Rancher Under Fire

by Vickie McDonough

  Jackson pulled out his phone and dialed his sister’s number.

  “Hey, big brother. What’s up?”

  “Can you swing by the school this afternoon and pick up Hailey before she hops on the bus?”

  “Sure. Then what?”

  “Could you keep her overnight? She’ll probably fuss because she wants to spend more time with Mariah, but it’s important. Order pizza on me and stay in tonight, okay?”

  “You got a hot date?” Kelly giggled.

  “Not exactly. Got another favor. Call Sheriff Parker and see if he can come out to the ranch—ASAP.”

  “What’s going on?”

  “Can’t tell you now. Just do it. Please.”

  “No fair—”

  Jackson hung up. Right now, her knowing nothing was better than knowing the truth. At least he wouldn’t have to worry about Hailey.

  “I’m beginning to think someone doesn’t want me to write your story. What are you not telling me?”

  Jackson stiffened and frowned. “Nothing. Seriously. I can’t think of anything in my past—not even close—that’s worth killing over.”

  “Maybe they were just trying to scare me off, like that truck driver.” She gasped. “What if it was the same person?”

  “I don’t know.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and shrugged. “This is crazy. Nothing like this has happened around here before.”

  She hiked her chin. “I hope you’re not saying it’s my fault.”

  “No. Not at all. Just trying to make sense of it.”

  Mariah ducked her head. “Sorry. Guess I’m still a bit shook-up. I grew up on the rough side of Dallas, but no one ever took a shot at me.”

  “Me neither.” Jackson smiled, hoping the action would help her relax.

  “I imagine all that was shot at you were cameras.”

  “Yeah, right. You ready to get back?”

  Mariah nodded.

  A high-pitched squeal snagged Jackson’s attention. “That sounds like a young horse.”

  “That’s the noise I was going to investigate when the shooting started.”

  “Stay here and let me check it out.” He started in the direction of the cry, but Mariah shuffled up behind him. He slowed his steps, and she bumped into his arm.

  “Sorry. But I’m going with you.”

  “Okay. Let’s check this out then go home.”

  Jackson strode alongside the creek for several yards, then rounded a curve. Up ahead, he saw Princess. She raised her head and nickered at him.

  He stopped, and Mariah halted beside him. “There’s Princess, my missing mare. I don’t see the foal, but I think the mare has already given birth.”

  “How can you tell?”

  “She’s thinner than she was last time I saw her, for one thing.” He watched the mare drink from the creek, and then she stepped back and nuzzled something on the ground. Jackson pointed. “Look, there’s the foal, on the far side of the mare.”

  He didn’t like how close it was to the water. “Wait here, while I move closer.”

  She grabbed his sleeve. “Won’t the mama horse chase you away?”

  “I don’t think so. She knows me.”

  Mariah watched Jackson slowly approach the horse as he cooed softly to her. Though she loved animals, she’d never been around horses. The few she’d gotten close to were part of the Dallas Police Department Mounted Unit that patrolled a couple of special events she had attended, like the State Fair of Texas. Full-grown horses were huge. She didn’t fear much, but horses were one thing that rattled her.

  She looked through the trees, wondering if the shooter had left or was waiting for them to step out into the open. She crossed her arms, hoping to keep them from shaking. Had the attacker been trying to scare her or shoot her? She swallowed the lump building in her throat. Maybe she should forget this whole thing and go home. She didn’t like the idea of giving up and not getting her story, but was she willing to risk her life for it?

  The baby horse squealed, and Mariah sidestepped so she could see it. The poor thing lay in the mud and looked to be stuck. The wide-eyed foal kicked its gangly limbs, struggling to rise in the slippery mud at the creek’s edge, but then it relaxed and its nose dipped into the water. It jerked its head up and struggled again. If they hadn’t arrived when they did, the poor baby might have drowned.

  Jackson reached out, and the mare sniffed his palm. He stepped closer and rubbed his hand across her neck. After a few moments, he slipped in front of the mare and stepped around to the far side of the baby. He stooped down, speaking gentle words to the frightened animal. The mama horse nuzzled her baby while Jackson dug in the mud to free it. Soon, he stood and hoisted it into his arms. Flaring its nostrils, the foal jerked and bucked, trying to get away, but after a few seconds, it dropped its head in resigned exhaustion. The mare shook her head and pranced as Jackson walked toward Mariah, carrying the baby, but then she settled and followed him.

  “Do you think it will be okay?” She smiled as the baby stared at her with big brown eyes surrounded by long lashes, and its fuzzy ears flicked back and forth. “Kind of cute, isn’t it?”

  “Most babies are cute. People. Animals. Makes no difference.” A wistful smile tilted his lips, and his charming dimples played hide-and-seek.

  Mariah wondered if he was remembering Hailey as a newborn. She must have been a doll. Deep down, Mariah was certain Jackson was a good father. In spite of their rocky beginning, she felt her heart softening toward him, but somehow she had to prevent that from happening. She was here to get a story and that was all.

  Jackson turned to face her. “You can touch her if you want. Just be gentle.”

  “Her?”

  He nodded.

  “I’ve heard that a colt is a male baby horse, but what do you call a female?”

  “A filly.”

  Holding her breath, she reached out. The filly jerked her head, causing Mariah to jump and yank her hand back.

  Jackson chuckled. “Touch her muzzle—the skin around her nose and mouth.”

  Not wanting to appear a chicken, she reached out, feeling the skin between the filly’s nostrils. It was as soft as the velour blanket on her bed at home. Her gaze darted to his. He grinned, causing a strange fluttering in her stomach.

  “Soft, huh?”

  “Yeah.”

  Jackson’s sapphire gaze softened. “God gave us animals like horses and dogs to enjoy and to make our lives easier. And more fun. Don’t let your fear of them keep you from enjoying them.”

  She stiffened but considered the words he’d all but whispered. She wasn’t fearful, only...cautious. If she was afraid, she’d be packing her bags and insisting on a ride to the nearest airport. She’d been shot at, and now she was standing not four feet from a full-grown horse and wasn’t trembling. And she had touched the baby.

  Shots or no shots, she had the gumption needed to get her story. That was the only reason she was here in the hills of Oklahoma. This article could get her a permanent position as a reporter—even more so now, considering the interesting twist it’d taken. No one knew her in these parts—to shoot at her meant someone was trying to get to Jackson any way they could. She needed to stick around and get her story. When she did, she’d no longer have to go back to hunting for recipes for the food section or writing unchallenging movie reviews.

  “We’d better get this little gal to the ranch and check her out. She probably needs to nurse.”

  “Do you think it’s safe to leave the trees?” Mariah stared in the direction from which the shots had come.

  “J.D.!” A man hollered and then jogged over the closest hill.

  “Justin! I’m glad to see you.”

  Mariah walked beside Jackson as they wove through the trees and approached his wo
rkman. How was it he happened to show up at this precise moment? Could he be the shooter? The timing was almost perfect for someone up in the hills to have driven—or ridden—this far. She studied his relaxed features. If he was the gunman, he sure was a good actor.

  Jackson turned to Mariah. “This is Justin Delaney. He works for me part-time.”

  Mariah nodded at the cowboy, who looked to be in his early twenties.

  He tipped his hat then looked back at Jackson. “I stopped to pick up the supplies but saw that the fence hasn’t been fixed yet. I thought I’d make sure you were okay.” His gaze shifted to Mariah and then past her. “I see you’ve found Princess.”

  “Yeah. Her foal was stuck in the mud down by the creek.” Jackson stopped suddenly. “Hey, did you hear that gunfire?”

  Justin frowned. “What gunfire?”

  “About ten minutes ago someone shot at Mariah.”

  The workman’s eyebrows rose, and he looked her way. “Seriously?”

  She nodded, unconvinced by his act. Maybe he was the gunman and had come down to check out his victim.

  “Yeah,” Jackson said. “I’m sure glad you came along when you did. We’ll need the truck to get the filly back to the ranch.”

  “Are you sure it’s safe to leave the trees?” Mariah hated sounding like a scaredy-cat, but she’d never been shot at before.

  Jackson nodded. “I think so. No one shot at Justin.”

  “What about the mother horse?” Mariah asked, still not sure she was ready to trust Jackson’s workman.

  Jackson smiled at her and hoisted the filly up, as if to get a better hold on her. It squealed, and the mare trotted over to investigate. “She’ll follow wherever her foal goes.”

  Mariah stepped away from the mare and refocused on Jackson’s warm smile. Her stomach flip-flopped, and she realized she was walking on dangerous ground. She couldn’t let herself be attracted to this man even though he’d put himself at risk to come and find her. She had allowed herself to get caught up in the unbridled pleasure of riding Jackson’s motorcycle, walking in the pristine field and enjoying the lovely morning. At least until she’d nearly been shot. Now more than ever, she needed to get her story—and then go home.

  Focus, Reyes. You will not be swayed by Jackson Durant’s good looks and teasing smile. You’ve got a job to do.

  FIVE

  Jackson closed the stall gate and smiled at Hailey. Kelly had called at 8:00 a.m., saying Hailey was begging to come home, so he’d caved, but he aimed to keep her close by—and she didn’t know it, but she wasn’t staying long.

  His daughter held a bottle of specially mixed formula with both hands as Lilly—the name she’d given Princess’s foal—nursed with a vengeance. Allowing Hailey to help care for the filly had softened the sting of having to separate Princess from her foal, since the vet wanted Lilly on a special formula to help fight off any infection she may have caught from the muddy water she’d swallowed. He thanked God the filly had lived and that Justin had happened along in his pickup, giving them a ride to the ranch while the mare trotted behind the truck. Now Princess was in Lance’s barn, where Lilly couldn’t hear her whinnies.

  He leaned on the stall gate, thinking about their close call yesterday as he watched his daughter. He remembered how frightened he’d been when he thought Mariah had been hurt and how good it felt to hold her in his arms. For a brief moment, he’d caught a glimpse of the real Mariah—the one without the tough exterior. But once they returned home, she had distanced herself from him. He blew out a loud sigh.

  Why couldn’t he quit thinking about her? She didn’t like dogs or horses. If he was smart, he’d take her to Tulsa, buy a plane ticket and send her back to Dallas before something else happened and she got hurt.

  He’d done a fairly good job avoiding women and protecting his heart until his brother had sanctioned Ms. Reyes to do a story about the ranch. And now someone had shot at her. Could the shooting and story be linked in some way? As hard as he tried to make a connection, he couldn’t.

  His cell phone rang and Jackson tugged it from his pocket. “Angelfire Ranch.”

  “That you, Durant?”

  Jackson cringed at the familiar voice. He didn’t have time for this. “Yeah, it’s me, Howard.”

  “Guess you know I’m calling about that rogue horse you sold me.”

  “Yeah, and I guess you know my feelings about it.” Jackson barely avoided giving Howard Stunkard a piece of his mind. Guarantees had their limitations, and Howard believed in pushing those limits way past what was reasonable.

  “I’m bringing your horse back, and I want a refund.”

  “You didn’t even buy that horse from me. I sold that gelding to Mike Allenby, and you bought it from him. I can’t help it that Allenby has moved out of state.” Jackson pushed his hat back on his forehead and swiped the sweat on his brow. “How do you figure I owe you?”

  “You trained him, but he ain’t worth a plug nickel.”

  “You’re wrong. He was a good cutting horse, but any horse can go rogue if he’s mistreated. How many times are we gonna have this conversation?”

  “Till you give me my money back.” Jackson pulled the phone away from his ear when Howard slammed it down.

  He shook his head. What would it take to please that guy? Maybe he should just take the horse back, even though Howard wasn’t the person who had originally bought the horse from him. Sure would be better for the four-year-old gelding.

  He reached to put the phone in his pocket when it rang again. Evan’s number popped up. “Hey.”

  “Have you talked to the sheriff yet?” Evan shot right to the point as usual.

  “No. He was out on a call.”

  “I still can’t believe someone shot at that reporter.”

  “I was just thinking of sending her home.” The idea of Mariah leaving didn’t sit with him as well as he’d expected.

  “No can do. Angelfire needs the publicity her story will bring.”

  Jackson gritted his teeth. Was that all Evan cared about? “Think what kind of publicity we’d have gotten if she’d been shot—or worse.”

  Hailey exited the stall and took Lilly’s bottle to the washroom sink. Seeing his daughter helped him maintain control of his temper. He loosened his grip on the cell phone and tried to relax. His comment must have hit home because Evan didn’t say anything—which was highly unusual. All his brother wanted was the assurance that his 15 percent of the ranch turned a profit. “I don’t know why you think the ranch needs publicity. We’re doing fine without it.” I don’t need the publicity, he wanted to say, but Evan wouldn’t listen once his mind was set on something.

  “Look, how about I come out tonight for dinner and meet this reporter face-to-face? Then we can talk afterward.”

  “There’s no need for talk. I think it’s best if she leaves—and soon. I’ve got enough on my hands with all the weird things that have been happening around here lately without worrying about Mariah.”

  “Just don’t make any hasty decisions. I’ll come out tonight. Talk to you later.”

  “Yeah.” Jackson punched the phone’s off button. He turned to go check on Hailey, but his gaze landed on Mariah. His gut jolted. She stood just outside the barn door, staring at him, arms crossed, eyes laced with hurt.

  He ran his hand through his hair, wishing he’d kept his big mouth shut. Mariah wasn’t the real issue; the stress of the strange occurrences around the ranch had him on edge. He hadn’t meant for her to overhear his conversation with Evan, but then, he hadn’t exactly been quiet. When would he learn to think first and then speak? “Mariah, I—”

  “No.” She hiked up her chin. “We had a deal. You said I could stay here until my car’s repaired—and that’s what I intend to do.”

  “That was before someone took potshot
s at you.”

  “I’m still staying.” With grace and stubborn pride, she swirled around, tossing her dark hair over her shoulders, reminding Jackson of a spirited mustang—a mustang that needed to be tamed. He watched her march to the house and slam the door.

  He lifted his hand to his hip and blew out a sigh. He owed her an apology, and apologizing didn’t come easy. He scowled, but then a smile worked its way to his lips. Okay, then, if she was determined to stay, he just might see what he could do about taming that spunky filly—providing she stayed alive long enough.

  * * *

  “Puh-lease, Mariah.” Hailey stuck out her bottom lip and begged with her eyes.

  An hour had passed since Mariah had overheard Jackson’s phone conversation, and she still wasn’t ready to see him again, but as she stared at Hailey’s pleading expression, her determination to not leave her room wavered. How did Jackson ever say no to her? It was a marvel that the child wasn’t spoiled rotten.

  “I know you’ll love Lilly if you spend some time with her. Come with me out to the barn and see.”

  Mariah had a hard time imagining that she could ever love a horse. Soft, cuddly kittens were more to her taste.

  “Aw, c’mon.”

  Would they even be safe going outside after what had happened yesterday? She couldn’t live with herself if something happened to the girl, but surely it would be all right since Jackson and the sheriff were out there. And she hated feeling vulnerable, like she had as a child. She inhaled a fortifying breath. “Okay.” She’d do it, but only to spend time with Hailey, not because the child cajoled her. “Let’s go see this baby horse of yours.”

  “Yippee.” Hailey bounced up and down on the bed, jostling Mariah until she thought for sure she was back on Jackson’s motorcycle. Finally, the child hopped to the floor and spun around.