Page 33 of Cowboy's Sinful Bargain

He still seemed to be wary of others, pressing into me every time someone came close. I hoped that the fact that he didn't avoid me meant he was no longer scared of me.

I liked the idea of having a pet of my own. I'd never had one before. There had been birds and fish at home back in Japan, but they didn't belong to me.

The one time I had tried to adopt a stray cat that had wandered into the family compound, Eldest Uncle had put him to death right in front of my eyes. I never tried again.

"Keep the wound clean and dry, change his bandages once a day, and make sure he gets plenty to eat and drink. He should be fine in a couple of weeks."

"Thank you, Doctor."

The older man smiled. "Most people call me Doc or Doc Hank."

I gave a quick nod. "Miko."

"Keep an eye on him and don't let him go outside unsupervised for awhile. I don't want him falling into the wrong hands and ending up like this again."

"Are you saying this was done deliberately, Doc?" Jos asked. "Any idea who might be doing it?"

As much as I hated to admit it, I had drawn that conclusion as well. There was no way the puppy could have gotten that wire wrapped around its paw like that without human help.

"There have been a few other incidences around the county over the last couple of weeks. I've informed animal control and the sheriff, but so far there are no suspects."

"Was it just dogs?"

"No." The veterinarian started putting his stuff away in a black leather bag. "To my knowledge, there have been attacks like this on two dogs, three cats, and one horse."

"All the same way, with wire wrapped around them?" Jos asked.

"Pretty much. The type of wire has changed here and there, but the method seems to be the same." The vet shook his head as he glanced down at the puppy in my arms. "Whoever is doing this is sick in the head."

I couldn't agree more.

Jos crossed his arms and stared down at the dog for a moment before looking at the vet. "Do you think this is something we need to be worried about here on the ranch?"

"It wouldn't hurt to be a little extra vigilant, especially since you found the dog here on the ranch, but honestly, I think it's just a bunch of stupid kids."

If it was indeed kids doing this, then I had to wonder about their parents. Kids had to be taught evil. They weren't born that way. Cruelty to animals was learned behavior.

"Well, I'd better get going. Got a steer to check out over at the Walker place. Damn thing tangled with a mountain cat."

"Tell Cooper and Ethan hello for me," Jos said.

"Sure will."

I waited until the vet had left the room before turning to Jos. "Cooper and Ethan?"

"Yeah, they own the Eagle Creek Ranch on the other side of the valley. They raise mostly cattle, but they've recently gotten into the horse business. Since we tend to raise more horses than them, we do business together from time to time. Good people."

"Do you know them well?" I admit curiosity was eating away at me, and maybe just a bit of jealousy. An emotion I had no experience with and wasn't sure how to deal with.

"Not that well honestly. Ethan took over his father's ranch about a year ago. He's a lawyer from back east. I'm more familiar with Cooper. He's been at the ranch for about ten years, but didn't become the foreman until Ethan arrived."

I felt like there was a story there, but I wasn't brave enough to ask.

"It's just about time for your riding lesson," Jos stated. "You ready?"

"Oh, um." I glanced down at my pants. "This all I have."

Jos frowned as he looked me over. "Maybe we need to take you into town and get you some ranch clothes. Those might work fine for that stuff you did this morning in the yard, but they'll never last on the ranch."

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