Houston's Hope: A clean cowboy romantic suspense (The Brothers of Copper Pass Book 4)

by Cynthia Hickey

  Supper was a silent affair, at least for the newly arrived youth. The kids shot each other curious, sometimes suspicious, glances. A couple of surly boys might cost problems in a day or two, but Hope had no doubt Houston could handle any fights that might arrive.

  The regular guests, many with families, glanced at the youth tables as they passed, some smiled, most went on their way. Hope couldn’t think but remember how the ranch had been when she lived here before. At least what she’d heard. Young men struggling to keep the ranch running after the death of their father. They’d done a wonderful job in her opinion.

  After supper, Houston stood in the center of a circle of curious kids. Hope took a deep breath, readying herself for an onslaught of questions.

  “No one here has been through anything that someone else hasn’t,” he said. “While we’re all unique in our own way, we share experiences, lifestyles, choices and mistakes. I’ll mention something. If you have experienced it, step into the center of the circle as a whole, then step back. This is a circle of acceptance and no judgment.” He glanced at Hope. “Ready?”

  She nodded and couldn’t help but wonder if he’d planned the activity around her. “Let’s get to know each other.”

  Houston started off easy with gender and age, keeping things not too personal. But, the questions got a lot harder, and Hope started to sweat.

  “If someone hurt you that you trusted, step forward.”

  Taking a deep breath, Hope stepped into the center along with most of the youth. Houston joined them. She glanced at him in surprise.

  “Stay put if you were the victim of physical or mental abuse.” Houston stepped back, but Hope and a few of the youth remained.

  “Stay put or step forward if you have been the victim of sexual abuse. Remember, I have your files, so you don’t have to admit to this, but it could be part of your healing.”

  Thank, God, Hope could step back. Her heart ached at the number of youth still in the middle.

  “A victim of drug or alcohol abuse?”

  “How many of you were left orphaned at a young age?”

  Hope stepped forward, along with two girls and one boy. She’d make a point at taking a special interest in them.

  “How many of you feel as if you are in danger at this moment?” Houston’s gaze pierced Hope as she and five youth stood in the middle of the circle. “I’d like all of you to reflect on the questions I’ve asked and realize you are not alone. You are never alone.” He smiled. “Go enjoy the rest of your evening of free time. Lights out at ten.”

  ~

  “How did you know where to find her?” Roy narrowed his eyes at the man sitting across from him. “Montana isn’t exactly a small place.”

  “I went to Copper Pass, like you said, asked around.” The man shrugged. “Found out the ranch had hired a new gal to work with underprivileged kids. Knocked the bus driver over the head and took his place. Wasn’t hard.” He showed the photo he’d taken with his phone. “That her?”

  Roy stared at the smiling face of Hope. “Yes. Good job.” He handed the man an envelope full of cash. “Are you available if I need you further?” Getting to her while she worked on the ranch wouldn’t be easy. Everyone of those cowboys carried a gun, and their mother was just as handy with a weapon. Not to mention they had enough hired hands to form a small town.

  “Sure. Anytime.” The man stood. “As long as you don’t ask too many questions, I’m game for almost anything.”

  “Good to know. You can see yourself out.” Roy had some thinking to do and he thought better when he was alone.

  If he could draw Hope away from the ranch, he could force her to tell him where the will was. Even better would be if he could find someone she cared about and use them as leverage. As far as he knew, the only one she’d loved had been Lou.

  It was time for Roy to take a vacation and visit Montana. He had some bird watching to do.

  ~

  Houston might have lost his father shortly before graduating high school, but his life had been blessed beyond measure compared to Hope’s and the youth he wanted to help. He’d had no idea she’d suffered abuse. At whose hands? Certainly not her aunt. It was clear Hope had loved the woman very much.

  “Cookies.” Stacey and his mother entered the bunkhouse. “Can’t have these kids sent to bed without milk and cookies,” his mother said, grinning. “I love having this building filled. Come on now. Don’t be shy.”

  It didn’t take long for the treat to disappear as eager hands grabbed more than one and a cardboard carton of milk.

  “I never get cookies,” one young boy said.

  “We’ll make sure you get some every day.” Crystal reached out to ruffle his hair, pulling back when he jerked at her touch.

  “It’s okay, Josiah. No one here will hurt.” Hope smiled at him, then at Crystal. “We’ll all enjoy your snacks. Everyone, this is our baker, Crystal, and Houston’s mother, the main chef. You may call her Miss Enid.”

  “Just Enid.” Mom smiled, then patted Houston on the shoulder. “You’ve done good, son.” She caressed his cheek, then gathered up the empty tray before leaving as quickly as she’d arrived.

  “You still let your mom touch you?” An older boy frowned. “That’s for babies.”

  “Guess I’m a baby.” Houston shrugged. “Nothing nicer than a momma’s touch. I’m sorry for those of you who haven’t had that. You can borrow my mom anytime you want. Just don’t get into trouble. She’ll lecture you for hours.” He gave an exaggerated shudder.

  “What about you, Miss Hope?” A girl asked. “What happened to your parents?”

  “They died in a car crash when I was twelve. I went to live with my aunt, but she’s gone now, too. All I have left is Houston.” She went on to tell of how he’d saved her from a train. She embellished a bit, leaving Houston feeling embarrassed, especially when the boys stared at him in astonishment.

  “Weren’t you scared?” One asked.

  “I didn’t have time to be scared.” Houston glanced at the clock. “Five minutes, folks. We have to stick to our schedule or chaos will commence. Miss Hope is a grouch if she doesn’t get her sleep.”

  “I am not.” She slapped his shoulder.

  Eyes widened at her behavior. Houston picked up a pillow and tossed it at her. Two minutes later, everyone joined in an old-fashioned pillow fight. A few laughs rang out. Yes, Hope would be good for these wounded kids.

  Once everyone had settled down for the night, he sat on the back deck, cup of iced tea in hand. Hope joined him a few minutes later.

  “Can’t sleep?” He glanced up.

  “Not yet. Too wound up. It’s been a successful day, but things won’t always be rosy. We’ll have a few days of a honeymoon period.” She sat in the chair next to him.

  He nodded. “Thought anymore about your inheritance?”

  “I’m thinking of building a home for orphans.” She tilted her head. “All I need is a plot of land. Know of any?”

  “Sure. There’s fifteen acres for sale just west of here. That’s a great idea.” He’d hoped she would want to stay on here and run this part of the ranch with him. He needed someone with her love and qualifications. “I’ll get you the contact information.”

  “Thank you. Has Wyatt discovered anything on Roy Minton?”

  “He’s having the man watched.” Houston stared across the dark fields behind the ranch. “There’s some suspicion the man might not be as clean as he’d like folks to believe, but no proof.” He reached over and took her hand. “I’m sorry you don’t feel safe.”

  “I feel safer here than I would anywhere else.”

  Her words filled him with pride. It had taken a lot of strength for not only the kids, but for her, to step out in answer to his questions. Having them see that even a woman who seemed to have her life together suffered with the same things they did, would help, if only a little.

  “You did good today.”

  Her teeth flashed in the moonlight. “Thank
you for hiring me. This job gives my life purpose.”

  He chuckled. “Anything for a friend.”

  Footsteps announced someone’s arrival. Seconds later, Wyatt stepped around the corner of the building. “Heads up. Roy Minton has taken a vacation. He’s left the Colorado Springs PD for an indefinite amount of time. Word is, he needs to get away to grieve.”

  Houston tightened his grip on Hope’s hand. He felt it in his gut that Minton would be showing his face around Copper Pass.

  Chapter Five

  Hope stood on the edge of the property line dividing the border of the ranch from the land she contemplated purchasing. Heavy clouds gathered overhead, promising a deluge of rain.

  With the looming danger of Uncle Roy hanging over her head, and the fact she had yet to hire a lawyer to go over the will, thinking about such an expense seemed hasty.

  Houston had given her the afternoon off as long as she promised to return by supper. She had a meeting with a lawyer in town she prayed could help her. With two hours left before returning to the ranch, she needed to get a move on. She returned to her car and drove into town.

  Thirty minutes later, she sat across from a lawyer named Wilson. She handed him the sim card from the locket and waited while he inserted it into his computer. A few minutes later, the man folded his hands on top of his desk.

  “Your aunt was a wise woman. She included a notarized document scanned on this drive.” He smiled. “You, Miss Jennings, are the sole beneficiary.”

  “Can my uncle fight it?”

  “Not without a long, expensive battle that he would lose.” A smile stretched his thin lips. “You’re a wealthy woman. I’ll get to work processing this.”

  Hope stood and offered her hand. “Thank you very much. I’ve some land I want to purchase.”

  “You should be able to get the owner to agree to the purchase. This shouldn’t take long with the way your aunt filed.” He stood and returned her handshake. “Welcome to Copper Pass, Miss Jennings.”

  She’d returned home. Her heart lifted as she headed down the highway back to the ranch. Nothing Uncle Roy could do could take away what her aunt had left her. Hope still wanted justice for her aunt’s death. She still intended to prove that her step-uncle was behind her death, but didn’t know how to go about proving his guilt. Wyatt had someone working on it, was looking into things himself, which didn’t leave much for Hope to do except wait.

  Or, she could let things go. Uncle Roy had no power over her. Aunt Lou had left him with nothing. Maybe that was justice in itself.

  The clouds opened up and dumped with a vengeance. Hope lessened her speed and turned on the windshield wipers. The back and forth tick-tock almost hypnotizing as she drove down the lonely road. She loved rain, but didn’t enjoy driving when she could barely see past the hood of her car.

  Something hit her from behind. She gasped, clutched the steering wheel, and glanced in her rearview mirror. A dark SUV filled her vision. She would have chalked the vehicle hitting her off to slick roads if not for the fact it rammed her again. She couldn’t be positive, but from the baseball cap shading a face, she thought the driver was a man. The rain made it too difficult to know for sure.

  She pressed the gas pedal and shot forward. The SUV did the same. Not an accident. The driver intended to run her off the road.

  Releasing one hand from the wheel, she pressed the button to place a handsfree phone call. Her phone beeped. No service.

  Both hands back on the wheel, she kept her gaze flicking back and forth from the road in front of her to the vehicle in her rearview mirror. The third ram almost sent her off the road. Her car fishtailed, and she screamed, fighting to keep from sliding into the ditch. She couldn’t risk driving faster. Not with her vision obscured from the rain.

  Her phone beeped again. Service. “Call Houston.”

  “Hey, Hope.”

  “Listen to me. I’m not sure how long service will last. I’m on the road out of town headed to the ranch. Someone is trying to run me off the road.”

  “Hang on. I’m on my way. Be careful.” Click.

  She always could rely on Houston. He’d save her like he always did. She returned her full focus on staying on the road.

  The SUV pulled alongside her. She cut a quick glance to her left. It wasn’t Uncle Roy. She’d never seen the stern-faced man before.

  He yanked the wheel in her direction, pushing her perilously close to the deep ditch.

  She pressed the brake, slowing down, hoping to get behind him. He also slowed and hit the side of her car again. Her small sedan wouldn’t hold its own against the larger vehicle for long. Hope’s palms sweated. Tears clogged her throat. She didn’t want to die on a lonely stretch of highway. She tried calling Houston again and entered another dead zone.

  Another hit, then another. Hope’s car spun in a complete circle. Which way was she supposed to turn the wheel? Fear fogged her mind. Why was a stranger trying to kill her? She wasn’t that well known in Copper Pass. No one could know she’d come into an inheritance, and if they did, they had to know she hadn’t received the money. Burglary wasn’t the motive here.

  If Uncle Roy was responsible for Aunt Lou’s death, he wouldn’t have done the deed himself. Now, Hope believed she was his next target. If he couldn’t have the money, then he wouldn’t want her to have it either.

  Another hard ram of the SUV sent her off the road and barreling toward a stand of trees. Hope let go of the steering wheel and crossed her arms in front of her face.

  ~

  “I think she’ll get the message.”

  Roy grinned into his phone. “Is she dead?”

  “I didn’t check. I didn’t want to risk anyone coming along and seeing me.”

  Imbecile. “I want her out of my way.”

  “I followed her in town. She visited a lawyer.”

  The man’s unspoken message that it might be too late for Roy to get his hands on Lou’s money echoed across the airwaves. Roy didn’t pay the man to think or express his opinion. He paid him to get rid of Hope. “I’ll get back to you after I know what shape she’s in.” He hung up, restraining himself from throwing the phone across the room.

  The temptation to take matters into his own hands rose up. As a police officer, he needed to keep his hands clean. He couldn’t allow any wrongdoings to be traced back to him. Not if he wanted to keep his job. If he could get his hands on the inheritance, he wouldn’t need a job. He could skip the country, live like a king in Europe.

  He cursed Hope for hiring a lawyer. One more chink in the wall of Roy’s plan.

  He grabbed his car keys and stormed from his hotel room. He’d find out for himself Hope’s fate. After calling his hired man back to find out where on the highway he might find her, he set off in a downpour, cursing. He hated rain.

  He drove up and down the highway trying to find her car through the curtain of water falling from the sky. When he passed a truck with the Rocking 7 ranch logo on the side, he gave up. He couldn’t allow himself to be seen. With murder in his heart, he drove back to town.

  ~

  Hope, where are you? Houston slowed his truck, his gaze scanning the ditch on his left. She couldn’t have disappeared into thin air.

  When he’d gotten her call about danger, his heart had leaped into his throat. Now, it sat there like a lump of dough, making it hard to breathe. Come on, girl, show me where you are.

  There. The rain let up enough for him to make out the dim glow of brake lights. He pulled to the road’s shoulder and shoved open his door. Slipping and sliding down a muddy embankment, he made his way to the sedan, now wrapped sideways around the trunk of a pine tree.

  “Hope!” He tugged on the driver’s door.

  She lay slumped over the steering wheel, blood staining the sleeve of her blouse. “Wake up, sweetheart.” He quickly dialed 9-1-1, then raced back to the truck to fetch a crowbar.

  He finally got her free and lay her on the ground, wishing for something better than a bed
of mud. He knelt beside her, the knees of his jeans quickly soaking to match the rest of him. He smoothed her hair away from her face, grimacing at the gash across her forehead. “Come on, baby.” He patted her cheek. “Open those eyes for me.”

  Her lashes fluttered. “I don’t think I’m going to make it back for supper.”

  He laughed, the sound more like a choke. He pulled her into his arms. “I’ve called for an ambulance.”

  “Not sure I need one. I’m fine.”

  “You’re not. That’s a nasty gash on your head. Did you see who hit you?”

  “Yes, but I didn’t know him.” Her eyes drifted closed again.

  Houston held her until an ambulance arrived, and he could hand her into the capable hands of two paramedics. He followed as they drove to the hospital. His hands curled into fists around the steering wheel as he imagined them circling around the throat of whoever ran Hope off the road.

  His phone rang. “Hey.”

  “It’s Wyatt. What happened? Mom said you tore out of here like your heels were on fire.”

  Houston explained. “I’ll fill you in on Hope’s condition after a doctor sees her. Anything on the uncle?”

  “Not yet. I think he’s in town, but he must be using an assumed name. One of the servers at the diner said a stranger matching his description had eaten there.”

  “Hope didn’t recognize the driver of the SUV.”

  “Wouldn’t be the first time someone hired someone to do their dirty work. Keep me posted, and be careful.”

  Houston hung up and pulled into the Emergency Room parking lot behind the ambulance. He shot a prayer for nothing serious to be wrong with Hope, then jogged through the lessening rain and through a set of double doors that opened at his approach.

  There were definite perks to be a deputized member of a respected family. The admissions nurse waved him through, letting him know they’d taken Hope to cubicle four.

  He stood to the side while a doctor examined Hope. “A concussion and stitches are all we’ll need here. You’re a lucky young lady, Miss Jennings.” He turned to Houston. “Let’s get her set, some pain meds prescribed, then you can take her home. I assume she works for you? They all seem to.”