Three nights passed with nothing. Becca stayed housebound, staying away from the windows, not answering the door or going to the barn. Nathan was actually impressed with her determination to see the plan through. The hotel had Becca registered as a guest in room 304 if anyone decided to snoop. Since there wasn’t the manpower to keep someone on the hotel room, they set up cameras to monitor the room. So far, no one had made any suspicious moves around the room.
Or the ranch.
No strange or suspicious activity, and no problems during the day. Nathan was about ready to think the person was privy to inside information and knew they were watching, waiting to spring a trap. However, they all agreed to give it two more nights and then come back together to revamp the plan.
In the meantime, with Becca trapped in the house, he had no time to slip into her office to go through her hard-copy files. The computer had turned up nothing and he expected the same for whatever was in the file cabinet next to her desk. The truth is, he didn’t believe she was guilty of anything more than being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and he had no motivation to bother checking.
He told Clay so as the sun went down on the clear December evening. Clay nodded. “I’m leaning in your direction, but it wouldn’t hurt to just check. At least then I can say I covered all my bases.”
“Hmm. We’ll see.”
Clay looked around. “Glad to see she finally got around to decorating.”
“She had a little help and encouragement.”
Clay fell silent for a minute. “You still care for her, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
“But you’re trying not to.”
“Yep.”
Clay laughed.
“It’s not funny. My whole presence here has been a lie. Keeping the truth from her is killing me. I need to tell her everything.”
“Yeah. I know.”
“I’d tell her right now if I didn’t think she’d kick me off the ranch and leave herself vulnerable to whoever’s been trying to kill her.”
Clay shook his head and frowned. “No, it’s best to stay quiet for now. If she knows I’m the one who asked you to do this, we’ll both be in the doghouse. And she’ll be a sitting duck.”
“So we keep our mouths shut for now. But I don’t feel it’s right to pursue anything with her until there’s no secrets between us, you know?”
Clay nodded. “Well, if she gives you a hard time about it, you can just blame me.”
“I was planning to do that anyway.”
Clay snorted then shook his head. “I should have known.”
“How are Sabrina and the kids?”
The besotted expression on Clay’s face spoke volumes. “They’re great. Sabrina is amazing and the kids are growing like crazy.” Then he sighed. “I just wish I got to spend more time with them.”
“I see Seth is up for the National Finals Rodeo again this year.” Seth was one of Clay’s younger brothers who, very successfully, traveled the rodeo circuit.
“Yep. And his wife, Tonya, is pregnant again.”
“That makes their second one, doesn’t it?”
“And third.”
He laughed. “Twins? Seriously?”
“Yes.”
“Seth’s going to have to retire and stay home to help her out.”
“I know. Mom’s over the moon with all the grandkids. She’s instructing us to keep ’em coming.” Clay sighed and glanced out the window. “The sun’s coming up. I guess we can call it a night. I don’t know whether to be glad at the lack of excitement or frustrated.”
Nathan shook his head. “I sure did think we’d have this guy by now.”
“You and me both. Trent’s on his way. I’m going to head home to grab some sleep. I’ll be back to swap out with Trent in a few hours.”
Nathan had slept until five when he’d awakened with a full adrenaline rush thinking someone had gotten to Becca. He’d known it was a dream but had raced out of the bunkhouse to find Clay sitting in the dark kitchen, sipping coffee by a night-light. Clay had lowered his weapon to the table with a scowl. “You’re fortunate I didn’t shoot you.”
“Same here.”
The two men had put their weapons away and continued their discussion in the dark. Nathan headed back to the bunkhouse to grab his shower and start his day, once again working side by side with Becca.
He couldn’t say the prospect was distasteful, he just prayed it would be another uneventful day and no one shot at anyone else.
* * *
Becca had awakened about thirty minutes before the sun was supposed to rise. She’d lain in bed for ten of those thirty minutes, then rolled out from under the covers, dressed, and made a mental outline of the chores she needed to get done today.
They had a heifer that had managed to get entangled in a wad of barbed wire fence yesterday, and Zeb promised to ride out to take a look at her.
Becca knew someone had cut that part of the fence and she’d told Clay so. After examining the wire, he’d agreed. “Too bad you don’t have security cams out here.”
“Yeah. Too bad. I only wish I could afford that.”
She yawned and walked to the window to peer out from the side through the small slit at the side. Normally she would simply open them and stare out over her land, but not this morning. Because no one could know she was in the house today. Again. Truthfully, Becca was ready to climb the walls—or run screaming across the pasture.
But she wouldn’t. She’d give Clay and Nathan today and tomorrow to see if the plan would work. If not, she was going to resume her life. Albeit, with continued caution.
Tears pricked at her eyes. What if they never caught the person responsible? What would she do?
She drew in a deep breath. She’d have to sell. Period. Swallowing hard at the depressing thought, she gave one last sweeping glance over the property and sighed. Then frowned.
In the soft glow of the slow-rising sun, she spotted the barn door open. What was Nathan or Brody Mac doing up this early? Was something wrong? When Lady Lou nudged her way out of the door, Becca gasped.
Grabbing her boots, she shoved her feet into them, snatched her rifle from its resting place against the wall, and raced down the hall. “Nathan? Clay?”
No answer.
Had one of them gone into the barn and confronted her would-be killer? Did they need help?
Becca hurried out the door and saw Trent climbing out of his cruiser. “What are you doing?” he asked.
“Something’s going on in the barn. Lady Lou just got out.”
Becca watched the horse jog through the open gate and into the pasture. “Shut the gate, Trent, will you?”
While he did as she requested, she turned her attention to the barn. “Nathan? Brody Mac?”
“Wait for me before you go in that barn, Becca,” Trent called.
She shifted from foot to foot while she waited. He finally joined her and stepped in front of her. “Why don’t you go back in the house?”
“Because no one is answering me. Not Nathan or Brody Mac and with Lady Lou getting out, I’m scared one of them is hurt. I’m the one with the medical skills, so let’s get in there and make sure everything—and everyone—is all right.” She hesitated for a fraction of a second. “But I’ll let you go first and will listen if you give me an order. Is that sufficient?”
“Fine. Stay behind me.” Trent took the lead, weapon drawn.
He stepped inside the open barn door and she heard him flip the light switch. Nothing happened.
While the sun was making its way up over the horizon, it was still too dark to see inside the barn without the light.
The horse to her right seemed restless, pacing from one end of the stall to the other. Pete. “What is it, big boy?”
He came to the opening and stuck his head through. She rubbed his nose and he seemed to calm. Then he stamped his foot and threw his head up and down. Was his foot bothering him? She checked the abscess a few times since Zeb had diagnosed it and been treating it, but mostly she’d entrusted the horse’s care to him while she’d been doing her own recovering. But maybe she should take a look?
A shuffle just ahead near the feed room caught her attention. Trent heard it, too, and he stepped forward, then cried out and went to his knees.
“Trent!”
Becca tried to see through the shifting shadows but couldn’t figure out what had happened. And then her rifle was ripped from her fingers and a hard forearm pressed against her throat. “You should mind your own business.”
Becca struggled against the man’s hold. Trent rose to his feet, swaying and lifting his weapon. “Let her go.”
Her captor raised his right arm and fired his weapon at Trent. Trent went down. Becca screamed.
“Police! Freeze!”
Becca’s knees nearly buckled at Nathan’s shout. Her attacker swung her around to face Nathan, his gun now aimed on Nathan.
Her heart pounded while her head spun and her gaze bounced between the two. The masked face and the one who’d once again come to her rescue.
“Drop it!” Nathan ordered as he ducked around the door for cover.
“I don’t think so, cowboy. You drop yours or I shoot both of you.”
“I’m a cop and I’ve got backup coming. Right now, no one’s seen your face, so either drop the weapon or start running. Either way, the clock is ticking.”
The weapon pressed harder against her temple, and Becca winced as pain shot through her head. She didn’t bother to fight him. He was strong and had the upper hand. She would have to wait him out and then outsmart him. While praying he didn’t shoot her or anyone else.
Please God, let Trent be okay.
She caught Nathan’s eye. Sirens sounded in the distance. Her captor swore and shoved her to the ground. He spun and started for the back door. Nathan raced past her. “Check Trent!”
Becca dropped to the ground next to the unconscious deputy and pressed her fingers to his pulse. It beat steady and hard beneath her fingers. As the sun rose, so did the visibility in the barn. With shaking hands, Becca checked for wounds. He’d taken a bullet in the shoulder. She raced for the first aid kit she kept in her office and grabbed it from the shelf. Hurrying back to Trent’s side, she snagged the scissors from the kit and cut away his shirt. Quickly, she grabbed disinfectant, bandages and tape then turned him on his side. “In and out,” she whispered. But he was bleeding—a lot.
She worked almost without thinking, her movements efficient and steady while she sent up prayers for Nathan’s safety. She could hear something going on outside the barn, but couldn’t leave Trent just yet without worrying he’d bleed to death if she didn’t care for his wound.
Trent groaned. “Wha—”
“Shh,” she said. “Stay still.”
“Somebody stabbed me with a hot poker. Man, that hurts.” He groaned.
“I have to stop the bleeding, Trent.”
“And my head. What happened?”
“This is going to sting.” She disinfected the wound and Trent cried out. Then passed out again. In record time, she finished dressing both sides, front and back, and figured that would keep him for now. She heard a cry from behind the barn and fear for Nathan clawed at her.
The goose egg on the side of Trent’s head needed an ice pack, but that would have to wait. All in all, she figured with time, he’d heal up as good as new.
With thanksgiving, she left him and bolted toward the back where Nathan and her attacker had disappeared.
She found them scuffling in the dirt just beyond the barn. And then Nathan managed to flip the guy onto his back and land a bone-crunching punch to the man’s face.
He went still.
Nathan rolled off of him, caught his breath, then flipped the man back over to his stomach. “You got any zip ties?”
“In the barn.”
“Can you get me one?”
Becca raced to grab one from the office just as the cruisers pulled into the yard. She waved them in her direction then ran back to Nathan, worried the prisoner would wake up and start fighting again.
Once Nathan had the man’s hands bound, he rolled him to his back and pulled his mask off.
Becca gasped. “That’s Larry Bowen.”