Follow a Wild Heart: A Christian Contemporary Western Romance Series

fire which destroyed the hay barn, ruled arson later. Then, just recently, caught out in the pasture during a life-threatening Texas norther, a freak snowstorm that would be talked about for years to come. But Carli Jameson seemed to get through it all, stronger than ever, with grace and calm, ready to take on the next thing. Nathan admired her.
And they’d become friends, but he wondered if she might be the answer to his problems. He could imagine a life with her. Combining their ranches, raising Angus cattle, a solid ranch horse stock, and hopefully a few kids. Being married might get him out from under his father’s thumb. It would quiet his mother’s incessant hints at wanting grandkids. With Carli at his side, he could settle into ranch life. Only thing standing in his way was Lank Torres, the Wild Cow Ranch hired hand. He could tell Carli was drawn to him. Nathan also sensed that she was guarded and cautious. His relationship with her was not yet on solid ground and a long way from the proposal stage. But the smile she flashed in his direction that morning gave him hope. For today at least, Nathan felt he stood a good chance.

Chapter Two
Carli Jameson gave a wave to Nathan Olsen as she pulled her truck to a stop at the Rafter O headquarters. She was a bit early for their lunch date, but she enjoyed hanging out with the Olsen family. Right after moving to Texas, she had accepted a neighborly invite to a going away party for one of their daughters who had joined the military. It was hard to cast aside her tendency to remain a loner after moving here, but her hired hand Lank Torres insisted she go with him. She felt welcomed and at home the minute she walked into the Olsen’s house. Hopes for a closeness with Lank turned out to be a huge disappointment that night, but it was a worry for another time. She was his boss after all, and even though Lank brought her to the party, Nathan had driven her home. Their friendship had only grown from there.
The Olsen’s rock house had been occupied for five generations. Towering elms and bushy oaks encircled the old homestead, with one side sloping down into a grove of trees shading a carpet of grass. It was even pretty this time of year with budding branches and early signs of spring peeking through the crunchy brown lawn. Oldest son Nathan told her they set up tables under those trees during the summer for cookouts. His mother loved to entertain.
Carli waited in the vehicle but rolled down her window.
“Hey. Thanks for meeting me here,” Nathan called in greeting as he emerged from the barn and walked towards her.
“I’m looking forward to hanging out today. I want to talk to you about some research I’m doing.”
“Research? Something to do with your ranch?” Nathan asked through the open window as he rested his arms on her truck’s door.
“I’ll explain on the way.”
“Let me wash up and I’ll be right back. My truck’s unlocked.”
“Looks like you had a busy morning already. Take your time.” She noticed what looked like cow manure covering one sleeve and the sheen of sweat on his face. Carli hopped into Nathan’s pickup and waited until he appeared from the house in a clean shirt and leather vest.
“Is Dixon all right for lunch? Since you’re early we can grab a coffee first,” Nathan added as he filled the cab with a musky scent of men’s cologne. “We have heifers calving and I hate to get too far away.”
Zipping down the road, she wondered how he had cleaned up so fast. She couldn’t ignore his muscled arm on the steering wheel, the other resting on the armrest between them. His light blue pearl-snap shirt was rolled up at the elbows showing off his sturdy, tan forearms. Despite the early spring chill, he didn’t wear a jacket. She remembered he had told her about playing football for Dixon High School. The all-star quarterback, and, no doubt, small town hero, fit him. Over six feet, with that chiseled jaw and perfect teeth, the subject of every teenaged girl’s love-sick dream. Ranch work only made the boy into a leaner and stronger man.
She had to smile at the thought of her dorky younger self never imagining a moment like this. Carli had always been a loner, definitely never one of the popular crowd, and certainly not the type of girl who would garner the attention of a football quarterback. She had suppressed her loneliness into horses. Thinking back now, she was so fortunate the Fitzgeralds had allowed her to pursue her passion.
They rode in silence for some distance. He suddenly turned and flashed her a bright, wide grin that didn’t reach his eyes. She didn’t return what she thought was a fake smile. “You seem a little lost in your thoughts, Nate. What’s up?”
It bugged her that she could read him so well because she rarely got involved in other people’s lives. She grew up with older guardians, and after they passed, Carli accepted her lot in life that she was alone and would never know her birth family. Until a grandpa appeared out of the blue and left her a cow ranch. So here she was in Texas, getting entangled with everyone who lived in and around her ranch, including a little town of interesting characters. It wasn’t that long ago she had never even heard of Dixon. It could all be a bit overwhelming at times.
Nathan and Carli had become good friends, as neighbors and over a common bond of horses, ranching, and so many other things. It was comfortable to spend time with him. She knew he wanted more than friendship. She sensed it in the way he watched her. Her heart still stung when she thought about that Georgia boyfriend. He was “the one”, her soulmate. Yeah, right, lesson learned. Once again,