Read Crazy For the Cowboy Online

Authors: Vicki Lewis Thompson

Crazy For the Cowboy (8 page)

BOOK: Crazy For the Cowboy
9.73Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

The Double J had been a perfect match for the town. It had brought in enough people to keep local shops in business, but not so many that the permanent residents felt overrun by the visitors.

Many of the guests had returned year after year, and Georgie still got Christmas cards from some of them. They always asked if anyone had decided to rebuild the Double J, and Georgie had promised to let them know if that ever happened. After four years of the land being tied up in court, she doubted a new ranch ever would be built.

Guiding Prince carefully through the thorny mesquite branches, she found a spot where she was hidden but could still see the trailhead. Heart thumping, she waited.

Prince stood like a statue. Only the slight flick of his ears and an occasional swish of his tail would alert anyone, and Georgie didn't expect Vince and his friends to be looking for someone hidden in the trees. They'd be getting the feel of their unfamiliar mounts and discussing their strategy.

Georgie had the advantage. She'd been riding Prince for years and she knew the landscape better than anyone else in Bickford. Not many of the residents took trail rides anymore. Four of them still owned horses, which they boarded with Ed for convenience. Ed cut them a deal because they allowed the horses to be rented out, which had worked well until tourism had disappeared. Now Ed had the bad end of that arrangement.

Male laughter preceded the arrival of the cowboys. Georgie leaned forward and stroked Prince's silky neck. “Be very quiet, Prince,” she murmured. “Don't greet those horses.”

She didn't think he would. He seemed to understand when silence was golden. Her excursions out to see the Ghost and his herd had accustomed Prince to observing without making noise. That training would help now.

Before she could see any of the men, she heard Mac's voice. “She drew my portrait first. That's all that needs to be said.”

“She was practicing on you so she could do a better job on mine,” was Travis's cocky reply. “You were a rehearsal, a test case.”

“If that's so,” Mac said, “then she must be crazy about Vince, because she saved him for last.”

“Leave me out of this.” Vince came into view as he guided his horse around a bend in the trail. Ed had put him on Cinder, a coal black gelding nearly a hand taller than Prince. Of all the horses in Ed's stable, Cinder was the fastest.

Georgie wondered if Vince had requested the most spirited horse. Given his mission, she wouldn't be surprised.

Travis rode behind Vince on Duke, a thirty-year-old palomino who held himself like a parade horse despite his age. “Now that you mention it, you didn't seem so eager to have her draw you,” Travis said. “Why didn't you just tell her no?”

“Because she's a sweetheart and refusing to do it might have been a slap in the face. Besides, she's a good artist. She deserves respect for that.”

“That's for sure.” Mac brought up the rear on Jasper, a muscular roan with good manners and decent speed. “She needs to do something with her talent. Her work belongs in a gallery.”

Although Georgie wasn't happy about the activity these three had chosen for this morning, she was gratified by what they were saying about her sister's artistic ability. Anastasia was still enraptured with Mac, although she'd confided on the way home from Sadie's that she thought Travis was cute, too. Young, but cute.

After Georgie had gone to bed, she'd heard the faint sound of Anastasia humming. She always did that when she sketched, so Georgie had to assume she was adding more portraits of the three cowboys to her portfolio. Well, good. Charcoal renderings of cowboys might be just the thing to catch a gallery owner's notice.

While blessing Mac and Travis for making Anastasia feel like a star, Georgie was thankful they'd both be gone in a matter of hours. Her sister didn't need to get tangled up with either of them. She had a future as an artist if she'd reach out and grab it. Georgie was determined to help her.

“But that aside, we all know why you let her draw your picture, Vince,” Mac said.

“Yeah, because I just told you.”

“That might be part of it, but mostly you were hoping to earn points with Georgie. Am I right or am I right?”

Georgie strained to hear Vince's answer, but the riders had moved out of range. Damn it. Just when the conversation was getting really interesting, she'd missed a key element.

Oh, well. She wasn't here on this cool spring morning to learn Vince's intentions toward her. His intentions toward the Ghost were far more important right now. Making sure the stock whip was secure, she edged out of the shelter of the mesquite trees.

If these men had been greenhorns, she wouldn't worry, because they'd never find the wild horses. But they were seasoned cowhands who'd had the good sense to go looking at the right time of day. They were heading straight for the little creek where the Ghost liked to water his herd every morning.

She'd told Vince on Friday that he'd never find the horses, but she hadn't believed it then and she didn't believe it now. They'd find the Ghost, and when they did, she intended to be right on their heels, creating chaos.

CHAPTER 8

V
ince hadn't expected to love the trail ride so much. He'd forgotten how beautiful the hills and canyons were outside of Bickford. They weren't quite as showy as Palo Duro, but they'd been easily accessed from the ranch, which would have made them perfect for trail rides.

Unfortunately, the Double J's owners hadn't wanted their guests straying outside the fenced property, an area they monitored for hazards. They'd said their pampered clientele wouldn't be interested in long, sweaty rides that might bring them into contact with snakes, coyotes, and cougars.

As Vince passed the fork in the trail, he glanced over toward a barbed-wire fence that marked the edge of what used to be Double J property. Someone had posted a huge No Trespassing
sign.

“Damn shame,” Travis said.

“Yep.” Vince continued on down the trail.

“Hey, Vince,” Travis called out.

“What?” He reined in his horse and turned to look at Travis.

“Maybe we should ride over there and see what's left of the ranch buildings.”

Vince had to smile. That was so Travis, to ignore a posted sign. “In the first place, there's a super-sized notice telling us to stay out.”

“So what?”

“In the second place, I don't want to take the time, and in the third place, it would be depressing as hell.”

Mac had come up behind Travis. “I agree with Vince. The Double J was a really nice ranch, and I don't want to look at the charred remains.”

“I was just curious.” Travis shrugged. “But come to think of it, you probably couldn't handle it, Mac. It would be just like finding out the guy dies at the end of
The Horse Whisperer.
You'd get all choked up.”

“I would
not
get all—”

“We're not going.” Vince started back down the trail. “Or at least I'm not. You two can sit there and argue all day if you want.”

“Couple of pansies,” Travis muttered as he fell in behind Vince.

“I'm not a pansy,” Mac said. “I'm an optimist.”

Travis continued to debate the issue with him as Vince led the way into the canyon. Their destination was a little creek they all remembered, although the name of it had escaped them. They'd agreed that the horses were most likely to be there this time of day.

Vince maintained a steady pace, but he kept Cinder down to a walk because he wanted a chance to look around. He didn't think they'd be lucky enough to see the horses yet. They were still too close to town for that. But he'd spotted a couple of coyotes moving stealthily through the underbrush, no doubt stalking cottontails.

Higher up, patches of juniper and cedar softened the look of a rocky cliff. A breeze carried their piney fragrance down to him and he breathed deep. They rode past forks in the trail where an alternate route wound up to the rim through a series of switchbacks. He'd taken those a few times on his days off. The rim of the undulating canyon walls offered spectacular views, especially at sunset.

The arguing had finally ceased, as if his friends had also been captured by their surroundings. Travis pointed out a red-tailed hawk circling overhead, and Vince stopped so they could let a bobcat stroll across the trail several yards in front of them. The bobcat made the horses a little jittery, so Vince waited until it was long gone before continuing on. After that, they all remained silent until Mac spoke Vince's name, a note of warning in his voice.

Vince drew Cinder to a halt and turned in his saddle. “What?”

“Someone's following us.”

Vince listened. “I don't hear anything.”

“They probably stopped when we did and now they're waiting for us to go on. Or I should say
she.
We all know who it is.”

Vince sighed. “Yeah, I guess we do.” He gazed at Mac and Travis. “We have three of Ed's four horses, and according to Ed, the good people of Bickford hardly ever ride, especially this far out.”

“Just Georgie.” Travis glanced back at the winding path. “What do you want to do?”

Knowing she was back there armed with a plan made Vince's blood pump a little faster. But he didn't want his friends to know that, so he shrugged as if he didn't give a damn what she was up to. “It's a free country. She can tag along after us if she wants to. Let's just go on.”

Mac nodded. “That's what I was thinking, too.”

“Then let's do it.” Travis tugged at the brim of his Stetson. “We're burning daylight.” When Mac laughed, Travis turned to him. “It's a great line!”

“Oh, it's a terrific line.” Mac grinned at him. “Wish I'd said it, but you beat me to the punch.”

“Come on, you jokers.” Vince nudged Cinder into a trot. “Let's go find us some wild horses.”

Behind him, Travis urged Duke into a trot, too. “Shouldn't we go slower in case we suddenly come up on them?”

“Um, yeah, I guess so.” Vince eased back on the reins. He had to laugh at himself. Now that he knew Georgie was back there, he'd instinctively wanted to head out at a more energetic pace instead of moseying along like a tourist.

But he didn't know for sure where the horses might be, and now that they were a ways from town and deeper into the canyon, the horses could be anywhere. His knowledge of herd behavior told him they'd likely be down by the creek, but maybe not. He needed to start concentrating on what lay ahead instead of who rode behind.

Again, nobody was talking, but that had less to do with enjoying the scenery and more to do with Georgie being back there possibly eavesdropping. The atmosphere among the three riders was no longer relaxed. Vince tried to listen for Georgie, but he couldn't distinguish the hoofbeats of a fourth rider from the two immediately behind him.

Finally, when the trail widened out, he moved to the left and motioned for Travis to come up beside him. “I want you to take the lead for a while. I'm gonna drop back behind Mac.”

“It's a little spooky, having her follow us,” Travis said.

“I know. Wish I knew what she was up to.”

“Keeping you from bothering those horses. That's what she's up to.”

“I know that, but I mean specifically how she plans to do it.”

Travis smiled. “What if she intends to rope
you
?
That would make life interesting.”

“Huh.” Vince rolled his shoulders as if shrugging off the idea as impossible. But it wasn't. Georgie was a capable woman who knew things like plumbing and carpentry. He'd heard about that from her friend Janet. And she could ride, too. Stood to reason she could also swing a rope. “I hope she doesn't have something like that in mind. I don't want her interfering, but I don't want her getting hurt, either.”

“Maybe you're the one who would get hurt.”

“Only if I'm making sure nothing happens to her. I don't know if she's thought this through. She should just leave us alone to do this thing.”

“Yeah, but she feels strongly about it, Vince.”

“Well, so do I. I have every right to be out here if I want to.”

“I never did think to ask, but how come you're so intent on finding the Ghost this weekend?”

Vince hadn't known the answer a few days ago, but he'd given the matter some thought, and now he did. “I haven't seen him since we left and I miss that. I realized recently that he's like a symbol to me.”

“What kind of symbol?”

“He represents freedom. He can come and go as he pleases, and that's how I am, how I want to be. He's in charge of his world. Nobody tells him what to do.”

“So why rope him? If you like that he's free, roping him makes no sense because you'll take that away.”

In spite of knowing Georgie probably couldn't hear him, Vince kept his voice down. “You're right, and that's why I won't. A part of me wants to because it would be great to feel all that power at the end of my rope, you know?”

Travis nodded. “I see what you're saying, but it wouldn't be worth the trouble, and the horse would hate it.”

“Yeah, he would. It would be wrong to put him through that.”

“If you're hankering for an adrenaline rush, you'd be better off getting yourself a motorcycle.”

“And I might. That's a good idea, Travis.”

“So you brought the rope why?”

“Aw, hell, Travis,” Vince muttered. “You know why I had to bring that rope.”

“So Georgie would think you were dead set on following through with your plan?”

“Bingo.”

“Look, I don't blame you. A man has to protect his rep, especially if a woman keeps brushing him off like she does with you.”

“That's what I'm thinking. Anyway, right now I'd just like to be able to gauge for myself how far back she is. For all I know, she's given up and Mac hasn't noticed.”

Travis laughed. “She's not the giving-up type.”

“Yeah, you're right.” Vince dropped back beside Mac.

“I caught some of that,” Mac said. “So you want to bring up the rear and listen for her?”

“Assuming she's still back there.”

“Oh, she is. She's keeping the same distance between us. When we broke into a trot, so did she. Now she's walking again.”

“Unsettling.”

“Not to me. I'm not the one planning to rope the stallion she's protecting.”

Vince leaned toward Mac. “Look, I'm not doing it, okay?”

“Not even in the heat of the moment? I mean, you brought the damned rope. You might not be able to resist the temptation.”

“I can resist.”

“Now, see, if you'd told her that, she might not be tailing us.”

“I know.”

“But you wanted to keep her guessing.”

Vince nodded.

“And prolong this little fight you have going on.”

“Pretty stupid, huh?”

“Not if you've been carrying a torch ever since you left town and you aren't any further along now than you were back then. Considering that, it makes perfect sense.”

Vince cringed. “Keep it down, will you? Sound can carry out here. And echo.”

“So I take it you don't want me shouting
Vince loves Georgie
to see if I can make it echo?”

“Damn it, Mac. I don't
love
her. I just—”

“Yeah, yeah, I know what you
just.
Drop on back and listen for the lady.” He shook his head. “Poor sap.”

Vince didn't have a response for that so he reined in his horse and let Mac go ahead of him. He
was
a sap. And he probably would have given up on Georgie if he didn't think—hell, if he didn't
know
—that she was sexually attracted to him. The way she'd looked at him last night at dinner had been practically X-rated.

Of course, his situation with Georgie was sort of like his situation with the Ghost. If he succeeded in getting her into bed, then what? Well, other than the obvious immediate activities that would take place.

But he hadn't considered what would be the next step after they'd thoroughly worn each other out. And he wouldn't worry about it now, either. No use planning what would happen as a result of something that probably never would happen.

He let Travis and Mac pull away from him so he could concentrate on the sounds behind him. At first he mostly heard birds chirping and the wind through the branches of the mesquite trees that created a thicket on either side of the trail. Then he pulled Cinder to a halt and finally picked up the soft thud of hooves on dirt, and the sharper crack of a hoof coming down on a rock in the road.

If she was that close, he could call out to her and she'd hear him. He could wheel Cinder around and ride straight at her. Would she turn and run? No, she'd stand her ground and insist that he should head back.

He wasn't planning on heading back, so he wouldn't confront her. He'd continue to bring up the rear, though, where he could listen for her and know that she was still behind them. They'd taken the game this far, so they might as well finish it so he could find out what she had up her sleeve.

Urging Cinder into a trot, he heard her do the same with her horse. When he slowed, she slowed. He amused himself that way for about two hundred yards, which caused Mac to turn around in his saddle with a
what the hell
expression on his face.

“Testing out Cinder's gait.”

“I see.” Mac shook his head and faced forward again.

Soon after that, Vince heard the ripple of water over stones. The creek tumbled downhill and included several small but musical waterfalls. Vince suddenly remembered the name of it—Sing-Song Creek.

Cottonwoods, which were taller than other trees in the area, grew along its banks. He could see the tops of them now. Soon the trail would enter a small meadow that provided a perfect grazing spot. His pulse quickened. The herd might not be there, but he had a strong hunch they would be.

Before they reached the meadow, Travis held up his hand to signal a stop. Mac moved up beside him and Vince pulled in behind both of them.

Travis turned in his saddle and lowered his voice. “I think I heard a horse nicker and it was coming from the meadow.”

“It's gotta be them,” Vince said.

“I agree.” Mac looked back at him. “How do you want to play this?”

Vince gauged the direction of the breeze. “For now, we're downwind, so they shouldn't be able to smell us, but they might have heard us. Maybe if we move slowly out into the meadow, they won't spook, at least not right away.”

“I wonder if that mare's still with them,” Travis said. “The one he stole from the Double J.”

“Jezebel,” Mac said. “I'd probably recognize her. White socks on three legs and a wide blaze down her face. Anyway, you should head out first, Vince. This is mostly your show. We'll take our cues from whatever you decide to do.”

Vince fingered the rope tied to his saddle.

BOOK: Crazy For the Cowboy
9.73Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

Other books

Dead City - 01 by Joe McKinney
The Bomber Boys by Travis L. Ayres
Heather Graham by Angel's Touch
And The Beat Goes On by Abby Reynolds
Atropos by William L. Deandrea
Black Market by James Patterson
Curse of the Gypsy by Donna Lea Simpson
Bendigo Shafter (1979) by L'amour, Louis