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“Is he the one responsible for the trouble lately?”
“Maybe. Likely.”
They grabbed saddles and prepped the horses, the task not enough to keep his brother from digging for more. “You have proof or just suspicions?”
Slade mounted, not ready to discuss his hunch. “Nothing concrete. Where are we headed?”
“Hunting. We lost two calves last night. The tracks looked like cougar.”
“Fucking cats.” Pumas topped the list as one of the most elusive animals in the wild, making them difficult to track. They were also deadly when on the prowl and he left Chace behind. Better safe than sorry. He checked the ammunition in his rifle before riding out, saying, “Let’s go hunting.”
They rode at a brisk pace for thirty minutes, talking with gestures, before slowing enough to hear each other. He almost picked up speed again when Reed spoke without lifting his head from the recent tracks they found.
“So, what happened between you and our new neighbor last weekend at Casey’s?”
“We spoke, and I followed her home.” Slade pointed to a clear paw print in a muddy patch. “He’s a big son of a bitch.”
“And wily. The tracks disappear here.”
They’d come upon a rocky foothill with no discernible pathways, easy enough for a mountain lion or skilled climber, which they weren’t, to scale. Tugging on the reins, he steered Bandit to the right. “Let’s circle a bit before giving up.”
Reed kept his focus either downward, his lips curving as he said, “Sounds good. Gives you time to tell me how Nicole responded when you took her upstairs.”
Slade wasn’t amused but used to his brother’s good-natured ribbing. “How did Lily respond in bed last night? Or did you take her upstairs?”
“Okay, I get it,” he replied, glancing his way with a chuckle. “Gotta admit, though, I’m liking the merry chase she’s leading you on.”
The cat’s loud snarl had them quickly withdrawing their rifles from the scabbards, seconds before they caught sight of a puma’s tail. They followed with caution, luck staying with them when they saw the cat halfway up the hillside. In sync, they took aim and fired, dropping him a few feet away.
“He’s even bigger than I imagined.” Slade nudged the fallen puma with his rifle, making sure he was dead. He could see how easily an animal this size could kill a couple of calves in one attack.
“Damn, I wouldn’t want this guy anywhere near our houses. There are stories of cats wandering into towns lately. Too bad we couldn’t risk the time to contact one of the sanctuaries to take him though.”
He shuddered, Reed’s comment bringing Nicole living alone with a timid dog to mind. “Let’s get back.”
The hunt took the better part of the morning, and he worked alongside Reed when they returned, playing catch-up on their chores. He couldn’t seem to stop thinking about Nicole, worrying when there was no cause. She was a grown, independent woman, brave enough to tackle that run-down place on her own, so his fixation made no sense. He liked her spirit, admired her gumption, and couldn’t deny his sexual attraction. There were other women he liked, a few he admired, and if he’d acted on every woman he found sexually attractive, his lifestyle would be no better than his philandering father’s. Which left him asking where, or to whom, he went from here.
***
HE RUBBED THE SADDLEsoap harder into the supple leather seat, unable to recall anyone else who had drawn all three responses, not even his long-time friend and part-time play partner, Deb. Maybe he should give her a call, ask if she cared to meet him at Casey’s tonight. It had been a while since they had hooked up, and hanging out with someone he cared a great deal for might be what he needed to squash his increasing preoccupation with Nicole.
“What has your head in the clouds?”
Slade swung around to face Brett, Reed gazing at him with an amused expression that rubbed him wrong. “Nothing wrong with concentrating on work, is there? I didn’t hear you. Sue me.”
Brett nudged his hat up and cocked his head. “I thought it might be the neighbor again.”
Scooping a hand through his hair to get it off his face, he asked, “Why would you think that?”
“Allie invited her to have coffee this morning.” He looked over at Reed, saying, “Apparently, Nicole has Slade to thank for setting her straight on the difference between a stray dog and a coyote.”
“She didn’t.” Reed sounded both surprised and worried as he asked Slade, “She tried to get friendly with one?”
“With a dog treat,” he drawled, pleased to hear Nicole was getting out instead of staying isolated.
Brett shook his head with a grin. “Okay, now it sounds amusing. Still, Allie thought someone should suggest she think about fostering the overload from Casper’s shelter instead of tackling strays, at least for now.”
Definitely time to give Deb a call,Slade decided when his pulse jumped at using that excuse to see her again. He turned back to his chore before asking, “Why didn’t she suggest it?”
