“I got him,” called the man in the hoodie with no sleeves. He was still wearing it. Didn’t he own anything else? Judging by the grease stains and armpit rings, he did not. He charged right into the group of animals, scattering them in all directions. Once they hit the walls of the gully, they turned, bumping into one another. One steer hooked another with his horn, and they both bellowed.
“They’re going to cause an accident.” Zoey glared.
The guy spurred his horse, yanking hard on the reins to get her to turn quickly and follow Tornado.
“They’re after my stud.” Hunter growled. “They couldn’t buy him fair and square, so they’re going to steal him.”
He turned on his side and slid down the bank a few feet so he wasn’t visible over the edge. He dialed, and Maverik picked up on the third ring. “I’m up here in Dry River Gully with Zoey—we found the horses.”
“Great, bring them in!” Maverik was on a side-by-side, yelling over the motor.
Hunter cupped his hand around the phone to muffle the sound. “Somebody’s already trying to do just that. I have some horse thieves up here.”
“That’s up to ten years in prison,” Maverik replied.
Zoey slid down next to him. “They couldn’t rope a tree.”
He smirked; he’d suspected as much. “I need the sheriff.”
“I’ll call. It’ll take them a bit to get in there on four-wheelers.”
“I’ll keep an eye on the thieves—right now it’s my word against theirs that they intend to take him home. All we’ll get on them is trespassing, and that’s if the owner presses charges. I’d like to see them in jail, but if all I can do is save the horses, then I can live with that.”
“If they get out of there with the horse before dark, we could lose them across state lines—then it’s ten times harder to get your stock back,” Maverik said. “And it’s getting dark real quick.”
Zoey pressed her lips together.
Hunter didn’t want to worry her. He leaned slightly away so she couldn't hear Maverik. “They might get lucky and actually rope a horse. If that happens …”
The sound of pounding hooves brought his head around.
“Aw crap!” He almost threw his phone. “Get here now. Zoey just took off on her horse.” He ran pell-mell down the hill toward Penny, who pranced to the side, wound up from Zoey and Cherokee leaving her behind. “There’s no telling what she has in mind.”
