Page 16 of Loving My Cowboys

The sound reverberated through the night and the men suddenly acted nervous.

Will came running down the stairs. “What the hell is going on?”

“We got company. Bad company.”

He peered out the window. Another torch was lit, reflecting the faces of three men. The man was about to throw the torch in the house. Seth aimed his gun and shot the man in the arm.

Screaming, he dropped the torch and Will fired at the second man.

In the distance, he could see two others driving the cattle through a cut in the fence. Suddenly a shot from behind them sounded.

He turned and there was Lily shooting a rifle through the broken window, naked as the day she was born.

“Now, that’s a sight that makes my cock want to explode,” Seth said.

She glanced at him and smiled. “Later, we’ll take care of that, but now, we’ve got cattle to save.”

The woman was headed toward the door and he pulled her back. “No. You’re not going out there. Have you forgotten you aren’t dressed?”

She looked down and shook her head. Then she walked over to the window and fired another shot.

“Lily,” the only remaining man screamed. “I’m here for you, honey. After our run in at the bank, I think we should marry.”

“That’s Calvin Smith,” she said, turning to look at them.

A rush of anger filled Seth and it was all he could do not to shoot the man. Taking a calming breath, he yelled out the window. “This is Texas Rangers Seth Ingram and Will Parker. You’re too late. She married Will this afternoon. But thanks for letting me know you’re in the area. I’m coming for you. Be prepared to hang.”

“Fuck,” Calvin said and they watched as he kicked his horse, racing down the drive in the darkness.

“Should we go after him?” Will asked. “He might get away.”

By the time they would’ve saddled their horses, he’d be long gone. No, Seth had frightened the man, so let him stew on that information for a while.

“No, that will make him cool his heels. And it looks like the rustlers are going with him. Now who is he working with to steal our woman’s cattle?”

They watched as the men raced out of the pasture and over the hill.

“In the morning, we’re going to pay a visit to your neighbor. See if he has any clue who is working with Mr. Smith.”

They set down their guns and Seth glanced at his bride. “You’re not a bad shot.”

Staring at her, his cock rose to attention. Even in the darkness, the woman’s body was curved in all the right places. And he knew she smelled like roses and her skin felt like silk. And right now, he couldn’t wait to get her back upstairs and fuck her.

She gave him a haughty look. “Living on a ranch, my father insisted we all know how to use a gun, in case of times like this.”

Will shook his head. “We should have gone after him.”

“And risked them circling back to harm Lily. I don’t think so. She’s in our protection now.”

But how was he going to go visit the neighbors, unless he took her with him? Now, he completely understood her reasonings for finding herself a husband. And he had located the last man in the gang that killed his family.

It had taken everything in him not to shoot him this morning. But he would catch him and then the law would hang him.

With a sigh, Lily lit an oil lamp in the main area and then went to the kitchen. She came back with a broom. “That’s the first time, they’ve tried to set the house on fire. Funny it came after Mr. White’s visit yesterday.”

Seth gazed at his wife. “Tell me about Mr. White.”

As she swept up the broken glass, she spoke. “He is the largest landowner in the county. Maybe even in the state of Texas. Since my family passed away, he’s shown interest in buying the ranch from me, even though I keep telling him I’m not interested.”

---