another threatening step toward her.
Domino moved restlessly, not liking the man's close proximity. Colby casually turned the horse sideways, resting the rifle naturally across her body, the barrel low, but unmistakably centered on Harris's large frame.
"Hey, Tony, you drive those cattle back yet?" A voice bellowed the question from the rocks nearby.
Colby kept her eyes on Harris. She didn't recognize the voice, but Harris looked triumphant, more malevolent than ever. "Sure did, but Miss Jansen isn't nearly as grateful as she should be. Maybe she needs a lesson in how to treat a man properly."
The second man, a total stranger, dark, with a day's growth of beard and shrewd assessing eyes, scrambled from the rocks and into her line of vision. His eyes were red-rimmed and streamed constantly.
He shoved dark glasses on, but not before she saw his expression. Where Tony Harris annoyed her, this man frightened her. Harris was a bully; this man was truly evil. Daniels had himself a wonderful crew.
Most likely they were stealing him blind. "So you were returning my cattle," she said thoughtfully.
"That's right, Colby, those little critters of yours just don't want to stay put." Tony took another step closer to Colby, watching her carefully with hot eyes.
"What the hell is taking so long?" Daniels strode up to the fallen fence, glaring at his foreman. "Get back to work, Harris. It shouldn't have taken the two of you all this time to return a couple of steers. And you could have fixed the fence." He dismissed the two men with a wave of his hand, ignoring Harris's surly grumbling and the other man's mocking insolence. "Sorry, Colby, it didn't occur to me they wouldn't fix the fence." For the first time he seemed to notice the rifle. "They weren't giving you any trouble, were they?"
Colby faced him across the fallen fence. Smooth. Charming. A shark. Clinton Daniels had deliberately used her stepfather's terrible accident for his own gain. The hospital bills were piling up and Colby had taken out a loan using the family ranch as collateral, the terms nearly impossible to meet. A blur of movement caught her eye. Up on the ridge one ofEverett's somber, silent workers stood beside Juan Chevez, surveying the scene below. The worker lifted a hand at her, still watching from his vantage point.
Colby burst out laughing. "It's a regular convention out here. I thought I was all alone, but we've got enough people out here to have a party."
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
Daniels was scowling up at the two silent men. "I don't think it's so funny, Colby. There's something strange aboutEverett's hands. Every last one of them is an ex-con. It makes me nervous to know they sit up there watching everything we do."
"They just want to be left alone."
"It isn't safe for you riding around alone out here." Daniels cast another fierce glance up at the two men.
"And those foreigners are a strange bunch too. I think they're up to something."
Colby gathered up the reins as Domino sidestepped nervously. "Thanks for returning my cattle,Clinton.
I'm sorry about the fence. I'll get some materials out here as soon as possible and we won't have the problem anymore."
"You might want to hold off a couple of months, save yourself time and expense," he told her suavely.
Colby's chin went up. "You don't have to worry, I'll have your money for you."
"Colby"—he shook his head, clucking his tongue at her—"I understand you went to the bank and they turned you down. How do you expect…"
"They turned me down because of you, Daniels. Don't think I don't know that. And it's none of your business how I come up with the money. You'll get it."
He reached out and caught her reins, preventing her from moving. "You're being stubborn, Colby. Let the Chevezes take the kids away. Marry me. You'll still have your ranch, it will all work out. You shouldn't be running yourself into the ground. Look at you, you're pale
Domino moved restlessly, not liking the man's close proximity. Colby casually turned the horse sideways, resting the rifle naturally across her body, the barrel low, but unmistakably centered on Harris's large frame.
"Hey, Tony, you drive those cattle back yet?" A voice bellowed the question from the rocks nearby.
Colby kept her eyes on Harris. She didn't recognize the voice, but Harris looked triumphant, more malevolent than ever. "Sure did, but Miss Jansen isn't nearly as grateful as she should be. Maybe she needs a lesson in how to treat a man properly."
The second man, a total stranger, dark, with a day's growth of beard and shrewd assessing eyes, scrambled from the rocks and into her line of vision. His eyes were red-rimmed and streamed constantly.
He shoved dark glasses on, but not before she saw his expression. Where Tony Harris annoyed her, this man frightened her. Harris was a bully; this man was truly evil. Daniels had himself a wonderful crew.
Most likely they were stealing him blind. "So you were returning my cattle," she said thoughtfully.
"That's right, Colby, those little critters of yours just don't want to stay put." Tony took another step closer to Colby, watching her carefully with hot eyes.
"What the hell is taking so long?" Daniels strode up to the fallen fence, glaring at his foreman. "Get back to work, Harris. It shouldn't have taken the two of you all this time to return a couple of steers. And you could have fixed the fence." He dismissed the two men with a wave of his hand, ignoring Harris's surly grumbling and the other man's mocking insolence. "Sorry, Colby, it didn't occur to me they wouldn't fix the fence." For the first time he seemed to notice the rifle. "They weren't giving you any trouble, were they?"
Colby faced him across the fallen fence. Smooth. Charming. A shark. Clinton Daniels had deliberately used her stepfather's terrible accident for his own gain. The hospital bills were piling up and Colby had taken out a loan using the family ranch as collateral, the terms nearly impossible to meet. A blur of movement caught her eye. Up on the ridge one ofEverett's somber, silent workers stood beside Juan Chevez, surveying the scene below. The worker lifted a hand at her, still watching from his vantage point.
Colby burst out laughing. "It's a regular convention out here. I thought I was all alone, but we've got enough people out here to have a party."
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
Daniels was scowling up at the two silent men. "I don't think it's so funny, Colby. There's something strange aboutEverett's hands. Every last one of them is an ex-con. It makes me nervous to know they sit up there watching everything we do."
"They just want to be left alone."
"It isn't safe for you riding around alone out here." Daniels cast another fierce glance up at the two men.
"And those foreigners are a strange bunch too. I think they're up to something."
Colby gathered up the reins as Domino sidestepped nervously. "Thanks for returning my cattle,Clinton.
I'm sorry about the fence. I'll get some materials out here as soon as possible and we won't have the problem anymore."
"You might want to hold off a couple of months, save yourself time and expense," he told her suavely.
Colby's chin went up. "You don't have to worry, I'll have your money for you."
"Colby"—he shook his head, clucking his tongue at her—"I understand you went to the bank and they turned you down. How do you expect…"
"They turned me down because of you, Daniels. Don't think I don't know that. And it's none of your business how I come up with the money. You'll get it."
He reached out and caught her reins, preventing her from moving. "You're being stubborn, Colby. Let the Chevezes take the kids away. Marry me. You'll still have your ranch, it will all work out. You shouldn't be running yourself into the ground. Look at you, you're pale
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