Read Online Dusty Britches by Marcia Lynn McClure - Free Book Online
Authors: Marcia Lynn McClure
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Hank shouted. “ You get her down , and I ’ ll give y a the whole day off week from Friday! ”
“ You ’ re on! ” Ryder laughed, pointing at Dusty ’ s daddy. “ She ’ s gonna break my dang legs though! ”
“ Then I ’ ll give y a two days off! ” Hank chuckled.
“That’s a big beef,” Dusty mumbled. “ He shouldn ’ t try her . ” She looked at Becca , who nodded, her eyes widening in agreement. “ Daddy! ” Dusty shouted. “ Shame on you! ”
“ Ah , d on ’ t y a worry, punkin! ” Hank shouted. “ Ain ’ t yet seen a cow that Ryder can ’ t lay down! ”
But Dusty felt more than frightened. This cow had enormous horns! S he watched , helpless, as Ryder nodded his hea d at Guthrie to let his rope go. Ryder stepped up behind the mammoth animal, put his arms under her horns , and started twisting. He twisted her fast enough she couldn ’ t run from him or get away, but she didn ’ t go down immediately. She was big and strong and heavy, and her neck was nearly as thick as the rest of her. But after a few long seconds , she started to lean toward the cowboy , and maneuvering his body carefully, Ryder managed to get his legs out of the way, falling back to the ground and pinning her head as she hit the dirt with an earthshaking surrender. Feller wasted no time in branding her , even though all the other men stood around clapping and shouting with admiration.
“ He did it! ” Becca squealed, clapping wildly .
Dusty stood completely upset and frightened. “ He ’ s gotta let her up now, ” she mumbled. Instinctively, as Dusty watched the cow ’ s eyes wide with fear and seeming indignation, she stepped behind the fence. She knew what a big, angry cow could do. Sure enough, as Ryder let her go and she got to her feet, she immediately turned on him.
“ Oh, she ’ s mad now! ” Hank chuckled.
Ryder eluded the angry bovine as she charged him several times. Hank, Feller , and the others stood laughing as they remained aware the cow migh t turn on any one of them next.
Ryder hollered, “ Look out! ” and made straight for the fence behind which Dusty and Becca stood. In one clean, very impressive leap, Ryder cleared the fence. Turning he grabbed the girls ’ waistbands, yanking them safely away from danger a second before the angry c ow ran headlong into the fence— her long, sharp horns plunging through the rails like two spears .
W ith a triumphant grin , Ryder shouted to Hank , “ Week from Friday? ”
Hank chuckled and conceded, “ Week from Friday! ” A ll the ranch hands roared with amusement as the giant critter turned and took out after Feller. Dusty watched as all the hands and her father, save Guthrie, who was still mounted on a horse, ran this way and that, leaping fences to avoid impalement.
Becca squealed with delight. Dusty wanted to enjoy the merriment, but the danger of it all was still far too apparent.
“ I knew she couldn ’ t best you, Ryder, ” Becca giggled.
“ No, ma ’ am, ” he answered with a smile.
“ You all are actin’ like a bunch of children,” Dusty grumbled as she turned to walk away. Her attempt at departure was short - lived. The tug at her waist indicated , without question , that Ryder still held her by the skirt. Slapping awkwardly at his hand, she turned to find him grinning mischievously down at her.
“ Let go! ” she demanded.
“ Can ’ t, ” he tease d. “That cow scared the tar outt a me , and I can ’ t unclench my fist. ”
“ Let me go, ” she snapped.
With a disapproving and disgusted frown, he growled, “Ease up, Miss Hunter. ”
“ Grow up, Mr. Maddox, ” she spat at him, yanking her skirt waist from his grasp and storming back toward the house.
“ She ain ’ t nothin ’ like I remember her, ” Ryder mumbled.
“ Yes, she is, ” Becca assured him. “ She ’ s just — just lost. That ’ s all. She ’ s lost herself. ” Becca paused and then said, “ You can find her. ”
Ryder
“ You ’ re on! ” Ryder laughed, pointing at Dusty ’ s daddy. “ She ’ s gonna break my dang legs though! ”
“ Then I ’ ll give y a two days off! ” Hank chuckled.
“That’s a big beef,” Dusty mumbled. “ He shouldn ’ t try her . ” She looked at Becca , who nodded, her eyes widening in agreement. “ Daddy! ” Dusty shouted. “ Shame on you! ”
“ Ah , d on ’ t y a worry, punkin! ” Hank shouted. “ Ain ’ t yet seen a cow that Ryder can ’ t lay down! ”
But Dusty felt more than frightened. This cow had enormous horns! S he watched , helpless, as Ryder nodded his hea d at Guthrie to let his rope go. Ryder stepped up behind the mammoth animal, put his arms under her horns , and started twisting. He twisted her fast enough she couldn ’ t run from him or get away, but she didn ’ t go down immediately. She was big and strong and heavy, and her neck was nearly as thick as the rest of her. But after a few long seconds , she started to lean toward the cowboy , and maneuvering his body carefully, Ryder managed to get his legs out of the way, falling back to the ground and pinning her head as she hit the dirt with an earthshaking surrender. Feller wasted no time in branding her , even though all the other men stood around clapping and shouting with admiration.
“ He did it! ” Becca squealed, clapping wildly .
Dusty stood completely upset and frightened. “ He ’ s gotta let her up now, ” she mumbled. Instinctively, as Dusty watched the cow ’ s eyes wide with fear and seeming indignation, she stepped behind the fence. She knew what a big, angry cow could do. Sure enough, as Ryder let her go and she got to her feet, she immediately turned on him.
“ Oh, she ’ s mad now! ” Hank chuckled.
Ryder eluded the angry bovine as she charged him several times. Hank, Feller , and the others stood laughing as they remained aware the cow migh t turn on any one of them next.
Ryder hollered, “ Look out! ” and made straight for the fence behind which Dusty and Becca stood. In one clean, very impressive leap, Ryder cleared the fence. Turning he grabbed the girls ’ waistbands, yanking them safely away from danger a second before the angry c ow ran headlong into the fence— her long, sharp horns plunging through the rails like two spears .
W ith a triumphant grin , Ryder shouted to Hank , “ Week from Friday? ”
Hank chuckled and conceded, “ Week from Friday! ” A ll the ranch hands roared with amusement as the giant critter turned and took out after Feller. Dusty watched as all the hands and her father, save Guthrie, who was still mounted on a horse, ran this way and that, leaping fences to avoid impalement.
Becca squealed with delight. Dusty wanted to enjoy the merriment, but the danger of it all was still far too apparent.
“ I knew she couldn ’ t best you, Ryder, ” Becca giggled.
“ No, ma ’ am, ” he answered with a smile.
“ You all are actin’ like a bunch of children,” Dusty grumbled as she turned to walk away. Her attempt at departure was short - lived. The tug at her waist indicated , without question , that Ryder still held her by the skirt. Slapping awkwardly at his hand, she turned to find him grinning mischievously down at her.
“ Let go! ” she demanded.
“ Can ’ t, ” he tease d. “That cow scared the tar outt a me , and I can ’ t unclench my fist. ”
“ Let me go, ” she snapped.
With a disapproving and disgusted frown, he growled, “Ease up, Miss Hunter. ”
“ Grow up, Mr. Maddox, ” she spat at him, yanking her skirt waist from his grasp and storming back toward the house.
“ She ain ’ t nothin ’ like I remember her, ” Ryder mumbled.
“ Yes, she is, ” Becca assured him. “ She ’ s just — just lost. That ’ s all. She ’ s lost herself. ” Becca paused and then said, “ You can find her. ”
Ryder
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