Claimed! by Thompson Vicki Lewis

Author:Thompson, Vicki Lewis [Thompson, Vicki Lewis]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance, Adult, Western, Contemporary
ISBN: 9780263880625
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2010-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

9

JACK WOULD HAVE LOVED to spend more time on the blanket cuddling with Josie, but Destiny was nowhere in sight. They weren’t very far from the barn, and the horse might have worked himself loose and headed back there. Jack wasn’t crazy about having Destiny show up without a rider. That could be tough to explain.

Giving Josie a quick kiss, he climbed off the blanket, dealt with the condom, and started putting on his clothes.

“How can he be gone?” Josie followed his lead and grabbed her clothes wherever they’d fallen. “I tied him to a tree branch, just like you did with Bandit.”

“I know, but sometimes he takes a notion to get loose and go back home, especially if he knows he’s close.” Jack hopped on one foot as he pulled on his boot. “He’ll break off the branch if he has to. I should have remembered that.” Damn straight, he should have. Years ago he’d encouraged that fool stunt because he’d thought it was funny.

“So you think he went back to the barn?”

“Probably headed in that direction.” He muttered a few choice words. “Maybe I can catch him before he gets there.” Or before Emmett or one of the other hands spotted him.

Josie fastened the snaps on her shirt and tucked it into her jeans. “What should I do?”

“Wait here. If I can, I’ll bring him back and we’ll ride in later as if nothing happened.”

“What if he’s already made it to the barn?”

Jack glanced at her. She looked beautiful all mussed up, but any fool would figure out why she was in such a state. “How good are you at making up stories?”

“Not very.”

“That’s too bad.” He untied Bandit and swung into the saddle. “I’ll be back as soon as I can. You might want to fold up the blanket and…” He gave her a helpless glance. He wasn’t sure what sort of repairs she could make. The flush of satisfaction on her cheeks was a dead giveaway.

“Don’t worry. I’ll make myself presentable. Good luck, Jack.”

“Thanks.” He wheeled Bandit and started off the way they’d come, cursing Destiny under his breath. They’d spoiled that horse rotten, he and his brothers, but he was the worst culprit.

He used to love it when Gabe or Nick would take Destiny to go fishing down at the creek and Destiny would quietly work himself loose and walk home if nobody was paying attention. Jack used to give him an apple as a reward for that stunt.

But that was years ago, and Jack had been too focused on Josie, too blasted intent on doing her. Destiny’s parlor tricks had been the furthest thing from his mind. But the damned horse could blow their cover.

He urged Bandit into a canter after he broke from the trees. When he had a good sight line, he pulled the horse to a halt and stood in his stirrups to scan the meadow for any sign of a brown and white Paint. Maybe the horse had stopped to graze.

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