“When will they be back?”
“Couple hours,”
“And you’re sure the fire is out?” I studied the hay, not even a little smoke drifted out of it.
“Positive,” he left me to shut off the hose.
I made it to my feet, feeling better. The fire was out. The animals and barn safe. Chase and I went back into the house.
I nibbled on some toast and sipped a glass of orange juice at the breakfast table. Chase got a plastic bag and collected the matches. He set the bag on the kitchen counter and downed a cup of coffee, staring at it.
The next two hours went by very slowly. I flipped through a magazine, while he paced like a caged animal in front of me. He called his aunt, but it went straight to voicemail, and was back to pacing once he hung up.
“You’re going to wear a hole in the rug,” I said, thinking it was probably a good thing his boots didn’t have spurs on them.
“It’s killing me,” he grated, still pacing. “Why would someone try to burn down the barn? What did I ever do to piss anyone off that much?”
I couldn’t think of anything off the top of my head. “You’re making me dizzy. Just sit or something.”
So he started pacing behind me.
I got dizzy from it and went into the living room to sit with Whiskers on the couch. He liked me again, and let me pull him into my lap.
“They’re here,” Chase headed out the door.
“Finally,” I hefted the cat with me and followed, thinking we were in for a hell of a ride. Hopefully no one got hurt.
Chapter 20
Chase
I kept vigilantly checking the hay. The fire was started by a match from one of Don’s books. But Don didn’t do it. He’d been at church with everyone else.
It was anyone’s guess who started the fire, and I vowed I’d find them before the summer was out. The sheriff did everything he could, but there weren’t any fingerprints on the matchbook. The side of the barn and the hay were just out of our security cameras angle. We didn’t see anyone coming or going.
After a few days the commotion died down, people, including Jerry and Millie, didn’t seem so worried. They figured it was an accident.
Briar and I were of a different opinion, we both thought it was just too funny to be an accident. Why that haystack next to the barn? The sheer amount of money to replace and rebuild after a fire would have been ridiculous. Not that I couldn’t afford it. But I didn’t want to experience that kind of loss and throw a wrench in the operation of the ranch. Didn’t want to imagine how devastating it would be.
So Briar and I kept our eyes peeled. We didn’t know what we were looking for, but we promised each other not to let anything go unspoken, even if it seemed silly.
The fire aside, everyday Briar and I grew closer. A couple weeks passed. We spent every free moment together. She even started getting up with me to feed the animals. Some afternoons she spent it in the office with Jerry, helping him go over the books.
Before we knew it, a month had gone by since Briar came to the ranch. Haying went smooth, though we were a little pressed for time. On the morning of my eighteenth birthday, Briar’s father still hadn’t called. She was worried, but checked in with Grandma every few days to give her an update. Her father wasn’t asking questions. We didn’t know what was going on. Mostly we took each day, hoping that the next time either of us picked up the phone there wasn’t an angry doctor on the other end wondering where his daughter was.
My mother had called a few times since I’d been back on the ranch. She didn’t have much to say, but I could tell by the tone of her voice she wasn’t keen on my relationship with Briar. She kept thinking that because they both came from the city, Briar would end up hating it here too. I tried to tell her that wasn’t the case, but she didn’t listen.
I beat my boots on the porch as I took the steps to the kitchen. I’d seen to feeding the horses and made sure the rest of the animals had been taken care of. Briar had opted out to help Millie with something.
She’d taken to naming every animal that crossed her path. The little colt we saw born was now called Sprite. It suited him. She’d even named the owl that sat on the barn roof, Frances. I haven’t a clue why Frances was a good name for an owl, but I loved her for it.
I glanced back out at the barn before shutting the door. Damn fire still riled me to no end, but there was no use worrying about it when we had nothing to go on. Just had to hope and pray it didn’t happen again.
I went into the storeroom to kick off my boots before going into the kitchen. Millie’s favorite oldies station playing and Jerry’s rumbling laugh brought a smile to my face.
I came out and frowned.
“So there we were, out in the yard, and Chase runs out wearing nothing but boots and a hat. He had his little pop gun and started to shoot the neighbors.” Jerry pointed at a picture in an album on the counter and I knew they were showing Briar every embarrassing photo from when I was a kid. “Good instincts for such a little guy. He was trying to shoot the Smith’s!”
“You don’t get along with the Smith’s?” Briar asked.
“Jerry is pulling your leg. The Smith’s are as nice as anyone.” Millie was at the stove stuffing a chicken and she looked back at the album. “Never could keep clothes on the boy once he figured out how to take them off.”
I felt my face go red and wanted to torch the album. “Morning.”
“Chase, happy birthday!” Briar hopped off the stool next to Jerry and skipped across the kitchen to hug me. “We were just talking about you.”
I shook my head and eyed my aunt and uncle. “I heard.”
“Millie old girl, I’m thinking we’ve embarrassed him.” Jerry shut the album and grinned. “Won’t happen again, promise.”
Ha, yeah right. Jerry had a glint in his eyes.
Soon as he left the album alone I’d hide it in the attic. He couldn’t get up there anymore because of his bad hip.
Briar tugged at my arm and pulled me out of the kitchen into the living room. “I have something I want to give you and it can’t wait.”
We sat across from each other on the couch. The smell of a fresh pine wreath above the fireplace and the sounds of Millie and Jerry in the kitchen made me feel content, but having Briar made it all complete.
“What are you smiling at?” she asked.
I leaned forward and stole a quick kiss. “Everything.”
She kissed me back and handed me a small leather box. “I found it while I was out shopping with Millie the day of the Callahan dance. It’s been in the upstairs dresser for a month.”
“Briar, you didn’t have to get me a present.” I opened it and felt something go tight in my chest when I looked up at her. “This is awesome.”
She pulled the watch out of the case and put it on my wrist. “It’s not just a watch. It’s also a compass.”
I held my arm level and watched the little circle move till it hit north. Damn, it really was perfect. I was getting choked up, which wasn’t like me at all “Thank you. I love it.”
“I wanted to make sure you’d always find your way back to me.” She threw her arms around my neck, almost knocked me off the couch. Millie was watching from the far doorway, and wiped her eyes with the ruffle of her apron. I winked at her and she burst into tears.
“Mind if I take Briar out for a ride, or do you need help?”
Millie waved and headed back into the kitchen. “Be back for dinner and have fun.”
I told Briar to grab her boots and meet me at the door. I dressed how I usually did, and when she saw me she started laughing.
“What?”
“You’re wearing chaps. Real leather chaps.”
“And that’s funny?” she’d seen me in them before.
She shook her head. “But these have fringe.”
I kissed the grin off her lips and showed her outside to the stables.
The air was thick and smelled of hay and earth and a little like wet d
og and… I spied Stinker in the far corner chewing on a bone. Damn, he was going to need a bath.
Briar held her nose when Stinker came over to say hello. “Wow, that’s an interesting smell.”
“Now you know how he got his name.” I grabbed the bone and threw it, sending him to the other side of the stables.
“What did he get into?”
“Stinker loves to roll in cow patties.”
She made a sour face. “That’s disgusting.”
“Come on, the sooner we get away from him, the sooner our eyes will stop watering.”
“Where’s Ruby?” she went to the stall and peeked inside.
“With Mac. She has a loose shoe.” I wasn’t too keen on the other horses. Some were a little spirited for Briar.
“We’ll ride together on Ash.” She smiled, deciding for me.
I was thinking about putting her on Ash and saddling one of the others. But she liked riding double with me. “Okay, you can help me get him ready then.”
We had him geared up in no time. He was excited to get going, as usual. I reminded Briar where to put her foot in the stirrup and helped her get seated.
“You know, I forgot to ask what this is.” She asked, holding onto the horn with both hands as I led Ash outside. The wind wasn’t too bad, a little gusty. We were in the clear for a nice ride to check out the east pasture and some of the cows before a rainstorm.
“That’s called the horn.”
She frowned. “What does it do…other than not honk?”
“Very funny. Hold tight.” I swung up behind her and gave Ash a pat. He seemed to be anticipating the ride and was excited to get going. “When I rope a runaway cattle, I secure the rope to the horn. It’s like having a wench.”
She shook her head. “A what?”
“A tow truck has a wench to pull the car out of a ditch. I can use the horn in the same fashion.” I made sure she was holding the reins correctly and had her walk Ash forward. She laughed when I showed her how to back him up. “Now we’ll turn him right. Don’t tug on the reins or jerk them, gently. There you go. Now just nudge with your left leg. Good. This is all you, Briar baby.”
She blushed really pretty when I called her Briar baby. “I’m driving a horse!”
“Riding, but yeah, you are.” I grinned.
“Wait, what about that metal thing?”
“What?”
“In his mouth, when I see horses normally they have a metal thing attached to the reins.” She leaned to the side to pet him and look at his mouth.
I grabbed her waist. Didn’t want her falling off. “That would be the bit.”
“Doesn’t he need it?”
“Nah, the bridle I use is bitless.” I said. “How would you feel if you had to spend the day with a piece of metal in your mouth?”
“Not happy, that’s for sure.”
“And that’s how he feels,” I helped her get him to a steady trot and we made our way out of the yard. The landscape, the mountains and the vastness of the pastures distracted her. I took the reins, allowing her to watch the scenery. A dirt path led from the house down a hill and into the east pasture. We stopped by to see the cows and she got down with me to pet one. An older girl wearing a red collar wandered over to get some attention.
Briar petted the cow on the head and smiled. “She’s so sweet.”
“Yeah, Betsy likes attention.” I gave the cow a pat.
“I thought you were in the beef business.”
“Oh, we are. Betsy is a special case. She got sick and Millie got attached taking care of her, which is rare for my aunt.” I shrugged. “Jerry didn’t see the harm having a mascot of sorts, and I like having her around.”
We left Betsy and I took Briar down by the creek. A hawk circled overhead, looking for it’s next meal. She was enthralled in everything I showed her. She appreciated the land and was amazed by the beauty of it, and that made me fall for her even harder.
She’d taken the reins again, more confident, and was doing great with minimal help from me.
We came upon a few of the hands that worked for the ranch. They were fixing a piece of the fence, which was part of their job. Though it shouldn’t take three men to do it.
“How’s it going?” I asked, knowing that it was hard for men twice my age to take orders from me. Two had already been fired for bad attitudes. I couldn’t help that I’d inherited all of this. Now, on my eighteenth birthday, it was all officially, legally mine.
Rick was with the men. So far he hadn’t done anything wrong. He was a good worker. I just hoped we didn’t have trouble with him. He rubbed Jerry the wrong way. With the way he was looking at me, I got a feeling it was only time till someone had words with the man.
Briar shifted in the saddle to shake hands. The men smiled and said hello, except for Rick.
“City girls don’t last long out here.” Rick leaned back against the fence, crossing his arms.
Briar turned to catch my gaze, concerned. He didn’t have the decency to address her like she was actually with us. I took the reins. “Who’s monitoring the herd?”
“Tom and Harvey,” one of the men said.
I nodded and eyed Rick. “Go help them.”
At first Rick didn’t move. I raised my eyebrows and waited.
“Jerry told me to help with the fence.” He finally said.
“Two men are perfectly capable of doing this job. In fact, one could do it, but it’ll get done faster with two.” I lowered my voice. “I need you to monitor the cattle. They’re our priority here, not a downed hunk of wood and wire.”
“Sure thing… Boss.” He shoved away from the fence and got on an ATV, kicking up dirt as he sped toward the pasture.
Briar relaxed and leaned back against my chest. I relaxed the further he drove away. There was something off about that guy, and I sure as shit didn’t trust him.
“David, Frank…” I said to the men left working on the fence. “Keep an eye on him. He does anything questionable you bring it to Jerry, Grant, or me. Pass that on to the other hands as well.”
They nodded and went back to work. I pointed Ash in the direction of the creek and we road along the bank for a while, enjoying the sound of water trickling over the rocks, and the distant hoot of an owl named Frances.
After a few minutes Briar spoke with a question in her voice. “Rick doesn’t like you, or me.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“Why? I’d never met him before.”
“Good question.”
“You want to fire him,” now that wasn’t a question.
“Very perceptive.”
“You’re not hard to read.” She laughed, taking the reins. “Where to?”
I pointed at the rise of hill, “There, we’ll be able to see a good chunk of the surrounding property.”
We rode Ash for a while longer and then I took off his saddle and left him to wander one of the fields and graze. I finally got Briar in a tractor, which she seemed a bit intimidated to drive, though I gave her plenty of chances. We drove it down to where Grant was working and dropped off supplies that had been delivered earlier in the day. Mostly feed for the horses. We stopped off to see how Sprite and his mother we doing, and Briar managed to plant a kiss on his little head before we left them.
Late afternoon we found Ash and I grabbed a cooler, couple fishing poles and bait from the shed and rode him down to the lake. He waded around in the water by the bank, having himself a good time, while Briar and I fished from the dock. I taught her how to cast and reel.
I was thinking we wouldn’t get a bite when something tugged on Briar’s line. She jumped up, almost pushing me into the lake.
By the time we left for the house, she’d caught two catfish and I reeled in a rainbow trout.
I dropped Briar off at the porch and put up Ash so she could run the fish to Millie.
I came out of the stables. Briar was standing outside the corral that held Jerry’s…er, my half wild mustang. The cooler was at her
feet on the ground.
I watched her and the horse.
Neither of them moved. They studied each other from opposite sides of the fence.
It wouldn’t have been so strange if I hadn’t seen how the animal had been acting since I got home. She was restless, pacing. I’d spent time with her, but haying had been tough, didn’t have much time to spare. I planned on training her starting tomorrow. But now she was calm, and starting to move toward Briar.
They were three feet from each other when Briar slowly reached out her hand and touched her fingertips to the horse’s nose.
My heart slammed hard in my chest. “Careful, Briar.”
“Why?” She pulled her hand back, much to my relief, and turned away from the horse.
“She’s not trained.” I couldn’t help grinning. “No one on this ranch, to my knowledge, has ever touched her.”
She pressed her hands to her cheeks and gasped. “No way.”
“Yeah, so lets not push our luck.” I grabbed the cooler and we walked back up to the house.
“What’s her name?”
“Doesn’t have one,” she stopped me on the porch before I opened the door.
“Can I name her?”
I smiled, pulling her in for a kiss. “Sure, go for it.”
“Firefly.” She looked back at the horse and smiled. “I want to call her Firefly.”
Chapter 21
Briar
“I don’t like him,” I added to the conversation about Rick. “He’s got an attitude.”
Jerry nodded. “He’s a good worker. It’s a shame”
“I guess…seems like he could be more trouble than he’s worth.” Chase folded his arms across his chest.
We were in the office talking after a big birthday dinner of fried fish, potato salad, cake, and peach ice cream for dessert. I’d taken a corner of the couch and curled under a quilt. Chase had the spot beside me and kicked off his boots to prop his feet up on the coffee table. Jerry sat behind the desk watching the security feed from the outside cameras.
The ranch was wired with cameras, not only to monitor workers, but the animals as well.
Chasing McCree Page 15