Wilder Ranch

rothers, and Eagle. “Everyone helping in some way with protecting Jae

GrayWolf who called me. “I can’t g

ght. Just the main team, basically the Ryders, Wildcat and Gear Box, and you and Taylor. Also,

e were checking the Blue herd and mov

e, just what needed to be said, then hung up. Gray was the same way. I shook my head and called Amber. “Hey

o to Billings with her to bid on some horses. Dad went with us, but he was there to bid on a bull and refused to help his baby g

ad her own money and knew exactly how much she could spend, but because

on me if she failed. I agreed, and we’d gotten to the auction barn and she’d been impressive. She talked to the owners of the horses she wa

could probably get good foals this year. All ranch or rodeo quality. She had been studying natural training methods and had spent the summer before working for Melody Ryder on the Ryder Historical Exper

of her method of training horses. Once the summer was over, they kept in contact through email and Amber had learned as

has connected to any of the Ryder’s personally,

er couldn’t use them anymore, they’d get one last pay day by selling them to the Mexican dog food companies. The companies would buy them cheap, transport them south of the border, a

horse is magnificent.” Before anyone could stop her, Amber was over the fence and slowly walking toward the big stallion. An old rancher saw her and whisper-yelled at he

going up and down in agitation. “Nonsense, he’s just scared.” Then she stood there looking at that horse and humming s

asked, “How much would it ta

shaking his head. “Little girl, I can’t sell you that horse. I’d be leg

d a bit to the right like he was listening to her song. Amber quit humming and slowly reached into her shirt pocket and pulled out a horse nugget. A treat she made for the horses back home from oats, apple bit

d, and started humming. I talked to the rancher while we kept watching Amber and the horse. “Mister, that horse is named Aliento del Diablo. Maybe you heard last month I took him to the rodeo in Billings a

, and that was Vince Wilder, the champion. That horse kno

d us about that horse and that r

anyone but the meat and glue factor

the treat on it and clicked three times, and damned if that h

and the horse walked up to her as slow and docile as an old hound dog and lipped the nugget from her h

at was just shy of twice what the meat plant would offer him. “And I’ll sign a legal affidavit

d gave me a number over four times what th

o me for glue prices. We both know what I

dollars. He came back at trip

d you is all I’m gonna offer you.” I called to Amber “come

g stallion and said with crocodile tears in he

ou. She got a few feet away and turned and damn if that big ole horse didn’t neigh at her and start following her like a big puppy. The old r

ouldn’t ride him, maybe he ain’t trainable. Besides, we can get those other two stallions f

at my baby sister. “What

She handed him a business card from a holder on her belt. They were slick, too, had the name she’d registered

r heard of ya. But I know that bra

now and pretty soon ever

me on, Ace, I don’t w

price that was only one and a half the price the kill pen would net him. I reached out and shook his h

rshi

, please. I’m not calling that beautiful horse the Breath of the Devil.

d today was amazing, but I ain’t co

nty Rodeo in six months. I’m supposed to carry the openi

re ya right then and there to train al

hand. “You got

King of the

actly what he promised. He signed a five-year contract with Amber and the Wilder Stables and Training Center, after she rode Starshi

orses with her string of mares, but they were renowned all across Montana as the most entertaining trick riding team in th

ergency family meeting and you get to F

her voice. “Okay, give me a hi

veryone, and I’d rat

t pinged by that weird spider g

, la

e ya

o, baby

and I mean no one, entered mom’s house in their boots more than once. The first time she was nice and asked you to take them off and put them on the rug inside the door for that purpose. After that, Mom didn’t consider you a guest and if you tracked mom’

t them on the rug and entered the kitchen. “Ace, I didn’t e

ft her with Sky

about his worthless ranch ma

should go let him know you h

family meeting tonight right

re you going to tell us what’s b

med to know everything. “I know you aren’t going to tell us you’re getting married yet

nothing gets pa

taff calls to tell me how sweet you and Jaelyn look al

I knew from the minute she yelled for me to cowboy up. But she isn’t re

recovery back. She promised to tell us when we could have an intimate relationship. I think was the

y as any other ranch wife, but Mom at least tried to keep it in check. “Well, you got to admit Linda Ow

s my love life with you, Mother. But I will just say the day will come when I’ll ask, and you can be certain grandma’s ring will end up on Jael

’s all they will ever be no matter how hard them old biddies and Deacon Mathews wish or push. Your brother has his heart set on another woman. He just needs to get over the fact th

u know who his

things you keep hidden for our safety or what you think is our safety. I think you’ll find that your mee

s. “Now, go calm your dad and get those soldiers sorte

y eyebrow.

he sleeps in, she belongs to me, too. I may not walk around being all ninja quiet, but let that s

n, she’d ‘bless their heart’ all the way to hell, but that was the strongest I’d ever heard her speak. She looked at me. “What, ju

hall to the ranch office and knocked on the door fr

the worn spots are still fit to my cheeks, boy. Besid

hat I’d put some unknown girl ahead of what he saw as my duty to the family. “Dad, all joking a

ationship with mom and I knew the answer because this was his favorite story to tell. “Of course, I did. I’m a

her captive, beat her to the brink of death, violated her every way a man could, and you found he

re, with her

f her, and keep hurting and using her, thinking he could get away with it because no one cared about her

ls were roasting over the darkest, hot

. This girl, dad, she’s my Mrs. W

t you say so? Let’s go show tha

esterday, would you say that they look like the

at one in the Halloween costume. Pretty

fically not to put a gun in his hand unless we want him

t is he h

nic junk and he’ll find anyone or anything. He’s putting an electronic net over the ranch so airtight that if a field mo

hat could

a job for you tha

t that. “What d

busy. One of the cover stories is that Wildcat is going to build us a special motor

s that got t

the ranch. Take your time. Tell her every story in your arsenal. All about how the Wilders settled here, Great-grandp

er to the honkytonk, the diner, all over, tell her about building the church. And all the old spots, anything you think will keep

all the good ole boys and we’ll tell her so ma

fect

are of your woma

guy who hurt Jaelyn, he’s Congressman Robinson’s son. We both know the Congressman ain’t going to let

imy liberal toad. So in the end you

those senators in Washington when the

was th

or deny any such rumor o

bet that got their

ou. If it goes wrong, you can deny knowing anything about what I was doing. Not that I expect it to go wrong, but, like you taught me growing up, ‘plan for the worst

her she’ll ma

ust trying to kee

r soldiers and take car

s,

rst door in the hallway. A surprisingly fit, brow

r. Ace

t’s

Last ones will be your two broth

Men started showing up and the room filled with enormous bodies and tons of egos and testosterone. Sure enough, the la