When All My Dreams Come True (3 page)

As Jace glanced around to find an impossible shot, Grant slowly shuffled to a place behind them, putting some distance between him and this girl. Jace was inclined to do the same, but he stood his ground.

He spotted what he wanted. “There’s a knot in the tree standing off to the left of that largest boulder. See it?”

She squinted at the tiny target, then cast him a frown. He squelched a smile.

Seconds later, she snapped the barrel closed with a click, hefted the rifle to her shoulder, and squeezed off a shot. What used to be the knot was now a light-colored spot where the bullet splintered the trunk. A low whistle from Grant put voice to Jace’s amazement.

“How’d you learn to shoot like that?”

“Daddy wanted to be sure I could defend myself. Didn’t work out so well today, though, did it?” She shoved the rifle into its scabbard. “So, do I get the job?”

Jace headed for his horse. “Time to get home.”

He climbed onto his saddle and waited for Grant and Bobbie to do the same.

A gunshot blasted to the west. Two more followed in quick succession. Jace looked at Grant. Without a word, they raced in the direction of the trouble. Bobbie rode hard alongside them.

They rounded the curve of a cliff and came upon Hank Willett and his two men hiding behind some boulders. One of the men sat propped against the rock with blood oozing from his shoulder.

Hank waved his gun at them. “Get down before you get your fool heads blown off.”

They dismounted and dashed for cover. Jace scooted close to get a better look at the bullet wound. The man would live, but he’d hurt awhile. “What happened?”

“What does it look like? We got shot at.” Hank peered up into the hills. “Just minding our business heading home and someone blasted a hole in Morton.” He hunkered down and shook his gun in Jace’s face. “What’s going on here, boy? We’re still on your land. You got someone up there trying to get rid of your competition?”

Jace batted the gun away from his face. “None of my men are around here. They’re all at the ranch waiting for me.”

“You sure about that?”

Jace’s fingers curled into fists. “They’re at the ranch.”

Grant peered up over the boulder. “Let’s see if the shooter’s still up there.” He fired a round before Jace could say a word. No shot answered. “I say we go up and make sure.”

Jace grabbed his arm. “You help Hank get Morton to the doctor. I’ll go up and check things out.”

“But—”

“I don’t want your help.” Hank stood and holstered his pistol. “You’re nothing but a wagon load of trouble, and I want none of it.” He bent down and helped Morton to his feet. “Do us all a favor, Kincaid. Move on before you get us all killed.”

Jace waited for Hank and his men to ride off before heading into the hills. After several minutes of scouting around, they found nothing. Not even hoofprints to prove anyone had been there. That fact fit right in with everything else happening on the ranch. Nothing made sense. Stolen cattle, and now a man getting shot, left him with more questions than answers. No doubt the sheriff would call on him. If not tonight then first thing in the morning. Shame of it was, Jace wouldn’t have anything to tell him.

He looked up to find Bobbie staring at him, her expression one of doubt. Or maybe it was confusion. Didn’t matter. If the day’s events sent her packing, so be it.

“Let’s get back.”

What he wouldn’t give to start this day over again. Maybe if he’d spent some time on his knees, things might have turned out better.

Bobbie likened her state of mind to a landslide. What was Roy thinking, sending her into the mess going by the name of the Double K Ranch? She’d deal with Roy later. Right now she had to figure out if she wanted to wade into this disaster or race down a trail in the opposite direction. Good thing Grant was leading the way. She couldn’t think clearly enough to find the end of her nose.

She glanced back at Jace, who didn’t bother hiding his stare. He
never did give her a straight answer on whether or not she was hired. By his expression, he’d just as soon shoot her. Maybe it wasn’t that bad, but no doubt he’d rather get bucked off his horse and land in a pit of rattlers than take her on as a wrangler.

Daddy often told her worrying would only get her an upset stomach. She’d succeeded in getting queasy. Now it was time to stop fretting. Either it would work out or it wouldn’t. To relax, she only needed to immerse herself in the surroundings. She never got enough of gazing at the mountains, especially this time of year when new life was just a whisper after all the snow.

With a creak of saddle leather, she twisted around toward Jace. “From what I’ve seen, you have a beautiful ranch.”

He looked at her long and hard before he said, “Yep.”

So much for pleasantries.

By the time the ranch site came into view, her nerves were stretched tighter than her daddy’s fiddle strings. Grant let out a whoop and galloped ahead, gaining the attention of every man working in the corrals. He’d already dismounted and was chatting with a couple men, pointing at her, when she and Jace caught up.

Jace led her between two of the three corrals, passing right in front of most of the men. Their stares burned hotter than a branding iron and spoke louder than the bawling calves in the furthest pen. Two of the men elbowed each other and burst into laughter. She sat in her saddle with all the pride she could muster and hoped she’d show them that their ribbing didn’t bother her one bit, though the old ache in her heart returned.

The sight of a stallion so black he held hints of blue made her rein in her horse. Jace stopped next to her.

“He’s beautiful.”

“Isn’t he?” Jace sat taller in his saddle. “He’s the prize of the ranch.”

“I can imagine.” The stallion tossed his head and pawed the ground. “Is he broken?”

“Not yet. It’s been slow going.”

She scrutinized the horse and licked her lips. “I can break him for you.”

Jace’s snort matched that of the stallion.

She leveled her frown on him. “I can break him.”

He rubbed at his day-old beard while eyeing her. “All right. Go ahead. Give it a try. I just hope you don’t get yourself hurt.” He nodded to his men. “Get him ready, boys.”

Bobbie eyed the ebony beauty again. The thrill of working with such a splendid horse overrode her anxiety that she might fail to follow through on her claim.

She climbed into the corral and circled the stallion while the men busied themselves checking the bridle and tightening the cinches. The matted hair around the saddle and rope marks on the forelegs from being hobbled told her all she needed to know about the hours already spent gentling this horse. And the fact that the men were able to touch the steed without him fighting back meant he couldn’t be far from being broken. Yet distrust shone from his eyes, and he held himself tense.

The stallion’s shiny black coat gleamed over his rippling muscles. She caressed his cheeks and then ran her hands down to his nose. He snorted and bobbed his magnificent head. With quiet murmurs, she continued stroking his nose. She inhaled the scent of sweaty horseflesh and smiled.

After patting the horse’s head and whispering to him one more time, she walked to his side, sliding her hand along his neck and shoulder. His flesh twitched beneath her palm. She pulled her hat down, fitting it snug around her ears. One of the men held his hands like a stirrup to help her mount, but she declined his offer with a shake of her head.

Moving slowly, Bobbie slipped her foot into the stirrup, carefully lifted her leg over the cantle, and slid onto the saddle. Once she’d settled in, the horse began to rear. He left no doubt about his strength,
giving her a bone-jarring ride. She struggled to hold her neck stiff enough to keep her head from snapping around.

Bobbie watched the stallion’s head for signs of his next move. He bucked in a rhythm—a short skip between each high kick. She settled into the pattern, certain she could break him. The burning muscles in her arms screamed for relief. The stallion dug in his front hooves and came to a jolting stop before bucking straight up, throwing her from the saddle.

Dust billowed around her as she lay in the dirt. Her lungs fought for air for the second time that day. Several faces appeared above her.

“You all right?” Jace reached to give her a hand up.

She jumped to her feet. “Let me try again. I know I can break him.”

“I think that’s enough for one day.” Jace eyed her and smiled, so briefly she couldn’t be sure he’d smiled at all. “You proved you could ride. You stayed on longer than I thought you would. Longer than I did. You sure you’re all right?”

She nodded, still panting from the exertion. Her quivering arms made the simple task of climbing out of the corral an effort.

Jace followed her. “You’ll eat supper with my sister’s family and me tonight so we can discuss the terms of your employment. We eat at seven. That gives you about an hour to settle your horse in the barn and clean up.” He motioned for one of the men to join them. “This is my foreman, Dew Wellman. He’ll show you where to keep your horse.” With a tip of his hat, he headed toward the big house.

Startled at the sudden acceptance, Bobbie barely managed a reply. “Mr. Kincaid?”

He stopped and spun around. “The men call me Jace.”

She nodded. “All right, Jace. May I ask you something?”

“I suppose.”

“The stolen cattle you mentioned. You still don’t think I had anything to do with—”

“No.” He exchanged a glance with Dew then cleared his throat.
“Look, I apologize for that, but we’re not taking any chances. We’ll do the same to anyone else we find on the property without permission. At least until we catch the culprit.”

“I understand.”

“Is there anything else?”

Bobbie shook her head.

Her new boss strode away, and she bit back a smile. It couldn’t have been more obvious he thought she had done well. She could hear it in his voice when he helped her from the ground. But even that thought didn’t calm the fluttering in her stomach. She had a new job and was another step closer to attaining her dream. Still, Jace had made a concession hiring a woman. One big mistake, and she’d be out and floundering on her own.

Jace trudged toward the main house to tell his sister and her husband about their supper guest. Maybe Annie and Pete would take the news better than he did. The presence of his new female ranch hand made his steps slow to a complete stop.

The first message he’d received from Roy Simms arrived weeks ago telling him to expect a 19-year-old ranch hand. He should’ve known Roy wouldn’t come right out and tell him the wrangler happened to be a woman…girl, really. Jace groaned and rubbed the back of his neck.

Roy had played on his sympathy in the first note, stating the wrangler had lost both parents. From experience, Jace understood how hard life could be when left on your own. Jace glanced back at the woman in question. She leaned against the corral talking to his foreman, one foot crossed over the other. She wasn’t any bigger than a 12-year-old boy. Her clothes and neckerchief were dusty and her boots worn out. The dirty brown hat pulled low to protect her eyes couldn’t hide their color, which reminded him of the new spring grass he’d seen reflected in the lake that morning.

Her hat covered a good deal of her dark blonde hair but couldn’t disguise the thick braid hanging halfway down her back. His gaze paused at the sidearm belted at her slim hips.

A 19-year-old girl on the run from her past. What was Roy thinking? But then again, it should be no surprise. Roy was protective of those he loved. He’d been the same way when Jace and Annie’s parents were killed. Roy wanted Bobbie where she would be safe. Purposefully mentioning God’s mercy, Roy knew how to pour on the guilt.

Jace admired her grit. Moving all the way from the Boulder area had to be difficult, yet there she stood, ready to prove her abilities. He liked that she didn’t seem afraid of a challenge. But something about her didn’t sit well. The woman was a puzzle and that made him nervous, a feeling he never liked. Doubting the good judgment God gave him, he continued on toward the house.

“Stop him,” a voice yelled. “Someone get hold of that horse!”

Jace spun around. Running at full speed and headed straight for the bridge was his prized stallion.

   THREE