Texas Forever. Janet Dailey

“He’s got a lot to learn. But his father manages the old Prescott Ranch for the syndicate. He’s a capable man. I’m guessing that given time, his son will be the same.”

      Erin had to stop her jaw from dropping. She’d guessed that her father approved of her dating Kyle. But she’d never expected Will to defend him, let alone talk as if he might have plans for their future.

      Arguments sprang into her mind. She was only nineteen. She hadn’t made up her mind about Kyle. She wasn’t even sure she was in love. But Erin kept her silence. Her dad had been through an emotional three days. He deserved some peace. They could talk later. Right now, there was only one thing to do.

      Rising from her seat, she said a subdued good night and walked out of the room.

      The long day had drained her. But it was too early to go to bed, and she was too restless to settle somewhere and read the novel she’d started. After the luncheon, she’d shed her dress and sandals and changed into jeans, sneakers, and a plain black tank top. Now she wandered out the front door and onto the porch.

      The night was warm, the breeze no more than a whisper. She inhaled the parched air, yearning for the fresh scent of rain. But there was nothing to smell but dust, blended with the odors of horses and cattle and the lingering aromas of ham and beans that drifted from the bunkhouse kitchen. A mosquito whined around her ears. She brushed it away. The pesky insects had never plagued her like they did some people. They’d never bothered Will, either. Maybe there was something in Tyler blood that drove them away.

      Needing to move, she headed down the front steps. Her father had never liked her wandering the ranch alone after dark, but she wasn’t a child anymore, and she didn’t plan to be gone long.

      The security light clicked on as she reached the bottom of the steps and moved out into the yard. Her shadow stretched behind her, elongated by the angle of the light. With each step, gravel crunched under her sneakers. She’d hoped that walking might help clear her thoughts, but her father’s words kept replaying in her mind. His support of Kyle had caught her by surprise. What had he been thinking?

      Maybe Jasper’s death had made Will more aware of his own mortality. Maybe he wanted to see her safely settled. Or maybe he was hoping for grandchildren to carry on his line. Erin loved her father, but marrying anyone just to please him could turn out to be the biggest mistake of her life.

      Pausing, she scanned the yard for any sign of Henry. But if the big bull snake was out of his den, he was evidently hunting somewhere else. A smile teased Erin’s lips as she remembered how Luke Maddox had grabbed her in a panic to keep her from stepping on the scary but nonvenomous snake. She’d glimpsed the vulnerable, human side of the farrier that night.

      But she certainly hadn’t seen that side of him since. The word prickly didn’t do the man’s disposition justice. She didn’t look forward to working with him tomorrow.

      She passed the windmill, its vanes barely moving in the listless breeze. Now she could hear the mares and foals in the paddock. Their peaceful blowing and nickering told her all was well with them. Being with horses always calmed her spirit. That was just one of the reasons why Erin had dedicated her life to breeding, raising, and training them.

      Her horses were like her children. The thought of selling them off to keep the ranch afloat through the drought was enough to break her heart. But she was a Tyler—Will’s daughter and Bull’s granddaughter. The long-range future of the Rimrock was in her hands. She would do what had to be done.

      The moon was rising to the east, a thin sliver above the distant hills. Beyond the pens, Erin could see the mares moving in the shadows, keeping their foals close. The paddock was large, about the size of a rodeo arena. The near side faced the barn and the pens. The far side bordered on open land that sloped up to the foothills of the escarpment. It was a safe place as long as the horses stayed together, but a straying foal, alone at night, could become prey for a roving pack of coyotes or feral dogs. The mares seemed to know this. They stayed alert for any danger—which made it strange that they hadn’t warned Erin about the dark shape of a man standing by the paddock fence.

      Her pulse lurched when she saw him. She paused, about to back away and make a silent retreat, when the man turned his head and saw her. The faint glow of the security light fell on his face. It was Luke Maddox.

      His relaxed posture sent an unspoken message that he wasn’t going anywhere. “Does your daddy know you’re wandering out here at night, young lady?” His voice dripped irony. “Don’t you know there could be some unsavory characters hanging around the place with mischief on their minds?”

      “That’s my problem,” she retorted. “And this is my ranch. I’m the one who should be asking the questions.”

      “So, ask away.”

      The man’s insolent undertone made her want to lash out at him. But something told her that if she did, he’d only laugh at her. “I’ll start by asking what you’re doing out here,” she said. “Shouldn’t you be in the bunkhouse?”

      “I thought you were running a ranch, not a prison camp. Is it against the rules to go outside—especially when that damned bunkhouse is noisier than a riot in a Tijuana cathouse? I came out here for some peace and quiet.”

      “Well, then, I’ve got some good news for you.” Erin claimed her own spot against the fence. They stood a few feet apart, looking out over the paddock. “My father asked me to clear out one side of the duplex for you tomorrow. You can take your meals in the bunkhouse, but you’ll have your own quarters.”

      “Now that’s right nice. Tell your father I said thank you.” He actually sounded sincere.

      “You can thank the man they’ll be burying tomorrow. It was his place for years. Boxing up his things won’t be easy for me. Jasper Platt was loved and respected by everyone on this ranch. He’ll be missed—terribly.”

      “I’ll keep that in mind when I move in. If you need help packing, let me know.”

      “You’ll be too busy shoeing horses to help,” Erin said. “That’s another thing. Tomorrow Sky and my father are taking Jasper’s body to the Hill Country for burial. I’m being left in charge.”

      “So you’ll be my boss for the day. That should be interesting.”

      Erin bristled. “My father’s been training me to run this ranch for years. And Sky’s been teaching me to manage horses most of my life. I’m as capable as any man on the Rimrock. I can take anything you throw at me, and don’t you forget it. Oh—and I’ll be alone, without a dueña. Sorry about your precious reputation.”

      A slow grin sidled across his face. His laughter was a bone-deep chuckle. “Remind me not to throw anything at you,” he said. “But as long as you’re going to be around tomorrow, I’ll plan to have a look at your stallions. Those boys tend to be unpredictable, and I’d just as soon not have any sur—”

      He broke off, suddenly tense. The mares were stirring, snorting their wariness, calling their foals closer.

      “What is it?” Erin asked.

      “Shhh,” he whispered. “Along the back fence line, beyond the horses. That moving shadow. Do you see it?”

      Erin peered across the paddock, into the darkness beyond the reach of the security light. She shook her head. “I don’t see anything. Maybe it’s a coyote, or just the breeze blowing some brush.”

      “No. I only caught a glimpse of it, but it moved like a man. And listen to the horses. Something’s spooking them. Stay here. I’m going to check it out.” Keeping low, he slipped between the fence rails.

      “But you don’t even have a gun,” Erin whispered. “You can’t just—”

      “Stay here and be quiet. If you hear a ruckus, go for help.” Without another word, he vanished into the shadows.

      * * *

      Keeping to the darkness, Luke moved along the fence