Arguing with Her Billionaire Cowboy - April Murdock Page 0,4
be serious, Mother.”
Hazel nodded. “I’m afraid so. We’ve taught you the importance of family in the ranching community. But what’s more important is having a strong partner by your side. We wouldn’t expect you to find a wife during the competition.” She made a face. “I can’t believe we’re even agreeing to this.” Hazel raised her hand to his cheek. “But you’d need to find an acceptable companion within a year—if you win.”
“If I win? Why do I have a feeling you don’t have much faith in me?”
“It’s not that at all. But you know as well as I do that nothing is set in stone.” She offered a half-smile. “You can still change your mind. I’m sure Kate is willing to agree to the original terms.”
Heat flushed up the back of his neck and spread across his chest. No. He wouldn’t make a fool of himself by telling her he was backing down from the very thing he’d requested. He didn’t run from a fight—ever. AJ shook his head. “No. I fully plan on participating in this competition if only to prove to the both of you I am more than capable of running the family ranch. I was born for this, and it stings you don’t think I can do this on my own.”
Hazel opened her mouth, then shook her head before closing it.
Ethan’s gaze bore into AJ’s. “So that’s it, then. You want to do this competition to earn your namesake.”
The heat in AJ’s chest bubbled into anger. “That’s right, it is my namesake and I shouldn’t even have to fight for it. Yes, I accept the terms.” He clenched his jaw tight.
Ethan lifted his shoulders, then let them drop. He rubbed his jaw and shook his head. “Alright, son, if that’s what you want. Your mother and I will have to take some time to come up with something.”
“I’m taking Duke out for a ride.” He pushed off the pole and skipped down the stairs. “I’ll be back in time for dinner.”
AJ made a beeline for the family stable and prepared his horse for a ride. He needed to get out of there—clear his head. This whole situation was ludicrous. What kind of strange universe had he entered into where his own parents not only offered to give away part of his inheritance to some girl who grew up on the ranch but would also go along with a competition where he could risk losing it all? Weren’t they worried about passing the ranch down the family line?
And marriage? Sure, he wanted a family just like anyone. But he wasn’t in a rush. He considered himself somewhat of a romantic. If he could find a woman who could turn his world upside down, a woman whom he couldn’t get out of his mind, he’d marry her on the spot. The problem was—he hadn’t found anyone who fit the bill. Maybe he just wasn’t ready to settle down. But he shouldn’t be forced to do so just because his parents were ready to step down from Terry Hill.
He shoved his boot into the dangling stirrup and lifted himself into the saddle. Tugging the leather reins to the side, he turned Duke around and led him out of the stable.
Digging his heels into his black stallion, AJ urged Duke to a run. They blew past the buildings and fenced-in pastures, toward the empty landscapes they used for grazing and moving herds around.
The tightness in his chest and stomach twisted and churned. No matter how hard he pushed Duke onward, he couldn’t escape the feeling he was being pushed out of his own family. What had he done to deserve this treatment? His parents had encouraged him to go out and learn anything he’d wanted. From what he could remember, they didn’t want him just hanging around the ranch.
AJ let up on the reins and Duke slowed. Had his parents expected him to meet someone? That seemed to be what this was all about. Marriage.
His eyes narrowed. That had to be it. They were obsessed with family, always had been. If he found someone before this whole competition took place, would they change their minds? Not likely. They cared about Kate too much. He pinched the bridge of his nose and sucked in a deep breath, letting it out slowly. He hunched over and leaned on his saddle horn.
What was he doing? The ranch was a big job. Not only did Terry Hill breed cattle, they trained horses, offered