Page 18 of The Cowgirl's Secret Love
Alan offered a wry smile. “I knew you’d say that. Hate to do this to you, so I’ll make Bruce do it himself. I’ll read this verbatim from the message he left.”
He cleared his throat.
My ever-cautious lawyer has asked what the alternative is if you turn down the challenge because you don’t want to be that rich. Which you young pups will probably do, and good for you.
But having strong moral fiber and your head on straight is not what the challenge is about. So as much as I hate to do this, I figure it might be the only way to light a fire under your asses to meet the deadline, boys.
Make me proud, because if you don’t succeed, it’s not only the money you won’t get. If you fail to meet your deadline, thenthisproject becomes the inheritance I leave to my worthless son, Brandon. I figure he’s probably giving you hell about not getting my money. While I know he can’t do a better job of whatever project you’re attempting, maybe winning it off you will be enough to get him off your back.
Although, I really hope you stick it to him one more time. Get off your asses and meet that challenge.
Bruce.
P.S. Wish to hell I was there to see it.
5
At the head of the pack marching across to the barn, Kelli glanced over her shoulder briefly to shout a warning. “Don’t come if you can’t jump fences,” she said sternly. “Last time, the stallion took us up into the foothills.”
“If you’re looking at me, I’ll be fine.” Julia followed them into the arena and began saddling one of the horses with confidence. Karen watched her for a moment before concentrating on her own mount. She caught Kelli making the same sly assessments, and in spite of the urgency, had to grin.
She liked the young woman who was her sister by marriage, once removed. She liked Kelli’s easy way around horses and sensed a kindred spirit beyond what she’d had in this area with even Lisa.
Quicker than Karen expected, they were in the saddle and following Kelli as she led them past Big Sky Lake and to the north.
They moved at a trot, the wide-open path allowing them to travel in a tight group as Kelli caught them up.
“Luke took a group of the hands, and Ashton—that’s our foreman,” she reminded Julia briefly, “took off with another group. But they both headed in different directions, and that’s when I spotted Thor running the north fence line. Thor, because Luke forbid me to call him Black Beauty.”
“I still can’t believe you’ve got wild horses this far south.” Lisa held her reins confidently in one hand, jamming her hat down a little more firmly. “There’re a couple of herds in the Sundre district, and they occasionally come up toward Rocky Mountain House, but I didn’t think their territory extended this far south.”
“It didn’t until a year or two ago,” Kelli informed them. “Close as we can figure it, one of the stallions got chased off when he was still young, but if the wildies make it to adulthood, they get smart. They get devious.”
“And they get looking for ladies?” Julia patted the flank of the mare she was riding, moving comfortably in the saddle.
Kelli snorted. “Thor pulled a few horses at a time into his own herd, including a younger gelding who isn’t a challenge but seems damn loyal to Thor.”
“So now there’s a group of them in our foothills?” Lisa asked. “Which means he’s trying to expand his harem.”
“Which he is not allowed to do. Not with our ladies,” Kelli said firmly.
Karen had been out numerous times to deal with the wild horses when they’d come close to Whiskey Creek land. Her goal had always been to keep their borders intact and let the wild horses return to government land, but she knew that wasn’t always the chosen method.
The gun lashed to the side of Kelli’s saddle had to be discussed.
“What’s the plan?” Karen asked.
They were nearing a clearing, and Kelli slowed, the horses shuffling forward, hooves quiet on the new grass. She spoke in hushed tone. “Some of the locals want to cull the wildies before they can grow any bigger or get more aggressive. I think it’s worth trying to rescue most of the ones he’s taken then encouraging Thor to be satisfied with a smaller following while he stays on Crown land.”
Kelli’s goals were right in line with how Karen felt about the situation. The wild horses had every right to live, but that didn’t mean they got to poach new blood from the local ranchers.
Kelli continued, “The stallion will stand out when we see them. He’s at least eighteen hands at the shoulder and shaggy instead of sleek. Then there’s a grey gelding with him that came from a local ranch. Thor’s got Silver Stone mares, but the rest of the females belong to people scattered between here and Highway 1. If we find the herd, cut off as many as possible and drive them toward the nearest fenced area you can find. We’ll deal with whoever owns the land later.” She glanced over at Karen. “How are your roping skills?”
“I’m good.”
“If you get a chance, nab the gelding. Don’t try for the stallion. If we find them, my job is to drive Thor off while you deal with the others.”
It was a quick and dirty plan, but pretty much what would’ve been offered in any situation Karen had dealt with before.
