Page 23 of Cowboy Jeopardy

“Don’t be. Hold this.” He handed her his gun, then shimmied up the trellis as if it were the easiest thing in the world.

Footsteps sounded behind her.

She whirled and aimed the gun.

“Watch out.” Buster swiped it from her. “You don’t want to go and shoot the wrong person.”

~

Dylan compared the handprint on the windowsill to his own, then joined the others on the ground. “The man appears to be my size, down to his shoe size.” He explained that someone had been looking in the window sometime before morning.

“I suggest you put locks on all the windows.” Buster glanced upward. “Thought anymore about my security suggestions?”

“Yes. Let’s get the ball rolling. I’ve a bunch of ten-year-olds arriving today, but I can get one of the other men to help Dani while I help you.” He took his gun and shoved it into the waistband of his pants. Hand on the small of Dani’s back, he guided her back inside. “Not a word to the others.”

“Okay.” She nodded and headed to help her mother and Mrs. White set the table.

The boys clambered down the stairs soon after, sniffing the air like dogs. “Bacon!”

Dylan chuckled. They’d already forgotten their question as to what he’d been doing outside their window. Good. They’d ask too many questions otherwise—ones he wasn’t prepared to answer. He turned to Buster. “Let’s take breakfast to my office and make those calls.”

“Will do. I can get someone out here fast. Cameras, alarms, you got it.”

“Don’t forget the donkey and the dogs.” He was going to be as prepared as possible. “The camp kids will love the donkey. We’ll say that’s why we’ve brought one to the ranch.”

“The dogs won’t be pets, Dylan. Best keep the young’uns away from them.”

Dylan nodded, not liking the idea of hostile animals around the children. “I can’t have that kind of liability.”

“We’ll ask for ones that get along with kids. I’m only being cautious.” Buster filled his plate, reaching around the other cowboys, then headed for the office.

Dylan made his apologies, then did the same. He hated leaving Dani to handle the kids without him, but Willy would be a good stand-in.

In the office, he sat back and ate while Buster made the necessary calls. When he’d finished, he grinned. “This place will be hopping within the hour.”

“Some folks must’ve owed you a few favors.”

“One or two.” His smile faded. “I don’t like that this scoundrel got so close to the boys, Dylan. I’m going to have to let the sheriff know. Might not hurt to bring another deputy or two out here undercover.”

“Whoever this perp is, he’s been on the ranch enough to know the faces of my hands. If we bring on two more…” Dylan sighed. “It might tip him off.”

“It might. But we would also have more guns ready. Your call.” He dug into the breakfast he’d set aside. “As for me, well, I’d bring in the extra men.”

“The dogs will be good to patrol at night. What do you think about a couple of deputies here as part of the camping trips and adult day camps?”

“That would work. I’ll see what the sheriff thinks and get back to you.”

The gleeful shouting of ten-year-olds drifted through the open window, soon joined by greetings from his boys. “I’m going to say howdy until the security people arrive. Hunt me down when they do.”

“Will do.” Buster grabbed both his and Dylan’s plates and headed for the kitchen.

A little over an hour later, a white panel van, followed by an SUV and a horse trailer, pulled in front of the barn. Dylan excused himself from the horseback-riding lessons with promises to introduce the kids to a new friend, then went to greet his new security team.

“This is Clarence.” A man in coveralls backed a donkey from the trailer. “Two-years-old and as cantankerous as a bear woken up from hibernation. A sugar cube calms him right down.”

“How is he with strangers? I was expecting an older mule.”

“That one wasn’t available after all. This one is horrible. He’ll bray loud enough to wake the dead. Give him a day or two, and he’ll know who belongs here and who doesn’t. I have Heidi and Sadie in the SUV. Two mixed-breed females. You couldn’t ask for better watchdogs.” He nodded to where Monster sniffed around the vehicle. “They’ll boss him around for sure, poor thing.”

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