The Cowboy’s Justice (Naked Cowboys of Smoky Hill #4)

Chapter Twenty-Three

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

After Devlin and Sammy had brought the horses in from the paddocks, Sammy began distributing the buckets while Devlin showed Portia how to put on the blankets. Once the horses were fed, blanketed and settled, Portia stood by Marge’s stall while Devlin talked with Sammy before he left for the day.

“Any questions?” Devlin asked walking up and standing next to her.

“I can’t think of any. I really like just watching them. It’s oddly comforting.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean,” he said with a sigh, placing his arm around her shoulders. “It will start gettin’ chilly soon. The temps dip overnight at this time of year. We should get back to the house. Huh…where have those dogs gone?”

“I don’t know, I haven’t seen them.”

As they stepped outside, Devlin whistled. Within seconds they could hear the dogs barking, and moments later they saw Jethro and Jezebel racing towards them.

“They’re coming from Smoky Hill,” Devlin muttered. “They’re not supposed to go up there without me.”

“Apparently they don’t know that.”

“Oh, they know,” he declared as the dogs reached them. “What do you think you were doin’?” he scolded, staring down at them. “No goin’ up that hill without me.”

Though the dogs looked sheepish for a moment, they spun around and ran up to the house.

“Why don’t you want them up there without you?”

“Wolves and other wildlife,” Devlin said solemnly. “We haven’t had any trouble, and I want to keep it that way.”

“Wolves?” Portia repeated. “That sounds scary.”

“We’ve lived side by side for years, but I still don’t want those two up there without me.”

By the time they reached the house the dogs were waiting impatiently on the porch, and hurried inside the moment Devlin opened the door.

“So, if they’re not allowed, why do you think they went up?”

“I’m wonderin’ that myself,” he replied with a frown as they entered the kitchen “I guess there must have been a scent too temptin’ to ignore.”

“Devlin, can I have a hug?”

“Sure, darlin’,” he said, lowering his voice and wrapping his arms around her. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, I just never expected anything like this. Being on this ranch is nothing like I thought it would be, and what’s happened between us—it’s taking my breath away,” she murmured, melting against him.

“You’re a natural,” he murmured, tightening his hold.

“What do you mean?”

“The way you are around the horses, you’re a natural. Some people are awkward, but you’re not, you’re completely comfortable. Just like you were when you settled into the saddle on Marge.”

“I really love being around them.”

“Why didn’t you ever take up ridin’?”

“I thought about it, but I guess I was too busy with other stuff.”

“Funny how that happens.”

“What?”

“If a person is meant to be around horses, somehow it happens. I have a couple of riders that came late into the game, and it was a strange twist of fate for both of them. One of them had an uncle leave her his horse in his will, and the other decided to take lessons to get over a broken heart. Now they’re hooked. That’s what happens. You’re either in it completely, or not at all. There’s no half measures. Horses will do that to you. Once they steal your heart there’s no escape.”

“I believe it,” she said, breaking into a smile. “There’s nowhere I’d rather be than here, and it’s only been a day. In fact, once the month is up you’ll have trouble getting rid of me.”

“Beautiful girl,” he murmured, and suddenly lowered his lips on hers in a warm, ardent, endless kiss. “I should put you over my knee,” he muttered as he pulled back.

“Why?”

“You are way too temptin’, that’s why. I’ll fix us some coffee and we’ll go over what you can expect tomorrow.”

“Do you mind if I take a shower first? I feel kind of mucky.”

“Yeah, that happens at a ranch. Go ahead. I’d like to join you but if I do we’ll never leave the bathroom.”

* * *

His heart racing, William was hurrying through the woods back to Portia’s house.

From beginning to end, the plan had totally failed.

First there were the dogs.

He had settled into a spot with a clear view of the house when they’d appeared out of nowhere, barking and growling. His first thought was to shoot them, but quickly realized the sound of the shots would alert Devlin. He’d finally managed to scare them away by waving branches at them, but once they’d scampered off he’d heard a ghostly howl, followed by another and another.

He’d never heard sounds like them, and as he’d hurried back through the trees there seemed to be noises coming from everywhere. To make matters even worse, on his way down the trail to the back gate, he’d slipped and twisted his ankle. By the time he’d hobbled into the house he was drenched in a cold sweat and utterly exhausted. As he’d collapsed on the couch and removed his hiking shoes, his hands were shaking.

“What the fuck was that?” he grunted. “Those damn woods are haunted.”

Finally catching his breath, he hobbled to the drinks cabinet, poured a generous amount of whisky into a glass tumbler and downed it in one gulp.

“Now what?” he muttered under his breath. “Now you rest,” he answered himself. “Rest and regroup. This isn’t over yet, not by a long shot.”