Travis crossed his arms over his chest—and such a strong, manly chest it is—and glared at her. “He did his job too well? Is that all you have to say about this?”

  “Uh, I guess so.”

  Travis took a step closer, putting his face an inch from hers. “Are you crazy or just incompetent? The mare I’m supposed to breed with Adonis just took out after the teaser horse and all you can say is ‘Uh, I guess so?’”

  “I guess so.” Charissa cringed as the words slipped through her lips again and hunkered her head down, making the old man’s body even smaller. And, hopefully, less of a target for Travis’ wrath.

  Travis opened his mouth to speak and then shut it with a growl. He pivoted on his heel, walked over to the fence and leaned on it with both hands. Stretched his legs out behind him, he let his head hang between his arms as if fighting to control some inner demon.

  Should she say something more? Charissa studied Travis as he stood shaking his head and muttering. Should she tell him the truth? No, he wasn’t ready for the truth. Not yet. “Uh, Travis?”

  He stuck up his hand, palm toward her, to stop her. “Keep your trap shut, old man.”

  Charissa gasped at his harsh words and tone. How dare he speak to her that way! Even if he did think he was talking to a hired hand. “Look, Travis, I know you’re upset, but you don’t have any reason to speak that way to me.”

  He was back in her face before she had time to prepare herself. “Are you fucking kidding me? I don’t have any reason to speak to you that way?” His beautiful, yet fiery eyes glistened with barely contained rage. “Never mind the ton of money Lazy W Ranch paid me to breed Princess Dancer. Never mind that my teaser horse may get to her before I can even attempt a live cover with Adonis. And I don’t have any reason to speak to you that way? Old man, you’ve pushed me one too many times.”

  He knows she pushed him? But how? “How could you know?” Did he know about Matlantians?

  His laugh lacked any mirth in it as he stabbed a finger into Justin’s chest.

  “Ow! Hey, take it easy.” Why’d he poked her so hard?

  “First you worm your way into my employment. Then you say the weirdest shit I’ve ever heard any cowboy say and that’s counting those guys in that gay cowboy movie. Then we find out you’ve got a damn mouse for a pet. Put that all together and I should have known you were trouble. Even then I couldn’t believe it when you brought a teaser horse outside without a lead on him. Don’t.”

  Charissa dropped the hand she’d raised to interrupt him. She took a deep breath and let him continue.

  “But the final stroke, the last straw is this crazy mess. You knew the mare was about to go ballistic and you did nothing about it.”

  “I warned you, didn’t I?” Okay, kind of. And kind of after the fact and too late to do anything about it. Not to mention my helping the mare. Travis’ tone had grown softer, but she didn’t think it meant he wasn’t angry any longer. In fact, she thought it probably meant the exact opposite.

  “Some warning.” Travis paced a few feet away and turned on her again. “And to top it off, you think you’ve got the right to tell me how I can talk to you?” His voice dropped to a low snarl. “Man, you’ve got balls, I’ll give you that.”

  Charissa could sense the end coming and knew she wouldn’t like it. Maybe, just maybe, she could keep it from coming. “Travis, I know you think I’ve done or said some odd things around here, but I don’t understand how you can blame me for this little problem.”

  She saw the muscles in his jaw move as he spoke through gritted teeth. “Little problem? Thousands of dollars and my reputation at stake and it’s a ‘little problem’ to you?”

  “You know what I mean, Boss.” She tried a weak smile to go along with the servant’s name for him. But instead of placating him, it only made him madder.

  “Don’t call me Boss.”

  “Okay. No problem.” Ooh, what a bad choice of words. Charissa, who’d never backed down from a human male before, stepped backwards as Travis, once again, advanced on her. “Take it easy, man.”

  “Take it easy, man?” Travis laid both hands on her shoulders, stopping her retreat. “Yeah, old man, I’ll take it easy. In fact, I’m going to take it a lot easier from this point on.”

  Charissa returned his chilly smile with a friendly one of her own. “Great. Good. I’m glad.”

  “Do you know why I’m going to take it easy, Justin?”

  Something about the rigidness of his body told her she shouldn’t answer. But she knew she had to anyway. “Because I asked you to?”

  Travis’ guffaw echoed around the yard, turning heads toward them. “No, not because you asked me to.” Reaching his arm around her shoulder, he swung her around and started leading her toward the ranch house that housed her room. “I’m taking it easy because you’re not going to be within ten miles of me, my horses, or my ranch.” With a shove, he added, “Get your things rounded up and get the hell off Tall Oaks. You’re fired.”

  What? He fired me? Charissa stumbled a few feet with the momentum of Travis’ push and then steadied herself on the rail of the fence. What does fired mean, anyway? She took a quick glimpse of her body to check for fire, yet saw none. After taking a second to gather her wits, she finally found her voice. “You’re firing me? You want me to leave?”

  Travis stalked away, ignoring her questions, and didn’t bother turning around to acknowledge her. Dirt flew up from his hurried exit and it settled in a cloud around her.

  When he didn’t respond, she planted her feet in the ground and forced herself not to cry. How could this have happened? Was it her fault Princess Dancer went nuts with lust? Was it her fault the teaser horse had excited Princess Dancer so much? Well, okay, maybe she did have to take a small portion of the blame for the teaser horse. After all, it was her brother’s possession of Casanova that had thrown a wrench into things. No doubt, just as he’d planned.

  The Anger emotion soon replaced all the other emotions surfacing within her and she strode off toward her room, trying to keep the tears from falling. She muttered as she passed the other hired hands, giving them good cause to get out of her way. Striding through the house, she reached her room, unlocked the door and slammed it shut. With an irate howl she flopped onto the bed.

  This is so unfair! How could Travis fire me—Justin—me? How could he blame me—Justin—me for what my brother did? I should tell Travis the truth right now and expose Rici for the treacherous traitor that he is. After I rip his head off his shoulders, of course. With a cry of frustration, she threw the pillow across the room just as the door opened.

  Rici, once again in mouse form, rushed inside and pressed his tiny shoulder against the door. “Don’t just sit there, Charissa, help me. The animal they call a cat is after me. I think the doaga thing wants me for a midday snack.”

  “Don’t worry, brother dear. I won’t let the cat eat you.” Rising, she stepped over to the door and slammed it with enough force to make it shudder. Rici, unprepared for her action and the loss of the door he was leaning on, lost his balance and fell on his face, bumping his long snout. Huffing, Rici lay on the wooden floor until he managed to catch his breath.

  Scrambling to sit up on his haunches, he shook a clenched paw at Charissa. “What’s the matter with you? Why the heallus did you help that four-legged bitch jump the fence? Do you have any idea what I’ve been through?”

  Charissa squatted down and put both her hands on the floor so she could lower her face to his. “Oh, I’m so, so sorry. You must have had a horrendous time.”

  “I did. It was simply terrifying. She cornered me against this fence and I couldn’t get out. I was ready to drop flat onto my side—which is no small feat for a body that size—when, thankfully, the men arrived and took her into custody.”

  “So you didn’t hump the horny horsie?”

  “Bleh, no. I like sex but not with animals. Even if I’m an animal at the time.”

  “Oh, I’m so glad. Although I never did understand what she saw in you.”

  Rici shot her a suspicious look and she fought to keep a blank expression on her face. “Sister? What are you thinking?”

  “Nothing except how happy I am that you’re safe. I said I wouldn’t let the cat eat you and I meant it.”

  Rici brushed off his furry tummy and appeared slightly calmer. “Well, I should hope not.”

  “Do you know why I won’t let the cat eat you?”

  He paused in his personal grooming to stare at her. “Because you owe me for the dirty trick you pulled on me?” At Charissa’s shake of her head, he added, “Well, then, if not for that, then should I even care why? As long as you don’t let it get me, I really don’t care.”

  “Ah, but dear brother, you should.” Charissa swiped him off the floor, picking him up by the tail to hold him at face level as he twisted and bent in every direction possible to get free.

  “Charissa, what’s wrong with you? Let me go!”

  Enjoying his plight, she giggled and tickled his whiskers. “I’m not going to let the cat eat you because I want the pleasure of killing you myself.”

  Rici stopped squirming to gawk at her. “What? Why? What did I do? You’re the one who almost got me mated to a different species.”

  “Oh, so you think you’re the victim here?”

  Rici hung upside down and eyed her. “I am, aren’t I? I certainly didn’t do anything to deserve this awful treatment. Have I?”

  Deciding he needed more encouragement to understand his folly, Charissa snapped her fingers at a candle sitting on the end table and smiled as the flame burst from the wick. “You know what you did, Riciseon. You tried to cause trouble because you wanted Travis to get rid of me.” Holding Rici over the flickering flame, she added, “Confess or you’ll find out what roast rat smells like.”

  “Put me down this instant!”

  “Not until you confess. And ask me to forgive you, too. I don’t take orders from anyone, least of all a rat.”

  Rici squealed as the flames nipped at his whiskers. “Please, Charissa, put me down. I don’t know what you want me to say.”

  “Say you did what you did on purpose. By possessing the teaser horse, you’ve ruined my chances with Travis. Which is exactly what you’d planned to do all along.”

  “Sister, you have me all wrong. I did what I did to protect you.” He let out a squeak as Charissa dropped him a bit lower, nearer the flame. “Stop! The fire’s getting too high.”

  “Then confess and I’ll let you go.”

  Rici tried pulling the top half of his body up to his bottom half, but couldn’t hold the position long enough. Especially since she was slowly inching him ever closer toward the candle’s wick.

  “All right. All right, I confess.”

  With a satisfied grunt, Charissa tossed Rici on the bed and snuffed out the candle. “I should still choke the life out of you. No matter what body you’re in.”

  In a second, Rici morphed and returned to his original human shape and snapped his finger, instantly putting clothes on himself. “Charissa, be realistic. I saved you from making a horrible mistake. One day you’ll thank me for what I did.”

  “Uh, huh. Some day. Like in never.” Charissa sat down next to him and took his hand in hers. “But I’m not waiting for some day. You’re going to make this situation right. You’re getting me back with Travis.”

  “How?” He frowned at her and she knew he’d resist as much as he could.

  “You’re going to help me come back to work here. And this time it’ll be as my real self in my real body.”

  “Oh, I don’t know, Charissa. I still think you should push Lust into him and jump him for sex. I don’t see the point—”

  Charissa gave him her meanest look and held up a finger. “You will or you’ll have a dinner date with the cat.”

  ****

  After explaining her plan to him and the repercussions he’d face if he didn’t do his part, Rici reluctantly morphed back into mouse form and into Charissa’s pocket. “I don’t like this. Not one little bit.”

  Charissa, still in the shape of the old man, patted her pocket, giving Rici a solid knock in the head. “I couldn’t care less if you like it or not. You’re carrying out my plan to the letter or else.”

  Rici didn’t bother asking what she meant by “or else.” Her prior demonstration over the candle flame gave him a good idea. Rather than incur her anger again, he kept silent and held onto the pocket as her walking jostled him around in his cloth cage.

  Although he couldn’t see anything from inside Justin’s pocket, Rici could tell they’d left the house and were now outside in the sun. Several workers called to Justin, wishing him well on his next job. At last, a shadow fell over them and he knew they’d entered the stud barn.

  “Why do these beasts have to smell so badly?”

  Charissa placed her hand over her pocket, throwing Rici into total darkness. “Shush! And being a mouse, you shouldn’t talk about anyone else or anything stinking. You reek, brother dear. We’re here.”

  When she removed her hand covering him, Rici dared to stick his head over the top and peek out. Adonis stood in the stall with his rear facing them as he chomped on the feed in the wall-mounted container at the back of the stall. Rici shuddered to think of what his sister wanted him to do.

  “Yo, Justin.”

  Rici’s pulse doubled as did Charissa’s when Dan came up beside them. Ducking inside the pocket, he clamped a paw over his mouth to stifle the squeak that had almost slipped out.

  “Uh, yo, Dan.”

  “Say, I’m sorry to hear you got fired, man.”

  Unable to see anything, Rici listened as intently as he could.

  “Oh, no problem. Travis was understandably upset.”

  No problem? Was this the same sister who’d promised to feed him to a cat for the trouble he’d caused?

  “I don’t think upset quite covers it. I’ve never seen him so mad and I’ve known him for years.”

  “Yeah, he was irate. Although I still don’t understand how he can blame me.”

  Then how can you blame me? Rici bared his sharp teeth and thought about biting his sister through her shirt again. As Dan answered, he changed his mind. No need to make things worse than they already were.

  “Look, Justin, I don’t mean to come off like a bad ass here, but you need to get off the ranch. What’re you doing in here, anyway?”

  Rici held his breath during the long pause before she answered the question.

  “I wanted to see Adonis one more time. You know how it is. A horse like this doesn’t come around often. I wanted one more look at him.”

  Another pause of silence followed as Dan considered Justin’s reason. Or was Dan about to throw Justin out on his butt?

  “Yeah, I guess I can understand. He is a beauty. Okay, you’ve got a couple of minutes and then I want you in the jeep outside. I’ll drive you back to town. Deal?”

  “Deal. Thanks, Dan.”

  “No problem. Just don’t let Travis catch you in here. I don’t want to get my butt kicked to the curb along with yours.”

  As Rici heard Dan’s footsteps fade away, he waited for the signal from Charissa. The creak of the stall’s gate warned him that she’d started her move into the stall to get closer to Adonis.

  “Okay, Riciseon. Hop on out and then get inside him. Hurry.”

  Rici poked his head out of her shirt to them standing next to the horse. “Sister, can we talk about this a little more? Maybe come up with a different plan? I so don’t want to inhabit another horse’s brain. All they ever think about is feed and flies. And sex.”

  Charissa glared down at him as she tugged him out of her pocket. “Sex? Then you should feel right at home. Now do it.”

  Rici struggled to sit upright in the folds and wrinkles of Justin’s hand. Hanging onto a finger, he studied the animal before him. “Charissa, sweetie?”

  “Don’t sweetie me. You have a job to do. Either that or I’m going to call your friend.” Flashing him a wicked grin, she turned her head and called, “Kitty. Here, Old Tom!”

  “Quiet!” Rici held up both paws, palms out to her in supplication. “I’m going. I’m going. Just quit calling the man-eater.”

  Charissa closed her mouth and took a step closer to the horse. Holding out her hand with Rici balancing on it, she reached out to place him next to the horse’s ear. “Go!”

  With Charissa half-tossing him toward the horse, Rici had no recourse except to jump for his life. As he snapped his fingers—or whatever a mouse’s fingers were called—he closed his eyes, unwilling to watch as his body shrunk smaller and smaller until, at last, only his spirit flew into the horse’s ear and spread through Adonis’ body.

  Urgh, I hate this!

  Opening his eyes, he saw the ceiling of the barn as Adonis reared up, striking his front legs into the air while snorting his anger at the foreign entity inhabiting his body. Rici grappled for control of the horse’s mind and mentally called to his sister. Leave, Charissa. He might hurt you before I can gain complete control.

  Charissa heard him, but she’d already headed for the open gate. Rici caught her last words as she closed the gate. Don’t let me down again, Riciseon.

  Don’t worry. But you’d better be quick about it because I’m not staying in this creature any longer than I have to.

  As hired hands rushed to the stall to see what had happened, Rici swiveled the horse around so he could watch as Justin waved aside the men’s questions and hurried out to Dan waiting in the jeep. A wave of nervousness shivered through the big horse’s body as Rici worked to remain unruffled by her absence.

  One of the men clucked at Adonis, urging him to take the treat resting in his palm.

  Is he kidding me? Rici gazed through Adonis’ eyes at the square of sugar. I am not eating sugar out of your dirty hand. But a strong urge to lick the sugar cube into his mouth swept over Rici. No! I won’t let you, Adonis. I’m in control now and you’ll do nothing disgusting while I’m inside you.