by R. C. Ryan
“Enjoy it, lass.” Mad rolled close and reached out his hand to hers. “You’ll be heading home with a light heart indeed.”
“Home.” Her smile grew as she turned to Griff. “I can’t wait to go home and tell Jackie and the wranglers the good news. It will ease everyone’s tension.”
Griff caught her hand. “Let’s do it now.”
With hugs all around, they said their good-byes and headed out to the truck. As they drove away, waving to the MacKenzie family, who’d gathered on the porch to see them off, Juliet turned to Griff with a dazzling smile. “Mad was right. My heart feels lighter than it ever has. I feel as if the weight of the world has been lifted from my shoulders.”
He reached over to squeeze her hand.
Keeping their fingers linked, he lowered the window and let the fresh summer breeze fill the cab of their truck.
It was, he decided, a very good day to be alive.
Jackie Turner was delighted with Juliet’s news. He phoned Cooper in the highlands, letting him know the wranglers could relax their guard.
Later he knocked on the kitchen door. When Juliet answered, he whipped off his wide-brimmed hat before stepping inside.
“I conveyed your news to Cooper and the wranglers. And I thought, since Mitch is in custody, I’d spend the night at my daughter’s place, then come back in the morning. I’ve been missing my grandchildren. In the past year I got used to seeing them nearly every day.”
Juliet touched a hand to the old man’s arm. “Of course you need to go home. I’m sorry you had to sacrifice seeing your grandchildren because of me, Jackie. And I do thank you so much. Please take the rest of the day off and go home early. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
He gave her a broad smile. “I believe I’ll do just that. If I leave now, I can help my grandkids with their chores, and maybe take them to town for supper at the Boxcar Inn.”
“They’ll love it.” She smiled. “And so will your daughter, when she learns she won’t have to cook tonight.”
He chuckled. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Juliet.”
She watched as his pickup moved down the lane. Then she began searching through her cupboards for the bottle of champagne she’d tucked away ages ago. This was the perfect night to open it.
Though Casey and Ethan didn’t completely understand the reason for the celebration, they were enjoying every minute of it, from the juicy steaks on the grill to the special brownies their mother baked, served with dollops of chocolate chip ice cream and tall glasses of milk.
“Is it your birthday, Mama?” Casey licked every crumb from his plate.
“No. Just a very happy day.”
Seated at a picnic table in the shade of the big cottonwood, the little boys were delighted to be basking in the glow that surrounded their mother and Griff. All afternoon the two adults had been whispering, their faces wreathed in wide, joyful smiles.
After dinner the family took a walk around the yard, with Griff and Juliet holding hands while the two boys raced ahead of them, chasing after fireflies.
Juliet stopped to watch her two sons. “Look at them, Griff. Laughing and playing like normal kids.”
“Why not? They are two normal kids.”
She turned to look at him. “That’s just it. For the longest time they weren’t allowed to be normal. Ethan spent so much time at a hospital, he thought that was what all kids did. And neither boy knew what the word home meant. But now, they’re here where they belong. The danger is gone, and they can just live like everyone else.”
Griff kissed the tip of her nose. “Nobody lives like anybody else.”
She pulled back. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
He caught her hand and began to walk again. “What’s normal? A kid who has no father? A kid who spends months, even years, in a hospital? A kid who goes off to military school because he’s troubled?”
She stopped and tugged on his hand. “I never thought about it before. I guess you’re right. We all have baggage.”
“Exactly. And we all have to figure things out.” He put an arm around her shoulders. “Fortunately for you and me, we don’t have to figure out the whole world’s problems tonight.” He paused to brush a quick kiss to her temple. “In fact, I have some very special plans for tonight that won’t require a whole lot of thinking.”
“You do?” She looked over at him. “What exactly do you have in mind?”
“After two little boys fall asleep, I’m going to spend the entire night showing their mother just how special she is.”
Her smile grew. “I can’t wait.”
“Neither can I.” He turned her into his arms and kissed her.
As Griff and Juliet stepped apart, he muttered, “That was just a sample. I’ll save the rest for later.”
“Promise?”
His smile was slow and lazy. “Oh yeah. Count on it.”
“One more story, Griff. Please.”
Casey and Ethan, hair slick from their bath, dressed in fresh pajamas, lay in the big bed they shared.
For over an hour they’d laughed at the silly stories Griff made up.
Now, though Casey begged for one more, Griff could see their little eyes growing heavy. “I think I’d better save the rest of my stories for tomorrow night.”
“Will you be here?”
“I will if it’s all right with you. Do you want me to be here?”
Two heads nodded at the same moment.
“Well then, you bet I’ll be here.”
“Okay. ’Night, Griff.” Casey looked toward the doorway just as his mother stepped in. “Griff tells the best stories.”
“I heard that last one as I was coming up the stairs.” She leaned close. “Umm, you both smell so good.” She kissed Ethan, and then Casey. “Good night, my sweet boys.”
“’Night, Mama.”
By the time she turned out the light, both boys were drifting into dreamland.
Juliet poured the last of the champagne into two stem glasses and stepped out to the back porch to offer one to Griff.
He touched the rim of his glass to hers. “Here’s to happily-ever-after.”
She flushed. “I never believed in it before.”
“And now?”
She met his steady gaze. “I’m ready to believe.”
They leaned on the rail and sipped while watching the path of a shooting star.
“Quick.” Griff nudged her shoulder. “Make a wish.”
“It’s already come true.” She sighed as she studied the canopy of diamonds in a midnight sky. “I think the stars are bigger here in Montana.”
“Maybe because we’re closer to heaven.”
She laughed. “You made that up.”
“Didn’t Casey tell you? I’m good at making up stories.”
“You’re good with my boys. It isn’t forced. It’s just so easy and natural with you, Griff.”
“They’re easy to be with.”
“Have you ever been around little kids?”
He shook his head. “But then, I’ve never had a brother before, and now I have two. Why should it be any different with kids?”
“Some men would consider two boys a lot of work.”
“I’m not some men, Juliet. I’m just me. And I consider myself lucky to have found you and Casey and Ethan.”
“I think we’re the lucky ones.”
“Okay then.” He took the glass from her hand and set it beside his on the railing before gathering her close. “We’re lucky to have each other. Now, let’s stop talking and head upstairs to your room.”
Against his mouth she whispered, “You don’t want to go for the lumpy sofa?”
“For what I have in mind, we’d better choose the bed.” He kept his arm around her as he led her inside and closed the door.
Once inside he lifted her easily in his arms and started up the stairs. Laughing, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his throat.
He gave a low moan of pleasure. “Now see, th
at’s why I decided to go for the bed. You’ve got my blood so hot, it just might take me hours to show you all the things I’m thinking about doing.”
“If you run out of ideas, I might have a few of my own, cowboy.”
He carried her through the doorway of her room and nudged the door shut before lowering her to the bed. Against her mouth he said, “If we’re lucky, we might not get any sleep at all tonight.”
“I’m game if you—”
He cut off her words with a kiss so hot, she could feel her toes curling. And then he kissed her again for good measure. And all the while his big, work-worn hands were weaving a magic all their own, until the two of them were lost in a lover’s paradise.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
You fixed it.”
Casey and Ethan stepped into the barn where Griff and Jackie had been working since breakfast.
The two boys danced around the play table that was even better than before. Besides replacing the broken legs, Griff had added several buckets of fresh sand and had carved it into mountains, roads, even a tunnel they could drive their little toy trucks through.
“I left your trucks, cars, and ranch animals in the box for you two to unload.”
The two little boys eagerly began setting out their toys and running them up and down the hills and valleys.
At the sound of an overloud truck engine, everyone looked up to see the young veterinarian, Dr. Ted Pickering, just stepping out of his vehicle before circling around to the horse trailer hooked to the back.
When he led Princess down a ramp, they gathered around.
“She’s healed?” Jackie asked.
“Good as new.” Dr. Pickering walked her around in the sunlight, proving that she could walk without a limp.
He bent to the wound, which was now barely visible. “I was worried about infection, but she’s a tough old mare.” He looked over at the foreman. “Want her in a stall, or out there?”
Jackie nodded toward a fenced pasture, where several horses were busy nibbling grass. “Might as well turn her loose with the others. She probably missed them as much as they missed her.”
A short time later Princess was walking across a field of wildflowers toward a cluster of horses.
The young veterinarian pointed to the house. “Is Mrs. Grayson home? I’d like to give her my report.”
Griff nodded. “She’s fixing lunch. Come on. I’ll go with you.” He turned to the two little boys. “Want to come along?”
“Can we stay and play?” Casey asked.
Griff turned to Jackie. “Do you mind?”
The old man shook his head. “I’ve still got plenty of chores to see to here in the barn. They can stay with me as long as they like.”
“Okay.” Griff turned and walked with the veterinarian. When he glanced back, the two boys were lost in make-believe.
In the kitchen, Juliet greeted the doctor and offered him a glass of lemonade.
“I’ve never refused a tall, cool drink on a warm summer day,” he said with a grin. As he sipped he gave Juliet a report on Princess. “It was a deep puncture wound. A slight trace of infection, but a simple application of antibiotic did the trick. It’s healed nicely, and she doesn’t seem to have any aftereffect from it.”
“I’m so relieved.” Juliet handed Griff a frosty glass. When their hands brushed, she looked up at him and felt the heat rise to her cheeks. After the night they’d spent, she wondered that he could still make her blush. Maybe, she thought, he would always have this effect on her.
Forcing her attention back to the doctor, she said, “What do I owe you?”
He dug into his pocket and handed her a computer printout. “There’s no rush, Mrs. Grayson.”
“But there is. When we called you, you hurried over without question. I think it’s only right that I should return the favor. If you’ll wait a minute, I’ll pay you right now.”
Minutes later she returned with a check.
He slipped it into his pocket and handed her his empty glass. “Thanks, Mrs. Grayson.”
“Call me Juliet.”
“And I’m Ted. It’s a pleasure doing business with you.”
He turned and shook Griff’s hand before heading for the door.
Before he could walk out with Ted, Griff’s phone rang. He pulled it from his pocket and saw the caller. “Hey, Jimmy.”
“Griff.” The word was little more than a croak.
“Jimmy? What’s wrong with your voice?”
“Listen, Captain. You’re in danger. All of you need to—”
The phone went dead.
Juliet was busy at the sink, setting the empty glasses down. She glanced over her shoulder. “Who was that?”
“Jimmy Gable.” Griff dialed Jimmy’s number.
Outside, he heard the roar of an engine and found himself smiling at the thought of the ancient truck the young vet drove.
When there was no response on the other end of the phone, Griff felt a growing sense of unease. “The phone didn’t even ring. The line’s just dead.”
Juliet chuckled. “That’s what happens when you don’t pay your bill. Maybe he missed a payment.”
“Well, that could be it. But I don’t like the way he sounded. There could be something wrong.”
Griff stared at it a moment, then dialed the police chief. When he heard Ira’s voice he told him what Jimmy had said before adding, “It may not be anything, but I don’t have a good feeling about this. I wonder if you could look in on my friend. If he isn’t in his room over at Ken and Karen’s bed-and-breakfast, he’s usually at Wylie’s playing cards. I didn’t like the sound of his voice, Chief. His words were barely above a whisper, but he seemed to be warning me about danger.”
“Danger? Did he say what kind?”
“No. He just said there was danger and we should all— And then the line went dead.”
“I’m sure you misunderstood. You said he was whispering.”
“I know what I heard.”
“Okay, I’ll check it out, Griff. But while I have you on the line, I need to talk to you about something else. I’m still holding Mitch for attempted assault on Juliet Grayson, but the state police have cleared him of any damage done to Juliet’s barn. He has witnesses to prove he was drinking in a bar over a hundred miles away that night, with no way to make it to Juliet’s and back.”
“Hold on a moment, Ira.” Griff motioned for Juliet to come closer, so she could hear the conversation.
Switching it to speaker, he said, “Could Mitch have done the damage to Juliet’s barn earlier?”
“If you recall, there was a storm that night. Mitch was helping a rancher secure his herd in a corral. Then he went with some of the wranglers to a bar in Midland. That’s more than an hour away from Copper Creek. He was with them until the bar closed, and they all went back to the bunkhouse together.”
Griff felt a quick rush of frustration. “If it wasn’t Mitch, then who did it?”
Ira’s voice sounded thoughtful. “That’s the question we all want answered. The state police are questioning whether little boys may have scrawled that message.”
Juliet shot Griff an incredulous look.
Griff voiced their mutual thoughts. “Are they suggesting it was her sons? They’re three and six, barely old enough to spell anything, let alone words like the ones in that message. Why would the state police even suggest such a thing?”
Ira chose his words carefully. “After checking my photos of the words on the barn wall, it was determined that they were written by someone no more than three or four feet tall. And that’s the height of a child.”
Griff glanced at Juliet while he turned the chief’s words over and over in his mind.
Three or four feet. The height of a child. Or…
He swore as the thought suddenly formed in his mind. “Or someone in a wheelchair.”
Juliet’s hand flew to her mouth.
“A wheelchair? Are you accusing someone in particular?” The chief
’s tone was guarded.
“I hope I’m wrong, Ira, but there’s a guy in town. A guy in a wheelchair who seems to be mad at the whole world. A guy named Heywood Sperry. I hate to suggest that a fellow veteran could be behind this, but you might want to find out where he was on the night this went down.”
“I’ll get right on it. As soon as I check on your friend Gable.”
“As far as I know, they’re both staying at the bed-and-breakfast.”
“That should make things easier. Don’t worry. I’m on it.”
When the line went dead, Griff turned to Juliet. “I hope I’m wrong. But Sperry seems to spend a lot of energy worrying about the time I’m here with you. Has he ever expressed any interest in you?”
“As in…romantic interest?”
Griff nodded.
She gave a quick shake of her head. “His behavior is so frustrating, it’s about as far from romantic as anything I could think of.” She paused before asking, “What about your friend, Jimmy?”
“You think he could have left that message?” Griff immediately shook his head. “He’s one of the sweetest guys I know. But I am worried about him. His voice, that strange message…” He shrugged. “I’ll see what Ira has to say after he checks things out.”
They both looked up as Casey slammed into the room, sobbing as though his heart was breaking.
“What’s happened?” Juliet stooped down and gathered him into her arms. “Did you fall, honey?”
“No.” He pushed free of her arms and turned to Griff, tugging frantically on his leg. “You have to go after Efan.”
“Go after him? Where is he?”
“I don’t know.” The tears started falling faster. “That mean man came and hurt Jackie. He hurt him really bad. Jackie fell down. He’s lying in the barn all bloody. Then the mean man tried to grab me, but Efan pulled me away, so the mean man caught Efan instead.”
Griff and Juliet exchanged puzzled looks before Griff shouted, “Stay here with Casey.”
Pulling his cell phone out of his pocket, he raced out of the house and ran the entire distance to the barn, with Juliet and Casey doing their best to keep up with him despite his warning to stay in the house.