His Dangerous Bride (The Brides of Paradise Ranch - Spicy Version Book 2) by Merry Farmer Page B

herd. Sure enough, as soon as they sensed their buddies around them, the cows gentled and their steps relaxed into the plodding lope of the rest of the herd.
    “That wasn’t so hard.” Eden drew her horse up alongside his. Her chest rose and fell beautifully as she panted from exertion and concentration. Out in the sun, the dusting of freckles across her cheeks seemed more pronounced and downright…kissable. “You’re right, it just takes some calling and nudging, and they go right back to where they want to be.”
    “In a situation like this, yes.” Luke nodded, working hard to focus on the job instead of all the other things they could be doing. “If they end up in a full-on stampede or if there’s some other danger, it’s a whole different problem to solve.”
    “So how do you solve it?” She looked up at him like a student ready to be instructed by a master.
    Something warm and bolstering flooded Luke’s chest. “Well.” He shrugged as though it was no big deal. “If they start stampeding in earnest, the first thing you’ve got to do is make sure there’s no major source of danger in the immediate area, no cliffs or rivers or such.”
    “Uh huh. Then what?”
    “Turn them to the right.”
    “The right?” She balked, smiling as though he was joking.
    “I’m serious. Get them to turn to the right and start running in a circle. Once they get all balled up, they’ll stop.”
    “By running to the right?”
    Luke shrugged. “Cattle don’t like turning to the left when they’re running.”
    Eden burst into giggles. “That’s the silliest thing I’ve ever heard.”
    “Well, it’s true.”
    “Oh, I believe you, but still.”
    Off to the right, Travis called out, “Luke, watch your tail.”
    Luke twisted to check behind him. Another couple of cows had veered off, but only by a bit. He turned back to Eden. “Think you can handle them?”
    “I know I can.” She nodded, then wheeled her horse around to go after the strays.
    The rest of the day passed in far more pleasant a manner than Luke ever would have imagined. The weather was holding, the herd was calm, and Eden was much more of a help than he could have imagined. By some miracle, his first day as a trail boss was going well. Pete, his adopted pa, would be proud. He even slept well when they set up their bedrolls and lay down under the canopy of stars. Eden camped out close to him, and crazy though it was, Luke was kind of glad she didn’t try to climb in his bedroll with him. With all his buddies around, that would have been about as awkward as things got.
    Morning dawned clear and cooler than days had been. Eden got up before the men—well, all the men except for Travis—and had a load of bacon and a pot of beans cooking over the campfire as everyone else came awake. The scent alone was divine.
    “You sure did pick a winner,” Mason said around a mouthful of breakfast as they prepared for the morning’s work.
    “Maybe you should think about getting married yourself,” Eden answered his praise. “I knew a lot of girls back in Nashville who would love a life out here.”
    Mason shrugged. “I can’t say as I’m ready to tie myself down yet.”
    “Why?” Cody snorted. “What are you doing that requires not being tied down?”
    Mason flushed. “Well, I could go off on an adventure any day.”
    Cody laughed. Even Travis shook his head. “If Luke here can settle down with a woman, than anyone can,” he said.
    Luke frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
    “Come on.” Mike thumped him in the arm from his seat beside him by the campfire. “You’ve never exactly been the serious and responsible type.”
    Before Luke could protest and insist that he was as responsible as any of the others, Cody rushed on with, “Well I’m sending away for a wife. I already told Mrs. Evans I wanted one the other day, right Luke?”
    “And what did she say?” Mason drawled, as if he knew the answer.
    Cody’s enthusiasm faltered. “She