Page 43 of Wellspring
“Thanks, Javier,” he said as the cook filled his plate.“Have you seen Erick?”
“No, he hasn’t come through yet, although I did see Matt, so I’m sure he’s around somewhere,” Javier replied.
Cade frowned and went to sit with Chel and Svenson.At least Svenson wouldn’t give him shit about heading out with Erick in the morning.
“Where’s your shadow,louveteau?”Chel asked.
“I don’t know,” Cade replied.“He should be here soon.”
A few minutes later, Erick joined them, his damp hair and pink cheeks evidence that he’d stopped to shower and change clothes after his shift on the range.Cade couldn’t help but regret that he wouldn’t have another chance to join him before they’d have to leave tomorrow.
“Any problems?”he asked once Erick sat and greeted everyone.
“A quiet day.It is good to work with more of the men and get to know them better.”Cade might have envied the hands working with Erick, except that he was about to have him all to himself for two wonderful weeks.
“Yeah, Chiles is great.He’s been here about a year, bounced around a bit before that, always leaving when yet another outfit didn’t treat him good because he’s black.I think he about cried when he first laid eyes on Payne,” Cade said.“Kinda like the rest of us, not fitting in anywhere until we washed up here.”
“Speak for yourself,” Chel said airily.“I fit in anywhere I go.”
Cade gave her a dismissive wave and focused back on Erick.“Payne grabbed me just before dinner.He has a job for us.”
“Gathering more mustangs?”Erick didn’t seem excited at the prospect.“I had hoped to spend more time working the herd before having another batch of horses to train.”
Cade could feel the grin spreading across his face, but he didn’t care.“No, he wants us to hunt down some stray cattle.Since you did such a good job with the ones that tried to get away when we worked together.”
Erick flushed and shook his head.“I only followed your lead.But I look forward to another day to ride with you.”
Both Svensen and Chel laughed.At Erick’s puzzled expression, Olav explained, “If they are not to be found where we usually let them graze, it could be quite a lengthy search.”
“Payne’s given us two weeks,” Cade said.“That’ll give us time to check the backcountry if they’ve wandered there.”
“And if JR hasn’t rustled them,” Chel said with a frown.“Be careful, both of you.”
“You know I always am,” he told her gently.And while he wouldn’t say it out loud, he had Erick to look out for—and come home to—so he had more reason than ever to watch his back.“We’ll have to skip our reading lesson tonight so we can get everything together and leave at first light.”
He just had to figure out how to fit two weeks’ worth of supplies into their saddlebags and still have room for their book and a pot of something slick.If he had two weeks alone with Erick, he wanted to take advantage of it.
“What must I prepare?”Erick asked.
“A change of clothes and food, mostly.There are a couple of spots we should be able to clean up where we’ll be heading.”Cade spent a moment imagining Erick naked under the waterfall before forcing his mind back to the matter at hand.“And your weapons, in case they haven’t just wandered off.”
“You can help me make sure I have everything after we finish eating,” Erick said with a small smile, the one thatdid thingsto Cade’s insides.
“Sure can,” he drawled to cover the heat in his belly and probably on his face.At least the hotter, longer May days had tanned his skin enough to hopefully hide any visible blush.
Chel rolled her eyes at him, but he ignored her in favor of Javier’s delicious dinner.They’d be back to jerky and beans tomorrow.
“THIS ISalmost like the trip from Galveston,” Erick said as they prepared the turkey Cade had brought down to augment their store of tinned beans and jerky.
“Except we aren’t wasting all that time we could have been together,” Cade said, sliding an arm around Erick’s shoulder.
Erick leaned into the embrace.“And I am not as sore from having to become accustomed to a new horse and saddle.”
“You should have said something.”Cade squeezed Erick’s shoulder.“We could have taken more breaks or had shorter days on our way to Austin.”
“But then we would not have been in time to hear Reichardt’s threats,” Erick reminded him.“And while it might have been an easier adjustment for me, it would have been more of a struggle for Wellspring, and I cannot wish for that.”
“No, I suppose not,” Cade agreed.He poked at the meat in the skillet.“This looks done.We can smoke the rest while we’re eating and it’ll stay good for a few days while we travel.”
