“About that.” There was a long pause. “I . . . uhh . . . started my period.”
Overwhelming relief swept through him and he slumped back in the seat and covered his face with his hands. For the first time since finding the condom, he felt like he could breathe. “Thank God . . . oh, thank God.”
“Yeah, you certainly wouldn’t want to have a baby with me.”
Maisy’s sarcastic tone had him lowering his hands and staring at her. “And you’d want to have a baby with me?”
She snorted. “Are you kidding? You’re the last man on earth I’d want to have a baby with. If I ever decide to have kids it won’t be with someone just like my daddy.”
It was the worst insult she could’ve given Sawyer.
Sam Sweeney had been a mean asshole who pulled pranks on all the Double Diamond boys when he’d worked at the ranch. He’d put vinegar in Cru’s canteen. Put Val on an unbroken horse. And loosened Sawyer’s saddle so he almost fell off while riding. When Chester and Lucas found out about the pranks, they’d fired Sam and kicked him off the ranch. No one gave much thought to Sam until Maisy came looking for her father a few months back. He had disappeared after leaving the Double Diamond, and it took both Lincoln and Dixie to solve the mystery of what happened to him. Sam had been shot and killed by the ex-sheriff. Sawyer hadn’t wanted Sam dead, but he certainly hadn’t liked the guy either.
“I’m nothing like your father. He was a mean-spirited jerk who enjoyed pulling pranks on young—”
He cut off when Maisy suddenly slammed on the brakes. He grabbed onto the dashboard and reached an arm across Maisy. When they came to a complete halt, he realized why she had stopped so suddenly.
A horse stood in the middle of the road. A damn fine-looking black stallion. Its eyes were wild and its coat lathered as if it had run a long ways. The reason it wasn’t running anymore was the swollen fetlock it was favoring. Since Chester and Lucas hadn’t mentioned getting a new horse, the stallion must belong to the Gardener ranch that Cru Cassidy and Logan McCord ran with their wives.
“You have a rope?” Sawyer asked.
Maisy sent him a sardonic look as if that was the stupidest question she’d ever heard before she reached behind the seat and grabbed a rope. When he went to take it, she pulled back. “I can rope him.”
“I don’t doubt that you can. But since you have a broken collarbone, it makes more sense that I do it.” For a moment, he thought she was going to argue, but then she finally relented and handed him the rope.
They both eased open their doors and slipped out. Sawyer cringed at the sound of the gravel crunching beneath his boots, but the horse was more interested in Maisy who had started talking softly.
“Hey, there. You’re not going to give us any trouble, are you, big fellow. You’re going to be a perfect angel. That’s what I’m gonna call you. Dark Angel. Now, Angel, we’re not gonna hurt you. In fact, we’re gonna take care of your hurt leg and get you some nice oats to fill your belly . . . that’s if a certain cowboy would quit messing around and hurry up and rope you.”
Sawyer swung the lasso he’d made and released it. It sailed over the horse’s head and he quickly secured the other end to the hitch on the front bumper. The horse fought against the rope for a few minutes before it finally quieted and stood there trembling and staring at them with fearful eyes. When Sawyer stepped closer, he realized the leg wasn’t the only injury the horse had. There were open wounds on its flanks as if someone had beaten him with a riding crop. Maisy noticed them at the same time.
“What kind of no-account lowdown snake would do that?” she said with disgust.
“Not anyone from the Gardener ranch, that’s for sure. This horse must belong to someone else.”
She glanced at him. “You took your good sweet time roping him.”
“I guess you would’ve been quicker.”
“Hell, yeah. I was a damned good calf-roper. Much to my mama’s dismay, it turned out to be a little too tame for my blood. She prays everyday I’ll come to my senses and quit bronc riding.”
“You’re too good to quit.”
There was a long pause as if she didn’t know how to take the compliment. Finally, she nodded. “Thanks. But I wasn’t good enough to beat your score today.”
He was surprised. She should have beaten his score. She’d drawn a tougher horse and showed much better technique than he had. Than he ever had. He had skill, but Maisy had a gift. Something he hadn’t realized until he’d watched her today. She hadn’t just ridden the horse. She’d danced with him—following his every move with grace and style. Sawyer was envious. And not just of her skill. Maisy was at the beginning of her career and would only get better. He was at the end of his and would only get worse. Which meant he couldn’t take time off. He needed to get back on the circuit. Concussion or not.
“Let’s get this horse to the Double Diamond,” he said.
The horse must’ve been exhausted because it gave Sawyer no trouble when he led it around to the back of his truck and tied the rope to the hitch. Maisy took it slow and Sawyer sat in the bed of his truck to kept an eye on the horse.
When they pulled in front of the house and Sawyer jumped out, the horse immediately started rearing and jerking at the rope. “It’s okay, Angel,” he said. “This is the Double Diamond ranch. You’re going to like it here. It’s a good place to heal.”
He didn’t know how true his words were until the door opened and Lucas and Chester stepped out. Just seeing the two old cowboys made the tension he’d felt in the last twenty-four hours melt away.
“There you are, boy.” Chester came down the porch steps with Lucas. “We thought it would be another sixteen years before we got to see you again, instead of just a few months.” He started to give Sawyer a slap on the back, but Maisy stopped him.
“Be careful. Sawyer has a concussion.”
“A concussion?” Chester studied him.
He shrugged. “It’s nothing.”
“A concussion is not nothing.” Lucas said. “I’ve had a couple of those and they can rattle your brains good.” His gaze narrowed on Maisy. “And what happened to you?”
“Busted collarbone.”
“Well, it looks like you two have had quite a day.” Chester glanced at the horse. “Whose horse it that?”
“We don’t know,” Sawyer said. “Maisy and I found him a mile or so back. It looked like he’d been running for a while. Probably from whoever abused him. He’s been whipped.”
Chester shook his head. “Some folks shouldn’t be allowed around animals. I’ll get him fed and bedded down.”
“I’ll help. He’s a little skittish.”
“No, you won’t. I can handle a skittish horse.” Chester pointed to the house. “You need to get to bed.”
“And you too, missy,” Lucas looked at Maisy. “You can have my room and I’ll bunk with Chester.”
“That’s sure hospitable of you,” Maisy said. “But once I get Sawyer’s truck unhitched, I’m going to head to the Lucky Lane Trailer Park.”