Midnight Faith. Gena Dalton

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СКАЧАТЬ she had bent enough to go to Mexico with John, his brother would be alive today. And he, Clint, would still have one of his brothers, at least, by his side every day.

      “Why don’t you get a life, Cait? You ought to be back in Chicago by now.”

      Her big dark eyes flashed.

      “I’d never presume to tell you to get a life, Clint.”

      She glanced around the empty arena.

      “But then, maybe that’s because you already have one. Riding colts alone in the middle of the night must be a thrill a minute.”

      Hot fury sliced at his gut. Was it because she still attracted him so much, even when she was making fun of him? Even when he knew she hadn’t done right by John?

      The black shifted beneath him and tried to drop his head, but Clint wouldn’t let him. He gave Cait a hard stare while the horse stepped to the left, then back to the right.

      “You appear to be out alone in the middle of the night, yourself, Cait.”

      “I got a late start from Tulsa.”

      “They celebrate Christmas in Tulsa, too, last I heard.”

      Her eyes, black as her hair, sparked with fire.

      “Your mother invited me, Clint. This is her ranch. Bobbie Ann can invite anyone she wants for Christmas.”

      “It’s my ranch, too.”

      “And that is exactly the reason I’m interrupting your night ride,” she said, looking at his horse instead of him as the black danced sideways. “To ask you, the co-owner and general manager, where I should unload my horses.”

      She stared at the colt for a minute, then met Clint’s gaze again. He clenched his jaw so hard he could hardly speak. One reason Cait had always irritated him so was that she had no end of nerve.

      “Your horses,” he repeated flatly.

      “Yes.”

      “How many head?”

      “Seven.”

      What in the name of good sense was she doing dragging seven head of horses in here?

      “I know you don’t want to miss any of the McMahan festivities,” he said sarcastically, “but it’s early yet. So why don’t we do it this way? You take a run on over to Roy’s and unload his horses and we’ll hold up on the eggnog until you get back. How’s that?”

      “These aren’t Roy’s horses.”

      He stared at her, trying to figure out what she was up to and steady the colt at the same time. All he needed now was to fool around and let the black throw him right in front of her.

      “Then whose are they?”

      “Mine.”

      He stared at her some more. She was so full of life and so full of confidence. Not once did she smile or try to charm him into giving permission, as another woman might have done.

      “Did Bobbie Ann invite you for Christmas or for the rest of your life?”

      “Roy’s not going to let an assistant trainer keep any personal horses over there, much less seven head,” she said, so reasonably that he wanted to punch something. “You know that.”

      His blood ran cold, then hot, with anger.

      “Are you telling me that you just drove to Tulsa and bought seven head of horses that you’re fixing to keep here? On the Rocking M?”

      He bit his tongue to hold back the rest of the words that leapt to it. He ought to go ahead and tell her to haul them on out of here, but he didn’t. Never had he ever known anyone, man or woman, who had this much sand.

      She looked up at him with an expression he couldn’t quite read.

      “Yes.”

      “How long do you want to leave ’em?”

      She shrugged her beautifully square shoulders, tilted her head to the side and he saw once again what every man always saw: Caitlin McMahan wasn’t really what you’d call beautiful, but she was one magnificent woman. Already. And she was barely past being a girl.

      “I’ll be straight with you, Clint,” she said, unnecessarily. “I want to leave ’em indefinitely. I told Bobbie Ann not to say anything because I wanted to tell you myself.”

      Tell you. Not ask you. That was Cait.

      He stood in the stirrup and stepped down off the black. Whatever she was up to, he’d better give it his full attention. This could affect him for a long time to come.

      Without another word he led the colt toward the gate. Sure enough, Cait met him there. She walked at the colt’s other shoulder as they headed for the saddling bay.

      “I’m starting a riding school,” she said.

      That was Cait, again. Not “wanting to” or “planning to,” but doing it. She wasn’t asking permission, either.

      “On the Rocking M,” he said.

      His tongue was thickening with fury. His blood thundered with it. She’d be hanging around, here in plain sight, all the time.

      She read his mind.

      “I’ll only be here a couple of hours in the evenings,” she said. “I won’t interfere with your trainers or anybody else using your facilities.”

      He tied the colt and began uncinching the saddle. He paused to glare at her.

      “They have amateurs that come to ride in the evenings,” he snapped.

      Why’d she have to get this insane idea in the first place? Why couldn’t she just stay away from the Rocking M the way she’d been doing?

      “I know,” she said. “But I’ll only be here in the late afternoons and I’ll use the old outdoor pen.”

      “Give me a break, Cait,” he interrupted. “Ask my permission, at least.”

      She flashed those eyes at him again.

      “I don’t have to, Clint,” she said. “I have every right to be here.”

      “Don’t start telling me you inherited part of this ranch from John,” he said harshly. “It’s bad enough you’re spending his blood money.”

      She stiffened.

      “You know he’d still be alive if you’d gone with him,” he blurted. “With his wife there to protect, he’d never have taken any chances.”

      Cait stepped right up and got in his face.

      “Watch your mouth,” she growled, her eyes bright with fury. СКАЧАТЬ