Sarah tumbled onto Ian’s bed, landing on top of him. Heat seared her cheeks at their close contact, and she immediately scrambled off him and stood. From the hallway light, she saw Ian’s eyes were closed. She knelt next to him on the covers and put her hand on his chest. It rose and fell slowly.
After taking off his boots, she lifted his legs onto the bed, threw a blanket over him, and crossed to the doorway. She glanced at his dark outline stretched out, asleep but alive and well. It could have been different. If she hadn’t reacted so fast…if he’d moved a few inches in the wrong direction… That bullet might have gone through his heart. She grabbed the door jamb and leaned into it as a wave of anxiety overwhelmed her like thick smoke.
She’d come so close to losing him.
She cared more than she wanted to.
She watched him breathe a few more moments while the apprehension cleared. With a sigh, she left the room and checked to make sure everything was locked up. She paused on the porch. All seemed well. She headed to the small cabin and only knocked once before the older man opened the door.
Charlie stepped outside. “I’m glad you’re here, Sarah. Any leads on who’s behind this?”
“Working on that. Did you set it up?”
“Yep.” He placed the key in her palm. “There’s a cot set up in the tack room for you. I hate you’ll be sleeping on it, though. It ain’t very comfortable.”
“Something’s happened around here the last two nights, and after those bullets flew this afternoon, I decided I need to be here in case something else happens.”
Charlie pushed his hat back and scratched his head. “Ian would kill me if he knew I was helping you. I’ll keep him away. He’s usually awake and down here by seven.”
“I’ll be gone by then. Did you say anything to Tony?”
“Nope.” He motioned locking his lips. “Tony’s already snoring away. Me and you are the only ones who know you’re here. All he knows is that I locked both the back and front entrances to the barn. The guards are patrolling the fields and watching over the animals, not in the barn.”
“Where should I park my Jeep?”
“There’s a cutout not far from the gate. I’d park there. I’ll wait in front of the barn until you walk back. Two guards just made their rounds along the front of the place. You should have enough time until they come back.”
Sarah smiled. “We’re going to get whoever is doing this.” So I can go on with my life without worrying about Ian.
Sarah drove her Jeep out the gates of the Shamrock Ranch and parked where Charlie had indicated, behind some large bushes that hid her car from anyone going by on the road. When she returned to the barn, Charlie left her to get some sleep, and she locked the front double doors. The back ones were already secured.
She walked down the middle of the barn, checking each stall, petting some of the horses and opening anything where a person could hide. With all the activity today, someone could have snuck in here and hid until everyone settled down for the night. Everything appeared all right. In the tack room, she turned off the light, although there were some on in the main area. She moved the cot to the entrance, so she could keep an eye on the doors and the horses. After lying on the blanket Charlie had supplied, she placed her gun within reach and closed her eyes. Fortunately, she was a light sleeper.
Sarah woke every hour and made sure the animals were all right. She might’ve caught a few winks during the night, but just a few. No worries, though. She could go days without sleep if she had to.
When the sunlight streamed through the large windows, Sarah stood and stretched and thanked the Lord for an uneventful night. She checked her watch—six-fifteen. She crept out of the barn, locking the double doors behind her. After pocketing the extra key, she raced across the ranch road into the field that ran alongside the highway. She climbed over the black wooden fence and strode toward the cutoff. When she reached her Jeep, she halted.
All four tires were flat.
Frisky’s cold nose nudged Ian awake. Groggy, he wondered how he ended up on the bed like this with a blanket over him and his boots off. The last thing he remembered was… Ah, Sarah.
He’d almost kissed her in the hallway. He wished he had, but with all the crazy stuff going on, it probably wasn’t a good idea to start anything. He wasn’t that safe to be around. What if that shooter yesterday had hurt Sarah? He’d never forgive himself. And he had enough memories of his own shortcomings to last a lifetime.
The image of that young couple filled his mind. The blood spreading across the husband’s plaid shirt. The way the wife’s lifeless arms cradled her unborn child.
How many times had he gone over that day in his mind? Logically, he knew he’d done everything he could have. Sometimes, the rescuers failed. Sometimes, innocent people died. Funny how that didn’t make him feel better.
Frisky barked, pulling Ian away from the memories. He had enough to deal with in the here and now. No time to dwell on the past.
God was in control. Another thing he understood intellectually but struggled with in daily living. He was working on turning the past over to Him, but old habits could be hard to break.
Frisky whined and lay his chin on Ian’s chest.
“Okay, okay. I’m getting up.” He glanced at his bedside clock. It was past eight. He shot to his feet. Lightheadedness cautioned him to move slower. “You should have wakened me earlier, boy. I need to teach you to tell time.”
As he walked toward his closet, he rolled his shoulders. His wound protested the movement, but he couldn’t let it affect what he needed to get done. He had too much to do.
He dressed in spite of his injury in record time, grabbed an apple and a mug of coffee—the pot had been waiting for him for two hours—then left his house. Out on the deck, he drew in a deep breath of the grass-scented air and made his way toward the barn.
Just outside the old doors, Sarah was speaking with Charlie.
When he approached, they stopped talking and peered at him. He had a feeling he’d been the topic of conversation. “What’s up? Did something happen last night and no one bothered to tell me?”
Sarah sent Charlie a look, then smiled at him. “The ranch is fine. Peaceful for a change. The guards reported it was quiet.”
Charlie frowned, and Ian turned his attention to the ranch hand.
“What’s wrong? Something’s going on.” Ian narrowed his gaze on the older man.
“Tell him,” Charlie muttered.
Ian shifted his full attention to her. “Out with it.”
“When I went to my Jeep this morning, someone had slashed my tires. I’ve already had it towed and repaired.” She waved her hand toward her SUV. “See everything is fine.”
Fine? If that’s what she thought, she was crazy. Because it was his fault her tires had been slashed. He thought of the shooting the previous day, and the lightheadedness from that morning came back until he thought he might have to hold on to something. He stilled and breathed slowly until it passed.
The bullets meant for him could have hit her.
The knife used to slash those tires could have cut her.
All because of him. “I want you off this case.”
She lifted her chin. “No chance.”
“I’ll call the sheriff. I’ll make Dan retract his request. I won’t have my attacker substituting you for me.”
She didn’t flinch once but met his glower with her own fierce one. “Forget it. That guy yesterday shot at both of us, and I’m going to find out who he was.”
“Then you need to stay at the ranch. We can park your Jeep in my barn. Since we keep it locked at night, it should be okay in there.”
Sarah and Charlie exchanged a glance before she said, “Okay, but I’ll sleep in the barn.”
“I have a spare bedroom.”
“If you want me to stay here, that’s my condition.”
“Why are you so stubborn? I offer you a warm bed, and you insist on sleeping on the hard ground in the barn?”
“If I stay, it will be in the barn, guarding your horses. Frisky will be with you at the house. You have your gun and guards are patrolling the grounds. You should be fine, but remember this person came after Thunder and your cattle. I want to catch him in the act of sabotaging.”
“I have a cot in there that you can use,” Charlie said in a quiet voice, his head lowered as his boot scuffed the dirt.
Ian glared at him.
Sarah nodded. “Perfect.”
He eyed them both. “Fine. At least you’ll be near if you need help.” Ian glanced from Charlie to Sarah to Charlie. “What are you two not saying to me?”
His ranch hand stroked his whisker-covered chin. “Sarah stayed last night—”
“Charlie!”
“…in the barn.”
Ian crossed his arms. “So someone slit your tires here, at the ranch?” While he’d slept, oblivious. His arm could be on fire with pain, but he would not take another pain pill.
Charlie continued to kick the dirt. “Not exactly.”
Ian stepped in front of Sarah, inches from her. “Exactly what went on here?”
“I parked my Jeep on the highway in a cutoff by your gate. I thought I hid it well behind some tall brush, but someone found it. It could just be a coincidence.”
“Right.” Ian scanned the horizon but saw nothing suspicious. Still… “He’s probably watching the ranch, waiting for his next chance to do ... no telling what.” Furious and worried at the same time, he took off his cowboy hat and shoved his fingers through his hair. “I don’t like this one bit. If anything happened—”
She clasped his good arm. “I appreciate your concern, but I can take care of myself. I’m more worried about you.”
“I appreciate your concern, but I can take care of myself.” He stalked toward the barn.
Inside, he paused, inhaling and exhaling gulps of air to still his rampaging heartbeat. He balled his hands at his sides and wanted to punch the man responsible for all of this. Instead, he saw a sack of feed nearby and rammed his fist into it, spilling it out on the ground. He didn’t care. It felt good to hit something.
Sarah clicked the dishwasher door closed and switched the machine on. She swept around to find Ian lounging against the doorjamb. His eyes softened as they took her in. A warmth flowed through her at his expression. She remembered that look. She’d seen it often, just moments before he’d wrapped her in his arms and kissed her. She wanted to turn away. She wouldn’t surrender her heart again. She’d done that once. She didn’t think it would survive another break. That was why she insisted on staying in the barn.
Silence hung between them.
“The meal was delicious,” he finally said, sauntering toward her. “My idea of fish is fried catfish, but your grilled salmon was great. I might have to expand my food preferences.”
Small talk. Like at dinner. She could play that game. “I enjoy cooking. It’s a kind of therapy for me. I like coming up with different recipes. If I’m really stressed, I bake. And then I give the treats away.”
“Any time you want to do that, I’ll take one.” He edged into her personal space.
A tingling sensation started in her stomach and spread throughout her body. The effect of his nearness hadn’t changed in all the years of separation. Desperate to keep this as professional as possible, she sidestepped and moved away. “We need to discuss the people on your list. Who’ve you ruled out? Who’s still on it?”
He expelled a long breath. “Sure. Let’s go into my office.”
She led the way and took her place at one end of the leather couch. Earlier, she’d put her notes on the coffee table, so she grabbed them as Ian sat. “I think we should start with who we can mark off the list then talk through each person still on it.”
Frisky wandered in and lay near Ian’s feet. He leaned down and scratched the dog. “I worked through my half of the list, checking on each person’s whereabouts the last couple of days, and I ruled out all but two.”
“Excellent. I have just one on my list. My guy is Jagger Burns. I can’t find him anywhere.”
“My two are Tim Downs and Larry Pickens. Burns is right up there with them as far as ruthless and dangerous go.”
“It’s also possible one of these other guys hired someone else to do the dirty work.”
He waved his paper in the air. “I don’t think so. If they want revenge, they want to be the ones doing it.”
“Assuming one of them is the culprit. I know you told your neighbor he’d never receive the land if you die, but nothing happened last night after you talked with him.”
He pinned her with a sharp look, a frown on his face. “Have you forgotten your slashed tires? That happened last night. It’s because you’re investigating this case.”
“We don’t know if that’s related.” Although she thought it probably was. It wasn’t like she didn’t have her own enemies. “It could be the people behind the cattle rustling.”
“No cattle have gone missing for a couple of weeks. They may have moved on to greener pastures. If I were a rustler, I wouldn’t want to stay too long in any one place.”
“Dan and I have been wondering about that. We’re looking at rustling cases all over the Southwest.”
Ian stared at this half sheet. “For argument’s sake, let’s include Taylor. That gives us four suspects.”
She sighed. “I can’t shake the feeling you’re missing someone.”
His frown deepened. “I’ve been thinking that, too.”
“You’ve been retired and home for six months. Think about what happened toward the end of your career. Revenge can fester for years, especially for someone in a jail cell, but it’s more likely this is connected to something that happened more recently. Besides your neighbor, is there anyone else in Blue Creek you’ve hacked off? A ranch hand you let go?”
He stared toward the window and after a moment shook his head. “Dad had cut back and only Charlie and Tony were still working for him. To tell you the truth, I was looking for some extra help, but I hadn’t found anyone yet.”
“Turn anyone down?”
“I haven’t had an interview yet. I’ve had a few recommendations, but I’d thoroughly checked each one out first. So far, no one’s gotten past that stage. I do have someone I’m going to talk to who I think will be great, but I’m not interviewing him until next week.”
Tension clamped around her shoulder and squeezed. “How about in Houston in the past year? It doesn’t even have to be related to work.” She rubbed her neck and began to move further down.
“Here let me do that.”
She hesitated for a few seconds, but the streak of pain spreading down her back prompted her to turn.
He scooted toward her and rubbed her shoulders. “From the last year? Hmm…”
His words seemed far away as she enjoyed the massage.
“Those criminals are in prison or jail awaiting trial.”
She forced herself to concentrate. “Anyone associated with them?”
“I don’t think so. But I’ll talk with my former partner and see what he says.”
The feel of his fingers kneading her muscles began to alleviate the pain. She closed her eyes and relished the relief. “Any case stand out to you?”
His fingers stopped for a moment, then started again. A little more pressure this time. “My last one. It’s the reason I quit.”
She ducked under his hands and turned. “What happened?”
His gaze darkened, and his hands dropped to his lap. In seconds his expression evolved into one of anguish. “Kidnapping. Doug and Julie Henderson.”
“That was a tragedy. I remember reading about some of it on the Internet. I didn’t realize—”
“The kidnapper robbed that family of justice. The coward killed himself. Julie’s parents fell apart. Her mother was hospitalized and still hasn’t really recovered. Last I heard, she was in a mental hospital. Julie was six months pregnant with their first grandchild. The doctors tried to save the baby but…”
His words trailed off, but she could see the anguish on his face. She hadn’t known he’d been involved in that case. Now, she could see how it affected him.
“After that ... I couldn’t do it anymore. I thought I’d been hardened, but there was something about it that got to me.”
Sarah clasped Ian’s cold fingers. “It wasn’t your fault.”
“I was lead on the case. If I’d done something different...” He blew out a long breath. “Maybe she and her child would be alive today. I can’t get that out of my mind.”
Her heart twisted. She wanted to ease his pain as he had hers. She cradled his face in her palms. “I understand that anguish. I’ve been there.”
He pulled his gaze from the far wall to her eyes. “Tell me.”
“Two dead teenagers. They’d been caught up in human trafficking, abused and discarded. I dream about them sometimes. What would their lives have been like if they hadn’t been lured into prostitution?”
He covered her hand with his and tugged her against him, his arms entwining around her. She pressed against him, listening to his heartbeat. Its sound gave her a sense she belonged there, in his embrace.
When she lifted her head, she studied his features. He’d hardly changed over the years. Those eyes—an electric blue. That mouth—full and enticing.
Ian leaned slowly toward her, pausing a moment, like he was waiting for permission.
And then he kissed her.