legs tight around Sugarfoot, her muscles protesting the abuse of an extended period in an unfamiliar position. Herding the cows on foot this morning was far easier than this. How did Luke stand this day in and day out for months at a time? She shifted and squirmed, trying to find a more comfortable position, to no avail. Carefully, she set her feet securely in the stirrups, grabbed hold of the pommel, and rose ever so slightly out of the saddle. Blood rushed into her uncomfortably numb backside, bringing simultaneous rushes of pain and relief.
Sugarfoot veered sideways during her canter, and Emma nearly lost her balance. She dropped back into the saddle, and almost cried out at the impact.
Though ahead of her, Luke must have sensed her distress. He turned his head, slowed his horse, and fell alongside her. Vic, a quiet man with swarthy skin and intense dark eyes, kept up the pace and soon pulled ahead of them.
“You need to take a break?” Luke asked, his gaze searching her face.
“I’m fine.” She forced a brave smile. “We haven’t found any cows yet.”
“We’re getting close. This trail is fairly fresh.”
Trail? For the first time, Emma observed the ground beneath her horse’s hooves. She’d been so focused on her discomfort, and on staying near Luke, that she had missed the obvious signs of the recent passing of cattle. A fair number of them, judging by the wide swath of trampled grass.
Up ahead, Vic slowed when he approached a swell in the land. His horse climbed toward the crest of the hill, but before he reached the top, Vic’s arm shot high into the air, his fingers splayed. With a jerk on the reins, he whirled the horse around and galloped back toward them. Luke and Emma slowed to a halt when he approached.
“We found them.” The man’s voice held a barely checked excitement, his eyes alight as he jerked his head backward, toward the hill. “Their camp’s over yonder.”
“The rustlers?” Luke asked.
“And our cattle.” Vic’s voice went hard. “Plus some.”
Emma rose in her saddle again, straining her eyes toward the hill.
“Let me take a look.” Luke swung his leg over Bo and hopped to the ground. Tossing the reins toward Vic, he strode forward.
The men who had stolen their things and scattered Luke’s herd were right on the other side of that hill? Emma wanted to see. She mimicked Luke and swung her leg over Sugarfoot’s back. But her stiff muscles protested the sudden movement, and the distance between the stirrup and the ground was greater than she thought. A moment later she found herself on her backside, staring up at a purple-streaked sky.
“Emma!” Luke doubled back to her as Vic jumped out of his saddle to rush to her side.
Heat rose from her collarbone up her neck, and she was sure her burning face shone bright enough to rival the late afternoon sun.
“I’m fine,” she mumbled, but she couldn’t meet Luke’s gaze. What a clumsy oaf. What must he think of someone who couldn’t even get off a horse by herself?
“Here, let us help you up.”
Luke slipped a hand beneath one arm, and Vic did the same on her other side. The men lifted her to a standing position. Her feet felt unsteady, her legs trembled beneath the weight of her body, and she couldn’t even enjoy the feel of Luke’s steadying hand holding tightly to her arm. She clutched at him, afraid that if she tried to take a step she’d find herself back on the ground.
“The saddle can be hard on the legs when you’re not used to it.” Vic’s voice held a wagonload of sympathy.
Miserably embarrassed, she nodded and concentrated on forcing her legs to support her weight. Setting her teeth together, she managed a step away from Luke.
“Good. You’ll be fine. Stay here while I take a look over that hill,” he said.
“I’m going with you. I want to see too.” Though it was hard to sound firm and unyielding while hobbling like a babe taking her first steps, Emma tilted her chin in the air and hardened her jaw.
After studying her a second, Luke shrugged. “Keep quiet, that’s all.”
He held out his crooked arm as though offering to escort her to a fancy dinner. Emma took it gratefully, not at all confident that she could walk the short distance on her own, though the feeling was starting to creep back into her legs.
When they neared the crest of the hill, he crouched and then