Operation: Midnight Cowboy

She let herself out the back door. The air was crisp, but the sun warmed her back as she took the cobblestone walk to the barn. The earthy smells of horses and hay met her when she entered. She was midway down the aisle when a commotion just outside the rear door caught her attention.

Several yards from the barn, Bo Ruskin stood in a steel, round pen with a beautiful young horse. On the end of a long rope, the horse was obviously frightened, snorting and throwing its pretty head high into the air. Dust billowed as horse and man danced on the sandy ground.

Rachael approached the round pen slowly so she wouldn’t scare the animal. She watched, mesmerized, as the horse reared, flailing its front hooves at Bo. But the cowboy stayed a safe distance away and held the rope secure. All the while, he talked to the frightened animal in a calm, lulling tone.

“Easy, boy,” he cooed. “Come on now. You can do it.”

Sweat stained the back of his shirt between his shoulder blades. Dust coated his jeans from the knees down. The horse galloped in a circle around him on the end of the rope, tugging violently. But Bo remained calm, never losing patience with the animal, his tone never altering.

“Settle down,” he whispered. “You know I’m not going to hurt you.”

Rachael had never been unduly interested in horses—just a short phase in her preteen years—but watching the lanky cowboy work the animal, she felt something unfamiliar and vaguely uncomfortable stir inside her. A feeling she didn’t want to acknowledge. A yearning she thought she’d never feel again in her lifetime.

Appalled by the realization that she was more mesmerized by the man than the horse, she stepped back into the barn and pressed her back against the stall door. What the hell was she thinking? Bo Ruskin had been her husband’s friend. He’d been there the night Michael had died. How could she feel anything for any male when only two short years had passed since her husband’s death?

A hard and ugly guilt churned in her stomach. The logical side of her brain told her the return of her hormones was a normal thing. After all, Rachael hadn’t yet seen her thirtieth birthday; her life was far from over.

But the emotional part of her psyche—the part of her that was still a mourning widow—berated that part of her for betraying the husband she’d loved and lost.

“You look like you’ve just seen a ghost.”

Rachael jolted at the sound of Bo’s voice and spun to see him standing just inside the barn door. Silhouetted by the sun, his image bestowed the impression with a tough, athletic build born of hard and physical labor. He wore a large silver-and-gold buckle and a leather belt adorned with an intricate design. Lower, she caught a glimpse of a part of his anatomy she did not want to think about.

“I won it in a rodeo down in Cody last year.”

Rachael’s gaze snapped to his. “What?”

“The belt buckle.”

“Oh.” A hot blush heated her cheeks. “How did you win it?”

“I rode a bull by the name of Bone Cruncher. Made the eight seconds, but I broke my leg on the dismount.”

“Sounds like the bull lived up to his name.”

He grinned. “Yeah, but I got the buckle.”

“It’s…nice.” But Rachael didn’t dare look at the buckle in question. It was to close to…something else she did not want to see.

The hat he wore shadowed his eyes, but she knew they were on her. Probably wondering why she was acting like such an idiot.

“I—I didn’t mean to disturb your work,” she blurted when she could no longer stand the awkward silence.

“I reckon both of us have had just about had enough for the day.”

She blinked.

“The horse.” Amusement danced in his eyes for an instant, then he looked over his shoulder toward the round pen where another man was walking the horse. “I’d like to use him as a stud, but if he keeps up that attitude I might have to geld him.”

Rachael knew it was a silly reaction—animals were neutered all the time—but she blushed. “He’s beautiful.”

“He’s a handful, that’s for sure. Doesn’t like to be told what to do.”

“I know the feeling,” she muttered.

He laughed outright. “I bet you do.” His gaze landed on the backpack she held at her side. “Running away from home already?”

“I was thinking about borrowing your four-wheeler and doing some exploring.”

“Did you get a map from Pauline?”

She patted the bag. “Along with some water and a few tortillas.”

“She makes the best tortillas in the world.” He motioned toward a small outbuilding a few yards from the barn. “I’ll show you how to fire up the ATV. You’re welcome to it anytime.”

He started toward the shed. Rachael fell in beside him, silently berating herself for acting like some silly school girl. Bo Ruskin wasn’t the first attractive man she’d ever dealt with. Unfortunately, he was the only man in the last two years that had caused her to go totally brain-dead.

They reached the shed, and he opened the door. A large four-wheel ATV sat inside. Wordlessly, he slid onto the seat and turned the ignition key. The engine started on the first try.

“Helmet is over there,” he said, motioning to one of two helmets hanging neatly on the wall. “Red one will probably fit you best.”

Rachael picked up the red helmet. When she turned around, he’d already eased the vehicle forward and out of the shed. Leaving the engine running, he slid off the seat and motioned for her to get on. “You ever driven one of these things before?”

“No, but I’m mechanically inclined.” Sliding the helmet onto her head, she climbed onto the seat. “And I have a level four drive rating,” she added. Level five was the highest rating.

“I’m impressed, but you still get a lesson.”

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, she nodded.

Bo set his finger against the right handlebar grip. “You have your gas here on the left. Brake on the right.”

“I’ll try to remember that.”

Surprise rippled through her when he bent to fasten the chinstrap. His eyes met hers through the Plexiglas shield. They were the same endless blue as the Wyoming sky. “You sure you can handle this thing?” he asked.

“You tell me.” Tired of being underestimated, Rachael revved the engine and let off the brake.

Bo stepped back just in time to avoid being run over.

Spewing gravel, the ATV leapt forward like a big mechanical beast. Gripping the seat with her thighs, Rachael swung the vehicle into a 360-degree circle.

Bo stood near the shed, watching her and shaking his head. “You’re pretty sure of yourself, aren’t you?”

“I’ve been accused of that once or twice.”

“Don’t go too far. And be careful once you get on the trail. A lot of country out there.”

“I think I can handle it.” She patted the purring engine.

“I was talking about the cougars and black bears,” he said deadpan.

The mention of fanged carnivores gave her pause. Rachael might be a whiz at taking down someone twice her size armed with a gun, but the thought of facing down an animal with claws and teeth made her rethink the wisdom of her afternoon jaunt to the trails. “They’ll have to catch me first.”

Without waiting for a reply, she hit the gas and headed toward the ridge on the north side of the ranch.

THE DIRT TRAIL was well-marked and ran north for several miles before curving south and looping back toward the ranch. At the top of the northern-most ridge, the land fell away into a postcard-pretty valley where horses and cattle grazed on golden prairie grass.

Rachael stopped the ATV at a good vantage point and shut down the engine. Removing her helmet, she shook out her hair and just sat there staring at the scene. Around her, a light breeze whispered through the tops of the tall ponderosa pines and low-growing juniper. Birds twittered and swooped in the branches. Somewhere in the distance a cow bawled for her calf.

Pulling the water bottle from her backpack, Rachael drank deeply, savoring every cold swallow. Alone and surrounded by nature, her every sense seemed heightened. She dropped the bottle back into her backpack and was about to start the engine when the snapping of a twig froze her in place.

Bo’s words about cougars and bears flashed through her mind. But what made the hairs at her nape prickle was the ever-present knowledge that Karas wanted her dead. She planned to be ready if he made a move.

Spinning, she jammed her hand into the backpack, grabbed the Beretta and brought it up.

The resonant click of a hammer being pulled back froze her in place. “Hold it right there, Missy.”

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