Wilde Horses

by Jannine Gallant

  Her brows puckered. “Hayden?”

  “When I see Kara, I’ll casually ask where her husband was yesterday evening.”

  “And if she can vouch for his whereabouts?”

  “Then I don’t know what to think.” He turned to meet her gaze as traffic stalled again. A nagging ache that had nothing to do with his burns knotted his stomach. “Maybe we’re going at this all wrong.”

  Her eyes widened. “What do you mean?”

  “Maybe I wasn’t the intended target. I’m beginning to think you were.”

  Chapter 21

  Eden ran down the porch steps and wrapped Hannah in a huge hug when they met halfway between the house and the barn. “Oh, my goodness, it’s so good to see you!”

  “We were here at the ranch three months ago, but it seems longer.” Her best friend squeezed tight before letting go. Her golden eyes glowed with happiness that dimmed slightly as a frown creased her brow. “You look stressed.”

  Eden sighed. “Maybe a little.”

  “Over the wedding?”

  “Not exactly.” She glanced over as the youngest of her three brothers broke off his conversation with their dad to approach.

  “Don’t I get a hug?”

  She grinned as Tripp scooped her off her feet. “I suppose so. You seem to be making my BFF happy, so you’re hug-worthy for a change.”

  He set her back down and laughed. Green eyes behind ridiculously long lashes softened as he slid an arm around Hannah. “Turns out you were wrong, and I’m not a total jerk when it comes to women.”

  “Only because she redeemed you.” Eden took Hannah’s hand and tugged her away from her brother. “Ainslee and Devin went into town earlier to talk to one of the members of the band who’s playing for the reception. I guess there’s some problem they’re trying to work out, but we have about an hour before we need to meet them for our final dress fitting.”

  “Good. We can catch up first.”

  Tripp’s brows rose. “You’re deserting me?”

  Hannah smiled. “I see you all the time. I never get to talk to Eden in person. Go find your brothers or something.”

  “I think I will. Or Mom. Dad said she’s in the kitchen baking something for the wedding. Maybe she’ll stop long enough to feed me.”

  Eden rolled her eyes. “You definitely wouldn’t want to starve.”

  “I need strength to perform best man duties.” He bent to drop a kiss on Hannah’s upturned lips. “See you later.”

  Eden headed toward the corral then walked along the fence with her friend at her side. “Sorry I haven’t called more often lately. Life has been…hectic.”

  Hannah tucked a strand of golden brown hair behind her ear as the breeze blew softly off the prairie. “I heard through the grapevine you just got back from Malibu a few days ago. Do you want to fill me in?”

  “I flew down to see Blake.”

  “I guessed that much. Did he come back with you?”

  Eden shook her head. “I left sooner than I intended. They wrap up filming tomorrow. He wants to come up for the wedding, but…”

  “But, what?”

  She stopped and leaned against the fence rail. Out in the pasture, Apollo flicked flies with his tail while he grazed. “Blake’s been hurt a few times in a series of accidents that aren’t so accidental. But, I could easily have been the victim in a couple of the instances. He’s worried his presence here might trigger the crazy bastard responsible into acting out again, and we don’t want anything to ruin Griff’s and Sawyer’s big day.”

  Hannah gripped her arm. “Are you still in danger?”

  “I don’t think so, but we don’t know who’s responsible or even why.” She drew in a ragged breath. “Nothing about the situation makes any sense. All the people we thought might have a reason to harm Blake have alibis for the explosion, so we’re at a loss.”

  “Explosion? Oh, my God. Is he okay?”

  “Second degree burns after this psycho poured gasoline on a bag of briquettes that went up like an inferno when he lit them. The thing is, I was the one who usually started the coals every evening, so if Blake hadn’t done it—”

  Hannah’s hold on her tightened. “You would have been the one who got torched.”

  “I’m a lot shorter and was wearing less. The damage would have been pretty bad. When that thought occurred to Blake, he made me come home.”

  “Good for him. That sort of accident is beyond scary.”

  “Kind of like what happened to you last winter?”

  Her eyes darkened. “I wouldn’t wish what Tripp and I went through on my worst enemy, let alone my best friend. Did you call the police?”

  “Of course, and they’re investigating. But they don’t have any leads except a single smeared print from a flip-flop at the edge of a flowerbed that’s too small to belong to Blake or the guy who takes care of his yard, and too big to be mine or the housekeeper’s. Since they don’t have any suspects, the print isn’t very useful.” She let out a breath. “Oh, there were traces of a sedative in some dog barf, so this freak drugged his dog to gain access to the house.”

  “Unbelievable.” Hannah was silent for a moment. “So, other than the drama of almost being barbecued, how are things between you and Blake? Are you serious, or just having fun together?”

  Out in the field, Apollo raised his head and sniffed the wind then kicked up his heels to gallop away. Eden blinked back tears.

  “What’s wrong?” Hannah’s voice was filled with concern.

  “I love him.”

  “Isn’t that a good thing?”

  “Yes, but I don’t want to give this up.” She waved a hand toward the endless prairie. “Cities make me crazy. Granted, the view from his beach house is pretty damn spectacular, but it isn’t my home. We want to make a relationship work, but I don’t see how.”

  Empathy registered in Hannah’s eyes. “Is he willing to compromise?”

  Eden sighed. “More so than I am. Blake is a great guy. Really, really wonderful. No offense, but way nicer than my brother.”

  “That’s because I see a side of Tripp you don’t.”

  “Let’s hope so.” She produced a small smile. “It’s taken me a while to adjust to the idea of the two of you as a couple. But you look so damn happy together, I can’t be anything but thrilled for you both.”

  “That’s good because our relationship is solid. We had plenty of problems, but we worked through them, and we’re in a really good place now. So did Griff and Ainslee. Sawyer and Devin had major lifestyle adjustments to make, but they found a way around them. No one said love is easy, Eden.”

  “You’re right. I just don’t know if I can give up my life here no matter how much I love Blake.” She teared up again. “And I do. Honestly.”

  Hannah pulled her in for a hug. “Then you might have to make some sacrifices. Only you can decide if he’s worth it.”

  “Does the fact that I really, really want Blake here for the wedding mean anything?” She wiped a hand across her eyes. “Being dateless on the most important day in my brothers’ lives isn’t the end of the world. But I want to share an event this special with him and only him.”

  “I think your feelings say a lot. You’ll work this out, one way or the other. But right now, shouldn’t we go meet the brides? Tripp and I knew we were cutting it close for this dress fitting when we left Tahoe yesterday afternoon, but I had one final physical therapy session to wrap up with a client. My schedule is clear for the next couple of weeks, so we can stay for as long as we want.”

  “That’s great.” Eden let go of the fence rail, and they headed back the way they’d come. After she ran up to her room for her purse while Hannah detoured into the kitchen to greet her mother, they hustled out to the SUV. “We’re going to have to hurry if we don’t want to be late.”

  “It was awfully nice of Ainslee and Devin to include me as a bridesmaid since I don’t know either of them all th
at well. Tripp was touched.”

  Eden glanced over as she sped down the gravel road toward the highway. “Seems like there’s a good chance you’ll be family soon, not just my dearest friend. My brothers aren’t completely clueless, and Tripp is clearly in love with you. I’m surprised he hasn’t proposed yet.”

  “The subject has come up.”

  Eden sucked in a breath. “Are you engaged and didn’t tell me?”

  “Not officially.” Her friend’s eyes softened with a deep joy that made Eden’s heart ache. “I think he’s just waiting for the perfect time to ask.”

  She had to swallow back tears before she could speak. “That’s wonderful. I’m so happy for you.”

  “I know you are.” Hannah dropped a hand on Eden’s arm and squeezed. “I can’t wait for you to find the same forever love I have. If it’s with Blake, I’ll adore him for making you happy. If it isn’t, then I’ll just keep wishing the perfect man for you comes along soon.”

  “Perfect may be pushing it. I have too many issues for perfection to be interested in me.”

  “You’re strong and a little stubborn, but the right man will appreciate those qualities as much as he will your passion for life and deep loyalty. Don’t knock yourself, Eden. I don’t like you bashing my best friend.”

  She grinned. “Fine. I’m a real prize. Honestly, I think Blake may just believe that, so I’m going to do my best not to implode our relationship.” Her smile faded. “As long as some freak doesn’t get lucky and blow one of us up first.”

  “Do you really think someone will try again now that you’re home?”

  “I still think Blake was the intended target all along, but he wasn’t willing to take that risk. He was the victim of three different accidents here on the ranch before he finished filming, but I could easily have been the casualty of the second one and possibly the third.” She turned onto the highway then explained about the chisel in the hay, the glass under Flint’s saddle and the drain cleaner. “The thing is, nothing happened to either of us while we were apart.”

  “Maybe some psycho fan thinks you’re getting too close to Blake?”

  Eden grimaced. “I guess that’s possible. But why would this person hurt him if that were the case? There’s no way the chisel buried in the hay could have been intended for me, and it’s far more likely Blake would have been the one to use his own shampoo. Granted, I was originally supposed to ride Flint, and the director changed his mind. We just assumed the glass was placed under the saddle after the switch in horses was announced.”

  “So all you can really do until the police come up with a suspect is keep your eyes open for strangers and be careful.”

  “I suppose, but there’s been no helpful evidence left at the crime scenes. No prints on the shampoo bottle or at his beach house.” Eden sighed. “I really would like Blake to come to the wedding, though. I’m going to do my best to convince him I’m not in any danger because of him.”

  “Do you know what I want?”

  She glanced over. “What?”

  Hannah’s look was direct. “I want you to forget about all your problems for a few hours and simply enjoy a girls’ day out fitting dresses and having lunch with your future sisters-in-law.”

  “Our future sisters-in-law.”

  “Let’s not share that just yet. This week is about Devin and Ainslee.”

  “Agreed.” Eden exited the freeway and cruised through Cody to turn into the small lot behind the dress shop where the alterations had been completed on their bridesmaid dresses. She pointed to the clock on the dashboard. “Right on time.”

  “There they are.” Hannah nodded toward a white rental car as the two women stepped out onto the pavement. “Oh, oh. They don’t look very happy.”

  “I wonder what the problem is.” Eden turned off the engine and opened her door. “Ainslee looks like she might cry, and Devin’s eyes are practically shooting sparks.” She raised her voice. “Whose butt do I need to kick?”

  Devin gave her a grim smile before greeting Hannah with a hug. “You can light into the manager of the band we hired to play at the reception. He just bailed on us.”

  Eden pressed a hand to her chest. “You’re kidding?”

  “We wish. Their lead singer just found out she has mono.” Ainslee flipped long auburn hair over her shoulder before she hugged Hannah. “You look wonderful. Hanging out with Tripp obviously agrees with you.”

  “Thanks, but this sounds like a serious crisis. How can we help?”

  Devin blew out a breath and clenched her fists. “We called both the other local bands he suggested, and they’re booked. I guess we have to look further afield, and who knows if anyone decent will be available on such short notice. What a nightmare!”

  Ainslee laid a hand on her friend’s arm. “We’ll work this out…or make the guys deal with the problem. Let’s not let it ruin our day. I’m looking forward to seeing the dresses on you two.”

  As they headed toward the shop, Eden’s phone vibrated in her pocket. She pulled it out and glanced at the screen. “Uh, I’ll be right in. This’ll just take me a minute.”

  Hannah raised a brow. “Blake?”

  Eden nodded and answered. “Hi.”

  “Hi, yourself. How’s everything?”

  His voice soothed her nerves and made her miss him even more. “Right this moment, not so good. The band for the reception just backed out.” She closed her eyes and leaned against the brick wall of the building as the other women went inside. “Since I left you in Malibu, I’m feeling a little lonely.”

  He was quiet for a long moment. “I want to be there, but—”

  “There’s no one on the ranch except family and the hands. Anyone who doesn’t belong couldn’t get near me, or you for that matter, without standing out like the proverbial sore thumb. Your presence won’t create any danger.”

  “I don’t know…”

  “Please, Blake. We left everything up in the air between us. How can we work out our problems when we’re a thousand miles apart?”

  “I had dinner with my buddy Kent last night. He’s wrapping up his West Coast tour.”

  Eden’s shoulders slumped. Apparently Blake wasn’t going to answer her. “That’s nice.”

  “I could ask him to do me a favor and perform at the reception before he heads east. I know he’s not busy this weekend, and we could fly out to Wyoming together.”

  She slowly opened her eyes. “Oh, my God. Are you kidding?”

  “I think I can persuade him. He’ll probably get a kick out of it.”

  “I don’t know what part of that makes me want to kiss you more.” She swallowed hard. “Yes, I do. Having you here is more important than Kent McCord headlining Griff and Sawyer’s reception.” She managed a tearful smile. “Although Ainslee and Devin might not agree.”

  “I miss you, Eden.”

  “Me, too, and believe me, your good deed won’t go unrewarded.”

  His quiet laugh sent a quiver through her.

  “As much as I’d like to hear all about your day, can we finish this conversation later? I have to go try on a dress.”

  “Have fun. I’ll call you after I talk to Kent.”

  “Okay. Bye, Blake.” She hung up and slid her phone back into her pocket. A wide smile stretched her cheeks as she pulled open the door to the dress shop and stepped inside.

  Hannah paused on her way toward the dressing room with the blue gown draped over her arm. “Someone looks happy. What did he say?”

  Ainslee and Devin broke off their conversation with the owner of the shop and turned.

  “Blake agreed to come to the wedding, and guess who he’s going to bring with him.”

  Devin grinned. “From your smile, I assume it won’t be a date.”

  “Not exactly. How would you two feel about Kent McCord performing at your wedding?”

  Ainslee’s mouth dropped open. “Serious?”

  “Blake’s
asking him now, but he thinks he’ll do it.”

  “That’s unbelievable!” Devin rushed across the room to hug her. “Have I mentioned you’re going to be the best sister-in-law ever?”

  “That goes without saying.” Her grin faded. “But let’s all cross our fingers and pray nothing else goes wrong. The way my life has been lately, anything could happen.”

  * * * *

  Blake followed the sound of thumps and bangs around the side of the house and stopped. The outdoor floodlights illuminated the yard where all three of Eden’s brothers and her dad dragged large wooden squares into position next to the makeshift stage to form a dance floor. Her grandpa sat in a canvas lawn chair, apparently directing the production.

  “That one looks out of level, Tripp. Maybe grab one of those shims to even it out.”

  Tripp rolled his eyes. “Sure, Grandpa. We wouldn’t want this thing all catawampus. Maybe we should use a level.”

  “Good idea. Why don’t you run out to the barn to get one?”

  His eyes widened as he faced Jasper. “I was joking.”

  “Well, I’m not. We can’t have women in heels wobbling on our dance floor.”

  Griff grinned. “That’ll teach you to use sarcasm.” He dropped the square of wood he held in place and glanced up. “Hey, Blake, did you come to help?”

  “You bet. The women are inside talking about where to put the flowers. When Eden asked my opinion, I fled.”

  Boyd laughed. “Smart man.”

  “I’ll go get that level if you tell me where it is.”

  Jasper eyed his youngest grandson with a twinkle in his eye. “See, Tripp, now that’s what I call a willing attitude.”

  “Blake’s just smarter than I am and wants to escape the heavy lifting. There should be a level in the rear of the barn where Eden keeps her leather tools.”

  “I’ll be right back.” He hurried away but stopped before he reached the open barn door. Some distance down the access road, headlights shone in the night. When they went out, a frown drew his brows together. “That’s weird.”

  “What’s weird?”

  Blake jumped and turned as one of the hands left the barn. “You startled me.”