Three Cowboys - By Julie Miller Page 0,3

home he’d left behind than the brightly colored holiday decor did. Bull shook his head and reached back across the cab for his gray, Western-tailored blazer and shrugged into it, making sure his badge was visible on his belt before approaching his brother and the dark-haired woman with the sharp tongue.

“We don’t have time for family reunions and strategy meetings.” Her Latin heritage was evident in the lilting fire of her voice. “The Los Jaguares and Javier Calderón are dangerous men. We need to get on this case right now.”

“There’s no point to chasing after rumors and shadows. More people could get hurt.” Wyatt dipped his face toward hers and lowered his voice to a whisper. “Let me handle this.” Then he turned to Bull and hoofed it down the steps to greet him. “Hey, big man.”

“Pipsqueak.” Bull caught his brother’s outstretched hand and pulled him in for a hug that included slapping backs and nods acknowledging the years they’d been apart and the bond they’d forged long before that. Despite the four inches and fifty pounds he had on his younger brother, the storm-gray eyes that looked back at him were the same as when they separated. Trouble was brewing on the J-Bar-J. Or maybe just on the J-Bar-J’s front porch. Bull arched a curious eyebrow toward the woman pacing at the top of the steps. “You two need a room?” he teased. “To duke it out or, um, resolve your personal issues in some other way?”

“We do not have personal...” The woman silenced her protest just as quickly as she’d turned to make it. “We were having a professional difference of opinion, that’s all.”

Uh-huh.

“Give it a rest, Bull,” Wyatt warned. “Things have been pretty tense around here the past few days.”

“Is Morgan here?”

“Not yet.”

“Where the hell is he? Why doesn’t he have to deal with this latest McCabe family Christmas crisis?”

“He’s on a mission out of the country somewhere. I’ve called in every favor I can to try and track him down. But he’s off the grid for now. Once I get a hold of him, though, he’ll be here. I’m sure of it. You’re the one I was worried wouldn’t show up.”

“Yeah, well, just know I’m doing this as a favor to you. I’m not staying any longer than I have to.”

“I’ll take what I can get.” Wyatt motioned for Bull to follow him up the steps. “This is Elena Vargas, a local ICE agent. We serve together on the Border Security Task Force. My big brother, Bull McCabe. He’s the Chicago PD detective I told you about. He’s worked a lot of drug cases over the years. And nobody knows this land the way he does. If there’s any track to follow, any place to hide, he’ll find it.”

“A big-city cop?” The woman looked skeptical.

Bull looked down—way down—to meet the agent’s dark eyes. He hadn’t earned his nickname just from the rodeos he’d competed in back in high school and college. He was the biggest and brawniest of the three McCabe brothers, and he was impressed that Elena Vargas didn’t seem intimidated by that fact.

“Agent Vargas.” They shook hands. “Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Does that have something to do with the girl’s disappearance? Is she an illegal?”

“She’s blond-haired and has eyes the same color as you and your brother.” She propped her hands on her hips and challenged him. “Think you can find a girl like that around here with your tracking skills, detective?”

Bull ignored the sarcasm. “Things don’t change much around this part of the country, Agent Vargas. I remember it well.”

Wyatt backed him up. “There’s probably not an inch of this ranch Bull hasn’t covered on horseback, ATV or on foot. And he knows how these kind of people operate. We need his expertise.”

“You need it,” Elena insisted. “There’s no time for random searches through the countryside. Calderón and his Los Jaguares are dangerous men. I believe this kidnapping is related to a drug-smuggling operation I’ve been investigating. I’m willing to work with the sheriff’s department on this, Wyatt—to let you handle it personally to protect this foolish sister of yours. But I’m not willing to wait forever.”

“I haven’t even had a chance to talk to my brother Morgan. At least let me give Bull a briefing so he’s up to speed on what’s happening here. He could probably use some food and a few hours sleep, too.”

With an impatient huff, Elena marched past both men down to her ICE vehicle. She didn’t stop