“She does, doesn’t she?” Chase watched the horse a moment. She was nervous and agitated, tossing her head and prancing. As he watched, she let out a shrill whinny. If Wade and Janice noticed her, they’d realize she was pointing the way toward Captain and Lacey.
But they probably wouldn’t figure it out. Wade didn’t know a thing about animals, and judging from her footwear, Janice wasn’t exactly the horsey type.
He went downstairs and got out his vet kit. Staring down at the supplies neatly slotted into the canvas, he pulled out a plastic splint and a roll of self-stick vet tape for Captain’s leg. The splint came with instructions, and he unfolded them to make sure they were clear enough for Lacey to follow.
Grabbing a pen from the counter, he thought a moment, then wrote his own set of instructions. Folding it carefully, he laid it on the splint, then tore off a piece of vet tape and bound the rest of the roll with the instructions and the splint.
“Annie? They still there?” he called up the stairs.
“Yup. They haven’t moved,” she said.
“Stay and watch them, okay? I’m going to go put the horses out.”
She appeared at the top of the steps, her forehead creased with confusion. “But it’s almost nighttime. You usually put them in the barn now.”
“Not tonight,” he said. “You’d better watch. If those people leave, I need to know which way they go.”
“Sorry!” Forgetting all about the horses, she ran back to her station at the window.
Out in the barn, Chase spread Sheba’s cool-out blanket on the floor. He carefully bound the medical supplies and instructions into a bundle, then taped them to the inside of the blanket, placing them just behind the horse’s shoulder. They wouldn’t bother her too much there. He muttered softly to Sheba as he settled a blanket on her back and turned her out into the paddock.
While Sheba stamped her foot, shook herself, and gradually gave in to the odd sensation of the splint tickling her side, he blanketed Jimbo. The gelding turned his head and looked at Chase curiously, then poked him with his nose, obviously wondering why he was getting all dressed up so late in the afternoon.
“I know, buddy, it’s kind of weird.” It wasn’t a cool night by any means. Hopefully Janice and Wade wouldn’t realize how odd it was to put horses out to pasture on a warm summer night dressed like they were headed for a fall horse show.
He wondered how Lacey was doing. He’d been gone almost three hours now, so she had to know something was wrong. Maybe she was halfway home already, leaving Captain alone in the woods. Or maybe she was still sitting under the tree where he’d left her. If she was still in the woods, was she scared? Or was she angry, cursing him for leaving her? Would she need comforting when he finally got back to her, or placating?
He didn’t have any idea. He didn’t know a damn thing about women.
But he did know horses, and he knew Sheba would run straight to Captain if he gave her the chance.
He led the mare out to the corral, where she started up her nervous pacing again. Jimbo followed, snorting and stamping, picking up her nerves and getting agitated. When Chase opened the gate, both horses stormed out like wild mustangs being released from a holding pen and thundered off into the deepening twilight. He saw Sheba’s dark, draped form leading the way as the horses headed straight for Captain—and for Lacey.
***
Lacey sat with her back to the tree trunk, watching the sun sink in the sky. She might not have a watch, and she might not be any kind of woods-woman, but she knew Chase had been gone well over the hour he’d promised. Captain had resigned himself to his pain and stood beside the tree with his head drooping low, but Sinclair was still hyperalert, his ears perked as he stared into the forest. Occasionally a shudder rippled down his back.
“You’re making me nervous, boy,” Lacey ran her hand down the dog’s back and kneaded his bony shoulders. “Why did I have to find a sissy dog at the gas station? Why couldn’t you be a mastiff, or a Doberman? Something that would protect me?”
Tilting his nose in the air, Sinclair closed his eyes in an expression of doggie bliss. “I’m surprised you didn’t insist on following your new mistress. Maybe you like me a little after all.”
She scanned the woods as she petted the dog, watching for shadows. As the sun sank and the light began to dim, it was getting harder and harder to see what lay beyond the nearest trees. Twice now she’d thought she’d seen a shadow, large and lithe, moving through the shadows under the pines. Both times, Sinclair had growled. She’d thought at first his reaction confirmed her fears, but then she realized he was just responding to her own tension.
She wanted to go to the edge of the woods to see if she could see Chase heading her way, but that would mean leaving Captain, and if she really had seen something stalking them from the shadows, they’d all be better off together.
She scanned the sky. The sun was almost to the horizon, and the clear, watery blue of day was giving way to the deeper tones of sunset. The shadowy depths of the woods were growing darker by the minute.
“Can’t you be more like Lassie?” she asked Sinclair. “Go home, boy, and bark at that man until he comes and gets me.” She made a shooing motion. “Go on. Tell him Timmy’s in the well.”
The dog trotted a few steps down the trail, then turned and gave her an aggrieved look.
“Go,” she said, flicking her fingers. “Go.”
He walked back to her, sighed, and lay down beside her, resting his head on his paws.
“Damn dog,” she said. But she was secretly pleased.
She rested her head against the tree, stroking the dog and letting her eyes close. She was tired from the week’s stress, and the day’s fresh air and exercise had added to her exhaustion. The clatter and cheep of birds settling themselves for the night faded in and out of her consciousness.
At some point, she must have fallen asleep because she woke with a start, gazing around her in confusion. It was almost dark. Where was she? The forest gradually slid into focus as she took in the horse, the dog, and the scattered leaves. But what had woken her up? Sinclair was awake too, standing with one foot lifted like a pointer, his ears and tail trembling, his body rigid.
A hoarse, high-pitched scream tore through the night. Sinclair took a step forward and growled. She grabbed him and clutched him to her chest.
“Forget everything I said about Lassie,” she whispered into the dog’s fur. “Whatever that was, it’s way bigger than you. You don’t have a chance.”
Neither did she. Neither did Captain. That had to be a mountain lion, and it sounded close. Her instinct told her to run for the cabin, but she had no idea what direction the cry had come from. It had surrounded her, filling the air.
She scanned the woods all around, looking for the gleam of predatory eyes, the glide of a shadowy form through the dense undergrowth. Listening for the snapping of a twig that would indicate stealthy footsteps.
The silence that surrounded her was almost more unnerving. The thing could be anywhere—two yards away or twenty. She’d seen a house cat stalking a bird once, all stealth and steely eyes. A mountain lion would probably move just as quietly and pounce just as fast. She held the dog tighter and waited for the rustle of approaching doom.
But when the sound came, it was no mere snapping of twigs. It was an explosion of noise, as if something was crashing through the underbrush just down the path from where she sat. It didn’t sound like a mountain lion; it sounded like an elephant. Or maybe a whole herd of elephants. How big was the damn thing? Maybe there was more than one.
Sinclair jumped to his feet and let out a sharp bark as Captain reared up on his hind legs, jerking away from the tree. He took off down the trail as fast as his injury would allow, reins trailing behind him, stirrups flapping at his sides. He was headed toward home—toward home, and toward whatever was crashing through the trees.
“Wrong way! Oh, you stupid horse, no!”
Lacey dropped to her knees a
nd grabbed the dog, clutching him to her chest. There was nobody to save her now.
She’d wanted to be on her own, and now she truly was.
Chapter 39
Sinclair huddled closer to Lacey and let out a pitiful whine that was hardly the Call of the Wild. She watched Captain stumble and fall with a shrill whinny, landing hard on the shoulder opposite his injured leg. He lifted his head and neighed again, sounding as desperate and hopeless as she felt.
She ran over to the horse. His hooves cut through the air as he thrashed and struggled to rise, and she moved to the other side to soothe him. She stroked his shoulder and her hand came away sticky with warm blood. The noise grew louder, the ground seeming to shake with the pounding of…
Hooves?
Lacey stood stock-still as the bushes parted to reveal two horses, both dressed to kill in multicolored blankets that draped their bodies. She recognized Jimbo in an Indian pattern and Sheba in a shocking pink number that had Annie written all over it. They looked like they were headed to an equine prom.
Captain managed to struggle to his feet and stretched his neck to greet Sheba. Their muzzles came together in gentle greeting, and she felt tears stinging her eyelids. She couldn’t believe how happy she was to see the animals she’d been so scared of only a few days before.
Maybe it was the clothes. That had to be Annie’s work. They were lucky the baby clothes didn’t fit.
But where was Chase? Had he been thrown or something? “Sheba, where is he?” She stroked the horse’s shoulder through the fabric. Her hand hit a lump just behind the horse’s front leg, and the animal stepped aside.
“Hey, wait.” She stepped toward the horse, who snorted and moved away again.
“Oh, no. I’m not dancing with you.” She turned her back and folded her arms over her chest. It wasn’t more than a minute before she felt a soft nose blowing the hair at the back of her neck.
“Hey. I’m learning, aren’t I?” She patted the horse’s neck and slipped her hand under the blanket. Something was fastened to the underside. Flipping it up, she found a strangely shaped sheet of plastic and a roll of tape.
Maybe she shouldn’t have pulled it off. Maybe it was part of the blanket or something. She looked critically at Jimbo. His blanket draped gracefully, with nothing interrupting the fall of fabric.
She tore off the tape that held it together and a piece of paper fluttered to the ground. Instructions for Adjust-a-Splint. It was folded tightly with another piece, a handwritten note she unfolded with shaking hands.
Lacey: Wade was here.
She shivered. The sun had fallen behind the distant mountains, but its heat still lingered. It was the thought of Wade that made her cold. Suddenly, the mountain lion seemed like the least of her problems.
He left, but he’s watching. I sent Sheba to bring you this note. She also has a splint for Captain. Don’t worry, he’s good about his feet.
Actually, Captain’s feet were the least of her worries.
I’ll come and get you as soon as I can, but as long as Wade’s watching I can’t. Don’t worry about the bears and mountain lions. I was kind of exaggerating.
Lacey remembered the cry she’d heard and almost crumpled up the note. Chase was just trying to make her feel better. It had to be a mountain lion. She looked down and read the last lines.
Stay safe, and Do Not Come Home.
—Chase
***
Chase headed inside to get Annie. He’d done all he could for Lacey. Now it was time to deal with Wade.
“Come on, kid,” he said. “I better take you home.”
“I thought I was spending the night.”
“Change of plans. Sorry.” He hated to see her disappointed, but seeing Wade and his new lady friend had left a knot in the pit of his stomach and a nervous twitch pulsing in his temple. They were dangerous, and Lacey would understand that the first priority was to get Annie someplace safe.
“But Aunt Lacey…”
“I’ll go get Aunt Lacey when I get back. I sent her a note with Sheba.”
“What about Sinclair?”
“Can he stay with Lacey tonight? I think she needs him.”
“I don’t know. I don’t think Aunt Lacey’s going to be too happy if you leave her out there in the woods.”
He had no doubt Annie was right—but at least Lacey would be alive. God knew what she’d be if Wade found her. Kidnapped, probably. Dead, if something went wrong. Even after all these years, he could sense rage simmering under the man’s bulging muscles.
But as long as Chase didn’t lead Wade to Lacey, he’d never find her. Nobody who’d seen her dressed in designer duds sipping margaritas at the country club pool would ever look for her camping in the woods.
Annie thrust out her lower lip in a world-class pout, but she climbed into the pickup without another word. Pam always wondered how he got the kid to do stuff without arguing. He’d told her the answer: He didn’t argue. But somehow, it didn’t work the same for Pam. Or for Cody. Annie ran roughshod over them both.
And they both enjoyed it.
Or at least they used to. He flashed back to the sight of Cody sitting at the table with that woman and smothered a feeling of doom. Cody had given Lacey up. That was the only possible explanation. And Pam would never forgive him for that.
Everybody’s life was about to change.
He pulled out of the ranch gate, glancing over at the hill beyond that hid Wade’s car. He was tempted to go over and have a talk with him, but not with Annie along. He didn’t want her anywhere near the guy.
Annie chattered endlessly about Sinclair as they followed the winding county road into town. The ugly dog Lacey had given his niece was apparently the next best thing to Rin Tin Tin, brave and loyal and true—at least in his mistress’s loving eyes.
When they reached the café, the lights were on in the kitchen. Giving Annie’s ponytail a farewell tug as she took off for the stairs, he walked into the kitchen.
“See you, Uncle Chase,” Annie called over her shoulder. “Go get Aunt Lacey now, okay? She might be scared in the woods by herself, even with Sinclair there.”
Cody was chopping a pile of poached chicken breasts while a soup pot simmered on the stove. He looked up with his standard crooked grin. “Hey, bro.”
“Hey.” Chase leaned against the huge stainless steel refrigerator and watched Cody wield a butcher knife with Iron Chef expertise. “Who was that lady I saw you with?”
Cody stiffened, and his fist clenched on the knife, shifting it just enough to graze his thumb. “Damn.” He dodged over to the sink, cranking on the cold water and grimacing as he held the thumb in the stream.
“Who was she?”
“I don’t know. Hold on, I cut myself.” He turned away from Chase, hunching his shoulders.
“You know her?”
“Can you hang on? I’m fucking bleeding here.” Cody snatched a paper towel from the dispenser over the sink and dried off his hand.
“Who is she, Cody?”
“Look, I’m not cheating on your sister.” Cody returned to the chicken breasts, bending his head over his work.
“Don’t you need a Band-Aid?”
“No. I’m fine.” Cody refused to meet Chase’s eyes, acting as if the chicken would run away if he stopped his fierce concentration on its destruction.
Chase eased sideways, trying to steal a glimpse of Cody’s thumb. It looked fine. He hadn’t cut it; he’d just wanted an excuse to turn around. To hide his expression? To think of a lie to cover his guilt?
“Who was she?”
“She was—a friend, okay? She knew some people I knew, and we got to talking. That’s all.” He chopped a length of chicken with quick, vicious strokes. “Don’t you have someplace you have to be?”
“Yes, I do.” Chase stepped up to Cody. “I need to be with Lacey. She’s out…” He caught himself before he gave away Lacey’s location. “She’s out somewhere, and your lady friend is parked by my house, watch
ing me to see if I’ll lead her to her. How did she know Lacey was at my house, Cody? Huh? How did she know?”
“Whoa, bro. I didn’t tell her.”
“No? Then who did? And what were you doing sitting with her?” He clenched his fist. “I trusted you, bro. I trusted you with my sister, with my niece, and with Lacey’s secrets. Guess I made a big mistake.”
Cody paled. “Where’s Lacey then? She’s not out there alone, is she? Because those people are dangerous.”
“Interesting that you would know that. I’m not telling you a damned thing.” Chase turned and headed for the door. “And stay the hell away from my sister.”
He was almost out the front door when Pam called down from upstairs. “Chase, come here.”
“I’m in a hurry,” he hollered back.
“It’s about Lacey. Where is she?”
He let go of the doorknob and bounded up the steps. He wasn’t about to tell her in front of Cody, and Annie was liable to holler out the answer any second. He shut the door behind him and faced his sister. “She’s waiting for me, that’s where she is.”
“Look.”
She was sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of tea and a copy of the Conway Times laid out in front of her. He knew she’d subscribed to the Tennessee paper since they’d left, but he’d never paid much attention to the news she relayed from it. That part of his life was over.
Once she’d tried to show him a picture of Lacey at some charity thing. He’d refused to look and stormed out, but a week later he’d noticed it at the top of the recycling bin and spent about ten minutes staring at it before he caught himself and tossed it aside in disgust.
“Lacey’s husband testified.”
“Ex-husband,” he said, and then the news registered. “What?”
“He testified. Gave up all his associates in exchange for a light sentence.” She folded the paper over and handed him the front of the local section. What appeared to be a mug shot of Wade Simpson stared out at him in black and gray and white, the man’s light-colored eyes looking nearly as threatening in newsprint as they had in person. “That’s Wade Simpson, isn’t it?”
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