mule-kicked him in the chest. He shifted in his
saddle, his current position, no longer comfortable. "Let's catch
up with her before she breaks her neck," Luke said then urged his
horse to a trot, then a gallop.
When they rounded the copse of trees at the
end of the pasture, he saw she had slowed her horse to a walk. He
pulled up beside her with Bud right behind him. "You think you can
wait on us?"
Cassie shrugged. "I felt like a run. It's
been a long time."
"Don't forget it sweet thing. You might have
been a rodeo queen, but it's been ten years since you've been in
the saddle. You need to be more careful."
"You don't have to worry about me, honey
bunch . I've been riding since I could walk."
"So has your daddy, and he got thrown." Luke
was seriously worried that she'd take for granted she was rusty and
hurt herself because of it.
She pushed her hat back on her head and
pinned him with angry blue eyes. "My daddy only got thrown, because
of an inexperienced horse and a snake," she told him then looked
away, her shoulders stiff.
Luke heard Bud chuckle behind him and shot a
look over his shoulder. The man could at least support him and give
her a warning himself, but it looked like the old cowboy was just
hanging back enjoying their conversation.
"Suit yourself, sunshine," he said to the
stubborn woman then kicked his horse into a gallop. Two could play
her game. He glanced back over his shoulder and saw that she had
Honey at a gallop again and she was low over her neck, pushing her
hard to catch up to him. He grinned and urged his mount faster
toward the fence in the distance. When he got there he lifted the
horse up and hugged close to his neck as the long-legged gelding
jumped the fence with ease.
Once he got over, he pulled him to a stop
and spun around to grin at her as she neared the fence herself. It
was poetry in motion to watch her communicate with her horse with
her body language to urge the beautiful palomino over the fence as
well. She didn't stop though, she gave him a cocky smile when she
passed and then kept hauling butt across the pasture toward the
herd grazing in the distance.
Instead of following her, Luke waited for
Bud to catch up and got down to open the gate to let him through.
The big grizzly man was grinning from ear to ear. Bud was enjoying
the shit out of the sparks flying between him and Cassie. Secretly,
Luke was enjoying it too. It had been a long time since he'd had
this much fun.
"Thanks. Better go catch up with that girl
before she has the whole herd hog-tied." Bud chuckled and kicked
his horse to a cantor, after Luke was remounted. They reached the
herd a few minutes later, and Cassie was already off her horse,
moving through the black cows inspecting the pregnant ones more
thoroughly.
"I got a list of the ones we need to cut
Cassie Bee, but if you wanna look them over too, that's not a
problem."
She looked up at Bud distractedly then said,
"I'm just thinking since we're short on hands, we might wanna think
about having a twofer sale before they drop the calves."
"Your daddy would have a stroke. That's a
lot of money to give away, darlin'."
"I know, but if we sold at least some of
them, it would make the herd more manageable," she told him and
then pushed her hat back on her head to look at him earnestly.
"Carl ain't gonna go along with that,
Cassie. We'll have enough hands to handle it with the new hand I
hired, and you and Luke."
"I'm sure Luke has better things to do, and
if we sold of part of the herd now, we wouldn't need him." Cassie
glanced at Luke then back to Bud.
So that was her angle, Luke thought. Getting
rid of him. Well, she could put that thought out to pasture,
because he wasn't going anywhere. "I agree with Bud and Carl. We
have enough hands now, and if you sold the pregnant cows you'd be
losing a fortune."
Her eyes narrowed and she shot daggers at
him, her full lips pinched before she
saddle, his current position, no longer comfortable. "Let's catch
up with her before she breaks her neck," Luke said then urged his
horse to a trot, then a gallop.
When they rounded the copse of trees at the
end of the pasture, he saw she had slowed her horse to a walk. He
pulled up beside her with Bud right behind him. "You think you can
wait on us?"
Cassie shrugged. "I felt like a run. It's
been a long time."
"Don't forget it sweet thing. You might have
been a rodeo queen, but it's been ten years since you've been in
the saddle. You need to be more careful."
"You don't have to worry about me, honey
bunch . I've been riding since I could walk."
"So has your daddy, and he got thrown." Luke
was seriously worried that she'd take for granted she was rusty and
hurt herself because of it.
She pushed her hat back on her head and
pinned him with angry blue eyes. "My daddy only got thrown, because
of an inexperienced horse and a snake," she told him then looked
away, her shoulders stiff.
Luke heard Bud chuckle behind him and shot a
look over his shoulder. The man could at least support him and give
her a warning himself, but it looked like the old cowboy was just
hanging back enjoying their conversation.
"Suit yourself, sunshine," he said to the
stubborn woman then kicked his horse into a gallop. Two could play
her game. He glanced back over his shoulder and saw that she had
Honey at a gallop again and she was low over her neck, pushing her
hard to catch up to him. He grinned and urged his mount faster
toward the fence in the distance. When he got there he lifted the
horse up and hugged close to his neck as the long-legged gelding
jumped the fence with ease.
Once he got over, he pulled him to a stop
and spun around to grin at her as she neared the fence herself. It
was poetry in motion to watch her communicate with her horse with
her body language to urge the beautiful palomino over the fence as
well. She didn't stop though, she gave him a cocky smile when she
passed and then kept hauling butt across the pasture toward the
herd grazing in the distance.
Instead of following her, Luke waited for
Bud to catch up and got down to open the gate to let him through.
The big grizzly man was grinning from ear to ear. Bud was enjoying
the shit out of the sparks flying between him and Cassie. Secretly,
Luke was enjoying it too. It had been a long time since he'd had
this much fun.
"Thanks. Better go catch up with that girl
before she has the whole herd hog-tied." Bud chuckled and kicked
his horse to a cantor, after Luke was remounted. They reached the
herd a few minutes later, and Cassie was already off her horse,
moving through the black cows inspecting the pregnant ones more
thoroughly.
"I got a list of the ones we need to cut
Cassie Bee, but if you wanna look them over too, that's not a
problem."
She looked up at Bud distractedly then said,
"I'm just thinking since we're short on hands, we might wanna think
about having a twofer sale before they drop the calves."
"Your daddy would have a stroke. That's a
lot of money to give away, darlin'."
"I know, but if we sold at least some of
them, it would make the herd more manageable," she told him and
then pushed her hat back on her head to look at him earnestly.
"Carl ain't gonna go along with that,
Cassie. We'll have enough hands to handle it with the new hand I
hired, and you and Luke."
"I'm sure Luke has better things to do, and
if we sold of part of the herd now, we wouldn't need him." Cassie
glanced at Luke then back to Bud.
So that was her angle, Luke thought. Getting
rid of him. Well, she could put that thought out to pasture,
because he wasn't going anywhere. "I agree with Bud and Carl. We
have enough hands now, and if you sold the pregnant cows you'd be
losing a fortune."
Her eyes narrowed and she shot daggers at
him, her full lips pinched before she
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