Seduced By A Wrangler (Emerald Falls Book 2) Read online

  During a dip in the music, Ginny slid out from under his hand on her waist and twirled beneath his arm. She bumped his chest when she came back to center again and giggled as she readjusted them.

  He blinked those cool blue eyes at her, a smile tugging at the edge of his mouth.

  She leaned in closer and spoke over the drumming piano keys behind them. “I’m Ginny, by the way.”

  He leaned in too, the edge of his cowboy hat covering her head and that tantalizing smell she’d passed earlier was trapped in her space. She took a deep, appreciative breath.

  “Noah.”

  As the beat of the song picked up a notch, she moved faster.

  Or at least she tried to. She could unlatch for a twirl and come back or even add an extra little wiggle of her hips as they moved, but Noah didn’t seem to be into adding any flourish to his steps. As a matter of fact, he was still rather stiff in the arms, and she wondered if she even saw his lips move as he counted the steps beneath them.

  As the music came to an end, she hung against his shoulder with a chuckle. “You need to have another beer before the next one. Loosen up.”

  The corner of his lip disappeared in his teeth with a solemn nod. “That would probably help, but I’m done for the night. I gotta be up early in the morning.”

  The excitement of the evening dropped out of her sails with an uncomfortable rush. She detached herself from him as nonchalantly as she could manage, smoothing her hands down her dress and rubbing her thumb along her jaw.

  She’d just thrown herself at that guy, and to what end? She wasn’t sure what she wanted. She didn’t usually go looking for men. She never had to.

  But she’d also never wanted to.

  Disappointment stung in her chest, and she nodded.

  “Sure. Of course. Got to beat the sun out of here, hmm?”

  He tilted his head with a slow smile, and already she was hooked again, leaning in closer to hear what he had to say.

  “I’ve got to help make a delivery in the morning. I don’t make my run, I don’t get paid. I don’t get paid, and I can’t afford any more beer.”

  There was a teasing spark in his eye, and it lit her up more than she cared to admit. She grinned and giggled under her breath.

  “I guess that makes sense. Nothing on the house around here.”

  “Never.” Then his fingers brushed her elbow as he took a step back. “Nice to meet you, Ginny.”

  Then he was gone, walking toward the front of the saloon, and she stood on the dance floor watching his back disappear into a throng of people. His shoulders were wide and tapered down in a slim waist and a firm bottom beneath a tight pair of trousers.

  She narrowed her eyes as she drank it in, producing a rumble of appreciation in her chest. A man that could wear pants like that spent his day on horseback.

  She wished she could be up in the saddle with him.

  As soon as the thought flit through her mind, she blinked and looked around. No one was paying her a bit of attention, even the couple dancing near her to the next high-stepping song. No one had noticed her staring after Noah, trying to pull the tall glass of water back to her with her eyes.

  The inkling of attraction stirring within her was absurd anyway. She knew what men did to women. She’d experienced it over and over. Degradation, humiliation, and more often than she’d care to admit, pain. There was no reason to prowl after any man. Did a horse chase a whip?

  She pursed her lips and folded her arms over her chest as she stared at the doors Noah had exited with a shake of her head. Leering at cowboys was not why she’d come to the bar.

  She wanted to do just as Ace suggested.

  Find something useful she could contribute that didn’t involve her body.

  Or at least not her naked body and a camp full of slobbering hound dogs.

  She made her way back over to the bar and ordered another beer. There was already a new set of patrons standing there. One lonely fellow that looked like he'd been drinking a while on one side and a pair of grizzled old ranchers on the other.

  The companions spoke in hushed tones over their shots of whiskey, and she couldn’t help but lean a little closer.

  If she’d learned nothing else from both living in a brothel and with a gang of outlaws, it was good to keep her ear to the ground at all times. It was the best way to protect herself and keep two steps ahead of anyone else.

  This time it certainly paid off.

  “I don’t know what they’ll do if they can’t find any more help,” one of the men with a dirty gray mustache spat.

  “Surely there are extra cowboys on hand that have cattle driving experience,” his thin friend with a cough sputtered.

  “It’s selling time all over Wyoming. Ain’t no one got three men they can spare on such short notice.”

  “Sheridan ain’t that far though. Five days tops. If these cattle don’t get in by Friday, Mr. Bennet is going to be as mad as a hornet.”

  “What happened to those boys anyway? The ones that dropped out?”

  “One’s got a snake bite,” the thin man coughed. “The other two have a bad fever of sorts. I think a doctor is seeing them in the morning.”

  “That’s a shame. Maybe some sort of miracle will bring some extra help in the morning.”

  “Lord help them.”

  Ginny slunk back to her end of the bar, eyes wide as she calculated through everything she’d heard.

  A stalled cattle drive was stuck in Emerald Falls because they didn’t have enough cowboys to go back out. That was brilliant news!

  Well, it was horrible news for the cowboys and the rancher who had a schedule to keep, but it was something she could take advantage of.

  She’d heard of some of the men in the gang going out cattle rustling before. They seemed to make good money too. It wasn’t anything she’d ever tried, but she was sturdy on a horse, and how hard could it be to yell at a few cows?

  She could get them away from town, split off half the herd, and turn them in to a livestock fence for some serious money. No problem. She could totally do that.

  Ace and his men were always talking money. The Van den Berg gang needed cash. She didn’t exactly know what for, but it was at the top of their talking points most of the time. If she could bring in half a herd of cattle’s worth, she would certainly earn a respectable spot in the group.

  Not just the boys’ playtoy.

  The idea burned a fire so brightly within her that she nearly sprang off without her beer. The bartender had just set the opened bottle on the counter, and she scooped it up and took two long pulls off it. Her head swirled, and she grinned, her high climbing. She pulled a dollar from her pocket as she polished off the beer and slapped the money on the bartop. Then she skipped, somewhat stumbled a few times, to the front doors.

  * * *

  “This is an interesting proposition,” Ace said as he ran his fingertips along the shadow of a mustache above his lip. “I can’t say cattle rustling is actually what I meant when I said you needed to find something you could do. I meant more like help around the campsite, or go out and do a little spying with someone. Not attempt to round up cattle. Have you ever been around cows before?”

  “Not really, but I can ride a horse,” Ginny said.

  “I think it requires a little more than that.”

  Her excitement was waning. The doubtful look in his eye was grinding her good mood into the ground.

  She forced a brave smile. “I’m sure I can figure out the rest.”

  Ace watched her, still as a stone. And as silent as one too.

  She held her smile until her cheeks hurt, urging her eyes to appear casual, as if she had all the confidence in the world. Even if she didn’t.

  She didn’t know how the hell to drive cattle, or how to rustle them for that matter. She’d seen the cowboys do it a few times. Ride close on the horses, shout at them until they were going in the direction you wanted. Rustling sounded pretty much the same, except taking them i
n a different direction. Ride up the middle, cut off the ones you want, and push them the other way, right?

  Her face and her eyes began to strain as the thoughts wheeled through her mind.

  “I mean, it sounds a little crazy, but you’re the one that said I need to find other things to occupy myself with.”

  “Cattle rustling was not—”

  “I know. I could have gone to ask Bridget about helping with the horses. Maybe I should have, but the rustling opportunity was presented directly to me, Ace. Dropped right into my lap. They need people. I can do this.”

  He skewed his lips, moving his fingers to the patch of dark hair on his chin. “You know, I think you probably can.”

  Her stomach floated as if the floor had opened up below her, and she was suspended in the air. She wasn't sure whether to be thrilled or terrified over the opportunity.

  “I know I can,” she said with a voice that quivered more than she cared for.

  He gave her an appreciative smile and nodded. “Of course. I think you’ll do fine pulling off twenty or thirty head of cattle without too much of an issue. It doesn’t take long between here and Sheridan for the plains to open up into nothing. You’ll be far enough away to cut clean of the herd before sundown without too much a fuss.”

  Her grin grew, at the same time her stomach sank. He was letting her go! But twenty or thirty head? She was just one person with limited skills. Her fingers clenched into one another in front of her as her knees weakened.

  "From what you overheard, it sounds like the normal cowboy numbers are far down. That's perfect. A few Van den Berg top-notch riders are just what they need."

  “A few?”

  Her stomach cramped. Her plans of marching off to bring in cattle money all by herself were crushed. A crew was not what she’d hoped for, but Ace was making the call.

  “You don’t think they’ll let a woman just load up and join them, no questions asked, do you?”

  Her spirit deflated farther.

  “You’ll have a much better chance if you take some of the boys,” Ace said. “Jeremiah can ride, and herd. We’ve worked with sheep before. It’s not quite the same, but nearly. Otis will be helpful. Tom has brought in cattle a few times before. He certainly knows what he’s doing. The three of them can join you.”

  Tom?

  Her stomach twisted even more. Her operation was being taken over. She would become just a pawn in the boys’ scheme.

  Especially with Tom around.

  But Ace was the head of a strong family. They worked hard together and kept each other afloat. Who was she to question that?

  As much as she wanted to argue against bringing other people along, especially ones that were pigs like Tom, the ranchers at the bar had seemed quite concerned about the low numbers of cowboys. If they were as desperate for help as it sounded, they’d take her along if she was accompanied by three able-bodied men.

  She huffed a heavy sigh under her breath, doing her best not to break the smile permanently affixed to her face, and she nodded.

  “Sounds good,” she said.

  Ace nodded, his smile spreading. “Excellent. We could use that extra cash right about now. Good job keeping an ear out.

  Her expression melted into a more honest one. “Definitely. Anything I can do to help.”

  “Then I guess you need to get some sleep. You’re going to want to be back in town by daybreak.”

  Chapter 4

  “Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” Sadie asked, cradling a steaming cup of coffee in her hands.

  Ginny sat next to her on the log in front of the fire pit, both cuddled beneath a red wool blanket. She shook her head for the third time.

  “Of course not, but I have to do something, don’t I?”

  “I don’t think jumping into a mission with Tom would have been my first choice,” Sadie murmured, trying to hide her grimace behind her mug, but Ginny saw it.

  She huffed out a sigh, pressing her fingers into her temples. “I know, but I didn’t mean to.”

  Sadie had just as much reason to hate Tom. She might be head over heels in love with Clay Pearson, but his brother was a different story. She blamed him for her father’s death and had been at odds with him since she’d arrived at camp.

  Ginny had her own reasons, though she’d never shared them all with the girls. After having zero privacy growing up, she preferred not to kiss and tell, especially if her first attempt at a real relationship had ended in swinging fists and tears.

  Clara brought a refilled mug of coffee to Ginny. “Of course you didn’t know. I’m sure you would have passed on the opportunity if you had.” She tilted her head and gave the other women a matter-of-fact nod. “But that’s just how things shook out. I still think you’re right, this could be a good opportunity for you.”

  Ginny held the coffee close and let the steam warm her face. “You do?”

  “Of course. You’re looking for redemption. Something worthy of doing.”

  Ginny winced a little at the words. Clara could see right through her.

  “It sounds like you found something that will do the trick,” Clara continued with a smile. “Just keep your chin up. Work hard. And don’t bother with any of those men that go with you. You’re a strong woman. You can tell them no.”

  Ginny lifted her chin and squared her shoulders. She was a strong woman. Or at least she wanted to be. She had an important job to take care of, and she wouldn’t let any of the Van den Berg men mess with her while she was on a mission. She could totally handle that.

  Couldn’t she?

  She took a silent sip of her coffee. It didn’t taste as sharp as her first cup and slid down smoothly. She was going to need all the vigor she could get that morning.

  Sadie bumped her in the shoulder and gave her a smile.

  “Be safe out there,” Clara said. “Use your head.”

  Ginny nodded. "I will. I'll miss you, ladies."

  Sadie rested her head on Ginny’s shoulder. “We’ll miss you too.”

  Ginny took another long drink of her coffee, then a man barked her name behind her.

  “Load up! Let’s get a move on.”

  Tom’s voice sent a shudder along her spine, and she grimaced up at Clara. The blonde gave her a sympathetic smile and shrug.

  “Go get ‘em, girl.”

  Tom stalked behind the firepit with a heavy saddle bag thrown over his shoulder, and Ginny reluctantly got up to follow him.

  Without a word, she walked to the edge of camp where Paco, her appaloosa gelding, stood saddled and ready to go. He dozed on three feet, his breath puffing out in small clouds in the cool air. When she put a hand on his neck, his eyes fluttered and peeked up at her through long lashes.

  “Good morning, big guy,” she whispered.

  Against the first light of dawn over the dark treeline, Tom slung himself up in his saddle. Jeremiah followed. It took Otis took a couple hops to haul his overweight frame up into the air and onto the back of his brown horse.

  “Why we at this so damn early?” he grunted.

  “They move cattle out early,” Tom said, spinning his spirited horse in a tight circle.

  “But if they ain’t got enough people, then they ain’t going anywhere, right?”

  Tom narrowed his eyes. “We want to move as soon as possible. There’s a chance we can get this all wrapped up in one day if we’re quick about it.”

  He was already taking the lead. Ginny curled her lip as she pulled herself up into her saddle.

  Although once she’d learned that the others were coming, the idea of leading the operation had grown less and less appealing. She’d never taken command of others before. Otis was prone to asking stupid questions and being a general pain in the rear. She wasn’t sure how she’d handle that. If he’d asked her why they were leaving so early, she might have considered it, pressed her fingers into her lips as she looked for a convincing answer, and told them they might as well get a little more sleep and go in at the
ir convenience.

  That would have been a horrible answer.

  Once Tom had joined the team, she knew for sure she wouldn’t be able to take over. He was much too headstrong for her to contend with. She’d had her run-ins with him in the past, and she didn’t care to repeat it.

  Besides, Tom would never work under her.

  “We want to be there before they stumble upon anyone else that could fill those slots too,” Tom said, his eyes moving over each of them as they settled into their saddles. “Let’s go!”

  He heeled his black horse into a gallop, and the others followed.

  Paco wasn't exactly a morning horse. Or a first out of the gate horse. When Ginny touched her heels to him, he leapt forward with an irritated snort. His front went one way and his hindquarters went another, wiggling and skipping until he fell into a normal rhythm. They were a few dozen yards behind the others though, and it took a couple minutes to catch up.

  “Just keep it quiet and follow my lead,” Tom was saying when she got back into hearing distance.

  The horses had slowed to a casual lope through the path in the trees, and Tom cast a look back at her over his shoulder. His eyes were as black as ever in the dull morning light.

  “Nice of you to join us,” he called.

  Ginny set her teeth and kept her eyes on the path ahead.

  They rode through the trees for a few minutes before the forest broke onto an open road. Fields of green and fences traveled in both directions. To the south a few miles was Emerald Falls.

  A small herd of deer bounded away as they rode by. A pair of badgers and a scattering of rabbits crossed the dirt road and disappeared into the bushes on the other side. Birds were just beginning their morning songs as the first rays of sunlight crested the mountains in the distance. It was a sight that Ginny never tired of. She’d never seen views like that growing up in St. Aspen.

  The journey into town seemed much shorter than it had the night before, traveling in the dark with Jeremiah. She wasn’t a fan of traveling in wide open spaces after the sun went down. She still wasn’t accustomed to the vast openness of the world. Even when she did venture outside in St. Aspen, it wasn’t as if it was the sprawling plains of the country around Emerald Falls. It was a city with multi-story buildings, narrow roads, and no clear view of the horizon unless you ventured out past the edges.