Taming a Texas Rascal (Bad Boy Ranch #6) - Katie Lane Page 0,37
sure Lincoln and Sawyer haven’t killed each other.” Dixie winked. “And you better go buy yourself some pickles.”
Maisy sent her a mean look before she got out of the car. Not wanting to run into anyone else, she hurried to her truck. She had just opened the door when she noticed a flyer attached to the light post. Or not the flyer as much as the picture on it.
With her heart beating overtime, she tossed the pregnancy test into the truck before she hurried over to take a closer look. The flyer not only had a picture of Angel but also a detailed description of the horse, along with a phone number and the offer of a five-hundred-dollar reward.
Maisy glanced around before she jerked the flyer off the light pole. Then she hurried down the street and did the same to every other flyer she found. On the way back to her truck, she stopped at a trash can and threw them away.
If she was going to burn in hell for lying, she might as well add horse thieving to the list.
Chapter Eleven
Sawyer stayed up all night tossing and turning. At first light, he finally gave up on sleep and got out of bed. He took a shower and got dressed, then headed outside to the barn. Being around horses had always soothed his troubled thoughts. Which probably explained why he had chosen rodeo as a career. He couldn’t remember a time when his thoughts hadn’t been troubled. He might act like a carefree bad boy who didn’t worry about anything, but deep down he had always thought way too much.
He fed the rest of the horses first before he fed Angel and then released him into the paddock next to the barn. The horse’s physical wounds were healing, but his emotional wounds were still deep. While he allowed Sawyer to groom and feed him, the horse still refused to be ridden. He wouldn’t even let Sawyer place a saddle blanket on his back. And singing didn’t help. Still, Sawyer started to sing as he approached the horse with the blanket. He’d always thought he had a pretty good singing voice. At least, he thought it was a lot better than Maisy’s. Angel didn’t think so. The horse dodged and ran to the other side of the paddock.
“You takin’ up a singin’ career when you’re finished with rodeo, boy?”
Sawyer glanced over his shoulder to see Lucas standing at the fence. “What has you up so early?” he asked. The sun had only just peeked its head above the horizon.
Lucas grinned and winked. “I’m not up early. I’m home late.”
Sawyer didn’t need to ask where he’d been all night. Lucas had headed to Dixon’s Boardinghouse right after supper to see Miss Gertie. According to Chester, Lucas and Miss Gertie had had a steamy love affair that ended badly. After fifty years, they were back together and Lucas spent a few nights a week with Miss Gertie at the boardinghouse.
Sawyer shook his head as he muttered under his breath. “And the woman punched me in the face for fooling around.”
Lucas had better hearing than Sawyer thought. “Gert didn’t punch you in the face for fooling around. She punched you in the face for getting Maisy pregnant. And I’m not really happy about that either.”
“We don’t know if Maisy’s pregnant.”
“You still deserved to get your ears boxed for not taking precautions. I thought me and Chester taught you that you don’t ride a mare without first putting on a saddle.”
Since Lucas was right, there was nothing to say. Sawyer pulled a carrot from his back pocket and held it out to the horse in hopes Angel would come close enough so Sawyer could toss the blanket on.
“If she is pregnant, you gonna marry her?” Lucas asked.
“Maisy has no desire to get married. She’s got her heart set on becoming the world’s best saddle bronc rider.”
“Then I guess that worried look on your face has to do with becoming a daddy.”
“I’m not exactly father material.”
“I think you’re wrong. Every man is father material. But like everything else in life, it takes hard work and dedication.” Lucas paused. “And just so you know, bribery isn’t the way to get that horse to trust you.”
Sawyer lowered the carrot and looked at Lucas. “I’m not trying to bribe him.”
“Sure you are. You’re saying, ‘If you let me put this blanket on your back, I’ll give you something in return.’ When what he needs to understand is that