The Rancher's Redemption (The Millers of Morgan Valley Book 2)

by Kate Pearce

  On her return to the house, her cell buzzed. She took it out of her pocket to read the text message from Chase and frowned.

  “What’s up?” Cauy asked as she came through the door.

  She sat at the table and took the coffee he gave her. “Chase says he thinks someone has gotten into the mine.”

  “What?” Cauy’s smile disappeared.

  “Some of the images from last night show inconsistencies.” Rachel sighed. “He wants me to go up there and check around the sensors to see if there’s been a cave-in or something.”

  “I’ll come with you.” Cauy finished his coffee in one hit. “What about Ruth?”

  Rachel was already texting. “Chase is on it. She says just go ahead and report back.”

  Rachel was happy to go in Cauy’s truck, which was better suited to the terrain than hers, and had the added benefit of heated seats, which worked sporadically but were better than nothing. The high ground around the mine was as bleak and desolate as the moon surface.

  When she got out of the truck at the first GPR unit the coldness made her cheeks hurt and her breathing ragged. Luckily, she didn’t have to stay out there for long.

  “This one looks okay.”

  Cauy nodded, and they drove to the second marker, which was similarly undisturbed.

  “Let’s stop at the mine,” Rachel suggested.

  “Sure.” Cauy parked close to the entrance and got out, his expression darkening as he came around to her side of the truck. “What the hell?”

  Rachel stared at the broken bottles and silver tracks of frozen beer that littered the closed entrance to the mine. The wooden panels had been kicked or attacked and the bottles thrown at the barrier.

  “Someone obviously tried to get in here,” Rachel stated.

  “Yeah, and I bet it was those Morgan Ranch guests who came up here the other day.”

  Rachel glanced at him. “We don’t know that for sure.”

  “Who else could it be?” Cauy asked.

  “Someone from town? I gather it’s still something of a draw to thrill seekers.”

  “True, but the most obvious answer is the guests.” He crouched down and began to pick up the shards of glass.

  “Watch your hands,” Rachel warned. “Can I take one of the buckets from the back of your truck to put the glass in?”

  “Go ahead.”

  They picked up the glass, and Cauy continued his search around the mine entrance.

  “Lots of hoofprints and one set of tire tracks.” He stopped and looked back at Rachel. “If they didn’t succeed in getting in here, where else might they have tried?”

  Rachel’s gaze went to the sinkhole and she walked over to peer into its depths. There was no sign of anything down there let alone a vehicle.

  Cauy turned on his flashlight, but the high-powered beam picked up no trace of any activity or disturbance.

  “Too obvious?” Rachel asked.

  “Too dangerous.” Cauy turned off the light. “Let’s go and check the other two GPR units, and see if there’s anything up with them.”

  The third GPR was fine, and at the fourth marker, the one farthest away from the mine itself, there was no obvious sign of surface damage. Rachel got out of the truck and turned a slow circle, her hands deep in her pockets and her chin buried into the warmth of her knitted scarf.

  “Cauy, look at this.” She bent down and picked up a few cigarette butts, and a spent lighter. “Someone was out here.”

  He joined her, his quiet gaze scanning the barren fields and frosted fence line before he set off down the slope following a faint trace of footsteps in the ice. Rachel went after him. He reached a hollow sheltered from the wind that was cut into the side of the hill, and stopped again.

  “The ground is very flat here. Maybe man-made.” Cauy stamped his booted foot and then looked up the slope. “And the lines are . . . not natural.” He studied the sparse bushes growing up against the side of the slope and suddenly dove into them.

  “Hey!” Rachel glanced wildly around and then followed him in, holding her arm across her face to avoid the branches springing back as he forged ahead of her.

  “Wow.”

  Rachel peered around Cauy’s shoulder. “What is it?”

  “I think it might be another way in to the mine.”

  Rachel reached out to touch the broken planks of wood and Cauy grabbed her hand.

  “Don’t get too close.”

  She frowned at him. “I’m not stupid. I was just trying to work out if anyone had moved the boards recently.”

  “There are footprints around here. If they did get in, this might be what Chase picked up on the GPR unit and camera.” He turned back. “Come on. Let’s go and tell him what we’ve found.”

  * * *

  Cauy heeled and toed his boots off in the Morgans’ spacious mudroom and hung his coat up. Rachel had disappeared upstairs. She’d told him to go through to the kitchen when he was ready, and she’d join him. She’d already sent a text to Chase on the ride over so he was expecting them.

  Cauy carefully stretched his fingers and studied the damaged skin. He’d forgotten to put the cream on last night, and it showed. But the problem was more than skin-deep. Shrapnel from the explosion had embedded in his left hand breaking his fingers and wrist in multiple places. Flinging up his left arm had saved his sight so he’d learned to live with it. But today the pain was jagged and set his teeth on edge. The cold seemed to infiltrate every tiny crack and nagged like the worst kind of toothache. He’d have to take some medication later, and he hated that.

  “You okay?”

  He turned to see Chase coming down the stairs, his laptop under his arm.

  “Yeah. What’s up?”

  Chase waved at him to go first. “Nothing much. I’ve taken the rest of the week off, and I intend to enjoy the time with my family. It’s cool that Jackson was able to join you for Thanksgiving.”

  “You just reminded me”—Chase found his cell—“I need to tell him where I am in case he gets lonely.”

  Chase snorted. “No chance of that here. There’s always someone getting into your business.”

  “Have you thought about building yourself a separate house like BB is doing?” Cauy asked.

  “January likes it here in the old house.” Chase shrugged. “That’s all I need to know. And we do have an apartment in San Francisco, so we can get away for some privacy.”

  “Lucky you.” Cauy went into the kitchen. “Jackson wouldn’t know a boundary if it slapped him in the face.”

  “So I heard. To be honest, I’m amazed you let him live after that clunker.” Chase sat at the table and opened his laptop. “Let me show you the images the GPR units recorded last night.”

  By the time Rachel arrived smelling like a bunch of flowers from her shower, Cauy was convinced Chase was correct, and there was definitely something going on in the mine. He let Rachel relay what they’d discovered out near the main entrance and the new hidden unmarked entry point on Lymond land.

  “Thanks for checking it out,” Chase said as he shut down his laptop. “I’ll put more cameras up there and see if we can catch a glimpse of these guys.”

  “Rachel thinks it might be people from the town, but I’m more inclined to believe it’s your current guests,” Cauy stated.

  “It could be either.” Chase rubbed his hand over his face and groaned. “The last few guests are leaving the day after Thanksgiving only because they couldn’t get flights and we offered to let them stay another night. If we hold off actually accusing anyone of anything, maybe the problem will take care of itself.”

  “I suppose so.” Cauy wasn’t convinced, but waiting a couple more days wouldn’t hurt. “The boards on the second entrance looked newer than the ones at the original level. I’ll have to check the Lymond records and see if my father left any notes about finding that entrance or doing anything with it.”

  “That’s a good point.” Chase exhaled. “Maybe he was using it for storage
or something. I’d hate it to be any of our guests. We really don’t need that kind of bad publicity for the ranch right now when we’re just getting started.”

  “I’m more worried about someone going in there and causing a cave-in. That environment is very unstable,” Rachel piped up.

  “Agreed.” Chase nodded. “Let’s get through Thanksgiving and take another look on Saturday, agreed?”

  Cauy and Rachel both nodded.

  “Great. I’ll let everyone else here know what’s going on so that they can keep an eye out for any suspicious behavior from the guests.”

  “Maybe we could pay BB to patrol the cabins every night and scare the crap out of anyone who ventured out?” Rachel suggested.

  “Not a bad idea, but we do already have cameras here at the ranch,” Chase reminded her. “Which I can also access to see if there’s been any shenanigans going on. Mind you I’m way more likely to see Ry and HW sneaking around trying to get it on with their lady loves.” Chase grinned with all the smugness of a happily married man. “They’re both so sad.”

  “I think Sam’s planning on moving into town soon,” Rachel said. “HW doesn’t know yet.”

  “She’s a brave woman,” Chase said, shaking his head. “He’s not going to be happy about that.”

  Cauy cleared his throat. He really didn’t want to know every single detail about the Morgans and their complicated private lives. The only Morgan he was interested in was sitting right next to him, her thigh touching his. He half rose from his seat.

  “I have to go into town and get some supplies. Do either of you need a ride?”

  “Sorry, Cauy. We got off topic there for a moment.” Chase smiled at him. “Thanks for all your help, and we’ll see you and Jackson tomorrow for Thanksgiving.”

  Rachel stood as well. “I’ll walk you to the door.”

  Cauy didn’t argue with the first great suggestion she’d made in a while. He followed her to the mudroom where he’d put his jacket, hat, and boots.

  “This place hasn’t changed much,” Cauy said as he took his jacket off the hook.

  “Did you come here when you were a kid?” Rachel asked, leaning back against the dryer, her arms folded under her breasts, drawing Cauy’s gaze.

  “Once or twice, when my dad didn’t know where I was going. He would’ve beaten the crap out of me otherwise.” Cauy studied the old stairs. “Which room are you in?”

  She waggled her eyebrows at him. “Wanna see?”

  “Not if you want me to keep my clothes on.” Cauy set his Stetson on his head.

  “Didn’t we just do that?” Rachel blinked at him. “Like an hour ago?”

  “Yeah.” He glanced down at his jeans. “So?”

  Reaching out a hand, she traced his straining zipper with one fingertip, and he forgot how to breathe.

  “I like that,” Rachel said.

  “Which particular thing?” He wrapped his fingers around her wrist, bringing her whole hand into contact with his now aching dick.

  “This would do nicely,” she purred.

  He stepped in close, trapping her against the dryer, his whole body aligned with hers. He hadn’t felt this desperate since he’d first discovered sex as a teenager and wanted it all the time.

  “I’d like to take you up those stairs, strip you naked, and make love to you all day,” Cauy murmured against her lips.

  “Okay,” she sighed.

  “You’re not supposed to encourage me. We’re standing in your grandma’s mudroom.”

  “Not a problem for me.” Rachel licked his lower lip and then bit down on it, sending a shot of pure lust straight to his groin. “I think I’m a bit besotted with you.”

  “Yeah?” For one wild moment he considered picking her up and taking her to her bedroom before his hard-won common sense reasserted itself over his hard-on. “Your brothers would kill me.”

  “True, but it would probably be worth it.” She put her hands on his chest and pushed him away. “Go home then, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Cauy put on his coat and boots and did exactly what she said. She might not mind him facing the Morgan brothers, but he’d rather stay alive and try again another day.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “So I hear you and Cauy are involved.”

  Jenna gave Rachel a meaningful look as they set the table in the guest center for Thanksgiving dinner. Ruth had decided her kitchen was too small to fit everyone in, and had moved operations to the dude ranch dining room and bar, which was four times the size of her kitchen. The family was currently decorating the place with Thanksgiving-themed colors, flowers, and googly-eyed fake turkeys.

  “Whoever told you that?” Rachel passed her a basket of orange napkins.

  “Everyone.” Jenna laid the napkin flat on the table, and with three quick twists of her wrist created something that looked like a bird, and stuck it in a glass.

  “The Morgans can’t keep a secret to save their lives,” Rachel complained.

  “I think that after years of keeping all the secrets, they try and be honest with each other—maybe a little too honest,” Jenna admitted as she deftly folded another napkin. “But I’d rather that than everyone lying to each other.”

  “Cauy and I agreed to . . . go with it for now,” Rachel admitted as she attempted to copy what Jenna was doing with the napkin and failed miserably.

  “Go for what exactly?” Jenna asked as she corrected the crumpled napkin and slowed down so Rachel could copy her more easily.

  “Sex mainly.” Rachel still couldn’t get the darned bird right.

  “And you’re okay with that?”

  “I . . .” Rachel paused. “It’s the best I can get at the moment. Cauy’s busy resurrecting the ranch, and I’m supposed to be getting a proper job somewhere else. Neither of us is looking for something permanent.”

  “So it’s a temporary hookup kind of thing?”

  “I suppose it is,” Rachel said slowly.

  Jenna didn’t sound judgmental so why did Rachel want to defend herself anyway? Her connection with Cauy went far deeper than a hookup. Maybe she was scared to try to define what it was because whenever she did that she found out the other person didn’t agree with her. In fact, Cauy had specifically stated that he didn’t want her to obsess over something they were both enjoying. Maybe he did see it as just a hookup.

  She’d never just had sex for the sake of it before. Somehow it felt weird....

  “That’s a lovely dress, Jenna, is it new?” Rachel attempted to change the subject.

  “Yes.” Jenna smiled as she smoothed a hand over the patterned yellow silk that went perfectly with her red hair. “Blue gave it to me and insisted that I wear it today.”

  “Do you think he actually chose it?” Rachel tried to imagine the retired Marine in a dress shop.

  Jenna laughed. “I think he probably had some help. Yvonne and January have definitely been whispering with him about something. Are you sure you’re okay with how things are going with Cauy?”

  Rachel glanced at Jenna, who had managed to make another twenty napkins look pretty while she’d been laboring over one.

  “Yes, I am.” She summoned a smile. Trust Jenna to stay on topic. “Really. It’s not as if we have to decide anything right now. He’ll be living at the ranch, and I’ll be back here again so this isn’t a do-or-die moment.”

  “Is Cauy going to stay?” Jenna asked. “Did he tell you that?”

  “Considering how much work they are doing on the place, I assume he is.” Rachel made another lame-assed napkin bird and quickly stuck it in a glass before Jenna noticed.

  “At one point, Chase was trying to buy the place.”

  “I gather Cauy and Jackson’s father didn’t want to sell it to a Morgan.”

  Jenna made a face. “Mark Lymond wasn’t a nice man. I shudder to think what being his kid was like.”

  “Especially as he didn’t think one of his kids was his own,” Rachel added as they moved on to the next table, which wo
uld house the hands, the dude ranch staff, and the remaining guests. “The way Cauy talks about him sometimes makes me wish he was alive so I could go and thump him with his own shovel.”

  “He was quite intimidating in real life. He carried a lot of anger inside him,” Jenna said as she rearranged the table decorations to match the others. Delicious smells were already emanating from the kitchens, and Rachel’s stomach rumbled. “I was quite afraid of him.”

  “Cauy’s not like him at all.”

  “I know he’s not.” Jenna grinned at Rachel. “Otherwise I’d be telling you to run away as fast as you could.”

  “Rachel?”

  Rachel turned to see Blue beckoning imperiously to her from the dining room door. She raised her eyebrows, pointed at her chest, and then at Jenna’s back, and he mouthed, You, and put a finger to his lips.

  “Excuse me a minute.”

  Rachel left Jenna happily making swans out of a new set of napkins and followed her brother out into the reception area.

  “What’s up?” Rachel asked.

  “Come with me.” He took her hand and led her into the private offices on the other side of the building.

  He unlocked the door of Chase’s office, snapped on the lights, and ushered Rachel inside, closing it behind him. A box of flowers with Daisy’s name on it sat on the desk, sweetening the air.

  “I just wanted to give you a heads-up.” BB leaned against the door, one hand in the pocket of his best jeans.

  “About what?” Rachel asked.

  “Don’t rush off after lunch, okay?”

  “I was planning on eating so much I wouldn’t be able to move for a week, so there’s no danger of that.” Rachel studied him carefully. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing’s wrong.” He fingered the collar of his new checked shirt as if it was too tight. “I’m just making sure I’ve got all my bases covered.”

  “Covered for what?”

  He grinned at her. “My home run, of course.” He opened the door and bowed elaborately as Rachel went past him. “What time is lover boy getting here?”

  “If you mean Cauy, then in the next half an hour or so, why?”