Page 10 of The Cowboy's Magic Touch

“Will you stop with that? I do not ride naked. My horses are naked, not me.”

“I can’t help myself,” Brody replied with a chuckle. “Anyway, if you plan on goin’ up that trail without your tack I’d think twice if I were you.”

“Probably good advice. Uh, Brody, have you listened to the news lately?”

“Not this mornin’, why?”

“There was a press release put out by Pilot Records, Annie’s label. She’s gone missing.”

“Yeah, I heard, the sheriff came out and told me. He thought she might have come here.”

“It wouldn’t surprise me if she did,” Hank remarked. “I bet there isn’t a day she doesn’t think about bein’ with you. And I know the feelin’s mutual.”

“Yeah, well, there’s not much I can do about that.”

“They claim there’s no sign of foul play, but there’s no note either. Are you worried?”

“Of course I’m worried. I’m hopin’ she’ll call me.”

“Weird how a star like that can just disappear,” Hank remarked. “Mind you, she has the money. She could be on the other side of the world right now. Anyway, I’d better go. I have a new client bringin’ her barrel racer here.”

“Does she want to ride naked?”

“Ha, funny. She says she wants to understand the process.”

“Good for her. I need to get movin’ too. Take it easy, Hank, and keep your eyes open for that wolf.”

“Sure will, Brody. Thanks for the heads up.”

Ending the call, Brody walked back into the barn to muck out the stalls. In the summer months the horses stayed outside in the paddocks, but with fall around the corner the days were quickly becoming shorter and the nights chilly. There were six horses at his ranch, which took up the six stalls in his barn. Two mares, two geldings, and two colts. It was a nice round number. The mares, one gelding and both colts were his. The other gelding belonged to a friend and was boarded there.

As he pushed the wheelbarrow into the first stall, it occurred to him he could use someone to feed and clean in the morning. There were plenty of young, strong boys in the small town looking for part-time work. After cleaning out the first two stalls, he decided to call the local feed store and ask Joe, the owner, to put a card up for him on the bulletin board.

“Do you need another pair of hands?”

Spinning around, he saw Annie walking towards him. Dressed in blue jeans, boots, and one of his T-shirts tied in a knot around her waist, she looked sexy as hell.

“I hope you don’t mind me borrowing this,” she continued, touching it as she walked up to him. “When I threw my things into a bag I was in a desperate hurry and I forgot a bunch of stuff.”

“Are you kiddin’? Consider it yours. It looks way better on you than it does on me, but I thought you’d sleep through the day.”

“I did too, but when I opened my eyes I felt like getting up, so I took a shower, got dressed, and here I am.”

“You’ll probably want an early night,” he remarked, staring down at her. “Annie…are you okay? I mean, really okay?”

“I’m not sure how to answer that,” she murmured with a sigh. “Honestly, I don’t know anything anymore…except I’m very glad to be here with you.”

As her emerald eyes shone up at him, he read her unspoken invitation. Dropping the rake, he slid his right hand into her long, blond hair, and his left hand around her waist.

“Damn girl, it’s like no time has passed.”

“I feel the same. Now will you shut up and kiss me?”

CHAPTER SEVEN

Annie was sure her heart was about to leap from her chest. For long months she’d dreamed of being back in Brody’s muscled arms, feeling his hardness pressed against her as his lips devoured hers in a crushing kiss. There had been times she thought she’d never see him again, but she’d fought through the fear and seemingly unsurmountable obstacles and made it happen.

Suddenly he pulled back, stared down at her, then sweeping her up he carried her to the back of the barn, yanking a horse blanket off a rack on his way.

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