The Cowboy Meets His Match Read Online Free PDF Page A

“He’s got a brother, too, who did pickup.”
    â€œHe told me.”
    They read about Sawyer’s brother.
    Taking a deep breath, Lencho shook his head. “He looks like the real deal.”
    He did, indeed, and from what they’d learned about Sawyer’s and his brother’s backgrounds, they were the real deal who participated in rodeo. Sawyer had the credentials to know what the cowboys needed, but Erin knew this rodeo and these people and knew the background that Sawyer didn’t. “We’ll find out tonight.”
    * * *
    Erin tried to listen to the car radio on her drive home and ignore what had happened at the board meeting. She started to hum with Tim McGraw about heading down this road again.
    But her wounded heart refused to let go of the hurt.
    What had been the final tally of the board members? She knew Melvin hadn’t voted for her. Of course, his daughter thought Erin was a cross between Godzilla and Cinderella’s stepmother, but that stemmed from Traci’s unreasonable fear that Erin would steal back Traci’s husband, since he’d been Erin’s high school sweetheart. Andy had wanted to marry Erin, but she hadn’t wanted to settle down so soon. Going to college had been her goal but, no matter what she said to Andy, he never took her seriously. Traci often told Erin what a good catch Andy was and why not marry him? Traci thought Erin had lost her marbles not to take up Andy’s offer. The instant he broke up with Erin, Traci swept in and captured her man. Erin had not been invited to the wedding even though it had been a Christmas affair. When Erin returned home the first time after she started college, Traci made it clear their friendship was over, much to Erin’s surprise. Why Traci acted the way she did, Erin didn’t understand. She got her man and Erin got to go to college.
    How many other members of the board had followed Mel’s lead in voting for Sawyer? Why had they voted for an outsider instead of a hometown girl? That’s what hurt the most.
    It’s business, the logical part of her brain argued, but her heart said the vote was against her personally, not her proposal.
    Pulling off the main road, she drove down the drive to the ranch house and parked her truck under the covered carport and breezeway that ran from the kitchen to the barn.
    She didn’t go into the house, and instead walked to the corral behind the barn to see her horse, Wind Dancer. The moment the horse saw Erin, she trotted over to the fence and head butted her.
    Reaching out, Erin stroked the horse’s neck. “Did you miss me, girl? I’m sure Santo took care of you.” The horse arched her neck and then raced around the ring, coming to a stop in front of her.
    Looking down at her long skirt and boots, she realized she needed to change. “Give me a minute, Dancer, and I’ll be back.”
    It took less than five minutes for her to grab her bag from the truck, change into jeans and race back outside. Her brother, Tate, hadn’t come home from school yet, and Erin didn’t know where her aunt Betty was, but they’d show up.
    Erin didn’t bother with a saddle. She grabbed reins and a halter, opened the gate and slipped them on Dancer. Erin hopped on Dancer and rode out of the corral. Horse and rider started slowly, and then Erin leaned close to the horse’s neck as Dancer picked up speed. They were in their element, racing across the high desert, dancing on the wind.
    Erin could feel herself touch the face of heaven, giving up her wound and the hurt of not winning the contract to reorganize the rodeo.
    Finally, Dancer slowed to a walk and stopped. Leaning over, Erin rested her head on the horse’s neck. “I was blindsided when I walked into that meeting, girl. Felt as naked as the day I was born.” She sat up. “So what am I going to do now?” She looked to heaven. “I need some direction here,