Page 22 of Runaway Hucow

God, Spike really could be infuriating sometimes.

“You bought a hucow?”

“I didn’t buy her.” Spike seemed almost offended by the suggestion.

Of course he didn’t buy her, Peyton thought. He didn’t have that kind of money. “You stole her then.”

“I didn’t steal her either. I liberated her.”

“Liberated? Damn, that’s a big word there, Spike. You been getting into my books when I’m not looking?”

Spike just scowled at him. “It doesn’t take brains to know right from wrong, little brother. Tess was in trouble. I rescued her. Now I’ve brought her back here where she’ll be safe.”

“Uh-huh. And how do you think Roscoe’s going to feel about that?”

“I reckon he’ll be a little upset at first.”

“A little upset?” Peyton asked. Roscoe wasn’t the type of buffalo to do things by halves, especially not when it came to his temper.

“You just let me worry about Roscoe,” Spike said. “Where is that grumpy old so-and-so anyhow?”

“Out looking for you. You’ve been gone five days, Spike, and you left without so much as a word to anyone. Hell, I knew you’d be alright, but you know how protective Roscoe can be. He lit out this morning with Chase to try and track you down.”

“Overprotective,” Spike grumbled. “I’m not a calf anymore. I can take care of my own dang self.”

“Yeah, well it looks like you ran into some kind of trouble,” Peyton said, glancing at the bandage around his brother’s arm. He’d been too distracted by the hucow to notice that before, but he noticed it now. “What happened?”

“Got shot. No big deal.”

“You got shot?”

“Grazed. It’s halfway healed already. Tess stitched it up for me. Look.”

He removed the bandage so Peyton could have a look. The stitches actually looked pretty damn good. Obviously this Tess was no ordinary hucow. And indeed the wound was already beginning to close. Bisonmen’s bodies mended themselves quicker than most other creatures. Another day or two, and those stitches would be ready to come out.

“Who shot you?” Peyton asked.

“Didn’t catch his name. One of a trio of high-plains gunslicks. Don’t worry, they won’t be giving us any trouble. Your 4 gauge took care of them.”

“Jesus, Spike. So now we can add murder to your list of crimes? You’ve been one busy little buffalo, haven’t you?”

“It wasn’t murder, it was self-defense. Anyhow, when the laws of the land aren’t just, sometimes thieving and murdering is the right thing to do.”

“Hell, I get that,” Peyton said. “But we’ve got the herd to think about. The herd is everything.”

God, now he was starting to sound like Roscoe.

Spike just shrugged and looked out the barn door toward the house. “Way I see it, little brother, some things are worth risking everything for.”

Peyton followed his brother’s gaze. The little hucow had gotten the three horses hitched to the railing of the porch, and now she was petting them and talking to them sweetly. Peyton couldn’t quite make out what she was saying, but he could hear the soothing tone of her voice, and it damn near melted him like a snowman in July. Then she turned her hips just so, and the fit of her blue jeans stiffened him right back up again.

Spike was right. Some things were worth risking everything for.

Peyton just hoped Roscoe would see it that way too.

He shook his head. “I’ve got to hand it to you Spike, she’s incredible. Absolutely incredible. But you could’ve at least brought a hucow back for me too.”

“I did.”