by Holly Rayner
Sam and Lila wagged their tails as they followed him out of the office. Sean had a feeling that they recognized the words “road trip” but didn’t comprehend the “one last” part of his spoken sentence. That was probably for the best. He didn’t want to dwell on the “one last” part, either.
It’ll just be temporary, he reminded himself. I’ll serve my time, and then I’ll be a genuinely free man. I won’t have to hide; I won’t have to worry about cop cars in the driveway every time I wrap up a day of work.
And most importantly of all, I won’t have to worry that somehow my toxic past will contaminate Delaney’s life. I’ll get it all cleaned up and taken care of.
It’s going to be such a relief.
He extracted a few wads of cash from the safe in his bedroom and tucked it into an interior pocket of his denim jacket. He pulled the jacket over his button-up shirt. He was still in his work clothes, but that hardly mattered to him. He just hoped that he could get to the airport in time.
It was nine on the dot as he fired up his truck, loaded the dogs into the back seat, and then headed for Houston.
Chapter 17
Delaney
Though it was ten o’clock at night, a time when she usually started winding down for the evening, Delaney felt wide awake.
She tried to get ready for bed anyway. She went through the motions. She showered, got into her pajamas, and then settled into her bed with one of the latest veterinarian magazines that had arrived in the mail. Usually, she liked reading articles about her industry before she went to sleep. It felt productive, yet soothing. Many of the articles were so dense with scientific data that they lulled her into a bored state of restfulness.
She flipped through the pages and tried to settle her focus on one of the articles.
“Equine Gut Health: Results from Ten Double-Blind Studies on Best Practices for Supporting Gut Microbiota.”
“Current Knowledge about Sheep and Goat Vaccinations.”
“Gait Quality Differences Between the Pure-Bread Appaloosa and the American Paint Horse.”
With a frustrated sigh, she laid the magazine down on her chest.
It was no use.
She couldn’t focus on the articles. Her mind was still on Sean, and the painful conversation she’d had with him out at his ranch.
As if sensing her distress, Mr. Butters jumped up on the bed and stepped onto Delaney’s stomach. The magazine slipped off to the side, and Mr. Butters took its place.
Delaney stroked her kitty, and he started to purr.
“Thanks, buddy,” she said. “It’s been a rough day.”
Mr. Butters pressed the top of his head into her hand. The feel of his soft fur usually comforted Delaney. Tonight, however, she felt too upset to even find solace in her cat’s cuddles.
Tears that she’d been holding back welled up in her eyes.
“He’s so perfect for me,” she told her cat. “We’re great together. I’ve never felt like this before about any man I’ve been with.”
She stroked Mr. Butters’ head.
“I should have known it was too good to be true,” she said.
Tears spilled over her lids and slid down her cheeks.
“I should have known,” she said again.
She reached up and wiped the salty wetness off of one cheek.
“I guess I just got my hopes up, that’s all. I thought maybe he was the one.”
She wiped the other cheek.
I shouldn’t be this upset, she told herself. I’m a grown woman. I’m not some high schooler with a crush. I’ve been fine on my own for so many years. Sean and I were only just beginning our relationship. If it has to end now, that shouldn’t upset me.
Logically, she saw that this was true.
But in her heart, she knew it was all nonsense.
She needed Sean in her life. Being with him had given her a glimpse into how happy she could feel. The world felt brand-new when he was at her side.
I’ve walked along the San Antonio River so many times, she thought. But on the night that I walked along it with Sean, I saw how beautiful it was for the first time. I saw how the water shimmered under the lights. I noticed other couples holding hands and sharing kisses and tender moments. I felt like all I could see was love—everywhere I looked.
She recalled the way it had felt to walk to the diner with Sean. She’d noticed two birds that were going after one worm. Any other day, she might have figured that the birds were fighting over their meal. But with Sean at her side, she’d felt that the birds were a couple, lovingly sharing the little morsel of nutrition.
The world seemed so different. I don’t want to go back to seeing things the way I did before. I want to be with Sean.
Her desire for him filled her chest.
I love him, she realized. A fresh round of tears welled up in her eyes. Maybe he doesn’t feel the same way about me. If he loved me, he wouldn’t want to end our relationship like this.
She felt so confused. Her throat was tight. Her chest ached. She squeezed her eyes shut.
Maybe if I turn off my light and just lie here, I’ll fall asleep, she thought. And this pain I feel will go away.
She opened her eyes and switched off her light.
In the darkness, she tossed and turned but was unable to fall asleep. After about an hour, she gave up. She turned on the bedside light again, and the sight of her phone on her nightstand caught her eye. She’d plugged it into a backup charger soon after arriving home. It looked like it was nearly charged up. Without much thought, she reached for it and turned it on.
Her voicemail box showed one new message.
She played it. Her heart started pounding in her chest as she heard Jake’s voice.
What now? she thought. Hasn’t he done enough damage already?
“Delaney, it’s Jake. My vet’s out of town and I think I have an emergency on my hands. It’s my stallion, Midnight. His vitals are off, and I’m concerned. It’s a little after eight. Call me back, even if it’s late when you get this. I’ll be up.”
She lowered the phone from her ear. The clock on the phone screen showed that it was eleven thirty.
Her brows pushed together as she considered his message. Was he being honest? Was his stallion really sick, or was he just calling to try to lure her out to his ranch?
Given his recent attempts at weaseling his way into her life, she wouldn’t put the latter past him.
He’s not above faking an emergency to get to me, she realized. Should I just ignore his call?
She set the phone down.
I’ll ignore it.
But what if his horse is really sick? What kind of changes in vital signs did he notice?
She knew that in many cases, illnesses presented in animals as a change to their normal heart rate or breathing patterns.
The thought that a horse could be in distress bothered her.
I’m not sleeping, anyway, Delaney thought. I’d better call him back.
She guided Mr. Butters off of his perch, pushed the covers off, and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. Once she was sitting, she dialed Jake.
She cleared her throat before she spoke, so she wouldn’t sound as if she’d been crying.
“Hey, Jake. Delaney here,” she said as soon as he answered. “I just got your message, sorry. My phone died.”
“Thanks for calling. Midnight really doesn’t look good. I don’t know what else to do—my vet is out of town at the big horse show up north.”
This sounded legitimate, because Delaney had run into many vets at the event, and she knew that most folks stayed overnight instead of leaving after the last event of the weekend, as she had.
“Tell me what’s going on,” Delaney said. She tried to keep her tone business-like.
“I noticed he was breathing fast when I was putting him into the stable around seven,” Jake said. “Thought he was just worked up. I have a new, young stallion out in the pen with him, and they were giving each other a har
d time. But I checked on Midnight again at eight and again a few minutes ago.”
“And?” Delaney asked.
“He’s still panting. His heart rate’s up, too. Can you come check on him?”
Delaney hesitated. It was late, and Jake’s ranch was at least an hour and a half away, maybe more.
She sighed. “Jake, you better not be pulling my leg on this just to get me out to your place,” she said.
He was silent.
“Jake…?” she said. “I’m serious. We haven’t talked in years, and suddenly, ever since that reunion, you’ve been calling me out of the blue. Do you still have feelings for me? Is that what this is about?”
He was silent for a beat. Then, he said, “I don’t see what my feelings for you have to do with my sick horse, Delaney. You’re a vet. My horse needs help. Isn’t this what you do?”
“Don’t play dumb with me, Jake,” Delaney said. “I know I’m a vet. Yes, I help horses. But there are a dozen other vets in the state just as good as I am. You could call anyone tonight. Why are you calling me?”
“I told you, my vet’s out of town. Besides, I’ve been talking to some other ranchers. They all say you’re the best. Sure, there are other vets, but this is my prize stallion we’re talking about. If he’s hurt, he needs care from someone who really knows what they’re doing.”
“You said he was panting,” Delaney said. “How fast? Did you count?”
“Uh… somethin’ around thirty breaths a minute,” Jake said. He sounded unsure of himself. “He’s lying down, and he really doesn’t look good. You’d better get out here, quick.”
Does he sound so unsure because he’s lying to me, or does he sound like this because he’s looking at a hurt horse, and he’s scared? Delaney wondered.
She pushed a hand through her hair with frustration. It was impossible to tell. She stood up.
“That’s pretty fast,” she said. “He could be bleeding internally—maybe that young stallion kicked him good in the gut. I’ve seen that happen before.”
She bit her lip, thinking this through.
“I’m going to bring an IV setup in case he needs fluids. You have a trailer so we can transport him to an animal hospital, if I think he needs it?”
“Of course I have a trailer,” Jake said. “What kind of operation do you think I’m running over here?”
“I have no idea,” she said. “I’ve never been out to your place.”
And that’s no accident, she thought.
“Well, now you’re going to get to see it,” Jake said. He sounded a little bit too happy about this. “I’ll give you a tour.”
“No,” Delaney said. “I’ll be there to see Midnight, and that’s it, Jake. I’m serious. This isn’t a social visit. It’s business. You got that?”
“I got it,” he said smugly.
She furrowed her brow. She didn’t like his tone. Before she could voice her concerns, he spoke up.
“You know how to find me? I’m at 55 Gulch Road, just past the Whistler Creek Whiskey Distillery. I’ll be in the barn. I’ll get the trailer ready in case you think he needs to be taken somewhere for surgery.”
The mention of surgery spurred Delaney into action. She didn’t want her hesitation to cost Midnight his life. If the stallion really was experiencing a trauma, timing could be of the essence.
Delaney promised Jake she’d see him and Midnight soon. Then, she pulled on some jeans and threw a sweatshirt over her sleeping T-shirt. She pulled her hair up into a bun, grabbed her purse, and hurried out to her truck.
Chapter 18
Sean
Sean pressed the radio scan button on his steering wheel, looking for a station that was playing music, not just endless commercials. The road ahead of him was empty. His trip to the Houston airport had gone well; a small leather box was now in his jacket pocket, in replacement of the cash he’d been carrying around.
Delaney is going to love these earrings, he thought, as he pressed the seek button again.
He landed on a station that was actually playing music, and he grinned as he recognized the song. It was one of the ones that he and Delaney had slow danced to, the night he’d stayed over at her place.
His mind was filled with thoughts of her. Lost in a daydream of the way it had felt to laugh and dance with her in her living room, he missed his turnoff. A sign for a town he didn’t recognize alerted him to the fact that he was off course.
He pulled off to the side of the road. Sam and Lila, who had been sound asleep in the back for the last hour of driving, sat up and looked around.
“We’re not home yet,” Sean told them. “Just had to stop to get my bearings.”
The dogs curled up again and nuzzled noses onto the tops of their paws.
Sean pulled up a map of the area on his phone. Each time he tapped the screen to move around the map, his phone made a clicking sound, which caused the dogs to stir. He wanted them to settle down, so he took a moment to put his phone on silent. As he examined the map, he realized that he’d driven about twenty miles past his turn.
“Shoot,” he whispered.
He examined the map for a possible alternate route. He didn’t like the idea of pulling a U-turn and backtracking for miles. As he examined the map, he saw that one possible route that could connect him to the road he needed to be on would take him down Gulch Road.
Isn’t that where Jake Millhouse’s ranch is? Sean thought.
He’d never seen the place and found that he was curious about what kind of shape it was in.
Jake seems intent on intruding into my life, Sean thought. Yet I know almost nothing about his. Maybe I’d better know.
He set down his phone, put the truck in drive, and then pulled back out onto the road.
After driving for another half an hour, Sean turned onto a wide, well-worn road with a hand-painted sign that read “Gulch Road” at the end of it. He passed a few farms, and then a whiskey distillery. Sean turned down the radio and sat up straighter as he focused on the land to the right of the road.
“Jake’s operation should be coming up here on the right,” he whispered to himself.
The map on the internet showed the Millhouse Ranch. He’d seen that Jake’s property was adjacent to the distillery.
The road was lined with towering Texas Ash and Southern Red Oaks with wide, gnarled trunks. Sean slowed his speed and watched the side of the road carefully. At a gap in the trees, he saw a driveway. A tall iron arch at the end of the road had the word “Millhouse” stenciled into it.
This is it, Sean thought. This is Jake’s place.
He took his foot off the gas and rolled to a stop a few feet before passing the driveway to Jake’s ranch.
My whole life is about to change, he thought. Because of this man.
He sat there for a minute in the darkness, thinking about the drastic changes that loomed before him.
The pale yellow glow of headlights reflected off of a tree trunk across the road. Sean turned his head to see where the lights were coming from. He saw a truck bouncing down Jake’s driveway. It was heading out toward the road.
Funny time for someone to be leaving the ranch, thought Sean. I guess I’m not the only one to work late. Must be an employee finally heading home for the night.
He watched the truck approach, and in the darkness, he could just barely see its shape. It was a small pickup—the same make and model as Delaney’s.
Even the same year, thought Sean. What are the chances?
He watched the truck. It reached the end of the driveway. The driver turned to the left, and he caught sight of a face, framed in long, brown hair.
Delaney!
Sean’s eyes opened wide. What was she doing there?
His eyes flicked to the clock on his dashboard. It was 1:30 in the morning.
He looked back at her. She was peering out of her driver’s side window. Her eyes widened, too, as she recognized Sean.
She started to roll down her window.
&n
bsp; Sean put his truck into drive. He pulled out into the road and then stepped on the gas.
He was in shock. Delaney—at Jake’s ranch at one thirty in the morning.
What was she doing at his ranch so late? His mind could only come up with one scenario, and it was one that made him feel so hurt, he could barely acknowledge it.
She must have run into his arms after leaving my place, he thought. They have a history together. They’ve recently gotten back in touch. She was upset…. Maybe she went to him for comfort.
He increased his speed.
Who am I to tell her who she can see, and who she can’t? he thought.
I basically told her we needed space. I knew she was upset, and I let her leave.
But, Jake? he thought. Seriously, she went running to Jake? The thought hurt him to the core. He’s not right for her. He never was. I’m right for her—at least, I will be, once I face my past.
He knew that once he reached the highway, he’d be only ten minutes from a police station. He saw headlights in his rearview mirror, but he ignored them. Either they belonged to Delaney’s truck and meant that she was following him, or they belonged to someone else. He wasn’t sure, and he didn’t want to think about it. The thought of talking to Delaney so soon after she’d been with Jake upset him.
What does she see in him? he wondered. Can’t she see he’s cold-hearted? I could treat her so much better, if I had the chance…
He shook his head.
I can’t fight for her—not until I fess up to my crimes and get a clear conscience. I have to deal with that, first.
Tonight.
The police department is only another thirty minutes away.
He swallowed. Am I really going to do this? Am I going to confess?
The landscape outside of his window was a blur of black trees, silhouetted against the sky and dark gray pavement. The dogs had settled back down in the back seat.
Sean gripped the wheel beneath his sweaty palms. His main priority, over the past eight years, had been to stay away from the police. Now, he was driving right for them.