“Damn. Damn. Damn. How dare he?”
No. She wasn’t taking anymore of Cody’s annoying accusations. Rude since day one, he tested her patience. What’s wrong with him? First uncouth, then polite, then manipulative, and now false accusations; whatever next? Did he really think she was after his brother’s money? Teeth clenched in frustration, Samantha dug her heels into the horse’s flank.
Her body quivered with intense anger. A vivid reminder of the time she faced her father’s blatant disrespect, when she sought permission for her holiday. The only other moment she was this angry. She left home to get away from an imperious father, so why put up with this bully? Why should I give into his whims? If Cody wanted a fight, then she’d give him one to remember.
Daredevil didn’t flinch when she mounted him and sped off at the slightest kick. So much for Cody’s presumptuous rants. She grinned triumphantly. Perhaps his beast was also in the mood to thwart his owner.
The stallion, beautifully massive, carried her with graceful ease. Out here in the open plain, he took charge. His steady hooves a sure indication of where he wanted to go. Samantha gave him free rein but held on tight. There was no telling if Cody’s moody veneer rubbed off onto his horse.
She sighed, enjoyed the feel of the wind on her face, in her hair and the power of the animal between her legs. The wind dried her tears as Daredevil raced on.
Thoughts shoved to the back of her mind, she surveyed the varied loveliness of woodlands and lush grasslands interlaced with a mixture of berries and wildflowers. The sheer beauty immersed her totally. A sense of calm stole quietly over her, Cody’s improprieties momentarily forgotten. The vastness although uninhabited appeared spectacular; as though nature possessed its own gardener. In the distance, the mountains wavered among the drift of thick-layered mist and the sky a translucent golden hue as the sun slowly dipped.
Time ceased to exist until Daredevil slowed to a gentle trot. Samantha glanced at her watch and uttered an inaudible gasp. An hour had passed since she left the ranch. Anxious, she tried to stop the horse but he persisted with his slow trot. “Please, boy, we need to go back.” Pulling on the reins, she stroked the animal slowly.
Stubborn, he gave a soft whinny, jerked his head, and continued. Desperate, Samantha tugged hard on the reins to force a turn. The horse appeared as tenacious as his owner and in spite of her predicament, she chuckled. Trying once more to turn, she pleaded softly, “Please, boy, we have to go back. C’mon, please listen to me.”
Her plea fell on deaf ears. Finally, after ten minutes of effort, she gave in, moaned in frustration, and let the horse go where he pleased. Maybe he’ll head home on his own.
The light faded. Samantha twisted in the saddle and looked for some sort of rescue. Panic set in. As if he sensed her anxiety, Daredevil suddenly picked up speed wresting a squeal of alarm from Samantha, “Yikes.”
Cursing silently as the animal sped on, she tried in vain to stop him. He abruptly decreased speed and stopped almost immediately outside a darkened log cabin.
Samantha dismounted and steadied herself against the horse. Skeptically, she eyed the lone structure.
“Seems like you were here before, boy,” she whispered. Ignorant, the horse continued drinking from the water trough outside the cabin. In a slow three sixty turn, she gave the area a quick gander, glad for the brilliant moonlight. It lit her way to the door of the cabin. A hesitant hand on the knob, she took a deep breath and turned it. The door swung open. Grateful, Samantha stood in the doorway until her eyes adjusted to the darkness then entered, her step a cautious tiptoe. A lantern and a box of matches lay on a table inside the entrance. Instant relief flooded her and she rushed forward.
Lighting the lantern, she surveyed the room as the glow grew brighter. A single cot lay against one wall and a table with four chairs, the only other visible furniture. The small, blackened fireplace and the pile of fresh wood lying next to it showed someone probably used the cabin on a regular basis. Moving, she entered another smaller room which housed a row of cupboards and small sink on one side, the kitchen obviously. A quick check of the cupboards revealed utensils and enough food to feed someone for a couple of days. At least I won’t starve to death out here.
Returning to the other room, lantern in her hand, Samantha froze. The sight of a figure at the door made the floor wobble under her feet as she collapsed. Strong hands grasped her falling body before it hit the floor. Her eyes staggered open. Samantha blinked in bewilderment as her gaze latched onto Cody’s handsome face.
“Are you okay?” he whispered, his voice laced with a tenderness she couldn’t deny hearing.
Stunned, she almost fainted a second time. Crap, so much for not falling into his arms a third time. “Yes, I’m fine thank you.” Flustered, she scrambled hastily out of his grasp and straightened. Still woozy, she lowered her body into one of the chairs. “How…how did you find me?”
Cody regarded her silently, placed the lantern he rescued from her hand on the table, and then puffed out on a loud breath. “Ten minutes after you left, I rode out behind you. Unfortunately, Thunder isn’t as fast as Daredevil.” He stood behind the opposite chair. “I wasn’t sure which way you’d gone after you left the river crossing. You scared the hell out of me by riding off.”
“Well, it serves you right.” She arched a brow in defiance.
His lips thinned in anger. “Do you make it a habit of creating enemies out of strangers?”
“Only when they’re downright rude, arrogant bullies.”
For a second, they were both silent, and she didn’t know what to expect. The silence stretched for a moment. Then his angry features softened; a warm gaze drifted over her face in contemplation. When he spoke, she couldn’t believe her ears.
“I deserve that.” He sat down. “I owe you an apology, Samantha.”
The sudden use of her name knocked her for a homerun. Sassy words died on her lips.
“I shoved my big ol’ boot in my mouth when I accused you of asking Jace for money.”
“Damn right you did.” She didn’t aim to make this easy. What do they say about payback?
He raked a hand through his hair then uttered a throaty laugh. “Give a guy a break, will you. I’m tryin’ to apologize here.”
She detected the gentleness in his words once more. Samantha curbed the urge to succumb to his change in attitude. “Something you’re not quite used to, are you?”
“I’m not an insensitive brute, you know.” “Could’ve fooled me.”
“Don’t fight me, Samantha.” He sucked in a deep breath and dropped his gaze to the empty table between them. “Sometimes I don’t make the best decisions. I try too hard doing what I think is proper for everyone else.”
So the man actually had a heart. Interesting. “And that gives you the right to be rude.” His gaze searched her face, the blue of his irises warm and earnest. Admittedly, his words seemed genuinely apologetic, and Samantha suffered the mildest shame for forcing the issue. “Fine, apology accepted for now.”
The corners of his mouth dipped in another panty- dropping smile. “Thank you. For what it’s worth, I’m glad Daredevil had the sense to come here.”
“Why would Daredevil come out here?”
“This is where we met. We do the branding of our cattle here. ’Bout two years ago I saw him out on the plains leading his pack of wild horses. Fascinated, I decided he had to be mine.” Cody’s eyes lit up as he chuckled in memory.
Warming to the sound, she waited patiently for him to go on, her anger forgotten. Idle conversation eased the tension.
“Took me a couple of days to lure him. I reckon he almost dared me to come get him, so I caught his mare. Angry, he charged over the fence as if demanding her release. Taken by his daring, I tried to capture him, a futile effort. I’ve never come across another intelligent or sneaky horse as Daredevil,” he whispered, his tone distant. “Like a lovesick puppy, he couldn’t stay away. Finally, he trusted me enough and took the small treats I offered.”
His narration enthralled Samantha. It sounded almost dreamy. “How did you get him to the ranch?”
“I took his mare back and like an obsessed lover, he followed her home. I gave them their own corral. Tyrant, he denied me access for almost three days.
Eventually, he allowed me in, and refused entry to anyone else except me, until…” He left the words in the air.
The man was probably baiting her. She ignored his taunt. “And his name?”
Cody’s eyes sparkled with humor. “His bold behavior and the thunderous look in his eyes. They seemed to light up with an almost devilish intensity when he didn’t get his way.”
Samantha giggled at the resemblance between horse and owner. Cody cocked a brow at the sound.
“There’s a distinct similarity between you and Daredevil. It’s like you’re a match made in heaven.”
For a brief second, a flicker of anger ignited his eyes then died instantly.
“Are we heading back now?” She sat up eagerly. The quicker they got back the better. She didn’t want to risk a change in his mood.
“No, it’s too dark to ride back. We’ll leave in the morning.”
Her brows jumped upward in alarm. “But… But where will we sleep. There’s only one bed and…” Her cheeks flushed at the memory of their shared kiss.
His lips curved in a delicious smile, as if he read her thoughts. “Relax, Lady, the bed’s yours. I’ll sleep outside.” He got to his feet, strode over, and knelt in front of a small cupboard on the other side of the bed, which Samantha didn’t notice earlier.
“Outside? But it’s cold, and isn’t it dangerous?” She bit her lip in hesitation.
“You prefer I share the bed with you?” He stared at her over his shoulder.