Mastered by Mavericks (Doms of Destiny, Colorado 3)

She’d been so moved by the sight of the mountain lion. Connie was graceful and majestic. The big cat’s size was impressive, at least seven feet, with her regal tail making up a third of her length. Connie’s coat was a rich bronze. The tips of her ears and tail were black. Her memorable face was a grayish brown with a pale patch above each golden, mesmerizing eye.

“What can you tell me about Connie?” she asked, dying to know more.

Sawyer’s big manly lips curled up into a sexy smile. “She’s a loner.”

Like me.

“And powerful,” Reed added. “Connie’s brought down some big game. Her favorite meal is mule deer, but she’s also good at keeping the coyote population on the ranch to a minimum.”

“She’s actually snacked on some of the Stone’s livestock. That’s why we have to keep tabs on her. Connie usually hunts at night or during the low-light times of day, at dawn and dusk.” Sawyer’s voice was filled with what sounded to her like respect and reverence. “She’s a mix of stealth and power. Last year I had the rare opportunity to see her through some binoculars patiently stalking a mule deer. She took her time, creeping up so slowly I could barely detect movement. She took the beast down in a single pounce.”

Nicole closed her eyes, imagining how Connie had looked on that day. “Impressive. But I’m surprised you don’t hate her. I thought most ranchers despised big cats and worked hard to eliminate them from their land.”

Sawyer’s hand came down on her knee, sending a tingle up and down her spine. She thought about asking him to remove it, but didn’t. Of the two brothers, he seemed less forward than Reed. “If Connie keeps to mule deer and leaves the cattle and sheep alone, she can roam the Stone Ranch for as long as she likes. If her tastes change, then we will have to deal with her in a different way.”

She knew that meant he and Reed would kill the beautiful creature. Like her, Connie was alone. “Does she hunt only on this ranch?”

“Nope. She’s been spotted on the Knights’ ranch as well as others. My guess is her range is wide, likely thirty-five square miles, but Stone Ranch is at the very center of it.”

“Do you have Internet at your house?” she asked, hoping to read up on Connie’s ilk. She wanted to see if mountain lions were on the endangered species list, if they ever attacked humans, and if so, how many fatalities occurred from big cats.

Reed drove the truck through another cattle guard. “No Internet or cell service, Chicago. We’re way up the mountain. Very remote.”

Her nerves went into high gear. She pulled out her cell and saw the infamous “No Service” message at the top right of its screen. “What about a landline? Surely you have a landline.”

Reed shook his head. “It would’ve cost a butt-load to get the phone company to drop poles this far up. If you need to call someone, there’s a payphone at the gas station we passed on the county road after we left town.”

Sawyer squeezed her knee gently, startling her. She’d forgotten he was still touching her. “We don’t have to go that far, Nicole. Most cells get a bar or two back near the entrance to the ranch. If you need to make a call, that’s where we’ll take you.”

“Good to know.” But she didn’t have a single person she would call. Henry was number one on her speed dial, but she wasn’t sure why anymore. He’d called Sheriff Jason Wolfe and told him her secrets, secrets that gave the sheriff the advantage over her. Why? Likely it was Henry’s way of keeping her away and safe, but that didn’t matter to her. He’d betrayed her. She wasn’t sure she would be able to forgive him for that. She definitely wouldn’t trust him again.

What about Patti or Jaris? They were number two and number three on her speed dial. No. She had to go through this alone, had to figure a way to get Jason to trust her to be on the case again, had to redeem herself of all her past sins.

“How much longer until we get to your place?” she asked.

Reed patted her thigh. “One minute to Castle Coleman. This is the entrance to our fifty-two acres.”

“You have your own land?”

“Yep,” the brothers said in unison.

Reed smiled, pride clear on his face. “Every year we try to buy an acre or two, depending on what we can save up.”

“Isn’t fifty-two acres enough to have your own ranch business?” She looked ahead and saw a wooden gate with a metal sign to its side. She smiled at the red-lettered message.

You are entering Coleman Territory. If friend, welcome. If foe, best to turn around now.

“No, Chicago. Here in the Colorado Rockies, you need a lot of land to run livestock, much more than what you need in flat pastures. On the Stone Ranch, you need about 10 acres for each head of cattle or two head of sheep.”

“Water is the most important element, Nicole,” Sawyer said. “There’s our pond.” He pointed to the left of the road at a pool of water that screamed for an artist to immortalize it in paint. The trees around it were magnificent. Its surface was like glass.

“We’re here,” Sawyer announced. “What do you think of our estate, sweetheart?”

The truck stopped and she gazed out the windshield to two structures. “Is that your home?” she asked, pointing to the bigger of the two buildings off to the left.

“Nope. That’s one of our barns.” Reed pointed to the small structure. “That’s home.”

She gazed at the tiny log cabin with a broad covered porch that seemed to wrap around the whole building. Two rocking chairs and a porch swing allowed visitors to take in the picturesque scenery around the wooden abode.