Page 21

Then she shook her head at him. “Handy Dandy goes with a notebook fromBlue’s Clues. The magic backpack is fromDora the Explorer. Everyone knows that, Daddy!”

He grinned. “I guess I need to brush up on my Nickelodeon.”

As he’d thought, he had a small first aid kit containing some antibiotic ointment and bandages. Once he doctored her feet, he shifted his pack to rest on his abs. Before she could step away, he hoisted her onto his back.

“Wrap your legs around my waist, Bluebell. Daddy’s going to give you a piggyback ride.” He bounced her higher on his hips and then held his pack out to make room for her to do as he’d told her.

Her legs secure, he reached behind and grabbed under her butt.

“Are you sure I’m not too heavy for you?”

He bounced her, deliberately harder than before. “I’m gonna pretend I didn’t hear that. It came awful close to you talking down about yourself. That will get your britches dusted every time. Do you hear me?”

Her shudder sent hot waves of need through him, but now was not the time for that. The miles they needed to cover beforereaching the spot he’d hidden the tent on his way in stretched before them.

He took off at a brisk pace, thankful he’d stuck to his training regimen in the mountains near the ranch. Other than the lack of humidity, Wyoming had been the perfect place to condition.

After about a mile, the trail became easier to follow. Not that the scrub wasn’t still overgrown and smacking them both in the face, but at least he had a narrow path. He watched his feet much of the time. It wouldn’t do to trip with his babygirl riding shotgun.

They rounded a sharp bend, and Tildi screamed.

Dropping her to her feet behind him, he pulled his Glock and searched for the enemy. Midnight’s men shouldn’t have been able to follow them, but it was possible he had men stationed closer to the western coast of the island.

When he spotted the problem, he holstered his gun and did his best not to laugh. To give his babygirl credit, it did present an intimidating picture. How it came to be on this island, he had no idea.

“We have to go back, Daddy,” Tildi whispered, tugging at his arm to retreat. “It might attack us, but if we don’t make sudden movements or noise, it might let us go.”

“Tildi—”

“It’s not time for brave hero macho Daddy,” she cut him off to insist. “It is too big, even for you. Please, Boone. Please, let’s go. We can find another way.”

A better man would have explained the situation to his Little girl. Boone was more a man of action. He had no idea how a Wagyu bull had made it onto this island, but there it stood, two thousand plus pounds of the most expensive beef on the planet.

“Get behind me, Bluebell. I’m going to get us through this. You stay calm and don’t move from this spot.”

“Wh-what are you going to do?” Tildi whispered, wrapping her arms around her chest.

“I’m going to do what I always do in this situation. This is not my first stare-down with a bull, babygirl. It can be tricky, but I know what to do. You just be still and quiet. Everything will be fine.”

He lowered his pack to the ground. Tildi wasn’t wrong. The massive animal had the body of a wild ox.

Boone held his hands out wide and approached the bull with slow, steady steps. These bulls were gentle, but he didn’t want to startle it and have Tildi hurt.

Though the horns on the bull were intimidating, it watched Boone approach with no more than the occasional blink. Boone reached forward and placed his palm on its forehead. The beast nuzzled against his hand like Dollar had so many times.

“Tildi, come here, darlin’. This one’s as gentle as a baby lamb.”

“That’s all right,” she assured him, not moving. “I’m good back here.”

“I promise it won’t hurt you. This beauty is the perfect introduction to steers. Didn’t they have cows in Tennessee?”

“Not in their natural state,” she said.

He sliced a look over his shoulder. “Don’t you want to touch one and see what it feels like?”

“Yeah, no offense, but I think I’ll wait for a gecko-size cow instead of starting with a Godzilla-size one. But maybe if you put that one in the dryer or something.”

“You know, Little girls with smart mouths get butts busted,” he said but left it as a tease rather than a threat. These things took time, and she hadn’t grown up around cattle like he had.