by Jenna Night
“Mostly healed up,” her mom said quietly.
Ramona glanced at Harry, but he was no longer looking in her direction. She walked over to her parents. “I think spending a few days at Cassie’s ranch until Darrin and those other two jerks are captured and all of this is over is a good idea. It sounds very secure.”
Her mom sighed but finally, reluctantly, nodded. Her dad cleared his throat and also gave an affirming nod.
Ramona blew out a sigh of relief. Staying here at the house would only continue to put her parents in harm’s way and she wasn’t going to do that anymore. The people at Cassie’s ranch sounded like they were ready for anything. And she knew she could count on Harry.
Maybe if she stayed there with the bounty hunters, she’d have more opportunities to answer questions and help them with their pursuit. She had to do everything she could. The situation was already frighteningly out of hand. And Darrin Linder had shown he was capable of anything.
FIVE
If she weren’t in fear for her life, Ramona might have been able to enjoy the sunrise the following morning at North Star Ranch.
Not that her life appeared to be in danger right this very moment. It was just that after everything that happened the previous afternoon, plus all that happened the night before at the cabins, she was starting to wonder about how much of a future she truly had. And that fear ran the risk of distracting her from the natural beauty of the mountains and forest in front of her.
If Darrin managed to find her, if her life ended right this moment, would the Lord be disappointed in her and the life choices she’d made?
Her parents had encouraged her to pursue a career in accounting like her Aunt Valerie. To have a stable income and do something significant with her life. Wanting to make them happy, she started down that path a year ago, taking classes part time while working for a financial firm in town. She’d dressed for success in suits and heels and started making the personal connections that could help her future career.
But during that time, she’d missed working at the diner. She missed chatting with the retired customers who were there every morning like clockwork. And she missed the clusters of awkward high school kids who showed up in the afternoon, trying to behave like adults as they studied the menu and then later spent an inordinate amount of time with their heads together trying to figure out how much to leave for a tip.
She’d lost her job at the financial firm when she came down with pneumonia and had to miss so much work. After she healed, she’d gone back to working at the diner. It had felt like home.
She’d been so happy to be back, even if she felt guilty, knowing it wasn’t where her parents wanted her to be. They loved their diner, but it was hard work, the hours were long, and they were on their feet constantly. It didn’t generate a huge profit, and the money that did come in was unevenly distributed throughout the year. They did pretty well around holidays and throughout the summer; the rest of the year, their income was hit or miss.
Eric and Toni told Ramona they wanted more for her. More money. More prestige. More free time to enjoy herself. They wanted her to have a life like Aunt Valerie, Jasmine’s mom, who had done well for herself and had convinced Jasmine to follow in her footsteps. Yes, there were times when Valerie was very busy at work, but it wasn’t all the time. And she was well paid.
Ramona wondered if she had the right to choose working at the diner, and perhaps buying it from her parents one day, over the business career they hoped she’d have. Would any sane person opt for working on her feet all day for an uncertain income over working in an office cubicle for a steady paycheck? Would she be burying whatever humble talents she’d been blessed with if she didn’t choose the path that appeared more stable and financially rewarding?
But then again, did any of this matter if she might lose her life at any moment?
She closed her eyes, feeling the burden of the last two days weighing especially heavy on her shoulders. Dear Lord, please protect all of us. Please help us find Darrin Linder and his criminal companions and bring them to justice. And please help me to know Your will for my life.
She opened her eyes and shivered slightly as she crossed her arms and wrapped her heavy, cable-knit sweater tighter across her body. The sun had risen a little higher and golden light spilled across the small valley. Several of the horses being boarded at the ranch were already turned out into the corral. They trotted around calmly, stopping to sniff the light breeze every now and then, their steps sure and firm as they kicked up a little of the raked dirt in the enclosure.
A dappled gray Appaloosa caught Ramona’s eye as it stopped and chuffed deeply a couple of times, its exhalations leaving wispy clouds in the cool air.
Ramona heard the door to the ranch house open and shut behind her. She turned around to see Cassie walking the gravel path in her direction, a coffee mug in each hand. Eventually Cassie made it to the stretch of split rail fencing where Ramona had been standing, gazing at the surrounding mountaintops and thick pines.
It had been pitch-black when Ramona arrived at the ranch last night in Harry’s truck. After an anxious night spent tossing and turning, she’d finally decided to get outside for some fresh air, hoping it might help calm her down. So far, it hadn’t really helped.
One of the horses in the corral whinnied loudly, tossing its head back a couple of times, just as Cassie stepped alongside Ramona and offered her a mug. “I put in a little cream and sugar.”
“That’s perfect, thank you.” The rich aroma of coffee offered comfort and the possibility of calming Ramona’s nerves. It took a measure of self-control to keep from snatching it out of Cassie’s hand. The first sip was delicious and seemed to straighten her spine a little. The second sip was even better.
“Taffy isn’t a boarder, she lives here.” Cassie gestured with her mug toward the chestnut mare that had started whinnying and now moved toward the edge of the corral closest to Cassie. “Dad bought her for me as a birthday present years ago. She’s probably worried to see me up so early,” she joked.
The animal hung her head over the railing and gave Cassie an adoring look with her chocolate-brown eyes. Cassie ambled over to talk to her and give her a few pats and vigorous scratches on her neck and cheek and forehead.
“How’d you sleep last night?” Cassie asked, walking back to Ramona.
Ramona hesitated. Admitting that she’d tossed and turned all night might make her sound ungrateful. “The room is very comfortable,” she finally said. “And you’ve got a beautiful ranch. Thank you again for inviting me here.”
Cassie took a sip of coffee and nodded. “You didn’t sleep a wink, did you?”
Ramona sighed and shook her head. “Everything that happened yesterday kept playing through my mind.” And she couldn’t stop herself from imagining the terrible things that might have happened if Harry hadn’t found her in time.
“I understand how that goes,” Cassie said. “Trauma isn’t something you can just work through in a day. But over time, things often do get better.”
“You said your horse was surprised to see you,” Ramona said after a sip of coffee, eager to change the subject. “Does that mean you’re not a morning person?”
Cassie laughed and shook her head. “No. I’m definitely not a morning person.”
In jeans and a flannel shirt, with no makeup, she looked very young. But there was a weary expression in her eyes, evidence that she’d lived through a lot. On the ride to the ranch last night with Harry, Ramona had learned that while Cassie had chosen to continue to use the surname of Wheeler in her professional life, she was a widow and her husband had been murdered. The crime was still unsolved.
“It’s the nature of the bail bonds business that if you go looking for bail jumpers and informants,” Cassie went on, “you’re probably going to find them visiting their favorite haunts around midnight.”
“If th
ey’re out late, why don’t you just go to their home around midday when they’re probably still asleep and arrest them then? Wouldn’t that be easier?”
Cassie arched a slender strawberry-blond eyebrow. “If they actually reside at the location they give us as their home address, recovering them is typically not a big deal. Those are the people who intended to do right but slipped up. Maybe they lost track of when they were supposed to appear in court. Or they intended to get sober and didn’t. They made a bad decision. There are a lot of reasons for that happening.
“Then there are the people who are deliberately trying to hide. People who knew from the beginning that they were going to jump bail. That type will give us bad information on their bond application. We do what we can to corroborate it all, but the nature of the business is that you aren’t always dealing with people who have a stable address. Typically, we track them down by going to places where they like to hang out and socialize. And most of those places don’t start to come alive until well into the evening.”
Ramona gave her a half smile. “So, you’re here right now because you actually got to bed at a decent hour last night and figured you’d take advantage of a rare day when you could roll out of bed early and greet the morning?”
Cassie chuckled. “Hardly.” She hooked her thumb toward the stables where someone had obviously been working since before Ramona first stepped outside. “My dad called me and woke me up. He and Jay are in there working. I’m pretty sure Harry’s with them. Dad saw you out here and wanted me to make sure you were okay. Plus, Sherry’s cooking a big breakfast this morning. Belgian waffles with huckleberries and whipped cream. Dad knew I wouldn’t want to miss that.”
Cassie’s father, a long-time widower, had greeted Ramona when she’d arrived at the ranch last night. Ramona had also met Jay and Sherry Laughlin, the married couple who took care of the ranch. From them, she learned that along with being a boarding and training facility for the general public, North Star also maintained close ties to equestrian search-and-rescue associations.
“Belgian waffles sound great,” Ramona said. “And I appreciate everyone looking out for me.”
Cassie scuffed the toe of a boot in the dirt. “Yeah, well, just know it’s not a vacation and we’re going to put you to work.”
Ramona smiled and realized her mood had started to lighten a little. “Of course. I’ll muck out stables or gather eggs out of the chicken coop. Whatever you need. I’m happy to earn my keep.”
“If you want to do any of that, go for it. But what I had in mind is getting your help to track Linder and his cronies. I’m hoping the cops will capture them quickly and get them off the streets, but in the meantime, we’re going to do what we can to help. We might not have the technology available to the police, but professional bounty hunters like Harry, Leon, Martin and me, people who focus full time on tracking people for a living, develop a strong sense for what we’re doing.”
“Martin?” Ramona said. She’d heard his name mentioned before, at the bail bonds office, but she hadn’t met him—at least, she didn’t think she had. The first hour or so after Harry had rescued her yesterday was a blur. “Have I met Martin?”
“Not yet, but you will.”
Ramona heard a chime. Cassie pulled a phone out of her jeans pocket, glanced at it, then tucked the phone away.
“I can’t tell you much about Darrin,” Ramona said. “I only knew him because he was Jasmine’s boyfriend.”
“His bond application gives an Olympia, Washington, address for his parents. Do you know if that’s where he’s from?”
“He said his company transferred him over here from Olympia. And I’ve heard him mention that his parents still live over on the Washington coast.”
Cassie nodded. “I think I’ll send Leon and Martin over there to talk to them.”
“Jasmine might have their phone number so you can just call,” Ramona offered.
Cassie shook her head. “I’ll take the number to see if it matches what we have on file. But I’m still going to send the guys over there. Most people find it harder to lie to your face than over the phone. And no matter what they say, it’s more informative if you can see them for yourself and read their body language.”
Her phone chimed again. She looked at the screen and sighed. “I’m getting texts from an impatient bail bondsman out of Miami who needs some help. He’s got a couple of jumpers he’s looking for and his informants tell him they lit out for Idaho or Montana.” A half smile settled on her face. “It’s always fun to capture the big-city criminals who think they’re going to come out here to hide.”
“Go ahead and take care of business,” Ramona said. “Maybe I’ll go talk to the horses.”
Cassie tapped the screen on her phone and then held it up to her ear. “Yeah, Harry, I’m out here in front of the house with Ramona. I’ve got to go back inside and get some work done. Why don’t you come out here and keep her company until Sherry says breakfast is ready? Good.” She disconnected.
A minute or so later Harry walked out of a stable door and when Ramona saw him her heart did a slow somersault in her chest. She had to find a way to make that stop. By the time he reached her, Cassie was already talking on her phone to the bondsman in Miami and heading into the house.
“You look like you’re used to ranch work,” Ramona said to Harry. Her heart was racing and her words came out sounding breathy, which was embarrassing. Standing in a beam of early-morning sunlight, with a little bit of straw in his hair, he looked ridiculously handsome. Having his shirtsleeves rolled up, exposing his muscular arms, made it even worse.
“I am used to it,” he said. “I grew up on the family cattle ranch. I still help out when they need me to.”
He moved a little closer and his glittering blue eyes held her like a tractor beam. She willed herself to look away, but she just couldn’t. A smile formed on his lips and she realized he was aware of the effect he was having on her.
Well, that was just annoying.
And it turned out that being annoyed gave her just enough gumption to finally look away. She focused her gaze on the corral and on Cassie’s horse-friend, Taffy. “Yesterday before the attack, the text you sent said you had some questions for me and Jasmine,” she said to Harry without looking at him.
“Mainly, I had a question for you about Jasmine.”
That got her attention and she turned to look at him, determined to maintain her emotional distance this time. “Okay. What’s the question?”
“Yesterday morning, I went to Darrin’s former workplace, Earth Movers Equipment. Their vice president came down to the lobby to speak with me. He told me that they would only provide personal information about Darrin to law enforcement. And that the Stone River PD had already been in contact with them.”
“What does that have to do with Jasmine?”
“After I left the building, a man came out a minute or two later and caught up with me. His name was Karl Bock and he said he was a salesman there, like Darrin. He overheard my conversation in the lobby with the vice president. He gave me the names of some places Darrin liked to hang out when they worked together. Some restaurants, bars, that sort of thing. Places where he thought Darrin might go if he’s still in town. Which is helpful. Even if Darrin doesn’t show up at any of those places, we might get some useful information from one of the regulars.”
“That’s good,” Ramona said, still wondering how this was going to relate to Jasmine.
“Karl told me about seeing Darrin and Jasmine having dinner together just four or five days ago.” Harry watched Ramona closely. “That would have her still dating Darrin much more recently than she’s claimed. So, I have to ask you, how certain are you that Jasmine and Darrin are really broken up?”
Ramona’s stomach dropped. And then her face got hot.
Harry held up his hands in a placating gesture. “I’m not accusin
g. And I’m not judging. I won’t even pretend to understand the dynamics of an abusive relationship. But is it possible that she’s still in the on-again, off-again stage? That she hasn’t completely broken things off with him yet?”
“You think Jasmine would stay involved with a man who tried to kill me?” Ramona snapped.
“This dinner would have been before the first attack on you, but after Darrin had threatened your family. I am asking you what you think.”
“I think Karl was lying or misremembering,” Ramona said defensively, even if a small part of her wondered if that were true. Jasmine was not a cruel or uncaring person. Far from it. And Ramona knew Jasmine truly cared about her. But she had issues that sometimes got in the way of making good decisions. She’d made promises to Ramona and then broken them before. Maybe she’d broken her promise to stop seeing Darrin. Maybe she hadn’t really been able to stop using drugs.
“I want to go back and talk to her again this evening after she gets home from work,” Harry said.
Ramona crossed her arms. “I’m going with you.”
“I counted on that.”
The sound of dogs barking caught Ramona’s attention. Cassie’s dad, a sinewy man with a shock of thick silver hair, was walking over from the stables with a couple of excited mutts bounding around at his feet. The dogs were a ridiculous sight, with one nearly the size of a Great Dane and the other not much bigger than a Yorkie.
“I got a text from Sherry. Breakfast is ready,” he called out when he got close to them. “We need to get to the kitchen before all the waffles are gone.”
Ramona didn’t have much of an appetite with all of the worries on her mind and knots in her stomach, but she knew she needed to keep up her strength. If this day was anything like the two that had come before it, she’d need to fuel up to be ready.