The April morning rivaled perfection. Fluffy white clouds floated in the field of blue. With an extravagant sigh, Mary stretched her arms overhead and reached for the sky. Her muscles groaned and her joints popped under the strain of the stretch, but it was good pain. She'd earned the respite.

At a brisk pace, she followed the trail that led to the south meadow where the flock was grazing. Normally, she'd have ridden Dusty, her quarter horse, but Demetri had already taken the mare out. Presumably, he and Colleen were with the sheep or riding the fence line, making repairs. She hastened her steps, eager with excitement over the prospect of bumping into him.

Over the course of the last six days, Demetri's assistance around the ranch had made all the difference. On the upside, they'd started to catch up on the huge backlog of chores. Mary could finally catch her breath instead of feeling like she was going under for the last time. On the downside, the long hours meant she seldom saw Demetri except at breakfast and suppertime. Probably a good thing, but that didn't stop her from wishing it was otherwise.

Now was her chance.

Upon reaching the gate, she discovered the saddle and bridle that belonged to her quarter horse hung over the railings. Mildly alarmed, Mary entered the pasture and breathed a sigh of relief upon spotting Dusty out in the field, cropping grass alongside the sheep. Her arrival caught their attention. The horse lifted her head and whinnied, and several ewes baaed and wagged their fluffy tails.

"Demetri?" Mary shouted in case he was close but out of her line of sight. A grove of alder and aspen trees bordered the small creek that ran through the south pasture. The ravine teemed with wildlife where the underbrush grew thick, and the fences there required more frequent maintenance.

A bark answered her call. Mary headed in that way. Colleen burst from among the trees, trotting with her tongue lolling and her tail flagged. She ran right up to Mary.

"Hey there, girl. Where's your master?" Mary bent to pat the dog's head while she continued to scan the grove. Still no sign of her hired hand.

Movement caught her attention—a glimmer of gilt—and then an immense ram stepped from beneath the branches of an old oak. He had the stature of a bighorn sheep, but many times larger than any ordinary animal. Curved ebony horns spanned a width taller than a man. Pure gold wool, thick and curly, shone in the sunshine. Between his size and color, it would've been easier to believe he was a statue rather than a living creature. The sight of him stole her breath away.

When the ram turned his enormous head toward Mary, she froze in place. The rush of adrenaline made her skin tingle. She gave serious consideration to fleeing but she didn't stand a chance of outrunning him. Besides, the ram held his head high, giving no indication he intended to charge.

Colleen rounded and barked, for all the world sounding like she was scolding the ram. He responded with a mighty snort. Their exchange struck a chord of familiarity.

"What the blazes..." Mary narrowed her eyes, considering, and abruptly everything snapped into place. This ram was Demetri. His hair and the wool were the exact same golden hue.

Of course, she should've seen it immediately, and her obliviousness baffled her. Quentin had warned her, and even before that, a part of her had sensed something extraordinary about Demetri. Seeing and believing proved to be two very different things.

Tension bled out of her, because she trusted Demetri wouldn't harm her. Even so, being kept in the dark aggravated the heck outta her. As she put her hands on her hips, considering the ram, a wicked impulse swept over her. Maybe she should use this as an opportunity to prank him.

"Well, look at that. There's a strange ram running loose on my ranch," Mary announced in a stage voice, projecting astonishment. "Where the heck do you suppose he came from, Colleen?"

Whirling, Colleen uttered a sharp woof.

"He looks domesticated. Go get 'em, girl. Let's have a better look."

Jaws parted in a wolfish smile, Colleen pranced through the tall grass. She shot off across the field, running wide so she approached from behind the ram, and then drove at his hindquarters.

Demetri belted in protest but lurched into a trot. Colleen darted in, nipping at his heels, and made a great production out of herding him. By the time the dog and ram approached Mary, Demetri's ears were plastered flat against his skull. He dug his cloven hooves into the ground in a show of aggravation.

Colleen laughed as only dogs could.

Mary's face hurt with the need to smile, but she managed to hide behind a frown. Mustering her courage, she reached out and hooked one of Demetri's horns. He gave a small jerk of his head and bleated. Her boldness might've just startled him as much as she surprised herself.

"Well, hello. Aren't you a handsome fella?" Mary asked in her best ram-appraising manner. Although, truth be told, she lacked any real world experience in the matter since all her ewes were impregnated via artificial insemination. It meant she had to use her imagination. She patted his powerful neck. "So big and strong," she said, infusing her voice with open admiration, which she didn't have to fake. "I bet you're a mighty fine stud."

Flattery proved effective.

Demetri perked his ears and swayed his head, preening like a silly peacock over the praise. When she went through the motions of checking his ears for tags, he cooperated by lowering his head.

Mary waited a beat, timing it. "Hmm, no ID tags. I don't see any tattoos either. How strange. It's too bad there's no way of telling where you came from. Who knows what diseases you might be carrying?"

Demetri huffed. He yanked free from her grasp, brandished his horns, and stomped off in a show of wounded dignity.

Mary damn near died from the effort it took not to double over with laughter. Choking on it, she placed her hands on her hips. "He's ill-tempered, too, Colleen. Not suitable for breeding at all."

Colleen barked, wagging her tail.

"Such a shame. As soon as we get him back to the barn, I'll call the vet to come out and have him neutered." Mary tsked.

An offended bellow tore from Demetri. The ram whirled and charged off, fleeing for the safety of his endangered masculinity. He crashed into the trees, gone before she could say Jack Robinson.

Mary held her sides until they threatened to split. She looked the dog square in the eye and said, "Males are all just so sensitive no matter what their species."

Colleen rolled around on her back, wriggling with joy. Mary started laughing and she never really stopped.