Taking Charge (Lone Star Burn #4)(52)

“What?” Mason asked.

“The stupid grin that tells me he’s not listening to anything I’m saying.”

Mason laughed and clapped a hand on David’s back, bringing him back to the present. “You really should play it cooler, David. You’re putting your heart right out there for her to trample.”

“Speaking of trampling,” Tony said in a can-we-get-back-to-business tone. “One of the hands was kicked pretty badly this morning while walking her from her stall to the paddock. Luckily, there were men around to stop her. She wanted to hurt him. I get most horses, but I don’t get her. I’ve never said this before, but I’m ready to put that horse down. She’s got a mean streak.”

Mason looked from one man to the other. “Isn’t that a little extreme for a kick?”

David looked the horse over again. “It is. You’ve had the vet out to look her over?”

Tony nodded. “He didn’t find anything and said what I’ve been thinking. She’s dangerous. I won’t keep a horse like that here, and I’ll be damned if I let her go somewhere else.”

David stepped into the paddock and closed the gate behind him. He walked up to the horse and spoke to her softly. “What’s going on, girl? What has you so angry?”

She pinned her ears back. Horses rarely kicked without giving plenty of warning that one was coming. She was giving him a not-so-subtle warning.

David stood where he was. He was in a better mood than normal, and that spilled over to how he felt toward the horse. He wanted to see her get past whatever was holding her back. He continued to talk softly to her.

She reared up, and if Tony hadn’t pulled David back, she might have landed a direct front kick to his chest. Tony half dragged David out of the paddock and closed the gate.

“Holy shit, that was close,” Mason said.

“Now you see why she has to go,” Tony said.

David, his pride dented, said, “What’s wrong with you? She’s been here a week, and you’re ready to give up on her? Put her down? Since when is that our policy?”

Tony’s eyes narrowed. “First, it’s no longer our policy. You moved on.”

Mason interjected, “Do cowboys cry? Because this is really touching. David, he misses you.”

Both David and Tony shot Mason a quick glare.

Tony continued, “Second, Sarah is pregnant. No child of mine will be around a horse like that. Ever.”

David’s irritation with Tony fell away. He smiled. “You’re going to be a father?” As joy for his friend swept through him, he gave Tony a bear hug that surprised both of them. “I’m so happy for you.”

Tony pushed him away, but smiled. “I’m going to be a father. No matter how many times I say it, I can’t believe it.”

Mason’s smile was just as wide and genuine. “Looks like we have several things to celebrate this weekend. Tony, I’m happy for you, too. Really, this is the good stuff.”

“Thanks,” Tony said. “It is.”

David looked over at the mare again. Tony’s reaction to her made sense now, especially considering what had happened with Kimberly. Still, one week was nothing when it came to giving a horse a chance. “Ship her to Mavis. I’ll see what I can do with her.”

“Don’t turn your back on her,” Tony warned. “We were thinking about asking you to be the baby’s godfather.”

David’s chest tightened with emotion. “I’d be honored.”

They stood in comfortable silence for a few minutes before Mason said, “David, I looked into what you asked me to. No one had specifics, but it sounds like that area abuts one being assessed for a deep oil reserve. Nothing has been confirmed yet, but sometimes when a find like that is made, big offers come in for the land around it in case there are veins or other pockets of oil. I wish I had more to give you, but it sounds to me like Lucy’s neighbor is a gambling man, and he is betting the land out there will soon be worth a lot of money.”

Tony asked what they were talking about, and David brought him up to date with what had happened when he arrived on Lucy’s ranch.

“What a piece of shit,” Tony said.

“Couldn’t have said it better myself,” Mason concurred.

“Lucy’s ranch manager, Wyatt, worked for York for a while. He thinks Ted’s dangerous. I don’t want to scare Lucy, but if that kind of money is involved, my gut tells me he’s right.”

“What do you need?” Tony asked.

“I don’t need anything yet,” David said. “But I appreciate knowing I have backup if I do.”

“Always,” Tony said.

Mason chuckled and lightened the mood with a joke. “For a miserable bastard, he has his nice moments, doesn’t he?”

When both Tony and David gave Mason a look, Mason said, “I really wish I’d known both of you when I was making movies. I could have nailed that f*ck-you-I’m-a-cowboy glare.”

They continued to stare him down for a moment, then broke into huge smiles because really it was too good a day not to.





Chapter Fifteen


Later Sunday night, Lucy heard her phone ringing. She instinctively started to roll over to reach for it, without fully waking up, but was held in place by a strong arm across her waist. The call was instantly forgotten as David pulled her naked body back to spoon with his.