Chiseled and Cherished (Moon Ranch Book 3) Page 4

  “That’s what we do.” She smiled and shook his hand before heading back to Branson’s truck.

  Once they were on their way to the next call, her partner turned to her. “I heard Moon was a bounty hunter.”

  Her mind honed in on that fact. “Oh yeah?”

  “That’s the rumor, anyway.”

  She shrugged.

  “Think you’ll see him again?”

  She turned to him. “Branson, do I ask about your girlfriends? No, because I don’t care.”

  The last she’d heard, he saw a girl from the neighboring town a few times until he found out she got back with her boyfriend. Her and Branson’s friendship didn’t dig into their personal lives much—they had plenty of work just doling out citations for fishing without a license or poaching deer after dark.

  He held a hand over his chest as if she’d wounded him. “You don’t care that I can’t find a decent woman in Stokes.”

  Now she felt bad. “Well, I do care, but—”

  He shot her a grin.

  “Ugh. Jerk. You’re trying to make me feel bad for something neither of us should be talking about. You told me yourself you’re not interested in a long-term relationship, and I’m definitely not looking.”

  “Which is why you’re all about the one-night stands.”

  “One one-night stand.” Too late, she realized her slip.

  “Ah-ha! Puffy, you just planted your foot deep in your mouth.”

  “Shut it, Branson.” She couldn’t stop her lips from spreading into a smile. His brotherly teasing always seemed to hit the right spot for her. Especially today, after talking with her father about Trent being back in jail. The brother she loved and missed didn’t connect with the one who sat behind bars for crimes he insisted he didn’t commit.

  Of course, Branson didn’t know anything about her brother—nobody did. She kept her personal life just that—personal. Which made talking about her stolen moments with Asher Moon all the more difficult for her to disclose.

  Branson shoved her in the shoulder. “I’ll quit teasing you now, Kinsey. We got work to do.”

  She nodded. “We do.” But for the rest of the day, she’d be thinking about Asher not only being a hot bounty hunter, but how his muscled body felt moving above her.

  * * * * *

  Been some time since Asher regarded himself as a ranch hand, but since returning to the ranch, he’d done little but the dirty work around the place. While Zayden trained the horses and Dane busied himself with replacing boards on the old barn, Asher had a shovel in hand and a massive, steaming pile of manure to dispose of.

  Taking a break, he jammed the point of his shovel into the thick filth and leaned on it to catch his breath. Except the air reeked and he couldn’t escape the smell.

  Dane rounded the barn and shot him a look. “You take a lot of breaks, Ash.”

  “You talk too damn much, as usual.”

  His brother shot him a smile. “You always did hate shovelin’ shit.”

  “Yeah, and you and Z always took far too much enjoyment out of forcing a shovel into my hand. Why don’t y’all help me out and then we can do something else?”

  “You’re the one who came back to Moon Ranch. You never said how long you’re stayin’.”

  He grunted in answer. No point in telling Dane something he couldn’t be sure of. He dug the shovel into the manure again and pitched two more heavy loads into the cart hitched to the back of the ATV. At least they had the new ranch toy to lighten the work—something they’d all only dreamed of having as boys.

  “Lots of changes around here.” He twitched his jaw toward the ATV.

  “Yeah, for the better.”

  “Everything’s better with the old man six feet under.” Asher leaned on the shovel again.

  Dane nodded. “No one misses that son of a bitch, that’s for sure. And in town, people are startin’ to forget.”

  “Helps you and Z.”

  His brother eyed him. “Why’d you come back, Ash?”

  Resting the shovel against the wall, he faced Dane. “Not sure you really wanna know.”

  “Shit. That bad?” He peered from under the brim of his Stetson.

  Asher tapped his boot heel into the ground, creating a divot in the soft part that never quite dried out. “Bad ’nough. I don’t wanna talk about it.”

  “I get it.”

  “Does this have to do with you being a bounty hunter?” Zayden’s voice reached him as he rounded the barn too.

  Asher groaned. “You’re always sneaking around eavesdropping. Don’t you got some horses to train?”

  “Yeah, I do.” He smiled. “Thought I’d help my little brother shovel away this pile o’ shit first. But if you’d rather I didn’t, I’ll go away.”

  Asher grabbed the shovel and held it out to his brother. “Have at it. I’m going to dump this load. Same place?”

  “Yeah, we’ll spread it in the back field come late fall. Fertilize over the winter.”

  With a nod, Asher hopped on the ATV and motored away with the wagonful of shit. Once he escaped from the smell, he noticed the day dawned pretty nice. A crisp mountain breeze smelling of pine washed the remnants of the smell out of his head, and he sucked in a deep breath.

  Maybe Stokes wasn’t so bad after all. If he couldn’t return to bail enforcement, he could always settle here, find some odd jobs and lend his brothers a hand. Maybe find that hot woman from the party. She mentioned being a game warden, and that surprised the hell out of him. Since hearing that, he couldn’t quite connect the sexy vixen in the pink dress to someone who wore a dull uniform and stomped around the woods all day, pokin’ her nose into everyone’s business.

  He’d had a few run-ins with wardens in his youth, and the outcomes were never good. While some of his buddies from school got off with warnings, he was a Moon and that meant an instant citation. One year, he’d chopped wood for three months just to pay a fine for taking a deer out of season. Thing was, his family needed the meat, and he couldn’t be sorry for putting a roast on the table.

  He wouldn’t mind coming across Kinsey in the woods. Hell, he could practically still taste her silky skin and the flavors of her release.

  Plenty more where that came from. If he wanted a woman, all he had to do was plunk his ass at the bar for a few minutes and he’d have his choice. But he didn’t want that either.

  After dumping the load at the edge of the field, out of range of the cattle, he drove the ATV back over to his brothers. Manure flew and his brothers shoveled as fast as they could go in some sort of competition to see who could shovel more.

  Asher sat there a moment, watching with a grin on his face. At last, Dane shoved his shovel into the pile and gave a hoot of victory. “Who’s buying who a steak dinner now?”

  Zayden shook his head. “Guess I owe ya next time we’re in town.”

  “Who’s handing out steak dinners? I’m down for that.” Asher swung his leg over the ATV.

  “Zayden owes me a steak, and I plan to collect.”

  “Not tonight, though. Mimi has chicken and biscuits in the oven. I smelled it last time I went inside,” Asher told them.

  “Oh damn, raincheck then. I wouldn’t miss Mimi’s chicken and biscuits for anything in the world.” Dane rubbed his flat abs.

  Zayden looked at them both. Silence descended.

  “Shit, now what? More of the old man’s crap following us?” Dane lowered his brows.

  “I got a call this morning from one of the ranchers down the road. He lost a steer.”

  “To what?” Asher leaned against the side of the ATV.

  “Coyotes, they think. Some game wardens went out for a look and determined it wasn’t bear. It’s the third this month that I’ve heard of,” Zayden said.

  “If any come around here, I’ll have my shotgun ready.” Dane scuffed his knuckles over his jaw. “Asher’s still a good shot, aren’t ya, bro?”

  His stomach twisted at the mention of a gun. He hadn’t touched a
firearm since that night when the fugitive’s daughter was shot. He hadn’t even pulled the trigger but just the thought of having that much power in his hands left him feeling sick.

  Luckily, his brothers didn’t expect an answer. They continued discussing the cattle deaths in the area, and Asher agreed that Moon cattle must be protected at all costs. Under pressure, he could look down the sights and pull the trigger.

  At least he figured he could. Blocking out the sound of gunfire might be another story—he still heard it in his damn dreams, ever since that night.

  After the three of them knocked the manure pile down to a more manageable size, Zayden returned to training horses. Dane nodded to Asher. “Want to ride out to the herd with me?”

  “Thought you checked them in mornings.”

  “We do, but now that Zayden mentioned the neighbors losing a few, I want to do another head count.”

  “Sure, I’m up for a ride.” Asher loved the horses best. As a kid, he didn’t often get a chance to enjoy riding like other kids in these parts. Those privileged children rode for fun, while for him and his brothers, riding meant a means to check the few animals that their old man hadn’t yet sold off to buy more whiskey or lost in a bet.

  Fuck, he did hate Stokes, after all. He despised the memories resurrected just by breathing the air. While he and Dane saddled the horses, his brother sliced a look his way.

  “You good, man?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Why the scowl?”

  “Just thinkin’ about the way things used to be.” He met his brother’s gaze. If anybody understood his mind, Dane did.

  His brother ducked his head as he tightened a strap around his horse. “I get it. Takes some time to drive out the ghosts.”

  “Have you done it?”

  “Not entirely, not yet. But I’m tryin’. And having good work and a better woman helps.”

  “I’m glad you found those things.” Asher swung into the saddle, and Dane did the same. They rode out. On their way, Dane wanted to check the fence line for broken posts, so they kept close to the perimeter of the field.

  Asher pushed upward in the stirrups to stare over the land. A green unlike anything he’d seen in other parts had him squinting at the brightness. And in the distance, the cattle scattered across the land.

  “Looks solid here,” Dane said.

  “Yup.”

  “You didn’t even look, you jackass.”

  “I’m lookin’. I just don’t need to get down and shake the posts to see they’re standing upright and solid.”

  “Dickhead.” Dane threw him a smile along with the insult.

  Asher did miss the camaraderie of his brothers.

  When they circled the herd, Dane waved. “I’ll count these ones. You take those.”

  “Will do.” He quickly grouped them in his mind and added them up.

  Minutes later, Dane grunted. “Fifty-eight. What’d you get?”

  “One thirteen.”

  “Can’t be right. Should be one fourteen. You musta counted wrong.”

  “I’ll circle around. Get a better view.”

  “Okay. I’ll count mine again too.”

  Another couple minutes passed, and Dane called out, “Fifty-eight again. What’d you get?”

  “One thirteen.”

  They exchanged a look. “Circle the back of the field and have a look around. I’ll go this way.”

  Asher dug his heels into his horse, spurring it forward. He trotted around the herd, and some of the cows ran to the other side of the field. As soon as they moved, he spotted it—the spring calf on the ground.

  He stuck his fingers in his mouth and gave a piercing whistle. Dane looked up, saw the same thing he did and galloped across the field.

  Asher jumped off his mount and knelt beside the calf. “Goddamn. It’s already dead.”

  Chapter Three

  Kinsey slid into the truck and looked at Branson. She and her partner burst into laughter.

  The wild giggles rose up her throat, uncontrollable. Branson folded over the steering wheel, shoulders shaking.

  “Can you… Did you see?” She wheezed and exploded into more laughter.

  “With his pants around his…ankles!”

  Tears leaked from her eyes, and she could hardly catch a breath to continue laughing. Next to her, Branson looked to be in the same state, his face beet red and the only sound emitting from him a series of snorts and cackles.

  Just as she thought she might act normal again, an image of the seventy year-old’s naked butt as she’d seen it through the side window of his car set her off again.

  “Oh my God! I can’t breathe! My stomach.” She squeezed her eyes shut, but all she could see was the old guy with his wife out for some afternoon fun. When she and Branson had come across the car parked along the mountain road, their first thought was the passengers might be in trouble after their vehicle broke down. But as they approached, they found a much different scenario.

  Branson smacked his hand off the steering wheel and laid his head on it while he continued to shake with mirth.

  Finally, Kinsey dragged in a deep breath. Another giggle shot up her throat, but she squelched it and pulled in more calming breaths. She uncapped her water bottle, hoping to drink without spurting water or choking to death.

  As she tipped some liquid into her mouth, their radio gave the telltale click that their dispatcher had a call for them. Seconds later, their dispatcher’s voice came over the CB.

  “Reynolds and Cody, you there?”

  Branson still trembled with laughter, so Kinsey grabbed the CB. “Here, Rob. What’s going on?”

  “Why do you sound so weird?”

  She and Branson exchanged glances, and she somehow managed to hold in her explosion of more humor to talk to her fellow game warden. “We’ll tell you when we get back. Nothing bad,” she added.

  “All right, then. I received a call from the Moon Ranch. Dead calf found in their field, probably happened overnight, and it bears signs of a predator attack.”

  At the name Moon, her heart leaped up, and then did a double back flip before plummeting to the lowest depths of her stomach. Asher Moon. She was going to see him again.

  He might not be at the ranch.

  “All right, we’ll head up there now.”

  “Let me know what you learn. I’ve got ranchers coming in and calling to ask about what we’re going to do about these coyotes.”

  Her brows drew together as she looked to her partner again. He shrugged.

  “It’s only been one dead steer so far, and that dog attack was actually a dog fight. Isn’t it early for a panic?” she asked.

  “They’re sayin’ different. Been a couple others that went unreported.”

  “Well, that’s definitely a concern. We’ll be in touch, Rob.” Kinsey replaced the CB on the holder, all amusement from their earlier find vanished with the mention of one name—Moon.

  “Let’s head on over there,” Branson said.

  “Yes.” She strapped her seatbelt and stared out the windshield, but she didn’t see the rugged mountain terrain in front of her. She saw Asher’s handsome face as he shook apart with his release.

  One thing game wardens were good at doing was keeping peace in the community. But she felt far from peaceful as they navigated their way down the mountain toward the Moon Ranch.

  She slanted a look at her partner. He shot her a grin in return.

  Slapping at his arm, she said, “Oh stop it! I’m already nervous enough.”

  He arched a brow. “Think he’ll be there?”

  “Why are you so nosy anyway? Please don’t make me pull my taser on you, Branson.”

  He chuckled. “It’s been a pretty eventful day so far. Investigation into dead cattle that led to…” He glanced at her, and the twist of his mouth said it all: Finding that couple.

  She grinned.

  “And now I get a front-row seat to the Kinsey and Asher Moon love affair.”

 
“You know what? I am going to taze you.” She reached for her weapon on her hip.

  “You do and we’ll careen off the mountainside.” Branson’s laugh filled the truck.

  Kinsey turned her attention inward to not only what they’d discover on the Moon Ranch, but how she would react to seeing Asher again. Each time she thought of his lips and tongue on her nipples, they bunched up tight.

  Sure enough, her nipples tightened again, and she thanked God for the thick uniform shirt with pockets to conceal her body’s lack of inhibitions.

  Minutes later, they bumped under the arching wooden sign bearing the ranch’s moniker. She turned her head to look out the side window at the thick pines along one side of the property.

  “Pretty up here,” she said.

  “It is. I’ve never been here. I heard it borders the Ute rez, and the rumor is that the oldest brother walked into the rez one day when he was a kid and asked for help for him and his brothers. Guess they were starving.”

  “I’ve heard their father was a drunk.” For the first time, her mind connected Asher to that life, and her heart gave a pang for him.

  Looking at the ranch now, the family’s struggles weren’t evident. New fence, fresh boards on the barn and one of the other outbuildings, and even a wash of paint on the house showed her that these brothers had turned their lives into much more than their father had.

  Branson pulled up next to an old truck that looked to be on its last legs and cut the engine. When she had climbed out, a cowboy started toward them.

  Her heart gave another quick heave that left her feeling shakier than a moment ago. She stared at the man’s broad shoulders and the way he pulled his hat down over his eyes. Even his jeans slung low on his hips mirrored that of Asher.

  “Hey there. Thanks for coming out.”

  She shivered at the gruff sound of his voice, also so close to the man she’d slept with.

  Offering him a smile, she held out her hand. “Game Warden Kinsey Reynolds.”

  He tugged his hat brim and shook her hand. The warmth of his fingers enveloped not only her hand but memories flooded in, of moments between her and Asher she hadn’t yet recalled.

  “Dane Moon.”

  “Branson Cody. Nice to meet you, but we wish it was under other circumstances.” Branson pumped Dane’s hand.