My Favorite Cowboy

by Donna Grant

  Two hours went by before he saw the flash of headlights from a vehicle turning into the drive. Caleb palmed his gun and swung his gaze to the stables. Audrey was with one of the horses, talking to it and brushing it.

  Maddy yanked the earbuds from her ears and jumped up just as David strolled into the barn from the other side. He and Maddy exchanged a few words as she took the bags of food from him. Then, Audrey was with them. She looked over her shoulder, her gaze moving right over him. But Caleb knew she couldn’t see him.

  He had been designated as the one to get food from the girls and sneak it to the others, but he didn’t move. He watched the friendly way Audrey interacted with David, and the genuine concern she showed for the horses.

  Caleb wondered if any other equine vet would be as dedicated as Audrey was to the task of healing these horses before they died. His thoughts abruptly halted when Maddy walked out of the stables with David. A moment later, two vehicles drove off.

  He kept to the shadows and made his way over to where Audrey waited. She held out the bags that had sandwiches and bottles of water inside.

  “Maddy went back to the house to get the results of the last test I ran,” she said before he could even ask.

  Caleb grinned. “I was that obvious, huh?”

  “Not at all. Since I need the results, it gave me the excuse I needed to get Maddy back home and away from all of this.” Audrey’s dark gaze slid away.

  He took the bags from her, their fingers brushing against each other as he did. Something hot and electric ran through him, making it difficult to breathe. “I understand.”

  Their gazes met and held.

  Chapter 7

  Say something!

  Yet, Audrey couldn’t find any words. Then Caleb was walking away, disappearing into the darkness once more. Usually, she liked being alone with the horses, but she enjoyed having the hot cowboy near.

  Caleb made her feel flustered and excited. But he also made her feel safe. Like she didn’t have to constantly be on guard—and it was a wonderful feeling.

  Not that she didn’t stay alert, but with Caleb and the others out there keeping watch, Audrey was able to keep her attention on the horses. Though, to her surprise, she found her thoughts turning again and again to Caleb Harper.

  Audrey finished up another check of the horses and discovered that each of their heart rates was above sixty beats per minute, which was an indication of dehydration. She then checked their gums by opening each horse’s mouth and pressing gently on the soft tissue. When the color didn’t return immediately, it was another sign that the animals were dangerously dehydrated.

  She’d been listening for shallow breathing, which would have let her know that they needed water, but they had yet to exhibit that. Which could be an effect of the poison.

  Since dehydration in horses could be deadly, she had to act quickly. Audrey had no choice but to give the four animals fluids intravenously. She worked swiftly, moving from one horse to the next until all four were seen to.

  Since she’d arrived, the animals hadn’t moved more than to shift from side to side. She checked the fluids often because while dehydration was dangerous, too much liquid had the same effect.

  An hour later, Audrey noticed a remarkable change in the horses. They started to become more aware of their surroundings, their ears shifting with sounds. They still didn’t move around or eat, but they did turn their heads toward her when she entered their stalls.

  It was a vast improvement, and one she would gladly take. But it was also one she feared was a short fix, like a Band-Aid over a cut. Until she knew if it was poison causing the distress, whatever it was would continue to slowly kill the horses. She was just thankful that they were all still alive.

  But her time was running out. Audrey was all too aware of that. If she didn’t learn something tonight, there was a good chance that she’d lose one or more of the animals.

  She yanked her phone out of her back pocket when it rang. Relief surged through her when she saw Maddy’s name. “Hey.”

  “Hey,” her sister said around a mouthful of food. “So, I’m here.”

  Audrey prayed for patience as she gripped the phone tighter. “Annnnnd?”

  Without another reply, Maddy began reading off the results. Audrey rushed to her tablet and opened a blank document to quickly type in what her sister told her.

  “Want me to come back out there?” Maddy asked.

  Audrey frowned as she looked over what she had typed. “Let me read these back to you to make sure I got everything straight.”

  “Sure.”

  Audrey went through each line, waiting for Maddy to give the all-clear that she had taken the information down correctly. She hesitated.

  Maddy asked, “What’s wrong? I know that pause. You’ve found something.”

  “I’ve found nothing. That’s the problem.”

  “Oh.”

  Audrey squeezed her eyes closed. “I need to look at this some more. Keep your phone with you and the ringer on in case I need you to bring me something.”

  “You’ve got this, Audrey.”

  Audrey smiled into the phone. “Thanks.”

  “Now, go eat while you’re looking at this because I know you well enough to know that you’ve not touched the food David brought.”

  Audrey inwardly winced as she looked over at the sandwich still wrapped and waiting near her bag.

  “Your silence says it all.” Maddy sighed. “Eat, or else!”

  The phone went dead. Audrey put it back into her pocket and made her way to the food. She lowered herself to the ground and leaned back against a stall as she reached for the sandwich. She unwrapped it and sank her teeth into it as she tried to reconcile the results of the test with the information she had—and the symptoms of poisoning.

  * * *

  “She’s here.”

  Phil smiled as he looked at the SUV parked at the auction house. “Everything is going to plan.”

  “But is she alone?”

  Phil whipped his head around to face Zeke and glared at him. Normally, the nineteen-year-old never hesitated to do a job. The fact that he had any reluctance at all didn’t sit well with Phil. “Maybe I should’ve brought Ricardo with me instead.”

  Zeke’s nostrils flared in anger. “You’re such an asshole.”

  “And you’re still a kid. Learn how to have a comeback without resorting to name-calling. It’s childish.”

  Phil watched as the youngster fought not to release the string of obscenities that likely filled his mouth. Even in the dark, Phil could see the red blotches on Zeke’s face from his rising anger. The bright red matched his hair.

  Phil had tried to make Zeke dye it, but he’d refused. Oddly enough, Zeke was proud of his hair color. Something about his Irish heritage. Phil could not care less. The simple fact was that it was a color that people remembered.

  As a compromise, Zeke wore a beanie to hide the bright hue. But all it would take was someone yanking the hat off to reveal what was underneath.

  “Let’s get this over with,” Zeke stated as he got to his feet.

  When Zeke rose to cross the road to the auction house, Phil grabbed his arm and jerked him back down. Phil eyed the business. The vet was there just as they’d planned, but was she alone?

  Zeke tugged his arm free, his lip curling with his fury. “Now you want to wait?”

  “Do you know why I’ve never been caught? Because I’m careful. You said you wanted to learn from me, so stop giving me lip and learn. Otherwise, it will be Ricardo coming back with me.”

  Zeke snorted. “No, he won’t. He can’t stand the idea of hurting the horses.”

  Phil slowly turned his head to the kid. “Don’t fuck with me. You won’t like the consequences.”

  Immediately, the cocky smile vanished from Zeke’s face. “Yes, sir.”

  Phil nodded, then went back to studying the building. After another ten minutes of not seeing any movement, he motioned for Zeke to go to the
left.

  They remained crouched and crossed the road. Phil pulled his facemask down while he skirted around an armadillo that was searching for food. Once in the parking lot, Phil ran to the vet’s SUV.

  She had no writing on the side of the vehicle proclaiming her name and profession as most mobile veterinarians did. But everyone still knew the charcoal gray SUV was hers.

  “Audrey Martinez,” he mumbled as he looked through the window into the cab.

  Phil released a long breath and turned to the metal office building. He shook his head at the shabby structure. It was crude and simple. If this were his place, he’d have taken some of the profits and constructed something much grander.

  Instead, Warner had used his money to help fund one of the places that rescued horses from all over the nation. Though, all the animals that came to the auction house were treated like royalty. David made sure only the best hay, feed, and structures were used.

  His care for the animals was why everyone in the seven surrounding counties used the auction house to buy and sell their livestock. Warner had even gone so far as to install a security system after some feed had been stolen.

  But Phil had made sure the system wasn’t operational. It didn’t matter to him that Warner often forgot to turn it on. He wanted to be sure that it couldn’t be used.

  Phil peered around the SUV and looked toward the stables. The lights were on inside. Audrey would have separated the sick animals. It was easy for him to dodge the beam of the security lights outside and make his way to the stables.

  He couldn’t see the vet when he looked inside, which meant that she was most likely in one of the stalls. There were no sounds of movement. At three in the morning, she was likely dozing.

  His gaze landed on the case that she carried everywhere. Phil pulled out a small bottle from his pocket and wrapped his fingers around it. He cautiously slipped around the entrance, flattening his body against the wall. Slowly, he made his way toward the bag, glancing into the stalls as he went.

  When he reached the horse, he couldn’t help but smile at the sight. It wouldn’t be long now before the first one they’d infected died.

  When he reached the next stall, he found Audrey. She was propped up in the corner, her head lolling to the side as she slept. She was a pretty thing. Very pretty.

  It was too bad Phil didn’t have more time to spend with her. He turned to the open bag and held his hand over it. Just as he released the vial, he saw something out of the corner of his eye.

  The fist came right for his face. He dodged to the side, rolling to his feet. Pain exploded in his jaw, letting him know that he hadn’t avoided the punch entirely.

  Phil glared at the man who had surprised him. Years of such work made Phil hyper-alert to any sounds or movement. How the hell had he not realized that there was someone else there?

  The man’s brown eyes were full of delight at finding him. The way he stood, his feet planted and arms up at the ready, indicated his opponent was someone who knew how to fight.

  One of the reasons Phil had never been caught was because he knew when to walk away—or in this case, run. At least he had delivered what he needed to. All he could hope for was that Zeke had done the same.

  The splintering sound of a gunshot behind the stables pierced the silence and made Phil’s blood run cold. The man didn’t so much as flinch, but there was a gasp from within the stall, and Audrey jumped to her feet a second later.

  She looked at the man, then her head turned to him. Phil knew he had to get away, and fast. He wasn’t sure he could outrun his attacker, and the fact that there was someone else out there with a gun was troubling.

  A loud neigh sounded, and then the ground trembled. The next second, a rush of horses roared past. Some came charging through the stables.

  He waited until the man jumped into a stall to avoid being crushed, then Phil turned and ran from the stables alongside some of the horses. He didn’t care that he might get trampled. He wasn’t going to get caught. By anyone, much less the man who’d punched him.

  The others would likely be trying to round up the horses, which limited the number of those who could follow him. He glanced behind him and saw nothing but a cloud of dust that would help aid his getaway. Phil really regretted the cigarettes he’d smoked for most of his life as his lungs burned from the exertion. Every beat of his legs made it feel as if his heart would burst from his chest.

  But he didn’t stop or slow until he reached the meeting place he’d designated in case he and Zeke ran into trouble. Phil’s legs crumpled, and he fell to the ground, sucking in mouthfuls of air and wondering if Zeke had been caught.

  But at least his mission had been accomplished. His employer would be exceedingly happy.

  Chapter 8

  He’d had him. It galled Caleb that he’d had the intruder, but the man had gotten away. Caleb had intended to go after him, but with the stampede and the dust that followed, it was impossible.

  Without hesitation, both he and Audrey exited the stalls and began rounding up the horses. Within moments, Clayton, Cooper, and Jace were with them.

  It took another forty minutes before the horses were back in the corrals. That’s when Caleb realized that Brice hadn’t been helping. Caleb glanced around, looking for some sign of his brother.

  “He’s fine,” Jace was quick to say, even before Caleb could ask about Brice. “He headed off toward the back of the property.”

  Caleb looked into the darkness where Brice had been hiding. “What happened?”

  “Someone tried to inject one of the horses with something.”

  Audrey hurried to them. “Did you say inject? Is the syringe still there?”

  Jace shrugged. “Maybe. Couldn’t see much in the stampede.”

  Caleb’s gut twisted at the mention of the syringe. He pointed at his friend. “Stay here. We’ll be back.”

  “Head toward the northwest side of the property,” Jace called as Caleb and Audrey ran off.

  Caleb blinked against the brightness of the light from Audrey’s phone that she was using as a flashlight.

  “Sorry,” she said. “I can’t see in the dark like you.”

  They shared a quick grin. He was still wound up from seeing the man looking at her. The mask might have covered his face, but there was no denying the need he’d seen in the intruder’s eyes.

  Caleb ran faster when he saw Brice kneeling on the ground, looking at something. His brother lifted his head as they approached. With one look, Caleb knew Brice wasn’t injured.

  “I’m sorry,” Brice said to Audrey, his lips twisting with regret.

  Caleb frowned at the words until his gaze lowered to the ground and he saw the syringe smashed to bits.

  Audrey blew out a breath as she picked up the pieces that were left, examining each one. “Damn. So close.”

  That’s when Caleb remembered something. “Your bag. The guy dropped something into your satchel.”

  “There were two of them?” Brice asked with a deep frown.

  Caleb nodded, but his attention was on Audrey.

  She took a step back. “He put something in my bag?”

  “A small bottle.”

  Without another word, she turned and ran back to the stables. Caleb had only taken two steps when he looked over to find Brice right beside him.

  Somehow, Audrey’s vet kit had only been kicked a few times. That was probably because it had been up against the stall and out of the way. The contents were still inside. Audrey paused when her phone started beeping loudly.

  “It’s the alarm to check the horses,” she told them as she set aside what was left of the syringe and shut it off. She glanced at the bag, her lips twisting in concern.

  Caleb stood next to her. “Want me to pull out the contents and tell you what each of them is while you check on the horses?”

  “Yes, please.”

  Their gazes met, and she shot him a grateful smile. When Caleb squatted to begin, his brother went down on his
knees, smiling widely.

  “What the hell is wrong with you?” Caleb asked irritably. “Did you hit your head on something?”

  Brice chuckled, the smile remaining. “Nope.”

  Caleb ignored his brother as he cautiously reached for the first item in the bag, calling out what it was and then setting it aside on the ground beside him. Alcohol wipes, bandages, sanitizing towelettes, iodine swab-sticks, exam gloves, a cotton roll, eye wash, pocket scalpel, and bandage scissors were some of the items he laid out. Brice joined in, and between both of them, they were finished emptying the bag fairly soon.

  Audrey frowned at the items as she moved from one stall to another. “You said a vial. That means the rest of my things can go back into the bag.”

  “It was one of these,” Caleb said and picked up a small glass container.

  Brice rubbed a hand over his chin. “Do you think he might have been trying to take it and returned it when he saw you?”

  “No.” Caleb looked at the vial in his hand. “I saw him walk into the stables and stare at Audrey.”

  Her face appeared over the stall. “He stared at me?” she asked, stricken by the thought.

  Caleb nodded, anger rising each time he thought of the bastard looking at her with such hunger. The same craving Caleb felt. “Then he leaned over the bag and dropped one of these.”

  “Then one of them isn’t mine,” she said, indicating the glass bottles with a nod of her head.

  Caleb gathered all six of them and got to his feet. He set them atop one of the empty stalls on the opposite side of the stables and stood back, crossing his arms over his chest.

  “I had him,” he said in a low voice as Brice walked up beside him.

  His brother removed his cowboy hat long enough to scratch his head. “And I had the other.”

  “Mine shouldn’t have gotten away.”

  Brice blew out a breath and hooked his thumbs in his belt loop. “We can do this all day.”

  “I laid hands on him. Well, one fist, but still.” Caleb glanced to where the altercation had happened. “I shouldn’t have let him get away.”

  “It wasn’t your fault. The other intruder released the horses after I shot at him.”