by Roni Adams
After the dance, Sara headed to the bar and the stranger went in the opposite direction. Unable to stop himself, Buck followed her. She sat on her usual stool and took a long drink from the glass in front of her. She completely ignored him as he reached her side.
“I see you got another itch.”
She whipped her head around and glared at him, hard. “What did you say?”
“I said, you must have another itch.” He jerked his head to indicate the dance floor.
“Go to hell,” she muttered and started to climb off the bar stool.
Buck grabbed her arm. “I’m already there.” Sara jerked on her arm, but he held firm.
Her eyes narrowed as her chin lifted. “You don’t want to do this here, Buck. I swear I will make a scene like you wouldn’t believe.”
“Hey, what’s going on?” The dark-haired, imitation cowboy walked up on the other side of Sara.
Buck glared at the smaller man. “This isn’t your fight, pal. Back off.”
Cold liquid hit him in the face and dripped down the open collar of his shirt. The little witch! Sputtering out what tasted like ice water, he dropped Sara’s arm. Shock yielded to fury but before she could move away, he clamped each of his hands down on the bar behind her and effectively caged her between his body and the bar rail. She had no choice but to lean back to look up at him as he blinked droplets from his eyes.
The bar had gone quiet and he knew they were on display with everyone watching. It only made him madder at her humiliation.
“Wipe it off,” he ordered in a low voice.
“Go screw yourself.” She lifted her arms and crossed them over her chest as she stared defiantly into his eyes.
“Get the towel and wipe it off,” he ordered again.
Sara leaned up until her nose was almost touching his and once again told him exactly what he should do to himself in a much plainer term.
“I swear to God, Sara...”
“Come on, that’s enough. Leave it alone you two.” Teddy appeared next to them and yanked on Buck’s arm. “You guys really need to go outside and work this out.”
Buck wasn’t letting her get away with this. She’d humiliated him in front of everyone.
Teddy’s voice rose a bit higher. “I said end it! It’s Bill’s party, remember.”
His brother’s shove inched him to the side. Teddy was right, this wasn’t the place to have this out. He pushed away from the bar without looking at Sara again. On his way to the door he nodded to Bill. “Sorry about that, pal.”
“No problem, Buck. I understand.”
Buck kept going without making eye contact with anyone else and didn’t stop until he was in his truck.
Sara turned back around on the bar stool. Teddy’s hand fell lightly to her shoulder and squeezed.
“You okay?”
“Yep. Thanks.” She forced a smile even though her heart beat so hard she thought it would pound out of her chest.
What had they come to, the two of them?
“I’ll get you a drink.” Teddy was gone and heading around the other side of the bar before she could refuse. When he set a shot in front of her, she nodded and fingered the top of it.
“Thanks.” She smiled and, as she hoped, he didn’t wait to see if she’d drink it but headed back to the stage instead.
Sara tried to force her thoughts off the look on Buck’s face when he’d first approached her, before his nasty remark. He looked like she felt, as if part of him wasn’t there. She’d been half hoping he’d ask her to dance and half hoping he wouldn’t. What would happen to her if he held her in his arms again. Would she break down? Forget all the harsh words of last week and the way he behaved? She climbed off the bar stool and walked towards the door.
Outside in the cool night air she glanced around, half hoping, half fearing that Buck would still be there. Fighting with him earlier had her wide awake and she would have welcomed the chance to finish the conversation. She glanced around then yanked open the door to her truck, telling herself she wasn’t disappointed. She was wound up and yet more down than she thought possible. She missed Buck—missed their friendship. But, if she was honest with herself, she really missed what they had in Houston.
Arm leaned against the door, she rested her head on her hand as she drove the familiar route home. What was he doing right now? Sleeping? Drinking by himself? Was he thinking about her or was he so mad he wouldn’t even let himself think of her? She turned up the radio as a new Brad Paisley song came on and sang along, trying to push her thoughts away. If she didn’t get a grip on this thing between them, she was going to lose her mind.
Chapter Thirteen
The ringing sounded a long way away, but it finally got through to Sarah’s drowsy mind enough to make her reach for the cell phone on the nightstand. “Yeah?”
“The dogs are in the herd, about a mile out.”
She didn’t recognize the voice, but it didn’t matter. “I’m coming.” With quick, jerky movements she picked up the jeans she’d dropped on the floor only a few hours earlier and yanked a flannel shirt off the chair. Cord walked through the back door as she pulled her boots on and grabbed her jacket.
“They’ve tracked them and they’re on the run. We’re not going to let them get out of sight. If we can run them to north east, we can trap them and be done with this.” He handed her a thermal mug.
She took a quick sip of the strong coffee but didn’t need it to wake up. Adrenalin raced through her bloodstream as Cord walked out the back door with her. She glanced at him. “Where are you going? You can’t ride yet.”
“I’m fine.” Cord kept on walking.
Sara shook her head. “Don’t be an idiot. You’ll just slow us down.”
Sam practically rode up to the back door, Travis obediently behind him. Sara swung up into the saddle. “Is Buck out there already?” When her foreman didn’t answer right away, she glanced up. “Sam?”
He shook his head. “Don’t know where he is. Isn’t answering his phone and I don’t have time to go get him.”
Sara glanced at the darkened house across the way as they rode by and grabbed her cell phone off her belt loop—Buck’s phone went immediately to voicemail. She hung up. “Where the hell is he?” It was three-thirty in the morning and he’d stormed out of the bar just before midnight.
“I don’t know girl, he’s not my problem—these dogs are.”
Sam raced ahead and Sara squeezed Travis to urge him on, and push Buck out of her mind as she focused on her job.
The world felt surreal, the moon the only light guiding them. Travis’s powerful legs ate up the trip in record time.
They reached the band of riders and she pulled her horse up. Sara glanced around for Buck. If Sam hadn’t been able to reach him on the phone, she assumed he was out here already. But he wasn’t. Seconds later, she turned her attention to the mess on the ground before them. Three calves, or what was left, were heaped together. Her stomach churned at the sight and her anger boiled.
“Red?” Sara turned to the thin cowboy for his report.
He spit a wad of chewing tobacco out before answering. “We spotted them on our rounds and ended up driving them up north. But the pack split up and seemed to go in every direction. We hung out here in case they circle back while Slim and Cody went after them.”
“Good.” She nodded and drew a deep breath, glancing once more at the carnage. “I don’t want anyone leaving until every one of those damn dogs are dead. We’ll track them all night if we have to.” Sara grabbed her shotgun out of its holder and scanned the area. “Red, let’s ride out that way.” She waved her arm to the west. “Sam, you take Tank and Stony and go that way. Rusty and Bruce you head northeast.” None of them questioned her, none of them balked at taking orders from her. As they rode at a full run, she thought again about her father and wondered why on earth he didn’t think she could do this. She had good men, ranch hands who’d been around for a long time. Even most of the new ones they’
d hired on knew enough to respect her. It was something she’d commanded and earned, not expected. She had no problem passing the authority to someone else if they knew more about a subject—like breaking horses, for instance. She didn’t have the instinct or the patience for it, that was Tyler’s expertise—when he was around. Lately they couldn’t even count on him to do that.
Speaking of not knowing where someone was...she drew a deep breath and wondered where the hell Buck was again. He’d loved to be out here doing this with her. Suddenly Red stopped and she pulled up.
“You hear that?” His voice was barely above a whisper.
From up ahead, fierce angry eyes appeared in the dark and the sound of low growls drifted back to them. The pack was obviously feasting on something and her first instinct was to ride right into the pack and start shooting. Unfortunately, she knew that would only endanger Travis and herself. Better to work as a team and circle them, drive them towards the guns rather than go in straight on.
She yanked her phone off her belt loop and texted commands to the men, then sat back and forced herself to wait.
Beside her, she could barely see Red in the dark but she heard him spit. She lifted her water bottle from where it hung on her saddle and took a long drink, trying to quell her queasy stomach. The scent of blood in the air and the sounds of the dogs set her nerves on edge.
It seemed like forever before the plan she’d set up was put into action. Soon enough, though, she took her place alongside her men and opened fire, holding her own against the pack.
From out of the corner of her eye, she saw one of the rabid-looking dogs edge out around her. Sara whirled Travis around at the same time her shot dropped the animal to the ground.
The sun slowly climbed over the horizon when they finally rode back to the main yard. She turned Travis out into the fenced pen and strode across the yard to the Weston house. Buck’s truck in the driveway mocked her as she walked past.
He better be alone and so sick he couldn’t lift his head off the pillow was her only thought as she made her way to the back door of the boys’ house and stepped inside.
Boots echoing on the hard wood floor, she made her way up the back stairs and down the short hall to his bedroom. She shoved the door open.
Buck slept flat on his back, arm flung over his head. His chest was bare and a thin blanket twisted around his legs, leaving one large bare foot hung out the end. The sight of him in bed—and most likely naked—made her pulse race. Then she remembered how she’d been out for the past three hours chasing wild dogs on less than two hours sleep.
She moved to the bed and bent down close to his ear. “Hey!”
He jerked as if someone had knifed him, the look in his eyes wild. Before she could feel any satisfaction, though, he lunged for her and tumbled her onto the bed, pinning her down with his bulk.
He captured her arms over her head in one of his hands and glared. “What the hell is the matter with you? Who does something like that?” he snarled.
“Where the hell have you been?”
“Here. Asleep, or I was.” He searched her face as if she was nuts.
“Sam said he called you and you didn’t answer. Where’s your phone?”
“How the hell do I know where the phone is right now. Probably in my truck. Why? what’s going on?”
Sara shifted under him, hating the way their intimate position was affecting her. She suspected he was naked earlier and now she knew it. Trying to get him off, she bucked up and he grunted at her efforts.
When Buck’s eyes darkened, she couldn’t stop her body from quickening in response. Her breath caught and hung as his gaze dropped to her lips. She tried to focus on why she was there. “Th-the wild dogs were in the pack. Sam said he called you and you didn’t answer so we left without you.”
“How come no one came and got me? Or holler up to the window? You have a big enough mouth any other time, why didn’t you yell for me?”
“There wasn’t any time. We had to get them before they killed more.”
His frown grew deeper. “How bad was it?”
Sara stilled as despair at their loss washed over her. “They got four calves before we got there, and that’s only the ones we know of.”
“Where are they now?”
Sara lifted her brow. “Do you think I’d be here if they were still out there? They’re dead. We got all seven of them.”
“Good. Okay, that’s dealt with. So, what’s with the drama? What’s with the storming in here and scaring me half to death?” He searched her eyes and then smirked. “Or was that just a good excuse to come up here?”
Sara’s blood pounded through her veins. Was he right? Was she really mad that he didn’t hear the phone or was that a convenient reason to confront him? His familiar scent and the warmth of his body reminded her of that night in Houston, and waking up next to him. God help her, she missed him.
The hand that was free brushed her hair back from her face. His head lowered. Sara turned hers to the side to avoid his kiss. She wasn’t going to let this all happen all over again. Look at what a mess they were in already. No, there was no point in starting all that up again no matter how good it felt. Her lower body throbbed and ached and her legs twitched as if they wanted to be free to wrap around him. Obviously, her body saw no reason why this couldn’t happen again.
Buck’s stubbled chin nuzzled the opening in her shirt. His breath on her chest made her nipples pebble. Desperate not do this again, she lifted her foot and jammed her boot heel down into the back of his bared calf. He winced and gritted his teeth.
“Get off me,” she ordered. “I didn’t come up here for any reason other than to find out what was keeping you from doing your job.”
Even to her ears, it sounded as if she was trying to be his boss. He immediately pushed off and released her hands. He sat on the edge of the bed.
Sara scrambled off the bed and stood glaring down.
He swiped his hand over his face as if to wipe the sleep from his eyes. “I forgot, it’s all about the ranch with you.”
She jumped when he moved towards her, but he simply took down the jeans he had lying across the chair arm.
Buck pulled out his phone and flipped it open. “It’s dead.” He turned it around to show her the blank screen. “Sorry, Boss Lady. I won’t let it happen again.”
She forced her eyes not to stray to his naked body. “I’m not your boss.”
He shrugged, stepped into the jeans and walked to the dresser across the room. “If I cared—which I don’t—you technically will be my boss once you and Cord get married. Don’t forget, the two of you will be in control of everything.”
He opened a drawer, pulled out a neatly folded T-shirt and shoved it on.
Sara let her breath out in a frustrated sigh. She hated this. Hated what was between them. Trying to find the words she needed, she stared out the bedroom window. Buck’s room overlooked the back of the ranch and she could see some of the cattle and the cowboys moving among them. It was a peaceful, familiar sight. The way she used to feel when she was with Buck. Now she barely knew him anymore.
“By the way, you should warn your fiancé that it’s a bit premature to put an engagement announcement in the newspaper. If I’m correct in my knowledge of the female reproductive system, we still have a few days to go before we know if you’re going to be giving birth to his brother’s baby.”
Her mouth dropped open and she shook her head. She wanted so bad to lie and say she already knew that there was no baby, but that would just make things even worse if it turned out she was wrong. Instead, she glared. “All these years, I had no clue you were this much of a bastard. Here I was, trying to find a way we could maybe salvage any remnants of a twenty-five year friendship and you just shot it down, again.”
Buck shook his head sadly. “Sara, I’m not interested in your friendship...”
The words were like a punch in her stomach, hitting her so hard she thought she would crumble. To cover the we
akness, she lifted her chin. “Fine.”
He stopped in his tracks at her comment then crossed the room and reached for her. “The last thing I want is to be just your friend again.”
Buck continued to speak but Sara didn’t hear him. Everything inside her shut down at his comment. So that’s it? He didn’t want her friendship. He was making it perfectly clear where they stood. That was that. They’d had great sex and now they’d lost everything. Beer and whiskey, always something you regret. How many times had she said that? How many times had she done it and not learned. Well, the lesson was well learned now, the hard way.
Buck raked his hand through his hair. “What do you want from me, Sara? Just tell me. What do you want from me?”
She lifted her gaze to the dark green eyes she’d known all her life. Their past flashed before her like a movie in super rewind, stopping not at the time when they’d made love but rather at last night when he’d glared at her, his arms locking her between him and the bar. “I just want to be us again,” she whispered.
Sadness filled his eyes before they became shadowed and cold. He gave a harsh shake of his head. “I can’t do that.”
She whirled around and headed to the door.
“Sara?”
She stopped and waited, half hoping he was going to tell her it was okay, that he couldn’t live without her—that he loved her.
Her heart squeezed. Was that what she was waiting to hear? That he loved her? Was that what she wanted from him? She closed her eyes.