The Cowboys Heart

Learning the Ropes

The sun was barely above the horizon when Harper pulled on her boots and stepped outside. The cool morning air greeted her, and she took a deep breath, savoring the quiet stillness that only came at this time of day. The city girl inside her still balked at the idea of waking up before dawn, but this had become the new routine since she'd decided to stay at Taylor Ridge. For how long? She didn't know yet, but she had made a commitment to herself to give the ranch a real chance—at least for a few months.

The decision hadn't come easily. Part of her still felt out of place here, like an outsider who didn't belong. But something had shifted in the past week. Maybe it was the connection she was starting to feel to the land, the way the ranch seemed to breathe and live in a way that the city never had. Or maybe it was Colton Hayes, with his rough edges and his unshakable dedication to this place. As frustrating as he could be, there was no denying that Colton embodied the very essence of ranch life, and Harper knew that if she was going to give this a real shot, she'd need to learn from him.

Harper spotted Colton by the barn, already hard at work as usual. He was checking over the equipment they would be using that day, his posture relaxed but his movements precise. He didn't look up when she approached, but she could feel the tension between them as if it were a tangible thing. Ever since their argument about her commitment to the ranch, there had been an uneasy truce between them. Colton had backed off, but he was still wary, his eyes always watching, as if he expected her to pack up and leave at any moment.

But Harper was determined to prove him wrong.

"I'm ready for my lesson," she said, breaking the silence.

Colton glanced up, his expression unreadable beneath the brim of his hat. "Lesson? I didn't realize I'd signed up to be a teacher."

Harper crossed her arms, meeting his gaze with a steady look. "You agreed to help me learn the ropes. Or did you forget?"

He gave a low chuckle, though there was no humor in it. "I didn't forget. Just wondering how long you'll last before you're back on a plane to New York."

Harper clenched her jaw but didn't rise to the bait. Colton had a way of getting under her skin, but she wasn't going to let him drive her away. Not this time. "I told you, I'm staying. For a few months at least. If I'm going to make a decision about the ranch, I need to know what I'm getting into."

Colton watched her for a moment, as if weighing her words. Then he sighed and gave a slight nod. "All right. But don't say I didn't warn you. This life isn't for everyone."

"I'm not asking for easy," Harper replied, pulling her gloves out of her back pocket and slipping them on. "I'm asking for a chance."

Colton didn't respond, but he turned and motioned for her to follow him toward the corral, where the horses were waiting. "We'll start with the basics. You need to get comfortable working with the animals before anything else. Ranch work isn't just about moving cattle and fixing fences. It's about knowing the land and knowing the animals—what they need, how they behave."

Harper nodded, doing her best to absorb his words. She'd ridden horses when she was younger, but those were leisurely rides on weekends, with no pressure to do more than enjoy the experience. This was different. Here, the horses were essential to the work of the ranch, and she needed to learn how to handle them with skill and confidence.

Colton gestured toward the horses. "Pick one. You'll be working with it for the next few weeks."

Harper studied the animals, all of them magnificent in their own right. She hesitated, unsure of which to choose. Colton watched her, his arms crossed over his chest, but he didn't offer any advice. She could tell this was a test, another one of his silent challenges. He wanted to see if she could make a decision without his help.