Phoebe laughed. “He’s over six feet. I know because he patted my head and told me I reminded him of his kid sister.”

“Jonny Blaze. You think you could get me his autograph?”

Before Phoebe could answer, Zane cut in.

“Is there a reason why you’re not in back of the herd where you belong?”

His cold voice chilled the pleasure out of Chase’s face. The teenager’s eyes narrowed. “Cookie sent me to tell you he wants to stop and fix lunch.”

Chase wheeled his horse around and rode off without waiting for a reply. Phoebe watched him go, then turned back to Zane. He met her gaze.

“You think I’m too hard on him.”

“I think that you have trouble walking the line between being his brother and being his father. I don’t think Chase makes it easy for you. But at least you have each other. When I was growing up, I used to wish there was someone to tell me they loved me. However much you yell at Chase, he knows in his heart that you care. That counts.”

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

AFTER LUNCH ZANE rode west until he reached a ring of stones on the edge of a grove of trees. He checked his watch, then dismounted and sat on a fallen log to wait. Ten minutes later he heard an engine. The sound grew louder as the vehicle approached. Frank drove the ATV around the trees and came to a stop by the edge of the stones.

“Hey, boss,” he said as he cut the engine. “How’s it going?”

Zane rose. “You really want to know?”

Frank grinned. “Probably not. You haven’t had to call in help for a medical emergency. That’s something.”

“That it is. How are things back at the ranch?”

“Smooth as shit, boss. Tim broke a finger, one of the goats chewed through part of the fence. We got a couple of buyers coming next week. The usual.”

Zane walked to the trailer attached to the ATV and peeled back the cover. Three ice chests were stacked side by side. He flipped open the first one and found fresh meat, eggs and butter. A second one contained milk and canned soda, along with bottled water. The third held bags of ice. Fresh produce filled a couple of cardboard boxes and there was feed for the horses.

“Good job,” Zane said. “I’ll lead you to camp. I sent Chase and the greenhorns ahead with the steers. You and Cookie can load up the supplies while I join everyone else.”

“Sure thing. Cookie said he wouldn’t need another delivery for two days.”

Zane squinted at the sky. In two days they would be completing their first loop and be fairly close to the ranch.

“That’ll work,” he said. “I’ll phone you the night before and tell you where to meet me.”

Except for the afternoon and evening spent by the river, they were always close enough to a cell tower to call the ranch. Zane had planned the circular route such that they would only spend two nights by the river. He figured even his citified guests could manage to stay safe in the wilderness that long.

He mounted his horse and headed back the way he’d come. Frank followed. When they reached the wagon, Cookie jumped down and headed for the trailer.

“You bring any strawberries?” the old man asked. “I got me a hankering for shortcake. I’ll put a bit more sugar in my biscuits and split ’em open. I told you I wanted heavy cream. Did you bring any? Seems to me you weren’t writing things down.”

Frank snorted. “Cookie, I wrote everything twice just to make sure I didn’t forget something. It’s all here. Why don’t you go through the supplies before you start flapping your lips at me? Give a man a chance to screw up, why don’t you?”

Cookie grumbled under his breath.

Zane turned his horse north. “I’ll leave you two to work this all out. Cookie, you know where we’re camping tonight. I’m taking the long way. You should be able to load up and still beat us there.”

“I’ll have the campfires burning bright,” he promised.

“Frank, I’ll see you in a couple of days. Let me know if there are any problems at the ranch.”

“Sure thing, boss. We’ll be fine. You just keep your cowpokes riding straight.” Frank grinned as he spoke.

Zane grunted instead of replying and urged his horse forward. If his second in command thought this was all so damn funny, maybe Zane should put Frank in charge of the cattle drive for a few days. That would worry the humor right out of him. Not that he blamed Frank. If their positions were reversed, Zane would find the situation pretty amusing. Fifty cattle and ten greenhorns. What the hell had he been thinking?

As Frank had said, at least there hadn’t been any disasters and no real trouble. Except for Phoebe. She was a nicely curved, sweet-smelling, sexy, trouble-filled bundle of big eyes, gorgeous legs and a butt that fit his hands as if the two had been made for each other.

He had it bad. Wanting her was one thing. But liking her was something else. She was an animal-loving ditz who would bond with a rock if given the chance. She wouldn’t know poison ivy from honeysuckle. Her idea of the great outdoors was probably spending an evening on her balcony in the middle of Los Angeles. They had nothing in common. They were barely the same species.

But he liked her.

Not just her body or her scent or the way her eyes widened and darkened when he kissed her. He liked that she spoke her mind, even when it was crazy. That she cared about people. She was softhearted, which should have made him think she was an idiot. But he didn’t. He thought she was sincere.