Falling for the Cowgirl Read online

  She won the job...

  Can he win her heart?

  Hiring Amanda “AJ” McAlester as his assistant at the Big Heart Ranch isn’t foreman Travis Maxwell’s first choice—but his sisters insist she’s perfect for the job. And AJ’s determined to prove she’s just as qualified as any man. But with money on the line, AJ and her innovative ideas could put him at risk of losing everything...including his heart.

  “Putting out fires is getting mighty old.”

  “Let me put out the fires.” The words rushed from AJ’s lips before she could stop them.

  “Sounds like you think you can do that.”

  “Yes, sir. I can.”

  Travis narrowed his eyes.

  “I mean, Travis.”

  He paused as if considering her words. “All right, then, let’s go find Rusty.” His eyes met hers and he smiled.

  One smile and her pulse started a gallop that she fought to control.

  When Travis nudged Midnight into a canter and took off toward the stables, she sat in the saddle for a moment staring at his retreating form.

  For the first time, someone was giving her a chance to prove she could do the job. And it didn’t hurt that he was smiling at the time.

  AJ urged Ace forward, her spirit soaring as the wind whipped past. Travis Maxwell held her future in his hands. She’d have to be very careful he didn’t hold her heart, as well.

  Tina Radcliffe has been dreaming and scribbling for years. Originally from Western New York, she left home for a tour of duty with the Army Security Agency stationed in Augsburg, Germany, and ended up in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Her past careers include certified oncology RN and library cataloger. She recently moved from Denver, Colorado, to the Phoenix, Arizona, area, where she writes heartwarming and fun inspirational romance.

  Books by Tina Radcliffe

  Love Inspired

  Big Heart Ranch

  Claiming Her Cowboy

  Falling for the Cowgirl

  The Rancher’s Reunion

  Oklahoma Reunion

  Mending the Doctor’s Heart

  Stranded with the Rancher

  Safe in the Fireman’s Arms

  Rocky Mountain Reunion

  Rocky Mountain Cowboy

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  FALLING FOR

  THE COWGIRL

  Tina Radcliffe

  Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

  —Proverbs 3:5–6

  Acknowledgments

  This book came to life as the result of the prayers of the Sisters Writing Groups. Many thanks, ladies.

  As with the first book in the Big Heart Ranch series, this book is dedicated to the staff and children of Big Oak Ranch. Big Oak Ranch is a Christian home, located in Alabama, for children needing a chance.

  I’d like to thank Reba with the Pawhuska Chamber of Commerce for taking the time to patiently answer my email and mail me information on Pawhuska.

  A shout-out goes to my newsletter subscriber Jo-Ann Toth, who named Travis Maxwell’s mustang stallion, Midnight. Wonder Woman thanks goes to Rogenna Brewer (she knows what she did). Additionally, I would have starved during deadline if not for my very own hero, Tom, who gets a trophy buckle for outdoor grilling. The judges all give him an eight-point-five.

  Thank you to my agent, Jessica Alvarez, for her wisdom and guidance. Thank you, as well, to my editor, Giselle Regus, who helps me grow as a writer, even when I’m certain I can’t dig any deeper.

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Dear Reader

  Excerpt from His Two Little Blessings by Mia Ross

  Chapter One

  “I like Zeb Turner for the assistant ranch foreman position.” Travis Maxwell looked across the conference table at his sisters, Lucy and Emma, hoping for confirmation, and then shoved another cinnamon roll into his mouth.

  “Hey, you ate the last one,” Emma said, grabbing the tin for the crumbs.

  “I’m a growing boy.” Travis patted his flat abdomen. He glanced at his older sister, who continued to scribble notes on a pad. “What do you say, Lucy?”

  “Turner isn’t even in my top three,” she returned.

  “What are you talking about? He passed the background check and the fingerprint check, and his résumé is top-notch,” Travis said.

  “That’s true for all of the final candidates, Travis,” Lucy stated.

  “The point is that Zeb and I go way back. I can work with this guy and get the program off the ground and file for that grant. We’d meet the ninety-day deadline for that state funding faster than a bronc out of the chute.”

  Emma groaned. “Spare us the hyperbole, please.”

  “I’m telling you, my gut feeling is no to Zeb,” Lucy said. “Now stop annoying me. I’m not feeling well.”

  “Lucy, are you all right?” Emma asked.

  “Something I ate, I imagine.”

  “Excuse me, but with all due respect, Madam Ranch Director, I’m pretty sure the Fair Hiring Practices and Job Discrimination laws do not include your gut in the guidelines.”

  “Perhaps they should,” Lucy shot back. “I asked you not to hire Rusty Parnell, remember?”

  “I’ve written Rusty up and he is aware he’s one boot away from being let go.”

  “Travis,” Lucy said, “you and Rusty have known each other since high school and he’s taking advantage of your friendship. Please, let’s not make the same mistake by hiring Turner.”

  Emma clapped her hands to end the discussion. “Pardon me, but we have another candidate to interview before we proceed to decision making.”

  “Leave it to the Big Heart Ranch children’s director to be the voice of reason,” Lucy said.

  “AJ Rowe.” Travis glanced at his watch. “It’s bad enough Mr. Rowe went to the University of Oklahoma. He’s also late.”

  “Now, Travis. Not everyone can be an OSU Cowboy,” Lucy said with a laugh. “Let’s not let our college rivalries blind us to a potential employee.”

  Heads turned when Lucy’s assistant, Iris, stepped into the doorway. “Ms. Rowe is here.”

  Ms. Rowe? Travis mouthed the words to his sisters as he scrambled to search the candidate’s résumé for a hint as to how he’d missed that particular bit of information.

  He looked up in time to see AJ Rowe enter the room.

  In a gray business suit with black heels, the woman looked every inch the professional. AJ Rowe had twisted her honey-blond hair into some sort of knot at the back of her head. She carried a black leather briefcase in her hand as she entered the conference room.

  Travis did a double take. With those big blue eyes and that golden skin, the woman bore more than a passing resemblance to Travis’s former fiancée. A woman who’d left him face down in the dust and had walked over him with her boots on.

  His heart continued a crazy gallop as he carefully picked his jaw
up, hoping no one had heard it slam into the ground.

  Nope. This was not going to work. He was looking for a combination rancher and bouncer. Someone to keep everyone in line, so he could get something done on occasion. The last thing he needed was a beautiful woman distracting him and his ranch hands.

  “Ms. Rowe. We’re delighted to meet you,” Lucy said. His sister continued the introductions.

  When Lucy came to him, Travis offered AJ a handshake, though he declined to meet her gaze, and he also declined to notice how soft her hand was.

  “The Travis Maxwell?” the woman murmured with dawning recognition in her voice.

  His head jerked up at the questioning tone and he connected with clear blue eyes.

  “Have you two met?” Lucy asked.

  “No. I recognize Mr. Maxwell from the cover of Tulsa Now magazine.”

  Travis bit back a groan. He’d been labeled Bachelor of the Year.

  Lucy’s idea, and he’d been paying for that particular bright idea in spades ever since the story ran last month. Women were still sending him emails, letters and had even showed up in person to let him know they would be happy to help him change his bachelor status to something long-term. The irony being that he had zero interest in relationships let alone matrimony. No. Been there and almost done that.

  “Publicity for the ranch,” Travis mumbled. He shot Lucy a death stare.

  “He’s only a part-time cover model,” Emma said with a chuckle. “The rest of the time he’s the ranch foreman.”

  Travis shook his head. Laughingstock of the ranch was more like it.

  Once they were all seated, Lucy began a round of the same questions she’d asked the last five applicants.

  Travis fiddled with his pen, glancing outside at the redbud trees waving in the breeze of an Oklahoma spring. The deep purple buds were open in an explosion of rosy-pink blooms.

  He ducked his head to sneak a sideways glance at the candidate.

  AJ Rowe gestured a hand. “I’ve been working ranches since I could sit in a saddle.” Her voice held a trace of sadness. “My father was the foreman for two of the biggest ranches in Oklahoma in his time and I worked by his side growing up.”

  “You’ve got an impressive and lengthy work history,” Lucy commented. “I can’t help but notice that you’ve transitioned employers several times over the years.”

  “That’s a nice way to address job-hopping.” AJ smiled tightly. “The reality is that most ranches hire in favor of male candidates. Code of the West.” She shrugged. “If I am hired, it’s short-term until they’re able to replace me with a man.”

  Though Travis turned his head back to the window, the finger of guilt continued to poke at his conscience.

  Awkwardness settled in the conference room. Finally, Lucy shifted the paperwork in front of her and looked to Emma for assistance.

  “Tell us about your equestrian experience,” Emma prompted.

  “I’ve done quite a bit of professional barrel racing.”

  Travis glanced at the paperwork. “You didn’t mention that in your résumé.”

  “An omission,” she murmured.

  Omission? Barrel racing was a female-dominated sport. Travis had no doubt that she’d left it off her résumé for that reason. That, along with the gender-neutral name AJ, would ensure she got an interview at very least.

  So why did that annoy him so much? Because he didn’t believe for a heartbeat that he had a bias and he didn’t like being treated as though he did.

  Another gap in conversation had Emma once again breaching the silence.

  “I used to barrel race, too,” his sister gushed. “Of course, I was never a professional, but I did compete locally. Are you still competing?”

  “Mostly I train. I enjoy working with young girls and teaching them to appreciate the sport. Healthy competition builds self-esteem, and the fact that they’re focused on something other than boys is even better.”

  Both Lucy and Emma smiled. Mention children and his sisters were on board. After all, Big Heart Ranch existed solely for the children.

  “That’s wonderful,” Lucy said, confirming his thoughts. “Interaction with our kids is a large part of the job. The children of Big Heart Ranch have backgrounds of abuse, abandonment and neglect, and they are, of course, our number one priority.”

  AJ offered a sympathetic nod.

  “I’m sure Travis has some questions for you,” Lucy said as the toe of her boot made contact with his shin under the table.

  He offered a weak smile. “What are your thoughts on cattle management, Ms. Rowe?”

  “Bison.” Her full lips curved into an excited smile. “Have you considered bison?”

  Travis frowned and blinked with stunned surprise. “Bison? Ah, no. Cattle is the best choice for Big Heart Ranch,” he said firmly.

  “And yet bison have many advantages, including efficient feed utilization, low-fat and high-protein meat with an ever-increasing consumer demand. Lower vet bills. They’re hardy and disease-resistant and calve without assistance.”

  Why was the woman still smiling?

  “You’ve read the recent studies on grazing?” she continued.

  “I have.” He met her gaze head-on.

  “Wonderful. Perhaps we could discuss other sustainability ideas I have. I mean, at your convenience.”

  “I, uh... Yeah. Sure.” He faltered and turned to his sisters. “Was there anything else?”

  Lucy closed the folder in front of her and stood. “I believe that covers everything. We’re done here and, needless to say, we’re very impressed.”

  AJ stood, as well. “Thank you, Ms. Maxwell.”

  “Call me Lucy.”

  The moment his sister clasped AJ’s hand with both of hers, Travis knew he was in trouble.

  “We’re family at Big Heart Ranch,” Emma chimed in as she, too, stood.

  Travis grimaced and slowly got to his feet. He offered a nod of acknowledgment without meeting AJ’s gaze.

  “We’ll be in touch by the end of the week,” Lucy said.

  Travis shoved his hands in his pockets and paced across the conference room as the tap-tap-tap of heels on the vinyl floor echoed down the hall, followed by the whoosh of the big glass doors as they closed behind AJ Rowe.

  “I like her,” Emma said. “She’ll fit right in. The woman has great ideas, too. We could use a little shake-up around here.”

  “Lucy marrying Jack Harris last year wasn’t enough of a shake-up for you?” Travis asked.

  “Look where that got us.” Emma wrapped an arm around Lucy’s shoulders. “Jack has provided the impetus for the new retreat center and both Lucy and I have our very own personal assistants.”

  Lucy narrowed her eyes at Travis. “I can’t see any downside to hiring AJ.”

  “Maybe we should vote,” Emma suggested.

  “No voting required,” Travis said. “I’m the guy who has to work with the candidate we hire. I get to make the decision.”

  “Clearly you have forgotten that all three of us own Big Heart Ranch,” Lucy said.

  “She omitted information from her résumé,” Travis said.

  “Information that would have only made her an even more impressive candidate for the job,” Lucy returned.

  “Come on, Travis,” Emma said. “She omitted the information to offset bias. I get that.”

  “I don’t need an assistant who can’t do the job.”

  “You don’t know she can’t do the job,” Lucy said. “Even you have to admit that her résumé is better than Zeb Turner’s.”

  Emma nodded. “The woman can ride. She was raised on ranches and has the education, plus the experience, for the position.”

  “But can she handle the ranch hands?” he asked.

  “I think AJ Rowe can probably do anything she sets
her mind to,” Emma murmured.

  Travis stared his youngest sister down. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  Lucy sat back down and moved the folders on the table into a neat stack. “It means we want to hire AJ.”

  “I don’t think you two understand what’s on the line here. I’ve got a little less than ninety days to launch the cattle management program and submit evidence of a successfully implemented plan to the Oklahoma Ranchers and Farmers Grant Program. I can’t afford to hire the wrong person.”

  “Travis, that grant is offered every year. There’s no pressing deadline. Sure, we’d like to launch the program, but everything is God’s timing.”

  “Are you kidding? I’m not going to let it go now. You don’t understand how much this project means to me.”

  “Oh, we understand.” Lucy’s gaze moved from Emma and then back to him.

  “This isn’t like you, Trav,” Emma said. “Are you sure this is just about the grant? Or do you have another issue?”

  “I don’t have any issues.”

  “Terrific,” Lucy said with a nod. “Then it’s settled. You know, I think AJ Rowe is going to be a game changer around here.”

  Yeah, that’s exactly what he was worried about. He liked things the way they were. He’d moved past the uncertainty of his childhood and the shattered promise of what he thought was forever love, to life at Big Heart Ranch. With the upcoming launch of the cattle program, proving himself to his sisters and everyone at the ranch was well within his reach.

  The last thing he needed was a game changer who wanted to put bison on his cattle ranch.

  Travis shrugged and raised his palms in surrender. “Fine. We hire her. But let the record state that Travis Maxwell, ranch foreman, is conceding under duress.” He slapped his Stetson on his head, turned on his boot heel and headed back to his steers.

  A man could trust cattle.

  * * *

  Coffee. The aroma of good, strong coffee permeated the bunkhouse. AJ kicked the front door shut with the toe of her boot and dropped her saddle and duffel bag on the first empty twin-size bunk.

  She glanced around. Giddy anticipation sparred with a still small voice issuing a warning not to get her hopes up.