Operation: Midnight Cowboy

“Doesn’t look that bad out here turns dry creeks into raging rapids and can wash out bridges.”

“Look, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize it was so late.”

He glanced at the Beretta in her hand and the sweat on his back went cold. Coward, a little voice chanted. Big bad sharpshooter afraid to look at a teeny little handgun….

“Why are you so angry?” she asked.

“I’m angry because there are rules,” he snapped.

She choked back a sound of exasperation. “What rules?”

“This is rugged and isolated country, Rachael. When you go off somewhere, you tell someone. You tell them where you’re going and when you’ll be back and you stick to the plan.”

“I told both you and Pauline where I was going.”

“You didn’t show up when you told us you would!”

“I said I lost track of time.”

He jabbed her shoulder with his finger, eliciting a flash of anger in her eyes. “Out here, losing track of time can get you killed.”

She rolled her eyes. “Now you and Cutter both are overreacting.”

Bo could feel his teeth grinding. His heart pounding against his ribs. Unreasonable anger pushing him in a direction he did not want to take. “If that’s what you think, you’re a bigger fool than either of us imagined.”

Her mouth tightened. Stepping toward him, she jabbed a finger into the center of his chest hard enough to send him back a step. “Let’s get one thing straight right now, Ruskin. I don’t answer to you. This ranch is the last place I want to be. The only reason I’m here is because Sean Cutter forced me.”

He brushed her finger away. “Yeah, well, here’s a newsflash for you, slick. I’m not going to let you get yourself killed on my watch. You got that?”

RACHAEL STARED into his icy-blue eyes. Anger surged with every beat of her heart. But in addition to being royally ticked off by his attitude, she was also baffled. Bo Ruskin didn’t seem like the kind of man to overreact. In fact, if she weren’t mistaken, his hands were shaking. Was he that worried about her safety? Had she given him a bigger scare than she’d initially thought? Or was there something else going on she didn’t know about?

The skies chose that moment to open up. The deluge of cold water was so sudden and forceful that it took her breath away. Wearing only a sweatshirt and jeans, she was soaked instantly.

“Come on!” Bo shouted to be heard above the hard rush of rain.

“I’ve got the ATV,” she shouted back.

“Won’t make it through Nickel Creek.”

“But it’ll be ruined, won’t it?”

“It’ll be fine until the morning.” He motioned toward the ridge. “My horse is there. Let’s get out of here before that creek floods.”

Surprise rippled through her when he took her hand. His hand was large and encompassed hers completely. Rachael got the impression of calluses and strength, but those elements were buffered by warmth and a gentle touch she hadn’t expected.

Rain and wind pelted them as they dashed up the incline. At the top she caught a glimpse of a spotted horse tied to a bushy pine. Jake strode to the horse, then turned to her. “Get on and slide back.”

“You’re going to walk?”

Rain dripped from the rim of his hat. “We’re both going to ride. Now get on before we get stranded.”

Rachael stepped up to the horse and put her foot in the stirrup. The next thing she knew strong arms shoved her up and onto the saddle.

“Slide back.”

Blinking rain from her eyes, she did as she was told. In a single, graceful movement, Bo swung onto the horse and into the saddle in front of her. “Hang on to me,” he shouted.

Rachael set her hands lightly on his sides. She got the impression of hard male flesh. Before her brain could process that, the horse bolted into a gallop. She rocked back. Off balance, she grabbed for Bo and put her arms securely around his waist.

The horse took them into a ravine. When Rachael had crossed it an hour ago, the creek had been dry. Now, a foot of muddy water crashed over river rock and sandstone, carrying branches and small debris on a wild ride through the ravine. The horse splashed through the current without a problem.

At the top of the ravine, Bo put the horse into a gallop. Rachael had never felt a horse move like that before. She could feel the animal’s muscles flexing beneath her, and the awesome athletic power rendered her awestruck. Even though they moved at a blinding speed, not once did she feel as if she were in danger of falling.

In front of her Bo rode as if he were an extension of the horse. His body was like steel against hers. Rachael could feel his abdominal muscles tense and flex as he moved with the animal.

“Why are we going so fast?” she shouted to be heard above the wind and rain.

“See those greenish thunderheads to the north? We got hail coming.”

From the northeastern U.S., Rachael had never seen hail as a dangerous weather phenomenon. The worst she’d ever seen was marble-sized balls of ice. “What’s the big deal about hail?”

Bo’s laugh carried over the roar of wind. “We get softball-sized hail regularly this time of year. You get hit in the head and you won’t be getting up. I lost a couple head of livestock that way last year.”

Rachael honestly couldn’t imagine the damage such large hail would inflict. But a glance to the north proved the storm was gathering strength. Green-black clouds billowed on the horizon like smoke from some massive fire.

The thought of getting clobbered by a softball-sized piece of ice did not appeal in the least to Rachael. For the first time she realized she had underestimated the power of Mother Nature. It wouldn’t happen again.

Rain slashed down like liquid knives as they rode toward the ranch. The sky lowered. Lightning flickered just to the north. The crash of thunder that followed was deafening. The horse continued to move at a breakneck speed.