good to have friends even if he hadn’t wanted to talk to them
recently. He’d still be in his own world of bitterness if it wasn’t for Spring’s intervention.
The familiar two-story house
came into view, and Holden stepped out onto the massive porch to meet him. Colt
got out of the truck and greeted Holden with a handshake. “Thanks for having
the meeting here. I don’t want Spring to worry.”
“No problem, come on in. Stone
and Jonas are inside.”
Colt followed his friend into
the house and was immediately greeted by Holden’s wife, Summer .
Her honey blonde hair was as bright as her smile, and her blue eyes were filled
with worry. She reached out and hugged him. “You okay,
cowboy?”
Colt nodded. “Doing okay.”
Summer nodded and let go.
Colt glanced over toward the
kitchen. “Good Lord, what have you been feeding them? They are growing like
weeds.”
Holden’s brothers, Matt, Mark,
Luke and John all nodded to him. “ Summer’s a good
cook,” Luke stated as he popped another cookie in his mouth. They all resembled
each other, dark hair and eyes. Holden had been raising them since their mother
died.
However, it didn’t matter how
many cookies they ate, they’d never be as big as his friend Jonas. That man
stood well over six feet and had shoulders that filled a doorway. Colt nodded
at him too. “Thanks for coming.”
“Glad to help.”
Stone stood up from the couch,
a bit wary of approaching Colt. “We good?”
Colt nodded. “We’re good.”
Holden gestured for them to
sit in the family room. “Tell me what’s going on.”
Colt cleared his throat. “You
probably know I have a little gal staying at my place. She is, was a friend of
Caleb’s. I got into rescuing horses because of Caleb. He was always bringing
home mistreated animals and expecting me to fix them. Well, anyway he sent Spring to me in the same vein. Her boyfriend was mistreating
her so Caleb gave her a ticket to Montana.”
“I heard you had a woman over
there,” Jonas said.
“I know I got you all into the
horse rescue cause, and I’ve admired each of you for your contribution of time
and money to help these animals. Now, I’m here to ask for help for Spring . I’m not sure we need help, but her old boyfriend has
been sending odd presents and frankly I can see in her eyes she’s beyond
scared.”
“What can we do to help?”
Stone asked.
“I just need some extra eyes
and ears. Carlston is a small enough town that strangers stand out. I’d like a
heads up if anyone sees him.”
“No problem. Just how
dangerous do you think he is?” Holden asked glancing at his brothers who were
listening with rapt attention.
“He beat her pretty badly
before she left. He knows she’s at my place. He sent her flowers and a ring—”
“Maybe he’s courting her,”
John, the youngest brother, yelled from the kitchen.
“The flowers were a strange
combo. There was a red rose and some calla lilies. It seemed strange and it
startled Spring . The ring was a ring she once owned,
and some girl who is missing took it from her. It could be nothing but—”
Jonas stood up. “If you’re
worried, we’re worried. What does this guy look like?”
“Blond
hair, brown eyes. She said he’s a big fella but not
muscular.” Colt rubbed the back of his neck.
“So he’s a big lug,” Summer commented.
Colt smiled; leave it to Summer to break the tension. “A lug he is.”
“So, let me get this straight
he sent funeral flowers and a ring a missing girl had? How’d he end up with the
ring?” Stone leaned forward.
“It’s all speculation. Billy might
not know what the flowers meant, and he could have gotten the ring back from
the girl before she took off. The fact Spring is
scared is good enough for me. Like I said I’d just like a heads up if anyone
sees him.” Colt stood up, stretching his long legs.
Jonas patted him on his back.
“Don’t you worry, we have your back. So, tell us about Spring .
Stone here says
recently. He’d still be in his own world of bitterness if it wasn’t for Spring’s intervention.
The familiar two-story house
came into view, and Holden stepped out onto the massive porch to meet him. Colt
got out of the truck and greeted Holden with a handshake. “Thanks for having
the meeting here. I don’t want Spring to worry.”
“No problem, come on in. Stone
and Jonas are inside.”
Colt followed his friend into
the house and was immediately greeted by Holden’s wife, Summer .
Her honey blonde hair was as bright as her smile, and her blue eyes were filled
with worry. She reached out and hugged him. “You okay,
cowboy?”
Colt nodded. “Doing okay.”
Summer nodded and let go.
Colt glanced over toward the
kitchen. “Good Lord, what have you been feeding them? They are growing like
weeds.”
Holden’s brothers, Matt, Mark,
Luke and John all nodded to him. “ Summer’s a good
cook,” Luke stated as he popped another cookie in his mouth. They all resembled
each other, dark hair and eyes. Holden had been raising them since their mother
died.
However, it didn’t matter how
many cookies they ate, they’d never be as big as his friend Jonas. That man
stood well over six feet and had shoulders that filled a doorway. Colt nodded
at him too. “Thanks for coming.”
“Glad to help.”
Stone stood up from the couch,
a bit wary of approaching Colt. “We good?”
Colt nodded. “We’re good.”
Holden gestured for them to
sit in the family room. “Tell me what’s going on.”
Colt cleared his throat. “You
probably know I have a little gal staying at my place. She is, was a friend of
Caleb’s. I got into rescuing horses because of Caleb. He was always bringing
home mistreated animals and expecting me to fix them. Well, anyway he sent Spring to me in the same vein. Her boyfriend was mistreating
her so Caleb gave her a ticket to Montana.”
“I heard you had a woman over
there,” Jonas said.
“I know I got you all into the
horse rescue cause, and I’ve admired each of you for your contribution of time
and money to help these animals. Now, I’m here to ask for help for Spring . I’m not sure we need help, but her old boyfriend has
been sending odd presents and frankly I can see in her eyes she’s beyond
scared.”
“What can we do to help?”
Stone asked.
“I just need some extra eyes
and ears. Carlston is a small enough town that strangers stand out. I’d like a
heads up if anyone sees him.”
“No problem. Just how
dangerous do you think he is?” Holden asked glancing at his brothers who were
listening with rapt attention.
“He beat her pretty badly
before she left. He knows she’s at my place. He sent her flowers and a ring—”
“Maybe he’s courting her,”
John, the youngest brother, yelled from the kitchen.
“The flowers were a strange
combo. There was a red rose and some calla lilies. It seemed strange and it
startled Spring . The ring was a ring she once owned,
and some girl who is missing took it from her. It could be nothing but—”
Jonas stood up. “If you’re
worried, we’re worried. What does this guy look like?”
“Blond
hair, brown eyes. She said he’s a big fella but not
muscular.” Colt rubbed the back of his neck.
“So he’s a big lug,” Summer commented.
Colt smiled; leave it to Summer to break the tension. “A lug he is.”
“So, let me get this straight
he sent funeral flowers and a ring a missing girl had? How’d he end up with the
ring?” Stone leaned forward.
“It’s all speculation. Billy might
not know what the flowers meant, and he could have gotten the ring back from
the girl before she took off. The fact Spring is
scared is good enough for me. Like I said I’d just like a heads up if anyone
sees him.” Colt stood up, stretching his long legs.
Jonas patted him on his back.
“Don’t you worry, we have your back. So, tell us about Spring .
Stone here says
Similar Books
