The Reluctant Rancher~Badlands (Contemporary Western Romantic Suspense)

by J. D. Faver

  “Take it easy, now. Do you have your cell with you? We got to call the sheriff.”

  She nodded and gingerly fished it out of her pocket with her finger and thumb.

  Frank made the call and then called Breck, something she would have preferred not to do just then. He handed the phone back to her. “They’re coming.”

  This wasn’t how she had thought this day would play out. This wasn’t anything she would have wanted to be a part of...Damn you, Eldon Kincaid. I could kill you for getting me into this.

  ~*~

  CHAPTER NINE

  The air was clear and the sky blue, with only a few thin clouds overhead. Visibility was excellent. The entourage, consisting of two sheriff’s department vehicles and a silver double-dually pick-up, were blazing a trail down the long, straight highway, and coming in her direction. The two in the lead had lights flashing, while Breck brought up the rear. She could almost see steam rising off the truck.

  The ache in her chest made it difficult to draw a breath.

  Damn Eldon Kincaid straight to hell! How did he know about the fresh kills in the cave? Why did he connive me into discovering them? She tried to swallow the boulder in the back of her throat. She wondered if her ‘friend’, E.J. knew anything about the bodies. She dismissed that thought. If he knew about the fresh bodies, he would have to know about the earlier ones...and their relationship to him.

  “Don’t worry, Miss Cami,” Frank said. “The sheriff will handle everything.”

  She nodded absently. Sure he will...

  The parade of vehicles veered off the highway and onto the hard baked natural grassland, bumping along the trail usually reserved for horses or four-wheel drive transportation.

  The din of approaching sirens was like far-off bagpipes skirling a dirge. As they neared, the sound shrieked in her head, a little less horrifying than the bats, but enough to send her stomach into rebellion.

  Breck pulled around the sheriff’s vehicles, his four-wheel drive giving him the lead. He skidded to a stop and threw it into gear. His face wore his every emotion as he raced to her.

  “Cami! My God! Are you all right? Whatever possessed you to come here?” He grabbed her in an embrace that lifted her off her feet.

  “I...I’m sorry...I just wanted to...” Her voice wavered.

  “It doesn’t matter.” He soothed her, his hand stroking the back of her hair as he held her clutched against him.

  Tears clogged her throat, kept her from blurting out the truth. “I’m so sorry,” she finally blubbered.

  “Baby, it’s not your fault. If some poor fools trespassed onto private property and fell into a hole, it’s beyond our control.”

  Frank took the sheriff and deputies into the cave, while Cami stood, gripping Breck and trying to gather some small scrap of self-discipline.

  “Let me take you home, honey. Frank can bring Red when the sheriff is done.”

  “No! I have to stay. Whatever’s down there, I have to know.”

  Dark eyes pinned her…held her in place. “No, you don’t. This has been a strain on you and you don’t need to be on hand to see any blood and gore.”

  She glanced beyond Breck’s stern face to see the sheriff’s men approaching the cave with ropes and a pulley system. “I’m staying.”

  He spread his arms. “Suite yourself.” He expelled a deep breath. “You can go sit in the truck. At least be comfortable while we’re waiting.”

  She nodded and turned to pick her way down to the truck Breck had neglected to shut off in his impatience to reach her. She climbed in on the passenger side and turned off the motor. Her mouth was dry and she took a drink from a bottle of water in the console. She watched Breck go to the mouth of the cave and engage in a deep conversation with Frank. She hoped he didn’t think Frank had anything to do with this. She hoped he wouldn’t blame Frank in any way. Letting out a deep breath, she took another sip of water.

  Oh, my god! Who is it down there? How did Eldon know?

  ~*~

  Sara Beth spent the morning tidying her store. Being located on the busy main street of Langston meant that every time the door opened, another blast of hot, dust-laden air blew inside to layer her wares. Ancient fans suspended from the tall tin-covered ceilings disbursed the fine dust to all areas with their wide blades and familiar squeak. She supposed they needed to be oiled, but had no idea how to go about accomplishing that chore when the fans were suspended so high above her head.

  She cleaned all the glass and then worked on the other surfaces, shaking out the quilts and array of antique dolls clad in elaborate dresses. There were a couple of scarred and scratched glass-front cases. She polished those as best she could and by lunchtime had the place sparkling. She hadn’t had any customers, but she had slipped a sandwich into the baby’s diaper bag next to the bottles. At least she would eat, thanks to Dr. Cami and Mr. Ryan. She was extremely grateful for their generosity.

  She perched on a stool behind one of the glass cases and gazed out her front window as she ate her lunch. She had fed the baby and changed her. Now Cami Lynn slept peacefully in her car seat. Sara Beth swallowed her food and washed it down with the water. She had almost forgotten to miss her husband. Almost. But she was angry with him. Angry because he was gone and angry because she was sure that he was in some way responsible for the person or persons who had been spying on her and who had shot holes in their house. And why was the sheriff questioning her about drugs? She had never known Nick to be interested in drugs. But then, how well did she actually know him?

  She shook her head involuntarily. It wouldn’t do any good to be angry. She hoped he had a good explanation for his absence and that he would return home soon.

  With that positive note, she took the last bite of sandwich and crumpled the sandwich bag into the trash can behind the counter. She had just slid off the stool with every intention of dumping the trash in the bin out back when the sound of sirens split the air and she saw two of the sheriff’s cars go racing by with their lights flashing.

  “Well, that can’t be good.”

  Cami Lynn’s face wrinkled and she let out a howl in counterpoint to the waning scream of sirens.

  ~*~

  Cami had closed her eyes, just for a minute, she thought, but she was jolted awake by the sound of a vehicle pulling up close to Breck’s truck, followed by the sound of doors slamming. She straightened and glanced around, discovering that the disturbance was a van from the county coroner’s office. She remembered how she happened to be on hand. How she was instrumental in this grisly discovery.

  She shielded her eyes against the bright sunlight, gazing at the silhouettes of men and activity up on the rise. Two attendants from the coroner’s office coerced a gurney up to the top. The sound of male voices drifted down to her. She couldn’t understand what they were saying, but the tone was somber.

  She opened the door and climbed down, preparing herself for whatever they had found. She started up the incline, when Breck hurried down to meet her.

  “Hang on a second, Cami. There’s no need for you to go up there.”

  She made a scornful noise. “Breck, for heaven’s sake. I’m a doctor.”

  He pulled her to him. “Well, there’s nobody up there you can save.”

  She rested her forehead against his chest. “This is all so horrible. I thought we were done with all this.”

  “Apparently not. Frank said you were planning on letting Irwin Grimes take the scouts to explore the caves.”

  “That’s what Silky had wanted.” She clamped her lips firmly to keep from blurting out that it was what got her killed.

  “I don’t think that’s going to happen. Honey, there were four carcasses down there. Apparently your caves have become a killer’s body dumping grounds.”

  A shiver coiled down her spine. “Four?”

  He nodded. “They hauled the remains up and now the coroner is here to take charge of them.”

  “That’s good, I guess. At least they can figur
e out who these people were.”

  Breck frowned and took a wide stance. He held her shoulders and appeared to be having trouble finding words. “Well, they recognized one of them. He’s a local.”

  She wondered how someone could recognize the dried and desiccated remains she had stumbled upon a few months earlier during her clash with Eldon. She looked up at Breck, questioningly.

  “It’s Sara Beth’s husband. Nick Jessup.”

  Cami’s gag reflex choked up as bile rose in the back of her throat.

  “And there’s a Hispanic guy. They must have been killed about the same time, according to the sheriff. The other two have been dead for years.”

  “No-o-o,” she wailed. “Poor Sara Beth. Oh, the poor little thing.”

  “The sheriff will handle it. I told him she and the baby were staying with us.”

  “Oh, my God! Is this related to what happened at her house? Did the same person shoot at her?”

  “I don’t know, but the sheriff will handle it,” he said firmly. “In other words, you are to stay out of it.”

  ~*~

  The ride to town felt heavy, like being driven to the gas chamber. Cami had reluctantly watched Frank ride off towards the ranch on Red while leading his own mount.

  For her part, Cami’s chest felt tight, as though a steel band was being tightened around her rib cage. The closer they came to town, the greater the pressure seemed to grow. She wanted to be there for Sara Beth, but dreaded to see her young, sweet face when they informed her of her husband’s death. The circumstances were horrendous enough, but for this young mother to be told how her husband’s body had been dumped in such a remote location it would never have been found, except for the information from Eldon Kincaid.

  She felt her jaw tighten at the thought of their last meeting. And to think I actually felt sorry for the old bastard. Why do I always fall into his schemes? A flush of righteous anger gripped her guts.

  She swept a sideways glance at Breck. His jaw was tight and he had a lethal grip on the steering wheel. She could read the emotion etched on his handsome face. Outrage! He was furious that someone had taken the life of the young local man, but even more so because he had been Sara Beth’s husband. And, being Breck, he would do the right thing. In this instance, he was driving to town to inform her of her loss as kindly as possible. This being the better alternative than the Sheriff’s heavy-handed approach.

  Cami looked quickly away, a generous coating of guilt covering her anger and dread. Damn you, Eldon Kincaid! Now I’ve lied to my husband. She huffed out a breath. Well, not directly lied, but withheld information. It’s the same thing.

  Breck reached over to squeeze her hand. “Hang on, honey. We’ll get through this.”

  She nodded, wracked with guilt and confusion. “I know…It’s just…”

  “Don’t you worry.” He gave her another reassuring hand squeeze and returned his hand to the steering wheel. “I’m on board with you. I know how you feel about Sara Beth. We’ll keep her and the baby with us as long as it takes.”

  “Thanks,” she mumbled, biting her tongue to keep from blurting out the truth she had been holding back. Only the thought that she might somehow endanger E.J.’s life by revealing everything she knew, kept her in check. She wondered, briefly if this was just another of Eldon’s lies, or if he was in fact, protecting E.J.

  ~*~

  Sara Beth had spent the morning being determinedly happy. Mr. Breck had been very comforting when he had given her a ride to the shop earlier. He’d told her not to worry about a thing and that he and Doctor Cami had plenty of room and wanted her to stay with them until this whole thing was sorted out.

  Not that she planned to be dependent on anyone, but it did make her feel better just to know she and Cami Lynn weren’t going to be forced to return to their damaged home where she might fall victim to whoever had shot it full of bullet holes. She bit her lip, recalling how it looked in the daylight when Doctor Cami had driven her out to pick up a few things. A chill ran down her spine. She sucked in a deep breath and turned to her baby. “I swear, Cami Lynn. When your daddy gets home, he’s going to have a lot of explaining to do.”

  She reflected that she’d had two customers so far that morning, and both ladies had seen fit to make purchases. One had paid cash for a lovely crystal decanter with tiny little matching cordial glasses on a crystal tray. The other lady had purchased an antique dressing table, paying with her personal check. Not bad, and the day’s not even half over.

  Sara Beth picked up a clean rag and the spray bottle of glass cleaner and headed for the front window. She stepped out onto the sidewalk and checked to make sure she could see her daughter inside. She grinned and waggled her fingers, although she had read that young infants had limited vision.

  The sun was bright, but she was working in shade. She stood under the wooden awning affixed to the building to protect would-be customers from whatever the north Texas weather might have to allow. She spritzed one side of the large plate glass of the store front and began wiping at it with the cotton cloth. Maybe I can get one of those wiper things when the lady’s check clears the bank.

  She was deep in thought and didn’t notice when the truck pulled up right behind her. She jerked when the reflection from the windshield glinted in her eyes. Turning around, she smiled when she recognized her hosts climbing out of the big vehicle.

  “Why Doctor Cami! Mr. Breck? Is it closing time already?” She paused, clutching the spray bottle in one hand and the rag in the other.

  Something in Mr. Breck’s eyes caused a stab of pain to her heart. She lost her grip on the bottle and it fell to the sidewalk. “No,” she whispered and took a step back.

  Doctor Cami reached for her just as her knees gave way, steadying her.

  “No!” she shrieked. “No, please don’t tell me. I just can’t take it if you tell me.”

  “Sara Beth, let’s step inside.” Mr. Breck helped her toward the door to her shop and Doctor Cami picked up the fallen bottle and came behind her.

  Sara Beth felt her throat constrict as she was drawn inside. The prick of tears stung her eyes. “I’m all right. Just let me get the baby.” She reached to lift Cami Lynn from her carrier. The little fingers curled around her thumb, giving her the courage to turn to face the Ryans. She took a deep breath and blew it all out. “Okay, now you can tell me.”

  Mr. Breck cleared his throat, his dark eyes looking like a thunder storm. He swallowed hard. “Sara Beth, it’s my unpleasant duty to inform you that Nick’s body was found this morning. It appears he has been dead for a couple of weeks at least.”

  Sara Beth locked her knees, refusing to fall. She leaned back against the counter to give herself a little support, but the roaring in her ears drowned out anything else Mr. Breck might be saying. She turned to Doctor Cami, who gazed at her with a sorrowful expression on her face.

  “Doctor Cami, would you please hold the baby for a minute.” She thrust Cami Lynn toward the doctor and fled toward the back of the store. “I’ll be right back,” she yelled over her shoulder.

  Once in the small bathroom and utility room, she held her hair out of the way and leaned over the toilet, throwing up the bile swirling in her gut. She vomited until only dry heaves wracked her body.

  Then, the tears came. She closed the toilet lid and sat down on top of it. Howls of anguish poured from her like a wounded animal. Her heart raced in her ears and she couldn’t breathe. She heard her own voice moaning over and over again the single word…No!

  She hadn’t noticed her coming in, but Doctor Cami was there, rubbing her back and offering a damp paper towel. She washed Sara Beth’s face and arms. The cold water felt like a slap in the face. Cold and wet and real.

  “Come on, honey. Let’s get you home now. We can close up early today.” Doctor Cami drew her to her feet and back into the shop.

  Mr. Breck was holding Cami Lynn and jiggling her a little. “How do we do this? We need to close the store. Is there any money t
o be secured?”

  Sara Beth nodded. “I…I had two sales this morning. There’s a check and some cash in the till.”

  Mr. Breck rounded the counter and tucked the cash box under his other arm. “Let’s get this place locked up.”

  “I’ll do it.” Doctor Cami went to the back door that opened out onto the alley. She twisted the old-fashioned skeleton key in the lock and lifted the iron bar into place. “That should be secure.” She turned back to face them. “What else?”

  Sara Beth felt her lips tremble. “Just…just the front door.”

  “I’ll take care of it,” Doctor Cami said. “Breck, you get them settled in the truck and I’ll make sure everything is locked up tight.” She picked up Sara Beth’s purse and keys and strode to the door.

  Breck motioned for Sara Beth to precede him.

  She pressed her lips tight together and took one unsteady step, followed by another. She managed to walk out onto the sidewalk she had so recently vacated, noticing the streaky window. I’ll have to remember to get some more dry rags.

  Mr. Breck opened the passenger side door for her. “You sit here up front and Cami can hold the baby in the back seat.” He slipped the cash box on the floorboard and held her elbow while she scrambled up into the high cab. He closed the door with a thunk.

  Sara Beth watched Doctor Cami lock and try the big front door to her shop. Even with the streaky front window it looked inviting. She was glad there were two things in her life she could be proud of. Her store and her daughter.

  ~*~

  E.J. stepped out of the shower and Jenna handed him a towel. He grinned at her. “You look like a little girl in my big robe.” The sleeves extended far beyond her fingertips and the hem that struck him just below the knee reached halfway to her ankles.

  She pushed the sleeves up to her elbows. “Is that an improvement?”

  He had to laugh. “If I didn’t know better, I’d swear someone just made love to you.” He took in her heightened coloring and the wide smile she wore.

  She giggled, tightening the belt of his robe. “Someone did a fine job of it too.”