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She needed to find a way to free the heifer from the mud. Then if she could get a rope around her neck, she could lead her back to the ranch.

From behind came a low noise carried on the wind, making her go still. Was the coyote back? Would it be hungry enough to attack her? They weren’t known to attack humans, but anything was possible in the wild.

Then came another call, longer this time. It sounded like syllables.

A name.

“Mea-dow!”

Her heart slammed into her ribs, and she whipped around just in time to see a rider break through the trees. Her gaze landed on the face of the man, and her heart lifted again—this time with hope.

Colton had come for her.

The strain on his rugged features didn’t lessen one single bit as he fixed his stare on her. In the saddle he looked huge, and imposing as hell in a black drover coat. The horse’s packs were stuffed to bulging, and she knew he’d come prepared for anything when he set out in search of her.

Or maybe he’d only come for the heifer. She was probably worth more in his eyes.

His gaze washed over her as if making sure she was really safe. Then he swung his leg off his horse and landed on the ground next to her. “What the hell, Meadow?”

In the face of his rebuke, anything she was about to say—any thanks she might have given him—died on her lips.

He was just going to be an ass to her when she was trying to do the right thing this time.

He assessed the situation. “We have to rope the cow and get it out of the mud.”

She bristled, swiping a soaked tendril of hair off her neck. “No shit. What do you think I was about to do?”

“You’ll never manage on your own. It’s going to take both of us to get her out. Our horses too.” He looked up at the sky. A bolt of jagged lightning cut through the blackened atmosphere.

“Just tell me what to do and I’ll do it.”

He gave her a sharp glance as though she surprised him. Since she typically gave him some lip service, the man probably was surprised.

“How long is the rope in your hand?”

She held up the length. Judging by the glare he gave her, she wouldn’t be shocked if he used it to tie her to a tree and leave her out here. While she much preferred his spanking or even the dirty looks he gave her, she probably couldn’t stop him if he did.

He shook his head. “Not long enough.” The wind was howling now, forcing Colton to raise his voice over the din.

In another few minutes, they’d be in the middle of the violent storm, and chances were the cow wouldn’t survive it.

The distant mountains were blacker angles against the black sky. The air smelled of ozone.

She tried to yell out to Colton, to tell him that they couldn’t go back through the trees the way they came. The best route was to the right of the swamp. They could hit a pass and travel faster that way.

When the scream of the wind snatched the words out of her mouth, she moved close to Colton and gripped him by the arm. Leaning in, she yelled it again. He heard this time and looked to the east, nodding.

Then to her surprise, he cupped her face in his big palm and turned her ear to his mouth. Words filtered into her head—and warmed her too.

“I’m going to rope the cow. Then we’ll attach the rope to my horse and try to pull it out.”

Wishing she could curl up against him and share his heat, she could only nod stupidly in return. Standing back to allow him room to swing the longer rope he had with him, she watched him attempt to lasso the cow.

Twice the loop fell limp to the mucky earth. The third time, it just skimmed the cow’s head before it fell.

“Do you even know how to use a rope?” she yelled into the fury of the wind.

He leveled her in a dark look and threw it three more tries.