His Outback Cowgirl

By Alissa Callen

Australian cowgirl Bridie Willis travels to Montana to escape the pain of losing her father. Headstrong and determined, she plans to spend the summer alone photographing wild animals. Instead she finds herself saddled with a stubborn cowboy as a back-country guide.


Ethan Morgan has been shaped by a childhood spent on the run. Cautious, steady and conservative, he is tasked with ensuring the beautiful, risk taking cowgirl doesn't ditch him or come to any harm.

But the biggest challenge Ethan must face is to accept how Bridie makes him feel. And the biggest risk Bridie must take is to trust in her heart.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tule Publishing
• Release date: Mar 18, 2015
• ISBN: 9781942240426

Alissa Callen

When USA Today bestselling author Alissa Callen isn't writing, she plays traffic controller to four children, three dogs, two horses and one renegade cow who believes the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. After a childhood spent chasing sheep on the family farm, Alissa has always been drawn to remote areas and small towns, even when residing overseas. She is partial to autumn colours, snowy peaks and historic homesteads and will drive hours to see an open garden. Once a teacher and a counsellor, she remains interested in the life journeys that people take. She draws inspiration from the countryside around her, whether it be the brown snake at her back door or the resilience of bush communities in times of drought or flood. Her books are characteristically heartwarming, authentic and character driven. Alissa lives on a small slice of rural Australia in central western NSW.  To find out more, visit Alissa on her website.  You can also follow Alissa on Facebook and Pinterest. 

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Dedication

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To Bryana. My picture-taking cowgirl.

Chapter One

"Tell me again why I’m supposed to be this Aussie cowgirl’s babysitter for the summer," Ethan Morgan lifted a brow and stared at his father across the breakfast table.

The timeworn creases on Henry’s face dissolved into a grin. Because you drew the short straw.

The short straw, huh?

Ethan rubbed his chin. Bad luck had nothing to do with him being designated the job to keep Zane Nash’s half-sister out of trouble. Henry had recently had a hip replacement and had resisted Ethan leaving his Colorado Springs ranch to stay with him while he recovered. Even now, the independent old rancher took any opportunity to ditch him.

Amusement warmed Henry’s hard blue gaze. Yeah, the very short straw.

So my keeping an eye on Bridie has nothing to do with you wanting to get rid of me?

Not at all. Expression innocent, Henry fed the corner of his waffle to the Australian shepherd, Rocket, who lay beside him. He then cut off a smaller piece for the puppy, Marlow, who chewed on Rocket’s fluffy tail. Has anybody told you that you have a suspicious mind?

Ethan bit back a grin. Remaining suspicious was the only way to stay a step ahead of the canny and determined man he’d discovered last fall was his biological father. Only when it comes to you. You sent me to Marietta yesterday to run errands so you could drive the pickup, didn’t you?

Henry scowled. It’s been six weeks and the doc said I could drive.

Technically it’s been five and a half weeks. Ethan took a swallow of hot coffee. Shame the truck keys weren’t on the rack.

Yeah.

Ethan shot Henry a quick look. His father’s tone had been a little too smug. Before he’d left for town, Ethan had rifled through the key rack to make sure he’d found all the pickup keys. Had his crafty father stashed a spare set somewhere?

Don’t give me that look. Yes, I found some keys but no, I didn’t drive the truck. He shook his head. I have no idea why you and your brother think I’m always up to something.

Ethan laughed. Henry’s aggrieved expression didn’t match the sharpness of his gaze. Henry’s body might be aging but his mind continued to be whip-smart. Because you are. What about the time you told Cordell he had to stay with Payton at Beargrass Hills Ranch because there was no accommodation in town?

What about it? There was a wedding on and there was no place to stay.

In town there mightn’t have been any beds but you had an entire spare guest wing free here at Larkspur Ridge Ranch.

A smile tugged at Henry’s mouth. And look how well Cordell staying with Payton turned out ... they discovered how perfect they were for each other.

Ethan shook his head. Your matchmaking isn’t going to work this time. Bridie and I are incompatible. She has trouble written all over her.

Henry’s gaze snapped to his face. You’ve seen her?

Ethan withheld a sigh. So much for heeding life’s lessons. A childhood full of uncertainty and fear had shaped him and his twin. Cordell may have blanked out his emotions and used his fists to protect them, but Ethan had learned to use words and silence as weapons. Now was a time when silence would have served him well. He couldn’t have Henry know how much the prospect of looking out for strong-willed Bridie unnerved him. He was supposed to be the calm and steady twin.

Yes, very briefly at Grey’s Saloon last night.

He concentrated on keeping his expression neutral. If Henry discovered he’d taken more than a brief look at the Australian cowgirl with her snug jeans and her devil-may-care grin, having to babysit her would be the least of his worries.

With Cordell and Payton engaged, Zane and Trinity together and Rhett and Ivy planning a winter wedding, Ethan felt the heat of being the last single cowboy standing. A situation he was in no hurry to remedy. He wouldn’t be pushed into, let alone jump into, a relationship. He’d partner up when ready, after deep consideration, and only with the right girl. He’d survived his unstable childhood by being careful, cautious and wary. He wasn’t about to follow in Cordell’s risk-taking footsteps, even if they had led him to beautiful Payton.

Henry grunted. And ...

And what?

What was she like? You can spot a poorly heifer a hundred yards away so don’t tell me you didn’t notice a stranger with an accent?

Ethan chewed slowly before he answered. She plays a mean game of pool, and I wouldn’t want to cross her. Nick Ryan got a little too up-close-and-personal when he gave her some pool tips. He’ll have a bruise for a week where her elbow connected with his ribs.

She takes after her grandmother then. Daisy Ashton was full of pluck and a woman you’d not want mad at you. Henry cast him a quick look. Does Bridie have the Ashton blue eyes and dark hair?

Ethan took his time to finish the last of his waffle. He had no idea what color Bridie’s eyes were. But the image of her night-dark hair that had fallen down her back to the sweet curve of her waist had stayed with him long after he’d closed his eyes.

I think so. I really didn’t get a good look.

Henry grunted again. Then she not only has her grandmother’s spirit but also her looks.

Ethan drained his coffee mug. This conversation needed to end. He had ranch chores to do before Henry decided he wanted to help out. He’d also already wasted too much time last night watching Bridie and all the cowboys who’d made a beeline for her. There was something about her quick smile, her restless energy and the angle of her small chin that put him on edge. As much as he loved his act-now-talk-later twin and would watch his back, Ethan knew a woman who possessed the same willfulness wasn’t for him. No matter how well she filled out her faded jeans and green Western shirt.

He came to his feet. That’s great Zane’s sister has her grandmother’s spirit because I’m sure the last thing she’ll want is a babysitter. She’ll be more than capable of looking after herself while she explores. So short straw or not, you’re not getting rid of me yet.

Instead of answering him, Henry turned his good ear toward the oversize kitchen window beside them. The clear glass provided a framed view of the scenic drive through the rolling foothills into Larkspur Ridge Ranch. A white pickup navigated its way toward the ranch house.

Henry grinned. That’s Zane’s pickup. If I was a betting man, I’d say it was his sister behind the wheel.

Ethan’s fingers tightened around his coffee cup. He had no doubt it was the Australian cowgirl driving. Whenever Zane visited, the truck’s wheels didn’t kick up such a thick plume of pale dust. For a road Bridie didn’t know, she sure drove fast.

Gravel crunched beneath tires as the truck approached, slowed and then parked beneath a cottonwood tree. Rocket leapt to his feet and sped out the kitchen doorway. Marlow yipped and followed, his small paws sliding on the polished floorboards. Henry made no effort to stand. Instead he stared through the window as Bridie left the truck, shut the door and strode toward the ranch house.

The summer breeze caught in the loose fall of her dark hair and she lifted an impatient hand to drag the glossy strands off her face. Dressed in fitted denim and a pale pink shirt, every sure stride showcased her lithe curves and the energy that shrouded her. Ethan swallowed.

Beautiful and spirited, this woman would lead from the front foot and embrace all that life offered. Just like his brother, she’d be a risk taker and live dangerously. A strange sense of loss slipped through him. She wasn’t the type of girl who’d fall for a boring and reliable rancher.

A smile shaped Henry’s lips. Yep. She’s an Ashton all right. He made no effort to stand. Expression deadpan, he looked at Ethan. Off you go. Go and greet her. You know the doc said I’m to take it easy. It’s a long walk to the front door.

Ethan settled for an exasperated eye roll. Even when just home from the hospital, Henry hadn’t taken it easy. Ethan placed his mug and plate on the bench and at the kitchen doorway turned to waggle a finger at his father.

You had better be sitting there when I get back. No truck driving until next Thursday.

Henry scowled but not before Ethan caught a glimmer of laughter in his eyes.

The doorbell rang, triggering a chorus of excited barks. Rocket’s deep woof was interspersed by Marlow’s higher pitched yip. Ethan made his way down the long hallway and rolled his shoulders to disperse the sharp bite of tension. There was no cause for alarm. He’d only have stubborn Henry to look out for. Zane’s sister’s outback home would ice over before she’d allow herself to be babysat. He wouldn’t be spending the summer keeping a headstrong and gorgeous cowgirl out of trouble.

Bridie Willis dragged in a long breath and quelled her impatience. Behind the wooden door in front of her she could hear dogs barking. If the dogs were inside, somebody was home. A mountain breeze swirled around her and brought with it the promise of rain. She briefly closed her eyes. In Australia, where rain was scarce, such a scent carried with it both hope and happiness.

The grief buried deep within her twisted and writhed. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep her emotions at bay. The aroma of rain now only reminded her of what she’d lost. No longer did she have a father to discuss rainfall figures with, to plan what crops they’d plant in the damp soil or what pastures to graze their cattle on. Stomach cancer had made sure that never again could she smell rain without weeping tears on the inside.

She opened her eyes and gave in to the restlessness that, since they’d buried her father, she couldn’t exhaust. She tapped the toe of her boot. How long was the ranch hallway? The door was taking forever to open. Her gaze slid from the door to the high country peaks to her left. Their silence and solitude called to her. The sooner she spoke to Henry Watson, the sooner she could disappear into the backcountry and allow herself to grieve.

The tears she’d refused to cry banked like a summer storm. The desperate whispers that she needed time and space alone howled through her head like a gale wind. She’d been in Montana two weeks and she was yet to get to the mountains. Edgy and agitated, she was close to snapping. Last night in Grey’s Saloon when Nick’s overfriendly hand had brushed her butt while offering pool advice, she’d elbowed him way too hard.

The dog barking intensified and the door finally swung open. A black and white dog, and similar colored puppy, spilled out from the ranch house. The pup jumped and planted two small paws on her knee. She bent to ruffle his silken soft ears before patting the older dog’s head. A whistle sounded and the two dogs left her side to sit on the porch, their eyes trained on the front door.

Broad shoulders filled the doorway. Then, movements measured as though he had all the time in the world, a man stepped outside. She stared into eyes as flawless and as blue as the cloudless canopy above them.

At first she thought she’d met this cowboy last night at Grey’s Saloon but subtle differences suggested this wasn’t Cordell Morgan but his twin.

The two men might share the same handsome and even features but this man’s dark blond hair was short and neat and his eyes were as calm as a still pond. Cordell had pointed his brother out sitting with his back to her at the edge of the crowd, engrossed in conversation with a starry-eyed brunette. Amongst all the saloon high-spirits and chaos, Ethan had sat still and self-possessed, an oasis of tranquility in a world gone temporarily mad.

Welcome to Larkspur Ridge Ranch. I’m Ethan. You must be Zane’s sister, Bridie?

She nodded. Even this cowboy’s words were unhurried and quiet. Her gaze lingered on the carved line of his clean-shaven jaw. Except a hint of tension suggested he wasn’t as relaxed as he appeared.

She stepped forward to offer her hand. Yes, I’m Bridie. Nice to meet you.

She must have imagined his slight hesitation before his calloused hand slid against her palm and his warm fingers wrapped around hers. She concentrated on making her grip as firm as any man’s and not on the increasing temperature of her cheeks. Since when did the heat of a stranger’s skin seep through her like the warmth of a winter sunrise?

She slipped her hand from his and looked to where the two obedient dogs sat by his socked feet.

Is this Rocket, the father of Finn’s puppy, Bug? she asked bending to ruffle the bigger dog’s neck.

Yes and this is Bug’s brother, Marlow.

The puppy batted her arm with his paw as if to tell her to hurry up and pat him again. She laughed and rubbed behind his ears. Hello, Marlow. Yes, I know, you’re just as cute as that mischievous Bug who stole my boot.

She straightened and surprised a not-so-peaceful look in Ethan’s eyes. No longer a clear and composed blue, his irises had darkened. As quickly as the look appeared, it disappeared. Her heart beat faster as she examined his face. She hadn’t been mistaken in what she’d seen. Her first impression hadn’t taken in the whole man. Still waters could run deep and this steady and serious cowboy wouldn’t always be so controlled or so sensible.

He folded his arms across the front of his spotless blue shirt. So how are you finding Montana?

Good thanks.

She shifted on her feet and glanced at the open front door, desperate to go inside. Small talk had never been her thing. She usually couldn’t stand still long enough, but this time her need to move had nothing to do with how she was wired. Standing close to Ethan did strange things to her pulse rate. The rolled up cuffs of his shirt left his strong forearms bare and the action of crossing his arms stretched his shirt tight across his biceps. No wonder the brunette he’d been speaking to last night couldn’t take her eyes off him.

Ethan unfolded his arms. Come on in. Henry’s looking forward to meeting you.

She nodded and walked past Ethan, catching the faint scent of soap mixed with the clean smell of sunshine dried cotton. Head high, she snuck a quick, calming breath and strode