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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.
There was a total of four beds. Two bunks were empty, wearing only blue-tick mattresses. The third bed was neatly made with crisp, military-looking hospital corners. A thick quilt had been folded on the end of the bed. Diamond Patch. That was the name of the pattern of rich pinks and corals. She recognized it from the many her mother used to hand stitch. An open Bible lay on top of the quilt.
The bureau next to the bed held an assortment of the owner’s personal items and a braided rug covered the nearby floor.
Home sweet home. Except it wasn’t. Not for AJ. And she needed to remember that. Home was long gone and there was nothing left for her in Timber, Oklahoma, since her mother died. Big Heart Ranch was simply another job, another city.
When her temporary wrangler position outside Bartlesville had ended, she’d packed up her few belongings, gotten in her pickup and started driving. However her Chevy’d had a mind of its own and, just like her rodeo days, the truck had found its way back to Timber.
AJ opened her duffel and pulled out her own well-worn leather Bible and a photo of her mother, in a plain silver frame. She gently rubbed a bit of dust off the glass with her thumb and placed the photo on the oak bureau next to the bed. She’d left the rest of her personal things boxed up and sitting in the passenger seat of the truck, along with her interview suit.
No need to bring everything in because, if Travis Maxwell had his way, she’d be gone tomorrow. The man’s expressive face during her interview had told her plenty. Travis was no different from any other ranch foreman she’d encountered, except the man was younger and easier on the eyes.
The mirror above the bureau captured her reflection and she stared for a moment. Her face was devoid of makeup, her skin covered only with a layer of sunscreen. She’d do whatever was necessary to fade into the background so Travis Maxwell would see her as a capable employee and not judge her based on her appearance. Gathering her hair into a severe low ponytail, she fastened a tortoiseshell clip at her nape.
With another quick look around the room, AJ tucked her denim shirt into her Wranglers, picked up her saddle and hat, and pushed open the back door of the bunkhouse.
A middle-aged woman with gray curls sat on the small porch outside with a cup of coffee in her hand. When AJ’s boot hit the ground, she looked up and offered a warm smile. “You must be the new assistant foreman.”
