Free Charlene Sands by Taming the Texan Page A

man’s stance relaxed and he took off his hat to scratch his head. “Don’t suppose I can figure it either.”
    “Do you think there’s anything to be done about it?”
    Again Gabe peered up at the water tank and thought for a minute. “I got me a few ideas. Something like a barrel hoop might work. ‘Course, I’ve never made a hoop that size before, but I’ll get to work on it straightaway.”
    Clint drew in a breath. “Thanks. Let me know your progress.”
    “Yes, sir.”
    Gabe headed toward his shed while Clint walked back toward the house. Sonny rode up then and Clint met him by the stables.
    “Mornin’, Clint.”
    “Sonny,” he said, watching the older man dismount. He was just shy of his father’s age, but Sonny was the picture of health, weathered a bit by hard work on the ranch but as energetic as a man half his age. “We’ve got us a problem.”
    After Clint finished explaining about the water tank and his suspicions about Tess’s fall the other day, Sonny took on a serious tone. “Someone’s out to hurt this ranch. But they’re doing it little by little. Sure don’t know what’s to come next.”
    “Right. That’s why I think we should post guards around the ranch night and day.”
    Sonny’s face registered shock. “Guards?”
    “That’s what I said.”
    Sonny removed his hat and winced at the sunshine beaming down on him. “I don’t think that’s necessary.”
    “Why the hell not?”
    “Why do you care anyhow? You’re fixing to sell off this place if you ever convince Mrs. Hayworth to let you buy her out.”
    “I don’t care. But what I do with this ranch is going to be on my terms, not whoever’s doing this.”
    “So you haven’t changed your mind?”
    “No, Sonny. I haven’t changed my mind. I’m still planning on breaking up the Hayworth empire, such as it is.”
    “You hate your father that much?”
    Clint stared at Sonny, bitterness seeping in. Yes, dammit, he still hated his father. All he had to do was think of his mother’s heartache, the way she died, so sad and lonely, and the feelings stirred in his gut like a witch’s unsavory brew. “What do you think about the guards?”
    Sonny shook his head. “I think we should wait on that. Armed guards around the ranch will only make the men jumpy. We’ve always watched out for one another. I’ll talk to the men and have them report back if they see anything unusual. But I’m saying no guards on the ranch. Not now.”
    Clint stewed on that for a minute. He’d always trusted Sonny’s opinion. “Okay,” he said. “We’ll wait. But you make sure the crew knows to keep an eye out for anything suspicious.”
    Sonny nodded and strode off.
    Clint headed toward the house with an odd feeling in his gut. He didn’t want any sentimental feelings for the ranch wedging their way inside. The Double H wasn’t his home any longer.
    He’d be better off gone from here.
    But not before he did what he’d set out to do.
    He’d been too dang soft on Tess Hayworth. It was time to put pressure on her to sell out. She’d recovered from her injury, and now he’d meet her on equal terms.

Chapter Six
    C lint barged into the study unexpectedly and set Tess’s nerves on edge with his impatient tone. “What’s it gonna take for you to give up the Double H?”
    She set her pen down on Hoyt’s solid mahogany desk, closed the payroll books she’d been working on and stared at him. Last night he’d nearly kissed her, and she’d been momentarily tempted. He’d been kind and caring when he’d rescued her out on that field, and for one moment last night she’d remembered how that felt. His hands had been tender on her, his voice soothing. She’d felt safe and protected while she was with him that day; his need to see her safely home had touched her deeply.
    There was compassion inside him somewhere, and, sadly, he saved it only for the animals he worked with. Last night she’d fought the temptation when his breath had caressed