Have a Little Faith Read Free Page B

half of their land and various equipment and livestock, they had gotten out of serious debt, but had no income. Now, as far as Lane could tell, it was hit or miss. No doubt the harsh s ummer in Oklahoma hadn’t been in their favor. But if it would help him gain a signature on his contracts, then it was in his.
    Lane readied for bed still dreaming. His father had given him this responsibility and he intended to see it through. Maybe it wouldn’ t make a difference to his old man, but for the first time in Lane’s life, he was doing something for himself.

 
    Chapter Three
     
    Alex grunted as she thrust her shovel down into the earth. What in the world possessed a cow to run through a barbed wire fence was beyond her. All she knew is that she had three uprooted t-posts and she had to fix them before more cows got out .
    She’d removed her button up shirt and wore only a tank top with her denim jeans—now stained from being dragged on the ground by the crazy cow. Her hair was pulled up on the top of her head tied with a string.
    Sweat rolled down her back. She noted absently that the sun was high and it was close to noon. She decided against breaking for lunch when she noticed the cows getting closer to the fence. Even a temporary fence wouldn’t be sufficient. She would have to finish it before anything else was done .
    On that note, Alex picked up a post , slid it into the ground , then hefted the t-post driver up to work the post into the ground. She repeated the process three times before she was satisfied enough to run the barbed wire.
    When the fence seemed to withstand the weight of her backside leaning on it, she was done. She picked up her shirt and tugged it on, not bothering with the buttons.
    “Looks all right to me.” Jack Manning, the Morgan Ranch foreman strolled up to her. “Did it hurt the cow any?”
    “No. M.C. is fine.”
    “Y ou named the cow?” Jack spit tobacco on the ground and helped haul the t-post driver into the bed of the ranch truck.
    “M.C . stands for Mad Cow. After the idiot drug me across twenty acres, I think she deserves the name.”
    Jack chuckled at Alex’s scowl and shut the tailgate . Alex walked over to where her horse was tied and stroked her hand down his neck.
    “Hello, Prince,” she said and was rewarded with a head bump.
    “Figured I’d take the truck on back if you want to take this here devil.” Jack commented coming up beside her. “Monster gave him a good grooming today.”
    “That’s fine. I may take him for a run in the one-eighty,” s he decided thinking of her favorite pasture. It was one hundred and eighty acres of flat grass. Her skin tingled in anticipation of feeling the wind rushing against her.
    “He’ll like that.” Jack patted the horse’s neck. Alex noticed the worry in his gray eyes and the strain in his voice. Knowing that a woman would never be equal to the men on Morgan, she had always stayed out of their business. But when it was just Jack, Alex could pry.
    “Everything all right, Jack?”
    He took his time to answer which had Alex biting her lip. Overhead, a hawk called out as it soared through the brilliant blue sky. A rabbit skidded through the clearing and back into the woods. And Jack sighed.
    “There’s a rumor. Is your mother really planning on selling?”
    Alex’s eyes widened in shock and the breath she’d been holding whooshed out. “She hasn’t told you anything? ”
    “No, she hasn’t told anyone anything.”
    Alex huffed out a breath. “All I know is that she’s considering it. A rep from a company is coming… today,” she realized with a jolt. “But I’m not letting it go without a fight.”
    “It would be nice to know if I need to be looking for another job.”
    “Oh, Jack.” Alex closed her eyes tight and wished Tanner Enterprise and her mother to hell. “I hope it doesn’t come to that.”
    “You’ve got a lot going here too. You’re a fine cowboy.”
    “Thanks, I think.”
    Jack smiled but it