Wait in the Truck, page 14
"Since you been on a horse this long." He stroked his Sam Elliot-like mustache, and I could tell he was trying to hide his grin.
"Not too long." I tried to bluff it out, but knew the old cowboy saw everything.
"Mmmm…long enough you're walking like you're wearing a giant diaper when you get off that horse every night."
I narrowed my eyes at him, but he broke into guffaws. "Happens to the best of us. Now my old hide starts yelling at me when I'm not on a horse. My legs won't straighten up all the way anymore." He clapped me on the back again. "Don't worry, you've done a hell of a job so far."
"Thanks, Coop," I said, giving in just a bit and rubbing my backside once I determined no one else was paying any attention to us. "It'll be fine."
"Course it will," he agreed, pulling a small metal can out of his pocket and thrusting it toward me. "When you head over for some privacy tonight, rub a little of this into the worst muscles. An old Comanche woman makes it for me. Don't rightly know exactly what's in it, but it works like magic."
"Thanks, man, I appreciate it." I placed the small container in my own pocket.
"Me and Dale are going to water the horses." The old man tipped his hat in my direction and turned away to finish his chores. I stood there watching him go and mentally tried to figure out how soon I could leave camp to take care of business.
Ironically, the part I'd looked most forward to this week — sleeping under the stars, wasn't the relaxing endeavor I'd remembered. Unlike in Montana, we weren't riding mostly over grassy pastures under scenic mountain views but over a parched desert landscape. Only occasional clumps of mesquite that grew near the narrow river we were following broke up the relentless Texas sun. The ground was rocky and hard through my sleeping bag and, on top of my screaming muscles, made the nights long and uncomfortable. Worst yet, my thoughts were tortured by memories of Reece on our last night.
Damn I missed her! Lying on my back at night, my normal stargazing was impossible. Every moment of our night of lovemaking invaded all my senses. I smelled the scent of wildflowers coming from her hair, tasted the sweetness of her skin, and heard her throaty moans of pleasure. The sound of her crying out my name as I brought her to release made sleep almost impossible despite my exhaustion, but I had no power to stop my need to relive it over and over. To make matters even worse, I was surrounded by men and couldn't take things in my own hands for some relief. Oh, I probably could, but again, I'd never hear the end of it, so I suffered in silence, counting the hours until we could return to the ranch.
I'd never been happier the morning Ted rode up next to me and pointed in the near distance. "We're here." Ted was a man of few words.
If I squinted just right, I could see some actual pasture-looking areas rather than simply scrub in the distance. I trusted Ted knew what he was doing and was just thankful we'd arrived at our destination. Getting back to the ranch would be much faster without having to drive the cattle who seemed bound and determined to take the most difficult and dangerous paths left to their own devices.
By the end of the day, the cattle were where they needed to be, and everyone was in a celebratory mood. Around the campfire that night, Cooper pulled out a bottle of Jack as if by magic.
"You've been holding out on us, old man," Ranger groused as Cooper unscrewed the lid and took a long swig before passing the bottle.
"You young'uns needed to keep your wits about you," Coop answered, leaning back against a log. "Couldn't have y'all hung over and falling off your horses. I'm too old to pick your asses up!" Everyone cackled in good humor as the bottle made its way around the circle.
Ted, who was a strict Southern Baptist and wouldn't touch the 'devil's brew', didn't say a word as the men celebrated. I admired that about him. He had strong beliefs but never felt the need to push them on anyone else. As long as you were getting your work done and weren't causing problems, he stayed out of his men's personal lives. On the other hand, as in our case, he was also more than willing to lend a hand if needed. My mind still boggled that the Universe had steered Reece and I to exactly the people we needed at exactly the time we needed them. I don't know what we would have done without Ted and Claudia.
When the bottle made it around to me, I took a pull just to be one of the guys, but knew I wanted a clear head for the morning. As soon as it was light, I was heading out as fast as I could back to the ranch. Back to Reece.
31
Covergirl
Reece
Three more days. Seventy-two hours before Jericho was due to be back. I prevented myself from counting the minutes. Okay, I lied. It was 4,230 minutes but I couldn't let myself think about it that way or I truly would go insane. I wondered if he missed me as much as I missed him. Probably not. He'd have lots to do and be exhausted after riding all day. He probably only had time to give me a passing thought.
Oh, but I could think of almost nothing else. I lay in bed at night, curled up around his pillow, taking comfort in his scent. Every detail of the night before he left played over and over in my mind. Never in my wildest dreams had I imagined sex could be like that. But it was more than sex wasn't it? It had been for me. Was it too much to hope that it had been for him as well?
I sighed and shook my head at myself. I needed to pay attention to what I was doing. While I was finishing up Dapper's beauty appointment, I'd decided the word 'grooming' just didn't cut it for these beautiful equines and that, of course, made me a stylist, not a groomer. I giggled to myself at the thought. Maybe I should make a sign for the barn that read Triple R Horse Spa. Declan and Austin would likely laugh and roll their eyes at me. And it would give me something to do to distract myself. I turned when I heard Declan's ATV pulling up next to the barn.
"Just the girl I wanted to see," he declared, jumping off of the vehicle and striding toward me in that long, lazy cowboy lope he had. He had a huge smile on his face and was waving what looked like a magazine in his hand.
"Hey, Declan." I smiled warmly at him. He had become one of my favorite people over the last few months – like a big brother without all the sibling rivalry.
"Texas Equine came out today," he said, presenting me with the magazine in somewhat of a flourish. I chuckled at his antics and took it from him. It was surprisingly heavy with thick, glossy paper.
"May I have your autograph?" he added playfully, with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"What?" I laughed and looked at the cover. The laughter died in my throat. There I was in living color, smiling beatifically, my eyes closed with my forehead pressed against Mac Dhubh's big, velvety nose.
My legs suddenly turned to jelly, my stomach crashing down to about the level of my knees. The magazine dropped from my suddenly numb fingers and fell to the dirt at my feet. My vision started to go dark around the edges and my hands reached out for something, anything, to keep me upright. I grabbed hold of Dapper's mane. He snorted and took a step sideways not liking his hair pulled. My hand automatically loosened, but before I could hit the ground, Declan was next to me, his strong arms around my waist, keeping me upright.
"Reece! What's wrong? Here, come sit on the ATV." He all but carried me to his vehicle and leaned me up against it. My hands fisted in the front of his shirt, holding on while the world spun around me.
"Can I get something for you? What do you need?" Declan asked, his voice tight with worry.
A wave of intense déjà vu washed over me. A den of intertwining snakes had taken up residence in the depths of my belly. My face! My face was on the cover for all of Texas to see. The yellow truck flashed in my memory. No, it couldn't have been Dwayne. It couldn't have. "Did they use my name, Declan?" I asked, breathless with dread.
"I'm, uh, not sure, Reece," he answered, clearly confused. "I honestly haven't read the article yet. Just saw the cover and wanted you to see it. I thought you'd get a kick out of it."
A kick to the gut, I thought. I bowed my head, let my eyelids close, and concentrated on breathing in and out for a minute. Maybe they didn't mention my name. Who would think to look for me in such a high-end magazine if my name couldn't be searched? I was sure Texas Equine wasn't carried in the Stop & Shop where Dwayne did most of his shopping for essentials, which for Dwayne was beer and cigarettes.
"Can you please look for me?" I finally gathered the courage to ask Declan.
"Sure, Reece, sure." Realizing I still had his shirt in a death grip, I opened my fingers and used them to massage the sudden pain in my temples which was pounding in time to my racing heart.
Declan recovered the magazine from the ground and began flipping through the pages. A few moments later, he looked up at me, a stricken look on his face. "Looks like you're mentioned a couple of times."
My first name was the one that would damn me. That along with my face. It was all over. This life I'd made. All over. "Declan, I'm not feeling too well. Can I have the rest of the afternoon off?"
I must have looked as ashen and panicked as I felt because he didn't hesitate. "Of course, Reece. Do you need me to drive you? You're kinda pale."
"No," I answered quickly. "I'll be fine. I'll just have some sweet tea and lie down a while."
Starting jerkily toward Poppy, a thought occurred to me, and I turned partially back to Declan. "Has Claudia seen the magazine?"
"No, I just left her up at the house. She was working on the books in the office. I went and picked up the mail when I left her then came straight here to show you the cover." Declan's face was a mask of concern. "What's going on, Reece?"
"I really can't talk about it right now, Declan, but soon, I promise." I tried to make the corners of my mouth curve up but failed miserably.
"Are you sure you don't want me to take you?" Declan's green eyes bore into mine, seeking a glimpse of something, anything that could shed light on what was happening, I was sure. I'd never realized how piercing they could be. I longed to break down and let the entire story gush from my mouth and beg for help and forgiveness, but I couldn't.
"No, I'll be fine," I lied. "And Declan? Thank you…for everything." I knew the statement would likely confuse him even further. It sounded like a good-bye and, devastatingly, it was.
32
Gone Girl
Jericho
I'd pushed Diablo as hard as I dared to get back to the ranch leaving everyone but Ted behind. The older man had apparently made it some kind of quest to keep up with me and I was impressed that he was doing it. I wasn't sure why he'd chosen to race hell bent for leather with me, but I didn't care. As long as he didn't try to slow me down, he was welcome.
When we rode up next to the cattle barns a full two days earlier than expected, I dismounted and hurried to take care of my horse before commandeering a ranch ATV since I'd left my truck at the cabin. "I'm heading home, Ted. Thanks for riding back with me."
In the fading evening light, I thought I detected the hint of a half-smile on the taciturn man's mouth as he methodically brushed out Mercy's coat. "You do that, son. And go ahead and sleep in tomorrow. The rest of the men probably won't be home until late afternoon at the earliest. You've earned it. Tell Reece I said 'hey'."
"I will," I called over my shoulder as I hit the accelerator and gunned it toward home. And Reece.
Practically tripping over my feet pounding up the porch steps, I hit the front door at almost a run. "Hi, Honey, I'm home!" I called out in my now common refrain.
It only took me a few moments to glance into every room and determine that Reece wasn't there. A frown replaced the enthusiastic smile on my face. Only a single light shone in the house –- the small one over the stove. The one Reece always forgot to turn off. Maybe she had gotten lonely and was up at the big house with Claudia. I was back early.
I was debating whether to shower first or head straight up to the big house when I saw an envelope propped up on the kitchen island next to a vase full of wildflowers, their colorful heads drooping sadly. It had my name on it in Reece's handwriting. With an icy ball of dread suddenly lodged in my throat, I removed my hat and placed it slowly on the island, running a hand through my dusty hair. Part of me wanting to rip the envelope open and the other part dreading what I might find there. I dropped to a barstool as I carefully opened the envelope and pulled out the piece of paper. It had obviously been torn out of the gratitude journal Reece had taken to writing in a couple of months ago.
I stared uncomprehendingly at the words for several long moments. I read it again, then a third time before I started hearing the pounding of my heart loudly in my ears. I sucked in a strangled breath. She couldn't be gone. What in the world could have happened? Had the law somehow found her and shown up at the ranch? Was she in danger? Where would she have gone?
I finally shook myself out of my almost stupor, grabbed up the letter and headed for my truck. This time, I noticed the funny red convertible Reece called Poppy was gone as well. I headed for the big house in a panic.
Claudia met me in the driveway, Ted standing behind her like a sentinel, likely having heard the rumble of my truck. Abruptly, I had a vision of the day Reece and I had arrived, only this time, Claudia's face was a mask of concern, not welcome.
"Oh, thank God, you're back," Claudia cried out as I jumped from the vehicle. "I've been beside myself. I can't find her anywhere. What could be so terrible that she would leave without a word?"
I saw then that Claudia had a crumpled piece of paper in her hand. Reece must have left her a note as well. My hands pulled at my hair in frustration and fear. I had no idea how much Reece had told her, but it seemed the entire story needed to be told now. Reece obviously had a two-day head start on us to wherever she was headed. I figured it was worth the few minutes it would take to confess my sin and try to figure out where Reece would have run.
We sat in the kitchen and I told them every detail I could remember about the night Reece and I had met, including what I'd done. "She never asked me outright what happened in the trailer and I never told her, but she's not an idiot," I said at the end. "She lived in fear for a long time that the law would be looking for her, even though she hadn't done anything wrong. It would be easy to assume she was the one who shot him." I still couldn't bring myself to use the word 'murder' even in my own thoughts.
Claudia's eyes were filled with unshed tears. "The poor girl! How could she think we'd turn her out or not support her even if they did come for her? That stupid magazine!"
Claudia explained that it was apparently her picture on the cover of the fancy horse magazine that had set Reece off. Declan had come to Claudia the evening it had come out and explained what had happened when Reece had seen her picture on the cover, not able to get the incident out of his mind. They had gone to check on her at the cabin, but she'd already been gone.
Ted had been sitting quietly, his deeply lined face inscrutable as Claudia and I spoke. As our words seemed to dry up, Ted started to speak. His normally deep bass voice cracked and he cleared his throat before beginning again. "My vanity project caused her to run. I knew she was hiding from something. Claudia and I had talked about it. I should have taken more care. I'm so sorry."
I'd never heard Ted string together so many words at once in all the months I'd been here, but I couldn't let him take the blame. "No, Ted, your 'vanity project' as you call it gave her purpose. She loved — loves those horses. And you've given us a home, treated us like family besides. None of this is your fault. We should have come clean at the beginning. It was never fair of us to put you in this position."
Claudia reached out and clasped both our hands. "Now is not the time for blame. We've got to find our girl. Where do we start?"
33
Lessons Learned
Reece
Once I had gotten back to the cabin, it hadn't taken long to gather the few possessions I have and throw them into Poppy's backseat. It took much longer to get my notes written to Claudia and Jericho. Especially Jericho. The thought of leaving him had my breath hitching and my chest tightening, but I knew it had to happen. I couldn't let him be punished for saving my life.
Opting to leave on a Thursday evening, I hoped to divert any suspicion among the few people left at the ranch who might see me. Since Thursdays were typically when I went to my self-defense class with Cody, it was a convenient cover story that would lead anyone who saw me to assume I was headed there as usual. There were few people left to notice me, however, since most of the hands were away on the cattle drive.
"Good-bye," I whispered as I drove under the big Triple R Ranch sign wiping tears from my cheeks.
When Jericho and I had first driven under the sign on our arrival to the ranch, I remembered being petrified. Petrified they wouldn't let me stay. Petrified we were already being chased by the law. Basically, I was one big ball of fear. Now, as I drove away for the last time, fear wasn't exactly what I felt. Oh sure, I was nervous about what the future may hold and having to start over again, but more than anything, I felt loss. The Triple R had become my family — one that I'd never had before. Thanks to their support, and their unconditional love, I knew I could make it on my own even if it wasn't what I wanted to do. Damn that magazine anyway! Dozens of exquisitely beautiful horses to choose from and they had to put my face on the cover and ruin the almost perfect life I was building for myself.
I avoided Main Street, not wanting Cody or anyone from my class to see me driving through town. By the time I had navigated around blocks I'd never seen before, my emotional upheaval started to catch up with me. Like a memory come to life, the motel Jericho and I had stayed in the first night we'd come to town manifested in front of my eyes. Maybe coming full circle and staying here for the night would help me find some closure.
After paying for the room, I parked Poppy around the back of the building so she couldn't be seen from the street. Gathering my backpack with my essentials, I made my way to the room and opened the door with the old-fashioned key. Number 18. The same room Jericho and I had stayed in. As I swung my backpack onto the little table and looked around, I had a weird feeling. It wasn't quite déjà vu as much of it was surprisingly new to me, but parts were vaguely familiar. I recognized the musty scent of the carpet and the polyester bedspreads with their 1970s flowers, but my mind didn't recognize much else. I'd been so traumatized that first night, nothing after climbing into Jericho's truck had seemed real.
"Not too long." I tried to bluff it out, but knew the old cowboy saw everything.
"Mmmm…long enough you're walking like you're wearing a giant diaper when you get off that horse every night."
I narrowed my eyes at him, but he broke into guffaws. "Happens to the best of us. Now my old hide starts yelling at me when I'm not on a horse. My legs won't straighten up all the way anymore." He clapped me on the back again. "Don't worry, you've done a hell of a job so far."
"Thanks, Coop," I said, giving in just a bit and rubbing my backside once I determined no one else was paying any attention to us. "It'll be fine."
"Course it will," he agreed, pulling a small metal can out of his pocket and thrusting it toward me. "When you head over for some privacy tonight, rub a little of this into the worst muscles. An old Comanche woman makes it for me. Don't rightly know exactly what's in it, but it works like magic."
"Thanks, man, I appreciate it." I placed the small container in my own pocket.
"Me and Dale are going to water the horses." The old man tipped his hat in my direction and turned away to finish his chores. I stood there watching him go and mentally tried to figure out how soon I could leave camp to take care of business.
Ironically, the part I'd looked most forward to this week — sleeping under the stars, wasn't the relaxing endeavor I'd remembered. Unlike in Montana, we weren't riding mostly over grassy pastures under scenic mountain views but over a parched desert landscape. Only occasional clumps of mesquite that grew near the narrow river we were following broke up the relentless Texas sun. The ground was rocky and hard through my sleeping bag and, on top of my screaming muscles, made the nights long and uncomfortable. Worst yet, my thoughts were tortured by memories of Reece on our last night.
Damn I missed her! Lying on my back at night, my normal stargazing was impossible. Every moment of our night of lovemaking invaded all my senses. I smelled the scent of wildflowers coming from her hair, tasted the sweetness of her skin, and heard her throaty moans of pleasure. The sound of her crying out my name as I brought her to release made sleep almost impossible despite my exhaustion, but I had no power to stop my need to relive it over and over. To make matters even worse, I was surrounded by men and couldn't take things in my own hands for some relief. Oh, I probably could, but again, I'd never hear the end of it, so I suffered in silence, counting the hours until we could return to the ranch.
I'd never been happier the morning Ted rode up next to me and pointed in the near distance. "We're here." Ted was a man of few words.
If I squinted just right, I could see some actual pasture-looking areas rather than simply scrub in the distance. I trusted Ted knew what he was doing and was just thankful we'd arrived at our destination. Getting back to the ranch would be much faster without having to drive the cattle who seemed bound and determined to take the most difficult and dangerous paths left to their own devices.
By the end of the day, the cattle were where they needed to be, and everyone was in a celebratory mood. Around the campfire that night, Cooper pulled out a bottle of Jack as if by magic.
"You've been holding out on us, old man," Ranger groused as Cooper unscrewed the lid and took a long swig before passing the bottle.
"You young'uns needed to keep your wits about you," Coop answered, leaning back against a log. "Couldn't have y'all hung over and falling off your horses. I'm too old to pick your asses up!" Everyone cackled in good humor as the bottle made its way around the circle.
Ted, who was a strict Southern Baptist and wouldn't touch the 'devil's brew', didn't say a word as the men celebrated. I admired that about him. He had strong beliefs but never felt the need to push them on anyone else. As long as you were getting your work done and weren't causing problems, he stayed out of his men's personal lives. On the other hand, as in our case, he was also more than willing to lend a hand if needed. My mind still boggled that the Universe had steered Reece and I to exactly the people we needed at exactly the time we needed them. I don't know what we would have done without Ted and Claudia.
When the bottle made it around to me, I took a pull just to be one of the guys, but knew I wanted a clear head for the morning. As soon as it was light, I was heading out as fast as I could back to the ranch. Back to Reece.
31
Covergirl
Reece
Three more days. Seventy-two hours before Jericho was due to be back. I prevented myself from counting the minutes. Okay, I lied. It was 4,230 minutes but I couldn't let myself think about it that way or I truly would go insane. I wondered if he missed me as much as I missed him. Probably not. He'd have lots to do and be exhausted after riding all day. He probably only had time to give me a passing thought.
Oh, but I could think of almost nothing else. I lay in bed at night, curled up around his pillow, taking comfort in his scent. Every detail of the night before he left played over and over in my mind. Never in my wildest dreams had I imagined sex could be like that. But it was more than sex wasn't it? It had been for me. Was it too much to hope that it had been for him as well?
I sighed and shook my head at myself. I needed to pay attention to what I was doing. While I was finishing up Dapper's beauty appointment, I'd decided the word 'grooming' just didn't cut it for these beautiful equines and that, of course, made me a stylist, not a groomer. I giggled to myself at the thought. Maybe I should make a sign for the barn that read Triple R Horse Spa. Declan and Austin would likely laugh and roll their eyes at me. And it would give me something to do to distract myself. I turned when I heard Declan's ATV pulling up next to the barn.
"Just the girl I wanted to see," he declared, jumping off of the vehicle and striding toward me in that long, lazy cowboy lope he had. He had a huge smile on his face and was waving what looked like a magazine in his hand.
"Hey, Declan." I smiled warmly at him. He had become one of my favorite people over the last few months – like a big brother without all the sibling rivalry.
"Texas Equine came out today," he said, presenting me with the magazine in somewhat of a flourish. I chuckled at his antics and took it from him. It was surprisingly heavy with thick, glossy paper.
"May I have your autograph?" he added playfully, with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"What?" I laughed and looked at the cover. The laughter died in my throat. There I was in living color, smiling beatifically, my eyes closed with my forehead pressed against Mac Dhubh's big, velvety nose.
My legs suddenly turned to jelly, my stomach crashing down to about the level of my knees. The magazine dropped from my suddenly numb fingers and fell to the dirt at my feet. My vision started to go dark around the edges and my hands reached out for something, anything, to keep me upright. I grabbed hold of Dapper's mane. He snorted and took a step sideways not liking his hair pulled. My hand automatically loosened, but before I could hit the ground, Declan was next to me, his strong arms around my waist, keeping me upright.
"Reece! What's wrong? Here, come sit on the ATV." He all but carried me to his vehicle and leaned me up against it. My hands fisted in the front of his shirt, holding on while the world spun around me.
"Can I get something for you? What do you need?" Declan asked, his voice tight with worry.
A wave of intense déjà vu washed over me. A den of intertwining snakes had taken up residence in the depths of my belly. My face! My face was on the cover for all of Texas to see. The yellow truck flashed in my memory. No, it couldn't have been Dwayne. It couldn't have. "Did they use my name, Declan?" I asked, breathless with dread.
"I'm, uh, not sure, Reece," he answered, clearly confused. "I honestly haven't read the article yet. Just saw the cover and wanted you to see it. I thought you'd get a kick out of it."
A kick to the gut, I thought. I bowed my head, let my eyelids close, and concentrated on breathing in and out for a minute. Maybe they didn't mention my name. Who would think to look for me in such a high-end magazine if my name couldn't be searched? I was sure Texas Equine wasn't carried in the Stop & Shop where Dwayne did most of his shopping for essentials, which for Dwayne was beer and cigarettes.
"Can you please look for me?" I finally gathered the courage to ask Declan.
"Sure, Reece, sure." Realizing I still had his shirt in a death grip, I opened my fingers and used them to massage the sudden pain in my temples which was pounding in time to my racing heart.
Declan recovered the magazine from the ground and began flipping through the pages. A few moments later, he looked up at me, a stricken look on his face. "Looks like you're mentioned a couple of times."
My first name was the one that would damn me. That along with my face. It was all over. This life I'd made. All over. "Declan, I'm not feeling too well. Can I have the rest of the afternoon off?"
I must have looked as ashen and panicked as I felt because he didn't hesitate. "Of course, Reece. Do you need me to drive you? You're kinda pale."
"No," I answered quickly. "I'll be fine. I'll just have some sweet tea and lie down a while."
Starting jerkily toward Poppy, a thought occurred to me, and I turned partially back to Declan. "Has Claudia seen the magazine?"
"No, I just left her up at the house. She was working on the books in the office. I went and picked up the mail when I left her then came straight here to show you the cover." Declan's face was a mask of concern. "What's going on, Reece?"
"I really can't talk about it right now, Declan, but soon, I promise." I tried to make the corners of my mouth curve up but failed miserably.
"Are you sure you don't want me to take you?" Declan's green eyes bore into mine, seeking a glimpse of something, anything that could shed light on what was happening, I was sure. I'd never realized how piercing they could be. I longed to break down and let the entire story gush from my mouth and beg for help and forgiveness, but I couldn't.
"No, I'll be fine," I lied. "And Declan? Thank you…for everything." I knew the statement would likely confuse him even further. It sounded like a good-bye and, devastatingly, it was.
32
Gone Girl
Jericho
I'd pushed Diablo as hard as I dared to get back to the ranch leaving everyone but Ted behind. The older man had apparently made it some kind of quest to keep up with me and I was impressed that he was doing it. I wasn't sure why he'd chosen to race hell bent for leather with me, but I didn't care. As long as he didn't try to slow me down, he was welcome.
When we rode up next to the cattle barns a full two days earlier than expected, I dismounted and hurried to take care of my horse before commandeering a ranch ATV since I'd left my truck at the cabin. "I'm heading home, Ted. Thanks for riding back with me."
In the fading evening light, I thought I detected the hint of a half-smile on the taciturn man's mouth as he methodically brushed out Mercy's coat. "You do that, son. And go ahead and sleep in tomorrow. The rest of the men probably won't be home until late afternoon at the earliest. You've earned it. Tell Reece I said 'hey'."
"I will," I called over my shoulder as I hit the accelerator and gunned it toward home. And Reece.
Practically tripping over my feet pounding up the porch steps, I hit the front door at almost a run. "Hi, Honey, I'm home!" I called out in my now common refrain.
It only took me a few moments to glance into every room and determine that Reece wasn't there. A frown replaced the enthusiastic smile on my face. Only a single light shone in the house –- the small one over the stove. The one Reece always forgot to turn off. Maybe she had gotten lonely and was up at the big house with Claudia. I was back early.
I was debating whether to shower first or head straight up to the big house when I saw an envelope propped up on the kitchen island next to a vase full of wildflowers, their colorful heads drooping sadly. It had my name on it in Reece's handwriting. With an icy ball of dread suddenly lodged in my throat, I removed my hat and placed it slowly on the island, running a hand through my dusty hair. Part of me wanting to rip the envelope open and the other part dreading what I might find there. I dropped to a barstool as I carefully opened the envelope and pulled out the piece of paper. It had obviously been torn out of the gratitude journal Reece had taken to writing in a couple of months ago.
I stared uncomprehendingly at the words for several long moments. I read it again, then a third time before I started hearing the pounding of my heart loudly in my ears. I sucked in a strangled breath. She couldn't be gone. What in the world could have happened? Had the law somehow found her and shown up at the ranch? Was she in danger? Where would she have gone?
I finally shook myself out of my almost stupor, grabbed up the letter and headed for my truck. This time, I noticed the funny red convertible Reece called Poppy was gone as well. I headed for the big house in a panic.
Claudia met me in the driveway, Ted standing behind her like a sentinel, likely having heard the rumble of my truck. Abruptly, I had a vision of the day Reece and I had arrived, only this time, Claudia's face was a mask of concern, not welcome.
"Oh, thank God, you're back," Claudia cried out as I jumped from the vehicle. "I've been beside myself. I can't find her anywhere. What could be so terrible that she would leave without a word?"
I saw then that Claudia had a crumpled piece of paper in her hand. Reece must have left her a note as well. My hands pulled at my hair in frustration and fear. I had no idea how much Reece had told her, but it seemed the entire story needed to be told now. Reece obviously had a two-day head start on us to wherever she was headed. I figured it was worth the few minutes it would take to confess my sin and try to figure out where Reece would have run.
We sat in the kitchen and I told them every detail I could remember about the night Reece and I had met, including what I'd done. "She never asked me outright what happened in the trailer and I never told her, but she's not an idiot," I said at the end. "She lived in fear for a long time that the law would be looking for her, even though she hadn't done anything wrong. It would be easy to assume she was the one who shot him." I still couldn't bring myself to use the word 'murder' even in my own thoughts.
Claudia's eyes were filled with unshed tears. "The poor girl! How could she think we'd turn her out or not support her even if they did come for her? That stupid magazine!"
Claudia explained that it was apparently her picture on the cover of the fancy horse magazine that had set Reece off. Declan had come to Claudia the evening it had come out and explained what had happened when Reece had seen her picture on the cover, not able to get the incident out of his mind. They had gone to check on her at the cabin, but she'd already been gone.
Ted had been sitting quietly, his deeply lined face inscrutable as Claudia and I spoke. As our words seemed to dry up, Ted started to speak. His normally deep bass voice cracked and he cleared his throat before beginning again. "My vanity project caused her to run. I knew she was hiding from something. Claudia and I had talked about it. I should have taken more care. I'm so sorry."
I'd never heard Ted string together so many words at once in all the months I'd been here, but I couldn't let him take the blame. "No, Ted, your 'vanity project' as you call it gave her purpose. She loved — loves those horses. And you've given us a home, treated us like family besides. None of this is your fault. We should have come clean at the beginning. It was never fair of us to put you in this position."
Claudia reached out and clasped both our hands. "Now is not the time for blame. We've got to find our girl. Where do we start?"
33
Lessons Learned
Reece
Once I had gotten back to the cabin, it hadn't taken long to gather the few possessions I have and throw them into Poppy's backseat. It took much longer to get my notes written to Claudia and Jericho. Especially Jericho. The thought of leaving him had my breath hitching and my chest tightening, but I knew it had to happen. I couldn't let him be punished for saving my life.
Opting to leave on a Thursday evening, I hoped to divert any suspicion among the few people left at the ranch who might see me. Since Thursdays were typically when I went to my self-defense class with Cody, it was a convenient cover story that would lead anyone who saw me to assume I was headed there as usual. There were few people left to notice me, however, since most of the hands were away on the cattle drive.
"Good-bye," I whispered as I drove under the big Triple R Ranch sign wiping tears from my cheeks.
When Jericho and I had first driven under the sign on our arrival to the ranch, I remembered being petrified. Petrified they wouldn't let me stay. Petrified we were already being chased by the law. Basically, I was one big ball of fear. Now, as I drove away for the last time, fear wasn't exactly what I felt. Oh sure, I was nervous about what the future may hold and having to start over again, but more than anything, I felt loss. The Triple R had become my family — one that I'd never had before. Thanks to their support, and their unconditional love, I knew I could make it on my own even if it wasn't what I wanted to do. Damn that magazine anyway! Dozens of exquisitely beautiful horses to choose from and they had to put my face on the cover and ruin the almost perfect life I was building for myself.
I avoided Main Street, not wanting Cody or anyone from my class to see me driving through town. By the time I had navigated around blocks I'd never seen before, my emotional upheaval started to catch up with me. Like a memory come to life, the motel Jericho and I had stayed in the first night we'd come to town manifested in front of my eyes. Maybe coming full circle and staying here for the night would help me find some closure.
After paying for the room, I parked Poppy around the back of the building so she couldn't be seen from the street. Gathering my backpack with my essentials, I made my way to the room and opened the door with the old-fashioned key. Number 18. The same room Jericho and I had stayed in. As I swung my backpack onto the little table and looked around, I had a weird feeling. It wasn't quite déjà vu as much of it was surprisingly new to me, but parts were vaguely familiar. I recognized the musty scent of the carpet and the polyester bedspreads with their 1970s flowers, but my mind didn't recognize much else. I'd been so traumatized that first night, nothing after climbing into Jericho's truck had seemed real.
