Cowboys, Cowboys, Cowboys

by D'Ann Lindun

“Sorry. I like to talk horses.” He sounded slightly offended.

  She touched his elbow. “I’m sorry. I’m truly interested. Never been around any horses except the ones that pull the carriages in Central Park. I love those guys.”

  “Those poor damn beasts,” he muttered. “Used and abused, then sent to slaughter for their trouble.”

  She stumbled to a stop and stared at him in horror. “What? People don’t eat horses.”

  “Not any humane ones anyway.”

  “You’re serious?” She gaped at him.

  “Serious as a heart attack.” He stared at her. “You didn’t know?”

  “No.” Her stomach churned.

  “Unwanted horses in the U.S. are sent to slaughter in Canada and Mexico, and it ain’t pretty. No rules. No regulations. All for people who eat horsemeat in Europe and Asia.” He drew a ragged breath. “One of my hot buttons.”

  “Maybe I could do something to help when we go home,” she offered impulsively. “You saved me, after all. I owe you my life.”

  “You don’t owe me anything.” He turned away. “I’d have done the same for anyone.”

  Stunned, she watched him walk away a few feet before she moved. Most people would jump at the chance to have Teagan York lend her celebrity to one of their causes. Fine. If he didn’t want her help, then she wouldn’t offer again.

  She followed him, resisting the urge to pick up a piece of driftwood and chuck it at his head.

  ~*~

  Gage didn’t know what made him throw Teagan’s generous offer in her face like that. It wasn’t like he had a roomful of celebrities lining up to help him fight the horse slaughter industry. He supposed it was her lack of knowledge about the subject that annoyed him. He had little use for anyone who tucked themselves in bubble wrap and ignored the ugly in the world around them.

  He understood non-horse people might not know the ins and outs of the industry, but even the most casual observer knew unwanted horses were ground up for dog food and glue, didn’t they?

  Could Teagan really be so clueless?

  He forced his thoughts away from the horses and concentrated on scouring the shore for anything that might save their lives. The suitcase full of lady’s clothing was a good start, but he hoped they might find something edible. His stomach was about to touch his backbone, he was so hungry.

  He glanced at the sun. Past four. Would be getting dark soon at this time of year. Back home he’d be feeding horses and making sure they were tucked in for the long night ahead. Time to turn back. The wind picked up a little, stirring the pines, and clouds boiled on the horizon.

  “We better call it good for now.”

  “I am tired,” Teagan admitted.

  He glanced at her fingertips on the broken side. Swollen and terribly bruised. “You doing okay?”

  “Yeah.”

  By her voice he could tell she was trying to put on a brave face. The girl had probably never been outside more than an hour or two to stand in front of a camera. The rest of the time she was probably used to five star hotels, room service, massages and all the perks that came with fame.

  For a pampered princess, she was holding up well. Better than he would have ever expected. Better than his ex-wife would have. Melinda would have been bitching and moaning and making everyone around her as miserable as she was.

  The thought of his ex-wife made his gut churn.

  Refusing to give in to the old anger, he turned his thoughts away from the past. As they walked back toward the fire, the wind picked up, making the nearby pines tremble. He glanced at the horizon. The storm that had brought down the plane still lingered. Were they going to have a pile of snow by morning? Better build some kind of shelter, pronto.

  He picked up the suitcase and lugged it with them.

  The fire had died down to embers and Gage tossed on a few twigs. They quickly caught in the rising wind and he added bigger sticks. He looked around. Not a good place to be if the blowing air carried in a snowstorm.

  A forest of pine trees lay only about fifty yards from the shoreline. The trees would offer some cover.

  He debated. If they were out of sight of a search plane, it wouldn’t be funny. However, sitting out in a storm wouldn’t be great either. Finally making up his mind, he motioned toward the tree line. “Let’s get out of the wind.”

  “What about the fire?”

  “I’ll take it with us,” he said. “But let’s get off this beach before we get soaked.”

  She stared at him like he was crazy. “Take it with us? How?”

  “I’ll carry a burning limb,” he explained patiently.

  At the tree line, he angled his way into the forest. Almost the minute they stepped into the trees, the wind died down. Gage noticed several twisted pine trees packed tightly together. Underneath them would make a good spot to camp.

  Camp?

  Shit, this was no pleasure trip.

  If they survived, next summer he’d pack up Ole Blue with a sleeping bag and fishing pole and take a real camping trip.

  This was an endurance test. One he had to win, or die trying.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Teagan watched Gage build a fire. He then found several sticks about the same length and stuck two through the arms of tees, then down the inside, stretching them wide.

  “What are you doing?” She watched with little interest. Her hand throbbed, she hurt like hell and all she wanted to do was cry.

  “Making shelter.” He paused. “I thought I saw some Ibuprofen inside the suitcase. Let me check.” Leaving his project on the ground, he knelt and found the cosmetic bag. “Yep, here it is.” He rose and handed the vial to her. “No water. I need to find some way to carry it.”

  “I can swallow these dry.” She popped four tablets in her mouth. Forcing them down took effort to keep from gagging, but she managed it. “Thanks.”

  “Any time.” He returned to the T-shirts and trees and stuck the limbs into the ground, making a brightly colored three-sided tent. Gathering pine limbs, he placed them on top. Last, he spread four tees on the ground. “Done.”

  “Home sweet home,” Teagan muttered. She realized how ungrateful she sounded and amended her tone. “Looks great.”

  “All we need is a venison steak to make it perfect.” Gage sounded almost happy.

  Teagan’s stomach growled at the thought even though she was a vegetarian. “I bet there’s edible mushrooms around here somewhere.”

  “Don’t eat any without checking with me first. A lot of them are poisonous.” He sat and broke the string holding the pearl necklace together, taking care to catch the beads in his hands. “Is there anything sparkly in that suitcase?”

  Teagan scooted close to it and rummaged around. “I don’t see anything.”

  “Shove it this way.”

  She pushed it toward him. “Here.”

  “This’ll work.” Twisting one of the metal zipper tags until it came free, he then tied it to the end of the string he’d freed from the pearls. He grinned and held it up. “Attach this to a stick and I have a bang-up fishing pole.” He rose and found a thin piece of wood. “Perfect.”

  “I didn’t think of that,” she said.

  “Good thing you have me, huh?” His grin was cocky.

  Her stomach did a little tumble. “Yeah, I guess.”

  “You guess?” He held his hand over his heart. “Lady, you wound me.”

  “Not intended,” she assured him. Were they flirting? Stranded. Hungry. Scared. Yet there was some kind of draw between them. Probably because they were the last two people on Earth. Or at least it seemed that way. The thought of her friends at the bottom of the lake made her shudder.

  “I’ll be back.” He rose and walked toward the choppy lake.

  Teagan’s stomach rumbled. Even if he caught a fish, she wasn’t going to eat one. It seemed like forever since she’d shared coffee and a bagel with her sister just before boarding the jet for the last lap to the shoot site. Lord, her family must be fr
antic by now. She hated the idea of them sick with fear.

  She couldn’t just sit and stew. There might be something edible nearby. Moving would take her mind off their predicament. With a tired groan, she pushed to her feet. Every muscle in her body ached. What she wouldn’t give for a massage. Maybe Gage would volunteer.

  Huh?

  What the hell was she thinking?

  This wasn’t some tropical vacation with a hot guy. This was life or death, and to live they needed to eat. While Gage was doing his he-man hunter-fisherman thing, she could look around and gather some nuts or berries.

  Katherine had thoughtfully packed a mesh bag—probably for dirty clothes—folded neatly inside the suitcase. Teagan grabbed it and turned toward the trees. Gage was too far away to tell him what she was going to do, so with a glance over her shoulder, she walked deeper into the forest.

  Proceeding with caution, she entered the throng of trees and bushes. Instantly, the temperature dropped. She tugged the red sweater and Gage’s coat tighter around her. Brushing against a leaf, she realized they were damp. The storm that had brought down the plane had left snow, now droplets of water, behind.

  A flock of birds took flight and Teagan stopped to watch them. A canopy of trees covered the sun and she shivered. Time to head back before it got dark. Doing a slow turn, her stomach knotted. In pursuit of food, she’d traveled farther than she’d realized. Which way had she come? She had no idea. Panic began to rise in her.

  “Think, Teagan,” she muttered. “You survived a plane crash and an ice-cold lake. You can do this.”

  A city girl through and through, she had no idea how to retrace her tracks. The movies always made wilderness survival look so easy and romantic. Any character David played would have found his way to a hidden airport, unearthed a plane and would be winging them to safety by now. He’d be planning a lobster and champagne dinner in a five star resort.

  Unfortunately, this wasn’t a film.

  With a half sob, she sank cross-legged onto the ground. Unwittingly, she’d made not only her situation worse, but also Gage’s. He had no idea where she’d gone. He must be worried sick. Was he stumbling through the forest searching for her? Putting his life in danger because of her foolish actions?

  Stupid-stupid-stupid.

  As her gaze roamed the surrounding area, she noticed an animal lurking under a nearby tree. It bared its teeth and advanced, growling. When it began stepping her direction, Teagan opened her mouth and screamed.

  ~*~

  At the sound of Teagan’s terrified cry, Gage turned toward the noise. He’d been focused on catching dinner, and when he looked back she’d vanished. For a few minutes, he hadn’t fretted. He figured she just took a nature break, but when she didn’t return shortly, worry kicked in.

  Taking care not to trip over a tree root or a rock, he rushed toward Teagan’s scream. What he wouldn’t give for his hunting rifle or a shotgun. He paused. “Teagan!”

  “Over here!” Her voice came from his right.

  “Coming. Sound off again.”

  “Gage? This way.” She sounded petrified.

  His imagination went into overdrive. Had she fallen? Been cornered by an angry bear? With his thoughts running rampant, he didn’t see the stream until he stepped into it. His expensive, winter boots filled up with water.

  “Fuck!”

  “Gage, help!”

  Wet feet forgotten, he plunged through the thick trees and spotted her staring at something in the opposite direction. A wolverine sat hissing at her. The creature reminded Gage of an extremely irritated cat, all puffed up and spitting mad. His heart pounded wildly. The small creatures were extremely dangerous—known to attack animals three or four times their size.

  “I’m here,” he said quietly. “Don’t make eye contact, and back away.”

  The wolverine snarled.

  At first he didn’t think Teagan heard him, but she jerked her head, and with one unsteady step at a time, backed up until she bumped into a tree. When something fell onto her head, she screamed and rubbed her temple.

  The wolverine glared at her, then turned and ran into the underbrush.

  Gage hurried to Teagan, who had bent and was gathering something off the ground like a kid grabbing candy from a parade float. She stood with a triumphant smile and held out her full arms. “Look!”

  He eyed her treasure. “Pinecones?”

  “Yes, the seeds are edible.” She pointed to where the wolverine had vanished. “I think there are berries over there, too.”

  He glanced over his shoulder. “I think we’re going to have to pass right now. I’m not going to risk making that wolverine any madder than it already is.”

  Teagan held the pinecones close. “I thought it was going to eat me alive.”

  “I wasn’t sure it wouldn’t,” Gage agreed. “They’re a dangerous predator.”

  “You saved me…again. Thank you, Gage.” The gratitude in her dark blue eyes sent a tingle straight to his cock. Whoa. Down, boy. She’s just grateful, nothing more.

  “Why’d you wander off like that?” He sounded like an angry parent. But, damn, she had scared him to half to death.

  She had the grace to look ashamed of herself. “I wanted to help find food.”

  “You could have said something,” he admonished her. “We have to stick together if we’re going to get out of this alive.”

  “I know.” She looked so vulnerable he ached to take her in his arms and comfort her. Instead he hooked a thumb over his shoulder.

  “I found a stream. We’ll be able to drink.” If push came to shove, they’d drink from the lake, but the idea of drinking where bodies lay was repugnant to him. He figured Teagan would rather die of thirst.

  She immediately headed that way. “I could drink a river.”

  He grabbed her elbow. “Not so fast. We have to figure out a way to boil it. Otherwise we could get sick.”

  “Shoot. I didn’t think of that.” Her full lips turned down.

  “Give me the pinecones. Let’s go back to camp and see if we can figure out some way to carry and boil water.” He took the sticky pinecones. “Follow me and watch where you step.”

  Retracing Teagan’s steps took only a few moments. She had wandered in a zig-zag line, but it was easy to see where she’d walked by the crushed grass and leaves she’d left behind.

  At camp, Gage added a few sticks to the fire and waited until Teagan seated herself, then sat and reached for the pinecones. He placed several on a green log over the flames. “How did you know these are edible?”

  “I’m a vegetarian. I often buy them in the city.”

  When the pinecones began to steam, he used two sticks and lifted the cones. He offered them to Teagan. “Here you go.”

  With a quizzical look, she took them. “You don’t want any?”

  “Ladies first.” He reached for more cones. “That’s how my mama raised me.”

  “It’s been awhile since I met a gentleman.” She turned the pinecone upside down and shook the seeds out of it. “Thank you.”

  He also ate a few of the seeds and made a face at the metallic taste. “No nice guys in your part of the world?”

  She licked the seeds from her palm and Gage fought to focus. “None I’ve met.”

  “Guys must be falling all over themselves to buy jewelry and fancy houses and big luxury cars for a girl like you.”

  She chewed and swallowed. “Those things come with a high price. One I’m not willing to pay.”

  “Which is?”

  “Self-worth. Pride.” She suddenly seemed fascinated by her pinecone. “If I said yes to every man who offered to buy my company, I’d be nothing more than a whore.”

  “Sounds to me like you haven’t been hanging out with the right kind of men.”

  She snorted. “You been reading the tabloids, Mr. Altenburg?”

  “Don’t need to. You said a mouthful.” He thought of Melinda, who was more than willing to trade anything for her career.
Including sex. He fought off a hot rush of anger toward his ex-wife.

  Teagan stared toward the darkening horizon. “You think anyone is looking for us yet?”

  “I’m sure they are. For one thing, you and another model were on the plane.” He freed more seeds and offered them to her. This time she shook her head and frowned.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” She hugged her knees to her chest. “Are you saying the authorities aren’t as interested in finding non-famous people as those who are well-known?”

  “No, not at all.” He crunched his seeds, wishing again for a thick steak. “But the press will be in a feeding frenzy until you and she are found. They’re going to be going crazy with speculation about what happened to you two.”

  She remained silent for a few minutes. “I guess there’s something good about being well-known.”

  “It’s not a bad thing if it keeps us in the news.”

  “You make being famous sound like it’s something dirty,” she said.

  “I don’t have a problem with fame,” he said. “But I don’t like it when someone rides the coattails of someone else to get ahead.”

  “Do you know a person like that?” She turned her intense blue eyes his direction. “Sounds like you’ve been used.”

  He didn’t want to talk about Melinda and her ambition. Although they’d had no contact in the year since their divorce, he still saw her at the racetracks they both frequented, along with other events connected to horse racing. Just thinking about her pissed him off. He had plenty of other things to concentrate on without his ex-wife’s memory distracting him.

  He stood and tossed another log on the fire. “I’m going to see if I caught a fish.” Don’t leave without letting me know where you went. I don’t relish traipsing around in the woods at night fighting off predators to find you.”

  “I’m staying right here,” she promised with a visible shiver. “I won’t move from this spot.”

  “Back in a minute.”

  His makeshift fishing pole had worked, hooking a good sized rainbow trout. Not the steak he craved, but it would ease the grumbling in his belly. The pine seeds had tasted awful and done little to take the edge off his hunger.