Seized by the Lawman

by Rhonda Lee Carver

  The sun was setting and she clicked on her headlights. The orangish-red sunsets were breathtaking out here in the Wyoming mountains. To think she would see this amazing view each and every day was just another reason why she couldn’t wait to make the ranch her permanent homestead. This was her home. Life could take the girl out of the mountains, but nothing could take the mountains out of a girl. She had so many ideas and plans that she wanted to put into place on Shy Brooke. Excitement gurgled up inside of her for the first time in a such a long time as she realized more and more that she’d been trying to find herself over the years. Now she woke up grateful for the gifts God had given her. This was the life.

  Hearing the low rumbling of an exhaust, Melly looked in the rearview mirror and saw lights. They were coming up on her fast on the narrow road. There wasn’t much out on the country road except for Shy Brooke and a few other farms. Melly looked at her speedometer and she was going the speed limit. The approaching truck slowed but rode her fender for almost a half mile. Frustrated, Melly slowed down and stuck her arm out the window, waving the vehicle to pass. The driver laid on the horn and pulled around her but stayed beside her for the entire straight stretch. She tried looking inside the cab, but it was too dark to see who was driving. The truck wasn’t familiar either.

  Headlights popped up around the curve from the opposite direction. The truck made no move to get the hell out of the way of the oncoming car. . “You idiot. Go around,” Melly muttered, slowing her own truck to a crawl. She clenched her fingers tight around the steering wheel, anticipating a head on collision between the vehicles. With no time to spare, the truck beside her whipped in front of her as the car coming the opposite direction passed, holding down on their horn.

  Melly felt like puking as her adrenaline finally started to settle. The truck in front of her took off with a loud roar and their backlights faded into the darkness. She rolled her window down the rest of the way and allowed the cool air to splash her face.

  The baby moved and she touched her stomach. “I know, little one. That was close. I’m sorry I woke you,” Melly whispered.

  She pressed on the gas pedal and picked up speed. It was completely dark now and the lights on her truck were dim. Clicking on her brights, they didn’t work as they should, but they helped some.

  Her phone rang from the console. Glancing over, she saw that it was Nix. She didn’t answer.

  Bringing her gaze back to the road, the lights feathered across something in the middle of the road. She screamed and jerked the wheel at the same time slamming her foot on the brake. The truck slid sideways and she saw a flash of a woman in white as Melly bounced in the seat, luckily constrained by the seatbelt, until finally coming to a rest when the front fender struck the ditch on the other side of the road. After realizing what had happened, she looked around frantically for the woman. The road was empty. What the hell?

  The smoke rolling out of the top of the truck’s hood made it clear she wouldn’t be driving it home. The second thing she realized was that she had a dull pain in her forehead. Bringing her fingers to her brow, she felt something sticky on her skin and realized she was bleeding.

  “Damn.”

  Chapter 11

  “WHY DIDN’T YOU tell me?”

  At the sound of Nix’s voice behind her, Melly lifted her chin and looked at him. “Tell you what?” she asked around the nail she had clenched between her teeth.

  “About the accident,” he said gruffly.

  “I wouldn’t call it an accident. It was a fender bender and I was checked out by a doctor after. I didn’t even need stitches.” She touched the small white bandage on her forehead. She’d gone to the hospital not because she was worried about the small cut on her head, but because she needed to make sure the baby was okay. The doctor had listened to the baby’s heartbeat and everything seemed fine with a recommendation that she rest. She turned her attention back to nailing the board.

  “That board isn’t straight. If they’re not flush with each other the nails will go in crooked which makes it easier for the cows to breakthrough,” he muttered.

  With a sigh, she used the claw of her hammer and pulled out the nail. It was bent so she grabbed another from her utility pouch. “I’m still learning.” She heard his footsteps. She didn’t look to see where he was standing, but she could feel him—could feel the warmth of his pensive gaze on her back. “If you have something to say, why don’t you just say it rather than breathe down my neck.”

  Several silent seconds passed until he finally said curtly, “Randy told me you thought you saw someone standing in the road. That’s what caused you to wreck.”

  “I did see someone in the road.” She pounded the new nail in, careful to keep the boards flush as Nix had suggested.

  “I took a look at the truck.”

  “It’s totaled. Another check against me.” She sighed. “Now I have to get dad’s approval for a new truck.”

  “The front tire was tampered with.”

  Had she heard him right? Dropping the hammer, she stood, narrowing her eyes on him. “Tampered with?” She’d chalked the incident up to coincidence.

  He nodded, his jaw was noticeably tight. His buff arms were crossed over his massive chest. He looked angry. “The tire had a small cut in it. Not enough to give you an immediate flat tire, but a slow loss of air so that if you slammed on your brakes or swerved to miss something you’d lose control.”

  She blinked, wrapping her head around his statement. “I had just gone into town to run a few errands. I wasn’t in there long.”

  “It doesn’t take long to slice a tire.” He pushed his hat back on his forehead, showing her the steely glare. “Tell me what exactly happened.”

  She blew out a long breath and swiped her sweaty palms down the thighs of her jeans. “Look, Nix, I don’t want my father to know about this.”

  “It was an accident. Not just an accident, but someone intentionally slit your tire.”

  “We don’t know that, but if you tell him he’ll become the overprotective father again and smother me. He’ll see this as an excuse not to give me the ranch.”

  “Melly…”

  “No. I know him. Trust me.”

  “Then trust me. Tell me what happened. I won’t tell Carson. I promise.”

  “I saw a woman. I didn’t get a good look because it was so quick. I swerved and slammed on the brakes, maybe not in that order because I can’t remember. She was wearing all white, there one second, gone the next.”

  His lips thinned. “Did you see anyone suspicious in town? Anything unusual happen prior?”

  She shrugged. “Not really…no, wait. There was a reckless driver who was playing chicken with an uncoming car.”

  “What do you mean “playing chicken’?”

  “Nothing serious. Just an idiot driver. Probably drinking.”

  “Did you get a make, model, or color of the vehicle? Could you identify the driver?”

  “It was a truck. Red. And no about the driver. It was dark.” She grabbed her thermos and sipped at the now tepid water. “I didn’t think a lot of it at the time. Do you really think someone did this to me and the two incidences are related?” Her stomach soured.

  “I don’t want to assume, but it’s important to always be cautious. I had the lock tested for fingerprints, but as I guessed, there were none. I even looked back at the surveillance video here, but the camera on that side of the property doesn’t reach into the field. That needs to change, and I’ve already called in a security team to install new cameras. You’ll have a system set up so you can view all angles of the property on a monitor inside your house and on your phone in real time.”

  “Is that necessary?”

  “Yes. Someone could have snuck onto Shy Brooke at night and waited in the shed. Could have even been someone watching things around here. Maybe even someone you know.”

  “I don’t believe that. Most of these hands have been here for years.”

  “I ran a ba
ckground check on each of them and nothing sticks out to me.”

  “Nix, you’ve been a busy man. Don’t you think you should have mentioned this?”

  “And have you argue?” He gave his head a shake. “I called the local Sheriff to see if any calls had been made regarding criminal acts by teenagers and he said no. So I’m speculating that you were the target and this wasn’t just some kid getting his rocks off with a petty crime. . The ex is always the first to be investigated in crimes like these.”

  Although Nix laid out a pretty good theory, she wasn’t quite sold. No one knew her around here and as far as she saw it, she didn’t have any enemies. Brad certainly wouldn’t do this. “Stop right there.”

  His brows scrunched. “Stop what?”

  “Stop making me paranoid. And don’t blame Brad. He’s busy and he has no reason to come out here in the middle of nowhere and tamper with my tires or lock me in a shed.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “The man wants to get back with me. A reunion would be difficult if I was dead.”

  “Maybe he’s the jealous kind. Does he know about me?”

  “No, and you’re just paranoid.”

  “Being paranoid is part of my job.”

  She sighed. “Okay, but growing up, my father was always pointing out the faults of humankind to a point that I found myself thinking that shadows lurked around every corner. That’s not healthy for a child. He made me take self-defense classes every year, as if I didn’t contain the information. I knew how to shoot a gun before I was five. Sure, I can handle my way around a shotgun like any man, but you get what I’m saying, right? I get that there’s a rotten apple in every tree, but I refuse to live my life looking over my shoulder.”

  His jaw worked, his face turned a shade redder, then he muttered, “Then you have a logical explanation for the lock on the shed? The slit in the tire?”

  “No, I don’t.”

  His gaze narrowed. “Because you know the only explanation leads to a criminal act.”

  She shrugged. “What would you like me to say? Shall I buy bubble wrap and roll myself up? Should I carry a gun like Annie Oakley? Or sit in front of a monitor inside my house? Bad things happen, but I came here to live because this is where it’s peaceful.”

  “I’m glad you’re taking this with a grain of salt. Remember, I know what happens out there and it’s not pretty.”

  “And that’s why I’ll never marry a cop. Everything’s a disaster and he must have a dozen loaded guns in the house to even begin to lighten his paranoia. You and my dad are two peas in a pod.” Once the words were out she realized how harsh they were, and by the rigid set of his mouth and the narrowing of his angry gaze, he didn’t like what she said any more than she did.

  He turned and stomped toward the barn.

  “Shit,” she mumbled. She had to jog to catch up to him. “What’s wrong?”

  “Not one damn thing,” he said grumpily.

  Melly touched his bicep that flinched under her fingers. “Come on. I know when there’s something wrong.”

  “I need a break. Is that okay?” He pulled his arm away.

  Acid rose in her throat. “A break from me?” Why did this bother her? She should be glad that he was distant and cold. This would make staying away from him much easier. But in the scheme of things, was that what she really wanted? To be away from him? No, because when the accident happened, the first person she’d wanted to call had been him.

  “Take it as you wish,” he griped and stormed away, rounding the barn toward his truck.

  Several seconds flashed and she thought about just letting him walk, but something snapped inside her. She followed him and finally caught up to him just as he reached his truck. “We need to talk, clear the air,” she said through pants of breath. How had she gotten so out of shape?

  He didn’t respond. He strolled to the driver’s door, threw it open and she swore she heard the springs pop. “Nothing to say.”

  “Like hell there isn’t. I don’t understand the anger.” He wasn’t paying attention to her. He climbed behind the steering wheel and reached out to grab the handle, but she slipped between him and the door, crossing her arms over her chest.

  “What the hell are you doing?” His pinched expression could have scared away the bravest of men, but Melly wasn’t one to scare easily, at least not by a man she knew had a warm heart.

  “What’s wrong with me? Don’t you mean what is wrong with you, Nix? You’re acting like a scolded bear. Are you angry because I choose not to feed my fears?” He ignored her and turned his cheek to stare through the front window. She could see a muscle in his jaw clicking. “This is childish,” she huffed.

  “And you not taking this seriously is childish too.”

  “Are you angry because I took a slap at lawmen? That they’re paranoid?”

  “I don’t want to talk about this. I’m leaving.” His hands were tight on the steering wheel, about as tight as his jaw.

  “Not until I get a grasp on what I said that has turned you upside down.”

  A tense second passed and then he turned to look at her, his pensive glare bearing into her. “Want to know the truth? Fine. I don’t think you’re ready to take leadership of this place, Melly. Up until this point in your adulthood you’ve lived like a spoiled child. You’ve gone from one playboy to the next. Even quit college to pursue being a reality star. Look where that got you. Maybe your dad is right. Maybe this is a bit too much for you and you should let him sell the place and you move back to your bubble.”

  His harsh words sliced through her. “Is that how you feel?”

  “I’m not finished. I believe all this is your way of rebelling against your dad. Possibly because you have daddy issues, or you just simply don’t like someone telling you what to do. I mean, I get that, but I’m seeing your MO. When someone truly cares for you and worries about your safety, you pull out the I’m-a-big-girl-and-can-take-care-of-myself attitude. I hate to inform you, sunshine, but everyone needs a helping hand. I see you also like to make people feel two feet small because they care for you. Losing two mothers must have been hard, I can’t even fathom, but when are you going to stop blaming your father for whatever he’s done to piss you off and quit comparing every man you come across to him? Carson isn’t going to—”

  She blinked. “He’s not going to what?”

  He blew out a long breath. “Never mind.” He started the engine to the truck.

  “He’s not going to what, Nix?” Her heart pained and her stomach turned. She could barely process his words. “Not going to sign this land over to me?”

  Nix didn’t respond. He didn’t even look at her.

  Although he didn’t tell her what he meant, she had a feeling she knew. He planned to tell her father that she wasn’t ready to take on the ranch. That couldn’t happen. She couldn’t lose this chance to get her life together, provide a stable home for her child. Anger embedded itself in her bones. Not thinking of the consequences of her actions, she crawled across his lap, her hips got stuck between his body and the steering wheel, but she managed to tug her way into the passenger seat. This definitely got his attention.

  “What are you doing?” he pushed through tight lips.

  “You didn’t answer my question. What won’t my father do?”

  “Get out.” He reached across her and pushed open the passenger door. “I’m going home.”

  Melly slammed the door shut. “Not until we discuss this. You can’t say something and then pretend you didn’t.”

  “Fine. Have it your way. Shut the door.” Once she did as he demanded, he slammed the gear into reverse and pulled out of the driveway, kicking up rocks. “Better put that seatbelt on too.”

  She did. A part of her thought she was being silly, that she should ask that he stop and let her out, but the bigger part, the side that was bound and determined to influence him that she could run Shy Brooke stayed, refusing to let him tell her father anything negative. Once they were o
n the main road, she shifted to look at his steely profile. “I don’t think it’s fair for you to pass your judgement on my lifestyle. Do you think you have that right because Dad asked you to watch me?”

  “I feel I have the right to tell you what I think because you pulled me into your crazy, wild life by sleeping with me and Carson pulled me into this because he wants me to help you, but Lord knows, that hasn’t been an easy task. For over a week I’ve been stuck on your ranch, walking around with a headache and a desire to kiss the spunk right out of you. Damn, woman! I’ve divulged to you twice now that I have feelings and you laugh.”

  “Shall I apologize and make you feel better? Sorry that you got stuck on my ranch with me and your life is turned upside down. Why didn’t you just tell my father no? No one forced you!”

  He chuckled but it was cold and disheartening. “Maybe because some people actually can look outside of their own selfish bubble.”

  “Are you suggesting that I’m selfish? Oh, that’s nice. Think what you want, but you can’t blame me for you being here,” she said indignantly. “My dad drew you into this. He’s had his hand in everything until the only thing I could do was go completely against his word. If I let him, he would pick everything in my life from my career to my boyfriend…” she sucked in a breath as if the realization came to her. “Oh. My. Heavens. That’s why you’re here, isn’t it?” He looked at her and their gazes met.

  “What?”

  “I don’t know why I didn’t figure this out before. This is a ploy from my father to fix us up. It all makes sense. I wouldn’t even put it past the man that he knew we spent the night together.” She slapped her thigh. “I suspected something like this, but now it makes sense.”

  “That’s crazy. He saw that you needed someone to show you the ropes and I was…well, available.”