Read To Court a Cowgirl for Free Online

and no go. Her sisters had started building the herd again and they were now up to twenty registered Angus cows—eighteen of which were pregnant. If she had a one-hundred-percent calving rate, then they would have even more of a hedge against disaster. She felt bad that she was the reason the ranch had been in such poor shape to begin with...which was why she really hated making that call.
    After checking the cows, she turned the goats loose to eat weeds, then started back to the house, only to stop when she spotted the cloud of dust coming down the driveway.
    And a second later she recognized the fancy pickup making the cloud.
    Jason Hudson.
    Allie glanced down at her clothing, glad that she hadn’t succumbed to the urge to feed in her pajamas. Her oldest jeans, a ratty T-shirt and her hair pulled back in a rough ponytail weren’t much better, but at least she could maintain a semblance of dignity that flannel pants with polar bears on them didn’t allow.
    The truck rolled to a stop a few feet away from where Allie stood near the barn. She shifted her weight, her arms hanging loosely by her sides as Jason got out of the truck.
    â€œYou’re back,” she said before he could speak.
    â€œI am.” In the late-afternoon sunlight, his eyes were the most amazing clear aqua blue. Caribbean Sea–blue. He gave a slight shrug and said, “I’m here about the job.”
    â€œWhy?” The word burst out of her mouth.
    â€œMaybe I need to pay my dues,” he said without one hint of irony.
    â€œYou aren’t paying your dues here.” She gave a soft snort. “Why would you want to pay your dues here?”
    â€œIt seems as good a place as any.” A few seconds of charged silence ticked by as Allie waited for Jason to either expand on his answer or leave. He did neither. Finally she gave up and shook her head. “I don’t see this happening.”
    â€œBecause you have so many applicants to choose from?”
    â€œYes. Exactly.” Allie felt color start to rise in her face. She was an awful liar.
    â€œI stole your advertisement off the feed-store bulletin board.” Her jaw literally dropped. “Heat of the moment,” he continued. “And now I’m here to either tear down your barn or put up another advertisement.”
    She studied him, wondering if he’d been hit in the head too many times, although there was nothing foggy in the way he was studying her back. He looked like a guy on a mission. Why would he want to tear down a barn when he probably had a whole lot of money sitting in the bank, drawing interest?
    â€œYou can’t tear down my barn, so I guess I’d better print out another advertisement.”
    â€œI think you should at least give me a shot.”
    Allie blinked at him. “At the risk of repeating myself, why?”
    â€œI need gainful employment.”
    â€œJason, no offense, but can’t you catch pizzas or something more in line with your talents?”
    â€œI could catch pizzas if I were still playing ball,” he said. “But not many companies want an ex-player as a spokesperson unless they were truly great. I wasn’t.”
    There was something in the unflinching way he assessed his career that touched her. She quickly brushed the feeling aside. “Have you ever torn down a barn?” Or swung a hammer? His father had owned a construction company, but as far as she knew, Jason had never been involved in anything except for sports.
    â€œNo. I figure it’s all a matter of logic. Start from the top and work down and from the outside in. One piece at a time.”
    Again there was something in his honesty that tugged at her. He didn’t know how to tear down a barn, and he didn’t pretend he did.
    â€œDo you have the equipment necessary to do that job? And to haul away the debris?”
    â€œI have contacts.”
    She bet he did.
    â€œHere’s the deal,” he said,