Always a Cowboy by Linda Lael Miller Read Free Book Online Page B

well-worn saddle. “Grace’s horse, Molly, is in that stall.” He pointed. “Saddle her and follow me if you like. For now, I need to move along. Have a nice morning.”
    It took him about three minutes to saddle his horse, slip on the bridle and mount up. Then he was heading out, the beautiful dogs trotting alongside. She’d yet to even hear them bark.
    Learn to saddle a horse—that was item number one on her to-do list. But first she hurried to the doorway to see which direction Drake had gone. Maybe she couldn’t ride or fling saddles around with any confidence, but she was wearing her hiking boots, had a bottle of water in her pack and a sack lunch Harry had handed her as she’d hurried out the door. If dinner the night before was any indication, there could be something magical in there.
    Perfect day for a walk.
    That obnoxious cowboy wasn’t getting rid of her as easily as he thought.
    Besides, she was hoping to take more pictures of the horses. She’d gotten some good shots, but she hoped to do that each and every time she was close enough to manage it. She’d already caught an excellent image of the stallion; she knew more about horses than Drake gave her credit for. It was obvious to her that the magnificent animal was the one in charge of the herd—even before she’d listened to the conversation at dinner. He was beautiful, too, with clean lines and fluid grace.
    If she could find Drake, she’d photograph him at work, whether he liked it or not. Better to ask forgiveness, as the saying went, than permission. Besides, it wasn’t as if she was going to publish them or anything. They were purely for research purposes. Having a physical record would help her organize her notes when she began the process of writing the actual paper. As she hefted her pack and left the barn, the sun-gilded Tetons felt like familiar friends, the glory of the setting an undeniable perk. There was still snow on the peaks, and the air was crisp and fresh.
    Lovely, lovely day.

CHAPTER FOUR
    I T HAD ALREADY been one hell of a day, and there was still a long trail ahead.
    Drake tried to concentrate on fixing yet another gate hinge so rusted it was next to impossible to remove the screws without help. Red had sacrificed some of his considerable pride by turning the job over to a younger man. Luckily, the old bull in the pasture beyond hadn’t figured out how easy it would’ve been to bust the thing and make a run for it.
    Slater was lending him a hand by holding the gate steady.
    As he worked, Drake mulled over a more complex problem.
    He felt guilty for ditching Lucinda Hale on a daily basis this past week. It wasn’t as if he didn’t understand her zeal for the animals. It was just that at the beginning, middle and end of the day, or any time he really didn’t need a shadow, she seemed to appear. And what made it worse was the fact that he couldn’t stop himself from worrying about her.
    Drake totally understood her objectives, but this was his land, so every creature on it was his to take care of, with the exception of his brothers, who could handle themselves. He even worried about Red, since he was showing his age but refused to slow down. In his entire life Drake had never known the man to go to a doctor. Once, Red had fractured his arm breaking a colt and the vet had been handy, since he was taking care of one of the horses. So Red had asked him to set it and wrap it in an Ace bandage, then used a makeshift sling made from an old halter and lead. They’d all shaken their heads over that one, especially the vet.
    With a motion of his hand, Drake indicated the bull grazing nearby. “Red’s going to ask Jim Galloway to recommend the best stock breeder he knows, not just in Bliss County, but in the state. We could use some new blood.” He dropped a crowbar into his tool kit and wiped his brow. “Damn hot out here. Shades of summer, I