“Cool. Women kick ass. More people should recognize it.”
“You got that right.” She grinned. I like him more already.
“So they taught you all about chasing down hackers in school?”
She laughed. “Not exactly. I mastered the basics there but I learned more on the job. I started off working at an internship with the state bureau of investigation. The work was rewarding but the stuff you see wears on the soul.
“Sheesh, I imagine so.”
“Yep, so I only did that about a year and a half before taking a boring job building firewalls. Between that and some self-study, in a few years, I was good enough to freelance and only take the gigs I want.”
“Nice. You’re a smart cookie, Maddie Mittens.”
She snickered. “If you say so.”
As Thunder galloped along, crisp, clean air whisked around them and fluttering the loose strands of hair hanging down from under Maddie’s helmet. She held tight to the reigns and closed her eyes, losing herself in the familiar sounds and smells of the wilderness. A honeysuckle, growing nearby, provided shade for squirrels as they chattered and scurried. She kept her eyes closed and did her best to ignore the noisy critters as she breathed deeply, concentrating on only scents. A fox had come through there not long ago, likely stalking rabbits. Anyone, who wanted to hunt next weekend, would find plenty of game. The corners of her mouth turned upward as she opened her eyes.
She startled, gasping and straightening her back as she realized Abram had been watching her. “Sorry, I was just checking on you, but when I saw how lost in the moment you were, I couldn’t look away.” His eyes widened as soon as the weight of his words hit him. The rosy tint lighting up his cheeks played nicely against his sea-green eyes, and the way he clenched his jaw when he got nervous showed off his chiseled features.
You’re not so hard on the eyes yourself, cowboy.
“I…um…that is to say, it’s really easy to get caught up in the atmosphere up here. That’s what I meant. It’s nice to see how much you’re enjoying it.” He offered a slight smile and nodded as if he were proud of coming up with a plausible cover story.
“It’s beautiful land. The Banks family has owned most of Horse Mountain going back as far as anyone can remember.”
“True. Supposedly, one of our ancestors was the first European to step foot on the mountain. We’re also related to the natives who were already there. The Martin’s own a bit of the property on the eastern side.”
“Who are they?”
“Distant kin, I think. Scuttlebutt is they were a branch family that split from the main clan, but I don’t know any details.”
“Oh, look over there!” She grinned and pointed. “We’ve already made it to the stream. We should let the horses rest and drink.”
“Yep.”
They steered the steeds closer to the water before dismounting. “Should we eat now?”
“We can. I packed some delicious hardtack,” he answered with a laugh.
“Mmm.” She rubbed her tummy but scrunched up her nose to show how sarcastic she was being. “I think I can do a little better.”
“Did you pack some goodies?”
Maddie didn’t answer him as she crouched on her hands and knees in front of the stream. She leaned forward with her face close to the water. Abram’s line of sight settled on her delectable bottom, raised high in the air. His cock throbbed as he imagined peeling her jeans over her hips and yanking them down her thighs. He averted his eyes. Be professional, man. This is work. He stole another peek. Geez, why is she doing that? I gotta think about something else.
He turned his attention toward Clyde and Thunder, leading them to a nearby tree before hobbling them. Taking his time, he petted Clyde’s neck and then Thunder’s muzzle, stalling as long as he could before returning. When he approached, she was still in the same vulnerable position, but her head moved right to left as if she were tracking something.
He gasped as one of her hands smacked the water and then the other followed suit in a flurry of movement. As she lifted a fish from the stream with her bare hands, he froze. “Holy shit!”
When she turned to look his way, a large grin spread across her face, exposing her teeth. “Catch.” She tossed the fish at him, and he stumbled and huffed as he struggled to catch it. “Too bad you don’t eat meat because I’m sure I could catch another.”
His jaw dropped. What the fuck? Is she seriously able to do that again? “I eat fish.”
She glanced at him. “Really?”
He shrugged. “I didn’t grow up with Gram and the rest of the carrot eaters.” He managed to subdue the fish flopping in his hands and used his knife to put it out of its misery before he brought his attention back to his amazing companion. Sure enough, within a couple of minutes, she had trained her gaze on another fish. The water splashed and made a splat sound as her hands hit, and once again she was victorious, lifting a fighting bass in the air.
“Got him.”
“How the hell did you learn to do that?”
She grinned. “My mama taught me.”
Abram rested his fingertips on his chest. “Unbelievable.”
After unpacking some equipment, he started a fire and set up a collapsible, over-the-flame grill while Maddie made quick work of cleaning the fish. As the strangle-inducing smell of smoke hit his nostrils and stung his eyes, he fanned the smolder away with one hand.
She placed the fillets over the grate. Their sizzle resonated in the air as if it belonged there with the bird’s caws and the buzzing of insects.
Abram stole a peep at her but quickly looked
