Crossing Nevada by Jeannie Watt

Author:Jeannie Watt
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2012-12-04T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER ELEVEN

HOW DID ONE move cattle?

Tess envisioned a big truck backing up to her pasture gate and cows stepping out of the back, but instead, at about ten the next morning, she looked out her upper-story window—after the dogs had begun some serious barking—to see a herd of cattle ambling down her driveway. There were at least fifty animals, maybe more, most with babies at their sides. Zach rode behind them, and trotting alongside the herd, keeping a close eye on the animals, was Zach’s black-and-white collie.

Since Zach was at the back of the herd, Tess wondered if the dog would be able to stop the cattle from continuing up the driveway to her house and onto her lawn.

But the dog didn’t have to do anything, because the first cow made a beeline for the open gate and all of the other animals followed her inside, where they immediately spread out and started eating. A few of the calves lay down, perhaps tired after the excitement of the trip from one home to another, and the rest hugged up close to their mothers, surveying their new environment.

Tess held the curtain and leaned forward to see what Zach was doing. He closed the gate from horseback, then wheeled the animal around and looked straight at her. Tess stepped back despite knowing he couldn’t possibly see her in the glare of the sun. At least she hoped he couldn’t.

The cows were delivered. Now the cowboy could go home and she could get on with her day. But she’d be thinking about him.

She was getting better, wasn’t nearly as jumpy as she had been, didn’t think about Eddie every waking minute of the day, but he was still out there. Regardless of Detective Hiller’s admonition to get on with her life—or the fact that he’d been right about post-traumatic stress—Tess knew it’d be foolish to think that she was home free. Not if Eddie thought she had money. He might wait a year. Maybe two. Maybe until he was off parole, but he’d come looking for her.

There was no way she would ever be able to totally drop her guard, develop anything lasting with anyone.

But if she enjoyed a few minutes here and there with an attractive guy...well, there was nothing wrong with that. As long as she left it at that.

* * *

TESS YAWNED LAZILY as she crossed the kitchen to the back door. The first few nights after Zach had put the cattle on her pasture had been less than restful as the occasional bovine bellow had woken her, but she solved that by staying up late and sewing until she couldn’t see straight. And then she’d go to bed. It worked—to the point that she was oversleeping. She opened the back door, following the dogs out onto the sunny porch, the warm wood feeling good under her bare feet.

Both dogs stopped dead at the top step.

Tess instantly froze, a deep chill of terror running through her when, with a nerve-rattling

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