The morning sun crept over the hills, casting a warm golden glow on the Bennett Ranch as Ellie set to work. She'd spent most of the night tossing and turning, Wyatt Callahan's words rattling around in her head: "Show them you're not just some city girl playing rancher."
It wasn't just his words—it was the look in his eyes, that maddening mix of challenge and encouragement. He wanted her to prove herself, and damn it, she would.
Ellie adjusted her gloves and grabbed the shovel leaning against the barn wall. Today, she'd start training her cattle for the fair, beginning with grooming and basic handling. It wasn't much, but if she could polish up her small herd and their pens, she might stand a chance at earning respect.
But her determination hit a snag within the first hour. Her youngest cow, Daisy, decided she wasn't interested in being groomed.
"Come on, girl," Ellie coaxed, tugging on the rope halter as Daisy planted her hooves firmly in the dirt. "You're not that stubborn, are you?"
Daisy flicked her tail in response, her dark eyes wide with mischief.
Ellie gritted her teeth. "Oh, I see how it is. You're going to make me work for it."
She tried bribing the cow with treats, sweet-talking her, even singing a little Taylor Swift—none of it worked. By the time she managed to get Daisy tied to the grooming station, Ellie's patience was hanging by a thread.
She grabbed the brush and got to work, muttering under her breath about uncooperative cows and cowboy neighbors who thought they knew everything.
"You talking to me or the cow?"
Ellie froze mid-stroke, the sound of Wyatt's voice sending a jolt down her spine. She turned to find him leaning against the corral gate, arms crossed, a grin tugging at his lips.
"Do you have a radar or something?" she shot back. "You always seem to show up when I'm struggling."
Wyatt shrugged. "Maybe I just have good timing."
"Or maybe you just enjoy watching me suffer."
He chuckled, pushing off the gate and walking toward her. "I'll admit, it's entertaining. But you're making this harder than it needs to be."
Ellie rolled her eyes. "Of course I am. Let me guess—you've got a better way?"
Wyatt reached into his pocket and pulled out a small pouch of alfalfa treats. "Cows like to think they're in charge. You give them something they want, and they'll follow you anywhere."
Ellie crossed her arms, skeptical. "And you just carry cow treats around with you?"
"Never know when you'll run into a stubborn heifer," he said, his tone dripping with amusement.
Ellie groaned but grabbed the pouch. "Fine. Let's see if this cowboy wisdom actually works."
To her surprise—and mild annoyance—Wyatt was right. As soon as she offered Daisy a treat, the cow settled down, letting Ellie finish brushing her coat without a single fuss.
"There," Wyatt said, leaning against the fence. "Was that so hard?"
Ellie shot him a glare. "Don't gloat. It's not a good look on you."
He smirked. "I'm just saying, you could've saved yourself an hour if you'd listened to me in the first place."
"Yeah, well, I'm a slow learner," Ellie said, wiping her hands on her jeans.
Wyatt's expression softened, and for a moment, he looked like he wanted to say something else. But instead, he tipped his hat and turned toward his horse, which was grazing near the fence line.
"You're doing alright, Bennett," he said over his shoulder. "Keep at it."
Ellie blinked, caught off guard by the rare compliment. But before she could respond, he mounted his horse and rode off, leaving her standing there with Daisy and a racing heart.
Later that afternoon, Ellie found herself at the feed store, loading sacks of grain into the back of her Jeep. She was just about to leave when Claire appeared, her sharp eyes sparkling with mischief.
"Heard Wyatt paid you another visit this morning," Claire said, leaning against the truck.
Ellie groaned. "Does everyone in this town keep tabs on me?"
"Not everyone," Claire said with a grin. "Just the ones who care."
"Great," Ellie muttered.
Claire tilted her head, her smile softening. "You know, for someone who claims to hate Wyatt Callahan, you sure let him hang around a lot."
Ellie's cheeks flushed. "I don't let him hang around. He just…shows up."
"Mm-hmm," Claire said, clearly unconvinced. "Well, word of advice? If you want to keep things strictly professional, you'd better set some boundaries. Wyatt's not the kind of man who backs down easily."
"I'll keep that in mind," Ellie said, though she wasn't entirely sure how she felt about it.
By the time Ellie got back to the ranch, the sun was dipping low on the horizon, painting the sky in shades of orange and pink. She unloaded the feed and spent the evening cleaning out the barn, her mind drifting back to Wyatt's words: "You're doing alright, Bennett."
She hated how much weight those words carried, how they lingered in her chest long after he'd ridden away.
As she closed up the barn for the night, Ellie stared out at the open fields, the quiet stillness of the ranch settling over her.
"Alright, Callahan," she whispered, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Let's see who outlasts who."