Page 139 of Buck ’Em Cowgirl

At first, I thought my mind was playing tricks on me, but then⁠—

“Holy fuck.”

I blinked, shaking my head. No, I wasn’t seeing things. There was a goddamned bull standing in my front yard, grazing on my grass like he belonged there.

To make matters worse, the big bastard headed straight toward my open barn—the one where my horse was. If he got in there, if he spooked, if he started banging around . . . fuck.

I stood up slowly, turning around, trying to assess the situation⁠—

Jesus Christ.

At least fifteen bulls were loose.

My stomach dropped.

This is a fucking disaster.

I grabbed my phone and immediately called Kline, my pulse hammering.

“Yo, you better tell me you see what I see,” I muttered the second he picked up.

“They busted through one of the rails in the outside paddock,” Kline’s voice was frantic on the other end of the line. “We got about thirty of them loose.”

“Fuck.” I tightened my grip on the phone as I stared at the scattered bulls. This was a goddamn mess.

“I got the guys rounding ’em up, but we need all hands on deck. You good to help?”

“Of course,” I muttered, already jogging down the steps of my porch, scanning the fields.

Then my stomach twisted.

One of the bulls in the distance—one big son of a bitch—was straying too far from the group, his massive body moving in the direction of Fable’s house.

Shit.

I clenched my jaw and grabbed the nearest rope and halter.

“I’ll meet y’all out there,” I told Kline.

I moved fast, making my way to the barn. My horse snorted as I saddled her up as best I could with one arm, but I sure as shit wasn’t going to tell the doc I wasn’t following protocol.

“Come on,” I muttered, swinging up into the saddle. The second we were outside, I spotted the bull again—still wandering loose and angling along the fence line toward Fable’s place.

I tugged Ginger’s reins in that direction. Once we got closer, I could see through the window as I passed.

There she was.

Curled up on the couch, her blonde hair sprawled over the pillow, lips slightly parted in sleep. I exhaled sharply. It was the first time I’d seen her in weeks, and fuck, I’d missed her. Missed the way she’d look at me like I was the only thing in the world that mattered. Missed the way she’d curl up into my side without thinking, how she’d hum softly when she was content.

She was inside, away from me, sleeping in that house alone, and I was out here wrangling goddamn bulls.

I forced my gaze away.

One thing at a time.

Clicking my tongue, I guided Ginger closer to the bull, coiling the rope in my hand, ready to throw. The bull flicked his ears, lifting his head.

“Yeah, that’s right. You ain’t supposed to be here,” I muttered.