by Lara Lacombe
Can two exes survive long enough
to have a second chance at love?
Wyatt Spalding was the first man Isabel Cruz ever loved. She figured moving away cured her of her passion for him, but now that she’s back home, she knows better. And Isabel needs Wyatt’s help to find out who’s threatening her and her family. Sparks from their past and present fly as they investigate, but Isabel and Wyatt must take down a murderous monster to save the Cruz clan.
“Did they look all right to you?”
He leaned back in the saddle at the odd question. “I suppose,” he said. When he started to speak again, the words died in his throat as the woman approached and he got his first good look at her.
Oval face, slender nose, bow-shaped lips. And those eyes—large, dark and luminous, fringed by impossibly long lashes.
“Isabel,” he whispered hoarsely.
Her brown eyes grew wide as she stared up at him. “Wyatt,” she choked out. She blinked hard, as if she couldn’t believe what she was seeing.
He understood the feeling. Emotions rushed through him, tightening his chest and making it hard to breathe. It had been ten years since he’d last seen her. Ten years since they’d made love in the bed of his pickup under a blanket of stars. Ten years since she’d stolen his heart, then walked away without a backward glance.
There was so much he wanted to say, to ask. So much he wanted to know. A decade’s worth of questions tumbled in his brain, each jockeying for prominence. But as he opened his mouth, only two words slipped out.
“You’re back.”
* * *
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Dear Reader,
Welcome back to Big Bend, Texas! I enjoy writing these books because I love to tell stories set in my home state. Big Bend National Park is a truly special place, and I hope that my books do it justice.
This was a fun book to write. I loved getting to know Wyatt and Isabel, and watching them overcome the hurts from their shared past to face the future together. They’re up against some steep odds, both personally and professionally. I hope you enjoy reading about their attempts to discover who is threatening the Cruz family ranch. With so many suspects, will they ever know for sure?
Happy reading!
Lara
THE RANGER’S
REUNION THREAT
Lara Lacombe
Lara Lacombe earned a PhD in microbiology and immunology and worked in several labs across the country before moving into the classroom. Her day job as a college science professor gives her time to pursue her other love—writing fast-paced romantic suspense with smart, nerdy heroines and dangerously attractive heroes. She loves to hear from readers! Find her on the web or contact her at [email protected].
Books by Lara Lacombe
Harlequin Romantic Suspense
Rangers of Big Bend
Ranger’s Justice
Ranger’s Baby Rescue
The Ranger’s Reunion Threat
The Coltons of Roaring Springs
Colton’s Covert Baby
The Coltons of Red Ridge
Colton K-9 Bodyguard
Doctors in Danger
Enticed by the Operative
Dr. Do-or-Die
Her Lieutenant Protector
The Coltons of Shadow Creek
Pregnant by the Colton Cowboy
The Coltons of Texas
Colton Baby Homecoming
Deadly Contact
Fatal Fallout
Lethal Lies
Killer Exposure
Killer Season
Visit the Author Profile page at
Harlequin.com for more titles.
This one is for EKRS, best friend extraordinaire
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Excerpt from Deadly Texas Summer by Colleen Thompson
Excerpt from Ten Days Gone by Beverly Long
Chapter 1
Her horse scented the blood before she did.
It was a gorgeous spring day, the sun high in the sky and the air warm and smelling of grass. Isabel Cruz was riding along the fence line, out on a routine patrol. Her family’s cattle ranch shared a border with Big Bend National Park, and it was important to regularly check the fences to ensure none of their cattle escaped into the park. With calving season about to start, this was the kind of routine chore that would move to the bottom of the list once things got really busy. As the ranch’s resident veterinarian, she relished this mundane job, knowing her free time would soon disappear. When a calving went well, there wasn’t much for her to do. But when things went wrong, she was up to her armpits in work.
Literally.
One minute, she was enjoying the sun on her back and the steady, loping gait of the horse under her. Then, without warning, her mount shied, rearing back and jerking violently to the left.
Isabel’s legs tightened on the saddle as she shifted her weight to keep her seat. “Whoa, Miel,” she said, keeping her voice calm to avoid further spooking the animal. “It’s all right.”
The mare was clearly distressed, her nostrils flaring and her eyes wide as she danced in place, inching backward as much as she was able. Isabel eased her grip on the reins, allowing the animal to move away from whatever it was that had bothered her.
Miel settled down after traveling a few feet. Knowing better than to urge her forward again, Isabel dismounted and looped the reins around one of the support posts of the fence. Then she set off on foot, heading back for the troubling spot.
She saw the fence first. A section of the barbed wire barrier was missing, creating a wide gap. Isabel swore softly as she studied the situation. This wasn’t the kind of breakdown caused by exposure to wind and weather; someone had cut through the panel, making no effort to hide their sabotage.
Probably hikers, she thought sourly. Even though there were No Trespassing signs posted at regular intervals along the fence that marked the border with the park, it wasn’t uncommon for backpackers to steal onto the ranch for a quick drink and dip in one of the many watering holes on the property. This particular spot was frequently tampered with as one such small pond was clearly visible from the nearby trail. Most people took their chances scaling the barbed wire, but this culprit had removed a three-foot stretch to gain entrance to the ranch property. The gap was wide enough for cattle to easily pass into the park, which created another set of problems...
Isabel reached for her walkie-talkie. She had a few supplies in her saddlebags—enough to make a quick repair. But the whole panel needed to be replaced, something that required more material than she had on hand. And they’d need to find out if any animals had crossed into Big Bend. If the park rangers found Cruz cattle inside the park, they’d round them up and sell them at auction. The ranch would likely be fined, as well. It was an outcome the ranch could ill afford right now.
Just as she brought the device to her lips, the wind changed direction. The breeze fluttered over her, carrying the unmistakable stench of death. Ah, she thought. So that’s the problem.
Behind
her, Miel let out a distressed whinny. “You’re okay, my sweet,” Isabel called out. The mare was a good-natured animal, but she was still learning how to be a cattle horse and adjusting to all the sights, sounds and smells that that entailed. Most of the working horses on the ranch were unfazed by death, but a few still reacted strongly to the scent of blood. It seemed Miel was one of them.
Isabel walked through the grass and low scrub, searching for the source of the stench. The herd lost a cow or two every season, thanks to the efforts of local predators like mountain lions. The heavily pregnant cows were brought closer to the barn so they could be watched for signs of impending labor, but it was possible one of the other animals had taken lame and been unable to outrun a big cat.
A heavy buzzing filled the air, growing louder as she walked. Getting closer, she thought grimly. Flies and other insects wasted no time when there was a meal to be had. All part of the circle of life...
At the edge of a small declivity, she saw them. Her heart sank as she counted; three cows down. That in itself was unusual—a mountain lion could take down one cow on a good day, but three? Unheard of.
Isabel frowned as she approached the carcasses. All three cows lay a few steps away from each other, but aside from a couple of spots here and there where the buzzards had started in, there were no obvious injuries to be seen.
Disease? As a large animal veterinarian, she’d had experience with some of the many pathogens that could sicken and kill cattle. The ranch hands were always on the lookout for signs of illness, and any sick cow was quickly separated from the herd and evaluated.
She walked slowly toward the heads of the animals, running her gaze over their bodies in search of any telltale symptoms. Nothing jumped out, but then again, there were several diseases that could only be identified after performing a necropsy and taking tissue samples.
“Damn,” she muttered. It looked like she was going to have a busy night.
She lifted the walkie-talkie to her lips. “Diego, come in.”
There was a burst of static across the line. “What’s up, sis?”
“I’ve got three head of cattle down out here along the east fence.”
“Sorry, you’re breaking up. I thought I heard you say three.”
“I did,” she confirmed grimly.
“What the hell is going on out there?” Her brother’s surprise matched her own.
“I won’t know until I get them home and open them up. Send the flatbed, please.” She told him about the damaged fence, as well.
He cursed. “Ruben and I will round up everything and be there shortly. Let me know if anything changes.”
“Will do. Over and out.”
Isabel clipped the walkie-talkie back onto her belt and stared at the animals at her feet. She walked over to the head of one and squatted, waving away the flies so she could get a better look.
A thin track of dried blood ran from the cow’s nose, but she saw no lesions or any other marks that might indicate what had caused these animals to die. Part of her wanted to get closer, but she knew that without the proper safety precautions, she should leave things alone. If these cows had been infected with something, the last thing she needed was to catch it, as well.
“What happened to you?” she said softly, studying the closest animal. “And how can I stop it from happening to the others?”
* * *
Park ranger Wyatt Spalding rose in the saddle and squinted into the distance. Were those...cows?
He nudged his mount forward. As he got closer, he realized his first impression had been correct. Five cows stood in the small valley, chomping placidly on clumps of grass. They eyed him curiously as he approached, but didn’t seem bothered by his presence.
“Uh, hi, ladies,” he said, pushing up the brim of his hat. “You look lost.”
The cow closest to him flicked her tail at that, but otherwise didn’t respond. Wyatt guided his horse to her left side, wanting to get a look at the flanks of the animals.
It wasn’t unusual to see rogue livestock here. There were a few working outfits that shared a border with the park and while fences separated ranch from park land, every once in a while, a determined cow slipped through. Animals often crossed the shallow stretches of the Rio Grande in search of greener pastures, as well.
These cows sported a backward C snugged up against the letter R. Wyatt recognized the brand immediately. It was the marking for Cruz Ranch, one of the oldest family establishments in the area.
“Well, hell,” he muttered to himself. Protocol stated he needed to call this in so that the response team could bring out trailers and haul the animals away. Livestock that trespassed on park land were usually rounded up, held in quarantine and then auctioned off to the highest bidder.
The problem was, he was friends with Diego Cruz, grandson and heir to the ranch owner, Jose Cruz. The family usually ran a tight ship when it came to keeping their animals off of park land. In fact, Wyatt could count on one hand the number of times Cruz cattle had been found in Big Bend, and he’d still have a few fingers left over. The fact he’d found five rogue animals meant something was wrong.
Wyatt was torn between the desire to help an old friend and the responsibility to follow the rules. He hated to pile trouble onto Diego, but it was his job to protect the park. Cows weren’t at the top of most people’s list of dangerous animals, but they were steady grazers who could clear a patch of grass in a matter of hours. He had to get these animals out of here, the sooner the better.
Maybe he could just “encourage” the animals to head home and then talk to Diego about the situation. One free pass wasn’t the end of the world, and he knew a lot of the nearby ranches were struggling financially. The cattle market wasn’t what it used to be and this was an unforgiving land, especially in the summer. Most ranchers had to bring in food and water for their herds, often at exorbitant costs. The loss of these cows and the accompanying fine would just add to Diego’s difficulties.
He took off his hat and ran a hand through his hair. “You look like you’re enjoying yourself, but it’s time to head on home,” he said to the nearest cow.
She continued to ignore him as he donned his hat once more. But when he began to dismount, intending on giving his horse, Ajax, a break, the cow let out a startled bellow.
Apparently this was a signal. The cattle began to move, ears back, tails swishing as they walked in the direction of the ranch.
“Hey, wait!” Wyatt found himself in the awkward position of one foot in the stirrup, one on the ground. He boosted himself back up into the saddle, earning a soft grunt from Ajax. “I know, I know,” he said to his horse. “But it’s not my fault. Let’s go.”
He set off after the cattle, hoping they’d stay together. Ajax was no cattle horse. And while Wyatt had spent a summer in high school punching cows, he’d never made a good cowboy.
Fortunately for him, the animals stayed in a group as they trudged the mile or so back to the ranch. Like large, brown homing pigeons, the animals headed for a break in the wire fence, slipping through in a single-file line. Wyatt stopped and watched them walk toward the small pond about fifty yards away; apparently illegal grazing was thirsty work.
Ajax nickered a welcome. Wyatt glanced to the right and noticed a pretty bay mare standing by a clump of bushes. She was saddled, but there was no rider to be seen.
Wyatt frowned. That seemed odd.
“Hello?” he called loudly. Where was the rider? Had he come out to repair the fence and gotten hurt somehow? The mare seemed a little anxious, but perhaps that was simply due to their presence.
A movement to his left caught his eye. Wyatt turned and saw a head pop up out of the grass. Because of a small declivity in the land a few yards away, he could see some indeterminate dark shapes but nothing more.
“Hello.” The voice that reached his ears was decidedly feminine, and
Wyatt felt a rush of embarrassment as he realized he must have interrupted this lady’s bathroom break.
“Uh, I’m sorry to bother you. It’s just that five of your cattle were grazing in the park.” He nodded to the animals in question, now all drinking from the pond nearby. “They must have slipped through the fence.”
“Did they look all right to you?”
He leaned back in the saddle at the odd question. “I suppose,” he said. As he started to speak again, the words died in his throat when the woman approached and he got his first good look at her.
Oval face, slender nose, bow-shaped lips. And those eyes—large, dark and luminous, fringed by impossibly long lashes.
“Isabel,” he whispered hoarsely.
Her brown eyes grew wide as she stared up at him. “Wyatt,” she choked out. She blinked hard, as if she couldn’t believe what she was seeing.
He understood the feeling. Emotions rushed through him, tightening his chest and making it hard to breathe. It had been ten years since he’d last seen her. Ten years since they’d made love in the bed of his pickup under a blanket of stars. Ten years since she’d stolen his heart then walked away without a backward glance.
There was so much he wanted to say, to ask. So much he wanted to know. A decade’s worth of questions tumbled in his brain, each jockeying for prominence. But as he opened his mouth, only two words slipped out.
“You’re back.”
Chapter 2
I’m not ready for this.
As she stared up at Wyatt, looking larger than life on the back of his big chestnut horse, Isabel’s stomach churned. The shadow cast over his face from the brim of his hat did nothing to dim the brightness of his blue eyes. They were just as beautiful as she’d remembered, the color of a cloudless summer sky.
Her gaze tracked over his face, noting the subtle changes wrought by time. His nose was still a sharp line, his cheekbones still defined. But no one would ever mistake him for a pretty boy. A thin scar ran under his left eye, just above the line of dark stubble on his cheek. Another one bisected the end of his right eyebrow, giving him a slightly dangerous look. How did he get those? she wondered.