Free Shotgun Vows by Teresa Southwick Page A

way too much time indoors playing with your numbers.”
    He wanted to shoot back a clever rejoinder. But he looked at the stunning woman before him and couldn’tform a coherent thought, let alone a witty retort. And in any case, it would be a lie. No matter how much he might want it to be so, she wasn’t a child. She was exactly what she’d been saying she was—a full-grown woman.
    Bobby Lee shuffled his feet. “Pete, why don’t you go on into the barn and saddle up Chloe for Dawson?”
    A dark-haired, blue-eyed cowboy shook his head, then slid a glance to Mattie. “I’m on my break, boss. Why don’t you get Ricky to do it?”
    â€œCan’t.” The young man looked about sixteen and wore a hat almost as big as he was. “Sprained my wrist. Remember?”
    Bobby Lee looked around. “How about you, Will?”
    The lanky cowboy shook his head. “Chloe hates my guts. Kept trying to nip me last time I tried to saddle her.”
    â€œShe knows you don’t like her,” Mattie said.
    It was as if they were circling the wagons around her. He was the guy in the black hat who planned to carry her off. Not in this lifetime. Besides that, Dawson suspected no one wanted to leave and get cut from the herd. This assignment to watch over her had somehow slipped from his control. That was unacceptable. Dawson knew he had to do something to get her away from them.
    When he couldn’t come up with anything that didn’t make him look like a jerk, he decided to go saddle his own horse. He would take his sweet time and hope their breaks were over when he was through. Or that he had a plan to put her ladyship safely under his guard.
    â€œThanks all the same, fellas. But I can saddleChloe. Mattie likes to joke about my job. But the truth is, I’ve been riding for years on the Double Crown, and Chloe actually likes me.” He gave the group of them the same look he’d used to keep the prowling cowboys at the Watering Hole away from Mattie. He prayed it would have the same result.
    He moved past the group and headed to the barn. Moments later he heard footsteps behind him.
    â€œDawson? Wait up.”
    Mattie. He breathed a sigh of relief, then turned. “What?”
    â€œI’m coming with you. Chloe was favoring her back leg the last time you rode her—that day we took the schoolkids riding. I checked her, but want to give it a look.”
    â€œOkay.” He looked over her head and didn’t miss the dark looks sent his way. He wished he could tell the cowboys that when his assignment was done, they were all welcome to try their luck with Mattie—and her brother Griff. But not a day sooner.
    They entered the barn, and Dawson allowed his eyes to adjust to the dimness. That only seemed to enhance his other senses. Over the scents of hay and horses, he didn’t miss Mattie’s fragrance. As she lifted the horse’s leg for a look-see, he worked on getting his galloping pulse under control. Talk about being caught between a rock and a hard place. He was the scum of the earth for what he was thinking about her. He wanted her. But although she looked like a grown woman, she was still way too young for him—a big clue that he needed some distance. Yet he couldn’t back off and let anyone else move in. Not until Griff was back.
    â€œWould you mind if I rode with you?” Mattie asked, looking up at him.
    â€œNot at all,” he answered. His prayer was answered. He could keep her under his watchful eye without making her suspicious of his motives. “Why?”
    â€œI can’t find anything wrong with her, but I want to watch her walk.”
    â€œOkay. You can come.” Odd. He was annoyed that her reason was the horse and not a desire to be with him.
    But it was good news that she would be away from the lecherous cowboys and safe with him. The bad news was that she would be with him. Safe? He couldn’t swear