Page 33 of The Rancher

“I’ll tell him that I know there are at least twenty more and he’d better find them. He won’t have a choice because he probably won’t remember where he set them. Plus, I’ll have other men out there so he can’t pretend to be working when he’s not.”

“Good.”I guess this solution is enough for now, though I would fire him if he worked for me.

Ray put his hands in his pockets. “Hey, um, thanks for saving Stormchaser.”

“I’ll do my best to watch him. I need to monitor and change his bandages every day anyway. Are you posting someone at night? I don’t trust Ted and I don’t know what his motivations are. Maybe it’s just money, maybe it’s sex, with someone like him, it’s hard to tell.”

He chewed the inside of his cheek before speaking. “Marissa is definitely up to something. There is no way she would date Ted other than to manipulate him.”

“You would know.” Lyris tried to keep the jealousy from her voice but knew she was unsuccessful.

Ray lifted a brow, looked at her and smiled. “Yeah, I suppose I would. But I also know she’s still living with Scott, so she is definitely up to something.”

“Stormchaser is fine, for now. I’ll change his bandage tonight and see how it looks. I also want to watch him for the rest of the day to view how he’s standing. I want to know if he’s putting weight on that leg.”

“I’ll be in my office in the barn, so I can watch him, too.”

She nodded. “Okay. I have to check on our babies. They seem to be thriving, but I’ll monitor them closely for at least a month.”

“Let’s head in to change clothes before we both catch our death. We can talk along the way.”

“Good idea. I’m freezing.”

“Well, at least the rain has stopped. It looks like it’s still windy though. Hurry and get into the truck.”

Lyris jogged to the truck and practically dove into the passenger side

Ray climbed in and started the truck and waited a couple of minutes to turn on the fan. Even though it’s July that wind can get very cold.”

Lyris nodded and put her hands between her thighs. They weren’t as wet as the rest of her clothes.

“Now, as to the babies. I do have a special pasture. It isn’t too big because I want to see the colts and fillies all the time. It gives the foals enough room to run and play. There’s enough grass for the mares to graze, too.”

“Good. I haven’t had a need to see it before now. Maybe tomorrow you can give me a more thorough tour of the property.”

“That can be arranged.” He pulled the truck into the six-car garage.

She was glad the guesthouse had an attached garage for when winter came. She hated nothing more than having to scrape ice from her Yukon’s windows.

She climbed out of the truck and hurried into the kitchen of the main house. The heat was welcome. Lyris turned to Ray. “You’ll have to excuse me if I don’t stay. I need to get out of these wet clothes. I’ll be back after a hot shower. Don’t wait dinner for me. If I don’t make it back in time, I’ll heat up leftovers.”

“I’m sure you’ll make it. I doubt you’ll be much longer than I will.”

She laughed. “Tell that to Maddy. I’m sure she takes longer in the bathroom than you do.”

Ray chuckled. “On second thought, I’ll see you whenever you get here. We don’t mind waiting dinner until you’re here.”

Lyris shook her head. “No, please don’t. Maddy will be hungry and so are you. I’ll be as quick as I can.” She didn’t wait for a response, just headed for the sliding door leading to the backyard and the guesthouse. Hurrying through the yard, she practically ran to the guesthouse.

Once inside, she locked the door and began stripping. She suddenly realized she wasn’t alone. She stopped tugging her jeans down.

Ted lounged in one of the overstuffed chairs in the living room. “Don’t let me stop you,” he drawled. “I always like watching a beautiful woman strip.”

“What are you doing in my house? Get out, Ted. Now.” She pointed toward the door.

He sat up. “Oh, don’t be that way. I’m here to offer you the opportunity of a lifetime. All you have to do is make sure Stormchaser never recovers.”

She narrowed her eyes but stayed right where she was. “Never. I will never hurt an animal on purpose.”