Odd, she thought as she began to walk again. She hadn’t realized she wanted to. Yet anyone with even rudimentary skills would find their fingers itching here, she decided. The colors, the shapes, and the magnificent light. She turned around, walking backward for a moment to study the tree from a different angle.

Early morning would be best, she decided and climbed over the next wall with her attention still focused behind her.

Only luck kept her from turning headfirst into the cow.

“Jesus Christ.” She scrambled backward, came up hard against stone. The cow simply eyed the intruder dispassionately and swished her tail. “It’s so big.” From her perch on top of the wall, Shannon let out an unsteady breath. “I had no idea they were so big.”

Cautious, she lifted her gaze and discovered that bossie wasn’t alone. The field was dotted with grazing cows, large placid-eyed ladies with black-and-white hides. Since they didn’t seem particularly interested in her, she lowered slowly until she was sitting on the wall rather than standing on it.

“I guess the tour stops here. Aren’t you going to moo or something?”

Rather than oblige, the nearest cow shifted her bulk and went back to grazing. Amused now, Shannon relaxed and took a longer, more comprehensive look around. What she saw had her lips bowing.

“Babies.” With a laugh, she started to spring up to get a first-hand look at the spindly calves romping among their less energetic elders. Then caution had her glancing back into the eyes of her closest neighbor. She wasn’t at all sure if cows tended to bite or not. “Guess I’ll just watch them from right here.”

Curiosity had her reaching out, warily, her eyes riveted on the cow’s face. She just wanted to touch. Though she leaned out, she kept her butt planted firmly on the wall. If the cow didn’t like the move, Shannon figured she could be on the other side. Any woman who worked out three times a week should be able to outrun a cow.

When her fingers brushed, she discovered the hair was stiff and tough, and that the cow didn’t appear to object. More confident, Shannon inched a little closer and spread her palm over the flank.

“She doesn’t mind being handled, that one,” Murphy said from behind her.

Shannon’s yelp had several of the cows trundling off. After some annoyed mooing, they settled down again. But Murphy was still laughing when they had, and his hand remained on Shannon’s shoulder where he gripped to keep her from falling face first off the wall.

“Steady now. You’re all nerves.”

“I thought I was alone.” She wasn’t sure if she was more mortified to have screamed or to have been caught petting a farm animal.

“I was heading back from setting my horses to pasture and saw you.” In a comfortable move he sat on the wall, facing the opposite way, and lighted a cigarette. “It’s a fine morning.”

Her opinion on that was a grunt. She hadn’t thought about this being his land. And now, it seemed, she was stuck again. “You take care of all these cows yourself?”