Page 39 of Fairy Tale Husband

“What option?”

His mouth sought hers, his tongue breaching her lips in a soft, gentle caress. “You can throw it into reverse and start all over again.”

“Oh, yes!” The words escaped on a sigh. “Take me for another ride.”

“What the hell is going on?” Jake came out of the truck in one fluid motion. Dusty, Buster, and Chick stood in a row, all three scuffing dirt with their toes and avoiding his eyes. “I just passed Mad Dog burning up the field a mile north of here. How did he get out?”

No one said aword.

“My prize stallion is in the same pasture as my prize bull and you three have nothing to say? What do you suppose the odds are that one or both of my animals will end up as hamburger meat on tonight’s dinner table?” He glared from one set of guilty features to the next. “Well? Who’s gonna start talkin’ first?”

Dusty cleared his throat. “Guess that’s me. It was... ah... It was an accident.”

Jake’s eyebrows arched skyward. “Mad Dog escaped out of a padlocked stall by accident? How’d he manage that? Sprout wings?”

Wynne climbed from the truck and joined Jake. “Buster? You were asked a question. What happened?”

Buster raised tear-filled eyes. “I’m sorry, Uncle Jake. Ijust wanted to show Chick how to ride a horse.”

The color bleached from Jake’s face and he fought to keep his knees from buckling. “You let that horse out? You?”

Buster nodded miserably. “I saw where the key was hanging and thought I’d see if your horse would let me ride him. He was real sweet. He followed me outside just like a puppy dog.”

“That... that puppy dog is the meanest son of a b—gun on this ranch. If he didn’t sire such prize-winning offspring, I’d put a quick end to his sorry existence. You could have been—” He closed his eyes, fighting not to think about the could-have-beens.

Chick released a hiccupping sob and launched himself at Jake’s knees, nearly topplinghim.

“It was my fault, boss,” Dusty muttered. “When I saw the kid with Mad Dog, Isort of lost it. Istarted hollerin’ and that crazy hoss rolled back his eyes and kicked up his heels. Igotta confess, though. The kid has real good reflexes. He rolled clear of Mad Dog’s shenanigans, grabbed his little brother by the scruff of the neck and skedaddled onto the porch.”

Jake’s hands balled into fists. “I thought I asked you to watch them, Dusty. You call this watching them?”

“I only turned my back for a minute. Iswear. Was showin’ them around, ’splaining how stuff works and the next thing I know, they took off on me.”

“Oh, Buster,” Wynne said with a sigh. “You know better than to disappear without telling the person in charge where you’re going. You also know better than to touch someone else’s property without permission.”

“And if he didn’t before, he’s sure going to learn now,” Jake stated in no uncertain terms. He stabbed a finger first at Buster and then at Chick. “Both of you. Get to the barn and wait for me.”

“What are you going to do to them?” Wynne asked apprehensively.

“We’re going to have a man-to-man talk. And if they’re lucky they’ll be able to sit down sometime next week.” He didn’t wait for a response, but turned to Dusty. “As for you... If you want to keep your job, not to mention your hide, you’ll round up the men and go corral that horse.”

“Yessir, boss. I’ll get right on it,” he said and raced toward the Jeep as fast as his stubby legs would takehim.

“Jake?”

Wynne touched his arm and he deliberately kept his back to her. If he looked at her, he’d never be able to discipline the boys. One glimpse of her huge, pleading eyes and all his good intentions would melt like ice beneath a noonday sun. “What is it?”

“Make sure they understand what they did wrong. Otherwise they’ll never learn.”

It took him a minute to digest her words. “What did you say?” he whispered.

“A ranch in Texas is a lot different from an apartment in Maryland. Idon’t think they quite realize that yet.”

Slowly he turned to look at her and the trust he read in her calm expression left him fighting for control. “You’re not afraid I’ll hurt them?” he questioned roughly.

She actually laughed. “Don’t be ridiculous. Iknow you’d never do that, despite what Randolph said. Buster shouldn’t have touched Mad Dog. And as you said, if he doesn’t realize it now, he will as soon as you speak to him.”

He cleared his throat. “I won’t be long.”

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