A few minutes later Melanie came back with three cups of coffee and Sam eagerly grabbed one.
“Thanks Mel,” She told her. “You’re the best!”
Mel smiled and patted her hand.
The front door opened and Isabella came flying through.
“Samantha! What’s going on?” she cried as she grabbed Sam. “I was at a restaurant having dinner with my parents when your mom called me on my cell phone. She told me Dundee was hurt and that you stopped Lance Wilson from burning his place down tonight. Is that true?”
“Yeah, it’s true.” Sam told her.
The door opened again and Jaime and Ana came in followed by Ralph Anderson.
Sam could understand Jaime and Ana being here, but she didn’t expect Ralph. He looked sheepishly at his feet. “I heard on my short wave radio there was a fire at the Wilson place," Ralph told Sam when he saw the surprised look on her face. “My son is a member of the volunteer fire department so I called him to find out what was going on. He told me Lance had gone off his rocker and was trying to burn his place down, but you stopped him. He told me Dundee had been shot and you were on your way over here. I had to come check on him.”
“Doc’s looking him over now,” Sam told the group. She was getting a lump in her throat so she swallowed some hot coffee to push it down. Then she told them what had happened that evening, the call from Mitch to Cheyenne and the Sheriff pulling her off of Lance.
The front door opened and Cheyenne stepped inside. Sam looked up and their eyes met. He crossed the room in two steps and wrapped his arms around her.
“I got here as soon as I could,” he said as he held Sam close to him. “How’s Dundee?”
“We don’t know yet. Doc is examining him now.”
Then Doc came to the door. He didn’t seem surprised to see his office filled with people. Sam turned and looked at his face.
Doc broke out in a big smile. “He’s going to be okay, Sam. I took some x-rays and he has several broken ribs. He’s bruised and sore, but there’s no internal bleeding.”
“What about the gunshot wound?” Sam asked anxiously.
“The bullet hit his front leg. I did a little surgery and took it out. He may limp for a few days but I think he’s going to make a complete recovery.”
Sam threw her arms around Doc and hugged him. Then they all ran into the back room.
They circled the table and Sam gently patted Dundee on his head. He opened his eyes and whined in greeting. Then he grinned.
Chapter Forty-Four
The next morning the sun was streaming through Sam’s window and woke her up before her alarm went off. She slowly rolled out of bed and went over to check on Dundee. She’d made a pallet on the floor for him the night before since she knew he was too sore to get up on her bed.
Dundee raised his head and looked at Sam for a second before he laid it back down and closed his eyes. Sam patted his head and then made her way to the bathroom for a shower. She looked in the mirror over her sink and saw the dark circles under her eyes. No surprise. She had tossed and turned all night and didn’t sleep much. She had a lot of questions about what happened the night before. Who called Sheriff Olson and the fire department? Why was Cheyenne there? How did they all manage to get to the Lazy W just in the nick of time? Her head was throbbing. She decided to get under the hot water and worry about the answers later.
She had finished dressing for work when there was a knock on her door and Mason came running in.
“Mom told me Dun was hurt,” he told Sam solemnly. “I came to see him.”
“He’s in the bedroom and I’ll know he’ll be happy to see you,” Sam told her brother. “Be gentle with him because he’s very sore.”
“Will he be okay?”
“Yeah, he’ll be fine.”
“I will watch him for you while you’re at work because Mom told me he won’t be able to get in your truck for a long time.”
“That’s true and I really appreciate it.”
Mason put his arms around Sam’s waist and hugged her. Then he looked up with tears in his eyes. “You don’t have to pay me either. I’ll watch him for free because I love Dundee.”
Sam leaned down and kissed her brother on top of his head. “Thanks. I know he loves you too.”
Dundee limped into the living room and Mason bent down and kissed him on his nose.
“Let me give him some medicine before I leave for work,” Sam told him.
She went into the kitchen and came back with two pain pills wrapped in raw hamburger meat and gave them to Dundee.
“That should hold him for a few hours. I’ll come home at noon and check on him.”
“Come on, boy,” Mason told Dundee. “I’ll help you get to my house.”
As Sam watched the two make their way slowly across the yard she felt like the richest woman on earth. She had a brother like Mason, and a dog like Dundee. Who could ask for anything more?
WHEN SAM GOT TO HER OFFICE she went back to their little kitchen and made some coffee. When it was ready she got a cup and went to her desk and sipped the hot liquid while she looked over her messages.
Jaime was the first to call her.
“Chica!” his voice boomed. “Are you okay this morning?”
“I’m good.” Sam told him.
“I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart and Pablo and his family thank you too. He was released from jail this morning. He had a happy reunion with his wife and children a few minutes ago. It was all because of you, chica. I want you to know I wrote a poem for you,” Jaime continued. “If you can come to Mass with us on Sunday I’m going to read it to our whole congregation. Pablo and his family will be there too. They want to thank you in person. You’re a hero!”
Tears spilled over and ran down Sam’s cheeks.
“You wrote a poem for me? No one’s ever done anything that nice before. I am truly honored and I’ll be there on Sunday.”
When she finished talking to Jaime she hung up the phone and picked up her coffee cup. The second call she got was from Sheriff Olson.
“I thought you’d want to know that Marcus and Mitch are doing okay. It was a good thing Lance was drunk when he shot them or they wouldn’t be alive. He’s usually a good marksman. He hit Marcus in the shoulder and Mitch in the stomach. They both lost a lot of blood, but they had surgery last night and now they’re recovering on the same hospital floor as your dad. They’re all going to be alright,” he said with a chuckle. “I suppose Cheyenne told you last night that the fire department was able to put the fire out before it spread to the horse barn and houses. All that was lost was the hay barn.”
“Yes, he told me. That was good to hear. What about Frank and Matthew? Are they okay?”
“Yep. They were both treated and released early this morning. By the way, how is Dundee? I worried about that dog all night.”
The tears were coming again.
“He’s doing fine. Doc met me here after I left the Lazy W and checked him over. He’s going to be okay. Before I forget, thanks for calling my mom and Doc. I really needed support last night. What about Lance?”
“He’s recovering in my jail. He confessed to everything when he finally came around and could talk. What did you inject him with anyways?”
“Ace. It’s a drug I use to control large animals and lunatics.”
Sheriff Olson chuckled again.
“We’re going to transfer him to a maximum security facility today where he’ll undergo a complete psychiatric evaluation. I guess after all those years of living with Marietta he just went off the deep end. If they find he’s not fit to stand trial he’ll go to a mental institution. Either way, he’s going to be put away for the rest of his life.”
“That’s so sad. What’s going to happen to the Lazy W?”
“I’m not sure. Lance’s only relative is his nephew, Luke. I talked to him this morning. He’s going to finish some project he’s working on in San Francisco and fly back as soon as possi
ble. I imagine he’ll turn over the day-to-day operations to Cheyenne until we know what’s going to happen to Lance.”
“I have some questions Sheriff. Who called you and the fire department? How did you know to come out to the Lazy W when you did?”
“Ask Cheyenne the next time you see him. I think he can explain things better than anyone.”
Sheriff Olson hesitated a moment before he continued. “I wanted to tell you if you ever decide to change jobs let me know. I’d be happy to hire you.”
Sam smiled. “Thanks sheriff. I’ll keep that in mind if I ever decide to quit my wonderful career.”
“When you get time, stop by my office. I need to file a final report. Thanks Sam.”
“I’ll get over there as soon as I can.” Sam promised and hung up the phone.
“Oh geez,” She mumbled to herself. What was she going to do when Luke came back to town? When Cheyenne came into her office last night and held her in his arms she was hoping that everything was forgiven. But he hadn’t called her that morning so she wasn’t so sure now.
Sam was checking her schedule when she heard someone come in her office. She looked up and saw Cheyenne leaning against her door with a bag of Bunker’s bagels in his hand.
“I brought a peace offering,” he said with a slight smile.
“Is there a cinnamon raisin bagel in that sack?” Sam asked as she watched his face.
“Yep, and cream cheese.”
“Well, what are you waiting for? The smell is driving me nuts and I sure need a cinnamon raisin bagel this morning.”
Cheyenne’s smile widened as he pulled up a chair and sat down. He put the sack in front of Sam and then leaned back and propped his feet up on the corner of her desk.
Sam opened the bag and the aroma rose up and saturated the room. She pulled out two bagels and smothered them with cream cheese and handed one to Cheyenne.
“I have some questions and Sheriff Olson said you would be the best one to answer them.” Sam told Cheyenne. “Why did you come home last night? You weren’t planning on coming back until Sunday.”
“I got a message.”
Sam gave him a puzzled look. “Who called you?”
“I didn’t get a phone call.”
Sam looked at him even more confused. “Well, how did you get the message?”
Cheyenne leaned forward and looked at her closely.
“I heard the “Coyote de la Muerte”. He said. “My grandfather, Jack Running Wolf, told me about the legend when we were on a camping trip together one summer. I was about eight or nine and we heard the coyotes howling one night. That’s when he told me about how coyotes were messengers from the Great Father. He also told me if I ever heard a lone coyote cry at sunrise or sunset to stop and listen. He said that the coyote was sent by the Great Father to warn of an approaching death and I should listen and follow my instincts. Yesterday, right at dusk, I was coming back from the stalls after checking on our horses when I heard him. I remembered my grandfather’s teachings so I stopped and listened. My instinct told me you were in danger and I needed to get back to Fairview right away. I didn’t even think twice. I climbed in my truck and started driving. When I got close to Fairview I tried to call you at home and on your cell but you didn’t answer. Then I called the bunkhouse but no one answered so I called Lance. He didn’t answer either. I really started getting nervous. I knew something was terribly wrong and I had to get to the Lazy W. That’s when I called Sheriff Olson. I told him to get to the ranch as fast as possible because someone was in danger. When I got to the Lazy W I could see the flames coming from the hay barn. By that time the fire engines were turning in the driveway and I saw the flashing lights of Sheriff Olson’s car right behind me.”
Sam’s eyes widened with amazement. “I know about the Coyote of Death. My dad told me about the legend when I was a little girl.” Overcome with emotion, she lowered her head to hide her tears. “You, Dundee and the ‘Coyote de la Muerte’ saved my life.”
Cheyenne reached out and put his hand under Sam’s chin and raised her head. A tear leaked down her cheek and he leaned forward and slowly kissed it away. Then he lowered his head to her mouth and Sam could taste the salt from her tears on his lips. Cheyenne gently pulled away and looked into the sky blue eyes that left him weak.
“When I drove up you didn’t look like you needed much help. You were really doing a number on Lance. You looked pretty wicked in the moonlight sitting on his back shaking the living daylights out of his head. You may not remember, but it took several of us to pull you off of him.”
Sam gulped back a lump in her throat. “He hurt Dundee and I got a little angry.”
Cheyenne smiled. He lifted her fingertips and tenderly kissed them.
“How is Dundee doing this morning?”
“He’s okay. I left him at home with Mason and my grandpa. I’m going to check on him at lunch.”
Cheyenne looked at Sam and then brought the palm of her hand up to his lips. His brown eyes were intense and turning to melted chocolate.
“We need to talk, Samantha Rain.” he told her brusquely.
“What about?” Sam asked quietly.
Cheyenne didn’t say anything as he let go of her hand. Sam watched as he slowly got up, walked to the front door of the clinic and turned the “Open” sign over to “Closed”. Then he locked the door, closed the blinds and unplugged the phone. He came back into her office and stood in front of her desk.
“I never got to answer your question the other night about whether or not cowboys go commando. Now’s a good time, isn’t it?” he asked as he shut her door.
Acknowledgements
I want to thank the following people for their wonderful help with my book:
Darcie Wein – the best neighbor and editor a girl could ever have. You bring so much joy to my life, laughter to my heart, and material for my books!
Sheila Shepherd – my gorgeous cousin and model, for the use of her picture on my book cover.
Jeremy Kron – my webmaster and ebook publisher — you’re the best!
Cathy and Mike Eberhardt – and all my horse friends at Distant Thunder Ranch who make sure all my trails are happy ones.
Cindy Newell and Kathryn Kloberdanz – my cheerleaders and proofreaders who introduced me to Lemon Drop Martinis!
And to my awesome kids and grandkids that gave me all these marvelous laugh lines on my face!
About Carolyn Anderson Jones
As a youngster I was pure tomboy. I grew up in the country outside of Denver, and of course, we had all the traditional farm animals — you know — chickens, roosters, cows and horses. But, the horses were the best. Always loved them and always will. And growing up “country” was awesome.
I think I inherited my love for the country and horses from my dad. He’s from Texas and he and his siblings grew up on a ranch. He still has the silver belt buckle he won at a rodeo when he was 16. My Texas cousins did some rodeo too. When we were young and dumb, I watched them barrel race and do some bronco bustin’ and calf ropin’.Me? I never went that far. But I did love the trail riding.
I learned a lot of wise cowboy sayings from my Texas relatives. Stuff like, “Don’t squat with your spurs on”; “Speak your mind but ride a fast horse”; and “Save the horse, ride the cowboy.” My favorite came from my cousin, Michael — “I thought my first name was ‘Dammit’ until I got in first grade.” But another saying that stuck with me was “Cowgirl Up, or lay there bleeding.” Who knew that years later it would be the perfect title for my first book!
After I graduated from high school, I went to college, moved to the big city, got a job in an office, and discovered the world of shopping. It took awhile, but eventually I metamorphosed into a semi—fashionista. I loved the world of perfumes, accessories and current fashion trends. Pantyhose … not so much.
However on weekends, I was back in my blue jeans and cowboy boots. Nothing’s better to me than being on the back of a horse riding the trails in the
Rockies with my horse friends. Except for being at Gordon Biersch with my trendy girlfriends sipping a Lemon Drop Martini.
I’ve always loved to write. Even as a kid I was constantly thinking up stories, and they almost always revolved around mysteries. Over the years, I continued to write as a hobby, and had numerous human—interest stories published in newspapers and a few articles in magazines and on the Internet. And yes, they all had humor.
Then in 2006, my neighbor told me about St. Martin Press’ Malice Domestic contest. I’d never written a book before, but I decided to give it a try. The rules were the book had to be a mystery, but nothing with a lot of gore, and if it had romance, no explicit sex scenes were allowed. Humor was optional.
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