Briar's Cowboys Read Online Free PDF Page B

she became an overwrought mess.
    Tension vibrated through her as she braced her hands on the kitchen counter. Breathe. Breathe. Breathe…
    Glancing out the window over the sink, she saw Ram and Jax had driven the truck behind the house to a stockpile of bales she hadn’t seen from up front. A couple black and white collies bounded around while Jax stood next to the truck bed and directed another cowboy who operated a forklift carrying a circular bundle of hay. A fourth man jumped into the bed, and Ram took off.
    Jax spoke briefly to the remaining guy who shortly later went to get a second bale. The snow flew so thick now that Briar could barely see them.
    As the strong aroma of coffee wafted into the kitchen, she decided she had to help. That would distract her and also get the crew out of the blizzard more quickly. The remaining pair of men obviously had to wait for the other two to return. She owned a pickup that could carry a second bundle of hay, doubling the work that could be done. She’d emptied it of her things earlier, and it was just sitting in front of the house, unused and ready.
    Grabbing her coat this time, she hurried out to her vehicle then drove over to the barn. She knew enough about ranching to remember that one cowboy used a pitchfork to shovel hay from the truck while the other drove. With that in mind, she ran inside and located the needed implement. The bitter wind bit at her skin when she dashed back outside. She could barely see as she squinted against the gusts of ice while she threw the pitchfork in the back.
    Relief flooded her as she climbed into the cab. The truck wasn’t warm yet, but the shelter from the storm was welcome—and those cowboys were out in this. On purpose! She couldn’t imagine choosing this life—
    But you’re about to. What do you think owning a ranch will entail, bonehead?
    Ignoring her inner voice, she flipped the wipers on high so she could see. Carefully, she drove to the back of the house and waved to Jax as he looked up at the unfamiliar vehicle.
    “You’ll get done faster if you use my truck, too,” she yelled to him after she’d rolled down her window. “I’ll move over, and you can drive.”
    He nodded then said something to the other man who grinned and saluted her. Moments later, Jax lowered the tailgate then ran around to climb into the driver’s seat as she scooted over to make room for him.
    “We appreciate this, ma’am,” he said, as he turned to look over his shoulder while he backed toward the other cowboy.
    Briar laughed. “You’re not going to start ma’am-ing me now, are you?”
    “You are the boss,” he replied.
    “It makes me feel old.” Not to mention distanced. Was he calling her “ma’am” to dissuade her from making anything of the incident in the barn? Maybe it had been a farce started in the heat of the moment, but they all wanted to forget it now. Heat rushed into her cheeks. She was a fool. Why had she gotten all worked up? Wouldn’t they have a laugh if they knew?
    “Old?” he echoed and shook his head, chuckling as he leapt from the vehicle and directed the bale onto the truck bed. It thunked down, shifting the truck’s balance and startling Briar. She grabbed the armrest instinctively. Then Jax was back, and she forced herself to relax. After his partner jumped into the back, Jax drove in the direction the first truck had gone while the other man leaned on the bale and wrapped his fingers into it for balance.
    “You’re far from old,” Jax commented with an appraising look as he resumed their conversation as if there’d been no pause. “I was just being polite.”
    She forced a grin. “I’d rather you all called me Briar.”
    “Will do.”
    “Besides,” she added, taking a chance and adding fuel to the earlier fire. She needed to know the lay of the land, even if the answer might embarrass her. “I’d think after the looks I got in the barn, you’d want to call me something other than ma’am.”
    “I