days’ worth of calories in one sitting, Elizabeth finished every morsel. She sipped the coffee Cooper provided, finding her mocha lattes had nothing over black cowboy coffee.
“Tasty stuff,” she said, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, just like a real cowboy. She might’ve been mistaken, but she thought she saw him hide a smile behind his cup. A cloud blew across the sun and she shivered.
“We’d better move.” With efficient, practiced movements, he kicked snow over the fire and packed the remains of their lunch. “Ready?”
“Can you help me figure out where I am? I’m so lost out here.”
Cooper led her to the crest of a small hill. He pointed to the west. Those mountains are the La Sals. They’re in Utah. He turned her around. “These are the San Juans here in Colorado.” He pointed toward a dip in the terrain. “Salt Lick sits over there.”
Awestruck by the enormity of it all, Elizabeth stared. She had no idea how vast the area was. How could she ever find her mother in so much space? Shoulders sagging, she turned away to hide her distress. Going to her horse, she untied him and mounted as tears burned behind her eyes and hopelessness filled her soul.
Chapter 5
Elizabeth looked around. “What do I do?”
“Go to the far left of the herd, and head them toward the ranch. I’ll do the same on the other side.”
Nodding her understanding, Elizabeth kicked the bay into an easy lope. She made it to the far side of the herd and waved one arm and hollered. The nervous cattle ran from her, bawling. In spite of the cold and all her worries, she enjoyed herself more than she had in a month. Being out in the fresh air, miles from other people, riding a good horse all added up to a good day.
Throwing a quick glance at Cooper, Elizabeth decided he made the Marlboro man look like a sissy. He seemed hand-picked for the role of lonesome cowboy. Was she a fool for trusting him? Had he killed her uncle and cousin in fits of rage that she hadn’t seen? Had he seen her mother? Somehow, she had to find the truth.
Once the herd began to move, Elizabeth relaxed and fell in behind them. Cooper rode nearby, his gaze on the cattle. Allowing her mind to wander a bit, she surveyed the horizon. Something unexpected jumped out at her. “Cooper,” she stage-whispered, “look on the bluff to my right. Be sneaky about it.”
Acting as if he was searching in his coat pocket, he tilted his jaw so that he could look without being obvious. “I see ’em.”
“Are those riders up there?” she whispered.
“Yeah.”
“Who are they?”
“Don’t know.”
“Do you think we’re in danger?”
“Probably not.”
Her heart jumped into her throat. “What do you mean? Do you know those men? Could they be the rustlers?”
“Possibly.”
She wanted to scream. Why wasn’t he as nervous as she was? Hadn’t he seen any western movies? This was where the bad guys galloped over the hill, kicked their butts and left them for dead. Biting her lip, she risked a glance at the mysterious riders. They hadn’t moved.
“They’re still there.”
He flicked his reins carelessly. “I know.”
“What do we do?”
“Just ride.”
“But — ”
“If they come toward us, fall in behind me. I’ll handle it.”
How could he be so calm? There were at least five people on the ridge. “Okay,” she muttered.
“Ignore them, Elizabeth,” Cooper said quietly. “They’re most likely trying to scare us into abandoning the cattle. I won’t be run off from my cows.”
Good God, he had seen westerns. Apparently too many of them. Only actors like John Wayne or Charlton Heston would stand and fight over a bunch of steers … heifers … whatever. If she was writing the script, they’d run like hell and forget the cows. But she wasn’t in charge, and this wasn’t a movie. Cooper was the boss here and it was his call what they did. Hopefully, he could handle this situation.
After a few minutes of tense silence,
“Tasty stuff,” she said, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, just like a real cowboy. She might’ve been mistaken, but she thought she saw him hide a smile behind his cup. A cloud blew across the sun and she shivered.
“We’d better move.” With efficient, practiced movements, he kicked snow over the fire and packed the remains of their lunch. “Ready?”
“Can you help me figure out where I am? I’m so lost out here.”
Cooper led her to the crest of a small hill. He pointed to the west. Those mountains are the La Sals. They’re in Utah. He turned her around. “These are the San Juans here in Colorado.” He pointed toward a dip in the terrain. “Salt Lick sits over there.”
Awestruck by the enormity of it all, Elizabeth stared. She had no idea how vast the area was. How could she ever find her mother in so much space? Shoulders sagging, she turned away to hide her distress. Going to her horse, she untied him and mounted as tears burned behind her eyes and hopelessness filled her soul.
Chapter 5
Elizabeth looked around. “What do I do?”
“Go to the far left of the herd, and head them toward the ranch. I’ll do the same on the other side.”
Nodding her understanding, Elizabeth kicked the bay into an easy lope. She made it to the far side of the herd and waved one arm and hollered. The nervous cattle ran from her, bawling. In spite of the cold and all her worries, she enjoyed herself more than she had in a month. Being out in the fresh air, miles from other people, riding a good horse all added up to a good day.
Throwing a quick glance at Cooper, Elizabeth decided he made the Marlboro man look like a sissy. He seemed hand-picked for the role of lonesome cowboy. Was she a fool for trusting him? Had he killed her uncle and cousin in fits of rage that she hadn’t seen? Had he seen her mother? Somehow, she had to find the truth.
Once the herd began to move, Elizabeth relaxed and fell in behind them. Cooper rode nearby, his gaze on the cattle. Allowing her mind to wander a bit, she surveyed the horizon. Something unexpected jumped out at her. “Cooper,” she stage-whispered, “look on the bluff to my right. Be sneaky about it.”
Acting as if he was searching in his coat pocket, he tilted his jaw so that he could look without being obvious. “I see ’em.”
“Are those riders up there?” she whispered.
“Yeah.”
“Who are they?”
“Don’t know.”
“Do you think we’re in danger?”
“Probably not.”
Her heart jumped into her throat. “What do you mean? Do you know those men? Could they be the rustlers?”
“Possibly.”
She wanted to scream. Why wasn’t he as nervous as she was? Hadn’t he seen any western movies? This was where the bad guys galloped over the hill, kicked their butts and left them for dead. Biting her lip, she risked a glance at the mysterious riders. They hadn’t moved.
“They’re still there.”
He flicked his reins carelessly. “I know.”
“What do we do?”
“Just ride.”
“But — ”
“If they come toward us, fall in behind me. I’ll handle it.”
How could he be so calm? There were at least five people on the ridge. “Okay,” she muttered.
“Ignore them, Elizabeth,” Cooper said quietly. “They’re most likely trying to scare us into abandoning the cattle. I won’t be run off from my cows.”
Good God, he had seen westerns. Apparently too many of them. Only actors like John Wayne or Charlton Heston would stand and fight over a bunch of steers … heifers … whatever. If she was writing the script, they’d run like hell and forget the cows. But she wasn’t in charge, and this wasn’t a movie. Cooper was the boss here and it was his call what they did. Hopefully, he could handle this situation.
After a few minutes of tense silence,
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