First Last Chance, page 17
“You constantly go up against me,” said Gabe. “Damn right I do. You also know the ranchers, the land, but most our ranchers know you. When it comes to anything else, I can teach you. I’ll also be your ears with the ranchers.”
Jason looked at Ashley, and Gabe saw it then. Jason had been so used to making a decision with Susan around, this was his first really big leap alone. They were all learning and re-evaluating shattered lives as best as they could. “I’ll be right there, brother.”
“Okay.” Jason nodded. “Let’s do it. Could you give me your contacts?”
“Absolutely, I’ll make a list and get it to you.”
Jason ran a hand through his hair. “Right, but for god’s sake, can someone please tell me what’s been wrong with Lisa lately? I haven’t got a clue where to start asking.”
It fell into quiet, and Gabe and Ashley shared a look.
“I mean, I thought she was doing okay up until last week.” Jason shrugged. “I thought it was to do with missing the shopping trip, but I know her. Something like that wouldn’t eat into her like this.”
Ashley went over and rubbed at his arm. “Go talk to her,” she said gently. “But don’t push it if she doesn’t want to, okay. In fact…” She glanced back at Gabe. “If she doesn’t talk, just hug her, and for as long as possible. Sometimes it’s the only answer.”
Jason frowned at her, then pulled away and headed out.
Ashley gave a sigh and came back over to Gabe. “I’m losing you tomorrow too, huh?”
Gabe tugged her in as he wrapped his arms around her. “You could come with me?”
Ashley looked up and narrowed her eyes. “You’re gonna need to work fast and get this sorted. I’ll be here when you get back.” She let a smile creep in. “It’s what friends do, right?”
“Yeah, right.” He ran a hand through her hair, gripped the back of it, and kissed her. “Good friends,” he managed eventually.
Ashley measured friends up between finger and thumb, then widened it a little, and Gabe laughed.
“I’d actually like to drive up to the cabin today, just to get my head right.”
Gabe frowned at her.
“Just take time out to breathe,” she said gently, kissing him back. “You’re pretty intense no matter how you come at me. From there I want to visit a place Ruth told me about—get a gift for Nathan and Kathryn’s anniversary, so it’s not all about you and—”
“Friends?”
Ashley measured it up and widened the gap a little more. “Good ones.” She rose to her toes and placed a soft kiss on his lips. “Both of us with our heads clear, the best kind of complications, no other baggage?” That was her way with trying to move forward, past the screw ups. “It’ll be worth it, I promise. You need some space too.”
Gabe stroked at her cheek, maybe seeing it. “Do I at least get to say I can come find you if you’re not back before me? Asking for a…friend here.” He winced. “Mostly because the asshole will come in too heavy, and I’m talking horses, shotguns, a few tanks.”
Ashley grinned up at him. “I’d kind of just like you. Leave the asshole behind.”
Gabe laughed and tightened his hold. “Deal.”
Chapter 26
Ashley glanced at her watch as she looked for her coat in the cabin. Gabe would be in his meeting now with Pam. She’d spent a quiet night alone, just enjoying a bottle of wine, a book, and trying not to think about Gabe. Despite him leaving today, she’d deliberately left yesterday to cool things down and she’d kept her phone switched off to ensure it. Strange how she kept switching it back on to see if she’d had any messages, and smiled when one or two came through when she did. She didn’t reply, though, and Gabe seemed happy to send more texts her way despite knowing she wouldn’t.
Although she’d sent him a stay safe message this morning when he knew he’d be boarding his plane.
Ted was waiting for outside, and he carried her bag from yesterday into the cabin before setting it by the door. She’d been too tired to unpack fully.
“There’s two for you as well. I’ll help you get them back to yours.” Ashley reached back into the Tahoe and pulled out the bags Ruth had sent. Then she grabbed her camera and walked with Ted to his place. The path along the lake was wild and pristine, and the aroma of evergreens filled the air.
“You up for a day of fishing?” Ted shifted his bag in his arm. As they rounded a clump of thick shrubs, an elk appeared on the trail before them, and with a catch in her throat, they stood quiet, watching.
The elegant animal raised its head to sniff the air, then looked their way. Large, dark eyes stared, and his body quivered. She thought of lifting the camera to capture its beauty but was afraid any movement would break the spell. Instead, she took in every detail from the animal’s long legs to the nick in the right ear that now pointed skyward. A breeze rustled through the trees, and the elk turned to its right before another quick glance back. An instant later, it was gone.
“Actually, I was thinking of driving over to the Talltree place later this afternoon to look for an anniversary gift for my brother and his wife. Would you like to come along?”
They’d reached Ted’s cabin. “Tell you what,” Ted said, “you go, and I’ll stay here and catch us a fish we can have for dinner.”
“Sounds good.”
***
Ashley drove west with a cool bite in the air, but the sky stayed clear and bright until she reached the small town of Dayton. Clouds darkened and thickened in the sky, but the Talltree shop wasn’t much farther, so she continued. As she reached the foothills, a fierce wind swept down from the north, and she held tightly to the steering wheel as a crosswind knocked her car about. On windy, rainy days in her childhood, her mother had often baked chocolate chip cookies, and she smiled not remember making cookies in any other weather.
The road turned north, away from the small town, toward the high craggy peaks of the Bighorns. She shivered, barely able to make out the outline of the mountains through the clouds.
It was too late to worry about getting involved with Gabe—she was there, paddle overboard and lost. All that was left now was to make sure he didn’t burn her despite the threat of drowning that came with him. Hot and cold seemed to go hand in hand with hard and fast where Gabe was concerned.
Ashley slowed to check the directions she’d copied from the website and kept watch for the gravel road that led to Sally Talltree’s place. After turning onto the gravel road, a beautiful, carved sign appeared with Talltree Quilts in script lettering in front of a large chalet. The wooden building looked inviting, and Ashley parked next to three other cars in the lot.
Homey was how she’d describe it as she entered. Not only was it a quilter’s paradise but attached to the back sat a small coffee shop, and the aroma told her they served homemade pastries.
“Welcome,” said someone from behind her. “I’m Sally.”
Ashley turned to find a short Native-American woman in her mid-forties with braids, wearing jeans and a plaid shirt. The woman’s smile was irresistible as she stocked a shelf. Ashley smiled back. “Thank you. What a beautiful place you have.”
Wiping at her apron, the woman came over. “Are you looking for something special?”
“An anniversary gift for my brother and sister-in-law.”
“Did you find us on the Internet?”
“A friend told me about you. Then, yes, I found you online.”
“Welcome. Our son, Marcus, brought us into the twenty-first century. He takes care of all our online marketing. Did you have any trouble getting here?” Sally gave a sniff.
“The directions on your website were easy to follow.”
“Would you like to look around? Over there are the newest creations.” Sally pointed to the left section of the building. “On the other side are the cards, tablecloths, kitchen towels, and quilts with designs of our local wildlife and plants.”
Sally nodded to two men heading out the door carrying paper cups as a loud commotion came from the back. “Just have a look around and let me know if I can help.” She headed off in the direction of the noise.
Ashley narrowed her selection down to two, not sure which Kathryn would like best. Struggling to decide, she jolted when she found Sally stop by her.
“Sorry. Have you found one you like?” Her braid had fallen over her left shoulder, and her round face, high cheek bones, and deep brown eyes made Ashley instinctively reach for the camera she carried in her purse, but then she stopped herself. Permission. She needed Sally’s permission before she ran with instinct and snapped the shot.
“Can’t decide?” Sally asked again.
“I’m having trouble between these two. They’re both beautiful. But I think I’ll go with the yellow and blue. The colors are so bright, especially on a day like this.”
Sleet had begun to fall, and Sally nodded. “If you’d like, you can go on back and Ray will fix you up with a piece of pie and a hot coffee while I get this wrapped for you. Anniversary, you say?”
“Yes, thank you.” Ashley made her way to a small table for two by a window and watched the evergreens sway with the wind. She was glad she’d chosen a wool sweater this morning and scrunched her shoulders, pulling the sweater tighter. She’d left her jacket in the car.
A man who must have been Ray approached. “Sally said you’d like a hot drink and a treat. Coffee and pie?”
“Yes, thanks.”
A moment later he was back, and he placed a slice of berry pie and cup of dark steaming coffee in front of her. “Will this do? Cream and sugar there.” He pointed to the tray he’d brought.
“It looks wonderful. Thank you.” He had shiny black hair, large dark eyes, a straight nose, full lips, and the most beautiful, light-brown skin.
He smiled, and she noticed the twinkle in his eyes. “I’m so sorry, but I would love to take a photograph of you and Sally. Do you think that would be possible?”
“A photograph?” He chuckled, then called out, “Sally, this lady would like a photograph of us. Are you busy?”
***
Ashley said goodbye to Sally and Ray Talltree an hour later. She liked the couple and enjoyed chatting with them while they posed for her. She also had the perfect anniversary gift. Kathryn would go crazy when she saw the quilt—the hand stitching was beautiful, the best Ashley had ever seen.
As she pulled onto the road turning east toward the cabin, wind racing down the Bighorns seemed to push the SUV toward Dayton when it wasn’t trying to blow her off the road altogether. She kept both hands on the wheel.
As she rounded a wide curve, a man stood in the roadway, waving his arms. His car, a black Lincoln, was parked by the side of the road.
When she got closer, Ashley recognized him as one of the two men who had been at Sally’s earlier. She slowed, not sure what to do. If he was having car trouble, she could call for a tow truck or give him a ride to Dayton.
The man tipped his Red Sox cap as she slowed to a stop next to him. “Ma’am,” he said as she rolled down her window.
“Are you having car trouble?”
“Yeah. Would you be so kind as to give me a lift to Dayton since it looks like that’s the direction you’re heading?” He looked up. “We could get a few inches of snow here.”
Ashley hesitated. “I could call someone for you.” She pulled her phone from her purse and found there was no cell service. She slipped it back in, conscious of having her phone on display. “Well…”
The man walked around and slid in beside her. “Sorry, ma’am. But we’re gonna need a ride.”
“What? Wait. We?”
The second man she’d seen at Sally’s, a redhead, stepped up and opened her door, and Ashley widened her eyes at the gun her passenger pulled out.
“Like I said.” The man in the passenger seat smiled her way. “We’re gonna need a ride. Get in the back.” The gun shifted from her to the door.
“What…what about my purse?” Ashley made sure to keep a lot of distance from the gun. “Can I please have my purse?”
“You mean your phone. Like you’ve already seen, there’s no service here in the Bighorns, so no need for it, right?” the passenger reminded her as Redhead pulled at her jumper to get her out.
“In there.” Redhead took her arm and opened the back door. “Get in.”
“Why?” Ashley really didn’t want to.
“Like he said, we need the car.”
“Then you don’t need me.”
“Stop messing around.” The passenger leaned over. “Get her in and drive.”
A shove sent Ashley onto the back seat, then the redhead slammed the door as the gun levelled her way, daring her to make a bolt for it as the lock clicked into place.
She took the hint and didn’t as the driver put the car in gear and rolled forward. “What are we going to do with her, Darrell?”
“Stop the damn car.” It came to a stop, and Darrell jumped out and rounded the hood. “You idiot. I told you not to use any names. Now out, I’ll drive.” He opened the rear door. “Get in there with her.”
“Are…are we taking her all the way to Arizona?” The redhead slid in next to Ashley.
Names…places. The redhead didn’t seem the brightest sparkplug in the engine with giving out details. But sometimes stupid caught holding the gun was worst-case scenario in anyone’s book.
Darrell glanced in the rearview mirror. “Shut your trap. You want everyone to know where we’re heading?”
Shivering, Ashley tried to push her luck by reaching for her jacket, but as she reached over, the redhead pushed her back.
“Don’t. You stay still.”
Ashley’s heart slammed against her chest. “Cold,” she said, hands raised to calm it down. “I’m just cold.” The shaking lied, it was down to being terrorized, but Redhead frowned her way, then grabbed the jacket and tossed it at her.
“No going through the pockets.”
She nodded quickly and slipped it on.
Redhead looked younger than Darrell. He sat with his shoulders slumped, as if to make himself smaller. Hands rested on his thighs, but he kept chewing his nails and tapping his foot.
Ashley glanced out the window. “The sleet’s turned to snow,” she stated. “Are we heading down into the valley? You won’t make it anywhere else.”
Redhead glanced her way. “We—”
“Oh don’t be stupid and answer her.” Darrell narrowed his eyes in the mirror. “Shut up back there.”
Redhead leaned forward and placed a hand on the seat. “But I’m hungry. That coffee wasn’t enough.” He straightened. “Can we check her bag for cash and stop for something soon?”
“That’s real smart thinking. And let people see her and her car? You’re such a moron.”
“But I’m hungry.”
“Jesus. Shut up.”
But the car slowed, and Darrell tossed Ashley’s purse back. “Check to see how much is in there.”
The gun sat on the passenger side, and Ashley kept sole focus on that.
Redhead opened her purse and pulled out her wallet. He took out the cash, then shoved the wallet back into her purse. “Seventy-two dollars. Is that all?”
“Teacher by trade,” she said quickly, blowing warmth into her hands. “Just how much do you think we earn?”
A slight lie there. She had more than enough money. “Car’s not even mine. It’s rented.” That wasn’t a lie, but it helped.
“Fuck.” Darrell glanced back. “That means someone will be looking for it eventually.”
Did she give off single signs so badly that they were more worried about someone looking for the car before they would her? She wanted to groan but buried it as she pulled her body into a tight ball. She’d read somewhere that the best way to avoid attention in a kidnaping was to not be seen and draw attention, to make yourself unattractive, to co-operate if there was no way out.
“If money’s what you want, I could get some.”
“What, from your bank card? Leave a trail of where we’re going?” Darrell shook his head. “You think we’re stupid?”
She shifted closer to the door.
“What are you doing out here, anyway? You from around here?”
“What?” She frowned at Darrell. What the hell was this? “I’m here visiting a friend. His wife died. He’s staying with his brother.”
“Shit.” Darrell slowed the car. “You telling me you’re a friend of the Coulters?”
They knew Jason…Gabe? Did that mean Gabe and Jason knew them?
“Doesn’t matter.” Darrell shifted up a gear. “We’ll drop you off soon.”
“Drop her off?” Redhead asked, as confused as Ashley. Something seemed to have changed.
“Yeah. Can’t afford that kind of attention. We’ll drive for a while longer, then leave her roadside. We’ll be miles away before they find her, but the focus will be on finding her.”
Redhead squirmed. “We just wanted the car. We can’t leave her out in this. What if it’s hours before she’s picked up?”
That would be fine by her. Rather out there than in here.
“What’s wrong with you?” Darrell shook his head. “Moron,” he muttered. “Don’t worry about her. We need to get out of Wyoming.”
The car turned right onto a dirt road, and a sign read Buffalo Creek Campground. The car pulled into a clump of trees a few moments later.
“Get her out.” Darrell pulled his cap low on his head and got out.
Redhead reached across her, opened the door, and gave her arm a shove, then he scooted across the seat and stepped out behind her. The rain was still falling, and he lifted the collar of his jacket. “You want to leave her here?”
“Yup. As good a place as any.”
“I still don’t like it.” Redhead shifted from foot to foot.
Darrell peered over at him. “I still don’t give a shit. Grab her purse and blanket.” He adjusted his cap again. “I want no personal items of hers found in the car.”
