Page 41 of The Soldier and the Cowboy

“Those can’t smell good,” she noted.

“I like a girl who smells like a hard day’s work,” he mused.

“You have odd tastes in women, sir,” she returned, and it was the last thing she remembered until she woke up in her bed the next morning, fully clothed.

Cal acted like nothing was amiss, so Bailey followed his lead. They ate breakfast together like usual, drank their coffee in companionable silence, and then she couldn’t take it anymore.

“Did you carry me to bed last night?”

“This is Texas. It’s state law that whenever you happen upon a sleeping female, you carry her somewhere,” he said.

“That must explain your high rate of sleep kidnappings,” she said. “And thank you.”

He tipped his coffee to her. “I’d like to do your patrol with you this morning. On horseback, if it’s all the same to you.”

“Sure,” she agreed. “Why, though?”

“Can’t a man see his own ranch without having a reason?”

“Yes, but not you. You have a reason for everything.”

“You’re leaving in a few days, and I want to soak up sometime with you while you’re still here,” he said.

“Oh.”

“Plus yesterday was rough and nothing clears out the cobwebs like a good, long ride,” he added.

“True,” she agreed.

“And I thought it might increase my street cred to be seen withla diabla loca.”

“That’s enough reasons,” she said.

“You sure? Because I could keep going.”

“I’m certain, sir,” she replied.

They saddled their horses, packed up their rifles, and set off. Bailey felt antsy and expectant, and she wondered if Cal felt the same. The last few days had been quiet, too quiet. Now that the ranch was returning to normal, she half expected something big to happen, some sort of retaliation or action on the south pasture. She wondered if Cal felt the same and if it was why he had asked to go with her.

She felt his eyes on her often through the day, but when she turned to face him, he appeared not to be looking at her. And then she got caught up staring at him and had to turn away when he turned to look. It was like being fifteen all over again, only when she was fifteen she’d had no interest in boys and certainly never a crush of this magnitude. Bailey had been a late bloomer in every sense of the word, drawing out her tomboy childhood for as long as humanly possible, much to her father’s delight. It had about killed him when she went on her first date at the Naval academy, especially because it had been with the creeper who wouldn’t take no for an answer.

They rode for a long time, much longer than was probably necessary for a patrol. But the time together was peaceful, restorative. They didn’t talk much beyond pointing something out to the other, but that was the way they both preferred it.Beyond words—a mutual understanding of shared interests and friendship.

When they arrived back at the house, they spied a large cardboard box sitting in the middle of the front walkway. It grabbed their attention, diverting them from the barn.

“Did you order another dress?” Cal asked.

“Not hardly,” Bailey replied.

“I didn’t order anything. Maybe Estralita dropped off a stew. I can’t imagine why she’d leave it outside, but it looks like it’s leaking.” He slid down off his horse and headed for the package.

Bailey tipped her head at the box, staring at the liquid oozing from inside. Then she vaulted off her horse, threw herself at an unsuspecting Cal, and tackled him to the ground.

He landed on his back with a thud, Bailey on top of him. “Are you doing a repeat of your first day? Why’d you take me down, little bit?” he asked, his hand caressing her hair.

She shook her head, unable to formulate the necessary words.

His eyes narrowed in concern. “Honey, what’s wrong?”

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