and the horses were out. She put on another spurt of speed, ignoring the rocks that poked her feet. A rope, she needed to
help lasso them. Dodging Rick, she stepped into the barn, grabbed
two ropes from the hook, and rejoined him in the paddock.
She handed him one of the ropes. "It wasn't open a little while ago.
I looked down from my window and watched the horses before the
scream came. The gate was closed. I'm sure of it."
"I'll check it out. But first, we'd better get those horses back."
Uncoiling the rope, he walked away.
Allie followed. There were four horses out. At least she could
show him she knew how to rope and ride. While she might not have a
lot of skills, she'd be an asset to any ranch.
He called out the name Moonbeam, and a black horse with a gleaming white blaze turned its head to stare at him. Rick approached, and
the horse snorted and backed away. The coil of rope he threw missed
Moonbeam's neck, and the horse whirled to bolt.
Running her hands over the rough rope, Allie twirled it and let it
go. The rope burned her palm as the loop on the end sailed through
the air and settled around the horse's neck. She braced her feet, digging her bare toes into the sandy soil. Moonbeam's head came up and
he snorted, but she had him.
"Come here, boy," she coaxed, pulling on the rope.
"Nice," Rick said, his voice grudging. "Where'd you learn to rope
like that?"
"Rodeo. I could rope a calf by the time I was five." She ran her
hands over the horse's gaunt frame. She winced at the bones poking
through his rough coat. "He's so thin."
"You should have seen him when we rescued him. I didn't think
he'd make it." Rick grabbed Moonbeam's rope halter when the gelding neared. "I'll put him in the barn while you lasso the next one."
Some men would have been intimidated by her superior skill. Score
one for the cowboy. She spared a glance after him. He was powerfully
built, with broad shoulders and muscular thighs. Very different from
Jon. Maybe that was a good thing. It would ensure that she and Betsy
wouldn't put him in Jon's place.
Her thoughts danced away from his preposterous suggestion
again. Marriage to him terrified her.
She lassoed the next horse, Cupcake. The mare came willingly
with her colt following after. They were probably skittish after hearing the mountain lion. If the big cat had gotten hold of little Frost ...
Allie shuddered.
Once all the horses were secured, she and Rick walked the fence
line. "Maybe the gate failed to latch, and one of the horses pushed it
open," she suggested.
"It's got a chain on it." He secured the chain and latched the padlock. "It couldn't have been accidental."
The stalker had found her. No. No, she was sure no one knew
where she'd gone.
"Could Betsy have come out to see Frost?" Rick asked.
"I had trouble sleeping, and she's been asleep since her head hit the
pillow."Allie followed him toward the porch.
"I'd guess it was kids, but we're so remote out here they'd have to
come from Alpine or Marathon."
The explanations all fell flat. Why come here?
"Maybe campers from the Big Bend." He stretched his big frame,
then folded his arms across his chest. "We didn't get a chance to finish our discussion."
She took a step back. 'T ---I don't know what to say. I appreciate
the offer, but I just can't marry someone I don't know." The night air held a chill, and Allie told herself she was shaking only because of the
temperature.
He didn't answer right away. Rick leaned his shoulder against a
porch post and looked out into the star-filled sky. "Jon saw this coming," he said finally. "He said if anything happened to him that his parents would try to get Betsy. He made me promise if it happened that
I'd marry you and adopt her. I guess his childhood was bad."
"I know," Allie said. The cold penetrated her bones, and her teeth
began to stutter together. "Always drinking and fighting. They've got
several foster kids too, so they'll look good to a judge
help lasso them. Dodging Rick, she stepped into the barn, grabbed
two ropes from the hook, and rejoined him in the paddock.
She handed him one of the ropes. "It wasn't open a little while ago.
I looked down from my window and watched the horses before the
scream came. The gate was closed. I'm sure of it."
"I'll check it out. But first, we'd better get those horses back."
Uncoiling the rope, he walked away.
Allie followed. There were four horses out. At least she could
show him she knew how to rope and ride. While she might not have a
lot of skills, she'd be an asset to any ranch.
He called out the name Moonbeam, and a black horse with a gleaming white blaze turned its head to stare at him. Rick approached, and
the horse snorted and backed away. The coil of rope he threw missed
Moonbeam's neck, and the horse whirled to bolt.
Running her hands over the rough rope, Allie twirled it and let it
go. The rope burned her palm as the loop on the end sailed through
the air and settled around the horse's neck. She braced her feet, digging her bare toes into the sandy soil. Moonbeam's head came up and
he snorted, but she had him.
"Come here, boy," she coaxed, pulling on the rope.
"Nice," Rick said, his voice grudging. "Where'd you learn to rope
like that?"
"Rodeo. I could rope a calf by the time I was five." She ran her
hands over the horse's gaunt frame. She winced at the bones poking
through his rough coat. "He's so thin."
"You should have seen him when we rescued him. I didn't think
he'd make it." Rick grabbed Moonbeam's rope halter when the gelding neared. "I'll put him in the barn while you lasso the next one."
Some men would have been intimidated by her superior skill. Score
one for the cowboy. She spared a glance after him. He was powerfully
built, with broad shoulders and muscular thighs. Very different from
Jon. Maybe that was a good thing. It would ensure that she and Betsy
wouldn't put him in Jon's place.
Her thoughts danced away from his preposterous suggestion
again. Marriage to him terrified her.
She lassoed the next horse, Cupcake. The mare came willingly
with her colt following after. They were probably skittish after hearing the mountain lion. If the big cat had gotten hold of little Frost ...
Allie shuddered.
Once all the horses were secured, she and Rick walked the fence
line. "Maybe the gate failed to latch, and one of the horses pushed it
open," she suggested.
"It's got a chain on it." He secured the chain and latched the padlock. "It couldn't have been accidental."
The stalker had found her. No. No, she was sure no one knew
where she'd gone.
"Could Betsy have come out to see Frost?" Rick asked.
"I had trouble sleeping, and she's been asleep since her head hit the
pillow."Allie followed him toward the porch.
"I'd guess it was kids, but we're so remote out here they'd have to
come from Alpine or Marathon."
The explanations all fell flat. Why come here?
"Maybe campers from the Big Bend." He stretched his big frame,
then folded his arms across his chest. "We didn't get a chance to finish our discussion."
She took a step back. 'T ---I don't know what to say. I appreciate
the offer, but I just can't marry someone I don't know." The night air held a chill, and Allie told herself she was shaking only because of the
temperature.
He didn't answer right away. Rick leaned his shoulder against a
porch post and looked out into the star-filled sky. "Jon saw this coming," he said finally. "He said if anything happened to him that his parents would try to get Betsy. He made me promise if it happened that
I'd marry you and adopt her. I guess his childhood was bad."
"I know," Allie said. The cold penetrated her bones, and her teeth
began to stutter together. "Always drinking and fighting. They've got
several foster kids too, so they'll look good to a judge
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