Stone Cold Cowboy(29)

Not knowing what she was doing, how she was doing, drove him to distraction. He couldn’t think about anything else.

A soft, feminine voice drifted on the wind.

Great, now he was hearing her in the barn.

“You keep looking like that, people are going to start crossing the street when they see your sour face.”

Rory sighed out his frustration and raised his gaze to the rafters. “Granddad, I don’t have time to spar with you.”

“I only stopped to see what put you in such a foul mood. Not that you’ve had any other mood these last days. I’m on my way to the corral. Looks like our Colt done found himself a pretty woman.”

“What?” Rory turned and stared out the barn doors. He didn’t quite believe his eyes at first, but it was really her.

“What’s she doing here?”

“She rode up with all them horses about ten minutes ago. Colt’s been charming her ever since. I hope he decides to keep this one instead of just tossing her in the hay and sending her on her way.”

“Over my dead body.” Rory stormed past his grandfather, headed straight for his dead little brother.

“Well, now. So it’s like that, is it?”

“Don’t start.” Rory didn’t want to talk about his grandfather’s obsession with them getting married and having babies. Right now, he wanted to get his woman away from his horny little brother.

Colt reached out and took Sadie’s hand, turning it to see the healing wounds around her wrists.

Rory saw red. “Let her go.”

Colt held her hand, but turned his head to stare at Rory. His brother’s cocky grin set off another wave of rage inside him.

“I said, let her go.”

“These look better. When I saw you laid out in the back of the truck after Rory found you, man, that was a sight.” Colt gave Rory a devilish look, baiting him.

The reminder that his brother saw Sadie nearly naked pissed Rory off even more. His brain registered that Colt wanted to mess with him, but another, deeper part of him wanted to crush him for daring to touch her, let alone look at her.

Sadie pulled her hand free and wrapped her fingers around her wrist. “They’re getting better. I get my stitches out in a couple of days.”

Colt smiled at Sadie the way he did every girl he flirted with. “You’ll be back to your old self, ready to put this all behind you and have some fun.”

The implied with me didn’t escape Rory.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Rory didn’t mean for the question to come out quite so harsh or accusing, but Colt got the better of him and Rory lost his temper. Normally, he was the one razzing his little brother, but this time Colt got him back. It didn’t mean Rory calmed down. In fact, Sadie’s wide eyes and the way she flinched and took a small step back set off a whole new round of angry. This time at himself for making her think she needed to fear him and put more space between them.

“Never you mind my grandson,” Granddad said, stepping up beside Rory and smacking him on the shoulder. “I’m Sammy, these two yahoos’ grandfather. You’re the Higgins girl, right, pretty girl?”

“Uh.” Sadie eyed Rory nervously. “Yes, I’m Sadie Higgins, sir. I’ve come to pay part of my debt and speak with you about settling up the rest.”

“What’s this about a debt?” Ford asked, stepping up beside Rory.

Great. His whole family was here to witness him losing his mind.

“There is no debt. You did not steal the cattle. You don’t owe us anything.” Rory tried to keep his voice neutral, but it came out harsher than he wanted. Damnit, why couldn’t she see her brother was responsible? He’d pay. She’d suffered enough and he wouldn’t have her losing something, anything else in her life.

Sadie ignored him and addressed his grandfather again. “Mr. Kendrick, my brother is the one who stole from you. He’s my family. My responsibility. He’s not going to pay you back, but I will. These horses don’t cover the whole debt, but they are well trained and from great stock. You could breed them, or sell them for the money I owe you.”

“Sadie.” Rory said her name in warning to get her to stop this.

She pulled out the papers sticking out of her back pocket and handed them to his grandfather. “Everything you need for the horses. Their bloodlines, vet records, and ownership.”

“These are some damn fine horses, Sadie.” Colt knew what he was talking about. He loved the horses on the ranch. Preferred them over the cattle since he was a kid.

Colt pat the palomino beside him. The horse rubbed against Sadie’s side. She reached up and held the horse by the neck close to her. Obviously, this one horse held a special place in Sadie’s big heart.