from the herd. Don't
want 'em losing their calves, and last time I was out they looked
sickly." We'll put them in the catch pen behind the barn and doctor
them up." He patted her shoulder. "You're a natural, honey--it'll
come back to ya. Just sit in the saddle and let the horse do the
work."
Her face fell and Bud chortled, then picked
up his plate and walked over to put it in the sink. "Luke is gonna
help us. It won't be that bad."
"That's something I need to talk to you
about. I don't want him here. Can't we find someone else to help
out?"
"I've been trying to find more hands for a
week. I found one, and he wouldn't have been my first pick, that's
for sure, rough kind of sort. It's calving season, and all the good
hands are signed on elsewhere. We're damned lucky Luke agreed to
help, Cassie Bee."
Cassie sighed in frustration and dropped her
chin to her chest. It looked like she was stuck with the man, at
least until they could find another hand to replace him. "Okay, but
will you keep looking? We can cut him loose when we find someone
else."
"Sure will," he said and patted her
shoulder, "Sunshine's a wastin, let's get going." She followed him
out of the bunkhouse and around to the barn. Now wasn't the time to
bring up the cattle sale she wanted to have, he was busy, and she
really did need to take a look at the stock before she made that
decision.
CHAPTER FOUR
When they walked into the barn, Luke was
there with a big black gelding in crossties, while he saddled him.
His head was bent and his nimble fingers moved over the buckles and
cinches underneath the gelding with knowledge. He'd ridden a
motorcycle when they dated, not a horse. She'd never seen him
around a horse, other than hers when he watched her barrel race at
rodeos. He stood up then walked to the horse's head and expertly
pinched his upper lip and slid the bit gently between his teeth,
pulling the straps up over his cheeks and ears.
He glanced over at them when he was done.
"Hey, Bud...Cassie."
He tipped his hat at her then pulled a hoof
pick out of his back pocket and lifted the gelding's front leg to
inspect his hoof. After he finished inspecting all four feet, he
patted the big horse's side and unclipped the crossties and grabbed
the reins. "I'll be out back when ya'll are ready."
Why his ability to groom and tack a horse
would turn her on, she had no idea. But it did. Heat moved up her
throat to her face and she swallowed hard and nodded.
"We'll be ready directly, Luke," Bud told
him.
She watched as he turned the horse toward
the back door of the barn, the sight of his broad shoulders and
fine ass in those blue jeans ramping up the funny little flutters
that were dancing around in her chest. Forcefully, she tamped down
the fluttering and sucked in a breath.
Luke Matthews was off limits to her...she
was an engaged woman, she reminded herself. And even if she wasn't,
Cassie wasn't about to put herself out there again with him to let
the cheating bastard hurt her again. Even for what she knew would
be the best sex she'd had in ten years.
"Your saddle and spurs are still in the tack
room, Cassie Bee. You can ride Honey today. She's got some spunk,
but she won't give you any trouble." He led her over to a stall
where a beautiful golden palomino mare sat lazily munching on the
hay she'd put in there earlier. "Damn good cutter, too," Bud told
her.
Cassie clicked her tongue and the horse
looked up then sauntered over to put her head over the gate. She
scratched her behind the ear, then rubbed her muzzle. "Hiya, pretty
girl." The beautiful horse nudged her hand with her nose. "Yeah,
we'll get along fine, won't we?" Honey neighed and snorted and
Cassie laughed.
This is what she'd been missing for ten
years...her bond with animals. Maybe when she got back to Phoenix,
she'd find a barn where she could lease a horse to ride when she
got the urge.
Pushing away from the stall, Cassie went
want 'em losing their calves, and last time I was out they looked
sickly." We'll put them in the catch pen behind the barn and doctor
them up." He patted her shoulder. "You're a natural, honey--it'll
come back to ya. Just sit in the saddle and let the horse do the
work."
Her face fell and Bud chortled, then picked
up his plate and walked over to put it in the sink. "Luke is gonna
help us. It won't be that bad."
"That's something I need to talk to you
about. I don't want him here. Can't we find someone else to help
out?"
"I've been trying to find more hands for a
week. I found one, and he wouldn't have been my first pick, that's
for sure, rough kind of sort. It's calving season, and all the good
hands are signed on elsewhere. We're damned lucky Luke agreed to
help, Cassie Bee."
Cassie sighed in frustration and dropped her
chin to her chest. It looked like she was stuck with the man, at
least until they could find another hand to replace him. "Okay, but
will you keep looking? We can cut him loose when we find someone
else."
"Sure will," he said and patted her
shoulder, "Sunshine's a wastin, let's get going." She followed him
out of the bunkhouse and around to the barn. Now wasn't the time to
bring up the cattle sale she wanted to have, he was busy, and she
really did need to take a look at the stock before she made that
decision.
CHAPTER FOUR
When they walked into the barn, Luke was
there with a big black gelding in crossties, while he saddled him.
His head was bent and his nimble fingers moved over the buckles and
cinches underneath the gelding with knowledge. He'd ridden a
motorcycle when they dated, not a horse. She'd never seen him
around a horse, other than hers when he watched her barrel race at
rodeos. He stood up then walked to the horse's head and expertly
pinched his upper lip and slid the bit gently between his teeth,
pulling the straps up over his cheeks and ears.
He glanced over at them when he was done.
"Hey, Bud...Cassie."
He tipped his hat at her then pulled a hoof
pick out of his back pocket and lifted the gelding's front leg to
inspect his hoof. After he finished inspecting all four feet, he
patted the big horse's side and unclipped the crossties and grabbed
the reins. "I'll be out back when ya'll are ready."
Why his ability to groom and tack a horse
would turn her on, she had no idea. But it did. Heat moved up her
throat to her face and she swallowed hard and nodded.
"We'll be ready directly, Luke," Bud told
him.
She watched as he turned the horse toward
the back door of the barn, the sight of his broad shoulders and
fine ass in those blue jeans ramping up the funny little flutters
that were dancing around in her chest. Forcefully, she tamped down
the fluttering and sucked in a breath.
Luke Matthews was off limits to her...she
was an engaged woman, she reminded herself. And even if she wasn't,
Cassie wasn't about to put herself out there again with him to let
the cheating bastard hurt her again. Even for what she knew would
be the best sex she'd had in ten years.
"Your saddle and spurs are still in the tack
room, Cassie Bee. You can ride Honey today. She's got some spunk,
but she won't give you any trouble." He led her over to a stall
where a beautiful golden palomino mare sat lazily munching on the
hay she'd put in there earlier. "Damn good cutter, too," Bud told
her.
Cassie clicked her tongue and the horse
looked up then sauntered over to put her head over the gate. She
scratched her behind the ear, then rubbed her muzzle. "Hiya, pretty
girl." The beautiful horse nudged her hand with her nose. "Yeah,
we'll get along fine, won't we?" Honey neighed and snorted and
Cassie laughed.
This is what she'd been missing for ten
years...her bond with animals. Maybe when she got back to Phoenix,
she'd find a barn where she could lease a horse to ride when she
got the urge.
Pushing away from the stall, Cassie went
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