The Rancher And The RunawayBride: Part 2 Read Online Free PDF Page B

cats?”
    He glanced at the burlap sack and wondered how much blood the mother cat was going
     to draw. “Yeah.”
    “Be careful. Look at what she did to Princess’s face.”
    “I saw. Get on your horse.”
    While she mounted up and arranged the sling, Brady made a quick call to Tex and explained
     what they’d found.
    “Get bandages and some of that anti-infection cream we’ve used on her before and call
     the vet.” He listened to Tex. “The cream’s in the medicine cabinet in the barn. Top
     shelf. Oh, and get a box for the mother cat and her kittens. Stick it in that rear
     stall. The empty one. Don’t forget food and water.”
    “We’ll be ready,” Tex told him.
    “Expect us in about an hour and a half.” Brady pushed the End button on the phone,
     then glanced at the sky. They were going to beat the sunset, but just.
    “You ready?” he asked as he replaced the phone in the saddlebags.
    “Yes.”
    He collected Princess and lifted the dog onto Rita’s saddle. She wrapped her arms
     around the shepherd. When her horse sidestepped, Brady grabbed the reins.
    “Hold on, boy. Stay steady.”
    Rita secured the blanket around Princess. Fortunately the shepherd didn’t squirm.
     She flopped against Rita, resting her head in the crook of the woman’s arm.
    “How are you going to collect the cats?” Rita asked.
    “Carefully,” he said, tying the other blanket around him. Even if the feline was the
     most even-tempered creature God had ever made, her recent treatment, not to mention
     giving birth, was going to make her hostile.
    Brady approached her slowly, speaking softly. It didn’t help. The cat hissed when
     she saw him. As he gathered up the burlap sack, she swiped at his hand with her claws,
     laying open four long, deep scratches. He ignored the blood and the burning.
    “I’m sorry,” he said as he pulled the edges of the sack together. There was no other
     way for him to get on his horse.
    Inside the sack, the cat began to howl. Brady mounted quickly and settled the cat
     into the makeshift sling. Then he carefully released the edges of the sack.
    The mother cat raked his chest with her claws. Her tiny kittens made frightened mewling
     noises. That distracted her and she shifted to give them room. He tried to help, which
     earned him another scratch on his already bleeding hand.
    “Is she hurting you?” Rita asked.
    “Not at all,” he muttered between clenched teeth, and lightly kicked the gelding.
    At the first step, the cat dug her claws into Brady’s thighs. He spoke softly, but
     she didn’t release her hold. Angry yellow eyes glared at him, as if telling him this
     was all his fault so it was only right that he should suffer.
    With each of them holding animals on their laps, there was no way he or Rita could
     allow their horses to move at more than a slow, easy walk. The trip home took nearly
     two hours.
    Everyone was waiting when they arrived. The vet took the spitting mother and her kittens
     into the barn to make sure they were fine. Ziggy carried Princess to the main house,
     and Quinn and Ralph took care of the horses.
    Brady and Rita went into the house. Tex was already there, kneeling next to Princess.
     He had some bandages in a pile, along with disinfectant and a bowl of warm water.
    “There’s cube steak on the counter,” the cook said. “I thought she deserved something
     special tonight.”
    “I agree,” Brady told him. “I’ll give her water first, though. My guess is she’s been
     out with that cat since before dawn.”
    Tex pulled the dog up on his lap and supported her with one arm while he dipped her
     dirty paws into the water. She whimpered. Rita crouched next to her.
    “It’s going to be okay, sweetie. You’re a brave girl. This will make you feel better
     so that you can get back to taking care of your cats. They missed you today. You would
     have been so ashamed of the way they lounged over everything. There was no order,
     no