Fight for Survival: a Kim McMahill Duo

YOU

Big Storm Horn

Kim McMahill

Copyright 2012 Kim McMahill

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are the product of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

ebook editions are licensed for your personal enjoyment only and may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share ebook versions with another person, please purchase an additional copies for each recipient. If you’re reading an ebook version of this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Published by Prism Book Group

Paperback ISBN 9780615679204 First Edition, 2012

Published in the United States of America

Contact info: contact@prismbookgroup.com

http://www.prismbookgroup.com

Dedication

To my wonderful husband, Jim, and my super supportive mom.

Thanks for always believing in my work.

CHAPTER ONE

Once again negotiations between the U.S. and the newly formed Coalition of Communist and Islamic States, known as the CCIS, have broken down. Representatives for the Coalition have stated that Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps Special Forces, led by Colonel Nadari, will not pull out of the Canadian Provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Known for his brutal and unconventional fighting tactics, Colonel Nadari is also the nephew to the country’s President and closely tied to senior members of the Supreme Leader’s governing council, making his presence on the border an issue of grave concern for the United States and its allies, the young reporter stated as a photo of a dangerous-looking man flashed across the screen.

Groans resounded throughout the Colorado Creative Designs’ break room. The staff edged closer to the television, craving news of a peaceful resolution to a situation which had been escalating ever since Russia returned to communist rule and formed a pact with countries looking for allies in their constant fighting with the Western powers.

The stock market has closed at a new record low amidst plummeting housing prices, disrupted trade corridors and low consumer confidence. The continued political instability caused by growing tensions has sent the U.S. and European economies into an unprecedented freefall, the reporter continued.

Niki Garat cringed at the gloomy report coming over the television and at the cold, sinister expression on the man’s face dominating the screen behind the reporter. She shook off the chills brought on by the military leader’s stare and looked around at her colleagues. Three advertising campaign designers had already been laid off from the graphic design firm, making her and the remaining associates increasingly nervous. The job, the city and the majority of her coworkers meant little to her, but it was her life and the thought of losing this small bit of stability made her uncomfortable. While she didn’t feel particularly settled in her career or at home in Denver, at the moment it was all she had. The sense of not fitting in was nothing new, and didn’t bother her since she could look forward to an annual escape which always made everything else in life bearable—spending time with her grandfather in the mountains.

I can’t believe you’re heading to Wyoming to camp out with your grandfather with all that’s going on, Kate whispered into her friend’s ear.

Actually, I can’t think of a better time to leave the city and hide out in the mountains for a while with Papa, Niki replied. No TV, newspapers, internet or telephones sounds like Heaven right now.

Shh, the group hissed while glaring at Kate and Niki.

Tensions at the White House are high as officials struggle to find a diplomatic solution to the volatile situation. European allies are concerned about the methodical invasion of Canada by the IRGC Special Forces and are encouraging the U.S. to lead a multi-national force into Canada to regain control of the provinces whose governments have been ousted and sent into exile in the United States. With Iranian troops amassing along the Canadian-U.S. border, Russian troops staged in Cuba and a large Chinese contingent protecting its oil drilling operations in Venezuela, President McCray is hesitant to authorize military force in Canada, concerned any U.S. military intervention will incite Iran’s allies stationed nearby.

We should have kicked Russia out of Cuba when we had a chance and tried a little harder to make nice with Venezuela, Kate complained.

Shh.

National Guard troops have been sent to reinforce the Border Patrol at entry points from Washington State to the Eastern seaboard, but the most imminent threat is the recent movement of Iranian forces along the—

The television went blank and the group swung around, looking for the holder of the remote control, ready to go to battle. All eyes rested on the CEO and their postures straightened as expressions of guilt spread over their tense faces. Their boss was a woman who didn’t approve of extra mid-day breaks, even to get an update on a pending international crisis, and seldom let world events shake her steely foundation or interrupt work.

Go home. Take a long weekend, be with your families and try not to worry about all this since there’s nothing we can do about it. Most of our clients have requested a hold on projects until this situation is resolved, so there isn’t much work anyway. With that, she turned and strode out of the room.

One by one the group filed out of the break room and hurried for their workstations. Stunned and excited by the uncharacteristic early release, smiles returned to the earlier somber faces. Less enthusiastically than the rest, Kate followed Niki into her cubicle.

I’m going to miss you, Kate said as she slid her rear onto the corner of Niki’s desk. What will I do when you’re gone? Who’ll listen to me complain about my landlord and these idiots around the office?

I doubt you’ll even notice I’m gone, but thanks. You can just vent to my answering machine, order delivery pizza or Chinese takeout, and veg out in front of the TV. And I’m sure you’ll be back in the office by Monday morning. Hopefully this current situation will be resolved quickly.

You make my life sound so dull and pathetic and I guess it will be without you, since no one else around here speaks to me, being the lowly receptionist that I am.

The statement hit home with Niki and she felt sympathy for Kate. She did find life in the city to be dull, but at least she had her annual summer getaway to anticipate. When Niki first moved to Denver the restaurants, shopping, sporting events and endless entertainment had seemed exciting, but those activities now felt like merely passing time until she escaped to the mountains and could breathe the clean air and stare for miles without seeing another face.

That’s ridiculous. Your life is not pathetic and your position in this company has nothing to do with the unfriendly environment around here. I may as well be invisible for all the love and camaraderie I receive from our coworkers.

Kate snorted her disagreement and picked up the hinged double photo frame on the corner of her friend’s desk. So I take it this little old man standing next to you and sitting atop the big white horse is your grandfather?

Little? Give me that. Niki ripped the photo out of Kate’s hand and studied both pictures for several moments, each photo bringing back happy memories, making her more anxious than ever to leave the city, and not just for a vacation.

I guess Papa isn’t very big, but he’s tough. When I was a little girl I thought he was invincible and would have sworn he was ten feet tall. The way he handled the stock at the ranch made me think he could talk to the animals, like Dr. Doolittle. I hate seeing him look so old. This picture was taken over a year ago, so I’m a little apprehensive to see how much more he’s aged.

Niki handed the frame back to Kate and went about changing the outgoing message on her voicemail and organizing her desk as she always did before going on vacation. She checked her e-mail for the last time and began the process of powering down her computer, oblivious to Kate’s continued scrutiny.

You just don’t make sense, Kate mumbled.

"What do you mean?’

Here you look like Calamity Jane, but at work you’re always so polished and professional, dressed in some classy business attire with your hair pulled into a proper and stylish do. It’s like you live a double life and the one away from the office looks much more exciting.

Niki laughed and shook her head. She didn’t think she was such an enigma, but the thought amused her.

What’s the deal with this one? Kate asked. He’s such a handsome young man with a killer smile.

That was taken at the Sheridan County Fair when I was twelve and I think Deuce was fourteen or fifteen. His dad made him enter the rescue race with me—that’s where one rider speeds down the arena, picks up a second rider and they run back to the finish line riding double. We always won since I was so small back then that he’d just grab my arm and pull me onto the horse without even stopping. Anyway, he doesn’t smile like that anymore. In fact, he barely speaks to me at all.

Too bad. I bet he grew into one fine-looking man—and the name...what a name. It makes me want to be a cowgirl, Kate replied with a devilish grin.

I suppose so, but I really miss the boy and the smile.

Kate put the photo back on Niki’s desk and stood to give her friend a hug. Have fun and be careful.

Sure you don’t want to come with me? The Bighorn National Forest is over a million acres of wide-open space and breathtaking scenery, so there’s plenty of room for all. I can promise it won’t be dull. You might even see bears, deer, elk...handsome wranglers. And you know, some people actually pay big bucks to go play cowboy. You can come with me and do it for free.

As tempting as not showering for weeks, sleeping out in the freezing cold with wild animals, peeing in the bushes and killing innocent fish for sustenance sounds, I think I’ll do like the rest of the urban dwellers and plant my butt in front of the TV and watch our latest international fiasco unfold while eating ice cream straight out of the carton.

Niki laughed at the vision Kate outlined as she watched her friend leave her office. If she stayed in the city, the scenario would be fairly accurate for her as well. What’s becoming of my life? I don’t belong here, but where do I belong?

She would miss Kate’s friendship and sense of humor, but the thought of seeing her grandfather had Niki hurrying to leave of the office. Ever since she was ten, the highlight of her summers had been the time she spent with her grandfather herding sheep in the stunningly beautiful and rugged Big Horn Mountains of Wyoming. She vowed this year would be no different. Once she was out of range of cell phones, newspapers, television and radio she would be able to pretend everything in the country and world was normal and enjoy the companionship of her last surviving family member.

Nichole?

The sound of her boss’s stern voice startled her out of her daydreams. She dropped the heavy stapler in her hand. It crashed against the corner of her desk on the way to the floor, taking a large chunk of the dreary gray composite with it.

Sorry, Niki said with a grimace.

I just stopped by to tell you to take a couple of extra weeks if you want. I know you have the time built up. I have a feeling our clients are going to be a little low on confidence for a while and it’ll take some time for our workload to return to where it was.

Niki locked eyes with her boss. The woman was made of ice and stone, so for her to be unsure about the future and generous with vacation time made Niki worry she had taken the international incident too lightly. It seemed as if the U.S. was always getting into a conflict with some country, but so far very little, except for a few isolated, but devastating, terrorist attacks, had come to American soil. But Canada and Cuba were too close for comfort, and if war broke out, America’s enemies were geographically closer than they had ever been before.

Thanks. I’ll do that. I hope the media has blown this situation out of proportion as usual, but if not, there’s no better place to be than with my grandfather on his turf.

Her boss nodded and left the office without further discussion. Niki jotted a quick note to Kate letting her know she would be gone longer than originally planned. It was cowardly not to call, but she didn’t feel up to Kate’s grumbling about her being away for even longer. Besides, she was anxious to get going and didn’t want any more delays.

Niki had packed her vehicle the night before, hoping to already be on the road by now. She glanced at her watch and hurried out the door. She wouldn’t arrive in Sheridan until well after dark, but if she didn’t make it at least that far tonight there would be little hope of reaching the ranch on time in the morning and avoiding an unwanted conflict.

CHAPTER TWO

Niki’s palms dampened with sweat as she gripped the steering wheel of her small SUV and crept down the rough dirt and gravel road toward the ranch. Despite her slow speed, dust billowed in her vehicle’s wake, announcing to anyone who might be watching that she had arrived.

She pulled in next to the horse trailers, tractors and flatbeds lined up neatly behind the barn, knowing there her vehicle would be out of everyone’s way while she was in the mountains with her grandfather for the next month. Glancing at the digital clock on her dash, she saw she was thirty minutes late. Normally that wouldn’t bother her, but she knew Deuce would be angry.

Niki wasn’t sure why he always seemed to be in such a foul mood around her. When she was young they had a lot of fun when she came to his family’s ranch to visit her grandfather, but the older she grew, the more he changed, and by the time she was twenty-one, they could hardly be in the same room together without arguing. And, if they weren’t arguing it meant he wasn’t speaking to her at all—she couldn’t decide which was more heartbreaking.

She stared at her cell phone for a moment, trying to decide whether or not to take it into the mountains. Part of what she loved about spending time at the sheep camp was the lack of technology. Reception was virtually non-existent and with no way to recharge her battery, there seemed to be little point in carrying the phone, and there was the possibility she might lose or break it anyway. She killed the power and tossed it in the glove box, happy to be rid of the nuisance.

Outside the vehicle, Niki paused, stretched and inhaled the scent of the mountains. When she was away from the ranch, she missed the smell of pine, hay and grass, and even the odor coming from the corrals. She sighed and grabbed her saddlebags from the floor of the backseat, took another deep breath and headed for the barn, prepared for Deuce’s anger.

The ranch seemed unnaturally quiet for late summer. There were no shouts from wranglers, no hum of machinery and no dogs barking. After being in the city for so long the silence was a little unnerving, but the beauty of the mountains cradling the ranch and the familiarity of everything around her swept Niki away from the present and made her feel ten again.

It’s too damn hot for the horses to stand around saddled up all day waiting on you.

Niki couldn’t see Robert Mitchell Blackburn II, known to friends and family as Deuce, but his deep voice gave away his location. No doubt his tall muscular frame stood just inside the barn door, concealed in the shadows. Even though he was hidden from view, she could describe every detail of his unruly hair peeking out from under his beat-up and sweat-stained straw cowboy hat, the scrutinizing look in his hazel eyes, his tanned complexion, and the scuffs on the heels of his boots where his spurs had worn on the leather. Dark stubble would shadow his chin and above his lip, and his sleeves would be rolled up on his denim shirt. She hated the fact that not only could she see him clearly in her mind now, but she could picture him just as clearly nearly every day of her life no matter how hard she tried to keep him out of her head.

She suspected he had been ready to ride with her into the sheep camp for at least a half an hour, but she didn’t feel all that guilty. When Niki called the ranch to let Bob and Deuce know when to expect her, she had insisted she didn’t need an escort, especially if none other than Deuce was available. Niki would have enjoyed catching up with Bob or one of the wranglers on the long ride into her grandfather’s camp, but the tension between her and Deuce just made her sad, and occasionally a bit angry. Niki had no idea what she had done to deserve the distance he had placed between the two of them and was too stubborn to ask.

I forgot how long the drive from Sheridan to the ranch can take, especially when you run into road construction. And then once I left the pavement it became rough and slow¾you really need to do some work on the road. It’s all washboardy and rutted. But if I’m keeping you from something important I can find my own way to Papa’s camp all by my helpless self.

Deuce stepped out of the shadows and with a half a dozen long strides he stood towering over her. Neither his surly attitude nor his height surprised her, but his clean shaven chin, new-looking pressed clothes and the smell of cologne did. He always worked hard and usually looked like it. She had seldom seen him without dark stubble on his face, which she liked, or without worn and dirty clothes on his impressive frame. She wondered what the occasion was, but decided it wouldn’t be prudent to ask, since his mood was just as foul as she predicted.

Niki squinted up at him and gave him her best smile, but his expression didn’t soften. Her charms usually worked on most men, but never seemed to have much effect on Deuce. She couldn’t resist trying every now and then to break down his defenses, but at the moment a smile was as much effort as she felt like expending on her moody childhood friend.

Where’s your dad? I can’t ride out of here until I say hi.

If you wanted to socialize maybe you should’ve gotten here early instead of late.

We’ll get on the trail quicker if you tell me where Bob is than if I have to search every building on this ranch. Besides, this is my vacation and I made it perfectly clear when I called that I didn’t need a babysitter.

Niki could barely see the expression in his squinted eyes with the brim of his hat pulled down low, but she knew he was studying her. She had known him most of her life and it killed her that he had grown so distant these past five years. At one time she wouldn’t have hesitated to tuck the errant lock of dark brown hair back under his hat, but now she wasn’t sure how he would react.

Fine. He’s in the house. You have ten minutes.

Thanks, boss. Here’s my saddlebags and the rest of my stuff’s in the car. Try not to smash the chocolate chip cookies I made for Papa. They’re in the tin on top. If you’re a good boy and don’t crush them, you can even have a few since I remember they’re your favorite too, Niki said with a wink as she held out the saddlebags.

Deuce hesitated before grabbing the leather bags from her outstretched hand. He stared at the monogram on the side for several moments.

You need new bags.

These work just fine. She turned and strode for the house.

Niki shook her head as she thought back to her sixteenth birthday. Deuce had made her the saddlebags and had engraved her initials on the side. She had always cherished the gift. The workmanship was flawless, but he had seemed shy about giving her the present, and despite what he just said, the bags were still in perfect condition and she had no intention of ever replacing them.

There’s the prettiest woman I’ve ever laid eyes on, Bob bellowed from the front porch, interrupting her thoughts. Boy, I’ve missed you. When I see your huge smile and the gleam in those big blue eyes, it just makes me plain happy.

As she reached the towering man, Niki threw her arms around him and enjoyed being in his firm embrace. Bob had been like a father to her ever since she and her mom first stepped foot on the ranch after leaving Texas when she was just five years old. He had a little more gray around the temples and scattered through his long sideburns and bushy mustache since the last time she had seen him, but otherwise he seemed as virile and strong as ever. His skin had always been tanned and leathery from all the time he spent outside, but his weathered look and strong jawline only made him appear indestructible. She doubted anyone had ever dared to cross Bob Blackburn.

Come have a cup of coffee with me before you head out, he said as he led her into the house with his arm still draped over her shoulders.

Only if we can drink it in ten minutes or less, she replied with a smirk.

Bob laughed as he pulled out a chair for her at the small dinette in the corner of the kitchen. So Deuce is already giving orders and showing off his sunny disposition, I take it.

Apparently I’m late, but no matter what time I arrived here I’m sure he still would’ve been unhappy to see me. I wish I knew what I did to turn him against me and maybe I could fix it.

Have you ever asked him?

Like he’d tell me. We both know what a conversationalist he is and there’s nothing he loves more than sharing his feelings.

Bob laughed as he set a chipped cup in front of her and slowly poured the coffee. Still like it black?

Niki nodded, even though Bob’s coffee was so strong that she would have made an exception to her purist coffee beliefs and diluted the deadly brew if the milk had been out.

He sat down across from her and reached for her hand. His hands were rough and scarred from years of hard work, but all Niki could feel was strength and warmth in his gentle touch.

Try to remember when his change in attitude occurred. I think you were about twenty-one when his mother died. She was my soul mate and I was so devastated by her passing that I started drinking pretty heavy and I didn’t give my son the support he needed. I neglected the ranch and probably would have lost it if Deuce hadn’t stepped up to the plate and taken charge. After rolling the truck at the tail end of a particularly destructive drinking binge and nearly killing myself, I finally realized I’d been so selfish, but the damage to my son was already done. It’s taken a long time to get his trust and respect back, but I’m not sure if he’ll ever believe it’s worth loving someone with all your heart if it gives them the power to destroy you.

Niki squeezed his hand, but didn’t interrupt. Bob didn’t talk much about his feelings or his wife’s death and she wanted to better understand what had happened in her self-imposed absence from the Blackburn family.

Anyway, Deuce didn’t take the loss of his mother much better and blamed both himself and me for her death. When she took sick he thought we should have forced her to a big city with better doctors, but she didn’t want to leave the ranch since there was nothing the doctors could do for her by the time she was diagnosed. His mother was stronger than he gave her credit for, but she was from the city and pretty and petite like you, so he thought ranch life was too tough for her and a delicate woman shouldn’t be so far from doctors and such. He believed if she had been in the city, maybe she would have lived.

I’m sorry. You must miss her so much—I know I do—but I don’t see what this has to do with me.

My obstinate son worries himself sick when you go out and stay with old Bernardo each summer. Since you’re such a pretty little thing, just like his mama, and you live in the city, just like she did before I married her and brought her to the ranch, he doesn’t think you’re hardy enough to be out in the mountains.

That’s ridiculous. Even though I’ve had to live much of my life in large cities, I’ve never felt at home in any of them. I’m much more comfortable in the mountains. But, most importantly, I’m with Papa and no one’s tougher, except maybe you, and I’m certainly not helpless or fragile.

I know that and you know that, but Deuce is stubborn. He thinks his mother should have gone to the city and he thinks you should stay there. He just wants the people he cares about to be safe. The more someone means to him the more stubborn he gets.

Well then I must mean the world to him, she mumbled sarcastically.

Bob nearly choked on his coffee. Recovering quickly, he tipped the cup to his lips to hide his smile and waited for Niki to continue.

If he thinks it’s safer in the city than out there, Niki said as she nodded toward the mountains out the window, I’d better take him for a stroll through one of Denver’s less-inviting neighborhoods after dark sometime, and Denver’s fairly safe as far as big cities go.

Niki leaned back in her chair and took a sip of coffee, trying not to wince as the thick black liquid oozed down her throat. She glanced around the small kitchen. Not much had changed in the twenty-plus years since she saw the ranch for the first time. She would always remember that night as clearly as if it were yesterday. Her grandfather and the Blackburns took her and her mother in with no questions asked. Their kindness and unconditional generosity had touched Niki deeply and from that night on she had thought of Bob as a father.

She missed seeing Mrs. Blackburn in the kitchen. The woman was a fabulous wonderful cliché. The kitchen always smelled of spice, homemade pies and cookies fresh out of the oven. Whenever Niki made her own chocolate chip cookies it reminded her of the dear woman and the aroma always took her back to her childhood. Deuce’s mom was the mother of stories, but unfortunately for the Blackburn family, the tale had a premature and unhappy ending.

Ever since Deuce’s mom passed away, the house seemed to deteriorate a little more each time Niki visited, but nothing ever changed. Things just looked more worn, faded and dated. The flowered wallpaper had lost so much color over the years that the oranges now looked pink and the greens looked gray and sad. And instead of the comforting scents of home-baked treats, the house now smelled of coffee, fried meat, hay, sweat, dirty cowboy boots and wet leather.

Niki’s gaze settled on the small television sitting on the corner of the yellow Formica kitchen countertop. A newswoman stood in front of the White House as she spoke, but the volume had been muted. Niki stared at the screen for a moment then refocused her attention on Bob.

So what do you think? Is it as bad as they claim this time or is the media just blowing things out of proportion? she asked as she nodded toward the television.

It’s not good. I’ve heard rumors that foreign troops have breached some of the border entries to the north and if they have, I imagine they’re heading our general direction. I’m leaving for Washington D.C. in the morning with some ranchers who have missile silos or towers on their property. No one thought much about it when the silos were installed more than forty years ago during peaceful times, but now everyone’s a little nervous. We have an audience with the senators from Montana, Wyoming and the Dakotas and we want answers. We need to know what the chance is of the missiles being deployed. What should we expect if one is fired? Is there any danger to our families from fallout? What’s the chance our enemies will try a preemptive strike to take out the silos and who will come to our aid if that happens?

There aren’t any missile silos on your ranch, are there?

No, but apparently the cell phone tower we’ve been receiving lease payments on for the last ten years isn’t a cell phone tower after all. As far as we can gather it’s some sort of back-up system capable of controlling some portion of the approximately five hundred nuclear missiles located throughout the upper Great Plains, in the event the satellite used to talk to the missiles is ever taken out or jammed. Most of the weapons are north or west of here and the exact locations are a pretty well-guarded secret. Anyway, soldiers from the Air Force base in Cheyenne arrived a couple weeks ago and the tower is now under guard. You’ll see the soldiers on your way out this morning.

Niki had hoped to put the crisis out of her mind once she reached the remote Blackburn Ranch, but it seemed as if the effects were everywhere. She had purposely avoided turning on the radio during her drive from Denver the previous day or the television at the hotel to avoid worrying herself, but it seemed like she couldn’t escape. Suddenly she was more anxious than ever to reach her grandfather and get away from all the frightening and unsettling news.

Well, be careful on your trip to D.C. I hope you get the answers you need and I pray this mess gets cleared up by the time I leave the mountains, she said as she stood up to hug Bob.

I’m sure it will be, he said, but lacking his usual confident air.

The tone of his voice and the look in his eyes scared Niki more than any newscast she had viewed. She had never seen anything shake Bob Blackburn, but it was clear he was very uncomfortable with the current situation and the proximity of military weapons to his and his neighbors’ property.

Do me a favor and take this. He picked up the 30-06 rifle propped next to the door and handed it to her.

Thanks, but I have my Lady Smith and Wesson you gave me for college graduation in my saddlebags, she said with a smile.

Bob shook his head and chuckled. He knew it was an odd gift to give a young woman, but he couldn’t send her off to her first big job in a strange place unprotected and she had never been the type of female impressed by expensive jewelry or high-end clothes or perfumes, so what else could he have gotten her? He loved her like a daughter and if she had to live in Denver alone, he wanted her to be protected.

It’s a good gun for self-defense in tight spots, but I’d feel better if you had a powerful long-range rifle with you, especially knowing what a crack shot you are. I’ve never seen anyone handle a rifle better. Between the growing number of black bears, rumored grizzly sightings and the military presence you won’t be as alone out there as you’ve been in the past. I don’t expect any trouble, but better safe than sorry. I’d appreciate it if you’d just humor this old man and take the gun.

Niki could see the worry in Bob’s expression, so she decided not to argue. She took the gun, the leather scabbard and the box of shells from his outstretched hands, kissed him on the cheek and headed for the barn and her angry escort.

CHAPTER THREE

The scene was familiar to Niki. Deuce stood impatiently between his green-broke three-year-old sorrel gelding named Traveler, an old sway-backed pack horse and Storm, the palomino gelding Bob had kept for her for the past eight years. Normally, Storm would have been sold as a yearling, but she had fallen in love with the feisty colt and Bob had kept him.

As a colt, he had been high-spirited and had a wild look about him, so Niki had named him Storm. She had also chosen the name in an attempt to conquer her fear of thunder and lightening by trivializing the violent weather events—it didn’t work. Storm was no longer a colt, but there was still something a bit untamed—or as Deuce would say, crazy and cocky—about the horse which made Niki love the animal even more. Storm had never bucked, not even when Deuce broke him, but the gelding never seemed totally domesticated either. Niki was sure he was a dependable wonderful horse simply because he chose to be and not because he had any fear of man.

Niki knew the horse was used year round at the ranch, but whenever she was in town everyone acted as if Storm had been waiting all year for her to return. And, despite Deuce’s constant grumbling about the horse, her grandfather had confessed that Deuce was the most frequent rider of Niki’s beloved pet.

How’s my favorite handsome tough guy? she asked as she nuzzled the palomino’s head.

Storm rubbed his large head up and down on the arm of her lightweight jacket and closed his eyes. Niki ran her hand down the length of his soft nose and continued to praise the horse. He lowered his head until he found her coat pocket and sniffed, searching for the treat she always carried.

That horse may be crazy and cantankerous, not to mention his nasty sense of humor, but there’s nothing wrong with his memory, Deuce grumbled as he watched horse and woman get reacquainted.

He’s not mad or mean, he just doesn’t like men, not that I blame him, she replied, trying to suppress the laughter.

Niki had no doubt Deuce’s comment about Storm’s sense of humor was based on the fact that few men could get a halter on the horse without bribing him with grain. She had watched Storm let Deuce get almost within reach then trot off. The horse would stop fifteen yards away and continue the process until Deuce was cursing and throwing things at the horse, who managed to always stay just out of any projectile’s reach. She was certain Storm derived a great deal of enjoyment at Deuce’s expense.

Still can’t catch him without a bribe, huh? Niki asked as she pulled a carrot out of her pocket.

Deuce pretended not to hear the comment as he turned his back and walked over to where Traveler was tied to the hitch rail. He grabbed the reins and saddle horn, placed the toe of his well-worn boot into the stirrup and gracefully swung his long powerful leg over the horse’s back. She was always amazed how such a large man could be so smooth in his motions, especially where horses were involved.

He’s so gentle and patient with the animals he loves—too bad the skill hasn’t carried over to