by Kim Redford
“No argument. They have me running in circles.”
“Hate to tell you, but this time those cows they rustled were a ruse.”
“What do you mean?”
“They snatched Fernando.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Slade felt his heart sink to the pit of his stomach, thinking of the value of artificial insemination. “That’s our high-dollar Angus bull with the hottest sperm. He’s an AI bull, not a cow bull. His straws go for big bucks.”
“I know all that. Every rancher in Texas knows that. And I bet every one of them wishes they could afford even one Fernando bloodline calf.”
“Are you sure he’s gone?” Slade couldn’t believe his ears. “He’s massive—two thousand pounds easy. And he gets mad fast. Only Storm can soothe him.”
“I know all that, too.” Oscar spit to the side. “But he’s one gone bull now.”
“But Fernando was in the secure, climate-controlled barn Mr. Werner built for him. He has an EID button in his ear so he can be identified with a scanner. He’s registered with the American Angus Association. He’s got his own pasture and pond, but we don’t let him out there at night.”
“You’re preaching to the choir here, even if I don’t cotton to these new-fangled tag apps, computer downloads, and whatnots. Pencil and paper and brands work fine for me.”
“Oscar, we’re in the twenty-first century. Bigger herds mean we need faster methods for keeping track of them. I want matched pair tags, ear visual, and EID on the herds at Steele Trap II.”
“I hear you, but count me out on spreadsheets.” Oscar shook his head. “That EID button didn’t save Fernando from getting snatched by rustlers.”
“But it’ll help get him back.”
“Hope so. He should’ve been right as rain here, but nothing’s normal and they took advantage.”
“I won’t believe it till I see he’s gone with my own eyes.”
“Let’s go.” Oscar headed toward Fernando’s barn.
“Mr. Werner wouldn’t have left anything to chance with Fernando’s housing any more than he did with his 1959 Cadillac. Celeste was in pristine shape when he gave that car to Sydney.” Slade caught up with Oscar and Tater.
“That’s not the problem.” Oscar reached the steel structure and nodded toward the oversized door. “Take a look.”
Slade examined the door, the lock, the frame. He felt his heart sink because there was no sign of forced entry. “They had the lock combination number?”
“Remember that cowboy you hired a few weeks ago? You were shorthanded here.”
“Yeah. Reggie Rogers. He wasn’t from around this area, but he had good references.”
“Maybe fake. He’s gone, too.”
Slade groaned as he slid open the door, stepped inside, and looked around the area. Nothing was much disturbed. “Drugged, you think?”
“Maybe. But if Reggie let him get hungry, he might’ve followed a bucket of feed into a trailer.”
Slade took in the empty barn one more time, then stepped outside, shutting the door behind him. “I’ll alert the sheriff and the American Angus Association. Sales barns will be notified about the theft, so the auctioneer brand inspectors will keep an eye out for him.”
“I’m thinking they’re selling our cattle in New Mexico. They’d cross the state line at El Paso. Least livestock checkpoints going west and less chance of getting caught at those sales barns than someplace close to home.”
“I agree about the cows. But a bull like Fernando? It’d be chancy.”
“Out of the country?”
“Mexico? Canada? I just don’t know.”
Oscar spit tobacco to the side. “Tough luck.”
“It’s bad all the way around. Storm will be crushed.”
“Right. Your niece thinks that bull hung the moon.”
“At least he’s got good feet. At that weight, it’s the first thing to go.”
“No biggie right now. He’s still young.”
“You’re right.” Slade headed for his truck. “One way or another, we’ve got to get Fernando back.”
Oscar nodded in agreement. “They’re watching us like hawks somehow or the other. They know our every move, so they can sneak in and out with nobody the wiser.”
“It’s a mess.”
“Look,” Oscar said, “you got bigger fish to fry, so let me take the sheriff to the barn to bag his samples, take his photos, and get whatever else he thinks will make his fancy science whisper sweet nothings in his ear.”
Slade chuckled at the image. “Sounds like you’re still not too taken with modern science.”
“Hah! The day I believe a bunch of machines can tell me more than a thinking-man’s mind is the day you might as well cart me off to the glue factory.”
“You can think circles around most everybody, so I see your point.”
“Yeah. You may see it, but I’m not sure you get it.”
“Let’s save that for another day.” Slade took a deep breath. “I’ve got other news.”
“What now?” Oscar spit in the dirt again while Tater adjusted his haunches to a more comfortable position.
“I was at Wildcat Hall talking with Ivy, Fern’s sister, about baking and cooking something special for the holidays when we discovered a fire at one of the cowboy cabins.”
Oscar cocked his head. “When was this and what’s the sister like?”
“Which answer do you want first?”
“Most important.”
Slade just grinned, knowing Oscar had him. “Ivy’s…well, she’s real fine.”
Oscar chuckled, looked down at Tater, and patted him on the head. “Now here’s something bears watching, don’t you know?”
“I was able to put out the fire without damage. Sheriff Calhoun stopped by and checked it. Craig took samples.”
“When?”
“Little while ago.”
Oscar looked off into the distance, then down at Tater. “What do you think, old boy? Fire at the Park distracts Slade Steele, the new owner of this ranch, and Fernando goes missing about the same time. Think there’s a connection?”
“Oh no,” Slade groaned as he felt his stomach churn. “We thought somebody had it in for Fern or Ivy or the Park.”
“Maybe. Maybe not.”
“For sure it’s something to discuss with the sheriff—and keep in mind.”
“Yep.” Oscar glanced toward the ranch house. “Here comes the law. You want me to take over or not?”
“I feel responsible to—”
“Think I can’t handle it?”
“No, of course not.” Slade watched Sheriff Calhoun pull up on the other side of Oscar and Tater.
“I’m guessing there’s a lonely lady at Wildcat Hall in need of comforting after that fire fright. Home cooking always fits the bill. Maybe a slice of your famous pecan pie would perk her right up.” Oscar gave a sidelong glance with a little smirk on his lips. “On the other hand, cowboys have always known how to perk up ladies with a song, a dance, or a—”
“Stop right there.”
“Kiss.” Oscar winked at Slade. “Better see to your lady friend while I see to the sheriff.” He headed toward Sheriff Calhoun with Tater following him.
Slade just shook his head. You couldn’t put anything over on Oscar because he was always one step ahead of everybody. But he didn’t necessarily have to like it. He stepped down from his truck and walked over to the sheriff.
Sheriff Calhoun lowered his window. “Sorry about the bad news.”
“Thanks.” Slade gestured toward Oscar and Tater. “It’s worse than we thought. They got Fernando.”
“No! How’d they get him?”
“Reggie Rogers is missing, too.”
“That new cowboy?”
“One and the sam
e.”
Sheriff Calhoun nodded thoughtfully. “If he’s the rustler, I’d guess he used an alias, but maybe we can tie him into the system with fingerprints. I’ll check for them.”
“Appreciate it. Oscar can take you to the back pasture and the barn. I’m going to alert the AAA and we’ll go from there.”
“Good idea. I’ll take care of things on my end.” Sheriff Calhoun shook his head. “Storm is gonna have a fit.”
“Don’t I know it. We just have to get that bull back.”
“We’ll do our best.”
“Right now I’m headed down to Wildcat Hall to check on things there.”
“Okay,” Sheriff Calhoun said. “I’ll let you know what we find out.”
Slade stepped back, gave Oscar a nod, and walked to his truck.
He started his pickup, backed up, and got out of there. Truth of the matter, he was glad to let them take over. If he could’ve helped, he would’ve, but they wouldn’t find anything like the other times. He was missing something…something big and important. But he couldn’t see it, not yet.
For now, he was better off making sure Ivy was safe. That’s where he wanted to be. And that’s where he hoped she wanted him to be. First, he’d best tell Sydney and let her break the bad news to Storm.
Oscar was right about one thing, if not everything—home cooking and lip-licking pie could be the way to Ivy’s heart. He’d just make a quick stop at the Chuckwagon Café and pick up some good eats for her before he went back to the Hall.
Chapter 9
Ivy stood in the open doorway of Wildcat Hall as she watched the last pickup exit the parking lot. She felt a little numb, a little excited, and a little bewildered at the way she had been instantly accepted into the heart of this rural community. Suddenly she had more new friends than she could have accumulated in a year or more, if she’d been trying, in Houston. She wasn’t quite sure how it had happened to her. Maybe Fern. Maybe Slade. Maybe Wildcat Hall. She was pretty sure it couldn’t simply be her because she’d never had it happen before in her life. On the other hand, maybe it was country instead of city.
Everybody had even cleaned up after themselves, making sure she had nothing extra to do after they were gone. She was back to where she’d started when the day began, except now she had lots of new friends who had volunteered to help get Wildcat Hall ready for Christmas.
She stood still as she watched the quickly falling night, one hand holding open the door and the other stroking the soft lace on her fancy apron. Stars were appearing as the sky grew dark, all mysterious and evocative bright points. She didn’t see them so clearly in the city, with all the ambient light sources. And she hadn’t missed them—until this moment.
When she went back to Houston, she’d know they were up there, simply waiting for her to see their bright beauty again. She could almost touch the loss she’d feel when that time came for her. But the feeling didn’t make sense, not when the city offered so much in shopping, eating, entertainment, work, friends, while the country offered wide-open spaces, beautiful skies, bighearted people.
She shook her head to remove the distraction. Spaces, skies, and people weren’t a big enough trade-off. She was going back. It was just a matter of when she could get away.
As she cemented that thought in her mind, she saw another truck turn off Wildcat Road, pull into the parking lot, and stop near the front door. She recognized the solid black vehicle with silver trim sporting a big metal cowcatcher across the front grill—Slade Steele. She felt her heart speed up in anticipation.
He stepped down from his pickup, took off his cowboy hat, and tossed it onto the front seat. When he turned back, he saw her. And paused. He gave a slight nod in acknowledgment and started forward in his easy, ground-eating stride with his limp a bit more pronounced than usual.
She felt a little tug from him to her or her to him—or maybe both directions at once—that caused her to place a hand over her heart. She wasn’t sure why she did it except that it seemed right as she became vitally aware of the softness and tenderness she felt toward him, the determined power he projected toward her, and the excitement that was building between them.
He stopped in front of her, tilted up her chin with one big hand, and placed a gentle kiss on her lips.
She was so astonished that she simply stood there, trying to get her mind to work again, but it had gone on hiatus, leaving only her body in charge. And her body demanded much more than the single kiss that had started a river of molten lava burning through her.
“Are you okay after all your guests?” He carefully tugged her hair loose, snagged her ponytail holder around his big wrist where the hot pink looked wildly out of place, and smoothed the hair around her face with the palms of both hands.
“You’re touching me.”
“I know.”
“What makes you think that’s okay?”
“This.” And he cupped her face with both hands and pressed a longer, hotter kiss to her lips.
She shivered in response and took a step back. “I only met you today.”
“I know.”
“And…and I’m not sure it is okay.”
“What can I do to make it okay?” He closed the space between them and kicked the door shut behind him.
She pressed her hand harder over her heart, as if to keep it in place. She felt almost light-headed from his hot kisses, his intense blue eyes, and his sage-and-citrus scent.
“Tell me.” He leaned toward her, searching her face for an answer.
“I—I’m not sure.” She held her ground this time, but it wasn’t easy in his nearly overwhelming presence. “Today has been so much, and you—”
“I helped you.”
“Yes, but—”
“I’m here to help you again. I brought supper. It’s in the truck.”
She smiled, feeling her eyes crinkle at the corners in pleasure. “And you think the way to a woman’s heart is through her stomach.”
He grinned back. “Yeah.”
“I suppose it’s possible.”
“I’ve got lots of food…and I know how to cook it.”
She chuckled at his words.
“And I’m willing to share it.”
“But still, you touched me.”
“I know.”
“And I suppose you plan to do it again.”
“Yeah.”
“And I suppose you think I’ll let you.”
“If you don’t, I’ll be in serious trouble.”
If he hadn’t looked so adorable, she might have been able to resist the kisses, the food, the banter, but those big blue eyes were burning a hole in her heart and she was falling deep into them—and she didn’t want to climb out. She put her hands flat on his chest, feeling the muscles tighten in response, went up on her toes, and placed the softest of gentle kisses on his firm lips.
He sighed in relief and pleasure. “That’s the answer I’ve been waiting for since the moment I laid eyes on you.”
“I didn’t know you asked me a question.”
“Not in so many words, but it’s been there between us from the first.”
“Maybe I was too distracted to notice.”
“Maybe…or you didn’t want to notice.” He lifted a hand toward her, then dropped it to his side. “You answered my question now. That’s all that counts.”
She nodded, feeling once again that this endless day-into-night was propelling her down a racetrack so fast that she could hardly catch her breath.
“It’s been a long day for you.” He raised his hand and this time tenderly cupped her jaw before letting her go. “I’m not helping matters, am I?”
“You mentioned food. I could use it.”
“Your wish is my command.” He glanced around the front bar. “Do you want to eat here or—”
“My place, p
lease…or at least Fern’s home.”
“It’s yours.”
“For now.”
“No, not for now. Like everything else in Wildcat Bluff, it’s yours for the asking and for as long as you want it.”
“Thanks.” She knew he meant much more than the cowboy cabin and that he was putting himself on the line. Only a truly self-confident man could do that with a woman he’d just met. She didn’t understand why he was doing it except that there was this thing between them that didn’t appear to be going away anytime soon. And she was becoming more infected by it as each transformative moment ticked toward midnight.
“Let’s lock up here and go to your place.”
“I’ll get my purse and keys.”
“Take all the keys, will you?”
“Do you think somebody might break in here?” She took off her pretty apron and hung it up behind the bar as the importance of his words sank in deeper. She picked up her purse.
“I think we want to be extra careful.”
“You’re right.” She grabbed all the keys from behind the bar and stuffed them inside her purse. As she walked back to him, she remembered she wasn’t the only one who’d had trouble that day. “I’m sorry I didn’t ask sooner, but what about the theft at your ranch? I hope it wasn’t too bad.”
He shrugged his broad shoulders, shaking his head. “It’s about as bad as it can get.”
“Oh no.” She reached out and squeezed his arm in sympathy. “Is there anything I can do?”
“Have supper with me tonight, and I’ll tell you about it.”
“That’s easy. We’re already on our way.” She flipped off the main lights and then glanced up at him. “Do you think I should leave on more lights than usual?”
“Yes.” He adjusted the light settings before he nodded in satisfaction. “If you like, I’ll install extra motion-sensor and night lights tomorrow.”
“I’d like that very much.”
“Good. We’re out of here, then.”
After they stepped outside, she carefully locked up the Hall, hoping nothing would happen to it during the night. “Will your pickup be okay out here?”
He clasped her hand and threaded their fingers together. “After today, I’m not counting on anything staying safe, but it’s got a loud alarm if somebody tries to break into it.”
