Texas Heroes_ Volume 1(2)

He shouldn’t drink this coffee. He should fall into bed and sleep around the clock, but he had to talk to Vondell first, had to find out if Sam had ever softened, ever regretted what he’d done.

“You look like something the cat dragged in,” Vondell drawled, in a voice sandpapered by years of cigarettes. Barely five feet and topped by frizzy red curls, Sam’s housekeeper had always ruled this place with equal parts of tyranny and affection. They all knew better than to tangle with her, but even she hadn’t been able to make Sam see what he was doing to all of them after Boone’s mother died.

“Thanks a lot.”

“Go to bed, Boone. It’ll all be here when you wake up.”

He scrubbed both hands over his face. “Did he know it was coming, Vondell? And he still wouldn’t send for me?”

For a moment, her hand hovered as if to touch his hair. “Boone, I wish…”

Vondell seemed troubled, glancing away toward the window over the ancient porcelain sink. Suddenly she came to attention, her gaze caught by something outside. “Would you look at that?”

Whatever Vondell saw, Boone couldn’t imagine anything on Sam’s ranch that could be worth having to rise to look at right now.

Then it struck him with the force of a hammer blow that it wasn’t Sam’s ranch anymore. It was his ranch, his and Mitch’s—that is, if he could ever find his brother and coax him back. Boone had found Mitch’s whereabouts several years ago before leaving on the mission that had ended his military career. Mitch’s trail had gone cold before Boone had gotten back on his feet. Then he’d met Helen and started down the road to disaster.

Too many years, too much misery. Boone had been fourteen, Mitch sixteen when their lives blew apart. Sam had roared out blame and hatred, lashed out in unreasoning, raging grief. It had been the beginning of the end the day he drove Mitch away.

“Boone, she’s gonna get herself hurt.”

“One of the cows or a mare?”

“Neither. A woman.”

A woman? Last he knew, Vondell was the only woman on this place. He rose and crossed to the window, the flash of reds and purples snagging his eye.

It was a woman, all right, one like he’d never seen around here. Her slip of a dress sparkled bright with gypsy flair. She was out in knee-high weeds in sandals, for Pete’s sake, risking chiggers and ticks, never mind that a mama cow stamped restlessly only feet away from the woman reaching through the fence toward the cow’s calf.

And right now that woman was headed straight for trouble.

“What the—” Boone turned to Vondell. “Who is she?”

“I don’t know.” Vondell shrugged and frowned. “I didn’t hear anyone drive up.”

Boone crossed the kitchen.

“Wait, maybe— Boone, there’s something I should—”

“No time now. I’ll be back in a minute.” He was already heading out the screen door toward the small pasture by the barns.

Long strides brought him close enough to see a very shapely backside as the woman started climbing the pipe fence headed toward the calf, oblivious to her danger.

“Get away from that calf,” he shouted.

But she didn’t seem to hear him over the bawling.

Boone broke into a run as she neared the top. “Don’t go near that calf!”

She jerked around at the sound of his voice, losing her balance and tumbling inside the pasture. Boone closed the distance and vaulted the fence. He landed beside her as she scrambled to her feet, scooping her up and using his body to shield her. Half-shoving, half-carrying, he got her over the fence and followed with only seconds to spare.

Roaring her outrage, the cow hit the fence. The metal clanged and shuddered.

The woman in his arms shivered, the color draining from her face. Slender fingers clutched his biceps.

Her head just reached his chin. Over the adrenaline roaring through his system, Boone registered soft, tempting curves that felt much too good. “Are you all right?”

Eyes wide, the woman looked over at the cow now sniffing at her calf. Then she glanced sideways at Boone and did the damnedest thing.

She smiled.

Here Boone was, still trying to get his heart to slow down, and the crazy woman…smiled. Her eyes sparkled, her generous lips curved as though she had no clue how close she’d come. “My first day in Texas and already an adventure.”

He lost it.

“Damn it, lady—don’t you have a lick of sense? You don’t ever get between a cow and her calf unless you’re itching to get hurt.” His hands tight around her slender shoulders, Boone quelled the urge to shake her.

“I was only trying to help the baby.” Her chin went up in the air, and her eyes sparked. “How was I supposed to know he belonged to one of them?”