Follow a Wild Heart: A Christian Contemporary Western Romance Series by Natalie Bright (top reads .TXT) 📗

mind still thought of Nathan and Lank. She wasn’t making much headway with the bills.

A knock sounded, and Lola walked in. Carli couldn’t help being a little short. “The prices from Farmer’s Supply Store keep going up! Why is that? And when did we buy a new pressure washer? And corral gates? I’m going to have to talk to Buck about this. We're not even halfway through the year. I never realized how much it costs to run a ranch.”

“Yes, and we only have one payday. In late fall when we ship, that’s when we make our money. I know you have a lot going on right now, Carli, and I've been praying for you. What’s really the matter? The ranch business never seemed to bother you this much before.”

“What do you mean, Lola? Look at all these bills! Of course, it’s the ranch.”

Lola took a couple steps towards Carli, placing a hand on her shoulder. “I know it’s a big responsibility, and I would have never passed along the bill paying to you if I’d known how upsetting it would be. But it’ll work out. It always does. It’s the nature of the ranching business. We have good years and bad.”

Carli ran her fingers through her hair and shuffled some of the papers. “Well, this must be turning out to be one of the worst years on the books.”

“Is something else bothering you? Do you think maybe you’re upset about Lank and Nathan? Lank told Buck what happened.”

“I don’t really want to talk about them. They both acted like idiots and left, hardly even looked back. It’s really for the best.”

“Carli, life is complicated. Humans are complicated. We get our feelings hurt. We have tempers. And jealousy. Did you ever think Lank might be jealous of Nathan and that’s what caused the fight?” Lola eased into the leather chair.

Frowning, then smirking, Carli spun her chair around to look at Lola. “Lank’s a hothead! Only thinks of himself. Besides, he quit. I’ll just hire someone else. Must be easy to find ranch hands around here.”

“Not one with the kind of loyalty Lank has for the Wild Cow. Buck told him to take a few days and cool off. He’ll be back. We really need him. Calves are dropping. It’s a busy time.”

“Loyalty? He quit! And he says things on purpose just to get a rise out of me.”

“You’ve got to learn about men’s pride. God designed them that way. To be strong, fighters even, to guard and protect their families. In this case, he was defending what he thought was his—you. I wonder if he sees Nathan as a threat.”

Carli swallowed the lump in her throat. Lola was digging way too deep, and her personal questions made Carli uncomfortable. So, what if Nathan had said he was falling in love with her? What did that have to do with the employees on her ranch? There was so much she hadn’t told Lola. So much she wasn’t sure she could.

“When you fired Lank, he had to stand up for himself so he turned it around and said he would quit instead. That was pride, a way to save face, to be a man. Sure, sometimes stubborn pride gets in the way and I’m sure God would want them to be humbler at times. But all in all, just remember, God designed men and women differently. We might not understand them, and they might not understand us, but God did figure out that at times we can come together and really complement each other and make up one another’s ‘better half’ as they say.”

Hmph! Sounds good on paper. But real life is way different.

Carli rolled her eyes and pushed around the stack of invoices.

“Looks like you don’t believe me. Just trust me when I say, men do not talk about their feelings. You have to be direct and ask, otherwise you’ll never know what’s going on with them. You can patch this up.”

“But where does that leave women? Are we supposed to let men be the fighters and we cook the dinner and clean the house and forgive everything? These men are being jerks. Why do I have to be a perfect angel and they don’t?”

Lola laughed. “None of us are perfect angels. Or any kind of angels, period. We’re flawed human beings who make mistakes every day. God just wants us to realize we were designed differently and to accept those differences and try to help the other person be the best they can be. Is that so difficult to comprehend?”

“I don't know what to do or say to either of them at this point.” She shook her head. Carli was having a hard time understanding anything in her life now. It all seemed to be turning upside down.

“Sometimes it’s not always about you, Carli. People are dealing with things we can’t even imagine. I have every confidence you’ll sort this out. Oh, and the reason I came over is to make sure you’re riding with us to church on Sunday.”

“Yes, thanks. I’ll see you guys then.”

Her cellphone’s ringtone sounded with a horse’s whinny. Juvenile? Maybe, but it made her smile every time she heard it.

“Hello?”

“Carli?” Lexi’s mother’s voice sounded a little shaky and upset.

“Emily, is everything okay? What’s going on?”

“It’s Lexi. We had a huge fight. She didn’t want to help me with chores. And I said something about her torn jeans and the losers she’s been hanging around with. I told her no chores, then no party and no leaving this house. She ran out. I wondered if she might be heading your way. I’m not sure. Just wanted to give you a heads up.”

“I’m glad you called. But ranch headquarters is a good thirty miles from Dixon. How would she get here?”

“Hitchhike maybe? I’m not sure. Or ride with one of her friends?”

“We’ll keep an eye out for her, Emily. Don’t worry. And if she does show up, I’ll give you a call, okay?”

“Thanks, Carli. She really looks