# The Cattleman

Angi Morgan

West Texas ShowdownA city girl like Beth Conrad had no business on Nick Burke’s Texas ranch. Even if the city girl in question was a DEA agent investigating gun runners supposedly using Nick’s land as a staging ground. One look in her eyes and he couldn’t resist helping with her sure-to-fail mission…or his undeniable attraction to her. But Nick was fighting demons in his past, which left little room for romance. Beth vowed to help Nick face his PTSD, and Nick promised to pose as her fiancé to help her bring down the perps. But when circumstances forced Nick to re-live the traumatic shooting that had altered his life—this time with Beth’s safety in the balance—he made it his duty to ensure the outcome would be a whole lot happier.

Men—bad men—were chasing them down a mountain.

There was no place to hide. Nowhere to escape.

What did Nick do? He kissed her.

Beth was in his arms and her lips were smooth against his. She restored something in him that had been missing this past year. He lifted his head, unable to help the smile that spread across his face.

She looked up and behind them, steadying herself with her hands on his shoulders. “We should probably get …”

“Moving. Right. You going to be okay?” he asked, really curious if the near fall had bothered her as much as the thought of losing her had bothered him.

Small rocks skittered past their heads. “Great. More than great. Let’s go while we can.”

Choosing a path was hard. He could hear the grumbles about being caught off guard, about not doing her job, not protecting her asset.

“Am I your asset?”

“Of course you are.”

“Beth, I’ve told you this before—I can look after myself.”

And just like it had been scripted, he heard the lone shot of a gun and zipped back to the cliff wall, covering Beth’s body.

The Cattleman

Angi Morgan

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ANGI MORGAN writes Mills & Boon® Intrigue novels “where honor and danger collide with love.” She combines actual Texas settings with characters who are in realistic and dangerous situations. Angi and her husband live in north Texas, with only the four-legged “kids” left in the house to interrupt her writing. They recently began volunteering for a local Labrador retriever foster program. Visit her website, angimorgan.com, or hang out with her on Facebook.

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Thanks to Ron, the best cowboy I know. Jaxon, you keep chasing those cows for your new Pops! Jan & Robin, you are my rocks! Can’t do this without you gals.

Contents

Cover

Introduction

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Extract

Copyright

Prologue

The gun barrel burned against his right temple after being fired during the attack. Nick Burke had made a fatal mistake putting his trust in anyone. A greenhorn like Beth Conrad was his second mistake. He didn’t struggle, dropped his rifle to the ground, raised his hands to his ears and watched his captor kick his favorite weapon over the cliff.

He cringed as it whacked its way to the bottom of the ravine. “That was my best rifle.”

“You won’t need it, buddy.” Keeping the gun in place, the man frisked the small of Nick’s back.

He had no distinguishing accent. Nick hadn’t caught a close-up glimpse of their attackers until now. If this guy was helping the Mexican cartel from the US side of the border, he was the first solid lead they had come across in a year.

Where the hell is Beth? If the DEA Agent had fallen off her horse again, he might do something crazy. Or might just end up dead. What if she was hurt or worse?

Neither was his first choice of scenarios.

“So what’s the plan?” he asked, attempting to be casual. In his opinion, he pulled off not caring pretty well. He practiced it every day.

“You in a big hurry to die?”

“Been there. Recovery’s harder.”

“Got that right.” A bit of southern poked its way through that long i.

“So you’ve been shot before?”

“Shut it, this ain’t no social hour.” The guy shifted his feet, stabbing Nick’s temple with each move. “You listen up. You’re gonna take me to your horse and give me directions out of this forsaken place. Understand? Or I’m going to kill you.”

The cooling cylinder was shoved harder against his skull. Nick could feel the man’s nasally breath on his neck each time he turned. Searching for who? Nick’s partner or his own? He and Beth had followed at least two horses from the drug traffickers’ camp they’d stumbled upon. And the cloud of dust he’d seen farther up the ravine was probably his captor’s partner.

“Can’t help you, so we might as well get this over with.” Nick kept his eyes open, surveying as much as possible without moving. Still no Beth. “What are you waiting on?”

“Might be waiting on his partner.” Beth’s steady voice came from in front of them, somewhere off the trail. “But that’s not going to happen.”

“Get in front of me with your hands up or this guy’s brains spatter on the rocks.” The man shifted nervously behind him.

“Are you a mind reader? That is exactly what I was about to instruct you to do.” Half of Beth’s tall frame stepped onto the path, the other—the half that held her handgun—was still covered by a juniper tree. She stretched her neck, dipping her chin to look over the top of her sunglasses.

Nick had seen her do that before, just before she fired her weapon to prove how good she was with a gun. She actually could shoot the tip off a cactus from fifty feet. He’d told her she should be in a Wild West show with that accuracy. That was if she could ride a horse. He’d never seen anyone as petrified of the animals as her.

“Do I have to officially say it?” Beth stepped fully onto the path, presenting her gun and badge. “DEA. You’re under arrest. Drop your weapon, drop to your knees and cross your ankles.”

“I don’t get on my knees for any sweetmeat.”

“That’s too bad.” She took a step forward.

Nick noticed the tiny frustrating clinch in Beth’s jaw. “Wait. Don’t shoot him. We need this guy alive.”

The barrel slid from his temple just as Beth released her badge and took a very practiced stance to pull the trigger. Nick tried to knock his captor out of the line of fire, but out of the three rapid shots, at least one hit its target.

The sound of a bullet piercing human flesh was close to what it sounded like when an animal had to be put down. The sound of a man in pain was unique and easily recognizable. Both momentarily pierced his ears.

“You okay, Nick?” Beth held her gun on her prisoner, kicking the man’s weapon from his fingers. “I didn’t hit you, did I?”

“No. You hit him. Bad from the looks of it.”

Nick rolled him to his back. A burst of red spread across the man’s tan shirt, like he’d been hit by a paintball. The thin streak of blood trailing from the corner of his mouth changed the paintball image into something all too real. Nick tried to find a pulse with no luck, then searched for an ID. Nothing.

“Is he dead?” Beth asked, still standing instead of checking the man out for herself.

Nick stood and nodded, battling with himself over just how angry he was about to get. “This was a mistake. I should never have agreed to lead you back up here. That was the first guy who could give us information about the operation on my land. He wanted out of here. He would have gone for a deal. You didn’t have to kill him.”

“You don’t know if he would have given up anything worth trading on.” She holstered her weapon and put her arms around Nick. Almost as tall as he was, she dropped her forehead heavily on his shoulder. “Besides, I was aiming for his leg. He fell into the shot.”

His captor hadn’t fallen into the shot. Nick had pushed him into the line of fire. Their lead was gone because Nick had tried to save him. But Beth had shot him.

“I watched his partner leave in a hurry with the second horse,” she said into his shirt. “He had a gun to your head. I had to shoot. I couldn’t risk you getting hurt.”

She was being awful clingy for a federal agent. Even one he’d slept with. He held on to her arms wondering if she would lose it after killing someone.

“He wouldn’t have killed me,” he answered. “I was his ticket off this mountain.”

“I can’t really argue about this now, Nick. Any chance you’ve still got your horse or any cell reception?”

“Both. The horse is secure and I can probably climb up the ridge for a signal.” She stepped back, turning and stumbling a little. “Those damn fancy shoes are going to be the reason you break your neck up here.”

She retrieved her badge and straightened slowly, unsteady once on her feet. She leaned against the tree she’d hidden behind earlier, then turned to slip down its side, rough bark against her back.

“Good Lord, Beth! You’re shot.”

“That makes sense. I figured something was wrong since I’m about to lose my breakfast and can’t stand up anymore.”

He ripped her sleeve, and used the ends to pad the wound in her arm. “It doesn’t look too bad. Can you walk?”

“Sure. Let’s get out of here before his buddy decides to make a U-turn.” She pulled herself upright using his arm, then smiled at him. “Yeah, walking’s okay as long as you steady me. That’ll work.”

Her smile flipped a switch that he thought someone had cut the electricity to a while back. Since their night under the stars, he was always crazy with desire for her. It didn’t matter that they hadn’t seen each other for a couple of weeks. He couldn’t let her see him smile, though. He was still angry. He put his arm around her waist and started down the path to his horse.

“I realize we don’t know each other that well, but are you mad at me for getting shot?”

“Hell no. Our only lead is dead.” He honestly tried not to sound mad, but he didn’t succeed. “Hard not to be disappointed. It’s my own dang fault for letting you talk me into bringing you out here.”

“Should I have let him kill you?” She pulled away and continued walking.

He admired her strength and independence, but she didn’t belong here. Not in the raw mountains of West Texas. She didn’t even have a pair of jeans with her. She spun to face him, continuing to walk backward in her black slacks.

“Beth, get serious. It’s dangerous up here. Look where you’re going.”

“Well, you let me tell you something, Mr. Nick ungrateful Burke,” she slurred like she was drunk, waving a finger at him. She stopped a second before he would have lunged to keep her from tumbling to the uneven ground. She swayed and he was there to catch her. “Get away. I don’t need your help.”

“Sure, you don’t.” He bent, knowing that scooping her into his arms and carrying her to his horse was going to kill his recovering back. “Why do you think I’m ungrateful?”

“For one, you didn’t say thank you when I saved your life.”

“And the second?” he asked trying not to act too concerned at her swaying.

She took a deep breath and raised her finger just as her eyes rolled back in their sockets. She passed out on a long sigh and he was there, catching her before she crashed to the rocky path.

He smiled into her peaceful and gorgeous face. She couldn’t hear him and it might have been the only reason he said it, but he whispered the word, “Thanks,” and brushed his lips against hers.

After her inexperience almost got them killed twice, she was certain to be sent back to Chicago and out of his life. He didn’t have time for distractions. He had to find the men responsible for ordering his execution.

Chapter One

Nick Burke snapped awake and heard the echo of his labored panting in his ears. The faceless man shooting him in his nightmare faded, allowing him to suck some air into his lungs. A bright beam of sun snaked through his curtains and caught him in the eye.

“What the—?” His alarm was gone. But he’d set it the night before. Mom. He shoved back the hair stuck to his sweaty face and scratched his damp scalp. The sheets were drenched again. “Damn nightmares.”

He rubbed the numb skin covering the scars on his chest. No feeling in the daylight. Unlike at night when the dreams prodded and twisted a knife in the wound.

The more he tried to forget the shooting last year, the more he was surrounded by triggers. Literally. Stupid to believe he could face that demon and survive without some type of consequence. Cord had volunteered him to guide a drug task force through the mountains on his land and he’d met Beth. Then the shootout two weeks ago had almost gotten him shot a second time. He could still hear the bullet buzzing by his ear like a jet-propelled mosquito.

As a result, the nightmares had intensified.

He wouldn’t be that stupid again. Let the task force get some other dumb rancher to help. He needed to work his cattle and prepare for winter. He’d done his part and wasted enough time chasing an enemy that would never be gone. It was a fact of life he had to get past.

Living this close to the Mexican border, it didn’t matter if it was the nineteenth or twenty-first century. Cattle rustlers or gunrunners. There would always be some sort of threat out of the control of the ranch owners.

Doing everything possible to make the Rocking B successful should be his number one priority. He didn’t have the time to be distracted by the task force or nightmares...or a beautiful pair of legs.

Almost a year since he’d been shot and there were only two instances when his dreams hadn’t attacked him. A night of sedated dreams in the hospital while recovering, and one night in the arms of a raven-haired seductress.

The first thought of Beth started his blood pumping faster. The second thought cooled his heels in a blink. Having law enforcement constantly searching his property was bad enough. Undercover DEA was worse. Getting involved with her was out of the question. Her skill set would never be adequate for the Davis Mountains.

Sure, she could handle a gun. She’d proved that by dropping the drug dealer jamming a .45 to his head. But she was afraid of horses, for crying out loud. He was a rancher. He rode horses. Needed horses. Couldn’t live without horses.

But he could definitely live without Beth setting foot on his ranch again.

A timid knock on the door had him jumping into the mud-caked jeans he’d dropped on the floor next to the bed.

“Nick? You awake?” His mother’s voice was so soft it wouldn’t have been heard if he hadn’t been awake.

He found his digital clock across the room. Nine in the morning? “Mom, did you move the alarm again?”

“Oh, good, dear, you’re awake. Are you dressed?”

He hauled a T-shirt over his head just before she pushed the door open a crack. “Go ahead and come in and confirm my total lack of privacy as a thirty-year-old man. I’ve told you before that you’ve got to stop turning off the alarm.”

His mom stood with one fist on a hip and one finger pointed in the air to halt his speech. Easier just to let her have her say. “Dear, there’s someone here to see you, and I didn’t want you riding off to rope a cow or check a fence.”

Almost twenty-five years on the ranch and his mother still had no desire to learn what really went on here. He’d laugh, but he’d learned the hard truth of ranch work only after his foreman had shot him in the back.

“You know I’m not seeing people.”

“Yes, sweetheart. I’ve tried a couple of times to warn you about this appointment. I even left a message on your phone.”

“Appointment?”

“That’s right. I tried to ask you, but since you ignored me, I’ve taken matters into my own hands. You’ll either march into the living room or pack your bags.” She drew in a deep breath and closed her eyes.

“No way. You probably have a shrink in there.”

“So, you’re leaving, then. Such a shame. Your father and I will miss you every day, but we’ll deal with it.” Her hands fell to her sides and he swore she looked three inches shorter.

“What? Mom, this is my ranch. You can’t kick me off.”

“Yes, it is, son, but not officially. Not yet.” She stepped closer and hugged him around his waist, too short to put her arms any higher.

He patted her shoulder, thinking again. Had he really heard her correctly? He set her away from him. “You’re saying I have to see whoever’s in the living room or lose my inheritance?”

“We’re not going to disinherit you, Nick.” She turned and sat on the corner of the bed. “Would it work if I did? Would you talk with a counselor?” She wrung the corner of her apron around her hands, obviously distressed. “How long do you think you can keep this up?”

“What? Working my own ranch? Men have been doing it for centuries.”

“You know what I’m talking about. Sweetheart, you barely sleep. Don’t you think your dad and I hear every time you wake up? Or creep down the hallway to watch television? Or even play those games on your laptop at all hours?” With a long sigh she sat on the edge of the bed.

“That’s all normal, the doctors told you—”

She closed her eyes. She waited for him to finish. Her manners had never allowed her to talk over someone else.

“You’re out the door before dawn,” she continued. “And not back inside until nine or ten at night. Straight to your room and screaming from your nightmares when you do fall asleep.”

“I didn’t know you could hear me.” His parents had never said a word. What part of his nightmares had they heard? “Do you think talking about this with a stranger is going to help?”

His quiet mother brushed a tear from her cheek. He was lost, unable to respond. It hadn’t always been that way, only since...

“It’s worth a try.” Juliet Burke put her hands on her thighs and stood. “But that’s not who’s waiting for you.”

Man alive, he’d almost agreed to talk to a shrink. His mother didn’t know just how close he’d been to caving. He hated seeing her so concerned. Hugging her tight to his chest, he was unable—or unwilling—to look into her sad, worried eyes.

“Come on, Mom. It’s getting better,” he lied. He faked a smile as he released her, crossing his fingers that she’d relax and believe him for a day or two. “Does breakfast come with this meeting?”

“Of course. I was just waiting for you to get up before putting the biscuits in the oven. Beth’s drinking coffee and we’ll visit while you shower.”

“Beth Conrad? The DEA Amazon that hates my guts? The woman who swore she’d lock me up for obstruction if I interfered in her investigation again? That Beth?”

“She doesn’t hate you, sweetheart. She’s come to ask a favor.” His mother moved and gently shut the door as she left.

“The last favor she asked for involved me walking down a long pier and jumping head first into a dry lake.”

“I heard that.”

* * *

BETH CONRAD HEARD IT, TOO. She silently slipped back to the ancient fireplace in the living room as Juliet’s footsteps started down the hallway. Yes, she’d been listening to a private conversation, but she didn’t actually have a good track record with Nick Burke. It grated her last nerve to ask him for anything. It didn’t matter that technically she wasn’t the person who was asking.

“Need some more coffee?” Juliet asked, wiping her palms across the embroidered apron. The smile on her face hid any of the anxiety that had been in her voice a few moments ago.

“No, thanks. I’m fine. Or at least I am at the moment. I’m not certain how crow tastes and might choke a little once Nick is out here.”

Juliet laughed.

“I don’t think this is a good idea, Juliet. Your son and I haven’t been the best of friends since I was transferred here. The little I’ve gotten to know about him suggests he won’t capitulate.”

“Nonsense, you don’t know each other and have only met under the most stressful situations.” She held up a hand and paused.

Beth had only met Juliet and Alan Burke a couple of weeks ago. After the disastrous operation in the mountains, Nick had driven Beth to the Alpine emergency room. Then he’d stuck around to give her a lift back to the bed-and-breakfast where she’d been staying. His parents had misunderstood his cryptic message and rushed to the hospital, thinking their son had been shot again. After a sigh of relief, they’d waited with their son and had insisted on taking her to dinner. Nick had fumed and protested the entire way to the café.

“Okay, I hear the shower running so we can really talk now,” Juliet said. “This is beneficial for you both, Beth. We’ve gone all through this.”

“Yes, ma’am. But just for the record, I protested then and I’m protesting now. Kate McCrea should never have twisted her husband’s arm to request that I reside at the ranch. He’s a Texas Ranger and technically my boss. I don’t know why she asked that I be kept on the task force, I should add.” If he hadn’t, she’d be out of the DEA and searching for a new job.

Instead she’d act like a sitting duck. A dangling carrot they hoped to lure the perpetrator into making a move against her with. Tasked with the covert job of finding ruthless informants passing information to gunrunners and drug smugglers. Honestly, acting as bait was the only skill she felt competent in providing McCrea’s task force.

And until someone nibbled the bait, they were conducting interviews and trying to covertly connect the dots.

“No one did any arm twisting. After you saved my son’s life, on top of everything that’s been happening in these mountains, no one had to tell me you were an agent. Kate just confirmed what branch of the government you worked for. She’s almost a member of our family. And I only assumed there was a task force involved. No one told me anything.” Juliet smiled and raised her eyebrows as if asking a question.

“I’m not at liberty to discuss the investigation. I won’t ever be, even if I stay here. And your family may be in danger.”

“We already are, dear. This is a risk we’re willing to take by staying and not selling to the corporations trying to buy us out. We just need to convince Nick that you should be here.” Juliet rose, lining up the coffee pot with the sugar and creamer. “I need to get those biscuits in the oven.”

“I’m completely inadequate, especially helping in the kitchen, but I’ll try.”

“You’re not inadequate, just out of your element. Now, you wait right there for my pig-headed son,” she said.

There was no way to keep from liking Nick’s parents. Especially Juliet. Her husband had been very ill for quite some time, but the woman never had a bad word or complaint. Nick was her only child and suffered from PTSD after being shot last year. His state of mind was evident to everyone who knew him—and even those who didn’t know him well.

One night together and she’d witnessed the tension, his avoiding sleep as long as possible, the slight shaking in his hands when others spoke of the cartel.

Juliet was at the swinging door to the kitchen. “I’m very concerned because my son was shot, nearly died and then almost killed a second time. I can’t bear to think about what would have happened if you hadn’t been there. We have plenty of space in this house. It makes a lot of sense for you to stay close.”

Beth took a step toward the kitchen to follow.

“No, no. You stay there and enjoy your coffee. It’ll be so nice having another woman around here. And you know, there really is a lot Nick can teach you.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” she mumbled after her hostess went through the door.

Nick Burke had been a thorn in her side since she’d arrived in Marfa, Texas. Each way she turned in this investigation, there he stood. He was thrown in her path or she was thrown in his. Even the horrid horses she’d been on had worked against her efforts to stay away from him.

Now her supervisors had arranged for her to bunk at Burke’s ranch and practically be bait wiggling on a hook. With one phone call, Ranger McCrea had assured the very people who had sent her here to fail that she had no problems. He’d told her boss that she was vital to the task force and that the firing of her weapon and subsequent death of an attempted murderer fell under his jurisdiction. The matter had been investigated and was closed.

Then he’d turned to her and said she needed to learn more about the area and enhance her riding skills.

What riding skills? She was a city girl, used to mass transit and high-rises on every corner. She’d refused to resign after her mistakes in Chicago. So as punishment, they’d sent her on an assignment she couldn’t possibly complete. The wide open spaces made her feel small and inferior. Not to mention the wild animals...or the tame ones.

Nothing could be worse than banishment to West Texas for letting her guard down.

Well, it wouldn’t happen again. There would be no hesitation. None. Ever.

She sipped her coffee, and wandered around the immaculate room. She lifted a picture of a young Nick and Kate McCrea back in high school. Was that a twinge of jealousy eking its way into her emotions? No. She wouldn’t fall for the hurt, silent cowboy no matter how compelling his story.

But it didn’t matter. She set his picture back in its spot on the writing desk. Every time he opened his mouth it was easy to push him further into a “don’t touch” category. Almost as far as she seemed to have landed on his “not worth the bother” list.

The smell of baking biscuits soon filled the air. She should offer to help in the kitchen again, but she truly was hopeless there. Her mother had tried to teach her often enough, but nothing had stuck. When setting the table she could never remember which side of the plate the knife or fork should be set. Of course, that wasn’t the reason she was here. The real reason was about six-three and didn’t want her near him...or his mother.

“Mornin’.” Nick’s greeting was anything but pleasant in tone. It was something close to—but not quite—reluctant tolerance. “How’s your arm?”

Beth gulped the last swallow of coffee and continued to stare out the window toward the mountains that looked close enough to touch. So did he—at least his reflection.

The T-shirt he wore was tight over a sculpted chest any woman would envy to be near. He pushed his arms through the sleeves of a second shirt that hid the uneven but nice work tan. His dark blue jeans were loose around his lean thighs. He needed new jeans to show off his perfection. She forced her body not to squirm in anticipation. She’d experienced exactly how muscular his legs were.

It was rude to keep her back to him. But as much as she’d tried to prepare herself for his arrival, facing him again was harder than she’d anticipated. At least she wasn’t alone. He wasn’t facing her, either.

She watched him drop his chin to his chest and rest his hands on the back of the couch that split the room from the formal dining table. It was probably a good idea to keep a large piece of furniture between them.

“Guess you’re okay if you’re up and about. I heard you needed a favor.”

That deep voice did something to her insides every time. His sexy tone seeped somewhere down her spine and made her very aware of how his breath had touched her there—and a lot of other places. She shifted and could see his reflection in the window again, seated in the side chair now, bent at the waist, pulling his boots on. Muscles rippled in his arms just like when they’d—

Whew. She couldn’t go there every time they were in the same room. But it was so easy to return to that blanket, next to the mountain fire, under a gazillion stars. His hair was wet, dripping onto his shirt. She’d seen it before. Seen just about all of him in the buff.

“That was a quick shower,” she said as if she knew how long his showers were normally.

He stamped his heel into place inside his boot as he stood. “Mom’s baking biscuits. Tends to get me out fast. Do you need something or not?”

All right, the biscuits were a priority and he hadn’t taken a quick shower just because she was waiting. That was good to know.

“Your arm is okay. Right?” he asked with a shrug.

She looked at her sleeve as if she could see through it to the deep graze she’d received when she’d been shot. A consequential wound that had made her woozy enough not to remember exactly what had transpired before she embarrassingly passed out. “Yes. It’s healing nicely.”

This boring conversation was quite different from their last. At that time, Nick had said something along the lines that she was an inept agent and he never wanted to see her again. And here she was feeling like a tossed-off girlfriend. Juliet and Kate had assured her it was necessary to convince Nick that staying here was all her idea. But the women didn’t know they’d slept together. That put an embarrassing spin on things.

Having to take the blame for staying at the Burke’s wouldn’t encourage him to believe she didn’t want a relationship. Honestly, there couldn’t be any fraternization now. She could fight it. She was a professional. This was her work environment. If she ever wanted to be transferred from this desolate area and back to the real action... Well, she needed to learn how to be successful here. She had to get along with Nick Burke.

Shooting the man holding him at gunpoint had been easier than facing him. He wasn’t smiling. And beyond all reason she still felt the attraction throughout her entire body.

He slapped his thighs, breaking her stupor.

“So what’s this favor?”

Chapter Two

“Your mother has a great sense of humor,” she began, hesitating at his quizzical expression. “She, um, volunteered your ranch as a favor for the DEA. Not really a favor for me—”

She braced for a barrage of reasons why she should leave the Burke ranch. Nick couldn’t possibly want her here. Should she fight him or let him win? No question, she had to fight him. This was the only place for her to learn what she needed. The Rocking B and Nick Burke were her last chance.

“She volunteered the ranch for what?” He fisted his hands and rested one on each hip, waiting for the answer. It didn’t take a genius to interpret the rapid pulse visible in his neck or the dread his voice didn’t disguise.

Nerves froze her in place. Even though she didn’t want to watch his reaction, she couldn’t turn away. “My headquarters.”

“Right. That’s hilarious.”

“I’m not... It’s not a joke, Nick. I need a place with easier, quicker deployment into the mountains.”

“I’m willing to help the task force find the creeps behind the smuggling. But you don’t know the first thing about a horse. How are you supposed to investigate anything?”

“That’s the favor. I need you to teach me to ride and survive in the mountains.”

“No way. There’s no way in—”

“I’ll stop you before you say something you’ll regret,” Juliet said, pushing through the swinging door at the end of the dining room. “Breakfast is ready. Beth, we eat in the kitchen unless we have company.”

“What’s she?” Nick asked.

“She’s moving in. Get over it or you know the alternative.” Nick’s mother disappeared behind the swinging door.

He crossed the room. His boots sounded heavy on the wooden floor as he headed toward her. He didn’t stop until he stood almost on top of her Jimmy Choo shoes. How he got that close without touching her, she didn’t know. And she hated that if he had touched her, she would have welcomed the intimacy.

She was literally nose to nose with him in her heels. Sometimes her near six-foot height intimidated men. Not Nick. The first time they’d kissed, he’d told her how much he enjoyed the way their bodies fit. She’d enjoyed it, too, more than she wanted to admit.

Living across the hall from him is going to be seriously difficult.

Loud music filtered from the kitchen. White noise Juliet obviously supplied so Nick could have a private conversation. The woman was very smart.

“I’m not going to help you pass the time while you’re here,” he whispered. “On a horse or anywhere else.”

“And who’s asking you to?” She wanted to retreat, to give him ground. His jaw muscles clenched, his whiskey-colored eyes burned brighter with the sun in his face. She stayed put, deliberately tipping her nose a little higher. “This is business. There’s nothing personal about asking to stay here.”

“Good, ’cause there isn’t any personal left between us. No matter how much my momma would prefer it that way and may push us together. You should have listened to me last week instead of concocting a reason to stay here.”

“You are so full of yourself.” She took a step sideways. Ready to march out the door, ready to demand another cover story and place to stay. But that was exactly what Nick wanted. “Some things are more important than our personal relationship—which I agree to be nonexistent. I listened to what you said at the sheriff’s office last week. It’s insulting and egotistical that you believe I’d want anything to do with you after that.”

“Sure doesn’t seem like you were listening. You’re here, aren’t you?”

“As of matter of fact, I looked for another place. But when it came down to choosing, the agency had the last say,” she lied. “Since you already knew I was working undercover, it made more sense to use this as my base.”

He took a step back and crossed his arms. “If that’s the only reason, I’m a fly on a horse’s ass.”

If she said that she thought he was the rump and not the fly, he’d be even more likely to request that she leave. No matter what his mother had demanded, he’d stick by what he’d said to the sheriff and be done with investigations. How in the world was she ever going to get him to open up about the shooting? That was the only reason Juliet wanted her living at the ranch. Ultimately, Beth was supposed to get him to either talk about the trauma of being shot or get him to see a shrink.

If only her parents were here. Both were well-known psychologists and that was the reason Juliet had suggested the arrangement. The only reason. It had nothing to do with a possible romantic involvement between Nick and Beth. But she couldn’t tell him that.

His strong jaw twitched with each clinch. His eyes burned into her, and she wanted to tell him the truth. Did he realize how much power he had over her when he was nice?

What if that power worked both ways? Was that what he was so worried about? If she were truthful about why his mother wanted her there...

“I like your parents. They’re so easy to talk to. Mine dissect every word I say looking for hidden meanings. They’re both psychologists.”

His eyes narrowed, suspicious of her words. As he should be. “What’s that got to do with anything?”

“Your parents want me to psycho-babble you while you teach me to ride.”

He rubbed his old wound as he had several times when around the task force. She’d barely caught a glimpse of the scars before he’d kissed her into forgetting to look. His silence wasn’t what she’d expected. First he rubbed his shoulder, then his forehead. The man was giving considerable thought to her words instead of kicking her to the curb. Or the gravel drive in this case.

“Secondhand therapy? My mom’s crazy if she thinks that will work.”

“I know, right?” Her acrylic nails clicked at her side and she immediately stopped them. She’d developed the bad habit after the addition of long hours spent alone, shunned by her fellow agents. She was nervous, but wouldn’t allow herself to show it. “I...um...would say she’s more desperate to help you. At least that’s how she appears to me.”

Nick’s forehead had deep furrows from his concentration. “Desperate? She’s desperate because of me? That’s why she issued her ultimatum.”

Where was the man who lost his temper at the slightest inconvenience? “It’s ridiculous to think I’d be of any help. I’m not a therapist.”

She could deal easier with the irate cowboy. This concerned son drew her in, encouraging her to help. Therapist or not, she knew how to deal with trauma. She’d lived it, worked through it, dealt with it daily. She probably could talk him through his nightmares. Perhaps even get him to see where therapy would be helpful. Everything she needed was bookmarked on the internet or stored on her hard drive.

Nick began pacing, looking at the ceiling, twisting bric-a-brac in circles on the mantel. “How the hell am I supposed to teach you not to fear a horse?” he mumbled, but again loud enough for anyone in the room to hear.

“Does that mean you’re going to agree?” She was bewildered. Every approach she took with Nick Burke backfired.

He nodded agreement. “Dammit.”

The music covering their conversation from his mother was suddenly quiet.

“Nick, please go get your father from the men’s quarters,” Juliet called from the kitchen, breaking up the standoff.

“Yes, ma’am,” he said loud enough for his mother to hear. He marched the couple of steps across to Beth and leaned close to her ear. “Just how do you plan on explaining to the county that you’re staying here?”

Just his breath darting across her earlobe made her quiver with anticipation. Stop! she silently cried out to her insides.

“It was suggested...” She swallowed hard, unable to state it. He’d be madder than a cross-eyed bee. Well, then, she could say it. When he was angry, it was easy not to give him the time of day. She couldn’t possibly like him more than when she’d arrived here this morning. “I’ll be posing as your girlfriend. Fiancée would be an even better cover. You’d be part of the team.”

“You’re kidding me. You want me to join their task force?”

“It’s really Cord McCrea’s suggestion. He’s in charge of trying to find the smugglers who keep using your land. Staying here was his idea. You’ll serve as the official guide or tracker...something like that. But you won’t carry a gun or anything.”

“The hell I won’t carry a gun,” he whispered emphatically. “There’s no way you really think we can pull this off. We ha—don’t even like each other.”

He’d almost said hate. Her acting ability would be pushed to the ultimate limit. First pretending not to like him when they were alone. And then making him think she was only pretending to like him when they had an audience—that part wouldn’t be acting. All the while she’d be secretly wanting to repeat everything they’d done on that mountain. It was so very confusing and she wasn’t trying to explain it to anyone but herself.

At the end of the day, she would do what was needed in order to get away from here as fast as possible.

The stubble he’d neglected to shave beckoned to her so she’d use it against him. She reached out and let her nail scrape his cheek down to the corner of his lips. He took it, staying perfectly still, his jaw twitching even more visibly.

“Why, Nick,” she said half closing her eyes and looking only at his lips. “We don’t have to like each other to have fun while stuck in this situation.”

His hand raised and she was prepared for him to push her away. Instead, he wrapped it softly around hers and drew the tip of her finger between his lips. His thumb drew circles on her palm and his breathing changed—or was it hers that hitched in her chest? She tugged her hand back, yet his mouth held on to its prey. She wanted to haul those lips against hers faster than a speeding bullet.

The feeling frightened her more than potentially making a fool of herself did.

Keeping cool and not reacting further was one of the hardest things she’d ever done. She could be proud of herself for not succumbing to his sexiness.

“That’s the only logical thing you’ve said since I met you.” He dropped her hand and strutted away.

The door didn’t exactly slam behind him, but he didn’t bother to hide the cursing as he stomped down the porch steps. Nick’s feet hit the gravel on the drive and he let out a growl loud enough to be heard through the window.

“That’s exactly what I said,” she whispered to his retreating image.

“Did he ask about your cover story?” Juliet popped in from the kitchen and Beth had to pull her gaze away from Nick kicking a rock into the barnyard.

She nodded and faced her hostess, her body feeling the rebuff as much as her mind. “This is never going to work.”

“Oh, yes, it will,” Juliet answered before letting the door swing shut as she retreated into the kitchen. “I’ve left him no choice.”

There was an extra gleam in Juliet’s eyes. And for some strange reason, Beth had the feeling that she’d just been taken to the cleaners by a professional con artist.

“Staying here might well be worse than banishment.”

Chapter Three

Back in Chicago, Beth began every day in the gym. No exceptions. Her trainer worked her hard and kept her body humming. But mucking stalls and moving hay bales attacked muscles she’d never known existed.

“How do you do this every day?” she asked Juliet and Alan as she creaked to a halt, leaning on the back of a kitchen chair.

“I cook, dear. The only outside muck I come into contact with is the manure for my garden.”

“Speaking of which, don’t you need some around your corn, honey?” Alan asked.

“Don’t you even suggest this poor thing bring any to my garden. You know we don’t work on it during the winter. Now, out with you, Ronald Alan Burke. Go. Shoo.”

“This will tide me over until lunch.” Alan patted Juliet on the bottom and scooped up a leftover breakfast biscuit with his other hand. “You’ve done a good job, Beth. Thanks for helping out since Nick took off to the mountains yesterday.”

“Not a problem. Like you said, everybody needs to chip in.”

Alan left and Beth should have followed, but she was so tired from yesterday and the couple of hours she’d worked that morning, she didn’t think her feet would actually move.

“You should get cleaned up, Beth. Kate phoned and she wants you to meet her at the café. She’s going to Alpine and thought you might need some things.”

“Shopping? I’m not sure I can stand up long enough.”

“Come on, dear. Nick can’t teach you to ride in designer heels, and you can’t continue to borrow his two sizes too big boots.”

“You want me to buy cowboy boots? What will I ever do with them when I get home?”

“And jeans and a good sturdy coat.” Juliet looked down at the extra-large overalls hanging on Beth’s thin frame. “You never know when the weather’s going to change.”

“I have five coats back home.” Beth sighed at trying to fit another overcoat into her already overstuffed tiny front hall closet.

“We’re expecting the first cold front soon. Do you want to chance it?”

“No, ma’am. I’ll get cleaned up.”

The shower had made her feel human again, along with some serious stretching. She felt even more herself slipping into her Jimmy Choo shoes, then jumping behind the wheel. She loved driving the ranch’s Jeep. The top was off, the seats faded and mud all over the body, but it was the neatest car. The cool air from outside mixed with the blasting heater at her feet. She just felt...free.

Maybe she should get something like this when she got back to Chicago. Carroll and Elizabeth would kill her. It would be impractical and get horrible gas mileage in the city. But she didn’t care.

Then again, sitting in traffic she’d be choking from the other cars’ exhaust. No, she’d just enjoy the fresh air while she could here in Texas.

Parking at the café/gas station, she saw Kate McCrea wave from just inside the window. Her new friend gestured for her to come inside, but didn’t sit at the empty tables near the entrance. Instead, Beth followed her to the back corner booth. Cord McCrea pulled up a chair with one hand and balanced his son with the other. The remaining seat left her with her back to the door.

Exposed.

Knowing she could trust the Texas Ranger to warn her of impending danger, she sat and didn’t ask to move. She couldn’t complain to him or make a suggestion that he not sit with his wife. He was the boss and he’d placed himself against the wall.

In more ways than one. He was depending on her when no one else would.

Beth had only admiration for the man who’d pulled some strings to get her assigned to his three-man task force. In his shoes, she would have acted much differently. He and Kate had plenty of reasons not to want to be in the open, either. They had a long history with the cartel that included tragedy and victory over a vicious murderer just a year before. They’d divorced, remarried and now had a child. She understood exactly why he didn’t expose his back to the room.

“Thanks for the invite, Kate. Juliet assured me you’d know everything I needed to get for an extended stay.” She tapped her nails on the tabletop and quickly covered them with her other hand to keep them still.

“Oh, it’s entirely my pleasure. Do you want some tea or something?” Kate didn’t wait. She waved at Brandie and raised her own glass. “Add another iced tea to our bill, please.”

“You aren’t ready to leave?” Beth asked, eager to escape the peering eyes of Marfa citizens breaking for lunch.

“Believe me, I’m so ready. But we’re waiting for Pete and Andrea. They’re staying at the house and babysitting Danver. Cord and I have been called to Lubbock for a couple of days. We’re flying there when we get back.” She leaned across the table and brushed her son’s full head of soft hair.

“Keep your voice down, Kate. You don’t know who’s going to overhear,” Cord said, giving the entire room another look and landing on the mechanic leaning in the archway to the gas station.

Beth cringed at the thought of facing Andrea. The sheriff’s girlfriend had no reason to trust her abilities. Her inadequacy with horses had put Andrea in danger and was yet another reason Beth needed to learn how to ride.

“I’m glad you thought about me for a shopping trip.” Beth searched the occupants, too, giving the mechanic a closer look. He seemed too alert, watching his surroundings constantly. Almost like she paid attention to details and her surroundings. A well-toned body was hidden under his coveralls. He wiped his hands as if he was used to grease under his nails. Cord watched him for a couple of minutes, raised an eyebrow and the man left.

“You’re the perfect excuse to take off for the afternoon,” Kate continued, smiling at her husband. “Just girls. Baby and husband free for the first time in months. Cord only trusts me to be out with someone licensed to carry.”

“I’ve got a good reason for keeping you close,” the Ranger mumbled before turning to Beth. “You do have your weapon, right?”

“Yes, sir.”

Kate ignored Beth’s response and her husband’s question, for that matter. “Shopping over the internet and in downtown Marfa’s just not the same as trying on clothes. And especially picking out things for someone else.”

“Where can you buy clothes here?” Beth lowered her voice so the rest of the café wouldn’t think she was complaining. If her cover was going to work, she had to make them think she actually liked their small town. “The commercial part of Marfa is about the same size of one block in downtown Chicago. Comparing the two just depresses me. Sorry, I know this is your home.”

“Not a problem. We know it’s a culture shock for most. I attended school in Austin. Cord’s originally from Dallas. Believe me, sometimes I really miss the convenience of a department store just a few minutes away.”

The bell above the door rang and Andrea entered, the sheriff at her side. Kate waved and called the couple over. Beth wanted to tap “Jingle Bells” with her nails, she was so nervous.

The last time she’d seen Pete Morrison, he’d been fanatically expressing his opposition to her being kept on the task force—agreeing with everything Nick said. Of course, she hadn’t been an asset rescuing Andrea from the gunrunners. She’d lost control of her horse, which had forced Nick to leave the group to rescue her.

The two couples shared pleasantries and Andrea sat next to her. While Kate invited Andrea to join them in Alpine, Beth could just nod and smile.

“Would you two want anything?” Brandie asked, handing Beth the iced tea.

“You should take the afternoon off and come with us, Brandie,” she said. Then the conversation couldn’t be about all her screwups.

“Sorry, I’d love to get some Christmas shopping done, but I’ve already sent the extra help home.”

Rotten luck. Now it was inevitable that the afternoon girl talk would include men. The two women might even be bold enough to ask about her night in the mountains with Nick. She wouldn’t trade their night together, but the circumstances leading to it were consistently embarrassing.

Evade, tell the truth or lie? Three options she wasn’t looking forward to. Before she could dwell on a decision, the ladies stood, handed off baby stuff—including the baby Andrea now held—and were ready to leave.

Both women knew she worked undercover and both knew she was locating herself at the ranch as bait. But she still couldn’t let down her guard. She needed the shopping trip, but she needed to prove her abilities at the same time. From downtown Marfa, it was a thirty-five minute ride, straight highway with no traffic. She could keep things casual that long.

“Cord wants you to be on your toes. Both of you, of course,” Kate stated once they were on the road. “Having a conversation with both law enforcement entities should clue whoever’s watching exactly which side you’re on, Beth. Bait the hook, so to speak.”

“I figured.”

“A day off from hiding while you’re here in Marfa should be nice,” Kate said.

“Or hiding that I prefer city life in Chicago.” She couldn’t forget that she didn’t belong here. “My muscles are shouting with joy that they’re going shopping.”

“I’m done with cities. I love the stars too much,” Andrea said.

Beth was having an honest conversation she couldn’t afford to have at the ranch, even when she thought Juliet was the only person within earshot. The task force didn’t know who supplied information to the cartel. All the workers on the Rocking B had to be treated like suspects. As did almost all the residents of the county.

“You know,” she said, leaning back against the seat and stretching, “this is terrific. I’m in such a good mood. Nothing is going to stop me from feeling great. Not even Nick’s running away.”

Kate and Andrea looked at her from the front seat.

Oops. She hadn’t meant to be that relaxed this afternoon. Should she have told the task-force team while they were sitting in the café? Yes. Instead she’d shared it with their significant others just a few moments later.

“Nick ran away?” Andrea asked, laughing. “That’s hilarious. Are you sure his horse wasn’t frightened?”

“Andrea, don’t make me referee. I haven’t been out in almost a year.” Kate was calm and firm.

“Okay, I’ll take the one hit that I don’t deserve. I told everyone up-front that I don’t ride a horse, but I do apologize for missing out on all the fun that happened while I was in the mountains.”

“If you’re talking about all the fun of being abducted, you didn’t miss much.” Andrea was still understandably upset. “I don’t know Nick very well, but I can’t blame him for not wanting to get involved further. Not after being shot last year and then almost shot a second time. I don’t want Pete to face any of those murderers again, but there’s no way around it. He’s the sheriff.”

“I know Nick very well.” Kate caught Beth’s curious gaze in the rearview mirror. “He’ll be back.”

If she pretended not to have an opinion, maybe the subject would change without her admitting anything. She’d seen Nick’s bravery up close. She was the reason he’d been caught and held at gunpoint. He was probably out there right now looking for signs of the cartel traveling across his land.

“Nick’s okay. He’s just stubborn,” she finally said.

Kate lifted her wheat-blond hair off her neck. “Cord forced this on him and he’s rebelling.”

“From what Pete tells me, you should know. Isn’t he an old boyfriend?” Andrea asked.

Boyfriend? That must be a bit awkward for Nick. And a small detail Kate and Juliet had left out of their proposition. The awkward conversation was definitely revealing.

“I’ve known him since we were children. Nick was never my boyfriend, no matter how much everyone believes it.” Her eyes looked only into the mirror, connecting with Beth’s a second time. “Should you talk about this with the guys? You can call as soon as we get to Alpine.”

“His parents assured me he rides off for two or three days at a time and that he should be back tomorrow.” He’d better be back tomorrow. Her agency had extended her involvement, but only for a few weeks, whether part of a task force or not.

“You can help him with that, right? Help with the running away?” Kate hinted at Nick’s PTSD symptoms. “With you at the ranch, he has a reason not to run into the mountains when he’s upset.”

Kate looked and sounded genuinely concerned for Nick’s well-being. Andrea looked confused by the conversation. And Beth found herself unable or unwilling to lie or evade.

“Well, I might actually be what he’s upset about this time. He left right after I told him your idea for my cover.”

“He didn’t like the idea? I thought you guys were...well, you know,” Kate hedged.

“Sleeping together.” Andrea didn’t mince words. “What was Kate’s idea?”

“We’re keeping it professional, thank you.” Or would they? Could she keep straight when they were supposed to like each other and when they weren’t? Could Nick do that?

“Seriously, what was Kate’s idea?” Andrea asked again.

Ignore. She could ignore this topic. She didn’t have to confirm or deny anything.

“That she’s his former college girlfriend here for an extended stay,” Kate answered. She looked to Beth. “I still think you need to tell Cord about this development.”

“I promise if Nick’s not back tomorrow, one of the hands will help me find him.” Beth wished she could speak with confidence. But she had none.

“I’d pay to see you back on a horse.”

“Come on, Andrea. Let it go.” Kate quirked a well-shaped eyebrow that reflected in the mirror. “Finding him is easier said than done. Even I couldn’t find him if he doesn’t want to be found.”

Kate had been born in Marfa and knew the area like the back of her hand. If she couldn’t find Nick, what chance did Beth have? And Andrea was correct. There was no way she could get on a horse. But she certainly could try.

Andrea peeked around the headrest. “I’m done razzing you, Beth. I honestly wish you luck finding the smugglers in those mountains. No offense.”

“Juliet said I need a new wardrobe. I hope you know where to go, Kate.” Beth nodded and the subject was officially changed.

“We’re headed straight there.”

Beth had less certainty she could accomplish her mission. Mucking stalls and feeding animals was building her cover, but it wasn’t teaching her the essentials she’d need to track down a stash of guns or drugs. She had to accomplish that in less than two weeks or she wouldn’t be returning as an agent—to the Chicago office or any DEA office, for that matter.

She heard her chipped nails clicking against the hard plastic of the door and immediately clasped her hands. The nervous habit irritated her when it occurred. She absolutely hated the way they looked and felt after all the barn work. “Do either of you have a favorite salon? My nails need some help.”

Andrea and Kate looked at each other and both of them said, “Okay.” Did they think she was crazy for wanting nice nails? Then they giggled like teenagers and held up their polished tips.

“Call and see if Sonya can get her in this afternoon,” Kate said. “You’ll love her. She’s the best in Alpine.” Even with the thought of her nails looking their best again, her mood turned sour. It seemed there was one thing—or man—who could dampen her beautiful day. The missing Nick Burke.

Chapter Four

Nick had successfully avoided seeing Beth for two days. After the ejection ultimatum from his mother, and confirmation of it from his father, he’d taken her suitcases into the guest room. Then he’d put his gear into saddlebags and hightailed it into the mountains to look for wayward heifers.

On horseback. A sure place Beth Conrad wouldn’t follow. It hadn’t stopped her from calling or texting, though, so he’d shut off his phone. He’d slept under the stars to clear his head. A fat lot of good that had done him. Every time he looked up at the night sky he remembered making love to Beth. At least the nightmares had been replaced with sensual dreams.

The woman had a kiss that lasted all night long. Just the memory of it got his blood pumping. He didn’t know which nightmare was worse—a faceless man with a gun or a beautiful face with a shapely body. One he’d never be able to confront and the other even living with her, he’d never confront honestly.

No matter how confusing, the open air had been good. He hadn’t seen signs of any smugglers or the heifers. He’d checked all the box canyons, the cabin and had just ridden randomly to any place smugglers could be squatting on his land.

Not again. He wouldn’t allow the Mexican cartel or anyone else to operate from his ranch.

That was a laugh. He couldn’t monitor thousands of acres on his own. Maybe not, but he could slow them down by finding the person helping them on this side of the border. And that started by cooperating with McCrea’s task force...and Beth.

He’d watched the sun rise over his land, replacing the darkness. By the time it warmed his face on the second morning, he’d come to the conclusion it was better to cooperate or capitulate. He’d thought long and hard about his parents. His dad’s cancer and remission should have been enough stress for them both. Add Nick’s recovery from getting shot. Yeah, that was a lot for his mom to take on.

Until Beth’s arrival at the house, he hadn’t thought twice about how his actions were affecting his mother. If Beth wanted to help him through a couple of nightmares, then he could talk about it for his mom’s sake. If Beth wanted to fake an engagement with him, then he’d take as much as she wanted to share.

What was he fighting? The magnetism that was full-blown between them from day one? Or that McCrea had mentioned he’d been there to track smugglers not a beautiful woman?

That’s exactly what he was fighting. He’d rescued her from a runaway horse instead of tracking the smugglers. She’d fallen into his arms and then into a cistern of water.

Stuck together, neither of them had held back. Then on their way home, McCrea’s words echoed in his head. Had it been real attraction or defiance against a man who rubbed him the wrong way. He couldn’t have a conversation with Beth without a major disagreement. They just didn’t get along...except in each other’s arms.

Whatever. He didn’t have to agree with her in order to make his mom feel better.

His quarter horse tossed his head and whinnied. Nick reined to a stop and patted the animal’s neck, keeping him quiet. He could hear movement up ahead on the trail. Which was it this time—those two-year-old heifers or drug smugglers?

He jumped to the ground, pulled his rifle and led his horse up an incline. Better to be overly cautious than dead. He’d given his word to his parents that he’d report criminal activity and not try to confront the criminals on his own.

No cell reception. Not until he reached the next ridge. He’d been out here so much he didn’t need to check. Whoever was approaching, Nick was on his own. He secured the reins to a sturdy bush, got a good handhold and pulled himself to the top of a boulder.

One man dressed in an army jacket and blue ball cap was casually riding a black horse up the trail. Nick cursed and hated the circumstances that made him assume the man worked for the cartel. But if the guy didn’t, he was trespassing.

Wait. Weapons. Lots of them.

No question. They were back. Probably using the same box canyon as always, moving in after he’d ridden past earlier. He was a good half day’s ride from the ranch and wouldn’t be able to get anyone here in time. But he’d call McCrea and keep his word to his parents.

Right after he extracted some information from the guy riding toward him.

His body tensed with anticipation, waiting. Having been shot in the back, he’d never faced his opponent. He hadn’t been needed to testify. Kate’s testimony had put Mac Caudwell in prison. The cartel had snuffed out his life after only a few days.

Mac had never said why he’d been ordered to pull the trigger. Nick hadn’t faced him, but he faced not knowing the reason every day. It drove him to the mountains too often to look for an answer that would probably never come.

This time his opponent had a face. This time the fear wore a blue ball cap and was nearly under the boulder. Nick had jumped onto the back of a horse once when he was younger. He hadn’t been able to sit comfortably for a week. It was a good twelve feet to the rocky path below.

This is gonna hurt.

He jumped, hitting the trespasser square in the shoulders and taking him to the ground. The horse bolted. The other guy took the brunt of the landing, sparing Nick’s limbs, but it didn’t slow either man down. He flipped to his back, sending Nick rolling, and was quickly on top of him cursing in Spanish.

“Who do you work for?” Nick grunted out between a punch to his side and a kick to his thigh. He managed to shove the attacker and scramble to his knees.

“No habla ingles,” the man gritted out after Nick landed a right to his jaw.

“That’s funny.” They rolled, exchanging places again. “You sound more Texan than I do.”

The man smiled wide, swinging and missing. Now on his back, Nick bent a leg and kicked out with his boot. He tried to stand but the man jerked him back by the collar, pulling Nick hard enough to send him headfirst over the edge of the path.

The back of his skull smashed into a rock or tree root as he alternately rolled and slid. He dragged his body to a stop in time to see the man on horseback ready to bolt, no doubt back to his compadres. On Nick’s horse.

“See you later, gringo.” His yellowed teeth showed lots of ugly as he dropped Nick’s cell off the cliff and left him on foot.

Nick relaxed and took some deep breaths. Not only would he have a hell of a headache, he’d also never live it down if he walked all the way back to the ranch. He’d be teased from now till he was gray and rocking on his porch. Especially by Beth.

No phone. Alone. On foot. He could still find out where the bastards were and what they had with them this time. He was a determined tracker and wouldn’t give up until he found them.

Ironically, the man who’d shot him in the back and nearly killed him was the same man who had taught him how to track as a teenager. The same man who had betrayed them all and claimed he wasn’t the only ranch hand working for the cartel.

Could Beth’s secondhand knowledge help him learn to trust again? He doubted it. But if she could get the nightmares to stop so his mom wasn’t frightened any longer, that would be enough reason to help her learn to ride a horse.

On the plus side, if Beth wanted to pretend to be romantically involved... Holding a good-looking woman in his arms wasn’t a bad thing. Might be nice. Having one who knew and believed in the no-strings attached clause was even better. Hell, he could pretend to be working on his next broken heart just as much as she could.

His back was stiffer from sleeping on the hard ground than after the bullet last year. Almost a full year. He shook off the building dread.

The trail wasn’t difficult to follow. It led straight to the canyon. He shimmied on his belly until he got to the rim, keeping hidden behind scrub. He spotted his stallion off in the far corner. And there they were.

They hadn’t bothered camouflaging anything. Three men, one wearing a blue ball cap, stood around a couple of ATVs with small satchels attached.

Money this time? Had to be since there wasn’t much cargo. Money would be used to purchase guns that would be sent back to Mexico. Two men guarded an ancient-looking helicopter, rifles pointed to the edge of the cliffs, waiting and ready to open fire.

They used the helicopter to fly low through the mountains, loaded the money onto the ATVs and met up with someone else who got on the highway and away from their county as fast as possible. The rest of the distribution process wasn’t complicated. They found legit citizens who still had relatives in Mexico, threaten them with harm until they bought the guns and gave them back.

Nick had done his research. It seemed an endless cycle that no one could stop. Too big to tackle. He wanted to charge down the cliff and attack. Then what? He needed his horse and wouldn’t be in this situation if he’d kept his word to his parents.

He sat tight until both the ATVs started and took off. Minutes later, the chopper warmed up and did the same. Time for Nick to go.

Those men had rifles and could pick him off if they caught him in the open. He scrambled under the brush, praying his luck would improve and the chopper would head the opposite direction. When he couldn’t hear the echoes any longer, he zigzagged down the path and retrieved his horse.

“At least I’m not walking, but we still have a long way to go, pal.”

He didn’t know how the law would get rid of any part of this operation. But he did know he had to try harder to help. There were two things he could do. The first was to get home and teach Beth to ride. The second was to have Beth teach him to fight more effectively. He’d seen her hold her own.

He might even enjoy the close contact lessons. Who was he kidding? He’d make certain they both enjoyed those lessons. How had she put it? We don’t have to like each other to have fun with this situation.

Exactly. It was about time he had some fun.