Teaching Her Billionaire Cowboy Rookie - April Murdock Page 0,3
two metallic clicks, Chad loaded his shotgun. “What are you doing on my property?”
The stranger’s chest heaved up and down, and his eyes flicked from Chad to Penny as she peeked around Chad’s shoulder. Slowly, he lowered the weapon and disengaged it. “Sorry, force of habit.” With the gun put away, he met Chad’s gaze again. “You Bolton?”
Chad nodded and lowered his gun as well.
The stranger jerked his chin at the other sleeper. “This one is related to you.”
Confusion swirled in Penny’s mind. Chad was an only child. She stepped around him to get a better look.
The stranger’s eyes followed her movements. He scowled and looked away when she met his dark gaze.
Chad shook his head. “That’s impossible.”
The stranger got to his feet and dusted off the hay that clung to his clothes. He shrugged. “I don’t know what to tell you, but he has a letter stating otherwise. I’m just here to deliver him to you.”
Chad snorted. “Deliver him? Look, I don’t know who either of you are, but you’re not welcome here. You need to get off my property before I call the police.”
The stranger’s gaze darted to Penny again, then he shrugged. “Suit yourself, but if I had to guess, there’s more here at stake than you care to admit. What do you suppose the media would say when they hear about this?”
“Hear about what, exactly?” Chad’s whole body tightened.
Penny’s heart fluttered. Something bad was about to happen unless she brought in some degree of reason.
“Looks to me you have some kind of status in these parts. How about I call the local news and tell them you kicked out some long-lost relative?”
Chad laughed darkly, then spoke through gritted teeth. “You wouldn’t be the first to claim you have rights to my fortune.”
The stranger folded his arms. “I’m not claiming anything. I’m just giving you a heads-up that this one on the ground does—to some degree.”
“I want you off my property—”
“Chad,” Penny softly interjected.
Both sets of eyes shot to her as she held up her hand. “You should hear him out. See what proof he has before dismissing him. What would it hurt?”
Chad’s mouth dropped open and he scowled. “You don’t know what you’re asking. We get these claims all the time and—”
“I know exactly what I’m saying and I think it would be in your best interest to hear him out.” She felt naked under this stranger’s gaze as he appraised her. The scowl was still present on his face. He didn’t trust her even though she was helping him. Like a wounded feral cat, he wouldn’t relinquish power to just anyone.
That was just fine, she didn’t need him to trust her. He would be on his way soon anyway whether or not he was telling the truth. But the funny thing was, she didn’t want him to leave just yet. She wanted to coax that scared feral cat out and nurse it back into being docile. Her chest tightened. Where had that thought come from?
The stranger kicked the shoe of his companion. The man groaned but didn’t wake. “He’ll be up soon enough, but I wouldn’t leave him out here on his own. I have the proof in my truck. I can go get it.”
Chad held up his hand. “You’re not going anywhere without your pal here. The last thing I need is for you to take off and abandon him. I’m not a babysitter.”
“I’ll go with him.” Penny lifted her chin and met Chad’s gaze.
The stranger snickered. “Sorry, honey, but if I wanted to get out of here, there’s nothing you could do to stop me.”
“Show the woman some respect!” Chad growled “You’ll call her Miss Taylor.”
The stranger lifted his palms. “I meant no disrespect, Bolton. If you want her to tag along, that’s fine. I won’t go anywhere before we get this sorted out.” He strode past them.
Penny glanced at Chad, who nodded his head once, and Penny followed the stranger out. As they crossed the field, Penny shot him a look. “What’s your name?”
The stranger grunted. “Does it matter? It’s not like I’m going to be here long.”
“Yes, it does matter. A man who refuses to release his name is as dangerous as they come.”
He snorted. “A name is just that. It’s a label. The devil can call himself a saint but he’d still be evil. If all you want is a name, I’ll give you one but it could be a lie.”
They stopped at his truck and she placed her hands