“How many people would you guess live around there?”
“Thirty, thirty-five?” Tracy shrugged. “Just like Grandpa Lew, my grandmother’s friends are dead or long gone. She’s completely isolated.”
Cash tilted his head and asked, “Would she move to Colorado Springs?”
“I’ve asked. She won’t. She’s never lived anywhere but Wild Horse. I think she fears not being able to adapt to a big city like Colorado Springs, but if I can, she can.” Tracy shook her head. “However, Winston’s in the picture now.”
“Do you think Winston’s a good guy, even though he’s younger? Maybe he’s lonely and doesn’t want to move away from Wild Horse, either?”
“I want to think he’s a good guy.” She smiled and said, “Like you, Cash.”
“Yeah, well, I’ve had my share of detractors now and then.”
“Female detractors?” she teased. Suddenly picturing Rusty, Delilah, and Desiree, jealousy stabbed Tracy. When she realized she’d placed her hand to her heart, she batted her eyelashes at him and asked like a southern belle, “Detractors who are smitten but rebuffed?”
“Like the editor who is smitten with you at the magazine?” Cash teased her right back. “What’s his name?”
“Gerald Moles. Carefully rebuffed, since he’s my supervisor.”
“Did you invite Moles to the barbecue?”
“I did. If he shows up, I’ll introduce you.”
“Can’t wait,” Cash said. “Wanna help me wrangle acouple of cows back to my ranch and into the corral? One of Chase’s guys can come fetch ’em later.”
“Yes! Wrangling cows will be a fantastic addition to my article.”
“Yeehaw!” Cash whooped and nudged Captain down the incline.
“Yeehaw!” Tracy echoed and followed him.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Tracy was a slow burn under Cash’s skin.
He led the way down the hill. The cow and her calf began moving along as if knowing they were lost and not in the right pasture. Cash rode alongside them with Tracy following close behind. She had taken to riding a horse like she was born to it. He couldn’t help, didn’t want to help, visualizing how she might ride him in bed.
Flanking the mama cow and her baby, they began leading them safely back toward Triple C-East. He told Tracy about the upcoming barbecue as they moseyed along flat ground with tall grasses. Though they’d taken a shortcut, Cash hadn’t hurried, not to mention the cow and her calf slowing down their return to the ranch. The morning sun was high in the sky as they approached a stack of boulders on the left.
“Just about everybody from all three ranches shows up on the Fourth for the barbecue,” Cash said.
Tracy’s horse became curious about something in the grass to their right. She pranced sideways and snorted. Cinnamon hadn’t been on the ranch long but thus far had proven steady and reliable. Cash sensed rather than saw the problem.
“Cash, what am I doing wrong with Cinnamon?”
Snakes spooked horses. A bite might not be as fatal to a horse as it would be to a small dog, but Cash wanted to avoid an injury of any kind if possible. Nudging Captain forward, sure enough, Cash spotted a diamondback slithering toward them and the rocks where it no doubt had a dark cool den between the crevices.
“Rattlesnake. Don’t panic,” Cash said calmly, pointing with his left hand as he pulled his gun with his right. “I’m gonna shoot it. Press your knees against Cinnamon to hold on in case she spooks. Don’t let her buck you off on top of the snake.”
“Oh my gosh,” Tracy replied but nodded. “Okay.”
Cash hoped the horses stayed calm. However, the snake, feeling the vibration of horse and cattle hooves, reacted. Rattling its tail the snake raised its head to strike at the closer horse which was Cinnamon.
BOOM! The shot from Cash’s Ruger Warrior blew the venomous snake’s head off.
“Whoa!” Tracy called out as Cinnamon’s front hooves left the ground.
“Cinnamon!” Cash barked with authority.
