Page 32 of Texas-Sized Secrets

“Might be because you didn’t. Remember that phone call I mentioned last night before you got in the shower?”

She nodded.

“A buddy of mine quit the force and went into surveillance and private investigative work for people and animals. He sent twenty-five tracking devices and instructions on how we can locate them through a Web site.” Reed held up small oval objects that looked like large ceramic pills. “Now all we have to do is get the cattle to swallow them.”

“How does it work?”

“The device stays in their stomachs and, like the GPS devices on cars, can be tracked. We just have to log on to the computer and key in the tracking numbers.” He gave her the once-over. “You up for feeding a few cows?”

“Sure am. The herd is due to be wormed in a couple weeks. We can move that operation up. Since we have them close to the corral and cattle chute, we should have no problem getting at least twenty-five to swallow the devices.” For the first time in days, the sun was shining and she could almost see the end to the rustling problem. A smile spread across her face, hope bubbling up inside. She threw her arms around Reed’s neck. “Thank you.”

Reed stood stiff and unbending against her brief display of emotion.

When Mona drew away, her face heated. “Pardon me. I shouldn’t have done that.”

“Something you need to know.” He placed all the devices back in the box, one at a time. “Once the cattle rustlers are caught, I’ll be looking for a new job.”

The happy butterflies in Mona’s belly turned to stone and fell one by one, until her stomach felt empty, cold and leaden.

The man who’d stormed into her life, guns ablazin’, would leave as soon as her troubles were over. She should have expected as much. Reed was destined for better things. Better than working a ranch. He had to be missing his work on the Chicago police force. Tracking down criminals and solving murders was much more interesting than trying to snag cattle rustlers on the Texas prairie.

Still, the ranch wouldn’t be the same. The plains would be wider and emptier. Mona had to admit she liked riding with him and would miss him when he was gone.

Mona shook her head to halt her runaway train of thought before it derailed. “Is Jesse back from Amarillo?”

“Yes,” Reed replied.

“Good. We can have the cattle tagged and out in the north pasture before the end of the day.”

With a nod, Reed carried the box out the back door.

She watched through the window until he disappeared into the barn. A resolution was at hand. This solution would reveal who the rustlers were, once and for all. Then she could get back to all her other problems.

* * *

AFTER TREATINGfifty head of cattle with worm medication, twenty-five of which had ingested the tracking devices, Reed, Jesse and Mona herded them to the north pasture where they could find fresh grass. The others they moved closer to the homestead. If the rustlers wanted cattle, they’d have to take the ones in the north pasture.

Reed hoped his plan worked. After a quick pass around the fence line, he insisted Mona go back to the house and rest. She looked tired and sore, pressing her hand to her belly on more than one occasion. When he returned to the house, he found her in the barn, feeding horses and mucking out stalls.

“Enough.” He crossed the dirt floor and took the shovel away from her, setting it against the wall. “Go to the house. Now.”

“The work has to be done.” She attempted to reach around him for the tool.

He blocked her path. “I’ll take care of it.” Then he turned her around and gently pushed her toward the house. “Eat and get a shower. I’ll come show you how to use the online locator in just a few minutes.”

She pressed a hand to her lower back. “Okay. I guess I am tired.” As she walked toward the barn door, she picked up a bucket and veered toward the grain bins.

Reed shook his head. The woman didn’t know what it meant to quit. “Drop it, boss.”

“What?” She looked around, a confused expression on her face. When he stared at the bucket in her hand, she blushed. “Oh. Okay.” With a sheepish grin, she set the bucket on top of the feed bin. “Don’t forget to give Topper half a can of sweet feed and a section of hay. He worked hard today. And Sassy still needs to be brushed.”

Reed shot a narrow-eyed glare at her. “Go.”

“Okay, okay.” She scooted toward the door, muttering as she went, “Who’s in charge around here anyway?”

Jesse led his horse into the barn, slipped the bridle off and snapped a lead onto his halter. “Miss Mona is one stubborn boss lady.”

“Yes, indeed.”

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