Zane stared at the three condoms resting on his brother’s palm. Then he glanced at Chase, who was grinning.
“Way to go, big brother.”
Not knowing what to say, Zane rose and stalked off. But not before he took the condoms. He might be stubborn, but he wasn’t a fool.
* * *
FOR THE FIRST time since starting on the cattle drive, Phoebe wasn’t having fun. It was wet and cold, and the bad weather showed no signs of letting up.
Lucy rode next to her. The girl was soaked to the skin, and Phoebe was afraid she’d started to shiver.
“Are you all right?” she asked.
Lucy nodded, but when she tried to speak, her teeth chattered.
This couldn’t be good. Right now Phoebe was so darned happy that she could have survived a seven-day blizzard, keeping warm on the glow left over from her night with Zane, but there were more people on this cattle drive than just herself.
C.J. rode up. Her face tightened with obvious concern. “Lucy, honey, don’t you have a raincoat? Your jacket is dripping.”
“I’m ok-kay,” the girl muttered. “I’m having fun.”
C.J. glanced at Phoebe. “We can’t go on like this,” she said. “The kids will get sick.”
Phoebe nodded, but before she could decide what to do, Rocky slipped in the thick mud on the trail.
The large horse sidestepped quickly and nearly went down. Phoebe shrieked as she clung to the saddle. After a couple of steps the long-legged horse managed to catch his balance. When she was able to breathe and relax her death grip, she looked up and saw Zane riding up.
“Everyone gather round,” he yelled. “Chase, bring Martin and Thad over.”
He wore a thick coat that looked as if it could repel any liquid known to man. His cowboy hat protected his face and neck and his leather gloves probably kept his hands warm.
So there was more to this Western wear than just fashion, Phoebe thought humorously. After last night, she could even understand the appeal of shirts with snaps. The easier to get undressed quickly.
Maya rode up and stopped next to her.
“This sucks,” she said sourly. “I hate being wet.”
Phoebe nodded. “It’s no fun.”
“I doubt it’s going to get any better. I have no idea where we are, which probably means we’re not that close to the ranch.”
When all the folks had moved close to Zane, he spoke.
“We’ve hit a patch of bad weather, and I doubt it’s going to let up anytime soon. We need to get to cover. The ranch is a good two-day ride from here.”
Maya didn’t look surprised at the news, but several people groaned.
Eddie shook her head. “Gladys and I are up for it, people. So you have to be, too.”
Zane held up a gloved hand. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to make you stay out in the rain that long. There’s another ranch about an hour from here. We’ll leave Chase and Cookie with the cattle and ride directly there. We should arrive before lunch.”
Phoebe was stunned. “Reilly’s place?”
Maya stared at her. “How do you know about Reilly?”
“He told me—about what happened before and why they don’t get along.”
Maya’s eyes widened. “Wait a minute. He told you? Chase doesn’t even know what happened. Tell me.”
Phoebe wasn’t about to betray Zane’s confidence, but before she could say that, he spoke again.
“Thad will take one of the kids, and I’ll take the other. We’ll tie their horses to the back of Cookie’s wagon.”
“Why?” C.J. asked.
“Hypothermia. They’re too small to survive in the rain and cold on their own.”
C.J.’s face paled as she stared at Lucy and Tommy. “I had no idea. Are they going to be all right? I don’t want anything to happen to them.”
Phoebe was warmed by her concern. She’d come a long way in a short time.
“They’ll be fine,” Zane promised.
Thad slid off his horse and walked toward Tommy. “Hey, big guy. You and me are going to have some fun.”
The boy was shivering too hard to do much more than nod as Thad plucked him off his mount. Zane moved his horse next to Lucy’s and simply grabbed the girl around the waist. When she settled on the saddle in front of him, he unbuttoned his coat, tucked it around her, then fastened the bottom three buttons.
“I wish he could do that with me,” Maya said with a shiver. She narrowed her gaze. “But don’t for a minute think all this means I’ve forgotten. I want to know the secret.”
“Later,” Phoebe said, knowing she was putting off the inevitable confrontation with her friend.
But she didn’t want to get into it now and have an audience while she explained that while she hadn’t actually promised to keep Zane’s secret, she felt obligated to protect him and his past. Her heart ached when she thought about all that had happened to him when he’d been Chase’s age.
Thad wrapped Tommy in his coat and put a protective arm around the boy. C.J. leaned close and smoothed his hair off his face.
“You’ll be warm soon,” she promised.
Phoebe moved next to Zane. She smiled reassuringly at Lucy, then lowered her voice. “Reilly won’t have a problem taking us in?” she asked.
He shook his head. “This is Fool’s Gold. We look out for each other.” His mouth curved in a smile. “I may be forced to bunk down in the barn, but you’ll all be treated like honored guests.”