The Reluctant Cowgirl by Christine Lynxwiler Read Free Book Online Page A

room. Their parents had gone into town every Saturday after breakfast for as long as anyone could remember. It was a tradition rarely broken.
    “I insisted she go with him, but I finally had to go settle in for a nap on the couch before Mama would believe it was okay for her to leave.”
    Matthew shook his head. “After all those Saturday morning meetings we had when we were kids, wouldn’t it be funny to get busted for them now?”
    “We’d have had to convince them we’re getting the Pole Barn Players together for a reunion performance.” Kaleigh pushed herself off the stage, landing on her feet on the concrete floor. Dust whooshed out around her. She swept into a silly bow.
    Crystal grinned. Some things hadn’t changed.
    Aaron coughed. “Sure, like lying wouldn’t make me feel even more guilty.” He took Bree’s hand. “I feel bad enough even thinking about leaving right now. Maybe we should just let this chance go by. There’ll be others.”
    Crystal shook her head. “This position is tailor-made for the two of you, and we all know it. You have to be in Chicago a week from Tuesday. That part is already decided.”
    The others nodded.
    Aaron gave them a doubtful look. “In that case, we have to tell Mama and Daddy today that we’re leaving. And to keep them from canceling their trip, before we do that, we have to figure out who’s going to take care of the ranch while they’re gone.”
    Silence reigned in the room for about thirty seconds. Plenty long enough for Crystal to brace herself not to volunteer. She had to get back to New York and start auditioning. If you weren’t on stage, you were being forgotten.
    As if to prove the point, Kaleigh climbed back up on the stage and waved her hand in the air. “Chance and I can take turns helping out on weekends.”
    “Then who would show all the city slickers how to catch a fish?” Luke asked with a grin.
    Crystal cringed. He was right. Kaleigh and Chance had put their river-rat childhood to good use when they started K&C Guided Fishing Tours back in high school. Now it was paying their way through college. They couldn’t afford to jeopardize that.
    Even she was a better choice than they were.
    Luke shook his head. “Besides, you need to be concentrating on your schoolwork. The last thing you need to do is run home every weekend. I can handle things.”
    Kaleigh plopped back down on the edge of the stage, a dejected look on her face.
    Crystal turned to Luke. “Aaron said you were working pretty long hours these days on that all-natural health center.” Actually what he’d said was that Luke was almost killing himself to make up for several rainy weeks in the early spring. And that he’d already gotten a big chunk of his fee upfront and spent it on materials for the house he was going to build for himself.
    “Maybe I can cut back.”
    “And still be ready for the grand opening in July?” Crystal shook her head. There had to be a better solution. One that didn’t involve Crystal being forced home. Please.
    Matthew cleared his throat. “I can come every other weekend.”
    “From Tennessee?” Elyse said softly. “Matthew, that’s not logical. Vet school is too hard for you to be running back and forth.” She stood and looked out the window. “I can handle the ranch.”
    “Hon...” Bree pushed to her feet and put an arm around Elyse’s waist. They stared together out of the grimy window. Crystal glanced at their view. Cows grazed on the early spring grass. “You’re busy, too.”
    Elyse shrugged gently away from Bree and turned back to the group. She raised an elegantly arched eyebrow. “I know what you are all thinking. But there’s more to this ranch than”—she waved a hand over her shoulder as if she hated to say the word then laughed—“than cows.” She smiled at the group. “Go ahead and laugh.”
    “We’re not laughing,” Crystal protested. Although they were all smiling. “And even though your schedule is packed, since