by Lara Lacombe
He threw one long leg over the back of his horse and dismounted, his boots landing with a dull thud on the ground. He stood next to his mount for a second, hands still holding the reins. Then he dropped them to dangle in the dirt as he moved toward her. Isabel’s heart started to pound as he drew closer. He was still tall, still broad through the shoulders. But gone was the hint of boyish softness he’d had the last time she’d seen him. Now he was long and lean, looking nicely muscled in all the right places.
He stopped about two feet away, leaving her some much-needed breathing room. “You’re back,” he said again. His voice was soft, with no hint of emotion. Was he happy to see her? Disappointed? Angry? Isabel searched his face for answers, but his expression was guarded, his initial surprise no longer evident.
She nodded. “Yes.” Her voice sounded a little shaky even to her own ears. Not for the first time, she wished she had a better poker face. She hated the fact that she was constantly advertising her emotions.
Especially now.
Wyatt Spalding was the first man she’d ever slept with. And while he hadn’t been the last, he was the only one she’d given her heart to. In hindsight, that had been a mistake. He’d wasted no time breaking it. But ten years ago, she’d been frightened and hurt. Wyatt had found her walking alone along that deserted road, the moon her only illumination. He’d wasted no time helping her, riding to her rescue in his beat-up truck like a knight of yore. She’d recognized him immediately, Diego’s best friend, Wyatt. In classic younger sister fashion, she’d had a serious crush on him.
When he’d rolled up next to her and said her name, she’d felt such a wave of relief she had started crying. Misinterpreting her tears, Wyatt had climbed out of his truck and gathered her into his arms. It was the first time he’d touched her, and his embrace had felt better than any of her fantasies.
Hours later, they’d made love under the stars. Despite the pain he caused her the next day, she’d lived off the memory of their encounter for years. But out of all her experiences that fateful night, what had stuck with her the most was Wyatt’s composure. He’d been calm and still while listening to her story. Diego would have flown into a rage upon hearing the details, but Wyatt had remained silent, his expression impenetrable as she’d explained what had happened.
He wore a similar look now as he eyed her up and down. “Thought you were gonna open your own practice in the big city.”
Her cheeks warmed at his statement. So he remembered what she’d said all those years ago. Did that mean he still thought about her as much as she did about him?
“Things change,” she said simply. She didn’t want to talk about the evolution of her thinking, not when they were standing a few feet away from three dead cows. Not to mention, it wasn’t the type of conversation she wanted to have after ten years of silence.
Wyatt didn’t speak for a moment. He glanced up and down the fence then turned to look at the pond where the trespassing cows were still drinking. “I take it you’re working for Diego now?”
Isabel bristled at the implication she took orders from her brother. “I’m working with him.” Diego might be older by a few years, but that didn’t make him her boss.
“When did you come back?” He wore a frown, as if he hadn’t wanted to ask the question but couldn’t stand not knowing the answer.
“Almost a month ago,” she said. “Didn’t Diego tell you?”
“I didn’t ask,” he replied flatly.
Well, then. Apparently she didn’t cross his mind, after all.
The knowledge stung, but what could she expect? His actions the day after their encounter had showed how he’d really felt. Still, part of her had assumed that Diego had talked about her over the years, since they’d all known each other.
She pressed her lips together, hoping to hide her disappointment. “Well, here I am. Sorry my presence bothers you.” She pivoted on her heel and started walking toward the dead cattle. “Thanks for bringing back our animals,” she said over her shoulder. “They won’t break into the park again.” She was ready for him to leave, so she could return her attention to the problem at hand. It was too hard to think when he was around; his appearance had stirred up a number of emotions that were clouding her thoughts. Later, when she was alone, she’d process these feelings and what it meant to see Wyatt again. But for now, she needed to focus on the mystery of these dead animals and getting the fence repaired.
Footsteps sounded behind her. “I didn’t say I was bothered.” His voice made the muscles in her shoulders tighten. Take the hint, she thought irritably. Get back on your horse and ride off into the sunset.
But he kept walking, his long legs making short work of the distance between them. “Do you need some help fixing the fen...” His words trailed off at the sight of the dead cows. “Damn,” he said, whistling softly. “What happened here?”
“I’m not sure yet,” she murmured. Isabel knelt next to one of the animals, running her gaze over the slightly distended belly. Not dead too long, then, she figured. Decomposition was still setting in, which meant these cattle had likely died sometime in the night.
She felt a rustle of air as Wyatt crouched down beside her. “Doesn’t look like a cougar,” he remarked.
“No,” she replied absently. She tried to ignore him so she could think; her brain whirred with possible explanations as she attempted to figure out what had caused three healthy-looking animals to drop dead more or less simultaneously.
The answer was there, floating around in her subconscious. She closed her eyes, trying to block out all distractions. If she could just clear her mind, she could solve this riddle. But seeing Wyatt had left her feeling flustered and being so close to him now didn’t help. He wasn’t talking to her or even touching her, but she was hyper aware of his breathing and of his subtle movements as he shifted to keep his balance next to her.
Disgusted with her lack of focus, Isabel opened her eyes. To her surprise, Wyatt was no longer next to her. She glanced around, wondering where he’d gone. She hadn’t heard his horse, so it was unlikely he’d taken off. Besides, he surely would have said something before leaving. They might not be on the best of terms, but he wasn’t a total jerk.
Isabel got to her feet, leaning down to brush the dirt off her knees. Then she turned around and spied Wyatt walking toward Miel.
The mare shifted in response to Wyatt’s approach, her ears going back and her tail twitching with agitation as she assessed this new person. Isabel set off for the pair, wanting to reassure her horse that all was well. She was already jumpy—she didn’t need the stress of a stranger to add to her discomfort.
But Isabel needn’t have worried. Wyatt moved slowly, extending one hand for Miel to sniff. As Isabel got closer, she could hear him speaking to the horse. His voice was too low for her to make out what he was saying, but his tone was calm and his cadence measured. The mare’s ears relaxed and her tail stilled; they had apparently become friends. Wyatt was patting her neck gently when Isabel walked up.
“What’s her name?” he asked.
“Miel,” she replied, reaching up to stroke the horse’s cheek with the back of her fingers.
He smiled, his teeth a bright flash amid the dark stubble on his face. “That means ‘honey,’ doesn’t it?” Isabel nodded. He glanced back at the horse. “Well, you certainly seem sweet enough for that name.”
Wyatt moved toward her saddlebags. “What are you doing?” she asked, mildly irritated he had approached her mount without asking and now seemed intent on rifling through her packs.
“I figured you have some supplies in here. I was going to see about the fence.”
“Oh.” Some of her annoyance faded. “I don’t have enough for a full repair.”
He peered into one of the bags. “That’s okay,” he said, taking stock of the contents. “I’ve got some rope in my pack. Between the two of us, we can ge
t this hole patched until you guys have time to fix it.”
“You don’t need to worry about it,” she said. It was a nice gesture on his part, but she didn’t need him to hang around any longer. “Diego is on his way with supplies and some extra hands. We’ve got it covered.”
Wyatt nodded in acknowledgment, but made no move to go to his horse.
The low hum of an approaching engine sounded. “That’ll be them,” she said, relief filling her. “I appreciate your help, but you can get back to what you were doing now.”
Wyatt’s eyes glinted with amusement as he looked at her. “By my count, that’s the third time you’ve tried to get rid of me. Are you that offended by my company?”
No, just heartsick, she thought. She’d known that by coming back to work on the family ranch she would eventually run into Wyatt. But she had assumed she’d have some advance warning before actually seeing him again. This out-of-the-blue encounter had left her no time to prepare her heart for the shock.
She glanced away with a shrug, trying to hide her face. “I figured you have park ranger things to do,” she said, watching her brother’s truck as it drew closer. “I don’t want you to feel like you have to stay on my account.”
“It’s no imposition,” Wyatt said. Movement from the corner of her eyes revealed he’d walked back to Miel’s head and was stroking her cheek. “Besides, I need to talk to your brother.”
“I see.”
She set off toward the declivity, gesturing for Diego to pull the truck by the downed cattle. He backed into place, then cut the engine and climbed out of the cab.
After meeting her at the rear of the truck, Diego put his hands on his hips as he surveyed the scene, his gaze landing first on the cattle then on the break in the fence. “Well, hell,” he said disgustedly. “This is the last thing we need right now.”
“Yeah,” Isabel acknowledged. She nodded at Ruben, one of the older, more experienced ranch hands, who’d been with them as long as she could remember. He touched the brim of his hat then turned his head to spit tobacco juice. The man never said much, but he had a way with the animals that had proved invaluable on more than one occasion.
Wyatt walked over. Diego’s face lit up at the sight of his friend. “Hey, man,” he said. In a standard male greeting, the pair shook hands and slapped each other’s backs. “What are you doing here?”
Wyatt nodded at Ruben, who nodded back. Then he returned his focus to Diego. “Found some of your cattle in the park,” he said. “Didn’t really feel like doing paperwork today, so I drove ’em back to you and found the fence down and your sister standing by some dead cows.”
Diego glanced at Isabel. She shrugged.
“Thanks for giving us a break,” Diego replied. “It’s been a rough couple of months.”
Winter feed prices had gone up, and meat prices had gone down. The ranch wasn’t making the same kinds of profits it had enjoyed during its heyday, and if the trend continued, they were in for some hard choices in the years to come. Isabel thought they could weather the storm if they made a few changes, but Diego wasn’t so certain. It was a point of contention they would have to settle, as they were set to inherit equal shares of the ranch once their abuelo died.
Wyatt and Diego continued to chat as the three men worked to remove a new fence panel from the truck bed. She tried to help, but Ruben waved her off with a nod for her efforts. Within a matter of minutes, they had the new section in place and secured to the posts.
“What do you think happened here?” Diego asked as he returned to survey the cows once more.
“I’m not sure yet,” Isabel admitted. “I’ll open them up tonight and see if I can get some answers.”
“Do you think it was deliberate?” Wyatt asked.
The question made her frown. “You think someone targeted these animals?” she asked.
He shrugged. “I think you have to consider the possibility. That fence didn’t break down because of age. Someone cut it.”
A tingle shot down Isabel’s spine. “Sabotage.”
Diego’s lips blanched as he pressed them into a thin line. “Could be.”
Isabel turned back to the dead animals, seeing the scene in a new light. “I assumed these two events—” she gestured to the cows and the now-repaired fence “—were simply a coincidence. We’ve had hikers cut the fence before to gain access to our watering holes. And it’s not unheard of for cattle to die while out at pasture. It never occurred to me that someone might have broken onto the ranch to kill our animals.”
“Maybe I’m being paranoid,” Wyatt admitted. “There are no obvious signs of trauma here, and I doubt someone who went to the trouble of dispatching these animals with such subtlety would leave a gaping hole in the fence.”
“Unless they’re trying to send a message,” Diego suggested.
Wyatt shrugged. “Who have you pissed off lately?”
Diego tipped his hat back and shot him a grin. “The list is long and distinguished.”
Ruben spit into the dirt again. “We’re losing daylight. Let’s get this done.”
The pronouncement had the intended effect. They set aside conversation and got to work securing chains around the downed animals’ legs. That done, Diego flipped on the winch secured to the bed of his truck. The motor groaned a bit as, one by one, the bodies of the cows were lifted off the ground. The three men maneuvered them onto the flatbed and then used ropes to tie them down.
When they were finished, both Diego and Wyatt removed their hats and wiped their foreheads. “Thanks, man,” Diego said.
“Anytime,” Wyatt replied.
“It’s getting late,” Diego noted. “Why don’t you come back to the house? Join us for dinner.”
Isabel’s breath hitched and she made a show of checking the ropes securing the cattle to the truck so Wyatt wouldn’t see her face. Please say no...
“That’s a tempting offer,” Wyatt said slowly. “But I’ve got a bit of a ride to get back home.”
“You can stay with us,” Diego pressed. “We’ll take care of you both for the night.” He jerked his chin in the direction of Wyatt’s horse, who was placidly grazing on a clump of grass. “It’s the least we can do for all your help today.”
“You don’t owe me anything for that,” Wyatt muttered. Isabel watched from the corner of her eyes as he looked down, scuffing the toe of his boot in the dirt.
His hesitation spoke volumes. It was clear Wyatt didn’t want to be around her. Unfortunately, Diego was too clueless to notice.
“Come on,” he said. “Maria will be happy to see you. It’s been ages.”
Wyatt looked up, smiling faintly. “She does make the best tortillas.”
“Then it’s settled,” Diego announced. “Saddle up. You and Isabel can ride back to the house together.”
Isabel felt her shoulders tighten but said nothing. Diego didn’t know about her personal history with Wyatt. If she appeared at all unhappy about her new riding partner, her brother would want to know why. And that wasn’t an issue she was willing to discuss.
Sensing the guys were waiting for her to respond, Isabel schooled her features and turned around. “Let’s get going then,” she said. “I’m hungry.”
* * *
Something’s off here...
Wyatt rode alongside Isabel, watching her in his peripheral vision. He was lucky Ajax was such a sure-footed horse, as he was paying little attention to the path. It was clear Isabel was unhappy about his presence, and Wyatt wanted to know why.
Ten years ago he’d found her walking along a deserted road, trying to make her way home after her boyfriend had taken her to a party in the desert and then ignored her to shack up with a willing girl. Never one to be passive, Isabel had simply started walking home rather than ask anyone for a ride. Looking back on it, Wyatt figured that was probably just as well, since all
the kids there had been too drunk to drive. Still, at the time, he’d been angry with her for setting off alone into the desert.
Wyatt wasn’t much for sentiment, but there were times he could still feel the weight of her head on his chest and the wetness on his skin from her tears soaking through his shirt. He rubbed his sternum with one hand, his mind wandering down memory lane...
* * *
The night air was cool on his face as he cruised down the road, the rumble of the truck engine drowning out the cricket chirps and the occasional scream of a mountain lion. Wyatt’s body ached from the day’s labors, but it was a good type of exhaustion, the kind that only comes from sustained physical work. It had taken all day, but now his grandfather’s house sported a fresh coat of paint and the worn shutters had been replaced. It looked like a brand-new house, one they could both be proud to call home.
“Are you really going out?” his grandfather had asked, seeing him showered and dressed a few minutes ago. “I figured you’d be tired after all that work.”
Wyatt had shrugged. “Some friends of mine are catching a movie tonight. Thought I’d join them.” If he was lucky, he’d get there before it started. If he was really lucky, he could convince Nikki Stalling to skip the movie altogether in favor of some one-on-one time. They’d dated briefly in high school and now that they were both in college, they had a sort of on-again, off-again arrangement during school breaks. With the fall semester starting up in a few weeks, there wouldn’t be many more opportunities to spend time together.
His grandfather had smiled knowingly. “I see. Well, have fun and be safe about it.”
“Will do.”
The road into town was just another two-lane dusty highway, the traffic nonexistent. Wyatt reached for the radio dial, his hand freezing in place when his headlights illuminated a figure walking along the side of the road. The long, dark braid and slender shoulders told him it was a woman. He slowed his truck and as he approached, his heart leaped into his throat.