Tap the Hard Rock
Copyright© 2026 by Sonarflash2026
Chapter 6
One week after the drill rig and crew were gone, Bonnie spotted a familiar horse and rider crossing the flats. When she appeared at the screen door, Brad drew rein, touching the brim of his large, floppy sombrero
“Ma’am,” he said, a note of uncertainty in the greeting, wariness in his eyes.
“Cowboy,” she responded, fighting to keep from smiling.
Any further exchange was interrupted by a nicker. Tango’s head and ears perked up. Another horse appeared, poking over a gate attached to the trailer’s rear.
Brad Garry looked over the new addition. Obviously temporary, a shade roof and small corral held a pretty Arab. Brad studied the horse.
“Nice mare,” he commented, leaning on the pommel of his saddle.
“That’s Babs,” Bonnie stated. “She’s almost ten years old. Dad had her shipped up from the Colorado ranch. No more long walks without water, a hat or cell phone.”
Brad chuckled. “Good thinkin’. Kinda’ dry and dusty ‘round here. Man gets parched.”
“Well then, light and stay a spell,” Bonnie offered. “Can’t have a cowboy dying of thirst on my spread. You can put Tango in with Babs. She isn’t in season ... yet”
“Yet?” he said, chuckling, swinging down, leading Tango over to her mare.
When he removed Tango’s bridle, then pulled the saddle off his stud, Bonnie felt a pleasant quiver course through her insides.
After both horses had gotten acquainted, nickering, sniffing and snuffling over each other, he opened the metal gate, urging Tango into the small corral.
“Got news,” he stated, dusting himself off, stepping through the open door. With casual ease, he hung shell belt and sombrero on hooks. “Thought it best I tell you in person, even if it seems a mite presumptuous.”
“News?” she replied, then waved at the couch. “Sit, cowboy. Can I offer you something to drink besides water?”
“Glass of water and ice for a start,” Brad told her, distractedly brushing at the rump of his jeans, cautiously eyeing the plush sofa. “Then some of that white wine?”
“Sit!” Bonnie ordered with a laugh. You aren’t muddy and Those covers are washable.”
After handing him a tumbler of water with ice cubes, she poured two glasses of white wine, placing both on the coffee table before settling beside him.
“So, give.”
He sipped water, drew in a breath and met her eyes. “Please don’t bite off my head,” he began, jaw working for a moment. “It’s my security people again ... doing their job ... not because I asked.”
Her brows lifted. “Digging more dirt on me?” she asked, struggling to keep the acid out of her response.
He shook his head. “Nothing like that. Your name is in their system. A note popped up and one of my people noticed. Your first husband is scheduled for release from prison in a few weeks.” He snorted. “Sentence reduced for Good behaviour, along with positive reports from some idiot psychiatrist he’s probably been scamming.” Bonnie’s eyes widened. Obviously, she hadn’t heard. “I understand there were threats ... even after he went to prison?”
She nodded. “for aggravated assault. Nearly killed one of my business partners. Accused us of having an affair. Absolutely nothing to that, just his insanity. I kept getting e-mail and phone threats for about a year after he went to prison. Sought an injunction. Bleeding-heart judge ruled it would be against his constitutional rights to deny him access to a phone or computer. Then, for no apparent reason, the threats stopped. I tried to forget. Pretty sure he hasn’t stopped blaming me for his conviction.”
“Don’t imagine he did,” Brad commented. “Those kind are vindictive ... dangerous too.” He focused attention on her large, expressive eyes. “Can you tell me about it?”
“Sociopaths are noted for being clever,” she replied. He nodded. Bonnie gave a shrug. “Old story. Charming seduction gradually becomes jealous domination, then abuse, and finally brutality. He’s still in prison. After him, I trusted a charmer who didn’t understand commitment or monogamy. Third one was simple incompatibility. Pretty much in that order.” she drained her glass and set it on the coffee table. I thought you already knew the gritty details.”
“I didn’t bother reading those parts of the file, mostly looked at your pictures,” he stated, squarely meeting her gaze. “Though very little slips past my staff.” He shrugged. “I was interested in your business development and work. Mainly curious about your accomplishments. Especially when I was told you were drilling for rare earth minerals.”
“Which turned into an artesian well.” She frowned. “What do you want to know about me then?”
“Why no children?”
“That should be obvious!” she said with a snort. “I wouldn’t bring a child into my First marriage. It was a living hell! The second marriage was an athlete with a stag mentality. Fucked anything and everything that offered a pretty little ass. Fortunately, I never caught anything worse than crabs.” She met his grey-blue eyes, reading surprise at her candor before saying flatly, “in case you wondered, I’m clean. No diseases. My Last husband came from an upper crust, bankrupt family. He was vain, totally into himself. Didn’t want children messing up his idyllic life. After the wedding, which I paid for, he insisted on using condoms. That’s when I found out he thought sex was ‘messy and vulgar’. I was just a convenient social fixture. A source of ready cash. Wasn’t more than a couple of months before I kicked his worthless ass out of my life. That’s the sum of my relationships in broad strokes, and why I never wanted to inflict that on children.”
“That all sounds rough,” he murmured, switching stemware and wine for the tumbler of ice water. “Please, can we start fresh?”
“What? Even with my jaded past?” When he emptied the tumbler, she took it, getting up, crossing to the sink. She returned with the wine bottle, refilling their stemware. She snuggled close again, expressively arched an eyebrow. “Business or pleasure?”
“Well, I would like to work out a deal to share water from that new bore,” he suggested, lightly walking fingers up her thigh.
She laughed, taking his left arm, wrapping it around her waist, cupping his hand beneath her breast. She burrowed against him, the other breast pressing into his side.
“I’m not ashamed of my sexuality Brad. In college, I even tried a couple of lesbian encounters. After each divorce, had flings with attractive men. Always the same result. So, I end up pouring all my libidinal urges into work. Can be rather productive. Isn’t it the same for you?”
He shook his head, breath hitching as he cupped a full, very firm breast, hefting it, marvelling at the resilient texture and delicious weight. “Last few years, I’ve had to fight urges,” he admitted. “Before ... I was blessed with Jeanette. She was sweet and loving. In most ways, a traditional homemaker and mother. We had twenty years. I married late, when I was thirty-three. That was several years after I started making it big.”
“You certainly did that, and fast,” she murmured, still trying to reconcile the billionaire with his worn denims. She stifled a chuckle.
“What?” he asked.
“You!” she said, giggling. “A plain old rough and ready cowboy. I still can’t picture you in a board room with suits. Especially not after seeing you packing that revolver, dressed like a scruffy range rider.”
He chuckled. “I’ve gone in wearing jeans and riding boots a few times just for the hell of it, and because I can. When you’re worth a million, you may still need to conform. A billion and everything changes. It’s sad. When you’re worth tens of billions, it gets ridiculous. People treat you like you were god. Getting down and dirty, riding the range, even mucking out horse stalls keeps me grounded, not that I have a lot of free time for-” he waved his hand around. “For this. For an interlude like today. Shit, I cringe at the thought of going home. If not for the girls and a hundred other responsibilities, I’d ride out with a pack horse and hide in the mountains.”
“Your twins are at the ranch?”
“Of course. That’s their home. Jeanette’s father was dead, so her mother came to live with us almost ten years ago. She’s been a wonderful Granny nanny.
“What about the older children?”
“Both finished college.” He chuckled. Jasmine is no longer Daddy’s little princess. Typical teen for a couple of years. A father’s punishment and all that. We eventually worked out a compromise on the dating issues.”
“Oh? A compromise?”
“I hired a team of female bodyguards. Both were in their twenties but look about sixteen or seventeen. Jasmine got suspicious and learned about them but finally agreed that they were a necessary evil. A typical, bright teenager, she still managed to get herself into situations. In college, she attracted her share of sleezy guys and crappy dates. Unfortunately had one bad affair, with subsequent heartache. That’s all behind her now. She’s got a strong will and brains. Already involved in the business.”
“It’s an empire, not a business,” she protested.
He snorted. “All hail Emperor Garry!” He picked up his glass of wine and sipped. swirling it in his mouth before swallowing. “For a couple of years now, I’ve been wanting to retire, give the mining companies to Jasmine ... the drilling company and charter airline to Gerald, sell off everything they don’t want, then ride horses, chase cattle ... back to simple ranching.”
“Ranching never was simple,” she murmured, taking a sip of wine. “My dad and his father taught me that.” She settled close, curling beside him, carefully pulling his arm around her again, tucking his hand under her breast.
He squeezed, thumb finding the peak through bra and blouse, caressing there until her nipple was very definitely erect. Bonnie let out a satisfied purr. She snuggled down closer, resting her chin on his shoulder.
“What about you?” he asked quietly, sipping a little wine. “Any dreams? Goals? Plans for all this land?”
“Well, now that there’s a lot of water, I considered ranching. you already know I struck out when it came to finding a big deposit of rare earth minerals. I’d like to build a pretty little house somewhere on this section ... buy a few steers ... enjoy my freedom. After all, I’m a western girl at heart.” She chuckled softly. “Might even run a few dozen sheep.”
He shook his head, saying, “I’m no cattle baron and I’m not going to bite on that one. Besides, my twins have a bunch of pet goats.” After taking another swallow of wine, he asked, “no more exploratory work? Mine development?”
“Looking for rare earth elements here was secondary,” she admitted, sniffing her wine, considering before saying more. “The four sections were almost a bargain. You know I’m financially independent, and a successful consultant, but I Needed to get out of eastern cities and away from the suits. I really didn’t need your warning about my first ex. After no threat for several years, I guessed he would eventually get paroled. Just didn’t expect it was about to happen. I moved out here to give myself some distance. Your concerns aren’t groundless. When he finds out where I am, he’ll come hunting trouble. Besides, I’m sick of New York. Montana seemed a good prospect as well as an interesting change.” She gave him a sultry, sidelong glance. “You certainly are interesting.” She hesitated, murmuring, “an encounter and kiss I’ll never forget.”
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