Love All Out - Part 2 (A Stepbrother Romance) by Alice Ward

grin.
    I my face flushed with pride. “The count was at seventeen last night,” I told him. I pushed my chair away from the table. “My phone is in the office, I’ll check again now… I’m going to be really picky about who we stud Thunder out to.”
    Before I could stand up, James rushed into the barn. “Good, you’re both already here,” he said. He was dressed in Wranglers, a white t-shirt, and his dirty cowboy boots. Several lassos hung from his shoulder. “Dallas said that he’d have the horses saddled and ready in five minutes. With any luck, we’ll track everyone down before lunch time.”
    Matt and I stared at him and then back to each other. It was clear that he was as lost as I was.
    “Track who down before lunch time?” I asked, kicking off my tennis shoes. I pulled on my boots as James explained what was happening.
    “I’m sorry, I thought you already knew.” He moved to the counter and poured coffee into a thermos. “It looks like someone snuck onto the property last night. There are fences down everywhere, and half the stock is unaccounted for.”
    Matt’s mouth dropped open and I reeled with anger. “What do you mean someone snuck onto the property? Who would do that?” I demanded.
    “I don’t know, Willow,” James replied. “But it’s the only explanation. We can worry about who was behind it later. It looks like most of the cattle are moving up the mountain trail. Cole, Dallas, and the other guys are going after them. I’m here to help you.”
    Help me? Why do I need help?
    “No,” I gasped. “You don’t mean?”
    Matt jumped up from the table. “I’ll go help Dallas,” he said, rushing out of the barn.
    I ran to the office and grabbed my cell phone and a set of binoculars. “How many of them are missing?” I asked as I rushed back into the barn.
    “Clementine, Glory, and the foals are still in the pasture,” he told me. “I guess they didn’t want to stray too far from home. Everyone else is gone.”
    “Shit!” I exclaimed. I set off for the stables with James close behind me. We met Renee just outside of the barn and I didn’t slow down to greet her.
    “Willow, Cole just told me what’s going on. Is there anything I can do to help you?” she called after me.
    I looked over my shoulder. “Get Clementine, Glory, and the babies into stalls. Then stay there and see if anyone else comes back on their own. I’ve got my cell, we’ll keep in touch.”
    We reached the stables just as Matt led Mayhem, Seven, and his mustang Sadie outside.
    “We’ll start in the pasture and see if we can pick up their tracks,” I directed as I swung myself in to the saddle. “Let’s just hope they didn’t have a clear path to the mountains. If they get lost up there, we may never find them.”
    I gave Mayhem a swift nudge to the flank and we set off for the thoroughbred pasture.
     
    ***
     
    It took seven hours, but we managed to round up all of the horses. They’d split into two groups; one mingled with the remaining cattle in the large grazing pasture while the other paid a visit to a pond on the far side of the property, near the mountain land. Most of the horses were happy to follow us home, but Locomotion had to be roped and led.
    “I’m so glad everyone’s back where they belong,” Renee said with a happy sigh. She fed Thunder a sugar cube and then set to work brushing briars out of his mane. Matt was prying a stone from Liberty’s hoof while I rubbed antibiotic ointment over gashes on Snowball’s belly. James was in a stall with Locomotion, patiently trying to calm him down with offerings of apples and sweet feed.
    “And in one piece,” I added. “This could have been a lot worse. I still can’t believe someone did this. When James said that the horses were gone, my first thought was that someone had stolen them.”
    Renee nodded. “I had the same thought. I hope you don’t mind, but I used the office computer while you were gone. Your dad called and asked me