Free Chance For Love (Colorado Blues) by Ann B Harrison Page B

She was sitting at the table looking out the doors over the
porch eating her breakfast when a truck came up the driveway.
    “Shit. Might of known he wouldn’t take long.” Chance
groaned. “Sorry, it’s Tyson. Let’s see how this goes then shall we. Don’t let
him boss you around. Remember you’re the new ranch manager.”
    She swallowed the fear that crawled up her throat. I
can do this, I can do this. Callie ate her second helping of eggs as she
waited for her new secret brother-in-law to come in and give her the third
degree. She didn’t have to wait long.
    The door opened and a man who looked very like Chance
walked in the door, his hat in his hand. “Chance.” He nodded at Callie. “Who’s
this?”
    “Callie, meet Tyson, my very nosy brother. Tyson, I
want you to meet Callie, my new ranch manager.
    “What? Are you fucking kidding me? A woman?”
    She shrank back in her chair, unprepared for the
tongue lashing he was dishing out.
    “Watch your mouth. She’s more than capable of running
this place so back off.” Chance stood up, grabbing his cane from beside the
chair.
    “I don’t believe this. You not only get a ranch
manager from damned Australia of all places, and it’s a bloody female.”
    “And you will honor my decision and treat her with the
respect you would treat a sister if you were lucky enough to have one,
understand?” Chance walked over to him and poked him in the chest.
    Tyson looked past Chance at Callie and his gaze hardened.
“You have no idea what you’ve done here, brother. You’re getting ripped off
because of who you are and the money you make. You mark my words.”
    “I told you to back off, Tyson. I won’t have you
disrespecting anyone in my home.”
    Callie stood up and reached for her new hat. “Don’t
worry about him, Chance. Stands to reason people are going to talk about me. I
can take it.” She jammed the hat on her head and brushed past the men and
headed outside to the barn.

CHAPTER
TEN
     
    Chance watched her go, his blood on the boil.
    “How the hell do you think someone like that is going
to manage this place when you’re back on the circuit? She’ll get blown away in
the first snow drift, then what’ll you do?”
    Chance turned on his brother. “Give her a decent go
before you judge her. The girl has been running the family station in Australia
since she was a kid. Apart from the fact their cattle breeds are slightly
different and the seasons are around the wrong way, she has it all under
control.”
    “Yeah right, I’ll believe that when I see it.” He
walked past his brother and over to the kitchen island to grab himself a cup of
coffee. “I spoke to Rory yesterday. Trying to talk him into coming for a visit.
He said he’d think about it.”
    The change of subject threw Chance off for a second.
“What? Oh right. Well I guess it’s time he came out of his shell. It’s been
three years.” He listened with one ear, but was more concerned about what his
wife was doing outside.
    Tyson walked over sipping the dark hot brew. “So, when
do you go back to the doctors?”
    “Three weeks.”
    “Want me to take you?”
    “Nope. Callie can drive me there and back. May as well
make the most of having someone around the place. There is something you can do
for me though. I was thinking of getting a dog to keep her company since the
place will have someone living here permanently now. Know anyone local who has
one available?”
    “Yeah. Old Jim Puller has a litter of cattle cross
dogs. Might be worth a look at. But don’t you think you ought to wait and see
if she turns out? She could be gone in a week you know, and then you’ll have to
find a new home for it. You know I can always help out. I keep telling you
that.”
    “Look, Tyson, I appreciate that but you need to concentrate
on your own place. You’ve done enough for me over the years. Its time I looked
after my own ranch.”
    “Bit hard when you’re away so much. Let’s see how
wonder girl