Only 05 - Autumn Lover

expression. He meant exactly what he had said.
    “Hunter’s orders?” she asked.
    “Common sense,” Morgan said bluntly. “Unless you’re half swamp rat, you’re going to get lost out there.”
    “Or ambushed.”
    Morgan blew out a breath and resettled his hat on his head.
    “Yes, ma’am. The thought has occurred to this cowboy ever since I first saw them tracks heading off into that choice slice of hell.”
    The longer Elyssa stared at the tracks, the more certain she became that they were false, dangerous, or both.
    This isn’t Bill’s way of doing things .
    Bill asked outright for the sale of the Ladder S to him, and then told me how rock-stupid I was for not doing it .
    Face-to-face .
    Yelling .
    Not sneaking around in the small hours of night, playing cruel pranks .
    After a final look at the marsh, Elyssa sat back in the saddle and turned to Morgan.
    “Where is Hunter?” she asked crisply.
    “Bustin’ broncs.”
    Elyssa reined Leopard around and headed for the brush corral at a gallop.
    Morgan followed. His eyes watched the marsh until they were well beyond rifle range.
    When Elyssa and Morgan arrived at the brush corral, Reed had a mustang by the ears and was hanging on for all he was worth. Hunter grabbed the bridle right at the bit, pulled the bronc’s head around nearly to the left stirrup, and vaulted into the saddle.
    “Let ’er rip,” Hunter said, releasing his hold on the bit.
    Reed let go of the bronc’s ears and dove for the other side of the corral gate.
    Smiling, Morgan sat back in his saddle to enjoy the show.
    The mustang was a wiry little stud with springs in his feet. He swapped ends, crow-hopped, and twisted his hindquarters like a fish in an effort to unseat his rider.
    Hunter rode him like a cat, never moving more than necessary, never showing daylight between himself and the saddle. He used the spurs not as a punishment, but to make certain the stud was doing his best.
    After a few minutes the mustang stopped bucking, snorted hard, and turned around to look at the strange growth on his back.
    Speaking in a low, calm voice, Hunter stroked the horse’s neck. Then he dismounted with a peculiar, flowing movement that never left him off balance in the stirrup.
    Hunter’s boots barely touched the ground before he took hold of the bridle, held the stud’s head up, and got back into the saddle once more.
    The stud snorted, sidestepped, bucked halfheartedly, and then stood still.
    For the first time Elyssa noticed that the mustang sported a new Ladder S brand on his hip. It was the same for every other mustang in the corral.
    Hunter dismounted.
    The stud simply looked at him.
    “Tally this one and get the next,” Hunter called to Reed.
    The horse was officially green-broke, which meant that a good rider could mount him in reasonable safety without the help of another man.
    “Damn, but that man’s a sight to behold with a bronc,” Morgan said, grinning. “Only seen one better than him.”
    “Better? I doubt that,” Elyssa said.
    “Ask Hunter. He’ll agree that his brother has a finer hand with broncs.”
    Holding his lasso ready, Reed rode slowly toward the mustangs milling at the far end of the corral. There was a flurry of shying, snorting, and lunging to the side, but to no avail. A loop shot out and settled around the neck of another bay.
    Reed wound his end of the rope around the saddle horn and dragged the reluctant bronc to the snubbing post to be saddled.
    Without looking at Elyssa or even acknowledging that she was there, Hunter stripped the bridle and saddle from the first mustang and headed toward the snubbing post.
    “Hunter,” Elyssa called. “I have to talk to you.”
    He stopped and looked at her over his shoulder.
    “Later,” Hunter said curtly. “I’m busy.”
    “It’s about the missing horses.”
    “That’s why I’m busy. I’m breaking new ones to replace the others.”
    “It will just take a few minutes.”
    “That’s worth one bronc, Sassy.”
    With that, Hunter resumed walking toward the snubbing post at the far end of the corral.
    Elyssa aimed Leopard at the gate.
    Before Hunter realized what was happening, Leopard had jumped the gate and pivoted to a stop dead across Hunter’s path.
    Damn her recklessness , he thought savagely. She’s going to take that stud over the wrong fence someday and both of them will end up in a tangle in the dust .
    But that wasn’t what was really bothering Hunter, and he knew it.
    He wanted Elyssa