointment as this was the last colt that my client hadbred as they are getting out of the horse breeding visit. Thankfully,the appointment went well. The colt behaved and the surgery wentsmoothly. Baby Bock came along and spent the hour in the arms of myclient’s wife while Big sister sat next to me and watched the wholesurgery. She is not squeamish with blood. :)

A few years ago, I had to geld a colt for them. He was huge, wild,and a little mean. They tried to handle and halter break him beforehand but he was pushing 16 hands (a hand is 4 inches) and knew thathe was bigger than the humans handling him.

I went to sedate this horse for the surgery and he towered overme, looking down his long nose, like “come on, Doc, give it yourbest”. As I slid the needle with the sedative into his vein, hereared up, striking out with his front feet. Dodging the flailinghooves, I was able to give him the medicine. But it wasn’t enoughto calm him down. After another dose, he was sedated enough to bebrought out to the grassy area. We always geld the colts laying downin a flat area covered in thick grass. Most of the time, it is inpeople’s front yards. I gave him another injection which puts himunder anesthesia and Hubby helps the horse to lay down on the grass.

Hubby’s job is to monitor the horse, give more drugs if needed,and to help the horse lay down and stand up. He was monitoring thishorse and said, “You better make this quick.” He placed ablindfold over the eyes to help the horse relax.

The surgery went well. As I was finishing up, Hubby called out,“you done?”

“Yep.” I dropped my surgical instruments into a bucket.

“Then, you better get back. He’s going up.”

I pulled off my gloves and stepped back.

The colt jumped up like he had been taking a nap, tossed his head,and sent the blindfold flying. Then, he took off.

Hubby held onto the lead rope trying to wrangle this young horseinto the barn. Did I mention this was a future racehorse? They wentaround in circles in the yard, tearing it up, until the owner wasable to make a runway into the barn. We herded the colt into hisstall and slammed the door.

That was an experience. That horse is currently being trained as aracehorse and they said that he is fast.

Thankfully, this year’s colt was a perfect gentleman.

Writing Update:

I am just getting back into the swing of things. I was listeningto a podcast. Unfortunately, I can’t remember which one. Thepodcast was about making time to achieve your goals. The guest made acomment that to do a little bit every day, even if it isn’t closeto how much you want to achieve. I thought about that and he wasright. My ultimate daily goal is to write about a 1,000 words perday. Before Baby Bock #2, I was able to do that. But with the newbaby, I find that I am tired and don’t have an hour to get thosewords down. Plus, my creative juices are lacking. So, I set up mywriting station on my desk. Whenever I have a few minutes, I sit downand stare at the page. The first few days I wasn’t able to get muchwritten. Then, I was able to write a sentence or two. After about aweek, I finally am able to get a few paragraphs done every night. Itisn’t close to the 1,000 word goal, but it is better than a blankpage. I had hoped to be done with this story soon but I am only about25% done. That’s ok. Slow and steady wins the race, right?

On the newsletter, we are reading the 10th chapter ofSecond Chance with My Bull Rider.If you are interested in reading it with us, check it out atalliebock.substack.com.

Here’s a cute picture of my horse, Amber. We are getting ready to go for a ride, but we had to brush off the winter hair and mud first.

 

That’s all for now.

Hugs,

Allie

Back in the Saddle

Hi Dear Reader,
It has been several months since my last post. I decided to try some new things in between them and now. Some of them worked and others not so much. So I am back here to share my writing updates, thoughts, and the excitement in my life. 
So what's new?
I moved Substack for my newsletter and community. I send out weekly blasts with new reads, interesting life updates, and more. It is similar to the content here but is different. Right now, we are working our way through Delilah and Kade's story. A chapter gets sent out every week. If you want to read more and be a part of our discussion you can join in at: alliebock.substack.com. 
It is free to join and you won't miss anything. 
If you love my writing, you can join at the subscriber level for $5.00 a month to just support me. You get all of my stories and early access to my stories before they are published. It's super exciting.
I also set up an online store where you can buy my ebooks directly from me. Why would you do that? It helps to support me directly. It is still needs some polish but it is there at the top of the page.
I have stepped back from social media. If you want to be kept up to date I recommend bookmarking this website or joining the community at alliebock.substack.com. I can tell more about that in a future post.
I am looking forward to writing on this website again and I'd love to hear from you!
Hugs,Allie

Lost Love at the Rodeo

 Hi dear Reader,

I hope this finds you well! It has been an absolutely gorgeousweek here in Minnesota. I’m writing to you from my backyard. It’s sunny with aslight breeze. The insects are chirping and Tank, my Longhair Dachshund, isrolling in the grass. Yes, he was my inspiration for Clifford. It is onlyfitting as he sits under my writing desk or next to me on the couch while I am workingon a story.

Thank you to everyone who has read my story, commented, orsent me emails. I am so grateful that you took time out of your day to read mywords. The story is finished and will remain up for another couple weeks. Itwill go behind a paywall on Oct 5th as that is when My Cowboy ofConvenience will go up for preorder on the retailers. So now is the time toread it for free! Here’s the chapter index if you want to start at thebeginning or missed some chapters!

 My Cowboy of Convenience Index

On October 5th, I’ll share the preorder link foranyone who is interested. It is going through final edits and formatting. So exciting!

I have a short story to share with you. A couple of years ago,I was buying my mom a bottle of wine at the Piggly Wiggly in my hometown when Icame across a little booklet at the checkout. It was 5-minute Romance SummerLove published by Woman’s World. Itcontained 40 romance stories that were about 2 pages long. It was a fun readfor those short time spans where I didn’t want to get dragged into a novel. SoI thought that I would give it a try. Here is the first one.

Lost Love at the Rodeo

Emily grabbed the doctor’s bag off the truck seat next to her beforesliding to the ground. She slammed the door to her veterinary truck closed andtook a big breath. This was the third after-hours emergency this evening. Herstomach growled, empty from the smoothie she had for breakfast this morning.She realized at that moment she forgot to eat lunch. She gripped the doctor’sbag in one hand and held her cell phone in the other as she got her bearings ofthe rodeo grounds.

A stream of people tricked down from the parking lot to the rodeo arena.The announcer’s booth crackled to life with someone tapping on themicrophone and saying, “testing, one, two, three.” A line of people stood infront of the concession stand where the aromas of kettle corn and hotdogsteased Emily’s empty stomach. She gritted her teeth as she strode by wishingshe had time for dinner.

The message came from theanswering service that someone had a lame horse and could not wait untilbusiness hours to be seen. Emily rolled her eyes at the message: Needa horse vet STAT. Need to rodeo.

“If they would only take care of their horses and nottreat them like vehicles,” she grumbled to herself. “Then, things like thiswouldn’t happen.” She signed. It was all part of the jog. It pained her thatnot everyone felt about their horses like she did.

She wove through thecontestant parking lot. Horse trailers and campers wedged together like cows ina trailer. Most of the horses were saddled and waiting for their turn in thewarm-up arena. The message said that it was the trailer at the end of the lotwith Montana plates. Why was a Montana cowboy rodeoing in Texas for the summerrodeo circuit. Surely, they have rodeos up there.

She rounded the line oftrailers to the last one at the end. A shiny brand-new horse trailer withliving quarters and truck stood out from the average Texas rig. Most of thecontestants were local working cowboys. A beautiful sorrel horse stood tied tothe side. A full hay net and water bucket hung within his reach. He rested onefront foot out in front, barely putting any weight on it. Yep, this wasdefinitely the lame horse.

Emily walked around thehorse to the living quarters door. She raised her fist to knock when the doorswung open. A tall cowboy filled the doorway. A Stetson hat pulled low on hisforehead, shielding his eyes. Emily craned her neck to meet his gaze. His eyesroamed from the top of head to her battered cowboy boots. The tips of her earsreddened and her cheeks flushed under his perusal.

“I’m here to check out your lame horse.” She nodded tothe sorrel, dozing a few feet away.

A slow smile spread overhis face, causing a warmth to spread throughout her. “I’m glad you could fitus in, Doc Emily.” He advanced out of the trailer and approached the horse. “King,here, stepped off the trailer lame.” He untied the horse and rubbed King’sforehead. King nickered softly and nudged the cowboy in the chest with hisnose. The cowboy chuckled, giving King a sugar cube from his pocket.

Something about the wayhe rubbed the horse’s head and his laugh sparked something in Emily’smemory. It was gone before she could catch it, though.

“Well, let me take a look at him.” Emily set her doctor’sbag down and started her exam.

The whole time the cowboyrubbed King’s head and crooned to him. Emily had sworn off cowboys adecade ago, but this one was melting her heart. Plus, he was handsome, and hishorse loved him.

Emily pulled out the hooftesters and placed it on King’s hoof. He jumped and snorted when she got tothe sore spot. She examined the hoof closer.

“Ah ha, I’ve found it.” She bent over the hoof and usedher hoof knife to dig out an abscess. Within a few minutes, pus shot from thesmall hole she created in the sole of King’s hoof.

King sighed and placedthe foot squarely on the ground. Emily straightened, rubbing her lower back.

“I’ll treat it and wrap it for you. He won’t be able tocompete this weekend, though. I can write you a release to get your money back.”She extracted bandage materials from her bag. She medicated the abscess andwrapped the hoof in a colorful green bandage.

“I’m not worried about the entry fees.” The cowboy rubbedKing’s forehead. “I just want him to feel better.”

“Give him a few days. Soak the foot in warm water andEpsom salts and keep it wrapped. He’ll be right as rain. Do you have any painmeds for him?” Emily packed everything back into her bag and turned to thecowboy.

“I have some bute. Never leave home without it.” Hesmiled at her.

Something about hissmiled tugged at the corner of her mind. It made her feel giddy like aschoolgirl as a blush colored her cheeks. “Good. He can get a dose or two.” She pulledout her receipt book and wrote down the charges to avoid his gaze. She hoped hedidn’t notice her blush. “We take cash, checks, or credit cards.” She pausedher pen over the page. “What was your name?”

“Roy McLaughin,” he said softly.

Emily’s pen hit the ground as her whole body froze at hiswords. Her heart skipped a beat before plunging forward at a gallop. Sheswallowed, bringing her gaze to meet his.

His smile spread wide.His eyes danced in merriment. He crossed his arms over his chest, his musclesbulging as she took him in.

“Hi, Emily.” He took a step toward her, lowering hisvoice. “Didn’t recognize me?

Emily shook her head,still in shock. The familiar feeling took hold and brought back all thememories. “Roy, I can’t believe it…it has been so long.”

He grasped her hands withhis, engulfing them. They were roughened by years of hard work and tanned fromthe sun. “I didn’t think that I’d ever come back. But I am.”

Her heart leaped at histouch. It had been years since Roy said good-bye to chase his dreams ofbecoming a rodeo star. She was left with a broken heart and a full ridescholarship to Texas A&M. He tugged her gently, closing the gap betweenthem. Their breath mingled and their hearts called to one another.

“Are you home for good?” Her voice shook with emotion asshe held his gaze.

His hand drifted up herarm over her shoulder to cup her chin. He held it there as his eyes searchedhers. Emotions swirled in them. “Yes, I’m home to stay. Grandpa is retiringand wants me to run the ranch.” He bent close to her. “What do you say aboutseeing me again?”

Emily’s chest grew tight andthe words squeaked out of her. “That sounds wonderful.” His touch sent shiversthrough her, making it hard to speak. Her cowboy was home again and stillwanted her.

He closed the gap. Hislips hovered above hers, unsure but hopeful. Emily stood on her tiptoes andpressed her lips to his. The kiss lingered as it brought back all the memoriesof their time together. It held promise of everything yet to come. Emily meltedagainst his strong chest as his arms wrapped around her, holding her like hewould never let go. He rested his chin on top of her head.

“Leaving you was my greatest regret,” he said. He pressedhis lips against her temple. “I’ve missed you so much.”

“I missed you, too.” Emily leaned back in his arms. Theirgazes met and held, speaking unspoken words. Her stomach rumbled with theforgotten hunger pains. They laughed.

“Why don’t I buy you some supper and we can catch up?” Hethreaded his fingers in between hers.

“That sounds wonderful,” she grinned. Her busy dayending on a high note.
Hugs,Allie

June Update: It's my 3rd year being an author!

 

Hi Dear Reader,

How are you doing? I hope your June is going great. I can’tbelieve that it is already the 12th.

My Big News!

June marks my third year anniversary of being an author. Iam going to be doing a drawing to give away 2 signed paperbacks of Fallingfor my Cowboy. To enter the drawing, answer the following question:

What has been your favorite book to read so far thisyear?

You can email me at alliebock@hotmail.com. 

The drawing is open until June 26th. Good luck!

Life News

The other weekend, the Minnesota Cutting Horse Associationheld their show at our county fairgrounds. Hubby and I took Baby Bock. It was alot of fun. She enjoyed the horses, cows, and tractors.

At the event, a herd of young, about a year old, cattle werebrought into a small arena. One at a time, the competitor would ride the horsein the arena. The rider would pick out the cow that might be the best match forthe horses. Then, the team would “cut” or move the cow away from the herd. Now,cows are herd animals and always want to be with the rest of its friends. Thisis when the exciting part would start. The cow would duck and dive to try toget passed the horse. The horse would match the cows moves. The horse leapedforward, slid to a stop, spin around on its hindquarters, and stare down thecow. The competitor would sit against the back of the saddle, letting the horsework. They were done if the buzzer sounded, if the cow got around the horse tothe herd, or if the cow stopped. It was fun to watch the riders that were intuned with their horses. I might have to one of my characters be into showinghorses. 😉

Writing update:

I am almost done with My Cowboy of Convenience. I have a fewmore edits and then to run it through a grammar checker. It has been so fun toshare the journey with you and I appreciate all the feedback. Don’t worry. I’llstill keep posting chapters on my Substack.

Book Recommendations

Come over to my Substack and see what I recommend this week! 
That's all I have for today.
Hugs, Allie

My Cowboy Crush: Epilogue

 Hi Dear Reader,

Here is the last bit for Katie and Levi's story. This will be the last one I'll be serializing on my blog. If you want to read more of my stories, sign-up to read my Substack. You'll get access to newsletter only content!

EpilogueSix Months Later - Levi

I threw my last duffle bag into the back of my truck. I wiped the sweat from my brow and looked out over the Kisment ranch. The memories of my time on the ranch will always have a special place in my heart. Riding, working cows, and hanging out with my best friend. These were things that I’d never forget. 

The tailgate slammed shut, bringing me back to the present. I turned to Kaleb as he leaned against the tailgate. His hat was pulled down to shade his eyes. Typical Kaleb, his expression was unreadable. He crossed his arms over his chest. A truck rumbled down the drive, flinging dust into the air. It slid to a stop next to mine. Pete climbed out of the cab with a wide grin on his face. His cowboy hat was pushed back his head.

“I didn’t believe it when Kaleb told me this morning.” He stuck his thumbs in his belt loops and rocked back on his heels. “I had to see for myself.”

I laughed. “It’s true. I’m moving to Colorado to be with Katie.”

Pete reached into his back pocket and pulled out a large envelope. He handed it to me. It was stuffed full of money. 

“What’s this for?” I waved it at him.

“A bunch of us got together to chip in for your going away gift.” Kaleb looked down at his boots. “The ranch doesn’t pay well and…you might need it to get off your feet.”

I looked at two of my closest friends. How thoughtful. “Thanks.” I gave them each a hug. “It means a lot.” I choked up.

“You’ll always be welcome here unless you hurt my baby sister.” Kaleb lightly punched me on the arm before heading into the barn.

“Maybe, when you come back, I could use a ranch foreman.” Pete headed to his truck. “Drive safe.”

“I’ll come home for your wedding,” I called at him. 

Pete laughed. “You might be waiting a while.” His truck started with a rumble and turned down the drive.

Shaking my head, I drove my truck down the drive and out of Texas to begin my new life with my soul mate. The lightness in my heart carried me to Colorado.

I hope that you enjoyed this story. If you want to buy it, click HERE!

Until next time,

Allie

My Cowboy Crush: Chapter 6

 

Hi dear Reader,

Welcome back for Chapter 6! You can read Chapter 1 Here!

Chapter 6Katie

The wedding went as planned. Annie looked gorgeous in her wedding dress. Bobby's eyes bulged out of his head when he saw her. It was the perfect moment and I'm pretty sure I got it all on film. I had enough film to capture the whole wedding and pictures of the bride and groom together.

“Katie,” Annie called to me from by the tree, “give that camera to Bobby. I want a picture with you and Levi.”

Dread settled in my stomach as I handed the camera to Bobby. I slowly made my way over to Annie. But I couldn't say no to the bride as it was her special day. I looked horrible. My blonde hair had fallen from the bun I had twisted it into. My makeup was smeared, and I'm pretty sure I had grass stains on my skinny jeans. Not only that but the look that Lindsay had been giving Levi during the wedding played in flashes before my eyes. Kaleb warned me he was a playboy. It was my fault, letting my feelings getting the better of me. What was I thinking? I was just here for the weekend. How could I expect to try to change his ways? Why did I even care? My feet felt like bricks as I made my way over to Annie.

Levi had been trying to catch my eye since the wedding. He stood next to Annie, looking good in his button-up western shirt and black jeans. He held his cowboy hat in his hand. The other hand ran through his short black hair causing it to stand up on end. He gave me a small smile and worry colored his eyes. I took my place on the other side of Annie, wrapping my arm around her waist. We smiled at the camera. Bobby clicked a couple of pictures.

“I want one of my two favorite people.” Annie stepped out from between us shoved us together.

My shoulder bumped into his side causing me to lose my balance. His arms wrapped around me to stop my fall. He pulled me upright and looked into my eyes. His gray eyes were stormy as they searched my soul. Time seemed to stretch between us. He slid his hand further around my waist, pulling me toward him. Holy cow, he was going to kiss me. In that second, his lips descended on mine. They were soft and sent sparks throughout my body. He slanted his head, driving the kiss deeper. Kissing Levi was everything I had ever thought it would be. My hands ran up his shoulders to grip his hair, and my left foot kicked out. A click sounded in the distance.

“Bummer, that was the last picture.” Bobby sounded disappointed as we pulled apart. 

Heat rushed to my face as the crowd erupted into cheers. I glanced over at Levi. The corners of his lips pulled up and he had not let me go. Anger welled up within me. How dare he kiss me when he was just flirting with Lindsay! Without thinking, my hand flew and connected with his cheek. His hands dropped from my waist, and he stepped back.

“What was that for?” His forehead wrinkled. He rubbed his cheek.

I rolled my eyes at him and put my hands on my hips. “Because you kissed me.” I turned on my heel and stormed away.

My camera ran out of film, and I was done being the photographer for the wedding. I went back to being a guest. The wedding moved from the chapel to the park pavilion. My family sat at one of the tables close to the bride and groom. Levi's mom and his grandma sat at the table next to us. I found an open spot between Mamma and Kaleb and sat down.

“Are you okay?” Kaleb leaned over to me and put his arm around the back of my seat.

“Yep just fine.”

“A woman is never fine when she says she's just fine.” He smirked. “Do I need to beat him up for you?”

I shook my head. “No, he's just being Levi. We aren't together. He can flirt with whoever he wants.” Bitterness colored my voice even though I tried to keep it out of it.

“I'm here for you, baby sister” He turned his attention back to the front as Annie and Bobby made their appearance. They both looked super happy as they gazed into each other's eyes as they made their way to the front table. Levi arrived not long after they did. His eyes bored into my back as he made his way to the table where his mom sat. He pulled out the chair behind me and lean towards me before he sat down.

“We need to talk.”

I crossed my arms and ignored him. He sighed and sat down in his chair behind me.

“Lindsay!” His mom called. “You're sitting with us. There is an empty chair right next to Levi.”

I ground my teeth together and try to plaster a fake smile on my face. Lindsay giggled and came over by Levi. He stood up like a gentleman and pulled out her chair for her. The chair scraped against the concrete floor as he pushed it in.

“Oh, that's so nice of you,” her voice purred behind me. “Wasn’t that a beautiful wedding?” 

Levi grunted in response.

“I sure hope you save a dance for me tonight.”

“Of course, I would love to dance with you tonight.” I could feel his eyes burning holes in the back of my head. 

I straightened my spine and swallowed a large gulp of water. Daddy stood up to say the prayer and everyone bowed their heads to murmur along with him. Levi's deep voice behind me drug my attention away from the prayer. Everyone chorused amen.

“Thank you, everyone, for coming to our wedding! We’re so happy that you could share our special day with us. We’ll start the buffet with the tables on the left. Get some food! Cheers!” Bobby raised his wine glass and toasted his wife before taking a drink. They gazed into each other's eyes as their lips slowly came together and they kissed. It made my heart ache, wishing this was something I could have. I wished it would be with the man behind me.

Levi

It was obvious. Katie was ignoring me. It probably had something to do with Lindsay's flirting but couldn't she see I did not initiate it. I wasn't even flirting back. My reputation ruined my chances with Katie. Frustration bubbled up within me. It was our table’s turn to go through the buffet line. I hung back until our table had made it through and Katie's table was up. I handed her a plate as she stood in the line across the buffet table from me.

“Need anything from this side of the table?”

“No, thank you.” The response was hard and fast. 

I smiled at her but she glared at me before averting her gaze. She moved down the table. I grabbed some of the chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes and gravy, and a roll before heading back to my table. I didn't know how to make her pay attention to me. Maybe I read her wrong the whole weekend. I hoped not because my heart fell for her. Hard. I walked back to my table and sat down next to Lindsay and my mom.

“Levi, honey, Lindsay was just telling me about the ranch she inherited. She was saying that someday she might need a ranch manager.”

Lindsay's eyes lit up as Mom and she discussed her new ranch. “I'll have to keep both of my jobs for a while. It's going to take a bit for it to turn a profit.” She shrugged, laid her hand over mine. “I could use help whenever you're available.”

I cut my gaze to her. She turned on a megawatt smile. Her eyes sparkled as she tried to get me to engage in their conversation.

“I don't know Lindsay, I'm pretty busy at the ranch.”

“I'm sure the Kisments wouldn't mind if you came over on your days off.”

I shrugged, hoping to get out of this conversation.

The dinner couldn’t go by fast enough between Mom, Lindsay, and the girl behind me, ignoring me. I felt like I was drowning among women. Lindsay kept rubbing her foot against my leg and touching my hand with her hand. I gritted my teeth and tried not to lead her on. She was a nice girl and pretty to boot but my heart was still stuck on Katie.

The clinking of glasses brought my attention back to the front. Bobby and Annie stood together hand-in-hand.

“We’d like the speeches to begin, but first we want to thank someone very special.” They raised their glasses towards Katie. “Without the lovely Katie here, we wouldn’t have memories to show our children down the road.” Annie leveled a gaze directly at Katie, an expression of softness covered her face. “Katie, I know how much you hate being the center of attention and how hard it was for you to do but we appreciate it from the bottom of our hearts. You’ve saved the day for us and gave us a perfect wedding.” 

They raised their glasses and toasted her. I swiveled in my seat and caught her profile as a blush crept up her neck. She averted her eyes to her plate and played with the ring on her fingers.

The rest of the evening went by fast after they did their toast. Eventually, we moved the tables and chairs to the side, arranging for the older folks to have somewhere to sit and talk while the younger people could dance. The country band set up in the corner. They started with some tunes. The lights dimmed, giving the room a fairytale feeling. Annie and Bobby danced the first dance. Then, it was the parent/child dance; since our father was gone, I stepped in and danced with Annie.

“Are you okay?” She whispered as we spun around the dance floor.

“Yeah,” I didn't want to ruin her perfect day.

“That was quite a slap that Katie gave you earlier.”

I dipped her and then swung her around.

“Whatever you did, at least you know she likes you.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“How many girls have you kissed that slapped you?”

“None that I can think of.”

Annie pulled away from me, a knowing look in her eye. “I think Katie likes you.” 

The song ended and we stepped apart. I rubbed my hand along the back of my neck and up through my hair. Annie thought that Katie liked me. That would be too good to be true. Bobby came and claimed Annie for the next dance, leaving me standing by myself in the middle of the dance floor. Teenagers and kids crowded on the floor when the band switched to an upbeat tune. I stepped through the crowd looking for Katie. Lindsay caught my eye and waved at me, pushing her way through the crowds toward me. Well, Levi, you have to make a decision. Hurt Lindsay’s feelings by turning her down or dance with Lindsay and hurt Katie even more. I had a feeling with the looks that she and Kaleb gave me, that the reason they were upset was because of Lindsay's flirtations. 

Lindsay caught my arm, “Hey cowboy, let's dance.” 

She started to drag me to the center of the dance floor. I glanced around, hoping to find anyone else before I got snagged into a dance with Lindsay. The new cowboy at the Kisment ranch, Grayson, leaned against the wall, watching couples dance. He was shy from what I could tell. He barely spoke two words to me the three weeks he's been working, but I heard the ladies thought he was pretty handsome. What a perfect opportunity.

“I’ve someone I want you to meet.” I intertwined my fingers with hers and pulled her to the edge of the dance floor by the wall that Grayson was leaning against. “Have you met Grayson, yet?” Lindsay shook her head. 

Grayson tipped his hat to her and said, “nice to meet you, ma'am.” 

She blushed and extended her hand towards his, “nice to meet you too.”

“Would you like to dance?” 

“Of course, I'd love to dance.” She dragged him toward the dance floor. The poor cowboy didn't know what hit him. I smirked as I watched the two of them, retreating find Katie.

Katie

The wedding reception was in full swing. The band played, people danced, and I sat by myself in the corner. I swirled the contents of my glass around and looked into the depths. I’d heard rumors about Levi being a favorite of the ladies. I guess I never realized how much my heart wanted him, and it hurt when other girls flirted with him. I glanced up at that moment to see him with Lindsay, crossing the dance floor. They made a good pair with her long blonde hair and his with his black. I sipped my drink and scrolled through the photos from the wedding on my laptop.

A few minutes later, a shadow blocked out the light.

“Excuse me, ma'am. Can I Have This Dance?” His voice was low and husky.

My eyes slowly went up to his face. Levi's dark grey eyes are unreadable. He extended one hand to me.

“I'm not sure I can dance.” I smiled tightly.

“It's easy. Just follow my lead, I won't even let you bump into people.”

What should I do? My head said to refuse him even though it was rude. My heart begged, please just say yes.

“Please, Katie, can you dance with me?” The pleading and the sadness in his voice surprised me. He’d taken off his cowboy hat and was holding it in his hand, crushing the brim a little bit.

“Fine.” I huffed. 

I saved my project on my laptop and closed the lid. I set it next to the side by the pile of purses. Large hand engulfed mine as he helped me to my feet. He wrapped his arm around my waist, enfolding my right hand within his. He slowly spun me in a little circle to the beat of the music.

“Aren't we going to the dance floor?”

“Nah, it's too crowded.” He spun me out and back in, holding me closer to his chest than he did before. My heart jumped to my throat as the butterflies twirled and skipped in my belly. It was becoming hard to breathe. The edges of my vision started to turn black. Levi stopped dancing and held me away from his body just a bit.

“Breathe, Katie,” he whispered. “No need to have a panic attack. I just want to talk to you.” His lips hovered inches from the top of my head but I heard him loud and clear. “Why don't we go outside?” 

Night had fallen when he led me outside. We walked down the path and around the bend sitting by the fountain with the roses arching over it. He motioned me to sit down first. Then, he sat down next to me, our knees touching but our bodies angled away from each other. He held my hand in his and ran his thumbs up and down the skin of my hand. It was causing my heart to flutter. I’d never seen him so nervous. A little muscle ticked by his jaw as he chewed on his bottom lip. He's the one that wanted to talk I was going to wait him out.

“Here's the deal, Katie.” He cleared his throat and swallowed a couple of times before going again. “I really like you.”

With a jolt of surprise, I leaned over to meet his gaze, his gray eyes sucked me into their depths as I stared into his soul. “I like you too. I mean we've been friends forever.”

“No, I like you more than friends. I like you and I want us to… maybe… no that's not right… I want us to go out.”

I stared at him, dumbstruck. “But what about Lindsay and all the other girls.”

“You're so cute.” He tucked a long strand behind my ear. “There are no other girls. Lindsay’s just flirting. She doesn't actually want to be with me.”

“But what about your reputation as ‘Love ‘em ‘n Leave ‘em Levi’.”

“That's just all talk. I haven't dated anybody since high school. The only person that’s ever owned my heart is you.”

My heart pounded and blood rushed to my ears as he said those words. My hands shook and I swallowed a couple of times. “What?”

He grasped both of my hands, looking deep into my eyes. “I mean every word of it, Katie. You're the only woman I have ever thought of since I started working for your dad on the ranch. And you came out that summer, your beautiful blonde hair dyed black, wearing black eyeliner, and that black tank top. You thought that no one saw, that you were invisible to the world, but I saw you. You've had my heart ever since.”

I stared at him. A tear rolled down from the corner of my eye. He caught it with his thumb and wiped it off.

“I don't know what to say.”

“Say you'll be my girlfriend.”

I nodded. He whooped, catching me into a hug. He lifted me and spun me around. Our lips collided and my butterflies did a happy dance. I slid down his front until my feet touched the ground. He cupped the back of my head as he angled over my mouth. I closed my eyes and kissed him back. Slowly, I came back to the present. I broke the kiss.

“What about when I go back to Denver?”

We pulled apart. He studied my face for a while. Tucking a lock of hair behind my ear, his hands slid up to frame my face.

“Let’s date and do the long-distance thing. We’ll figure it out. I’ve wanted to be with you for a long time. If I have to leave Texas, I will.” 

My heart burst with happiness. I squealed and launched myself at him. He caught me to his muscled chest. He slid a hand up to my cheek. The other one wrapped around my waist. Slowly, he brought his lips within inches of mine forward. Our lips touched. An explosion of fireworks set off between us. My mind went blank as I lost myself in the swirling and twirling of our lips. The kiss deepened and a groan escaped. It was perfect.

A voice clearing above us interrupted kiss.

“Are you two coming back to the dance or are you going to spend all night making out on the bench?” Kaleb's eyes smoldered as he smirked at us.

Blood flooded my cheeks. I tried to stammer out a response. Levi took off his hat, winking at me.

“We're going to spend all night kissing on this bench.” He brought his hat in front of our faces as he kissed me again.

If you want to read it as an ebook you can get it here!

Thanks for reading. See you next week!

Hugs, 

Allie

Copyright © 2020 by Allie Bock

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permissio n.

My Cowboy Crush: Chapter 5

 Hi Dear Reader,

Here is the next chapter on Katie's and Levi's love story. Start at the beginning: HERE

Chapter 5Katie

“Hey, honey, what are you doing?” Mama braced her hand on the doorway. “Are you ready for the big day?”

I nodded. And double-checked my list. “Can you help me go over this?”

“Sure,” she said, “Camera.”

“Check.” I packed the large professional camera in my bag.

“Memory card.” 

“Check.” 

“Extra memory card.” 

“Check.”

“Notebook.” 

“Check.”

“Laptop, extra batteries, extra lenses.”

“Got it.”

“Well, honey, I think you’ve got everything.”

I packed it all into my backpack and slung it over my shoulder. Nervous butterflies danced in my stomach. I pushed a stray curl behind my ear and looked around my pink room. 

“Well Mama, this room has not changed in the five years I’ve been gone.”

She chuckled. “No, I couldn’t bear to make it into a room of my own. I left all of your stuff here in case you ever decided to come back and stay at the ranch.”

I glanced over at her as she choked up on the last words of the sentence. Tears ran down the edge of her cheek. 

“Oh Mama, don’t cry.” I stepped across the pink plush rug and wrapped her into a hug.

I never realized how much Mama and Daddy missed me. And at that moment, I missed them too. I missed Texas and I missed being on the ranch. I loved Colorado, my friends out there, my job, and my apartment. The mountains were beautiful; they took my breath away every time I saw them. It hit me that I missed my family. My eyes filled up with tears. Mama held me out at arm’s length and wiped the tear that escaped from my eye. 

“Now, don’t you be crying on me? You’re going to ruin your mascara.” She dabbed at it and fixed my makeup. “Well, you better be going, girl. You’re going to be late for the wedding.”

I chuckled as I glanced at my watch. The wedding didn’t start until two o’clock, and it was only nine in the morning. 

“Well, I probably should get going so I can catch all the preparations.” I held up my notebook. “She wants a lot of pictures.”

Mama laughed with me, “that Annie sure knows how to put on a party.” 

#####

The park pavilion parking lot was full of cars and trucks by the time I arrived. Annie stuck her head out through the door when she heard my truck pull up. 

“Katie, you’re finally here! Hurry up, we’ve got a lot going on.”

Anxiety grew in my stomach. It rolled around causing the butterflies to twist and turn. Nausea rose in my throat. I gave a small wave to Annie. She waved back before heading back inside. The door clicked shut behind her. Breathe in, Katie, breathe out. My head rested on the steering wheel, trying to calm the butterflies in my stomach.

A knock sounded at my window. Levi grinned down at me through the window.

“Are you ok?” He opened my door and gently set his hand on my back, sending tingles down my spine.

“Just having a panic attack.” My voice wheezed. 

“Breathe in and out. You’ll do great.” He rubbed my back in slow circles. His voice calming my frayed nerves. I smiled weakly at him.

“Thank you.”  I reached for my bag and my hand shook when I clutched my backpack and camera.

“You’ve got this, Katie,” his voice washed over me, “breathe in, breathe out.”

I breathed in through my mouth and out through my nose, holding for 3 seconds, trying to reach that elusive calm. I repeated the cycle five times until the butterflies in my stomach calmed to a gentle fluttering instead of a crazy rock and roll party. I exited my truck and he grabbed the rest of my equipment before heading towards the park pavilion. Loud voices, exuberant cries, and laughter burst through the door as we reached it. He stepped in front of me and opened the door. He smiled down at me as he placed his hand on my lower back. His grey eyes widened and glinted silver. The butterflies swooned. Get yourself together, Katie. I could get lost in those eyes. 

Tables and chairs were set up for dinner after the wedding. A banquet table was set up along the outside wall and the head table was up on risers in front of the gathering of other tables. One of the bridesmaids stuck her head out of a side room and waved at me. 

“We’re in here!”

I strolled across the concrete floor. Breathing in, breathing out, my hands shaking, palms sweating. I was pretty sure my perfume was wearing off. My eye makeup felt like it was sliding down my face. I grasped Levi’s hand. A nervous sweat broke out when I walked into the room. The fumes of hairspray, makeup, and other beauty products assaulted my nose. A sneeze erupted and I blushed as all of their gazes fell on me.

“Bless you,” Levi whispered in my ear. A shiver passed through me.

Someone pushed a mimosa into my hand. Annie and her bridesmaids were in various stages of getting ready. At that moment, one was having her hair primped and curled to be done up into a fancy up-do. Annie’s mom sat on a couch on the side, getting her make-up done. Granny squealed with delight as the manicurist painted her nails a brilliant red.

 “Katie,” Annie startled me. My mimosa splashed over the size of the champagne flute. “I want you to take pictures of everyone. I want to be able to see the whole day when I page through the photo album.”

“Hold still,” the stylist scolded. Annie flashed me a smile and made the motion of taking pictures with her fingers.

The butterflies quieted. I guess candid shots it was. I glanced around, but Levi disappeared. I shrugged, time to get to work. I went around the room, taking pictures of the girls getting ready, trying to keep it modest and appropriate to be seen by Granny. Eventually, the time came for Annie to slip into her dress. I took pictures of her mother helping her button the tiny white buttons that ran up the back. Silhouette shots of her standing in the window looking out across the park and the girls helping her put on her garter. As they were helping her slip on her shoes, a knock sounded on the door frame. 

“Levi,” Annie’s mom called, “you brought the flowers. That’s wonderful.” She rushed forward, hustling Levi into the room, and distributed the flowers to the girls.

“Here, honey, take some pictures of the flowers.” She pushed me to the front of the room.

Levi smiled at me from underneath his hat. A flush spread through me as I lined the girls up to take pictures of the bouquets with the dresses. 

“All right, ladies,” I said, “let’s go outside and take some pictures in the garden. We have about an hour before I have to spend time with the groom and the groomsmen.”

We all trooped out to the garden where I took pictures of the bride’s wedding party underneath the trees, around by the flowers, in the tall grass by the cacti. They held funny poses and serious poses all the while Levi stood behind me holding the light shade. My body tingled with awareness when his eyes fell on me. I shivered as if I was showered in ice. He tried to catch my eye, but I ignored him. Once in a while, my eyes slipped to the side and found him staring at me with a small grin creasing his face or he’d wink back. It was hard to focus on the bride and bridesmaids. The handsome cowboy was affecting my concentration.

“Alright, ladies. Let’s take some photos by the rose arch. Annie, I want you to be seated on the bench. And, girls, I want you to be standing behind her.” I directed everyone where to stand.

The arch of red roses looked lovely with Annie’s white wedding dress and her girls’ pale pink bridesmaids’ dresses. At the angle, it was just not right. 

“Levi, can you stand over there to left?”

He stepped away from behind me and took three strides over to the left. He raised the light over his head.  My nose wrinkled and I shook my head. It still was not the right angle. I looked over at the fountain behind me. The rock wall sat up about a foot from the ground. It was rough on the surface, but I think if I stood upon it, I would get a better angle. I swept the camera strap around my neck and set the camera against my chest. I climbed up onto the rock wall. I focused on the screen as I took a step to the right. My foot slipped on the rock; my arms flailed as I fell backward into the fountain.

Levi

I watched Katie all morning. She sure was cute with her Gypsy skirt and white blouse. She wore these ridiculous flats with little bows on the toes. The minute she stepped onto the rock; my heart dropped in my chest. My feet stepped toward her as she took a step to her right. Her foot hit the rock, and she fell backward with a large splash into the water. I raced towards her. 

“Katie, are you okay?” I peered into the water. 

Her blonde hair hung limp around her face. Her mascara smeared on her eyelids and ran down her cheeks. Her white blouse became see-through. I drug my eyes up from the blouse to stare at her eyes. Her skin turned a gray pale color, and she was opening and closing her mouth like a fish out of water. 

“Here, let me help you up?” I grasped her hand to pulled her out of the water. Her long skirt clung to her body and she stepped up over the edge of the rock wall.

“Oh no,” she cried, “my camera it’s ruined!”

Tears slid down her face as she looked at her camera dangling by its neck cord. It broke my heart to see her crying. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her to me, rubbing circles on her back.

 “Everything will be alright,” I soothed.

“What am I going to do? I won’t be able to take pictures for Annie!” She sobbed into my shoulder.

Annie approached. “Well, the first thing you need to do is go get changed. I’ll have my girls fix your hair and makeup in no time. We’ll postpone the wedding for about half an hour, so you’ll have time to go home shower and come back.”

“Really? You would do that all for me?” She hiccupped and wiped at the mascara.

Annie chuckled. “Of course, you’re the little sister I never wanted.” She patted Katie’s arms and went back to her girls. Someone poured another round of mimosas.

I turned to Katie. “Let me take you home.”

Her teeth clacked together even though it was July in Texas. I took my suit jacket off and wrapped it around her shoulders. I ushered her to my truck. Part of me felt bad for what happened to Katie; the other part was grateful for some time alone with her. I opened the door and helped her in. She seemed to zone out, so I buckled her seat belt for her and closed the door. I climbed in and started the truck. The engine rumbled to life.

“It’ll be all right,” I assured her, “you’ll see.” Silence filled the cab of the truck as we drove a while. A lightbulb went off in my head.

“Why don’t you use the camera you had this morning?”

She turned her eyes to me. They were red-rimmed and black mascara streaked down her cheeks. 

“But that’s a film camera. I won’t have enough film to take all the pictures Annie wants.”

I drummed my fingers on the steering wheel as we pulled into the Kisment Ranch. “What if we stopped at the store and bought a bunch of disposable cameras? That way the people at the wedding reception can take pictures of their tables for Annie. You can focus on just the ceremony and the before and after shots.” 

She turned her tear-soaked face to me and smiled. “I guess, we can do that.”

She tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear as she reached for the door handle. “Give me a few seconds to shower and change. I’ll be right back.”

She jumped up out of the truck and ran to the house, dripping water all the way there. The screen door slammed behind her. I smiled to myself as I reached in the backseat and grabbed the towel. I wiped up the seat where she was sitting. I gave Katie my suit jacket. My white shirt and tie looked silly with my black pants. I sighed. I guess I’ll have to go change. I got out of the truck and walked down to the bunkhouse. I pulled on a pair of black Wrangler jeans and a button-up western shirt, tied a bolo around my neck, and set my new black hat on my head. It was after Memorial Day so I should’ve worn a white hat. Mom taught me better, but I hated my white straw hat. Annie would just have to get over it. I headed back out to the truck. 

Katie leaned against the railing of the porch, ringing out her wet hair. She changed into skinny jeans that hugged all of her curves and a bright blue top that made her blue eyes pop. When she glanced at me, her mouth opened and closed a couple of times. 

“Wow, that’s different.” A rosy tint colored her cheeks. 

“Like different how?” I leaned up against the porch railing on the other side of her and a slow smile twitched at my lips. 

“Like you look really good.” Even her ears turned pink.

“I know I looked good in my suit,” I tipped my hat back and rubbed at my forehead.

“Well, you did look good in your suit but you look really good right now.” She stared down at her boots. She twisted her hair up into some sort of a knot on the top of her head and held it in place with a large metal hairpin. She had a camera bag slung over her shoulder and her hand gripped her purse. 

“I’m ready if you are? Everybody seems to already be at the park.” She made her way down the steps and I grasped her hand to help her. My skin tingled the minute her fingers touched mine and my heart raced. She looked beautiful. 

“Katie.”

“Yeah?” She turned her eyes to me. The blue in her eyes was just as blue as a cloudless sky. 

“You look very pretty.”

She snorted and looked the other way. “Yeah, like pretty as a drowned rat.” She hurried over to the truck. I shook my head. What I wouldn’t give for her to realize that I meant that she looks beautiful to me.

We stopped at the pharmacy and the Dollar Store just outside of town. I found a couple of disposable cameras but no extra film. 

“How much do you have?” I glanced over to her.

She went through her camera bag. “I have about 20 rolls.”

“That’s a lot.” This was me trying to make conversation.

She shrugged. Her horrible anxiety must be back, and that must be what she’s dealing with right now. Her knees shook, her hand tapped on the edge of the window, and she was barely breathing. The pink drained from her cheeks, and she kept twirling her hair with her other hand. 

“It will be fine, I promise you. Annie will be more than happy for everything that you’ve done.” I laid my hand on her bouncing knee.

“What if the pictures are no good? What if I don’t get the exposure right? What if their eyes are closed? What if no one’s smiling or what if someone is in the wrong spot? I can’t just hit delete and do it over again!”

I parked my truck before I took her hands in mine and rubbed my thumb over her knuckles. “It’ll be alright. Photographers have been taking pictures of weddings for a lot longer than digital cameras have been around. You can do this and Annie thinks you can do this. Plus, you got the memory card from the digital camera. That should still work.” 

She nodded, “I’ve got to run and take the groomsmen pictures.”

“I’ll see you at the beginning of the wedding.”

She leaned toward me as I leaned into her. Her pink lips pressed a light kiss on my cheek before she jumped out of the truck and ran to where Bobby and his men were hanging out underneath an oak tree.

The wedding was supposed to go off at two o’clock. Annie had pushed it back a little bit so that Katie could get some more pictures. People arrived to be seated and Annie made me an usher. I seated Mom and Granny at the front of the church. Bobby’s parents sat on the other side. Bobby appeared in his tuxedo, walking among the guests, shaking hands, and talking to them. My body focused on Katie in the corner, taking pictures of the altar, her dad reading the Bible. Our eyes met across the room. I tipped my hat to her. She smiled and dropped her eyes back down to her camera.

A hand slid into the crook of my elbow, drawing my attention away from Katie as she concentrated into her camera.

“Would you like to find me a seat, cowboy?” Lindsay purred into my ear. I stifled a cringe and closed my eyes for a moment.

“Sure, Lindsay, why don't you come this way?” 

I led her down the aisle to the fifth row from the front where one of my cousins sat. She wouldn't let go of my arm; instead, she ran her fingers from the tip of my elbow down into my hand and intertwined them with my fingers. My anger rose in my chest as I tried to keep it in check. I swallowed and let go of her fingers, but not before she pressed a kiss to the corner of my mouth.

“I can't wait for the dance later tonight,” she whispered.

I just looked at her. My words were not forthcoming on what to respond. I turned to walk away. Her hand reached out to my bottom, giving it a firm squeeze. I narrowed my eyes at her, and my mouth opened, about to say something until Katie caught the corner of my eye. Her mouth fell open, and she was pale as a sheet. She finished snapping a couple of pictures before quickly hurrying away. When I made to go after her, I was interrupted by Kaleb. I groaned inwardly as he placed a hand on my shoulder.

“Good to see you, Levi. I missed you at breakfast.” His dark blue eyes were unreadable. 

I met his gaze and nodded. “Missed me at breakfast? I never went.” 

“Remember what I said.” He strode away and found a seat next to his mom. 

Crossing his arms, he stared ahead, his back straight as a ramrod. I ran my fingers through my hair and jammed my hat back on my head before heading to the back of the church.

The bells tolled, signaling the start of the wedding. The bridesmaids and Annie gathered behind the closed doors. Katie ran around them, snapping pictures. The world seemed to stop when I looked at Annie and her wedding dress. She was beautiful. Her black hair was swept up into ringlets to the white wedding dress showing off her tan. The veil laid over her eyes, but couldn’t hide a little tear running down the side of her face. I caught it with my thumb and wiped it off.

“No crying today,” I softly said to her, “it's supposed to be a happy day. You look amazing. Bobby's not going to know what hit him.”

Annie beamed at me and threw her arms around me. At that moment it was just me and my sister. A sort of peace transcended us.

“Are you ready?”

Annie nodded. With that, I cued the pianist to play the processional. Her bridesmaids walked down the aisle, slowly smiling and nodding to friends and family that they knew. Katie was at the front. Her camera catching it all for Annie's memories. I offered Annie my elbow. She slipped her hand around my elbow. I wish our dad was here to see her. But he wasn't and I was proud to walk my sister down the aisle on the happiest day of her life to her new husband. The chapel doors swung open and everyone turned to look at us. We slowly stepped down the aisle together. My gaze swung to Katie and I gave her a small smile. She looked at me for a hard moment and went back to her camera. Her face was a blank mask like Kaleb's had been earlier.

If you want to read it as an ebook you can get it here!

Thanks for reading. See you next week!

Hugs, 

Allie

Copyright © 2020 by Allie Bock

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permissio n.

My Cowboy Crush: Chapter 4 Part B

  Hi dear Reader,

Welcome back for Chapter 4. You can read Chapter 1 Here!

Katie

A rooster crowing woke me from my sleep. For a moment, I was confused as to where I was. I haven't heard roosters in the five years since I've left home. There weren't too many in Denver. I rolled over in my twin size bed and shoved the pink comforter to the floor. Stretching my arms above my head, I rolled my head from side to side. It was going to be a beautiful day for Annie’s wedding.

The noise of banging pots and pans came from the kitchen as the scent of coffee permeated the air. Sudden inspiration struck. I grabbed an old pair of boots and jeans and threw on a cotton t-shirt. With my old camera, that was a gift from my grandparents, slung over my neck and a cowboy hat pulled down to my eyes, I made my way to the front door.

“Morning, sunshine.” Mama’s happy voice halted my escape from the house.

“Hi, Mama.”

“Where you out to?”

“Just taking Buttercup for a ride. The sunrise should be beautiful this morning.”

“Breakfast is in an hour.” She turned back to whatever was in the pot on the stove.

“I'll be back I promise.”

I ran down the creaky steps, across the dew-covered grass, and into the barn. The horses slept quietly in their stalls as I swung Buttercup’s stall door open. I brushed and saddled her quickly, anxious to be on my way. I was about to throw a leg over her back when a voice clearing stopped me in my tracks.

“You going out without me?” Levi's deep voice sent shivers down my spine. 

I turned slowly to him. Looking at him made my mouth water. His black shaggy hair stood up in all directions and his gray eyes looked deep into mine. He slapped a dusty hat against his faded blue jeans before shoving it on his head. The butterflies in my stomach rolled over at the sight of his T-shirt stretching across his chest muscles. They flexed as he crossed his arms. Yummy. I shook my head to clear my thoughts. 

“I was going out without anyone.”

“Then, you won't mind if I join you.” 

He quickly saddled a black horse on the end of the barn and swung into the saddle with the ease of a gymnast. I clambered onto Buttercup’s back, feeling self-conscious of my awkwardness. A small smile played upon his lips as I struggled into the saddle.

“I could’ve given you a boost.”

“Nah, I'm good.” I straightened my spine and pulled my hat down even closer to my ears.

“Lead the way,” he said.

I clucked to Buttercup and squeezed her with my legs. She started at a swinging walk. The air was brisk before the sun began its rise. The chill caused goosebumps to run up and down my arms, and I shivered involuntarily against the cold. I caught him looking at me with concern in his eyes.

“I'm fine,” I muttered and turned Buttercup on the trail that led out to the range.

“Still, I might be cold. Let's stop at the bunkhouse.” He rubbed his arms and shook, slightly.

He turned off onto a beaten trail that led to the bunkhouse. It was a small brown building that held eight apartments. He dashed inside and he banged around for a while. He came out with a beat-up leather jacket slung over his shoulder.

“Put this on. I'm not watching you shiver.” He handed me the jacket.

I slid my arms into the worn-out sleeves. It smelled like him, horse sweat, leather, and something spicy that can only be man. I snuggled into it, pulling the collar up. He was right it was warmer than my t-shirt. He mounted his horse and motioned for me to lead the way.

We rode for a while in silence, enjoying that part of the day that wasn't quite morning and wasn't quite night, when everything was still quiet and gray. Owls hooting in the distance. Jackrabbits scurried through the underbrush. A hawk took off from a mesquite tree and flew overhead. The sun started to peek over the horizon. The sky streaked with reds, purples, and blues. It was a beauty I hadn't seen in a while. We stopped at the top of a hill. I dismounted and handed my reins to Levi.

“If you needed to come along. Make yourself useful.”

I set up my camera to capture the sunrise. Levi stood behind me, keeping quiet as I worked. His gaze felt heavy on my back and wondered what he was thinking. After twenty minutes of laying on the sandy ground, I tried to stand up. Levi’s boots crunched over small stones as he moved to help me up. His fingers threaded with mine as he jerked me to my feet. I ended up nose to nose with him. My breath caught in my throat as his grey eyes captured mine. His eyes grew darker the longer I stared into his. His warm spicy breath came in short puffs across my face. His arms slid around my shoulders and back, bringing me closer to him. My pulse hammered in my ears. It was hard to breathe, think, and even stand. I leaned into him. His head tilted toward mine. His lips came within a hair’s breadth from mine. I closed my eyes and leaned forward. At that moment, Buttercup walked up behind me and nudged me in the back with her nose. I jerked forward, hitting Levi in the chin. My lip caught between my teeth as a little blood trickled down from the split in my lip. Levi’s strong hands set me back onto my feet.

“Buttercup’s right.” He dabbed at my lip with the edge of his T-shirt. My skin tingled where he touched it. “I’m sure breakfast is almost ready.” 

A moment passed between us. I wanted to kiss him, but he turned to get the horses ready to ride back home. He led Buttercup over to me and offered his hands down by the stirrup. I placed my worn-out cowboy boot in his hand and he lifted me into the saddle. I settled into my seat as he mounted his horse. We turned to make the trek back to the house. The silence stretched between us as nature awoke. Birds sang in the bushes, crickets chirped, and armadillos waddled back to their homes. My camera clicked away at the wildlife.

"What’s with the camera?” Levi broke the silence as he watched me try to focus in on a roadrunner.

“Whatcha mean?” I mumbled as I leaned more out of the saddle for a different angle.

“That camera is older and smaller than the one you had yesterday. In fact, it doesn’t look digital at all.” 

I straightened in the saddle and held the camera out from my body. “It is different. This was my first camera, ever. My grandparents gave it to me.” I choked up at the thought of both of them. They’ve been gone for several years and I missed them a bunch. I wiped the single tear from my eye and straightened my spine in the saddle. I steered Buttercup down the trail to the house.

“So, why do you use it?” Levi rode his horse up next to me. 

“Well, because I like it.” I snapped a few more pictures. “I think the film takes better pictures than digital. There’s just something about being in a dark room, developing the film, watching the picture come to life.” I shrugged before continuing down the trail.

“You have your own darkroom?” Levi trotted his horse next to me.

“Yep. Sure do.”

“Really?”

I nodded my head. “I set one up in the closet at my apartment. That way I can develop my film whenever I want and I don’t have to send it out. It really isn’t a big deal.”

Silence fell between us as we traveled the rest of the way to the ranch house. When we pulled up into the yard, the rest of my family and all the ranch hands were gathered.

“Breakfast time, y’all,” Mama called from the porch. Everyone cheered.

Levi grabbed the reins of Buttercup’s bridle as I dismounted. “You might as well go in and get some breakfast. I’ll take care of the horses for you. I’d better get going to town anyway, as I’m sure Annie’s got a bunch of stuff for me to do.”

I couldn’t help but watch him walk away. His jeans hugged his hips and butt. I closed my mouth with a snap. His boots clicked on the gravel as he made his way into the barn. I turned around to see the glare coming off of Kaleb’s eyes. He shook his head at me before heading into the house. The next few hours might be interesting.

Levi

The horses plodded after me as I headed to the barn. The barn door groaned as I slid it open and let the morning light fall across the dirt-covered floor. Horses’ heads popped over their stall doors and nickered as I led Buttercup and my black horse to their stalls.

“Give me a second, everyone. I’ve gotta untack these two, and then it’s breakfast.” I said out loud to the barn. 

The horses answered with neighs, banging on stall doors, and general restlessness. I tied the two horses up and took off their saddles. They weren’t sweaty from our morning ride, so a nice brushing would be sufficient. I hummed a tune under my breath as I ran the brush over Buttercup’s copper coat. This morning was perfect. The sunset was gorgeous, and the girl with me was just as beautiful. The kiss would’ve been perfect if we hadn’t been interrupted. Her soft lips gently touching mine, maybe she would cling to my body as I wrapped her even closer to me. The scent of her perfume lingered over the smell of horses. The brush flicked dust off of Buttercup’s rump when a throat clearing brought me back to the present. I knew that sound, my hand stilled, and my body slowly turned to the man standing behind me. 

Kaleb’s arms crossed over his chest and his feet braced shoulder-width apart. His cowboy hat was squashed tight over his ears and the blond curls stuck out underneath of it. His eyes turned an angry midnight blue and a muscle ticked in his jaw.

“Morning, didn’t see you there.” I tried to seem nonchalant, but my heart was racing. I had just broken rule number three at the Kisment Ranch, but nothing happened…unfortunately.

“What do you think you’re doing?” The anger in his tone didn’t surprise me. Kaleb had always been protective of his baby sister. 

“Brushing down the horses before feeding the barn.” I waved the brush around and grinned at him.

His eyes got darker as he swore under his breath. “No,” he ground his teeth together, “what were you doing with Katie?” 

His hands dropped to his sides and balled into fists. I stepped a small step back and leaned against the wall. What had I been doing with Katie? Definitely not what I wanted to do with Katie. I picked up a piece of straw and twirled it between my fingers.

“Katie was going for a morning ride, and I joined her.” He growled the moment the words left my mouth. I held up my hands. “Honestly, man, it was just a ride to get some sunrise photos and nothing else.”

He relaxed a little and leaned toward me. “Stay away from her. She doesn’t need a broken heart.”

It was my turn to cross my arms and study him. “What makes you think I am going to break her heart?"

He threw his head back and laughed but it didn’t reach his eyes. “You’re my best friend.”

“Aw, how sweet.”

“But the ladies call you ‘Love ’em n’ Leave ’em Levi’. Just don’t hurt my sister.” He turned and stomped out of the barn, just as the words died on my tongue.

But that’s not the real me.

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Thanks for reading. See you next week!

Hugs, 

Allie

Copyright © 2020 by Allie Bock

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