Husband Fur Hire (Bears Fur Hire #1)(64)

“Hup!” she called, holding the extra length of her reins and waving them side to side over Milo’s neck to get the cattle moving over a slick straightaway. The temperature was dropping so fast it was freezing the bottom layer of snow that had melted. Dangerous conditions for clumsy cattle.

Behind them, a howl lifted into the air. Pissed, Elyse swatted at the raised hair that tingled on the back of her neck. The snow was falling harder now, making it difficult to see any distance, and those damned McCalls sounded close.

Josiah narrowed his eyes behind them. “What the f*ck do they want? It’s like they’ve stayed the same distance behind the whole day. There’s still two dead cattle out on the marsh for them to eat.”

“Jo, I think you should take Ian’s truck back.”

“What? No. You need that, and besides, what would I do with Renegade?” He patted his buckskin’s neck.

“I’ll keep him for now, but I don’t want you range riding when those wolves are out like this.”

He frowned behind him again. “They are acting strange.”

“Please, Jo.”

“Bossy. You remember I’m the big brother, right?”

“And I’m the worried little sister. I don’t ask you for much. Just this once, take the truck. I’ll be on a snow machine from here on, anyway.”

“Yeah, all right.” Josiah cast her the tenth worried look he’d given her today and trotted off toward a trio of cattle that were breaking off.

Usually, the herd stuck together like glue, but they’d watched some of their own attacked by wolves this season, and the howling had them spooked. Elyse couldn’t blame them one bit for scattering.

Ian slumped forward again and almost went over. Shit. Elyse kicked her horse and bolted for where Ian was struggling to stay awake on a side-stepping Demon.

She pulled up beside the black gelding and steadied Ian in the saddle. “Baby, you have to make it just a little while longer. We’re almost there. Look.” She pointed to the jutting rock formation that was snow-capped like a miniature mountain. “We’re almost on our property. Almost home.”

When Ian slid her a glance, she swallowed down a gasp. He looked like a shell of himself—like walking death. Eyes dull and bleary, he was as pale as a ghost.

“Ian, can you ride ahead? Can you make it? Josiah and I will bring the cattle in. Just let Demon into the coral, and I’ll take care of him.”

“Elyse,” he slurred, heartbreak in his eyes.

“I know, baby,” she whispered, blinking rapidly. He couldn’t see her weak. Not right now. “I’ll see you when you wake up.”

“It’ll be a few days before the first hour we get.”

“Okay.” She hid the devastation from her face. “Can you make it to the cabin?”

Ian nodded once. “I love you, Elyse. Remember.” One eyebrow arched before he leaned over and kissed her.

He kicked his horse into a trot, and then into a gallop as he clung to the saddle horn.

She knew what he meant.

Remember all her lessons.

Remember how to defend herself.

Remember to be strong.

She doubled over Milo’s neck at the pain in her middle. She felt it down to her marrow—that had been goodbye. From here until April, she would only get a borrowed hour here and there.

As Ian disappeared into the falling snow, the weak tears she hadn’t allowed before slipped to her cheeks. He’d thought he would hibernate in mid-October, but the weather had turned bitterly cold early, and now two weeks had been stolen from them.

Wiping her damp lashes with the back of her work glove, she turned Milo and made her way toward the bawling cattle.

Across the herd, Josiah’s faint silhouette sat atop his mount, arm slung over the saddle horn as he hunched forward, face turned toward her. She couldn’t see his expression under the low rim of his hat, but she imagined it was marred with confusion and worry.

Elyse swallowed a sob and laid into the back of the herd with a new sense of urgency. Even if it was only for a little while, she didn’t like being separated from her mate.

Not when he was this vulnerable, and not when those damned McCalls were this close.

The last two miles took an eternity, and when she and Josiah had driven the cattle into their fenced pasture, she put out a couple bales of hay, broke the ice in their water trough, then pointed her attention to Demon, who was screaming like a banshee and running around the coral with his saddle still strapped to him.

He probably hadn’t enjoyed carrying Ian that last bit of the way, smelling like fur and predator. His nostrils were flared, and he huffed breath after steaming breath as he ran, ears back.

“You want me to unsaddle him?” Josiah asked, frowning at Demon.

“No, I’m going to let him tire himself out first. Don’t worry about it. You go on.” She handed him the keys to Ian’s truck. “Get home before this weather really opens up. I’ll keep Milo and Renegade in the barn until Demon settles.”

She took both sets of reins from where Renegade and Milo were tied at the fence. She made to head for the barn, but Josiah said, “Elyse?”

She froze and turned. “Yes?”

His eyes held a deep understanding that said he wasn’t as in the dark as she’d intended to keep him. “I know you’re stronger now. I can see it, but life out here still gets hard. It gets dangerous. If you need help this winter, you call me. No matter what it is, you call. You hear me?”