Once Upon a Cowboy by Day Leclaire

Author:Day Leclaire [Leclaire, Day]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Amazon: B009OMPM2G
Publisher: ePublishing Works!
Published: 2012-01-01T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 7

Holt hit his feet at a dead run, skidded to an abrupt stop, and burst out laughing. "Why, Buttercup," he drawled. "It's a little late to come a-courtin', don't you think?"

"Buttercup!" Cami jumped up, relief and amusement replacing her earlier fear. With a sigh, she approached the longhorn and rubbed his nose. "What are you doing here?"

"Musta broke through the fence," Gabby groused. He left his bedroll and grabbed his boots. "Better check the rest of the herd. Probably have one or two escapees to deal with."

"We'll find them in the morning," Holt said. "Tex, see if you can encourage Buttercup to return to his pen while we fix the fence."

Obediently, she gave Buttercup a final rub and crossed to the holding pen. The steer trotted behind. She opened the gate and walked boldly in. Without a murmur of protest, her hulking shadow followed. She latched the gate behind him and climbed onto the fence rail, noting with relief that only one or two longhorns had decided to follow Buttercup's example and vamoose. The rest were settled in for the night.

The huge steer joined her at the rail, blowing warm air into her cupped hand. He nudged her until she gave in and scratched his heavily muscled neck. Beneath the light of a nearly full moon, she made out Gabby and Holt resetting the rails Buttercup had knocked down, their quiet words and muted grunts drifting to her through the still night air.

She glanced up, amazed by the clarity and brilliance of the heavens. Despite the wash of moonlight, a multitude of stars burned with almost savage radiance, a proper match for the untamed land they crowned. How she loved this place. This life. It fit. Richmond and her former job and friends, in fact everything up until now, seemed like a far distant memory, unreal and undesirable. She belonged here. This land nourished her soul and fulfilled her in a way she instinctively knew to be right and true.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

She smiled, not in the least surprised by Holt's silent appearance. He, too, belonged. He, too, felt natural and at home. Without him, the dream would be incomplete. "It surely is," she agreed softly. "It's all I hoped it would be. All I ever wanted."

"Enjoy it while you can." His words held a warning. A warning she didn't care to hear. Not now. Not tonight. Not when all about her lay perfection.

"Don't," she whispered. "Don't spoil it."

"It won't last, Tex. Sooner or later you'll have to face that fact."

She bowed her head, squeezing her eyes shut. "No!"

He wrapped an arm around her waist and tipped her backward into his arms. She felt his whipcord strength and power, felt the heat of his body envelop her. He set her on her feet, tucked tight within his hold, pressing her into the taut muscles of his chest and abdomen. Thigh rode thigh. Hips locked. Curves keyed into angles, a perfect joining.

His breath stirred the curls resting along her cheek. "This isn't real," he murmured in her ear.

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