Page 51 of Dairy and Deadly

“I know Martin Hobbs is boarding a herd of cattle at Chester Farm.” Johnny wasn’t surprised Clint had gotten wind of it, considering how many hours he’d spent there yesterday. “As for your personal life, whoever you want to date is entirely your business,” he paused a beat before adding, “partner.”

Clint’s grin returned. “We’re really doing this, then?”

“Yep.” Johnny shook his hand. Then he enveloped him in a bear hug.

Clint hugged him back. “Promise me you’ll be careful with Ashley.”

“I’m in love with her,” Johnny confessed wryly. “Not sure that’s what you meant, but it’s true.”

“Man!” Clint stepped back and briefly closed his eyes. “I’ve always trusted you and your instincts.”

“Until Ashley,” Johnny finished for him. “I could say the same about you.”

“Until Caro.” Clint added glumly. Then his expression brightened. “Or we could continue to trust each other’s instincts, the same way we always have.”

“Even though you’re falling for a woman who doesn’t trust the woman I’m falling for.” Johnny mulled over that conundrum, still not liking it one bit.

“And vice versa.” Clint punched him lightly on the shoulder.

“I didn’t say that.” Johnny punched him back.

“You didn’t have to.” Clint snorted. “Even a dumb bull rider can’t miss the daggers they’ve been staring at each other.”

“Yeah, you’d have to be blind not to notice.” Johnny glanced at his watch. It was time to get back to the barn.

They continued to exchange sarcastic digs about their respective love lives as they returned to the milking parlor together.

Clint yanked open the door and waved him inside. “Does Ashley know about Martin’s plans to relocate to Heart Lake?”

“No idea.” But Johnny was leaning toward no. He was so busy pondering the disturbing notion of being the one to inform her that he plowed straight into the one woman he couldn’t stop thinking about. She must have been heading out the door at the exact time he’d stepped through it.

Ashley’s forehead collided with his chest, and her ponytail flew up to splay across his face.

“Whoa!” His arms instinctively came around her. “Sorry about that. You alright?” He wasn’t sorry, of course, about how good her silky hair smelled or how right her curvy figure felt in his embrace.

She yanked her head up to meet his gaze. “Martin is moving to town?” she rasped.

Clint cleared his throat and edged around them, leaving them alone in the chilly doorway.

“Let’s take this conversation inside.” Johnny towed Ashley back into the warmth of the barn, allowing the door to swing shut behind them.

She wiggled out of his embrace, looking supremely agitated. “Please tell me what you know about Martin,” she begged. “I honestly thought he’d left town already.”

He spread his hands. “He may have. All I know is what Farmer Monty told me.”

“Which is,” she prodded.

“That he inherited some property in Heart Lake from his great-uncle, and now he’s considering the idea of straddling here and Dallas.”

She shook her head, looking stunned. “I didn’t know he had any family in town. I take it the late Mr. Hobbs was friends with Farmer Monty?”

“Sounds like it.” Johnny had as many questions as answers at this point. “Farmer Monty mentioned he’s boarding Martin’s herd at his place.”

“Martin’s herd?” Ashley couldn’t have looked more confused. “As in cattle?”

“Dairy cows,” Johnny affirmed, trying to decide if he needed to be worried about the competition. “He installed some newfangled milking machines, but claims what he’s producing isn’t enough to bottle and distribute yet.”

Her hands came down on her hips. “What are they doing with the milk then?”

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