Diana Palmer - Diamond Spur

She shook off his hand and jumped out of the Bronco. “Hi, Red, did you put Kip in the barn?” she called to the young cowhand who’d seen them off, because Kip hadn’t been at the holding pen when they’d driven past it. Even upset, she’d noticed that.

“Yes, ma’am, Miss Kate, I sure did.” He grinned. “I even mended your saddle for you. That nail must have been uncomfortable, even in jeans.”

“It was,” she confessed, avoiding Jason’s interested gaze. “Thanks, Red, I’ll remember you in my will.”

“In that case, I sure would love a Rolls Royce,” the younger man said. “And a house in Florida, on the bay. And a few bonds....”

“Oh, shut up,” she laughed. “If I had half those things, I’d do my best to live forever and I sure wouldn’t be riding around Texas on saddles with nails sticking through them.”

“Well, it was just a thought,” he said. “I’ll saddle your horse.”

She murmured a thank you and started to follow him into the well-lit confines of the mammoth barn, where several horses were quartered in tidy stalls off a wide aisle neat with pine shavings.

“You didn’t mention anything about your saddle being worn,” Jason said from behind her.

She could feel the warmth from his tall, well-muscled body and it made her legs go weak. She felt tingly from head to toe and deliberately moved away from the close contact. It was all too devastating a reminder of how close she’d been to him in the field, of the flash of passion that had almost but not quite ripped away the fabric of their casual relationship.

“You’ve got enough on your mind,” she said evasively.

“Kate, don’t run from me.”

The quiet fervor in that statement brought her head around. She looked up at him with soft, searching eyes. He seemed really concerned about her, regretful almost.

She smiled at him. “Okay.” She sighed. “I’m a little off balance, that’s all.”

“You might not believe it, but so am I.” His dark eyes narrowed and he glanced toward the horizon, where the storm clouds had passed over without depositing a drop of rain. “Anyway, honey, the storm’s gone. And there’s no damage.”

She looked up quietly, searching his black eyes. “That’s right, Jason,” she said. “No damage.”

He touched her loosened hair, reminding her blatantly of his part in its dishevelment. She made him feel fiercely male, bristling with protective instincts that he didn’t even know he had. She trembled at the faint touch, and he wanted to hold her, to comfort her, to keep her safe from any threat, even from himself.

“This time,” he added, his voice deep with shades of feeling, his eyes darkening. “That can’t happen again.”

She searched his face, feeling lost and alone already. “I didn’t do anything,” she whispered. “I didn’t mean to....”

He actually grimaced. “For God’s sake, I know that,” he ground out. “Leave it, Kate. Nothing happened.” He turned away, dismissing it from his mind. “Red!”

Before she could speak, Red Barton came hotfooting in, leading Kip.

“Here you go, Miss Kate,” he said, handing her the reins. “Mind that you don’t go near the border over toward Tanner’s, there’s likely to be a turrrrrrible explosion in the near future.” He grinned, glancing at the boss.

Jason sighed heavily. “Barton, I don’t know why in hell I don’t fire you,” he said absently.

Red frowned. “Neither do I, boss. I’ve studied on it for months, and I still haven’t come up with a decent reason for you to keep me on. But I’ll keep trying, don’t you worry.” He grinned again and tipped his hat to Kate. “I’ll just move those heifers out of range of that lovesick bull, boss, while you explain to Mr. Tanner how many cuts of meat you expect to get out of him.”

Jason pursed his lips. “Now that,” he mused, “is a hell of a good idea. We haven’t thrown a barbecue after roundup in a long time, and Tanner’s bull looks like good beef to me.”

“Mr. Tanner’s purebred black Angus who placed at the national Angus show last November?” Kate asked incredulously. “The same one he paid a hundred thousand dollars for? That bull?”

“Where have you been for the past fifteen minutes?” Jason asked with colossal patience. “Didn’t you hear Gabe? Yes, that bull. He got in with my purebred Santa Gertrudis two-year-old heifers that I was about to breed to my purebred longhorn bulls, and God knows how many of them he’s managed to breed. We haven’t checked that section for several days, so God knows when he got in there or how many of them he’s bred already!”

“That’s sure going to be rough on them heifers,” Red mumbled. “That Angus bull had a birth weight of over a hundred and thirty pounds, as I recall.”

“Absolutely.” Jason’s lips made a thin line as he thought about it and got even madder. “And no bull with a birth weight of over a hundred pounds is considered safe to breed to a virgin cow. First-calf cows have it hard enough without the complication of an oversized sire. The least damaging thing is that my breeding program will be shot to hell, and that bull is going to pay for it. Or Tanner is. Or both. Where the hell is my rifle!”

“Oh, no.” Red grimaced as Jason whirled and stalked toward the house with his face set in hard lines that the cowboy and Kate both recognized.

“The Tanner place is five minutes away by truck,” Kate coaxed. “You could drive past there on your way to move those heifers, and mention that Jason has loaded his rifle.”

Red’s eyes popped. “I could get the hell beat out of me, too. You know the boss in a temper.”

“That’s why I think you should warn Mr. Tanner that he’s coming.”

Red sighed. “The things I do for the Diamond Spur.” He turned. “Okay. But I hope you’ll take me in to the doc afterwards.”

“I’ll sling you over Kip here and ride you the whole way all by myself,” she promised. “Hurry!”

He walked quickly toward the pickup truck. Kate, taking Kip’s reins, made a beeline for the house. Jason was already coming back out the front door with his Winchester under one arm and Sheila raging behind him.

“You’ll end up in prison, I tell you!” she bellowed, her hair standing practically on end. “You can’t go around solving problems with a loaded gun! Henry Tanner is an Easterner! He’s just learning about the beef business! He needs a helping hand, not blazing guns!”

He wasn’t even listening. He was walking with the hard, measured stride that meant trouble, his hat at a dangerous angle over his eyes. Kate, leading Kip, intercepted him.

“I won’t listen, so save your breath, Kate,” he said shortly.

“I didn’t say a word, Jason,” she replied innocently.

“Well, you needn’t,” he murmured. He stared at her. “You aren’t going to try and talk me out of it?”

“Not at all.” She smiled pleasantly. “I’ve never been to visit anyone in jail before. It sounds exciting.”

“I won’t go to jail.”

“If you shoot Mr. Tanner, you will.”

“I’m not going to shoot Mr. Tanner. I’m going to shoot his bull.”

“He’ll sue you.”

“He’s welcome, but his bull will still be dead.”

“Jason, you’ll be arrested.”

“His bull is trespassing,” he said. “Trespassing is against the law. I’m making a citizen’s arrest, which his bull will resist. Resisting arrest is also against the law. I will pass sentence and enforce it with a bullet. And you and the boys can have a nice steak.”

She lifted her eyebrows. “It will be the most expensive steak you’ve ever served.”

He grinned. “Nothing’s too good for my men.” He tipped his hat pleasantly and walked past her.