Page 24 of Stirring Spurs (Rainbow Ranch #1)
BOONE
My body stirs and half an eye opens to pitch darkness.
As the person in charge of breakfast on a working ranch, my body has adjusted to waking before the sun and rooster, but lately, it’s been harder to get out of bed.
Each night after cleaning up from dinner and doing whatever prep is needed for the next day, he’s there.
On the stool or outside the back door on the hay bales. Waiting for me.
Last night was no different. When I didn’t spot Wylie in the kitchen, I took two sweet teas out back, and sure enough, he was leaned against the house, feet up, shirt open, exposing his tank, with a long piece of hay between his teeth, making my insides simmer.
Without talking, he sprung up, taking a tea from me, and we headed off to walk the back roads of the ranch—which meant strolling along, stargazing, while Wylie snuck kisses. And I, having no willpower against him, played right along.
After a quick walk past the barn on our way back to check on the horses, we ended up where we always do, in my room.
It’s only been a little over a week, but the familiarity of having him next to me, his smell—like earth and sagebrush mixing with our sweat and semen—lulls me to sleep like a baby.
Each morning I deliver a soft kiss, doing my best not to wake him before I pull on my clothes and head down to the kitchen.
With the rodeo only a day away, I’ve been juggling my regular work all week with preparing the carnival-style food for our guests. It’s a lot of work, but Pris, Winnie, and Pepper help, and it’s a great way to make some extra income for the ranch.
With a deep inhale, taking it all in and thanking the heavens for the blessing, I roll over to give Wylie his morning peck on the cheek. But he’s not here.
Not in bed.
Not in the room.
I click on the small lamp on my bedside table, eyes squinting at the blast of light, trying to see some sign of him, but there’s nothing.
Taking my clothes from last night from the chair, I get dressed and head downstairs.
He’s probably with Noodles. With the rodeo looming, I’m sure Wylie wants to check in.
He has every morning all week. But not until I’m up.
Doing my best to keep my boots quiet, I head out to the barn.
It’s still dark, and the animals aren’t really up.
There’s no sign of Wylie. As I walk down the aisle, the horses stir slightly.
Dennis blows a burst of air out of his tiny nostrils.
Usually, I’d stop to give him some attention, but not this morning.
I walk past him to Noodles’ stall. Empty.
My heart bursts into a full gallop in my chest as I head out to the smaller barn. The truck and horse trailer are gone.
I head back to the house, less worried about making noise, and up to my brother’s room .
“Beau, Beau.”
We don’t typically go into each other’s rooms unannounced, and certainly never without knocking, but Beau and I shared a room until we were almost sixteen. I’ve seen and heard it all.
He’s dead asleep. Mouth hanging open, breathing heavily.
I poke at his naked shoulder, not too hard, but I need him to wake up.
“Wha—? What’s wrong?” he grumbles.
I take a seat as he rolls over, covering his face with his forearm.
“It’s Wylie. He’s gone.”
He smacks his lips and moves his arm just enough for an eye to peek out.
“Maybe he took a walk. Did you check the barn?”
“Yeah, Noodles is gone.”
“Well, maybe he finally mounted him.” His voice still sounds gravely. “Or took him for a walk.”
“Truck’s gone. Trailer too.”
This gets his attention. He moves his arm, sits up, giving me a look that says oh fuck . Growing up, we got in our share of mischief, and I know it well.
“And he didn’t say anything to you?”
I shake my head, tears stinging the corners of my eyes. Wylie admired the truck so much, but he wouldn’t steal it. My head gets all woozy, and I’m glad to be seated on the bed.
“Did he leave anything? A note?”
I open my mouth to reply, but it’s drier than the fields after a drought. Nothing comes out.
Beau moves to the edge of the bed, grabs his jeans from the chair that matches the one in my room, and pulls them on.
“Come on.” He wraps his arm around my shoulder.
Having Beau with me instantly begins to settle my nerves.
He has always taken care of me, not just with his actions but with the quiet strength in his eyes that lets me know I’m never alone.
When it felt like our world was falling apart after our folks died, Beau was the strong one—holding everything together on the ranch, offering a stability that kept us from completely unraveling.
He’ll know what to do. He always does.
“Let’s see what we can figure out,” he says, hooking his arm in mine and leading me downstairs.
Beau’s office illuminates when he clicks on the small antique lamp on the corner of his desk.
He opens the laptop. Besides our landline, with no cell service out here, it’s our primary connection to the rest of the world.
Fingers fly on the keyboard, and I stand behind him, trying to figure out what he’s doing.
A map appears. There are dots, some are moving, some aren’t.
“Where’s that?” I ask.
“Rainbow Ranch. These dots are all the animals.” He points to a tiny blue dot erratically moving back and forth. “Pretty sure that’s Dennis.”
He shrugs, then continues searching the map.
“All the animals get microchipped and have GPS devices on their breakaway halters. Helps if anyone gets loose.” He swallows hard. “Or stolen.”
My heart sinks. Wylie wouldn’t do this. Take Noodles, the truck, and the trailer? Bolt off without telling me? He wants to stay. Sure, people say things they don’t mean, but it wasn’t just his words. It’s the way he holds me. Stares into my eyes. Grasps my face when we kiss. It doesn’t add up.
“Noodles definitely isn’t on the ranch,” Beau says.
He’s moving the mouse, the map expanding on the screen, when the sharp, jarring ring of the house phone blasts through the quiet, making us both jump like jackrabbits.
Beau snatches the receiver, and even in the pre-breakfast quiet on the ranch, I can’t decipher the voice on the other end. After a moment, Beau speaks.
“Doc Evans…”
The vet in Johnson Springs. My stomach flips.
“Thank you for calling… Yeah, I know…” He runs his fingers through his hair, tugging at the back like he does when he’s thinking. “Okay… You sure you don’t want me to come? Got it.” Beau’s head nods repeatedly. “Thanks again, Doc. He does? Oh, sure.”
Focused on the call, he musters up a faint smile, but then catches my gaze and gives me a wink.
That one gesture hits me like a splash of cool water, washing away the tension and leaving me with a deep sense of relief. There’s more talking on the other end, more nodding from Beau and finally, he speaks.
“Will do. Thank you, Wylie.”
Beau hangs up the phone and takes a deep inhale, closing his laptop and sinking back into his chair.
I draw a slow, cleansing breath, feeling the tension in my shoulders ease slightly, before he speaks.
“Wylie took Noodles to Doc Evans. Apparently, when he went to check on him this morning, he was lying down in his stall, awake, biting at his stomach.” He rolls his shoulders back, sitting up a little.
“Most likely colic. Doc thinks it might be from too many sweets. Something about cake…” My heart rattles around my chest. Oops.
“Sounds like Wylie caught it just in time.
Doc is giving Noodles fluids and watching him for a few hours, but if all goes well, they should be back by this afternoon.
“Wylie did the right thing. Gonna cost a pretty penny, but with Doc’s discount, it shouldn’t be too bad. Hopefully, we make good money at the rodeo to offset it.” He rubs his chin. “Said he didn’t have time to leave you a note but thought you’d look in your closet.”
My stomach flips and my mouth opens, but nothing comes out. I’m too busy bolting out of Beau’s office like a pot on the stove about to boil over.
In a flash, I’m up the stairs and in my room, my heart pounding in my chest. The closet door is cracked open a few inches, but I didn’t notice when I rushed out to the barn.
I swing it wide, and sure enough, hanging there on the hook is Wylie’s weathered hat.
The sight of it hits me like a punch to the gut—because it’s not just his hat, it’s a piece of him.
He’s staying.