Stone Cold Cowboy(41)
“It makes the most sense. From what you and your brothers told me, the smaller number of cattle he stole off the back road went on for quite some time. The larger theft only took them across all that land because they couldn’t get the cattle trailers up that road.”
A four-by-four and a small trailer could make it, but a huge tractor trailer, no way. Rory should have asked her about this sooner. It might have saved him losing the last five cattle taken. That road ran across the back side of his property. He thought about what else was back that way, anywhere that Connor and his buddies could set up a trailer, any abandoned cabins, sheds, or barns. Nothing came to mind, but he didn’t use that part of the property often, so nothing struck him. He’d have to get Ford and Colt to ride out with him soon.
“I lost you.” Sadie squeezed his hand to get his attention.
“Sorry.” He pulled into the movie theater lot and parked. “I was thinking about where your brother might be hiding out. My brothers and I will check it out.”
Sadie turned in her seat and gripped his hand tight. “Rory, let the cops check it out. Connor isn’t dangerous, neither are his two friends, Dumb and Dumber, but Derek . . . You saw up close and personal what he’s capable of.”
Yeah, Derek still terrorizes her even when he isn’t here.
Rory didn’t want her to worry about him, but he appreciated it. He liked they could talk about everything, but right now, he just wanted to have a good time. “Let’s leave this alone for now. We’re supposed to have fun.”
Rory opened the door and stepped out, pulling Sadie along the seat to follow him. When she reached the end of the seat, he let loose her hand, tucked his hands under her arms, and plucked her out of the truck, setting her down in front of him. Her hands rested on his biceps. She squeezed his muscles and smiled up at him, the light of appreciation sparkling in her eyes. She made him feel appealing. Women stared at him all the time. He got from the flirtatious smiles and suggestive glances that women liked the way he looked. Still, no one in recent memory made him feel like, while they appreciated the way he looked, it went a lot deeper.
Sadie pushed on his shoulders to make him turn away and gave him a push. “Come on, cowboy. You said we’re going to have fun, so let’s get to going.” She closed the truck door behind him.
He hit the lock button on his key fob and took a few steps toward the theater. Just to tease and have some of that fun he talked about, he asked, “Are you staring at my ass?”
“If you’re walking, I’m watching.”
He’d said the same thing to her. He turned back to her laughing and smiling. He couldn’t remember smiling this much or feeling this light in a long time.
“I need to send the Levi’s company a thank-you letter.”
“Who do I thank for that skirt?”
She executed another turn, smiled, and smoothed her hands over her hips. “What? This old thing?”
He held his hand out to her. “Come here.”
She took his hand, and he pulled her in for a quick kiss.
He kept things light and walked beside her, holding her hand on the way to the ticket booth outside the theater. “There are three movies playing within twenty minutes of each other. Which one do you want to see?”
“I get to pick? This is setting a dangerous precedent, don’t you think?”
“Only if you pick the chick flick.”
“Which you’d sit through just to spend the evening with me.” She batted her lashes at him, messing around.
“Yes. Of course I’d have to find something to do when I got bored. You’ll probably miss most of the movie.”
She laughed. “I wouldn’t do that to you.”
“You can do whatever you want to me.”
She looked away, a pretty blush glowing on her cheeks.
He’d made her nervous. He didn’t want to do that, so he dialed it back. “Really, whatever movie you want is fine with me.”
“So we’re down to the superhero action flick or the historical drama. It’s really no choice at all.”
She walked up to the ticket guy and asked for two tickets to the newest Avengers movie.
“Have I told you how much I like you?” He bumped her shoulder and handed the money over to pay for the tickets.
“How much?”
He leaned down and kissed her softly. “More than that.”
She grabbed his hand and tugged him toward the door. “We need popcorn. No butter. Unless you like butter, then we have to get separate tubs.”
“No butter.” He liked it salty, not soggy.
“Great. My kind of guy.”
“I guess I am.” And that felt so right. Now if he could make her his woman.