Chapter Five
“Buster, get a few of those cows to the west pasture, please,” Rory said as she entered the barn.
Buster strode to her. “Are you sure about this?”
“Yes. Just please do it. I told Joel and Wilder to move them, but I want you and Bernie to do it. Have Wilder, Abe, and Joel, in the milking parlors since Duane and Hal are working tonight.”
“If you’re sure.”
“I am,” she said as she moved around him, then strode down the barn’s aisle.
She was still angry at him for what he said about Wilder and why she hired him. It was no one’s business why he was here. Buster might be the foreman, but she was still the boss.
Wouldn’t it shock him to know they were having sex? She blew out a breath. That should never have happened, but it had, and she wanted Wilder every minute of the day. He was the last thing she thought of before going to sleep and the first thing she thought of when she opened her eyes in the morning. It should be her cows she’s thinking of, not a man. Shaking her head, she rolled her eyes and wondered what the hell she was doing getting involved with a man who would probably disappear once he solved the case.
“Just stay away from him,” she muttered as she strolled down the aisle, then snorted. “Yeah, right.”
“Talking to yourself?”
She spun around to see Wilder standing in the doorway of a stall. He folded his arms, leaned against the doorjamb, and cocked a hip. Damn, he was just so fine.
“I am.”
“Do you do that a lot?” He smirked.
“Only since you’ve been here.” She smiled when he chuckled.
She watched as he pushed off the doorjamb and sauntered to her, then stopped in front of her. He glanced over his shoulder and back at her. His hand reached out, and he ran it down over her ponytail.
“I think about you all the time,” he said in a low tone of voice.
“I think about you too.”
“Good. Now, how about you come to my place for dinner one night? A weekend I’m off.”
“A weekend?”
Wilder grinned, and butterflies took flight in her belly.
“I know you can’t stay the weekend, but I want to be with you and not worry about prying eyes.”
“I’d like that.”
“I’m not off for two weeks, though,” he said and frowned.
“Well, you’ll just have to sneak into my house.”
“I’d love to do that, Rory, but I am here to do a job. I can’t be with you when I’m here on a case. I can’t disappear from the bunkhouse because they’ll think I’m the one doing the rustling, even though one or more could be involved. I can’t bring a lot of attention to myself.”
“What if they’re all in on it? God, Wilder, what if it’s all of them?”
“As I said before, I’ll arrest them all. Honestly, I don’t think all of them are, but we’ll have to see.”
“Please do something,” she hiccupped on a sob.
He pulled her into his arms, and she wrapped her arms around his waist.
“I’m going to do all I can.” He kissed her forehead.