New Ranch Hand: book 2 of the triple R series

Chapter:18

We rode down on my horse to the barn. "I'll tell my dad about the dog." He said. He got off at the barn entrance and I led Dusty to the cross ties.

I brushed him out and put a blanket on him. I led him to his stall and put him up. Copper poked his head out and I scratched his muzzle. He snorted and nipped at me.

I took the bridle to the tack room and put it up on my hook. I walked out to see Zach coming up to me. I went into the office and sat down.

Zach came in and tried to sit next to me. Bucky moved places and sat next to me glaring at his brother. "Your not getting near her."

"Bucky tone it down." Then Colt and Hedli pulled up. They left the twins with Maggie and Joseph so they'd have time to themselves. The twins were in the office sleeping.

They came in wondering what was going on. "Hedli you and Ali take the twins up to your house we've got some family business to take care and the twins don't need to hear what we've got to say."

I helped Hedli take Wyatt and Bailie up to their house. "What is this about?" Hedli asked. "Bucky being overly protective of me." I said setting Bailie in the backseat.

"I think it's a good thing he is. He's never been protective of any one. Even his last girlfriend." She told me. "I don't know if he's told you but he was set on marrying her and she flat out laughed in his face at it.

"It broke his heart and it was a good thing he hates alcohol because he'd of drank himself dead." Hearing Hedli say that it gave me a better prospective of how protective he's being. Now that he has me he doesn't want to lose me.

"I've already told him but no one else knew." I said as I put Bailie on the couch. "Let's go upstairs and talk." She told me. We took our boots and coats off and went up.

"Ok spill I want to hear your story." She told me. I told her my entire story. "Now I understand why he's so protective." I nodded. "Mama." She went downstairs to the twins.

A door slammed. Hedli came up. "Careful going around Bucky he'd be madder than a hornet." I nodded and quickly left. I wanted to go over to his house, but decided to go to mine.

I snuck behind my house and onto the trail to his house. Snow was starting to fall. Good thing Rusty was inside. I made it to his house and found his truck gone.

I went back to my house and checked the weather. It was going to get bad quickly. I ran to the barn and Joseph came out of the office to help me close it down.

"He wasn't there." I told him after he moved the flatbed in. "He wasn't at his house?" "No and this is supposed to be a blizzard."

"We've got to find him before this gets any worse. He could get killed out in this." He told me. I nodded. "I can go out and get him. He'll listen to me."

"Be careful." I ran out and to my house. I grabbed all my wool blankets and put them in the cab. I grabbed chains and threw them into the floorboard.

"Stay put and keep warm." I told Rusty. He stayed as I closed the door and got in my truck. It warmed up in no time. I switched it to four wheel drive high and took off.

I drove until I saw tire tracks going off the rode. I stopped and put my hazard lights on. I got out and followed the tracks. They led right to his truck. I ran to it almost twisting my ankle.

I opened the door and he was unconscious. Quickly I closed the door and went back to my truck. I backed it up and pulled the truck out so I could get him into my truck.

It was harder than I thought. I got him in and wrapped him in the wool blankets. I got in and cranked the heat up.

"Dang it Buck. Don't ever do that." I almost cussed. I parked in front of his house. My ankle throbbing from slipping. He was almost thawed out from the blankets and heat.

Least he could bear most of his weight. I got him inside and into his bed. I pulled his boots off and got him into his bed. I turned the electric blanket on just before the power went out.

I got him into the living room and onto the couch with thermal blankets. Least he had a wood burning stove just in case of a power outage.

I got the fireplace roaring and curled up on the couch with him. I didn't want to lose him after what he did for me. Rusty he was at my house freezing. I made sure there was enough wood in the fireplace and went to get Rusty.

He ran for Bucky's door. I let him in and he went over to him. We both curled up on the couch with him. He stirred a bit. I kissed his cheek.

He was almost cold. I kissed him again. He had no head wounds or other wounds I could see. "Please wake up Buck. Your the only one that has treated me like this. I need you. Please."

He only breathed. I kissed him again. His clothes were also cold. I got him out of them leaving him in his boxers. I set them by the fire to warm and dry them out. I threw more wood on the fire and curled back up on the couch after putting one of his shirts on.

He wrapped his arms around me pulling me closer to him.