Breaking the Bad Boy (11 page)

Joss flung the hula hoop away and clucked Butterscotch into a trot, and then a canter, while running beside her. She then grabbed hold of her mane and let the horse’s momentum pull her up onto Butterscotch’s back. It wasn’t pretty, but she made it. She leaned back to slow the horse and kicked her lightly to nudge her around to head back to the ranch. She didn’t think the men were up to any good, and Buck’s words of warning were uppermost in her mind. She only hoped they wouldn’t use caltrops with her horse.

Butterscotch was aware, but not frightened, and when Joss asked her to give it her all, she did. The overweight old girl galloped down the road past the astonished man waving his arms to spook her enough to get her to stop for whatever reason; Joss wasn’t going to find out. When she was a quarter mile past the man Joss slowed her horse to an easy lope back toward the ranch. Thankfully it wasn’t very far. She heard a truck coming down the road to them and Joss asked a little more from Butterscotch who seemed delighted to give it.

The truck did not come down the drive after Joss, but it did hesitate at the top, and Joss got a good look at it. A white Ford F-350. Everyman’s truck in these parts. She thought a little disappointed.

Fernando was ready to scold Joss for riding the horse that killed her brother when Joss stopped him.

“We were just ambushed, Nando, Butterscotch may have just saved my life,” she said and Nando’s eyes went wide. “Give her a little extra something, and don’t mention it to Brent, please.” Joss went inside and pulled out her sketchbook to draw a likeness of the man they passed at a gallop.

That afternoon Brent was moved from intensive care and Buck came back with six hundred and twenty three head of cattle.

Chapter Four

Joss heard the noise long before she looked out the window to see the dust. Rex, Fly and Pablo knew exactly what to do and went to join the fray. Fernando saddled a mare for Joss and she rode out to greet them. She saw Buck first thing, and went straight to him telling herself that he was the overseer of the ranch, and in charge of the incoming herd, he was the man to talk to, not that she had missed his company.

The strength of her logic made her ride to him, but her irregular breathing made her a little nervous. As she closed in on him she noticed he wasn’t alone on his horse, and there was a rider-less horse tethered behind him. Joss didn’t know the hurt man Buck was keeping from falling off the back of his horse, but she recognized the gray look of incredible pain on half the man’s face. The other half was blackened and ragged.

“Several broken ribs, broken ankle, lacerations, mildly concussed, probably in shock, too,” Buck said in way of greeting. Joss patted the back of the man’s hand.

“Hey, you made it back, it’s all smooth sailing from here,” she smiled at him and he couldn’t help but register the pretty woman in front of him. “What happened?”

“He was thrown. Probably a snake, once he was off he proceeded down the scree field at a high rate of speed.” Buck shook his head. “It was a near thing, Duchess.” He looked at her and she saw something completely unexpected. In his eyes she saw fear and relief at this man’s trials, exhaustion and pain, too. “I’m going to leave you in the hands of the pretty girl, Ben; she’ll see you get what you need.”

“Buck, I owe you,” Ben said. Ben’s voice was just as ragged as his face, the man was barely conscious.

“You’d have done the same,” Buck said, but Ben shook his head. “Trade horses with me, Duchess, this old boy is beat.” She hopped down and he swung his long leg over his horse’s neck and slid off. He then stepped up into the stirrup, and cantered her Appaloosa mare back out to the herd adjusting his stirrups as he went. He looked really good in the saddle, straight backed and graceful. Joss tore her eyes away from him and took Ben’s reins and led him toward the house.

“I called an ambulance, they’ll be another ten minutes,” Fernando said. Joss nodded her thanks.

“Did you hit your head at all?” Joss asked Ben. He looked down at her and smiled lopsidedly.
 

“I hit everything, and a couple things hit me back. Buck already did a head injury check on me and kept me awake half the night asking me idiot questions. That man,” he shook his head.

“I know, a pain in the butt, isn’t he?” Joss said, but Ben shook his head again, looking amazed, as if he carried a heavy burden.

“Ma’am, I was sliding to certain death, and Buck dove off his horse and ran straight at me and kept me from going into the ravine. There was a fifty foot freefall into the rocks below, and he clasped my hand and stopped our slide just before we reached it, I think out of sheer force of will,” he shuddered. “There was nothing to grab hold of on the scree, he just stuck the toes of his boots in and we came to a slow stop. We damn near both went off,” he said shaking his head. She looked back at Buck seeing to the cattle. Buck a hero? She thought of his light touch on her punctured foot, his sleeping on the couch to keep the animals away, and his touching concern for the wolves. Of course he was a hero, damn him.

“How long ago did this happen?”

“Two days ago,” he said. She and Fernando helped Ben off the horse and into the house.

“Two days! You’ve been riding around the mountains like this for two days? Why didn’t you just come back?” She asked placing him gently back on the couch.

“We did, we were a day and a half out, we had the herd and we were on our way back.”

“You must be made of cast iron or something,” she said putting ice on the bruise on his chest, and putting his foot gingerly up on a pillow. He sat up a little straighter with a small grimace on his face.

“Don’t suppose you’d like to go dancing after this?” Ben asked. She smiled.

“Dancing?” She laughed. “You are badly injured, it might be a few weeks before you can put your dancing shoes on,” she said smiling at him.

“I’ll just sit there and watch you dance, I bet you…” she put her finger very lightly on the part of his mouth that wasn’t ragged and she shook her head warningly.

“Don’t say another word, Ben, you’re in a vulnerable spot just now,” she said only half joking. He nodded and she took her hand away. “How long have you worked for my dad?”

“Your dad? Shit, you’re Joss Erickson? I thought Buck called you something else.” She nodded and he slumped back in his seat with another grimace, this one he didn’t bother to try to hide. “A couple years, on and off.”

“Joss, ambulance just pulled up,” Fernando said from the door.

Ben started to get to his feet. “What do you think you’re doing?” She asked him putting a firm hand on his shoulder.

“Going out to the ambulance,” he said like it was obvious.

“Fucking cowboys. You stay put, you’re hurt, let them come to you,” she said. Ben smiled at her.

“We cowboys are tough,” he said. “Maybe Brent won’t be able to slit my throat after all.” She smiled a little awkwardly.

“Why would Brent slit your throat?”

“For laying hands on his daughter, it was the one thing we had to agree to when we signed on. Right now I’m thinking the crime might be worth the punishment,” he grinned at her. Joss rolled her eyes. “I know I’m probably a sight, Miz Erickson but I’m a fast healer.”

“Call me Joss, Ben, but I’m afraid I’m not your type,” she said.

“Oh yes, you are, you really are,” he said reaching for her hand. “You definitely are.” His hand was shredded, too and she held it very gingerly.

“I’m not, I’m too much trouble. I’m hard headed, strong willed, assertive and not a little bit spoiled. You deserve someone nicer than the likes of me, Ben.”

The EMTs and Buck stepped into the room and Ben let her hand go.

“She’s the boss’s daughter, Ben, you don’t want to go like that,” Buck said only half joking.

“I might. At least I’d die with a smile on my face,” he said looking at Joss and grinned painfully. “Well, half my face.”

“Hell, she’s the one you gotta worry about, she’ll stick a shiv in you while your back is turned,” Buck said winking at Ben.

Joss looked at Buck. “I would do it while I looked you in the eye, I’m not the type to stick you in the back,” Joss said. She turned to Ben and touched his shoulder. “Give yourself time to heal.” She walked out to the porch to give the man a little privacy with the EMTs.

The cattle were penned, and the hands were looking tired and hungry. She should have thought of that, and had something prepared for them. What did she have? There must be something in the freezer, this was a cattle ranch. She turned quickly and slammed right into Buck who was silently standing right behind her. He hissed sharply through his teeth and grabbed her arms gently but firmly to stop her forward progress into his chest.

“You’re hurt, too,” she said and started to pull up his shirt. He stopped her hand.

“Not here, Duchess, let’s take this to your room. I’m not half as nice as Ben, I might just deserve what you have to dish out, and I plan on enjoying it,” he said suggestively and she surprised both of them by laughing.

“You just don’t quit, do you? Let’s have the EMTs take a look at you, that was a pained look you just gave me,” she said.

“I give you pained looks all the time, Duchess.”

“You do, don’t you? Well, this is a different kind of pain, I think,” she took his hand and drew him in to see the EMTs. “I have another patient for you. Take your shirt off.”

“No,” he said.

“All right, if you’re shy, I’ll leave,” she walked to the family side of the house to her room. She turned when she heard his spurs behind her. Stopping in the hall she looked at him. “What?”

“I’m not shy; I just don’t want an audience. Go get your EMT; I’ll wait for you in your room.” He went past her and into her room and closed the door. She watched him.
What is going on with him?

Three minutes later she opened the door to find him in the middle of her room looking at the murals on her walls. He locked eyes with her when she came in. He had the strangest look on his face, but then he gestured to the black wall with Picasso’s
Guernica
painted on it. Screaming, dying, dismembered and dead bodies painted on her wall. “Teenage angst?” He asked.

“Yes,” she said. The EMT followed her in and looked around impressed.

“This is the coolest room ever,” he said. “Who did this for you?”

“I did them,” she said and his eyes grew large.

“As a teenager?” He asked.

“Yes,” she said looking at Buck. He still looked funny, but he probably just thought she was a freak.

“These are really good; van Gogh, Picasso, have you got any others?” The EMT went on.

“There is an Edvard Munch and a Piet Mondrian in the bathroom,” she pointed to the bathroom. There were no murals on the two log walls. “The Mondrian was my pre-teenage angst phase. Sit down,” she said to Buck pointing to the wing chair. “Do you want me to leave?” He shook his head. “Okay, let’s get your shirt off.”

“I’ll need you to help me,” he said. She looked at him then turned on her light. He didn’t look good. She knelt in front of him and started unbuttoning his shirt, he didn’t blink once; he simply stared at her. She pulled it open and looked at the filthy, torn and bloodied undershirt. She bit her lower lip. Much of the shirt was embedded in the man’s chest.

“Oh, Buck,” she said softly looking at his face. He was still watching her intently. Having her unbutton his shirt while on her knees in front of him was surprisingly arousing, and he couldn’t tear his eyes from her. The light she turned on shone in her blue eyes, and he saw her distress as she opened his shirt and it was all he could do not to lean forward and take the lip she held in her teeth for his own, and she knew it.

“Do you two want to be alone, or can I do my thing?” The EMT asked, amused. Joss flushed and Buck smiled.

“Alone,” Buck said hoarsely but at the same time Joss spoke.

“Do your thing,” she said. She stood up and Buck reached for her hand.

“You held Ben’s hand, you can hold mine,” he said. She held his hand and he brushed his thumb across her palm and she damn near fell to her knees. The EMT cut his undershirt off and pulled it away with some effort. The skin on his beautiful chest was torn and started bleeding anew when the shirt was pulled away.

“Any ribs broken?” He asked.

“Nah,” Buck said.

“Then I’m going to tell you how to clean this up, unless you want to come to the hospital,” Buck shook his head. “I thought as much. Then I’m going to take your friend to the hospital. Sorry, this looks nasty, but it’s minor stuff,” he said to Joss. Her eyes got wide, but she nodded, she could do this. “You shower, use soap, get it as clean as you can in water as hot as you can stand. Stay in there for a while, this will loosen up and be easier to get out the longer you’re in there,” he said to Buck, then looked at Joss again. “You get tweezers, and come with me, I’ll give you sterile packing,” he looked at Buck. “And maybe a bullet for the big guy to bite on. Hey, speaking of bullets, is that from a gunshot?”