The Cowboy Meets His Match. Leann Harris

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       Chapter Two

      Erin had finally managed to find her footing. Her father’s stroke had tilted her world off its axis, but when she had raced to the board headquarters today and found nobody there, she’d known another blow was around the corner. Talking to Mel’s secretary about where they were, Erin knew. She thought she’d been prepared for the blow of losing out on the job she so wanted, but the instant she opened the door and saw Sawyer standing at the head of the table, she realized she wasn’t. Why hadn’t her dad called her with the news? How soon after the meeting had the stroke happened? Mother wasn’t clear on the details.

      She shook off the trivial thoughts. What was important was that her father had survived the stroke, not that she hadn’t gotten the job. They’d spent countless hours on the phone, talking about what needed to be done in the update. He’d mentioned the other candidate that Melvin brought in, but Dad thought it wouldn’t be a problem, at least the last time they talked, which was a few days before the vote.

      She’d tap-danced her way through today’s board meeting.

      Pushing open the lobby door, she looked at Lencho. “How are you doing in your classes? Are you keeping up your grades?” Her dad had tutored the young man his freshman year in high school.

      “I’m okay.” He looked through the glass door and watched as Sawyer moved his truck from the far side of the office to park in front of his room. “How do you feel about that guy?”

      She shrugged. “I’ll be interested in hearing his plans tonight.”

      “I’m sorry that you didn’t get the job.”

      Erin realized that the young man felt uncomfortable that she didn’t win. “Don’t worry. I’m not surrendering. I’ll keep him on track. You remember, we didn’t let you flunk out of algebra. Well, I’m not simply going to walk away from the rodeo and give up.”

      “No matter how much Traci lobbied for the other guy?”

      The kid wasn’t telling Erin anything she hadn’t already figured out. “You got it.”

      “Good. Of course, I was surprised the guy didn’t take the room with the TV.”

      “I guess we have a lot to learn about him.”

      “True.”

      “Does he know anything about rodeo?” Lencho asked.

      Mel wasn’t going to foist any greenhorn on the community, not even to please his daughter. “He does. He claims to have won several events at different rodeos.”

      The kid brightened. “Let’s look him up on the internet.” He opened his laptop and did a search on Sawyer’s name. Erin walked around the counter and peered over his shoulder. Sawyer’s name came up in the search engine along with a listing of his wins.

      They silently read the list. He’d made a name for himself.

      “Well, you’re right. He’s no greenhorn.” Pointing to the computer screen, Lencho said, “He’s got a brother, too, who did pickup.”

      “He told me.”

      They read about Sawyer’s brother.

      Taking a deep breath, Lencho shook his head. “He looks like the real deal.”

      He did, indeed, and from what they’d learned about Sawyer’s and his brother’s backgrounds, they were the real deal who participated in rodeo. Sawyer had the credentials to know what the cowboys needed, but Erin knew this rodeo and these people and knew the background that Sawyer didn’t. “We’ll find out tonight.”

      * * *

      Erin tried to listen to the car radio on her drive home and ignore what had happened at the board meeting. She started to hum with Tim McGraw about heading down this road again.

      But her wounded heart refused to let go of the hurt.

      What had been the final tally of the board members? She knew Melvin hadn’t voted for her. Of course, his daughter thought Erin was a cross between Godzilla and Cinderella’s stepmother, but that stemmed from Traci’s unreasonable fear that Erin would steal back Traci’s husband, since he’d been Erin’s high school sweetheart. Andy had wanted to marry Erin, but she hadn’t wanted to settle down so soon. Going to college had been her goal but, no matter what she said to Andy, he never took her seriously. Traci often told Erin what a good catch Andy was and why not marry him? Traci thought Erin had lost her marbles not to take up Andy’s offer. The instant he broke up with Erin, Traci swept in and captured her man. Erin had not been invited to the wedding even though it had been a Christmas affair. When Erin returned home the first time after she started college, Traci made it clear their friendship was over, much to Erin’s surprise. Why Traci acted the way she did, Erin didn’t understand. She got her man and Erin got to go to college.

      How many other members of the board had followed Mel’s lead in voting for Sawyer? Why had they voted for an outsider instead of a hometown girl? That’s what hurt the most.

      It’s business, the logical part of her brain argued, but her heart said the vote was against her personally, not her proposal.