Kirby’s heart dropped. She chewed on her lower lip, mulling over her dilemma.
“Knowing there’s a man still on the run out here changes everything.” He paused. “Your ankle would never hold up if you tried hiking out of these hills. But if you’re up for it, I could let you take my horse.” He nodded toward Solitaire. “He knows his way home. If you’re strong enough to stay in the saddle, you should be safely at my family’s ranch by nightfall.”
The thought of returning to civilization was oh-so-tempting. Still, Kirby quickly weighed the pitfalls of the situation. “I appreciate the offer. That’s generous of you. And if I took you up on it, I could alert your family that you’re up here in need of a horse or some other transportation. But there are no guarantees that I’d make it out without running into the man the police are hunting. And without the use of two good legs, even with a rifle, I wouldn’t stand a chance of fighting him on my own. All he’d have to do is pull me out of the saddle and I’d be down for the count.”
Casey nodded. “You’re welcome to stay and share this shelter. We have more than enough supplies to be comfortable. Of course, a man on the run could stumble upon this cave and decide to fight us for it. You could be exchanging one problem for another.” He gave her a long look. “I’ll respect whatever choice you make.”
The sound of the helicopter grew louder as it made another slow turn above them. Kirby lifted her head to watch its progress. When it faded from sight, she gave a long, deep sigh.
“In other words, damned if I do, damned if I don’t.”
He smiled, and she thought how handsome he was. “That’s about it. Your call.”
She nodded. “For now, I’ll take my chances here. I guess, like your mustang, another day might be just what I need before tackling the long descent from the mountain. And there’s strength in numbers. Two of us against one man on the run.”
“One desperate man on the run. Don’t forget that. If he finds us, he’ll do whatever it takes to stay alive.”
“That’s my goal, too.”
Casey gave her a quick smile. “That makes two of us.”
He turned away and began rummaging through his supplies. “Are you in the mood for sausage or steak for breakfast?”
She gave a surprised laugh. “Are you serious?” At his grin she added, “Sausage. That way, we can have the steak for supper.”
“Works for me.” He lifted the lid of a container and set it over the fire. While the sausages heated, he opened a second container and set out an array of hard-boiled eggs and biscuits.
A short time later, Kirby was sitting beside him near the fire. “I’ll give you this,” she said, grinning. “You do know how to hike these hills in style.”
He dug into his breakfast before admitting, “I can’t take any credit for this. Our ranch cook, Billy Caldwell, is a genius in the kitchen. Billy keeps my entire family happy and well-fed with his creations.”
“Wait. You have your own cook?”
“Doesn’t everyone?” Casey gave her a sly smile that had her heart doing a sudden bounce.
She paused and took a long sip of coffee to steady herself. Now where had that unexpected reaction come from? Last night she’d thought of him as a surly stranger. How could one simple smile make such a difference?
“You mentioned a family. Wife? Kids? Just how many family members are there?”
“No wife. No kids. There’s my great-grandfather, Hammond. Everybody calls him Ham. He turned ninety this year and can still outwork all of us. Then there are my grandparents, Egan and Meg, both seventy. Their daughter, Liz, is a photographer, and their son, Bo, is my father. I have an older brother, Brand, and a new sister-in-law, his bride Avery. And a younger brother, Jonah. There’s also our ranch foreman, Chet Doyle, who has been a friend to my dad since they were boys.” He turned. “How about you? Are you from a big family, too?”
She gave a short laugh. “Afraid not. I mentioned my uncle Frank. He took me in and shared his home with me after the death of my parents.”
“I’m sorry. How old were you?”
“Ten. I was feeling scared and lost and alone, and Uncle Frank seemed to know just how to ease me through all the grief and trauma. He put me to work in the horse barn, and before I knew what was happening, I had transferred all my love to those animals. For a girl from a small town, life on a ranch was just what I needed. And my uncle, who’d buried a wife and his only brother, bonded with me and became my best friend.”
“That’s nice. And you mentioned a cousin?”
“Caroline. She was off to college when I came to live with Uncle Frank, so I feel as though I barely know her. When she graduated, her job kept her far from home, and then she married a college sweetheart from Idaho. After the funeral, she told me she’d already made her peace with leaving the family ranch all those years ago.”
Kirby turned away to refill her cup. “All my childhood memories are tied to Uncle Frank’s ranch. It just seems logical to try to continue to make it my home.”
“Running a ranch alone can be an uphill battle.”
She shrugged. “I’d like to think I’m up for it. Besides, I’ll have Uncle Frank’s wranglers, at least those willing to come back to work. I know a lot of them have already found other jobs. But if even half are willing to work for me, I think I can make it.”
Casey studied her with new interest before setting aside his empty plate.
She held up the coffeepot. “Want a refill?”
He nodded and held out his cup. They drank in companionable silence. When he’d finished, he set down his cup and crossed to the mustang.
From her position beside the fire Kirby watched as he unwrapped the dressing on the horse’s leg and administered ointment before wrapping it with fresh dressing. After administering another dose of antibiotics, he ran a hand over the mustang’s mane.
For the first time the animal didn’t react in fear. Its ears remained up, its gaze fixed on the man as he stroked and soothed.
Kirby set aside her coffee. “I’d say you’ve gained her trust.”
“For now. That doesn’t mean she won’t revert to her old ways. But for now, she realizes that she needs me.” He stood and crossed to his own horse, setting out fresh food and water. “I know you’re restless, Solitaire. But I’m afraid you’re stuck in here with the rest of us.”
Hearing the sound of Casey’s voice, the big horse tossed its head, as though understanding every word.
“You do have a way about you, Doctor.”
At Kirby’s words Casey turned and grinned. “At least with animals.”
She felt the quick hitch in her heart and wanted to contradict him, but she held her silence.
Not just with animals, Dr. Merrick. That sexy smile is guaranteed to go straight to a woman’s heart. As if you don’t already know that.
Chapter Four
Casey pulled on his parka and made his way to the cave entrance before turning to Kirby. “I’m going outside to look around. Don’t worry if I’m gone awhile. I’ll be close enough to hear you fire off a shot if there’s any trouble.”