“Try the rodeo grounds,” Jared blurted out. “I have a feeling that’s where we’ll find your sister.”
“I don’t know…that seems too obvious.” Natalie slowed the truck in hesitation. “They patrol there regularly, especially on weekends.”
He shrugged away her uncertainty. “I might be wrong, but I’ve learned to trust my instincts. They brought me to you, didn’t they?”
“And that’s supposed to comfort me?” She frowned, but headed for the edge of town. Minutes later, they pulled onto the arena grounds. Jared shined his flashlight across the bleachers and concession stands until they’d searched the entire area.
“Maybe it’s time to call the sheriff.” Natalie’s distress tugged on Jared’s heart. She started to pull onto the road, and then a reflection caught Jared’s attention from inside one of the livestock chutes.
“Wait, I see something over there.” He pointed in the direction of the movement.
Natalie circled back, her tires spinning gravel as she shined the truck lights into the arena. Sure enough, there inside a metal chute, Chelsey sat huddled in a tight ball with her head bunched up against her knees.
Jamming the truck into park, Natalie bounded from the driver’s seat. Jared followed, fearing what they might find when they caught up to the girl.
FORTY-NINE
NATALIE RUSHED TO CHELSEY’S SIDE, HER PULSE RACING WITH FEAR AND adrenaline. The young teen cowered in the darkness. “Chelsey, thank God we found you.”
Her sister lifted her head from her knees, her eyes puffy and red. “You came,” she said, her voice hoarse.
“Of course we did. Are you okay? What happened?” She braced her sister’s chin and tilted her face to examine the bloody scratch marks. “Did Lucas do this to you?”
Chelsey’s bottom lip jutted out as tears streamed down her face. Her sister peered up at Jared who stood behind them.
“Answer me, Chels. Did Lucas do this?”
The girl gave a slight nod.
“Oh Chels. Why’d you let it go this far?” Reading her sister’s embarrassment, Natalie moved closer.
“I thought he loved me,” Chelsey whispered back. “After the dance, he brought me here…so we could be together. Only I couldn’t go through with it. That’s when he got all crazy.”
Natalie took the girl in her arms. “Oh honey. Did he hit you? Is that how you got those marks on your face?”
Chelsey touched her swollen cheek. “He shoved me, and I hit my head against the dashboard.”
When Natalie heard this, she wanted to find Lucas and rope him to a fencepost. “Then what happened?”
“He yelled at me. Called me a tease, and told me to find my own way home. Made me get out of his car.”
Natalie sent Jared an imploring look, and as though reading her mind, he pulled out his phone and walked to the truck. Natalie suspected he would call the sheriff, and that they would want to talk to Chelsey to see if she would press charges.
Once Jared left, Natalie gazed deep into her sister’s eyes. “Did he hurt you? In an intimate way?”
Chelsey clutched her waist and shook her head, her face rigid.
Natalie sighed and whispered her thanks to God that her sister had not been violated. Her heart soared that she could celebrate such a thing, knowing God was with her family and had not abandoned them.
“I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you, Nat. You were right all along. Lucas was only interested in one thing. He didn’t care about me.” She closed her eyes. “I think you were right about Libby too. I feel
so stupid.”
“The important thing is that we found you, and that you’re okay.” Natalie rose from the ground and helped Chelsey to stand. “I should have handled the situation with Libby differently. I thought I was protecting you, but to be honest I was jealous of your love for her. I behaved like a tyrant, running both of you off.”
Chelsey rested her head on Natalie’s shoulder. “I’m the one who should apologize. I should never have left home. It was horrible living with Libby.”
“She didn’t harm you?”
“No, it’s just…”
“She’s more concerned about Libby than anyone else?”
Her sister nodded. “Mom’s not the best listener. And it’s not that she doesn’t care…”
Natalie hugged the teen to her side. “I know Libby loves you, Chels. I’m just not sure she knows what it means to be a mom. And as weird as it sounds, sometimes I feel more like a mom to you than a sister.” She smiled and squeezed the girl’s shoulder.
“Can I come back to live with you and Dillon?”
Natalie scrunched her nose. “Are you kidding? We never wanted you to leave in the first place.” With elbows linked, they returned to the truck where Jared handed them a water bottle and a tissue.
“I don’t want to go back to Libby’s apartment,” Chelsey said. “Not after everything that’s happened.”
“Okay, but we should at least call and let her know you’re all right.” Natalie wet the tissue and pressed it to her sister’s cheek. “We love you, Chels. Dillon and I have been praying for you this week—for all of us.” At this admission, she felt Jared’s stare and wondered what he would think of her shifting views.
She didn’t have a chance to find out, as a sheriff’s car pulled onto the rodeo grounds and parked next to Natalie’s truck. For the next hour, the three of them went through detailed questioning.
“Are you sure you don’t want to press charges?” Jared asked Natalie when they were finished.
Natalie noticed the shiver that passed through her sister’s body. “I’ll do whatever you want, Chelsey.”
The girl hugged her arms around her waist. “No charges. I just want this to be over. I want Lucas out of my life.”
THE EARLY DAWN GLOWED PINK AND GOLD ON THE EASTERN HORIZON as Natalie combed Chelsey’s hair with her fingers, her sister’s head resting on her lap in the truck. Jared had insisted on driving them back to the ranch, and Natalie had willingly agreed, too worn out to protest or apologize for her earlier outburst. Despite their differences, the man seated across from her had been nothing short of a gentleman all night long, a defender and support to her and her family. She owed him a debt of thanks—and she intended to offer it as soon as her mind had enough rest to think straight.
When they arrived at the house, Dillon and Willard were waiting on the porch.
“You’re not going to believe what we found.” The boy’s excitement bubbled over as he raced toward the truck.
“Why aren’t you in bed?” Natalie asked Dillon as she woke Chelsey and slid from the passenger seat. She helped her sister from the truck, then wrapped her arms around each of them as they strolled to the house, Jared following behind.
“Willard and I found some more money. But that’s not all…we figured out where Dad hid the clues.”
Natalie’s tired mind raced to catch up. “What are you talking about?”
“Dad left us clues…we figured out where he hid the money.”
“Really?” She glanced at Willard when they reached the porch, unsure whether to believe her brother who seemed to be on some kind of sugar high.
“The boy figured it out.” Willard opened the front door for them and smiled. “I see you found Chelsey. I assume everything’s all right?”
Once inside the house, Dillon wrapped his skinny arms around Chelsey in a bear hug. “We’ve been worried about you. Are you home for good?”
Chelsey tousled his hair. “Would that be okay with you?”
He grinned and nodded. “You’re not going to believe where we found the money. You either, Nat.”
They gathered around the kitchen table, and Dillon could hardly contain himself. Jared found a fresh pot of coffee on the counter and poured a cup for Natalie and him.
“Okay, Dillon, tell us your story,” Natalie said after she’d consumed some of the steaming liquid, its rich, bold flavor waking her senses.
“After you l
eft, I woke up and couldn’t get back to sleep, so Willard and I played a game of checkers,” he said. “Then I got out one of our old puzzles—the one with the running horses, remember?” He dashed to the living room to get it, then set the box on the table as though for evidence.
Natalie remembered the puzzle well. It was one of her favorites.
“Well, we opened it up and there was a yellow envelope tucked inside with two thousand dollars. I couldn’t believe it.” Dillon giggled.
“Go ahead, son, tell them what happened next,” Willard prodded.
“That’s when I remembered the poem Dad gave me.” He pulled a paper from his back pocket and read it to everyone. “Horses and puzzles. Treasures you never outgrow. Wild Horses Running.” He looked up and grinned. “It’s a clue. Do you get it?”
Jared’s eyes shifted from Dillon to Natalie. “Your dad hid his money and wrote a poem?”
Her brother blew out an exasperated breath. “Several poems. Willard and I tried to remember all of them—and there’s probably more we don’t know about.”
“He gave me one about a cook’s cupboard,” Chelsey said.
“And Willard’s mentioned a pair of boots,” Dillon went on. “That’s when we realized that all of Dad’s poems were about a specific subject—not a person, but an item or thing.”
Chelsey’s face beamed with understanding. “Do you suppose Dad hid money in the kitchen cabinets?”
“I bet he did,” Dillon said. “And Nat, didn’t you tell us you’d found one in Dad’s room about Shakespeare?”
“Libby.” Natalie’s eyes widened as she voiced the woman’s name. “I found Libby with a book of poetry in Dad’s office. She’d found money inside it.”
“The day you accused her of stealing from us,” Chelsey said.
Natalie nodded, hating to bring the sore subject up again. “I thought it odd at the time. Do you think she knew about the poems? But how could she have known?”
“I wouldn’t put it past her,” Willard stated gruffly. “The important thing is that we’ve figured out the key to your father’s system. All we have to do now is decipher his poems to find the clues to the hidden money.”
“Willard, do you remember the words to your poem?” Natalie asked, unable to recall exactly.
“It weren’t very good, but you know me, I don’t forget things easily. ‘Boots made for walking. Tony Lama leather grain. Well made, well deserved.’”
Natalie gasped and looked at Jared. “Dad’s boots. I gave them away.”
Jared’s eyes widened as he caught on to her meaning. “I delivered those clothes to the thrift shop over a month ago.”
“No, you don’t understand,” she went on. “I gave all of them away…but one.” Natalie thought of the fancy pair of boots her dad never wore. The pair she’d kept for herself. She bolted for the stairway and bounded up the steps to her room. With everyone following behind, Natalie retrieved the elephant hide boots from her closet. Could the money be inside?
She stuck her fist into one of the boot shafts and blindly groped with her fingers but came up empty. Realizing her greed, she handed the other boot to Willard. “It was your poem. You do the honors.”
Willard studied the pair of Tony Lama’s and smiled. “This is a nice pair of boots. You have good taste.”
“Just look inside already.” She laughed.
Willard dug his hand deep within, and made a big to-do, rolling and squinting his eyes. Then with a big wide grin, he pulled out a yellow envelope. “Bingo.”
FIFTY
AFTER FINDING THE MONEY IN THE BOOTS, WILLARD AND THE KIDS WENT downstairs, determined to follow the next clue and search through the kitchen cupboards. Natalie stayed behind and returned her father’s boots to her closet. The floor creaked from outside her room, and she realized Jared waited for her in the hallway.
She met him at the door, and he shoved his hands in his pockets. “I should probably be going home.”
“You don’t want to stay and help?” Natalie noted the dark shad’ows under his eyes and could only imagine what she must look like after their all-night adventure.
“This is a family moment.”
She took his elbow and pulled him to sit with her at the top of the staircase. “A few months ago, I would have agreed that you didn’t belong here, but we’ve come a long way, you and I.”
“You’ve come a long way.” He clutched her hand and rubbed his thumb over hers. “You’re reading the Bible and praying. Those are big steps for you.”
“Dillon helped me see that I don’t have all the answers—that it’s okay to ask for help, and that I’m not alone—God’s with me. He’s been with me all along.”
“That’s what I’ve been telling you.”
She shrugged. “I guess it was something I had to figure out on my own.”
“You don’t know how happy that makes me.” His smile seemed genuine yet guarded. “For the record, though, are we still arguing or did we come to another truce?”
Her mouth titled into a slow grin. After everything they’d gone through tonight, Natalie had nearly forgotten about their argument—the jealous fit she’d thrown at seeing Jared with another woman. “That’s right, you said you needed space.”
He pulled her close. “I don’t need space, Natalie. Time maybe, but I know exactly where my heart lies. I was confused for a little bit, but tonight I realized two things. How much I love being a pastor, and how much you mean to me. I can only pray you feel the same.”
She placed her hands on his chest, felt the rapid beat of his heart under his shirt. “What exactly is required of a pastor’s wife, anyway?”
Jared scratched the dark bristles on his chin. “Well, let’s see. She’d be expected to go to all the ladies functions and attend every Bible study. Sew and mend all the children’s Christmas costumes and make cakes and pies for every bake sale. Oh, and in her spare time, direct the choir and play the organ.” He stopped to catch his breath then chuckled.
“I hope you’re teasing.” She thumped his chest with her fist.
“You want the honest truth?”
Natalie gazed into his eyes and recalled the talk she’d had with Chelsey about falling in love with a man. She’d told her sister that a man and woman should be friends and enjoy being together, and some ridiculous gibberish about clammy hands and racing hearts. But maybe it was the incomprehensible knowledge that by being with him, he would complete her and make her into a better person, which was exactly what Natalie’s heart and soul told her about Jared. That she needed him in her life. “Always the truth.”
“The truth is I don’t have all the answers.” Jared traced her bottom lip with his finger, his touch a feather-light caress. “But I know this—I love you, and I want what’s best for you, even if that means walking away.” No matter what happens though, if we make Jesus our foundation, everything else has a way of fitting together.”
Natalie leaned in to his whisper, her eyes drawn to his mouth. “I don’t want you to walk away.” Her lips parted in anticipation of a kiss. Then a cough sounded from the bottom of the stairs.
“Sorry for interrupting, Nat, but you have a phone call.” Chelsey snickered with delight.
NATALIE TOOK THE CALL IN HER DAD’S OFFICE, HER CHEEKS STILL WARM from Jared’s attention. The woman greeted her, and Natalie gasped upon learning who it was on the other end of the phone.
“I’m calling about your duties as first runner up to Miss Rodeo America,” the MRA Executive Director began. “As you may have heard, we’ve been worried about Lisa for awhile now. This spring, she began suffering terrible headaches and then at a marketing event in May she had her first seizure. Upon a full medical exam they diagnosed her with a brain tumor.”
Natalie’s throat tightened at realizing the rumors she’d heard were true. “I’m so sorry. Is she going to be okay?”
“They’ve begun intensive treatments on her, and the doctors are quite optimistic.” Rosemary said. “Unfortunately because
of her situation, she needs to step down from her queen position. Of course our thoughts and prayers are with Lisa, but because of these extraordinary circumstances, we are calling on you to finish her reign as the First Lady of Professional Rodeo.”
Natalie sank into her dad’s leather chair, trying to keep up with the director’s words. Though saddened by Lisa’s illness, Natalie’s heart raced with disbelief. Could it be true?
They want me to be Miss Rodeo America?
“Are you there?” Rosemary asked with concern.
“I’m sorry.” Natalie regained her composure. “I’d be honored to stand in for Lisa. It’s an incredible opportunity, heartbreaking as it may be. What would I be required to do?”
“Ah, wonderful. We knew we could count on you,” the woman said, and Natalie pictured Rosemary’s warm smile, having met her in Las Vegas last December. “As you know, we’re well into the rodeo season so Lisa’s calendar is booked solid. We’ll need you to fly out to Colorado next week to fill her position at the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame inductions.”
“Next week?” Natalie’s hopes crashed at her feet. What about Dillon and Chelsey? Who would take care of the ranch? Her excitement evaporated as Natalie realized she could never accept the responsibility, her own responsibility too great. She then proceeded to explain her situation to the director.
“Would you like some time to think about it and talk to your family?” Rosemary responded with compassion. “We can give you until Tuesday morning—but if you decide to go through with this, you’ll need to be ready to hop on a plane so we can transfer the crown and sash and take some publicity photos before the induction.”
Natalie expressed her gratitude and promised to get back to her. What in the world was she going to do now?
FIFTY-ONE
JARED FOLLOWED CHELSEY THROUGH THE LIVING ROOM, WONDERING WHAT the girl must think of him—a pastor—her unofficial guidance counselor—about to secretly kiss her sister on the stairs. He found his predicament incredibly embarrassing.
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