Cowboys 03 - My Cowboy Homecoming by Z.A. Maxfield Read Free Book Online

injustice. I wasn’t scared, because, inexplicably, everything about Lucho Reyes turned me on. Even his resentment. “I knew if I didn’t get away from my father, one of us would end up dead. Or both.”
    He balled up his fists. “Fine with me.”
    Was he going to hit me? He looked like a street fighter, but he wasn’t the kind to lose his head and lash out if it could cost him his job. He’d wait. Be smart. Make me pay.
    I let my hands fall to my sides. “I’m taking my shot here at the J-Bar because I need it bad enough to put up with whatever you dish out—including the beatdown you think I deserve.”
    “So we know where we stand, I guess.”
    I nodded. “You can work with me or against me. Either way I’m not about to waste the two days Malloy’s giving me. Tell me what needs doing here or I’ll ask everyone else until I find out.”
    He let out a breath laden with Spanish expletives. Maybe I’d won that round, but getting a job at the J-Bar was still going to be an uphill battle. “Take the horses out and muck out their stalls. See to the sheep. Feed, check the water levels in the tanks. Those’ll need cleaning tomorrow.”
    I nodded, glancing around. “These animals look pretty well cared for. Didn’t Malloy say you’ve got some rescue horses?”
    “We’re keeping the new recruits outside, in a separate pen we use for training, until we can get them to trust us. The mare’s social with humans, but the gelding was virtually abandoned. She does what he tells her, and we haven’t separated them yet. He hesitated, as if deciding what to say. “The piebald will attack, so stay away from him if you like your skin.”
    “This is the horse that got your foot?”
    “It wasn’t the horse’s fault.”
    “Yeah, but—”
    “He’s not been around people much so he’s a nervous bastard. I got too close to him and he spooked. That doesn’t mean he’s a bad horse.”
    “I never said he was.”
    He nodded. “Some people don’t take the time to figure a horse out. They don’t realize a horse like that is young yet, and everything’s new to him here. He’s clinging to that mare because that’s his family. We have to separate them gently; we have to earn his trust.”
    I nodded. “Sounds like you know what you’re doing.”
    “Right.” He glanced at his broken foot. “And now I’m out of commission.”
    “Can’t one of the other guys—”
    “No. Don’t get me wrong, the other hands are great. There’s not a man here who wouldn’t walk through fire for any living thing on the J-Bar land. But they’ve got calving to see to, and because of me they’re a man short. I was the one who talked them into taking the rescues because I’m friends with the vet. Then I go and get myself hung up here with a broken foot. Idiot.”
    “You can’t blame yourself either. Horses are unpredictable. Shit happens.”
    “Yeah.” He laughed sourly, still glaring at me. “It does indeed.”
    “While I’m here, I’ll do anything you need. I can help. I—”
    “What the hell do you know about horses, army?”
    “We had horses when I was growing up.”
    “Not like this one. Pio must have had a bad experience to react to me like that. He’s scared of people. He’d probably kill a green guy like you.”
    I watched him hobble over on one crutch to hang the bucket he’d been using on the wall. His movements were getting slower, his pain more palpable. It brought fresh beads of sweat to his forehead.
    “Will you please sit down and put your foot up? There’s always a chance you’ll get to kick my ass later and you’ll want to be rested up and ready for that.”
    He looked me over from head to toe. Let out a deep breath. It was a pretty safe bet he wasn’t impressed by what he saw. “There’s some chore boots you can borrow back at the bunkhouse. Wear them unless you want to ruin yours. If you walk back with me, I’ll show you.”
    “Thanks.”
    “We’ll talk about what else I’ll let you do