a circle. âWeâre gonna start moving them in closer to each other, preparing to bed them down for the night.â He nodded toward the west. âBe twilight soon, and we can relax a little.â
Relax. She thought of relaxing at home, sitting before the hearth, curled up with a good book. Her family owned only six, but she never tired of reading them. She alwaysnoticed something new in the story, some small thing she might have overlooked the first time.
It took them close to an hour to get the herd settled. At the camp, Sam turned Cinnamon over to the wrangler who would see to the horseâs needs until Sam needed the mare for her watch later that evening.
Standing beside her, Matt pulled his bandanna down. Dirt was embedded within the creases of his face and the corners of his eyes, but the bandanna had done its job well and kept the lower portion of his face safe from dust. Sam smiled brightly.
âWhatâs so funny?â he asked.
âYou look like a pesky raccoon.â
âI can be downright pesky when I want to be. Guess I was this morning when I found out that I had to ride with you. Come on, Iâll make it up to you.â
He took off at a fast clip. She fell into step beside him. âWhere are we going?â
âTo relax a little, like I promised.â
They wended their way through the thick copse of oak trees.
âWhat did you think of herding cattle?â Matt tossed over his shoulder.
âIt was fun.â
Matt stopped in his tracks and faced her, boring his gaze into hers. When he wasnât angry, he had the prettiesteyes, with long, dark lashes sweeping around them. For a minute, Sam wished she wasnât wearing her brotherâs old shirt and britches. She wished she were wearing a pretty dress. Only if she were, heâd figure out in a heartbeat that she was a girl.
âTruthfully,â he prodded.
She exhaled. âKinda boring.â
His mouth did that little quiver as though he was contemplating grinning, but couldnât quite bring himself to do it.
âThatâs the cattle business. Days of boredom, interspersed with a few minutes of excitement.â He continued trudging forward.
âWhen do we get the excitement?â Sam asked.
âWhen the cattle stampede.â
Faltering, she almost tripped over an exposed root. âStampede?â
âYep. Longhorn cattle stampede at just about anything: twig snapping, lightning flashing, thunder rolling. It doesnât take much. When that happens, you just ride the perimeter and stay out of their way.â
When? Not if. âYou ever been on a trail drive when they didnât stampede?â
âNope.â
He came to a halt. Beyond him, a river flowed. The shade from the trees lining the bank rested gently on thebrown water. She watched in amazement as he unbuttoned his shirt and pulled it off. He had broad shoulders. The muscles across his bronzed chest rippled with his movements.
Lifting a foot, he hopped while he pulled off a boot. âCome on,â he ordered.
âCome on?â she repeated.
He tugged off the other boot. âGet your clothes off.â
Before she knew what he intended, he shucked off his britches, baring his backside and anything else she cared to look at. Sam spun around, her cheeks flaming with the heat of embarrassment. Her breath came in short little gasps.
âWhatâs wrong?â he asked.
She shook her head wildly. When Nate was small, she used to help her mother give him a bath. But her younger brother certainly didnât resemble Matt. Mattâs body was that of a man, not a baby. And there was a world of difference between the two.
âAre you modest?â Matt asked, clearly baffled by her behavior.
When she didnât answer, he laughed. Actually laughed. His low-pitched rumble echoed between the trees, circled on the breeze, touched her heart. How long had it been since sheâd heard