Love Finds You in Sundance, Wyoming Read Free Page B

breath.
    Accepting the puppy offered by a family making their way west a few months ago would have helped pass the lonely hours, but it wouldn’t have solved her more urgent problem. She couldn’t just change into a dress and announce to her boss that he’d hired a woman.
    Heaving a sigh, she pushed to her feet. All appeared well, with no gray shadows skulking along the edges of the grazing cattle, seeking to pull down a lone calf.
    Angel tugged off her sombrero, loosened her braid, and ran her fingers through her tangled black curls. She shook out her hair and rubbed her scalp, enjoying the feel of the breeze. But she’d best get it braided again and tucked back under her hat where it wouldn’t be seen.
    She’d finished breaking the last mustang from the small band they’d captured a few weeks ago, and the rancher she worked for was teetering toward letting her go.
    Not that she cared, but she had nowhere to go after this short job ended. Angel hadn’t minded moving from one ranch to another, but not having a home had started to wear heavily on her.
    Angel still missed her uncle José, but he’d made the right decision. Hinson wouldn’t have left her alone and probably would’ve forced her into a marriage she didn’t desire—or worse.
    Three years was long enough to dress in men’s clothing with a tight band around her chest to keep her figure from showing. She’d purposely deepened her voice, speaking mixed Spanish and English, and managed to get by.
    She swiped at the moisture dotting her forehead with the back of her sleeve. The sun dipped toward the horizon. Time to toss her bedroll on the back of her saddle and call it a day.

    Travis Morgan loped Ranger, his bay gelding, alongside his thirteen-year-old nephew James’s buckskin, keeping a constant eye on the boy.
    Overall, James had adapted well to the move from San Francisco to Wyoming, though an occasional sullen air hung over him—no doubt due to the death of his father ten months prior. Travis sighed and tugged on his reins, slowing Ranger to a trot. He loved that his widowed sister, Libby, had moved to his home, but sometimes he felt inadequate in helping to raise her son.
    “Slow down, James.” Travis scanned the grasslands and pointed to the sky. “See those circling buzzards? They’ve spotted fresh kill.”
    James turned toward him. Hazel eyes, so much like Libby’s, glowed with excitement. “Whad’ya think it is?”
    “Not sure. Could be a calf, but I hope not. I’d hate to lose any more stock.”
    James hunched a shoulder. “But you got thousands.”
    Travis shoved away his irritation. Until a few months ago, James had lived in a city and didn’t understand what it took to survive in this rugged country. “Every calf is important. The ranch wouldn’t have thousands if I lost calves every day.” Travis kept an eye on the buzzards. Whatever was hurt wasn’t too far away.
    “Maybe it’s something else. Wanna race?” James picked up his reins and leaned forward in the saddle.
    Travis grasped Jasper’s reins before the boy could act. “Not so fast! In these parts, you look first.” He waited for James to relax before releasing his hold on the horse. “Take it slow, all right?”
    James nodded, but his lips drooped. “All right.” Jasper followed at a quick walk behind Ranger as the gelding moved out.
    Travis headed across the open plateau that extended miles to the south. He never tired of this view, even after owning the ranch for six years. Rock cliffs rose in the distance, showing clearly against the clear Wyoming sky. Grasslands that could graze far more than his two thousand head of cattle rose higher than a man’s knee over much of this country, and springs and creeks dotted the land.
    If only his father would come west to see what he’d accomplished since leaving St. Louis. Had it really been nine years since he’d last seen his only parent? But Derek Morgan was angry that his son hadn’t joined his law firm. It