Page 30 of September’s Cowboy Travis

By the time I'd checked the closest pasture and made sure Bandit hadn't found a new way to wreck a gate, the sun had started clearing the mountains. Labor Day promised another warm afternoon, but the morning still had enough bite that I wished I'd grabbed a shirt with sleeves before heading outside.

When I came through the back door, Kaycee stood barefoot in my kitchen wearing nothing but one of my gray T-shirts.

I stopped with one hand still on the door.

She looked over from the coffee maker. “You know staring is still rude in daylight.”

“I’m just getting used to the view.”

My shirt hung loose on her and fell almost to her knees. Her own shirt was draped over the back of a chair, and her phone was plugged into the outlet beside the refrigerator.

She handed me a mug. “Want some coffee?”

“You figured out the machine.”

“I'm an accountant, Travis. Buttons don't scare me.”

I took the mug and leaned against the counter. She'd already found the sugar without asking, and my good travel mug sat open next to her purse like she'd been considering filling it for the drive.

I took a drink.

“We should head back soon,” she said. “I want to check the bank response before the finals start.”

The coffee stopped halfway to my mouth. “Right.”

Kaycee studied me over the rim of her mug. “Are you still planning to wrestle another steer today?”

“That's generally what happens in steer wrestling.”

“I thought maybe you'd wake up sensible.”

“Hasn't happened yet.”

“Give me time.” Her smile made it easy to think about giving her exactly that… as much time as she wanted.

An hour later, she'd changed back into her own clothes, and we headed toward Mustang Mountain with her overnight stay reduced to a purse at her feet and a car still sitting at the rodeo grounds.

We were a few miles outside town when movement along the tree line made me ease off the gas.

Kaycee straightened. “What?”

Two dark shapes moved through the tall grass beyond the fence. The wolf stopped near the edge of the trees and looked toward the road while the other animal kept moving, head low as she followed the timberline.

Kaycee leaned toward the windshield. “That’s a wolf.”

“Yeah.”

She turned to me. “You sound pretty calm about that.”

“It’s just Hades. Looks like he broke Persephone out of her kennel to go for a run this morning.”

She swiveled to look at me, her eyes wide. “They have names?”

“Hades has been hanging around Mustang Mountain for years. He’s more town mascot than wild animal. Fell in love with a sled dog and their romance is a hot topic of conversation around town.”

The two stayed well away from the road, moving parallel to us for another few seconds. Hades paused again before following Persephone into the pines.

Kaycee watched until they disappeared. “Why am I not surprised this town has a wolf for a mascot?”