“What’s that, Cindy?” Sierra sniffed. She had to get hold of herself. “It’s a boy. So it had better fit him.”
“I think it fits a boy.” Her forehead wrinkled. “Miracle. You always say it’s a miracle he lived to be borned. That any of your special horses live. What do you think?”
“It’s perfect.” Sierra bent down to hug the little girl. “Miracle it is. Thank you, Cindy. Now I think I smell hot dogs grilling. Let’s go to the pool.” She was ready to go but Darrel stopped her. The vet was here.
“Rhett, would you mind taking the children outside? I’ll be there in a few minutes. Ranch business.” She hoped her face didn’t show her concern. She’d seen the battered ranch truck outside with a tarp covering what had to be the mangled cattle. What would the vet say? The more important question was, who or what might be poisoning her herd? She’d lost eight head in the last two weeks.
“Everything all right?” Rhett touched her hand. “Anything I can do?”
“All right? Not really. You can help by getting the kids to the pool. Please?” She didn’t know this man, but she already trusted him.
“You got it.” He turned to the five children who stood gazing at the mare and her foal. “I’m hungry. How about you guys? Miss Sierra says we need to go to the pool for lunch. Davy, will you lead the way?” He got them organized and on the move, still careful to give Cindy her space.
“Miss Sierra?” Cindy held back.
“Run along, Cindy, I’ll be there in a minute. I have some business with Dr. Cibrowski, the vet. It’s important. Save a hot dog for me. Okay?” Sierra made scooting motions with her hands, and the child followed the rest of the group, her shoulders slumping.
“He’s out behind the barn. I moved the pickup there. Didn’t want the kids to see him with them dead cows.” Darrel led the way. “They were torn up bad. Had to yell to get the buzzards off. Pew-ee! Like to tossed my cookies!”
“Thanks, Darrel. Be sure to stop by the pool and pick up some lunch. There’s plenty. If you feel like eating after what you had to deal with.” Sierra stepped into the bright sunlight. She was glad for her hat but wouldn’t have minded a pair of sunglasses. The stench stopped her several feet from the truck.
“Shoot, I can always eat, Miss Sierra. Nothing messes up my appetite.” Darrel stayed beside her. “You want me to stick around for this?”
“No, you’ve done enough. I may have to ask you to bury the carcasses later. Take a break now. Eat lunch. I’ll let you know when I need you again.” Sierra braced herself as he hurried away, going through the barn, a shortcut to the pool area. She didn’t blame him for hurrying. The stink made her want to heave. The vet, Ted Cibrowski, had thrown back the tarp and was examining the remains. He had some plastic bags and a cell phone in his hand, taking pictures before he used a tool to put samples into the bags.
“What do you think, Ted?” He’d actually become a friend, taking her out for coffee a few times. He was fortyish, nice looking and, of course, well educated. But there were no sparks. So when he’d asked her out for dinner, she’d made excuses. He’d gotten the message. Sometimes Sierra wondered if she should have given him more of a chance. Too late. He was engaged now to a teacher at the local high school.
“Darrel said you suspected poison. You’re right. Come up here if you can stomach the stench. There’s foam around the mouths. These cows ingested something toxic. I need to go out to the site where the bodies were found. Look around. See what they got into. You walk your pastures? Check for dogbane and nightshade? If a cow or horse gets into either of those, they’ll die. Just like these did.” He looked very serious and upset.
“We inspect our fields regularly. Treat any plants that might spring up that could be toxic to livestock with a safe herbicide.” Sierra knew she sounded defensive, but she’d never leave something as dangerous as those plants in a field where cattle or horses grazed. The idea that she would be negligent…
“Calm down. I didn’t say it had to be your field or your fault. It could be something else. A poison introduced another way. You have water tanks in the fields where the animals graze? We’ll check those. The salt licks too.” He helped her up into the bed of the truck. “Easy now, this isn’t a pretty sight.”
Sierra studied the poor dead animals. The buzzards had done a number on them, yes, but it was also obvious that they’d died from something they’d eaten. That foam. She was determined to stand there and not gag, but it wasn’t easy. Finally she jumped down to the ground, glad that Ted followed her, holding her steady with a hand on her elbow when she wobbled.
“Easy now. I’ll go out to the field with your hand Darrel. You go on to the pool with the children. Darrel will show me what I need to see. If I run across something suspicious that the sheriff needs to hear about, I’ll let you and her know. Okay?” Ted removed his hand, his eyes kind as he put his samples away in the black metal suitcase he used like a doctor’s bag.
“You’re right. The children are waiting for me to join them. I’ll send Darrel to get you. He can take you out there in another truck. Should he go ahead and bury these bodies?” She waved at the carcasses.
“Not yet. I may want the sheriff to see them. Darrel and I can go in my truck.” Ted smiled. “I looked in on that foal. Glad to see it’s doing well.”
“Yes. That’s one bright spot around here. We just named him Miracle.” Sierra wanted to cry. She really couldn’t afford to keep losing cattle. She counted on their sale to support this place.
“Hey, we’ll figure this out. Can you think of anyone who would deliberately go after your herd?” Ted frowned at the dead cows. “That is, if this wasn’t an accident.”
“I have a few ideas. Developers have been after me to sell the place. But this seems extreme.” Sierra sighed. “I don’t know. Maybe I was careless. Or got so caught up in rescuing my horses, I left pasture maintenance to hands who didn’t know a weed from healthy grass.”
“Well, wait on my investigation before you jump to that kind of conclusion, okay?” Ted set his case in the back of his truck. “Tell Darrel I’ll meet him in front of the house.”
“Will do.” Sierra thanked him and walked back through the barn. She’d get a bill for this. Another worry. For another day. She heard childish laughter coming from the pool.
Put on a smile. It wasn’t easy. At least she had the excuse of going into the house to change into her suit before she had to face anyone. She couldn’t linger, though. Responsibilities. They never went away.
* * * *
Rhett stayed next to the pool while Sierra splashed in the shallow end with the kids after dining on hot dogs, chips and ice cream. He’d been offered a pair of swim trunks but had decided to wait in a lounge chair for the tow truck. Besides, he was enjoying the view. Sierra had come out of the house in a one-piece bathing suit that was conservative but still sexy the way it hugged her figure. She supervised the kids, seemingly unaware of the way the suit rode up when she bent over to help a timid Cindy float on her back. Rhett caught Rachel’s eyes on him and got a wink. Yeah, he was a dog, thinking what he was thinking.
He stared at the road map of scars on Sierra’s left leg. The woman had suffered; that was clear. No wonder she limped. Whatever had happened to her had been serious and painful. She climbed out of the pool and watched the children splashing each other. Then she grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her waist.
“They love this part of the day. Some of them never get a chance to use a pool. It’s certainly hot enough for a swim today.” She took a bottle of water from Rachel and settled in a chair next to Rhett. “Tow truck should be here soon.”
“Guess so.” Rhett couldn’t take his eyes off her. The sun had given her a healthy glow and she had pushed her wet hair back behind her ears. Her unconscious beauty fascinated him. That and the way she cared so much about the children and her horses.
When her an
cient dog ambled up, she ran her hands through his fur.
“You seem to have a soft spot for all animals, except rattlesnakes.” Rhett smiled. “Thanks again for saving me earlier. And for letting me go along on the ride. My legs are letting me know it’s been too long since I’ve been on a horse.”
“You did well.” She leaned back on the lounger, clearly tired. “Thanks for handling Billy. He gave you a good beating with his helmet too.” She nodded toward the boy, who was never far from his grandmother’s side. He hadn’t gone into the water, instead talking nonstop to Rachel.
“I just jumped in. Probably screwed things up. Sorry about that.”
“No, you had good instincts.”
“Thanks. You know, I’m setting my next book in Texas. This ranch is giving me lots of ideas.” Rhett leaned toward her. Okay, time for his pitch. She’d probably shoot him down but what the hell. “The first thing I do when I start a book is research, to get a feel for the place. Sometimes my plot comes from things I find out as I explore the sights and meet people.”
“Sounds interesting. But you said you write thrillers. Mysteries. Life is pretty dull around here. Or at least we hope it is.” Sierra turned away when one of the kids shouted for her to watch as he did a cannonball off the side of the pool. They both were sprinkled with water when he did the dive. “Good job!”
“The action thriller part comes from here.” Rhett tapped his forehead. “Though I’ll admit my life got pretty exciting when you almost shot off my foot.”
“Did not!” She laughed. “I hit what I aim for.”
“I believe that.” He leaned closer. Man, did he like her laugh. “Let’s just say I have a vivid imagination. But I’ve been taking in what you’ve got here. It’s fascinating—the horses, oil wells pumping in the background. I want to learn more about it.” He thought about taking her hand, but something told him that would be pushing it. He picked up his water bottle, satisfied that she was really listening to him, her eyes on his.
“Really.” She watched him drink then licked her lips. It gave him ideas he didn’t need to dwell on right now. He was selling a proposition.
“Yes, really. I don’t suppose you’d consider letting me stay on for a while. I’d be happy to pay room and board.” He put down the bottle then held out his hand, which still stung from his encounter with the barbed wire. “Strictly a business arrangement, you understand.”
“Of course.” She looked from that wounded hand back into his eyes again, as if reading his earlier thoughts about how she’d look without that stretchy bathing suit. He caught her glancing down to where Rachel had stitched up his pants. Was she remembering what she’d seen? A smile tilted her lips when there was a horn honk.
The driver had returned with the van. Sierra didn’t say a thing before she got up and turned to the kids. She announced that playtime was over. There was a scramble for towels and clothes as the children got ready for their ride back to town. Apparently the van would take them to school where their parents would pick them up.
The roar of a tow truck coming up the drive got Rhett out of his lounge chair. What now? Did he just leave and never come back? Sierra hadn’t turned him down. But she hadn’t said yes either. Was she thinking about it? He was surprised at how reluctant he was to let this go, to say goodbye and forget Sierra MacKenzie.
The tow truck pulled up in front of the house, in the circular drive, and a big man got out. He was in his thirties, about Rhett’s age. He wore a polo shirt in black with a red Chevy logo on the pocket and pressed khakis. When he noticed the kids clustered around Sierra, he frowned, then started toward them.
“What the fuck is my kid doing here?” He glanced at the school district van. “Billy! Did you come here with that bunch of—”
“Will Jackson, don’t you dare say one more word.” Sierra was in his face so fast, Rhett couldn’t believe it.
“I didn’t give permission for my son to have dealings with your so-called therapy, Sierra MacKenzie.” He reached out and grabbed Billy’s arm. “In the truck. Now!”
“Daddy, please. Let me stay. Granny will bring me home later.” Billy didn’t cry, but his face was red. He held on to his grandmother’s hand. “Mama signed the papers so I could come.”
“Your mama’s not in charge in our house. Clearly your grandma was in on this too. Keeping secrets from me. I won’t have it! Now shut up and get in the truck!” He snatched the boy from Rachel and shoved him toward the tow truck.
“Will, calm down. You got a customer here. Did you forget that? I can take Billy home later, no problem at all.” Rachel moved next to Sierra. “Sierra, the children are getting upset. Why don’t you get them loaded into the van?”
“The driver can do that. I need to set Will straight.” Sierra stood toe to toe with the big man, who loomed over her, twice her size. She didn’t seem intimidated, just mad as she raised her chin but kept her voice low so the children couldn’t hear her. “Will, you can’t come onto my place and start yelling at me. Your son doesn’t need to be handled rough like that either.”
“Now, Sierra. You know I like you, always have.” The man ran his fingers over her bare shoulder. She flung off his hand. “I’ll handle my boy any way I please. Billy is not one of your crazy kids. I won’t have him labeled like them. Hear me?” He stepped closer but Sierra held her ground.
“Don’t be a jackass, Will. All we’re doing is giving these kids riding lessons and a chance for some fun. What could it hurt to let Billy come out once a week for that? See his grandmother at the same time. The only one labeling these children is you.” Sierra’s fists were clenched and she was almost vibrating with anger.
“Then why do you have to have permission slips? Put them in one of those short buses?” He pointed to where the other children were ready for the ride back to school.
Rhett noticed that Cindy was crying. Loud voices had set her off. Damn this jackass. He wanted to wade into the fray but had a feeling Sierra could hold her own.
“What are you afraid of, Will? That someone will think you’re not a good father?” Sierra challenged him.
Will just laughed. “You always were pretty when you were riled up, Sierra.” He brushed her pink cheek with the back of his hand, and she recoiled. “You want to play with other people’s kids, fine. Leave mine the hell alone.” He stomped over to where Billy was clinging to his grandmother again. “I said get in the truck, boy!” Will jerked him away from Rachel and walked him to the truck, shoving him inside. The boy was crying quietly.
“No need to get excited here.” Rhett stepped up. “I’m your customer, Rhett Hall. You hit that boy and I’ll call another tow truck even if it has to come from Austin.” He stood next to Sierra. “Are we clear?”
“Hey now. No reason to get excited, as you put it. That was family business. I saw your vehicle next to the gate. Beautiful Corvette like that? No one will handle it better than me, I assure you, mister.” Will’s face was red now.
“It’s a rental. I don’t give a shit about it. You want my business, you treat Ms. MacKenzie with respect.” Rhett had kept his voice low, sure the children couldn’t hear him. “Are we clear?”
“Crystal. You’re going to need another rental. I can fix you up. The Vette will have to be hauled to Austin for repairs. That where it came from?”
“Yep. Papers are in the glove compartment.” Rhett turned to Sierra. “Are you okay? Should I go with this asshole? Is there another choice for a tow?”
Sierra glanced at the van that had its engine running. “Will’s the only game in town. Better take the tow and get another rental.”
“Then I guess this is goodbye.” Rhett didn’t like the man. But what choice did he have? Was this going to be the last time he saw Sierra? Did she want him to drive away and let that be the end of it? “Thanks for taking me in, Sierra. Rachel, nice to meet you.” He held out his hand.
&nbs
p; “Come back. Once you have wheels.” Sierra looked surprised that she’d said it. She was clearly still in shock over what had just happened. “I mean, I would like to talk to you. About your, um, idea for research.”
“Sure. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” Rhett took her hand. She barely squeezed it, careful of his injuries. Rachel just waved to him, her eyes on Billy in the truck.
Will smirked. “Then looks like it’s a date. Let’s get going. Got to get the car moved. We’re busy at the dealership. I need to get back.”
“Right.” Rhett climbed into the tow truck where Billy sat, sullen and knuckling away his tears. The school van pulled out first, the children waving to Sierra, some of them calling Rhett’s name as well. Hmm. Guess he’d made an impression. It didn’t take long to get the car up on the flatbed. Once at the dealership, it was clear that he was going to be driving a Tahoe or some other big SUV or maybe a truck. Well, why not? When in Rome and all that.
He had to smile at the sign over Will Jackson’s office. “Need financing? Where there’s Will, there’s a way.” The man ordered people around, fussing at the salesmen who brought him deals he claimed weren’t good enough and the teenager who fetched the big shiny Tahoe he was renting to Rhett.
“That had better be vacuumed, Dickie.” Will strode around the SUV, inspecting it. “Get a rag, I see a spot on that rearview mirror.”
“Yes, sir.” The boy jumped and ran for a rag. Rhett could imagine Billy stuck with that kind of job when he was old enough.
“Looks fine to me.” Rhett could tell this man was a bully. Billy had been put on a chair in the office and ordered not to move. His foot was jiggling again, like it had been in the bus earlier. When a shiny black Corvette screeched into the parking lot, everyone showed an interest.
“Look out, the shit’s about to hit the fan,” one of the salesmen murmured.
“Don’t you got somewhere to be, O’Dell?” Will glared at him. When a woman slammed the Corvette’s door and stomped up to him, Will put on a smile. “Baby doll, what’s got you in a lather? You got no call to mistreat a fine car like that.”
Texas Reckless Page 4