the creek. “ What if he trees himself? ” Becca asked. “ We ’ ll never be able to climb up high enough to get him. ”
“ Ryder will get him for us, ” Dusty assured her. After only a few weeks, Dusty had confidence in the fact that Ryder Maddox would do whatever she asked him.
Carefully , the girls combed the bushes and trees growing along the creek bank, but there was no sign of the cat. After a while, Becca lost interest in hunting for the elusive feline.
Sighing heavily, she whined, “ I ’ m tired of lookin ’ for that ol ’ cat. He ’ s hid too good. We ’ ll never find him. ”
Dusty sighed herself but with irritation. “ You can ’ t give up that easy, Becca. He ’ s here somewhere! ”
Becca stood looking around, having given up in spite of her sister ’ s encouragement. Suddenly, however, she exclaimed, “ I think I see him! Over by the barn! ”
Dusty turned and looked to where her sister was pointing. “ He couldn ’ ta gotten by us that easy, Becca, ” she told her sister. “ We would ’ ve seen him , and I don ’ t see nothin ’ over there. ”
“ I ’ m tellin ’ you I do! ” Becca argued. “ You can waste your time over here! But I ’ m gonna look by the barn. ”
“ Fine, ” Dusty sighed, with an air of great superiority. “ But if I find him, I ’ m playin ’ with him first. ”
“ Fine, ” Becca mumbled, angrily storming off.
Several moments passed, and Dusty, all the more determined to find the missing cat, was looking so diligently in the bushes she didn ’ t hear Ryder approaching until he was standing right behind her.
“ Whatcha lookin ’ for? ” he asked.
Dusty gasped and, putting her hand to her chest to calm her startled heart, turned to face him. “ You scared the waddin ’ out t a me, Ryder! ” she scolded.
Ryder ’ s face immediately broke into an amused grin, as it more often than not did whenever Dusty found herself face - to - face with him.
“ Sorry, ” he apologized with a chuckle. “ What ’ re you rootin ’ around for? ”
“ That kitty Daddy brung home, ” Dusty answered. “ I sure hope he hasn ’ t treed himself. ”
“ I ’ ll fetch him down for you if he has, ” Ryder mumbled, looking up into the branches of the tree beneath which they stood.
Dusty smiled with secr et delight. She knew he would—e ven without him having to say it.
“ What ’ re y a doin ’ over here anyhow ?” Dusty asked the handsome cow boy.
“ Your daddy sent me to the house for lunch, ” he answered, looking back to her. “ Saw you nosin ’ around in the bushes and thought I ’ d see if y a wanted to come in for lunch with me. ”
Dusty smiled at him. His eyes were so warm ! She wanted to wrap herself up in their inviting color.
“ You gotta girl in town yet, Ryder? ” she asked bluntly.
He burst into laughter. I t took him a moment before he drew in a deep breath and, shaking his head, sighed . “ And if I do? ”
Dusty suddenly felt very irritated that he didn ’ t assure her he did not have h is fancy set on a girl in town. “ Who is she? ” she asked.
“ Who? ” he asked teasingly.
Dusty rolled her eyes with impatience . “ The girl in town you ’ ve set your fancy on? ”
“ Why do you wanna know? ” he asked her. “ You gonna blab it all over? ”
“ No, ” Dusty truthfully told him. “ I was just wonderin ’ . ” Then, without even knowing why, she blurted out, “ You ever kiss her yet? ”
Again Ryder chuckled and shook his head. “ Now I don ’ t see how that ’ s any a your business, Miss Britches. ”
“ What ’ s it like? ” Dusty asked him —t hough she really didn ’ t want to know. Or did she?
“ What ’ s what like? ” he grumbled, feigning innocence.
“ Kissin ’ . ”
Ryder grimaced and wrinkled up his nose. “ Why ’ re you askin ’ me this kind a thing, girl? You ’ re only ten years old. Ain ’ t nothin ’ you should be worryin ’ about yet. ”
“ I ’
“ Ryder will get him for us, ” Dusty assured her. After only a few weeks, Dusty had confidence in the fact that Ryder Maddox would do whatever she asked him.
Carefully , the girls combed the bushes and trees growing along the creek bank, but there was no sign of the cat. After a while, Becca lost interest in hunting for the elusive feline.
Sighing heavily, she whined, “ I ’ m tired of lookin ’ for that ol ’ cat. He ’ s hid too good. We ’ ll never find him. ”
Dusty sighed herself but with irritation. “ You can ’ t give up that easy, Becca. He ’ s here somewhere! ”
Becca stood looking around, having given up in spite of her sister ’ s encouragement. Suddenly, however, she exclaimed, “ I think I see him! Over by the barn! ”
Dusty turned and looked to where her sister was pointing. “ He couldn ’ ta gotten by us that easy, Becca, ” she told her sister. “ We would ’ ve seen him , and I don ’ t see nothin ’ over there. ”
“ I ’ m tellin ’ you I do! ” Becca argued. “ You can waste your time over here! But I ’ m gonna look by the barn. ”
“ Fine, ” Dusty sighed, with an air of great superiority. “ But if I find him, I ’ m playin ’ with him first. ”
“ Fine, ” Becca mumbled, angrily storming off.
Several moments passed, and Dusty, all the more determined to find the missing cat, was looking so diligently in the bushes she didn ’ t hear Ryder approaching until he was standing right behind her.
“ Whatcha lookin ’ for? ” he asked.
Dusty gasped and, putting her hand to her chest to calm her startled heart, turned to face him. “ You scared the waddin ’ out t a me, Ryder! ” she scolded.
Ryder ’ s face immediately broke into an amused grin, as it more often than not did whenever Dusty found herself face - to - face with him.
“ Sorry, ” he apologized with a chuckle. “ What ’ re you rootin ’ around for? ”
“ That kitty Daddy brung home, ” Dusty answered. “ I sure hope he hasn ’ t treed himself. ”
“ I ’ ll fetch him down for you if he has, ” Ryder mumbled, looking up into the branches of the tree beneath which they stood.
Dusty smiled with secr et delight. She knew he would—e ven without him having to say it.
“ What ’ re y a doin ’ over here anyhow ?” Dusty asked the handsome cow boy.
“ Your daddy sent me to the house for lunch, ” he answered, looking back to her. “ Saw you nosin ’ around in the bushes and thought I ’ d see if y a wanted to come in for lunch with me. ”
Dusty smiled at him. His eyes were so warm ! She wanted to wrap herself up in their inviting color.
“ You gotta girl in town yet, Ryder? ” she asked bluntly.
He burst into laughter. I t took him a moment before he drew in a deep breath and, shaking his head, sighed . “ And if I do? ”
Dusty suddenly felt very irritated that he didn ’ t assure her he did not have h is fancy set on a girl in town. “ Who is she? ” she asked.
“ Who? ” he asked teasingly.
Dusty rolled her eyes with impatience . “ The girl in town you ’ ve set your fancy on? ”
“ Why do you wanna know? ” he asked her. “ You gonna blab it all over? ”
“ No, ” Dusty truthfully told him. “ I was just wonderin ’ . ” Then, without even knowing why, she blurted out, “ You ever kiss her yet? ”
Again Ryder chuckled and shook his head. “ Now I don ’ t see how that ’ s any a your business, Miss Britches. ”
“ What ’ s it like? ” Dusty asked him —t hough she really didn ’ t want to know. Or did she?
“ What ’ s what like? ” he grumbled, feigning innocence.
“ Kissin ’ . ”
Ryder grimaced and wrinkled up his nose. “ Why ’ re you askin ’ me this kind a thing, girl? You ’ re only ten years old. Ain ’ t nothin ’ you should be worryin ’ about yet. ”
“ I ’
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