The Cowboy and the Angel Read Online Free

convince these guys she was harmless, but they hadn’t fallen for it and her mistake annoyed her. He’d already called her out on her ridiculous clothing when she showed up looking like a dime-store cowboy, but she wouldn’t tolerate him insulting her as a journalist. She might not have been as thorough researching clothing, but it didn’t take a visit to a cattle ranch to read the research and watch footage of animals being injured, maimed, and, in many cases, killed.
    “I find it hard to believe that cowboys jump on the backs of bulls on the range.” She arched a brow, daring him to take up her argument.
    “Whoa, whoa . . . both of you need to calm down.” Mike Findley glanced from her face to the cowboy beside him.
    While she was certain anyone could see the fury in her eyes, Derek remained as maddeningly unperturbed as ever, with his thumbs hooked in the front of his chaps and giving her that cocky, playboy grin of his. He was so confident he could win this argument. It took every ounce of self-control to keep herself from smacking him. She decided she’d better try a different tactic before Findley escorted her out once and for all. She wasn’t about to be outsmarted by this arrogant, pig-headed cowboy.
    “Mr. Findley,” she began, facing the older man and ignoring the infuriating mass of muscle beside him, “while I understand rodeo is how you make your living, you must understand it isn’t exactly a civilized method. It’s perpetuating the mistreatment of animals. You have them doing things they would never do in nature. In the past, horses were obviously tamed for riding but not by scaring them to the point that they would hurl themselves into fences. Can you deny the many injuries rodeo stock receive each year?”
    Mike held up a hand, halting her in the middle of her diatribe, and laughed. “Young lady, have you ever actually been to a rodeo before? Or seen a horse being broken to ride?”
    Angela cocked her head to the side. “Not in person, but in my background research—”
    “I’m not sure what sort of research you’ve done, but I’d be happy to show you around so that you can actually see the animals, see the measures we take to protect them, and talk to our judges and vets.”
    Angela took a step back, surprised by his offer, and glanced toward Derek. “You’d do that? I was led to believe that you would try to avoid the press and any sort of videotaping of your animals.”
    Derek shook his head and pursed his lips. “What kind of propaganda have you been reading?” He rolled his eyes. “If you’ll excuse me, I have a rodeo to get started. And animals to take care of,” he added for her benefit.
    She narrowed her eyes at him as he left, wishing she could burn a hole in his back with her thoughts. Arrogant jerk. He probably thought she was a pushy, obnoxious shrew who should learn her place, but she wasn’t going to pretend to be a simpering, barefoot-and-pregnant country girl who would fall for his drawling, hillbilly charm. Her mother had fallen for a cocky, swaggering man and paid dearly for it. She would never be a submissive, weak female and no man would dominate her. If that made her a bitch, then she was happy to let narrow-minded brutes think so.
    Mike caught her staring after Derek and smiled, his head cocked to the side. “Young lady, I’d be happy to show you around the rodeo and explain what we do.” He tapped his index finger against his lower lip. “But if you really want a story, and I think you do, I have a better idea.” His eyes glimmered mischievously and she wondered what this man had up his sleeve.
    D EREK TRIED TO ignore the gorgeous redhead all day, but she seemed to be everywhere he looked. He couldn’t help but notice the sway of her hips as she climbed the steps to the chutes when Mike showed her the saddle bronc equipment. Later, as she watched the calf roping with intensity, he noticed the way she pursed her lips in concentration. While she was