Page 36 of Cowboy Jeopardy

Dani yelped as the mare shot away from the enclosure.

“Don’t go too far! Circle the barn.”

He laughed as she shrieked again. She’d become adept at riding the horse at a walk, and he wanted to see how she’d do at a gallop. Dani started off bouncing around in the saddle, but she seemed to get the hang of the ride by the third lap.

When she finished, she rode Daisy into the corral, slid from the saddle, and marched up to Dylan. Her eyes flashed. “That was mean. I could’ve fallen off and been killed.”

His blood chilled. She was right. While he’d meant to be playful, he could’ve caused disastrous results. The image of Lauren lying at her horse’s feet flashed through his mind. “I’m sorry. It was time for you to pick up the pace, and I didn’t think any further than that.”

Her gaze softened, and she cupped his face. “I know. You were playing, and I’m fine. I overreacted. If I wasn’t always on edge, I wouldn’t have said a thing.”

Leaning his forehead against hers, he whispered, “I could’ve lost you because of goofing around.”

“Now I know where the boys get their prank mentality from.” She grinned.

He chuckled, loving that she didn’t hold a grudge against his stupidity. His teasing could’ve resulted in something horrible. “Let me put the horse away, and I’ll see you back at the house.”

“Okay.” She stared into his eyes for another second before heading for the back door.

Dylan mentally kicked himself all the way to the barn. “Daisy, girl, I’m a fool.” He lifted the saddle from her back. He’d done the same thing to Lauren many times. It had become a game to them, surprising each other, but they were both good riders. If a snake hadn’t startled Lauren’s horse, she’d still be here. He couldn’t expect Dani to step into his wife’s spot.

He grabbed the curry brush and let the motion of brushing Daisy’s hair soothe away his guilt. Second thoughts about a possible future with Dani ran through his mind. Would he compare her to Lauren? The two couldn’t be more different. Lauren’s hair had been almost jet black; Dani’s a pale blond. Lauren had been almost as tall as he; Dani barely reached his shoulder. One had grown up on the ranch; the other in the big city. It wouldn’t be fair to do the same things with Dani that he had with Lauren.

Had he let the danger to her and the ranch cloud his judgment? Was he ready to fill the vacancy Lauren’s death left? Now, he wasn’t so sure. His heart couldn’t take losing another love. He couldn’t do it to his boys either. They were quickly growing very fond of Dani. Too fond. They’d all forgotten her role was strictly as a nanny.

The horse taken care of, he exited the barn and closed the door. He took a cursory glance around the area. Clarence grazed where he should be. The three dogs lay on the back deck. Bill Washington, one of his newer hires, patrolled the perimeter. Everything appeared as it should.

Through the kitchen window, his two boys sat at the kitchen table dipping cookies into glasses of milk. Dani glanced up from washing dishes and smiled at him through the glass. He smiled back, but he didn’t go inside. Dylan wasn’t quite ready to face her yet. There were some things to straighten out in his mind first. He plopped onto one of the deck chairs, his hand falling to stroke Monster’s ears. “I’m a mess, ole boy. A real mess.”

The dog’s only answer was a lick.

“You’ve got it made, boy. All you have to worry about is when your next meal is. No financial troubles, no romance woes, no worries about when the next danger will strike.”

It had been a beautiful early summer day when Lauren died. The two of them had managed to sneak away for a couple of hours without the boys. They had planned a picnic by the creek, but they never made it that far. Sometimes, the best days turned out to be the worst.

He raised a hand to wave at Bill.

~

The man he watched took his second lap around the perimeter. He had no intention of stepping far from the protection of the trees, but he wanted those on the ranch to know how easily he could get to any of them if he wanted to. He gripped the knife in his hand.

There’d be one bang of a surprise soon. One he’d set up days ago. Right now, he had a message to leave—the first of many as the countdown to Dani’s deadline loomed.

The cowboy turned slightly, hand raised to his boss on the deck.

The messenger stepped forward.

A twig snapped.

The dogs on the deck sprang to attention and started to bark.

The cowboy spun around, eyes wide.

He plunged the knife into his gut, his heart, then sliced his throat. When the cowboy fell, the other lifted his bloody knife in a toast to the man on the deck, then melted into the trees.

Let the dogs come. By now, he knew his way around the mountain enough to leave them behind. He splashed his way up the creek to erase his scent. The light of the moon guided him as effectively as a flashlight.

Once he’d reached a far enough distance away, he pulled the detonation device from his pocket and pushed the red button. Message number two.

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