I’d started to stand when he put his hand on my knee. I froze. Little wisps of flame leapt from his hand and traveled up my thigh. Eyes wide, I met his and was surprised at the intensity in them. His eyes searched my face like he was searching for an answer to a problem. Something in them held me there like a deer in the headlights. We sat looking at each other for what felt like an hour before he took his hand back. He breathed in and shut his eyes. I could still feel the heat of his hand on my leg.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you upset. Why don’t you take me to where you ‘think’ you saw this wolf and I’ll have a look?” He looked sincere for all of ten seconds before the corners of his delicious mouth quirked up, and I seethed again. How this man managed to shuttle me back and forth between wanting to jump into his lap and slap him was beyond me.
“No thanks. I don’t need a big man to tell me what I saw. I know what it was—a freakin’ wolf! So you go do your damn job and I’ll go back to mine.” I stood up and strode to the barn to saddle up Roanie.
My horse lived in the pole barn next to where we’d unloaded the hay. It had four stalls and a small metal tack room that held the saddles and bridles. I stomped up the small hill and inside, treading over the remains of fallen alfalfa and oat hay from years past and up to the first stall where I kept the roan gelding. The sweet smell of the hay usually helped me to relax, but that man had my hackles up.
Furious with myself, I cussed under my breath as I grabbed Roanie’s halter and then made a kissing sound at the quarter horse. He walked up to me and dipped his head so I could slip the halter over his ears. I kissed his velvety nose and walked him out of his stall, tying his halter around the hitching post in the complicated slipknot that every good cowboy knew. He could pull and pull and it wouldn’t budge, but one tug to the bottom of the rope and I’d have him loose in an instant.
After I snatched up the brush and hoof pick I went about the restful routine of saddling him up. I brushed him from ears to hooves, noticing that his winter coat was starting to fill in. I always loved it when he got shaggy in the cold months.
What I needed was a nice long ride checking fence to cool down. It needed to be done, and being in the saddle for a few hours always tended to soothe my nerves. The rhythmic sound of hooves thudding against the dirt and the relaxing motion of his smooth strides were almost hypnotic sometimes. And I needed something to calm my temper.
The absolute nerve of that man! He didn’t know me from Eve and yet he had the guts to come on my land and question my sanity. The vision of myself, tied to a chair while he questioned me flashed through my mind and I brutally snuffed it out. My cheeks burned.
“What a jerk!” I muttered under my breath as I brushed down Roanie’s withers in long, smooth strokes. He’s a gorgeous jerk…said the little voice in my head that knew I hadn’t had much to look at lately, man-wise. I’m too busy to date, I thought. Yeah, that’s why you have all those historical romance novels hidden under your bed.
“Shut up, shut up shut up!” I hissed at myself.
Chapter Four
“What did I say?” A male voice asked behind me, with the faintest hint of a chuckle.
I gasped and whirled around. Cash, no, warden Newcomb, leaned against the side of Roanie’s stall like the tall glass of water he was. He may have had a perfectly composed face, and how perfect it was, but his eyes were laughed at me.
“You! I thought I asked you to leave.”
I stood with my hands on my hips and glared at him. Granted, I had a hoof pick in one hand and a brush in the other, but I liked to think I put out a tough façade.
“No, you said I should do my damn job, and I am. I was serious about going to wherever you shot at the ‘wolf’.”
Okay, he didn’t actually use his fingers to make the little quotation signs, but I could hear it in his voice and it made me feel like a cat rubbed the wrong way.
He smiled. “And we’ll see what we can find. How does that sound?”
Horrible, I grumbled in my head while my libido screamed fantastic! My fingers itched to explore the wide planes of his chest.
“Well, I guess that’s okay.” A wicked grin spread across my face, “But I’m going to be riding Roanie here, so I guess you’ll just have to hoof it, so to speak.”
My gaze slid down the lean, tall length of him from his broad shoulders, his narrow hips and finally stopping at his boots to emphasize my point. Pleased with myself, I brushed the roan and proceeded to clean his feet with the hoof pick. I heard a rustling, and when I turned, I saw Cash pulling Tahoe the mule out with his halter. I stood gaping for a few seconds until Cash held his hand out for the brush.
“I’ll ride him. Is that a problem?”
Blinking a few times, I handed him the brush and watched him rub down Tahoe with a sure hand. I tried not to envision Cash doing the same to me and couldn’t help but notice how well the mule was behaving.
“Tahoe usually tries to bite anyone who’s not my grandpa. Even I have a hard time dodging his teeth all the time.” I said, astonished.
I continued to stare, now at Cash’s sweet behind, while the warden picked up all four of the mule’s feet and checked for stones. It was always a battle for me to do that, but there Tahoe was, stock still and submitting to Cash’s ministrations.
“I’m good with animals,” was all Cash said in reply. Luckily his back was turned away and he didn’t catch me checking out his rear.
I shook my head I finished Roanie’s feet, grabbed the saddle blanket and tossed it over his shoulders, adjusting it so it wouldn’t rub sores. When I turned to grab the saddle, I nearly ran into Cash with my roping saddle in his big, strong, capable hands.
“Thanks, but I’ve saddled my own horse since I was eight,” I snapped as I snatched it from his grip and hefted it up on Roanie’s back. I may have let it fall a little heavier than usual and received Roanie’s disapproval in the form of a tail swish. I hissed as it landed on the sensitive skin on the back of my arm and rubbed away the sting.
Cash simply grunted, rolling those magnificent shoulders in a graceful shrug and turned back to Tahoe. I tightened Roanie’s cinch strap and slid his bridle on, gently guiding the snaffle bit into his mouth.
I scratched the horse’s chin. “Sorry, boy.”
Not waiting for the warden, I leapt in the saddle and trotted out of the barn. I had to get away from the distraction of his tight ass and flexing biceps. Why did he have to be so beautiful when I was determined to loathe him?
“Well crap,” I griped when I heard hoof beats not too far behind me. I glared down at my horse’s mane. I’d had Roanie since I was ten. He was a red roan gelding my grandpa bought me when he was only a foal. I loved him. He had all the bells and whistles a girl could ask for: slide stops, spins, flying lead changes, all of it. He had been slated to be a prize-winning horse, but my grandpa talked the breeder into selling him to me. Grandpa could talk Eskimos into buying ice.
“So how long have you been ranching this land?” I could almost hear the implied “by yourself”. I glanced over my shoulder at him and scanned his face for derision. He seemed perfectly sincere.
“I’ve lived here with my grandpa since I was six years old. He died last year.” I turned my back toward him to avoid looking at him. I didn’t want to see the pity in his face. It was always there when I told people about grandpa.
“I’m very sorry,” he said softly. “It must have been hard on you to take over an operation as big as this by yourself. What do you have, a hundred-fifty head?”
“Yeah, around that,” I said, surprised. This man knew his stuff. “I deal with it just fine by myself. And if I do need help when I take the calves to sale, I have a few cowboy buddies who need the roping practice on something that moves.”
We took a trail that led up to where the cattle were last night, not the one I’d normally use, but I wasn’t about to have the liability of having him fall and break something on my property. So what if it will take
a little bit longer to get there my libido whispered you have plenty of time. I growled in irritation at my traitorous inner monologue.
“Screw it,” I muttered mutinously under my breath. “Let’s go this way, it’s faster,” I yelled to Cash. I kneed Roanie into a gallop up the side of the rocky hill. The footing was tricky, but Roanie knew the way, and Cash was on a mule, so if he could just hang on he’d be alright.
I heard Cash grunt as Tahoe tore after Roanie up the hill. What most people didn’t know about mules was they were about as sure footed as a mountain goat and they’d follow a horse anywhere, since they loved them so much. A mule pack string always had a lead horse exactly for that reason. I smiled and spurred Roanie on while I bolted down the backside of the hill and around the corner and then slid to a stop right beside the salt blocks I left out for the cows.
I turned to watch Cash come around the corner, hoping for a laugh. Instead I got more dry spell daydream material. He sat on Tahoe’s back like he lived there; hips rocking easily, guiding him subtly with his knees and bringing him to a graceful stop right beside my horse. All he needed was a cowboy hat and he’d give Robert Redford a run for his money. Damn, couldn’t he be bad at something?
“Do you own a cowboy hat?” I asked. His brows drew together in confusion while a slow, slanted smile grew on his face.
“Yes, why do you ask?”
I coughed. “No reason.” I hoped the crisp October air would cool down the flames in my cheeks.
I dismounted and strode over to where I’d grazed the wolf. Sensing him behind me, rather than hearing him; the man was too damn silent. I knelt down where I had spotted the blood the night before.
“There, see? Blood. My bullet went wide so I only nicked it in the rear, but it bled a little before it took off.” I circled the drops with my finger in the dirt, hoping to make painfully obvious what it was. He knelt right beside me, his thigh touching mine, and looked around.
“Yeah, I see it. Hmm…And you’re sure it was a wolf?” He paused to look at my expression. “Right, wolf. Okay, I’m going to fan out and see if I can find some tracks. Feel free to do whatever things you needed to do before I interrupted. I’ll make my way back to the barn when I’m finished.”
I frowned at the dismissal, I vaulted back onto my horse and kicked him into a lope and out of sight.
“Don’t mind me,” I mimicked Cash’s sultry voice. “I’m just going to steal your mule, your tack and your mind, but feel free to do as you please. Hmph!”
I rode for an hour checking the fence before I realized I hadn’t really seen any of it. Calling it a lost cause, I rode back to the barn. Tahoe was already there in his stall munching on some hay. I put Roanie away with another kiss on his nose, gave him a scoop of oats and a flake of hay as well. I put away the tack and walked back to my trailer only to find Cash sitting on my porch petting my dog, again. I had to get a new dog.
“Alright, listen bucko—” I started.
“You were right— there was a wolf, or at least a very large member of the canine family.” I stopped what I was saying and tilted my head to the side, trying not to smirk or say I told you so. It was a close thing.
“It circled the area where I assume your cows were several times, and then took off, only to do a loop around your trailer.” Unnerved, I sat down with a thump beside him and scratched Reggie’s ears.
“Geez, I figured I scared the thing off when I shot it. I never thought it would come here. God! What if it had gone after the horses?” I breathed shallowly and tried to snuff down the rising panic. I couldn’t imagine what I would do if I didn’t have Roanie. He was part of my family and a living reminder of my grandpa. Plus, there was only so much I could do off of a quad.
I didn’t notice right away that Cash had put his arm around my shoulders, but when I did, Whoo boy…a girl could get used to those arms! Coughing to cover the little moan of delight I had let out, I stood up and out from under his embrace.
“Well, did you get everything you needed, Warden?” I said. He needed to go before I did something stupid like hop into his lap. His eyes held amusement and a small flicker of what, disappointment?
“Not everything.” He stood up and stretched. His wide chest should’ve creaked with the tension of all those muscles. “But I guess it’ll have to do.”
He flashed me a dazzling grin that verged on scandalous paired with his insinuation. I’m glad it was just a flash; otherwise I’d be sitting on the ground with my head between my knees and needing a paper bag. As it was, my breath caught in my lungs.
I cleared my throat. “Uh, good. Let me know if you find out anything else.” He nodded and walked back to his truck. I forced my gaze away from him, turned and walked into my trailer. It had to be done.
My trailer may have been older than I was, and though exterior showed it, I prided myself that I had made the inside look a lot better despite its age. After my grandpa died, I couldn’t stand looking at all of his furniture, so I made a big IKEA run and bought new everything. The living room looked straight out of the pages of the catalogue.
The only pieces that broke up the Swedish named things were the hide-on chairs and pillows that my grandpa had made. The room had an interesting modern stainless steel and cowboy motif that I loved. It was kind of like me; hard, durable and country. And it might not be mine much longer.
When I walked in to the kitchen to start dinner, I noticed my answering machine was flashing. I pushed play as I grabbed a package of frozen tortellini’s from the freezer. I dumped them into the pot of boiling water I had on the stove and listened to my friend’s voice.
“Hey Shells, its Jesse. I was just wondering how your little secret rendezvous with Mr. Big-Hunk went. If you don’t call me in the next twenty minutes I’m coming over myself!”
I smiled. Knowing Jesse, she had probably left the message on her way over. I went into my bedroom and threw on a pair of boxers, a white men’s undershirt and my bunny slippers and went back into the kitchen just in time to hear a knock at the door.
I was expecting Jesse, so I had a giant grin on my face when I opened the door. There was Mr. Big-Hunk himself in the flesh, and still jaw-droppingly gorgeous. Was it just me or did he just get hotter? Because of cold woosh of outside air when I opened the door, and the hot guy, I was cutting glass. I felt the tell-tale burn in my cheeks as I crossed my arms, hopping to hide the evidence poking through the thin barrier of my worn, white tee.
Cash’s stunned face would’ve been funny if I had been in a position to appreciate it. As it was, a horrible, hot blush ran from my face down to my chest. His eyes took in my blush, boxers, bunny slippers and lack of a bra in one sweep. His eyebrows nearly disappeared into his hair as a wide Cheshire-cat grin crept over his face. Those baby blues glowed with mischief.
“Wow, what a welcome. I just came back to give you my card, in case another big bad wolf came around, but—” he said leaving the invitation open.
He rocked back on his heels and rubbed his chin. The grin split wider as he observed me caught speechless in fury and mortification. Cash handed me his card, which I quickly ripped out of his hand and slammed the door in his face. His chuckle faded along with his footsteps on the gravel.
Chapter Five
“That man is impossible!”
“Oh, you’re just saying that because he’s the first one that’s not falling over his feet to go out with you.” Jesse sat at my kitchen table and watched me slam cabinet doors and bang around angrily while making dinner. “That and the fact he saw you in your bunny slippers.” She grinned hugely. My relationship with my bunnies was a closely guarded secret.
“Ha! That’s where you’re wrong. He gave me his number.” I held up his card. “See?”
“Well, he is the game Warden. It’s sort of in his job description to find out about any unusual doings in the wildlife around here. Did he actually ask you out?” She raised an eyebrow.
“No,” I mumbled. “Not really. He just said if I s
aw another wolf to call him. He still didn’t seem like he believed me.” I angrily scooped out some pesto into the pasta and mixed in some peas and grated parmesan. I need the carbs...Jesse looked up expectantly at the food, so I made her a plate along with my own.
“Shouldn’t you be making dinner for your husband?”
“You know,” she said ignoring me as she pointed a fork full of tortellini, “he isn’t a cowboy. I don’t believe your moratorium includes law enforcement. Maybe you should call him!” I frowned at her while she shoveled in a huge bite.
“Grandpa always said any woman who called up a man was just making a booty call, and after watching my mother do it all these years, I’m inclined to agree. Besides, the last thing I need in my life right now is some irritating man.” I could see Jesse had some vitally important comeback, but couldn’t respond due to the inordinate amount of pasta in her mouth. Smiling at my luck, I forged on.
“Personally, I think he’s gay. Here I was in all of my unfettered glory,” I motioned to my nonexistent boobs. “Smuggling raisins, and he didn’t so much as take a second glance. In my whole life I’ve never known a man to lose that sort of an opportunity.” Jesse choked on the pasta trying not to laugh.
“Who could resist all of this?” I turned and modeled for her. I always had been built like a boy. My small breasts had haunted me until I realized it meant I could ride a horse without hitting myself in the face. My hips had rounded out a little in high school, but as it was, I was skinny and flat. Whoopee.
She finished chewing and let out a huge guffaw. “Hey, that’s not nice.” I laughed. “You’re going to give me a complex!”
That night I lay in bed, thinking about the sight of Cash shirtless throwing around bales of hay. Jesse had particularly liked that part of today’s events, and I couldn’t really disagree. All of that wavy, brown hair made me want to run my fingers through it and his lips had a little quirk like he was laughing at everyone on the inside. Really he was probably laughing at me, but this was my fantasy.
Hunter Moon (Lupine Moon Series) Page 3
