Page 23 of Steers and Stowaways
It took the next ten to fifteen minutes to unload the bellowing steers from the trailer. Mr. Cavender’s ranch hands helped Mallory, Chip, and Cruz herd them into a massive indoor grazing room, where various groups of cattle were clustered behind sturdy silver fences.
Hay was strewn across the floor, and a pair of water troughs were easily accessible. Despite the generous provisions, Mallory’s cattle refused to settle down. With each crack of thunder, they stamped their hooves and sent up mournful wails.
Mallory walked among them, patting their necks and speaking in a soothing voice. “You’re all right.”
But they weren’t.
She could feel their fright and discomfort way down deep. Normally, they acted this spooked only when a predator was lurking nearby. However, they were safe from both predators and the elements. Sure, the thunderstorm outside was a little noisy, but her steers’ reaction to it felt excessive.
Chip and Cruz weren’t doing squat to help her calm them down. Both cowboys were perched atop one of thesilver fences, glued to their gaming devices. From the looks and occasional elbow jabs they were giving each other, she could only assume they were competing in whatever game they were playing.
Disappointment flooded her. If she hadn’t been pretending to be somebody she wasn’t, she would’ve been tempted to fire them on the spot.
“Something’s wrong.” She didn’t realize she’d spoken the words aloud until Tucker answered her.
“I think you’re right, Brat.”
She made a face at him. “You enjoy calling me that. It shows.”
He waggled his dark eyebrows at her. “If the shoe fits…”
She bristled. “You enjoy having an excuse to say all the nasty things you’ve always wanted to say to me. No filter necessary.”
He glared at her, but he kept his voice down. “I’m playing a part, the same as you.”
“Are you?” She glowered back at him as she squatted down beside the smallest steer in her herd. He was normally brimming with so much frisky energy that she’d named him Skip. To her alarm, Skip wasn’t showing much enthusiasm today. He was swinging his head from side to side and lolling his eyes around the room. She’d never seen anything like it before.
“Yep.” Tucker squatted down beside her to palpate Skip’s gut.
His nonchalance rankled. She was nowhere near ready to let him off the hook for the way he’d been treating her. “Get real! You despised me long before this trip started.” It wasn’t true. She knew that now, but she couldn’t resist goading him to witness his reaction.
He gave her an incredulous look. “I never said that.”
“You didn’t have to.” His expression made her heart race. “I bet you can’t say one nice thing about me.” She was enjoying taunting him more than she should have.
He frowned harder at the steer. “You really care about your livestock. Otherwise, you’d have never become a stowaway.”
She rolled her eyes at him. “You’ve made your feelings on that topic clear enough.”
He spread his hands. “Would you rather I lied to you?”
“I’d rather you quit dragging your heels with my case.” It was hard to infuse much venom into her voice now that she knew the truth about him.
His jaw tightened. “I’ve been doing more behind the scenes than you know. I’d say this trip is proof of that.”
I know, Tuck. I know.But she felt compelled to keep pretending she didn’t. “The only reason I don’t know stuff,” she spat, “is because you refuse to tell me. You ignore most of my text messages and go out of your way to make me feel like some melodramatic?—”
“I’m sorry,” he growled.
She sucked in a breath. She’d been prepared to keep steaming at him, but his apology stopped her cold. “Did you just apologize?”To me?
“Yeah.” An echoing apology glinted in his dark gaze. “I’m accustomed to working undercover with some of the seediest folks on the planet, so my table manners might’ve suffered a bit.” He leaned closer to her. “I should’ve been more upfront with you about everything. If I had, you wouldn’t be in the danger you’re currently in.”
No sooner had the words left his mouth than Skip wilted to the floor. The young steer landed with a resounding thud that Mallory felt all the way to her soul.
She dropped to her knees and leaned closer to the twitching creature, but Tucker yanked her back.
“Careful, Brat! Those hooves will slice you to pieces.”
