Page 56 of Love’s Silver Bullet

Finishing up with the comb, he exchanged it for a stiff-bristled brush to remove dirt and hair stirred up by the curry, expelling another heavy sigh while he worked in short strokes from front to back. All he could say was thank God Sheridan would be gone in another week, out of harm’s way.

And mine.

“Hey, Sully—we have a big blasted problem.” Blaze stormed into the barn with Dash ambling in behind, his mood apparently a mirror image of Jake’s, given the scowl on his face.

Join the club. Brush in hand, Jake peered over his shoulder, figuring any problem his two best friends could toss his way would pale compared to the one he lived with day in and day out.

“We just found out Clay Morgan’s been sparkin’ Sheridan.”

Except that. Jake could barely breathe, pulse rate climbing along with his temper. “What?!”

“Clyde heard it from Lolita who heard it from Sophia who apparently heard it from Sheridan,” Dash volunteered, hands buried deep in his pockets as he strolled up next to Blaze, definitely the more even-tempered of the two brothers. But despite his easy stance, he had a cool fire in his eyes, although it was a mere flicker compared to the bonfire in Blaze’s. “Clyde figured we should know.”

A rare swear word hissed from Jake’s lips as he hurled the brush against the wall, unnerving both Midnight and his two friends, who blinked in shock at the uncommon display of anger. “I’m going to kill him,” he muttered, jerking Midnight’s saddle off the railing before flinging it over the mare’s back, fingers shaking while he cinched it up.

“Hey, calm down, old buddy,” Blaze said, obviously tempering his own anger in an effort to help temper Jake’s. That was something they’d both done for each other over the years, although Blaze seldom had to do it for Jake. Retrieving the brush, he hung it back on its hook before laying a reassuring hand on Jake’s shoulder. “We’re just as upset as you, Sully, but let’s handle this without murder, okay?”

Mauling his face with his hands, Jake unleashed a loud blast of air, reining in the temper he seldom lost.

Except with Sheridan.

“I’m sorry, Blaze, but I knew that dandy would be trouble the moment I laid eyes on him, so something needs to be done. I swear I’ll bash his head in for evening looking Sheridan’s way.”

“You’re right, Sul, but I’ll do it, okay?” Blaze ducked to peer up at his friend, gaze and voice quiet. “Because you sure in the devil aren’t in any frame of mind to handle this.”

Jake finished cinching with a hard jerk. “No, I’ll handle it. That guy has had my fist coming for a long time now.”

“Nope.” Blaze tightened his grip on Jake’s shoulder. “With the mood you’re in, you’ll only stir up a hornet’s nest that could backfire, earning Sher’s sympathy for the polecat.” He slapped Jake on the back and moseyed over to perch on the wooden railing of Midnight’s stall. “Sher’s only here for another week, so I’ll just tell Uncle Finn that Morgan’s been sniffing around whenever she’s in town, and I think he needs to restrict her to the ranch this last week.”

Jake gaped, jaw almost coming unhinged. “What? You’re not going to tell Finn what the skunk has done?”

Blaze shook his head. “I don’t think so. Finn might blow worse than you. I suspect he and Libby are butting heads because he’s been in a pretty foul mood all week, chewing on my hide but good.”

“Not to mention dinners have been prettttty frosty to say the least,” Dash added with a squint of a smile, absently scratching the back of his neck as he leaned against the railing next to Blaze. “So much so, even Clyde’s slop is starting to look mighty good.”

Jake almost cracked a smile, well aware how much Dash hated taking his suppers at the Ponderosa on those rare times he had to work an afternoon shift.

“So,” Blaze continued “the last thing I want to do is ruffle Uncle Finn’s feathers even more by telling him Morgan made a pass at Sher.” His shoulders rattled in a mock shiver before he pointed a warning finger at Jake. “So, promise you’ll stay out of it and let me handle this, you hear?”

Jake scowled as he led Midnight out of the stall. “Yeah, I hear. I won’t go hunting the yellow-bellied womanizer down just yet,” Jake said as he mounted his horse with a hard clamp of his jaw. “For now. But I can’t guarantee I won’t take a clip at the guy if I happen to see him in the street.”

“Wait!” Blaze grabbed the side of Jake’s rein. “Where the devil you going now?”

“Dinner at Megan Joy’s,” Dash said in a matter-of-fact tone, glancing at his watch before ambling toward his horse’s stall.

“And how the devil do you know that?” Jake stared, miffed enough he had to go to Megan Joy’s, without everybody else knowing it too.

“How do you think?” Dash said, grabbing a curry comb. “Mrs. Burdzy was practically handing out flyers to everybody who came into the store today.” He winked. “Hope goulash doesn’t give you heartburn.”

Head bowed, Jake kneaded the bridge of his nose with a heavy sigh.

Nope, not goulash …

“You know, old buddy”—a touch of tease lit Blaze’s eyes as he handed the rein back to Jake with gritted teeth, sucking air through a clenched smile—“I’m no expert, but it seems if you’re as adverse to marriage as you always claim, dinner at Megan Joy’s might not be the smartest move.”

No joke. “Yeah, well, it’ll be the last time for a long while, I can tell you that,” Jake mumbled, raking fingers through his hair. “Thank God Sheridan’s leaving, because now I won’t have to distance myself anymore by seeing another woman on a regular basis.”

“Yeah.” Blaze’s smile dimmed considerably at the mention of his sister, the reminder of Clay Morgan’s advances souring both of their moods all over again. His shoulders slumped as he plodded to the door, anger tingeing his tone once more. “Thank God is right, or I’d be tempted to bust Morgan’s chops like you, kicking his sorry butt from here to their next stop.”