by Elle James
“I have to admit, the attack was a shock. I’ve never been assaulted like that in all the years we’ve worked this ranch and the bar.” She looked up at him. “I’m glad you came along when you did. I hate to think about Gunny running this place by himself.”
“I’m sure he’d miss more than his worker. He loves you.” Jake grinned. “Otherwise, he wouldn’t have insisted I tag along with you.”
“It has been kind of nice having a little help getting everything ready and cleaned up.” Her brow furrowed. “Don’t worry. Before long, you’ll have your own business to run, and I won’t be threatened by a murderer.” She held up a hand. “I promise not to get used to having you around.”
“Would it be such a bad thing?” He tossed the saddlebag over the back of his horse and tied the straps in place. “Having me around, that is?”
“I guess we’ll find out. If everything goes according to Hank Patterson’s plan, you’ll be here for at least a year.”
He took the other saddlebag from her and laid it across the back of her horse. “How do you feel about that?”
RJ shrugged. “We could use the steady income.”
Jake shook his head. “You don’t strike me as someone who hedges or avoids a difficult subject.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “How do you feel about having me around for a year?”
RJ glanced at the people panning for gold. “To tell the truth, it scares the crap out of me.”
Jake hadn’t expected to hear her say that. “Why?”
“I don’t know.” RJ fumbled with the straps from the saddlebag to the saddle.
He closed the distance between them and brushed her hands aside to tie the straps himself. When he was done, he laid his hands on her shoulders and turned her to face him.
She placed her hands on his chest but didn’t push him away.
“Was it the kiss?” He held his breath, waiting for her answer.
She looked everywhere but into his eyes. “Of course not.”
“Really?” He touched a finger to her chin, tipping her head upward.
“Don’t think you’re all that,’’ she warned, her voice breathy.
“Oh, trust me. I don’t,” he said. “But I have to admit, I am looking forward to getting to know you even better.”
Her chin tilted higher. “As long as you keep your hands to yourself, we’ll be all right.”
“Does that rule go both ways?” He captured her fingers in his grip and raised them to his lips where he deposited a featherlight kiss.
She stared at his mouth on her hands, her mouth forming a small O, her breathing coming in shallow gasps.
At that moment, all Jake could think about was kissing the woman. His head lowered until his mouth hovered over hers. “Are you sure it wasn’t the kiss?”
Her gaze shifted from his lips to his eyes. She opened her mouth to respond.
Bang!
The sharp report of gunfire broke the spell.
“Get down!” Jake yelled. He grabbed RJ and dragged her to the ground. “Stay down,” he said.
“That was gunfire,” she said. “Was someone shooting at us?”
“I’m not willing to stand around and find out.”
“It’s not hunting season. No one should be shooting on this property.”
“Exactly.” Jake glanced around at the hills surrounding them.
RJ struggled to rise. “The guests—”
“I’ll take care of them. First, we have to get you behind some cover.” He wrapped his arm around her, shielding her body with his. Glancing around, he spotted a fallen tree. “When I say run, get up and move with me.”
Another shot was fired, spewing dirt up at their feet.
They were in the open, exposed. Targets.
“Ready?”
“Yes,” she said.
His arm tightened around her, he staggered to a hunched over position and pulled her up with him. “Run!”
Chapter 7
RJ ran with Jake.
When they reached a large fallen tree, he helped her over the trunk then dropped onto the other side with her.
“I can’t hide while my guests are exposed.” RJ started to rise.
Jake laid a hand on her shoulder. “I’ll take care of them. But I can’t do that if you’re up and presenting yourself as a target.” He gripped her arms. “Can I trust you to stay put?”
She fought the urge to run to the stream and warn the group to get down. “I’ll stay put. But hurry.”
“Keep your head low,” he ordered.
“Be careful,” she whispered.
Jake rolled over the big trunk and landed clumsily on his feet. Once he was steady, he raced for the stream and the guests who were huddled close to the banks, dragging on their shoes, their pans lying forgotten on the dirt.
“Is someone shooting at us?” a man asked, his wife held close in the circle of his arms, shaking.
“I don’t know.” Jake took stock of the group. They were lying low, the trees and the stream banks providing sufficient cover. The horses were tied nearby.
Another shot rang out, echoing against the hillsides, making it difficult to ascertain from which direction it was coming.
Jake studied the terrain, searching for the best location for a sniper to set up shop. From the direction the round had spewed dust, he guessed the shooter was uphill, somewhere near the origin of the stream.
“Stay down. I’m going to find out who’s shooting.” He left the group of men and women and followed the shadow of the trees to where the horses were tied.
Jake found Reggie. The horse shifted nervously from hoof to hoof. He whinnied when Jake slipped up beside him. After he untied the reins, he slid his prosthetic foot into the stirrup and pulled himself up into the saddle.
Hunkering low over the horse’s neck, he wove between the trees, heading up the hill, following the stream.
As he reached an open, rocky area, he heard the sound of an engine revving.
Nudging his horse forward, he topped the rise.
A four-wheeler spun in a circle, kicking up dust before it shot away from Jake and Reggie.
“Go!” Jake yelled and dug his heels into the horse’s flanks.
Reggie leaped forward, racing after the man on the ATV.
Jake leaned low over the animal’s neck as Reggie stretched his legs, galloping after the ATV rider as he wove in and out of rocky outcroppings and trees. The trail he was on pitched downward sharply.
The ATV handled the terrain, bumping across the rocky path with ease.
Reggie slowed, his shod hooves sliding on the rocks. He picked his way down the hill. The distance between the ATV and Jake grew.
It occurred to Jake the man he was chasing could be leading him away from RJ. He could circle back to attack her as she lay unprotected. Or the man could be working with someone else who could, at the moment, be closing in on RJ.
Jake pulled back on the reins, turned the horse and raced in the opposite direction, praying he was wrong, and that RJ was safe hiding behind the fallen tree.
As he dropped down over the ridge and followed the trail back to where the others lay waiting for his return, his pulse pounded, and his heart squeezed hard in his chest.
He’d been too far away from RJ for too long. Anything could’ve happened. Fortunately, she had a handgun. She could defend herself.
The sound of gunfire blasted close by, coming from the direction of the stream where he’d left RJ.
His breath caught and held as he brought Reggie to a halt near a large tree on the edge of the clearing where they’d eaten lunch. “RJ?” he called out.
The short few seconds he had to wait for her response made him lose several years off his life through worry.
“I’m here.” RJ rose from the other side of the downed tree trunk.
“Are you okay?” Jake asked.
“I am, but I can’t say the same for the rattlesnake I killed.” She lifted her hand. The tail of a rattlesnake was pinch
ed between her fingers.
Jake cursed.
“Did you see him?” RJ asked. “Did you see who was shooting at us?”
“Yes and no,” he responded. “He was on an ATV headed away from me when I got within sight of him. The vehicle was faster than my horse. He got away without me seeing who it was. Plus, he was wearing a helmet.”
“Could you identify the ATV?” RJ dropped the snake, wiped her hands on her jeans and tucked her handgun in the holster beneath her leather jacket. “Model, color?”
Jake shook his head. “He was too far away.” His lips turned up on the corners. “Nice shot. Not everyone can hit a snake with a pistol.”
“It was him or me,” she said. “I chose me.” She drew in a deep breath. “Let’s get everyone back to the barn.”
The guests were shaken and ready to head back to the safety of the lodge.
“Well, we wanted a real Wild West experience,” one gentleman commented as he mounted his horse.
“I could’ve done without the gunfight at the OK Corral,” his wife muttered.
“I’m so sorry,” RJ said. “We don’t normally have these kinds of things happen on the ranch. The best we can do at this point is to get back to the lodge and report this incident to the sheriff.”
“You’re right,” another man said. “It might’ve been a hunter, firing at an elk.”
“It’s not hunting season,” the first man commented. “Which means, he was hunting illegally.”
Jake dismounted and joined RJ beside the string of horses.
RJ and Jake assisted the guests in mounting their animals.
When they were all in their saddles, Jake got back up on Reggie, and RJ swung up onto Doc. She led the way back along the trail to the lodge.
As much as he wanted to be beside RJ, Jake knew she’d want him to help protect the guests by bringing up the rear.
He kept his eyes open and listened for the sound of an ATV all the way back to the lodge.
By the time they reached the barn, the tension was wearing on him.
Striker was in the barnyard, waiting for RJ’s return.
She dismounted and scratched behind the dog’s ears. “Good boy.”
The guests helped remove their saddles and carry them into the tack room.
“I’m going up to the lodge to call the sheriff,” RJ said. “Think you can handle the horses until I can get back?”
“I’d prefer to go with you.” Jake’s glance swept the area around the exterior of the barn. “That guy could have circled around and made it back here before us.”
“I’ll move fast,” RJ said. “I want the sheriff to know what happened out here. He might want someone to come out and investigate. Could you lead a deputy up to the point where you saw the shooter?”
Jake nodded. “I think so.”
“I’ll hurry back.”
“I’m not worried about me and the guests,” Jake said. “I’m worried about someone taking another potshot at you.”
She gave him a brief smile. “I appreciate that. But the sooner I call, the better.” She didn’t stand around and argue. Instead, she handed him the bridle and hustled up to the lodge.
Jake stood near the barn, watching until RJ entered the building.
A minute later, Gunny came out to help.
Jake was leading one of the horses out to the pasture when he saw Gunny coming across the yard.
“I’ll get the gate,” Gunny said and rushed forward to open the gate.
Jake led the mare through and unclipped the lead from her halter. The mare kicked up her heels and ran around the pasture before she settled down to graze.
Jake exited the pasture, Gunny latched the gate and they walked back into the barn.
“There’s some snacks on the buffet in the dining room,” Gunny announced to the group. “We’ll take care of the rest of the horses.”
The men and women left the barn, chatting among themselves as they headed for the lodge and the promise of snacks waiting for them there.
“RJ told me about the shooting,” Gunny said as he brushed a roan gelding.
Jake’s jaw hardened. “It could’ve ended so much worse than it did.”
Gunner’s lips thinned into a tight line. “We’ve never had this kind of trouble on the ranch before. I wouldn’t be surprised if the guests left, afraid to be here. What with the death behind the bar and now a shooting on the trail…” The older man shook his head. “It’s just not safe to be here. And now, we’ve put the patrons at risk. Maybe I should shut this place down until things settle.”
“It’s an option,” Jake agreed. “I doubt your daughter would feel the same.”
“She wouldn’t want one of our guests to become collateral damage if someone is gunning for her.”
By the time they’d finished brushing the horses, feeding them and turning them out to pasture, a sheriff’s department SUV pulled into the barnyard.
RJ came out of the lodge to greet the man who climbed out of the vehicle.
Jake and Gunny released the last horse and hurried up to the lodge to where RJ and the sheriff stood.
RJ turned to Jake as he approached. “The sheriff would like to examine the spot where you found the man on the ATV.
“We just turned the horses out to pasture,” Jake pointed out.
“We won’t need the horses,” RJ said. “There are ATVs in the shed beside the barn. We can take them.”
“I’m coming,” Gunny said.
“Me, too.” Kujo joined them. “Sorry, I was on the phone with the security company. They can be out here tomorrow to install cameras.”
“Good. Looks like we’ll need them.” RJ snorted softly. “Could’ve used some on the trail today.”
Kujo’s brow wrinkled. “I don’t know about on the trail, but we can set them up around the lodge, the barn and the bar. If anyone tries to get in, we’ll be able to see them. They’ll also set up motion-sensor lighting at all the dark corners.
Gunny scratched his chin. “What’s that going to set us back?”
Kujo smiled. “Nothing. Hank authorized it as part of the renovation budget.”
Jake caught a look of relief on RJ’s face. They really were financially tight, if the look on her face was anything to go by.
Gunny led them to the large metal shed next to the barn and threw open the door to reveal eight ATVs lined up inside. He and RJ climbed on two of them and backed them out of the shed. They returned to the bank of four-wheelers and brought out two more.
Gunny nodded toward the four vehicles. “Choose your poison. I’ll get one more out for me.”
Kujo and the deputy mounted a machine each. Jake waited for RJ to select one before he took the last one left standing. Gunny backed another vehicle out of the shed and led the way across the barnyard to the gate.
Gunny got off his ATV and opened the gate for the others.
RJ was the first through, calling out to her dog to stay. Jake followed as close as he could without running into her. He didn’t like that she was out front. Not when she’d been a target on multiple occasions now.
They took the same trail back to the stream. Once there, RJ held back, allowing Jake to take the lead to the place where he’d found the shooter.
Jake climbed the hill, glad for the four-wheeler this time. A horse could get into a lot of places, but the versatile, motorized vehicle got him there faster.
If he’d had the ATV when he’d chased after the other man, he might’ve caught him.
And the man might’ve made it back to the stream and killed RJ before Jake could find him in the woods.
No, he’d done the right thing going back to be with RJ. At the very least, she’d had a tree to take cover behind. Although sharing it with a rattlesnake hadn’t been Jake’s idea of keeping her safe.
So much for protecting her. He’d failed by not staying by her side. Next time, she might not be so lucky.
Jake had to up his game.
Chapter 8
&nbs
p; RJ followed Jake up the hill, her heart in her throat. What if the shooter had returned to the place he’d started firing shots? What if he was waiting for someone like Jake to come up over the rise so that he could shoot him square in the chest?
As Jake drove his ATV over the ridge and disappeared for the few seconds it took for RJ to catch up, her heart stopped, and her breath arrested in her lungs.
Then she topped the rise, and Jake came into view again, pulling to a stop on the hilltop.
The rest of the crew came to a stop near him.
Jake dismounted his ATV and stood looking out over the ridge to the valley below.
RJ joined him. The stream and the clearing were plain to see.
“A good sniper could’ve picked off any of us from this point,” he said quietly.
“Apparently, he wasn’t as good a shot as one of your guys,” RJ reminded him. “Or one of us would be dead now.”
Jake nodded and shifted his gaze to the ground around his feet. “There should be some bullet casings in this area. Maybe the sheriff could have the state crime lab do the ballistics on them.”
They spent the next few minutes searching the area for bullet casings.
“Found one,” Jake, pointed at a bright gold casing on the ground.
“I’ll take that.” The sheriff pulled out a plastic glove, stuck his hand inside and reached for the casing. He dropped it into a small paper bag. “Do you see anything else? A candy wrapper, drink can, anything?”
RJ shook her head. “Nothing. And the ground is too dry for a good print of the tires on the ATV.”
The sheriff shook his head. “There are hundreds of ATVs in these mountains. In addition to the ones outfitters rent to tourists, the locals all have ATVs to get around in the hills. Without a clear description of the vehicle, we’re shooting in the dark.”
“So, basically, we’re still coming up with a blank concerning who wants me dead,” RJ said. “Anything on the real estate broker who died behind the bar?”
The sheriff looked out over the hilltop. “We talked to the man’s boss. Apparently, Henderson was in the area to talk to Marty Langley. He had a mining company approach him, wanting to buy the Elk Horn Ranch and its mineral rights.”