When All My Dreams Come True (36 page)

Bobbie had stood by, silent as she listened to Jace, but now she shook her head. “I’m going to help Dew.”

“I’m in no mood for arguments, Bobbie.”

“You need my help, Jace, and I’ll be more help here than riding
into town with you.” He wasn’t convinced and showed it by the skeptical tilt of his eyebrow. “I’ll stay next to Dew or David. I won’t go off on my own. I promise.”

“All right. Just be careful.”

Dew moved to her side. “She’ll be fine.”

Another horse approached, and they all turned. Adam arrived with his horse in a lather. Jace dismounted, pulled Adam from his saddle, and held him by his shirtfront.

“Where’ve you been?”

“I got here as quick as I could.”

“That didn’t answer my question. Dew said you haven’t been around all morning. Now Sonny’s hurt and I’ve got cattle scattered everywhere.”

Adam’s eyes grew large. “It wasn’t me, Jace. I swear.”

“Where were you?” Jace gave him a shake.

“All right.” He raised his hands. A fine sweat covered his top lip and brow. “I snuck off and spent the night with a...a woman.”

Jace snorted.

“I swear, Jace.”

“Who?”

“One of them saloon girls.” Adam dropped his hands and his chin fell to his chest. He wouldn’t meet anyone’s gaze.

Jace let go of his shirt. “She’ll verify your story?”

Adam nodded.

Jace lifted his hat, ran his fingers through his hair, and clamped the hat back on.

“I need to get Sonny to town.” He looked at Dew before meeting Bobbie’s gaze. “I’ll get back as soon as I can.”

Jace didn’t leave Bobbie’s thoughts the entire time she spent rounding up the cattle. The number of head they gathered was pitifully low. How would Jace make ends meet through the winter? They still
had the remainder of the ranch to search, but she didn’t hold out much hope for what they’d find.

They needed help, but no one came around looking for work. Why? Ranch hands usually came and went all the time, yet none came to the Double K. Did the men stay away because they heard about the trouble, or was it possible someone threatened them if they tried to hire on? Whatever the reason, she worked all the harder trying to make up the difference.

When Jace returned, Bobbie moved next to him as they continued driving the cattle toward the ranch. “Sonny okay?”

Jace nodded. “I left him in town with Doc. He’ll probably come home tomorrow. Doc said it was a clean wound.”

She reached out and touched his arm. “How about you, Jace? How are you doing?”

He took her hand in his and gave it a brief squeeze before letting go. “I don’t know what’s going on, Bobbie. I don’t understand why this is happening.” He shook his head. “At this rate, I’ll be out of business by winter. Worse than that, my ranch hands might get killed.” He blew out a long, slow breath. “Maybe I should just quit. End this before anyone else gets hurt.”

“Then you’ll be playing right into this guy’s hands, doing just what he wants. Don’t let him win, Jace. You love ranching. You’re good at it. Don’t let him take it away from you.”

Jace looked into her eyes. He reached out and cupped her cheek. “I love you, Bobbie.”

Bobbie smiled, then dropped her gaze, unable to meet the intensity of his.

“Jace!” Dew called out. “Do you want some of these cattle corralled?”

Bobbie looked back up at Jace. He winked before moving off to meet with his foreman. Bobbie stared at his wide shoulders and recalled the strength she felt there. Her gaze traveled up. It was long past time for another haircut.

   TWENTY-EIGHT   

T
he next few days were spent rounding up all the cattle and horses. Every corner, thicket, and crevice was checked for any animal trying to hide. Bobbie fell into bed each night exhausted from the strain. The work was strenuous, but also the fact that each new area posed a potential threat, a possible bullet heading toward them, caused additional stress.

Jace worried about her. Bobbie saw it in the way his gaze followed her every move. His orders were short and specific. Stay near the ranch. Keep someone with you at all times. Sort through and work with the horses.

She shook her head at the last as she headed back to the corral. The horses could be sorted another time. But Jace didn’t need any more to worry about, so she didn’t give him a fight. Besides, Bobbie enjoyed working with horses. She found them much more rewarding than herding cattle.

Bobbie led some of the horses into the corral nearest the barn and turned them loose. She latched the gate and headed to the farthest pen to get the stallion. She needed the enclosure for the next bunch of mares.

Her heart stopped when she found the gate open and the black nowhere to be found. Jace was relying on the stallion to help him rebuild his herd and bank account. She’d heard him say as much the night before.

Bobbie checked for tracks. The skid marks in the dirt told Bobbie the stallion had made a sharp turn to the west after leaving the corral—toward the mountains.
Of course. The most difficult place to find him. Why am I not surprised?

She grabbed Mack’s reins and jumped onto the saddle. “Come on, Mack. We’ve got work to do.”

They raced across the flat. Bobbie stopped from time to time, checking for tracks. Most were deep, telling her the stallion fled at a high rate of speed. The hoofprints disappeared as soon as she started into the mountains. The stallion seemed to be going in a straight line so she continued in the same direction.

Nearly an hour later, Bobbie reached an area she’d never been to before. Was she still on Kincaid property? The ground leveled off and the shrubs and bushes grew thicker. She skirted them, certain the stallion wouldn’t have run through the copse of trees. She scanned the distance but saw nothing. The unfamiliar territory made her jittery, but she refused to turn back. Not yet.

Mack snorted and tossed his head. The stallion must be nearby for Mack to act so skittish. The farther they moved forward, the more her horse acted up. Bobbie reined him in and dismounted.

“All right, Mack. I won’t make you go any farther.” She tied him to a branch and patted his neck. “Good job, boy.”

She grabbed her lariat and continued walking, taking great pains not to make any noise. The trees thinned, showing her a wide flat of land. There, in the middle of the plain, stood the stallion.

“You rascal.”

He couldn’t have chosen a worse place to graze. Under normal circumstances, she would have tried walking right up to him. Now that he’d had a taste of freedom, he was sure to be wary, running off at the slightest reason. She checked the direction of the wind.
Perfect
. If she stayed close to the edge of the trees, she could move to his backside and try to sneak up from behind.

She bent at the waist and scooted along the tree line. The stallion
looked up from his grazing. Bobbie froze mid-step and stood motionless until he went back to munching on grass. Then she dashed the last bit of distance before squatting down. She’d need to catch her breath before going after him.

The stallion looked as if he belonged in this place. His tail swished at the flies in a peaceful rhythm, and it seemed a shame to remove him. But it had to be done.

Bobbie stood and loosened her lariat, praying she would be able to rope him without any difficulty. She wanted to get home. This whole situation and unfamiliar area had her nerves stretched tight. She took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and started out toward the stallion.

“That’s my horse you’re aiming to steal.”

Bobbie froze. Her skin prickled from her scalp to her toes.

“You know we hang horse thieves in these parts.”

Bobbie turned with slow and steady movements. She saw the man and the lariat fell from her grasp. “Grant!”

“So you remember me. I’m glad.”

Bobbie’s throat constricted as a band tightened around her chest. “I thought you went to Texas.”

He snorted. “Nope.”

A rifle lay propped across his arms as he leaned against a tree, his hat tipped back on his head and a piece of grass hanging from his lips. She’d never be able to reach her pistol before he shot her.

“You’ve sure caused me a lot of trouble, Miss McIntyre.” He motioned toward her waist. “I want that sidearm.”

A tremor moved through Bobbie’s weakened legs. Could any good come from someone whose eyes held such a look of evil?

“Now!”

She flinched at the sharp command. He took a step toward her, and she reached for the pistol.

“Slow and easy. Use your left hand. I’ve seen you shoot, remember?”

She stared at him as she pulled out the gun.

“Toss it at my feet.”

She obeyed.

“Now, turn around.”

Bobbie eyed the piece of rope in his hand. “Why did you try to take me at the celebration?”

Grant laughed. “All in good time. Now, turn around.”

When Bobbie complied, he slipped a loop around her wrist and pulled it tight.

“Give me your other hand. Don’t fight me if you don’t want to get hurt.”

Another shudder traveled through her. He grabbed her arm and tied her hands behind her back. He yanked on the rope. Pain radiated through her wrists. He pulled her backward, knocked her to the ground, and tied her to a tree.

He hunkered down in front of her and grinned. “If you’ll excuse me, I gotta retrieve my horse.”