Dodge the Bullet by Christy Hayes Page A

around anyone who
may put them in danger.”
    Paula cleared her throat. “There’s really no
danger, Sarah. I didn’t mean to scare you. It’s just that, well, he
doesn’t have the best reputation around town. Something to do with
him and some girl when he was younger. I personally don’t know him
very well. He mostly stays to himself, but his sisters and dad are
well known and liked in the valley. I guess I shouldn’t have said
anything, but most people don’t seem to…trust him.”
    Sarah tried to let Paula’s words jibe with
her own impression of Dodge and couldn’t quite make a match.
    “Just forget I said anything,” Paula filled
the silence. “I don’t know of anyone offhand who’d be good to work
with you, but I’ll give it some thought and ask around.”
    “I’d really appreciate that Paula, thank
you.”
    She hung up the phone and fell back against
the couch. Could she have misjudged Dodge so completely? He was
boorish and blunt, but she’d never, not once, gotten the sense he
was someone she couldn’t trust. If anything, he seemed overly
concerned for her safety. Her instincts about people were usually
right on target, with a few memorable exceptions. She picked up the
photos he’d altered the night before. Whatever made people gossip
had happened a long time ago. She couldn’t turn away from the only
offer of help she’d received just because of some rumors. Her gut
told her she could trust him and she had to trust her gut.
    ###
    By mid-day Thursday Dodge’s head throbbed
and his patience was shot. His hired man had gone on a binger the
night before and hadn’t shown up at the feed lot. And his hay
delivery had been delayed because of ‘transportation issues.’ He
should have known the price he’d been quoted was too good to be
true. He intended to talk to Sarah about leasing her circle for hay
next year in order to avoid future ‘transportation issues.’
    He looked at his watch. He’d promised her
he’d bring his horses and look over the other side of the river
that afternoon, but his stomach was grumbling and he had enough
work to do before sundown that he might not even be able to grab a
quick snack at the convenience store, much less trailer some horses
and take a look at her land. He reached for his cell phone to call
her and set a time to do it in the next few days.
    When Sarah answered, Dodge imagined her
standing in the kitchen, wearing the same tank top as the night
they’d had dinner, but this time she didn’t have a shirt on over it
and she’d forgotten to wear a bra. She was fingering that medallion
that hung around her neck. He shook his head and reminded himself
to get some food in his stomach and maybe find some time to get
laid before seeing or speaking to her again.
    “Sarah, its Dodge. Listen, I’m not going to
be able to come out this afternoon with the horses. I’ve had some
things go to hell in a hand basket today, and--” He stopped
speaking when he heard her giggling.
    “I’m sorry,” she said. “I haven’t heard
anyone use that expression since my grandfather. You were
saying?”
    He’d lost all concentration after hearing
her breathy laugh. Damn, he needed to get laid. “I was just going
to suggest I bring the horses over sometime on Saturday.”
    “I’m afraid Saturday won’t work. I’m going
to Denver to pick up my sister and the boys at the airport. Maybe
Sunday, if you’re free? I’m sure the boys would like to meet you.
And Jenny’s going to love you.”
    “What am I, a side show?” He wasn’t
offended. In fact this was the first time all day he’d felt
anything other than pissed.
    “The boys think I’m crazy for moving us here
to ranch. Maybe meeting a successful rancher might inspire them.
And my sister’s a sucker for a good-looking cowboy.”
    He was momentarily distracted by the
good-looking comment when it suddenly hit him she intended to drive
another eight hours in that old sorry excuse for a truck. “Are you
renting