Cattleman's Honor. Pamela Toth

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СКАЧАТЬ steal him, if that’s what you’re thinking,” she replied defensively, ignoring her sudden attack of jealousy over her new pet’s defection. “I got Monty from the vet. He needed a home, and Doc Harmon said he’s got too many dogs already.”

      “What are you going to do about him when you leave?” Winchester asked as he removed his hat and ran his fingers through his black hair.

      “Doc Harmon?” She barely knew the man.

      “No, the dog. I’ll take him, if you want. We can always make room for one more at the ranch.”

      First her land and now her dog? What was it with this man? Next he’d be angling after her firstborn. Emily lifted her chin and braced her hands on her hips. “Who said anything about leaving?” she asked in her chilliest voice. “I happen to like it here.”

      Winchester glanced around them with a speculative expression. “You planning on ranching your twenty acres?” His tone indicated that her property was too small for anything bigger than a pea patch.

      “I may,” she retorted. “Not that it’s any of your business.” She’d actually considered buying some sheep, but she no longer had to explain her every action to some man. Let Mr. Hotshot Cattle Rancher think what he liked.

      He made a sweeping gesture with his hand. “My property surrounds you on three sides. Everything that goes on around here is my business.”

      What arrogance! Emily forced herself to saunter over to where he stood with her dog. She would have liked to call Monty back to her side, but it would be too embarrassing if the collie chose to ignore her.

      She wished Winchester didn’t tower over her by a head, but she refused to let his greater height and the width of his shoulders intimidate her. She was through knuckling under to anyone, and she’d go toe-to-toe or nose-to-nose to hang on to what was hers. This man might make her nervous, but he’d never know it.

      “I think you’d better leave.” She snapped her fingers at Monty, who ducked his head and slunk to her side.

      “Not before you name your price,” her neighbor insisted with a gleam in his eye, as though they were sharing a joke.

      “A million dollars!” Emily said rashly.

      His amusement faded like a light winking out. “You’re kidding, right?”

      “No,” she said. “I’m not. Take it or leave it.”

      “I’ll leave it. Let me know when you’ve come to your senses.” Letting his gaze sweep over her one last time, he jammed his hat back on his head and spun on his heel.

      Emily watched him climb into his truck, ignoring the way his jeans molded themselves to his masculine contours. “Don’t hold your breath,” she called out childishly, arms folded.

      He looked down at her from the open window. “You’ll sell.”

      His confident tone sent a shiver of foreboding down Emily’s spine. How far was this man willing to go to get what he wanted?

      Chapter Three

      “How’s the land grab going?” Charlie Winchester asked Adam as Travis turned a snort of laughter into a cough that he buried in his fist.

      Usually the three brothers worked different parts of the sprawling ranch, each leading his own group of men, but a small bunch of cattle needed moving closer in, so Adam had recruited the other two and a couple of the dogs to ride out with him this morning. Preparation for spring roundup had kept them all too busy for more than the most perfunctory conversation during the past couple of weeks, and this was the kind of day that made a man thankful to work outdoors. The sky above was as blue as Arizona turquoise, and the swaying grasses were dotted with early wildflowers.

      Adam’s saddle creaked as he turned to look at Charlie. “We’re buying the Johnson place, not stealing it,” Adam said mildly, refusing to let his youngest brother’s comment spoil his mood. “The current owner wants to dicker a little before she lets go, but we’ll have what we need in the end.”

      He still didn’t know why Emily Major had bought Johnson’s place, but he wasn’t about to let that stop him. He realized uneasily that he was actually looking forward to their next sparring match. She was attractive, and his blood was still red, even if he didn’t have what it took to hang on to a woman he cared about. He had no intention of getting involved.

      “So the rumors are all true,” Charlie said. “Johnson sold out to a woman from the left coast. What I don’t understand is why he didn’t talk to us first. He must have known we’d top anyone else’s offer.”

      “He was a reclusive old man,” Adam replied as he spotted a few head of cattle. When they saw the approaching riders, they bunched together, their calves bawling nervously. “Maybe he was getting senile, too. Who knows? It’s not important. She’ll sell.”

      “Adam will charm her,” Charlie told Travis with a broad wink he didn’t bother to conceal from his eldest brother. “By the time he’s done with the sweet-talk, she won’t know what hit her.”

      Travis glanced at Adam. “If charm is what’s needed, maybe I’d better take over,” he said to Charlie behind his gloved hand. “When it comes to dealing with the ladies, our big brother’s a little rusty.”

      “You’re a married man,” Charlie reminded him. “Rory would hand you your head if you ever looked at anyone else.” His dimples flashed as he made a mock bow. “I, on the other hand, am presently unattached.”

      “What happened to that nurse you were seeing?” Adam demanded. The pretty brunette had been on Charlie’s arm so often lately, she might have been stuck there with Velcro. “I thought you two were getting serious.”

      “Hey, this is Charlie we’re talking about.” Travis’s voice danced with humor. “When have you known him to be serious about anything?”

      An expression that could have been hurt crossed Charlie’s face, quickly replaced by his usual cocky grin. “She started dropping hints about a ring and a future together,” he explained with a shrug. “I figured it was time for a clean break.”

      “You should think about settling down,” Travis told him. “Marriage to the right woman beats single hands-down.”

      “Yeah, but Rory’s already married,” Charlie replied with exaggerated petulance, “and you won’t share.”

      “Damn right,” Travis agreed. “You had your chance with her.”

      Five years before, Charlie had decided that Travis needed some help in the romance department, so he located Rory through a pen pal service and persuaded her to come out from New York for a visit. The day of her arrival, Charlie disappeared, leaving Travis to deal with her. By the time Charlie came back, Travis had fallen for her just as his younger brother had planned all along.

      Until Charlie managed to convince Travis that he’d never intended her for himself, relations had been strained, to say the least. Ever since then, Charlie had taken full credit for finding his brother a bride, much to Travis’s annoyance and Adam’s unease. Charlie had been warned he’d spend six months in a line shack with only the herd for company if he even thought about pulling a similar trick СКАЧАТЬ