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A YEAR LATER
Kiera arrived at the Triple-D for the ranch’s annual Labor Day barbeque a little after ten-thirty. She found Tanya and extended her offering. “Cheesecake. My mom’s recipe.”
Tanya grinned and pointed to the left. “Desserts go on that table. Ain’t seen you around much. Heard tell you’re doing good with your pictures.”
Kiera’s face warmed. “Right place at the right time.”
Tanya flapped a hand. “Good pictures, more like it. The magazine with the ranch story—everyone up here was talking about it.”
“You saw it? It’s a small online publication.” Even so, that story had escalated requests for Kiera’s work, and had opened the door to more.
“Not up here, it ain’t, not when some of ours are in it. Sent it to folks I knew back when. Maybe they’ll see there’s a better life than gang-banging.”
“I hope so.” Kiera strolled to the dessert table, passing two others filled with side dishes. Derek and Rusty manned a huge grill. Smoke and the aroma of sizzling beef filled the air. A smaller grill held chicken quarters and sausages.
Derek tapped the brim of his Stetson when she approached.
“Okay with you if I take pictures?” she asked.
“Counting on it,” he said.
She went back to her car for her camera. Nothing fancy today. Nothing to market. Pictures of people having fun. She grabbed a few shots of Derek and Rusty, another few of Tanya, more of the food tables and milling guests, then stowed her camera gear in the tack room.
This morning, Frank had said he would be checking one of the herds. Her heart fluttered in anticipation of her surprise. Eight months ago, when it was clear they did have something special enough to withstand the separations of her photography, she’d rented out her house and moved in with him.
Stu would be facing charges of insider trading, and his buddy Ward Falco had flipped on Stu’s involvement in Madelynn's accident. Stu had paid him to loosen the lug nuts, and when the cops identified him in the parking lot video, the guy wasn’t going to take the fall alone. Stu would be out of her life for a good, long time.
She moseyed to the barn and texted Bryce. I’m here. You still willing to do this?
His reply was immediate and typical Bryce. Said I would.
~~
FRANK CURSED UNDER his breath. The herd in this pasture was short three animals? He’d volunteered to ride through the herds this morning, let Derek prepare for the festivities. Tim had his own herd to check, and Bryce was tending to the horses. Kiera had said she wouldn’t arrive before eleven, and the barbeque wouldn’t get officially underway until eleven-thirty. Plenty of time, he’d thought then. Now here it was, almost eleven, and he had to make sure the three missing animals were all right. After he found them.
“All right, Zara. Looks like we’ve got some searching to do. You ready?”
Zara wagged her tail and gazed expectantly at Frank. Tell me when.
His cell rang. Bryce. “Finished with the horses. You about done?”
Frank explained the elusive animals. “Might be late.”
“I can come help. You’re in pasture three, right?”
Frank confirmed.
“See you in fifteen. Holler if you find them first.”
With luck, all three animals would be together. Frank nudged Pumpkin toward the nearest stand of trees, a place the cattle enjoyed, Zara bounding back and forth. No luck.
Had someone come by last night and helped himself to the animals? Last Frank heard, Nico was still in juvie and Phil had hired Javi as a full-time hand, accepting responsibility for him. The kid had been truly remorseful, and Phil convinced the court Javi would do better working—with much stricter supervision. Now, almost a full year later, Cecily had four more kids lined up for her program.
Hoofbeats announced Bryce’s arrival. Frank turned and saw not one, but two horses loping toward him. Bryce on Shadow, and another rider on Shiloh. Someone he didn’t recognize until they were closer.
Kiera? What the—? Riding alongside Bryce, a huge grin on her face. Frank shook his head, rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating. Nope. Kiera reined Shiloh to a walk and stopped six feet from him.
She tapped the brim of her Stetson. “Bryce said you needed help finding missing animals. Around here, people have problems, others step in to help.” She shifted her gaze. “Isn’t that right, Zara?”
The dog jumped and wagged her tail in greeting.
“Dammit, Kiera what—” Frank could get no further before the words wouldn’t come.
“What?” she said. “My photography work comes in spurts. In between, I figured I could help out at the ranch. Derek said it would be okay.” She tilted her head. “Of course, if you’d rather I didn’t—”
“You two gonna waste time talking, then I’m gonna look for the walkabouts. C’mon, Zara.” Bryce clucked to Shadow, and they trotted off, Zara racing ahead.
Frank nudged Pumpkin so she and Shiloh stood parallel, nose to tail. “I think an explanation is in order.”
“I missed not being able to share more of your life, so I went to a therapist. She worked on desensitization and paired it with hypnosis. We determined my acrophobia stemmed from something that happened when I was four. My family was on a mountain vacation, and there was an incident where someone fell while hiking. I didn’t see it happen, but it took a day for him to be rescued, and that’s all anyone talked about. I must have imagined the same thing happening to me. After we worked that out and I could handle moderate heights, Cecily gave me riding lessons.”
“Where? I never saw you here.”
“At Rusty Dosela’s ranch. Sometimes here, if I could be places you weren’t. I started before I moved in with you.” She patted her horse’s neck. “Shiloh and I became good friends.”
For him? She’d done all this for him? And nobody at the ranch had breathed a word? Frank would deal with them later.
Bellowing in the distance grew louder. Frank turned to see Bryce and Zara driving three animals into the rest of the herd.
“Were in the ravine. There’s barbeque. See you there.” Bryce clucked, and Shadow broke into a lope, headed toward the festivities. Zara paused, gave Frank a quick, I’m going where there’s food look, and raced after Bryce.
Frank reached over, took Kiera’s hand. “What other surprises do you have for me?”
She hiked a shoulder. “Just one, although it shouldn’t be a surprise. I love you. I want to be with you. Even when we’re apart, I’m with you.”
Dammit, Rangers turned ranchers didn’t cry. Frank dropped his head, but not Kiera’s hand. “I love you, too. What say we skip the barbeque and go for a ride?”
Kiera wriggled her hand from his and laughed. She kicked Shiloh into a lope and he followed. As he knew he always would.