Gail Barrett - Cowboy Under Siege

Dust billowed over the men. Cows bellowed behind them, their frantic cries filling the air. Cole dug his heels into the dirt, flipped the bleating calf to the ground, and Kenny Greene raced over to help him hold it down. A man she didn’t recognize crouched beside them, and began examining the suffering calf—Judd Walker, Maple Cove’s new veterinarian, no doubt.

Bethany peered through the blowing dust to the backhoe, then to the corrals where they’d penned the herd. The cows lunged and cried, desperate to break out and quench their thirst. But drinking water too fast would cause their brains to swell, killing even more of the herd.

She glanced farther downstream to the dead cows dotting the bank, and her throat closed at the sight. Who would want to hurt those innocent animals—and why? Cole didn’t have enemies that she knew. People liked him in Maple Cove. Sure, he came from a wealthy family, but he’d worked his heart out to buy this ranch—putting in longer hours than his men did, never shirking an unpleasant job. And people respected that.

Her gaze swung back to the busy cowboys. She recognized most of the faces—Bill, Earl Runningcrane, her old classmate Kenny Greene. But there were some new ones, too. The same hollow feeling she’d experienced in the restaurant swirled back, but she forced it aside. So what if the ranch had changed since she’d left? Her life had moved on, too.

The sick calf thrashed, knocking Cole’s hat to the ground, and her gaze gravitated to him. He swore, his arm muscles bunching as he held the calf, the veins bulging in his tanned neck.

“Almost done,” the vet said. “Just a few more seconds.”

Cole grunted, his dark hair dampened with sweat, dirt streaking his hard jaw. And the sheer maleness of him made her heart take a crazy beat.

“Got it,” the vet said. Cole nodded at Kenny. They released the calf and leaped away. The calf staggered to his feet, wobbling badly. Cole whistled to Mitzy, who instantly raced over and steered it back into the herd.

Cole wiped his jaw on his sleeve, his T-shirt plastered to his powerful torso. He reached down to grab his hat, causing his faded jeans to tighten on his muscled behind.

Bethany shifted in the saddle, suddenly restless. No matter what had gone wrong between them, Cole was still hands down the most attractive man she’d ever seen. And the thrills she’d felt in his arms …

“Well, look who’s back.” A cowboy trotted up on a big roan gelding, pulling her attention from Cole.

Tony Whittaker . She recoiled in distaste. As a child, he’d bullied her daily. And as a teen … She suppressed a shudder, refusing to go down that humiliating track. Fortunately, she’d learned that he would ignore her if she refused to show any fear.

“Get out of my way, Tony. I’ve got work to do.” She tugged the reins to the right, intending to go around him, but he shifted his gelding and blocked her way.

“If it’s work you want, you can work me over good.” His eyes dipped to her chest, his innuendo clear.

Her mouth flattened, disgust churning through her, but she deliberately steadied her voice. “Look, I don’t have time for this. Those cows need help. Now get your horse out of my way.”

His lips thinned, sudden meanness flashing in his eyes. “A squaw like you would be lucky to have me. I can show you what a real man’s like.”

Her face burned, fury building inside her at the racial insult, and she tightened her grip on the reins. Idiots like Tony were the reason she’d left Maple Cove. But she bit down an angry retort, knowing better than to take his bait. She refused to cause trouble for Cole.

She nudged Red forward, but Tony moved his gelding closer, and her patience snapped. “What the hell is your problem? I said to get out of my way.”

“Why you—”

“Tony!” Cole shouted. “Get over here and give us a hand.”

“On my way.” Tony shot her an even stare, making the fine hairs rise on the nape of her neck, then wheeled his horse around. Bethany didn’t move as he rode off, her hands trembling, anger still pumping through her veins. Then she signaled for Red to get moving and headed downstream to join the men monitoring the thirsty cows.

So Tony was still a creep. That much hadn’t changed. She frowned, wondering if he was behind Cole’s problems. Killing helpless cows sounded like something he’d do.

But criminal or not, she’d be smart to watch her back. Instead of finding answers, she’d ticked off an old enemy—a dangerous one at that.

She reached the herd, then gave her father’s veteran cutting horse free rein. Red sprang into action like a kindergartener let out for recess, charging across the field, dancing back and forth to head off the bolting cows.

But as she worked, her plans for a relaxing vacation crumbled fast. She hadn’t found any answers. She still didn’t know why her father had lied. But if there was any chance her father’s fall was more than a simple accident, she had to find out.

Red pivoted sharply and changed directions, and she spared a glance at Cole. He stood with his feet planted wide, his hat tilted low, his big hands braced on his hips. His gaze connected with hers through the shifting dust, and her heart made a heavy thud.

She had to get answers, all right—which meant she had to stick close to the men. But she was doing this for her father’s sake and her own peace of mind— not to be around Cole.

She just hoped she’d remember that.

“All right. Listen up,” Cole said. He stood on the bank of the stream they’d cleared, waiting for his tired men to gather around. The vet had returned to town an hour earlier. The sheriff had taken his statement and gone. They’d carted the dead cattle to a local food bank and made sure the wells were working again.

His head pounding, he whistled again for his men. Bethany rode to the edge of the group, then leaped off her horse. She’d done an amazing job controlling the cattle, putting his ranch hands to shame. But she’d always been an expert rider. Watching her on a cutting horse was like viewing a work of art.

A fact not lost on the men. Tony hadn’t taken his eyes off her all day.

Scowling, he cleared his throat. “I’m sure you’ve figured out by now that we’ve got a problem.” And he was tired of being caught off guard. “So I’m moving up our schedule. We need to get these calves shipped off before anything else goes wrong.”

“I thought the trucks weren’t available until next week,” Kenny said.

“I’ll find some trucks somewhere.” He hoped . He’d originally planned to ship his cattle to market last week during the round up. But his herd had splintered in the mountains, stranding a hundred head near the divide. He’d rescheduled the trucks, hoping to use the delay to his advantage, getting the calves’ weight up while he rescued the rest of the herd. But now, with someone killing his cattle, he couldn’t afford to wait.

“First thing in the morning we’ll start in the southern section. We also need to start patrolling at night,” he added. “I’ll draw up a schedule.”

The men grumbled. Cole couldn’t blame them. They already worked long hours. But what choice did he have? If he lost enough money, the ranch would fold, and they’d all be out of a job.

“If you know anyone looking for work, let me know.” He scanned the group, but no one answered. His gaze stalled on Tony, who was staring at Bethany again.

Cole’s mood darkened. He didn’t care who she dated. He had no claim on her. But he didn’t need her distracting the men.

Bethany swung up on the mare and trotted off. Tony vaulted into his saddle a second later, turning his gelding to go in pursuit.