“Are you ok ay , Lou?”
“Yeah. I’m fine. I just got the crap scared out of me by a big old rattler.”
“No way! Where is it?”
“Over by the rock.”
John dismounted and went to look at the snake. “You think the Girl Scouts might like to see this?” he asked with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
“You’re not actually thinking about taking that home with you, are you?”
“Yeah! Of course I am. I can just see them now. All of them running…screaming.” He guffawed at the thought of it.
“Don’t even think about it.”
“Oh, I won’t scare them with it but I’m sure going to take it home with me.” He mounted and turned his horse toward home. “You coming?”
“Yeah. We’re right behind you.”
“Hurry up. Sadie is feeding them cookies.”
“Fantastic. Twelve little girls, all with a sugar rush.”
Brody held Lou’s horse as she mounted. She stopped briefly, a shy smile in the eyes that met his. He kissed her on the knee and patted her calf gently before mounting his own horse. Then the three of them headed for home.
Chapter Eight
Wesley’s pocket rang and he retrieved his cell phone. He flipped it open and groaned inwardly when he saw the number displayed on the caller ID . “Hey, Boss.”
“Tell me what you know,” was barked in his ear.
“Boss, it’s barely been twenty-four hours.”
“You need longer than that? What the hell have you been doing? Sitting on your thumbs?” The tone wasn’t jovial.
“No. I’ve been researching the problem . ” H e almost stuttered.
“Got anything at all for me? Or do I need to get someone to come and replace you?”
“No boss. I know she’s working at a place called Western Skies. It’s a horse-breeding farm. Tons of old money. The old lady who owns the place is sick, just got out of the hospital. There’s an old couple who takes care of the place and a couple of men who are family who live there, but that’s all I know so far. It’s not easy to get close to the place. They have farm hands all over. I’ve got some leads I’m working on, though.”
“Stay on it. I want a full report within the week.” He mumbled under his breath. “I want what’s mine.” The call disconnected.
Chapter Nine
Lou avoided Brody for days. She stayed as far from him as she could and was obviously surprised when he showed up to jog with her every morning. She made a cursory attempt at small talk but he knew it was only as a courtesy. Her tone was pleasant but she avoided meeting his eyes. After the first day, Brody thought that it might be a good thing. Maybe he could get her out of his system . But when he went to bed at night, she was all he could think about .
She continued to have nightmares, although they were not as loud as the one that occurred the first night , and they lessened in intensity as each day passed. They were quiet enough to wake no one but him , he did n’t run to her room to help now that he knew what was going on. Catching her bathed in sweat, wearing skimpy nightclothes would not be a good idea at this point.
How Sarah slept through them all, he would never know. She must be a deep sleeper , or maybe it was because she played hard during the day. She barely ever sat still, unless she was minding her manners at the table or visiting with his mother. She visited once a day with a card or homemade gift that his mother always seemed to adore. She posted every last one on her vanity mirror so she could enjoy them all day.
His mother sat up a few times a day now but she rarely ever felt well enough to get out of bed. He watched the life draining right out of her eyes as she became weaker and weaker. Her breathing was much shallower and her periods of alertness were fewer and farther between.
It was just a matter of time.
****
Lou was disturbed by Brody’s mere presence. She was bound and
“Yeah. I’m fine. I just got the crap scared out of me by a big old rattler.”
“No way! Where is it?”
“Over by the rock.”
John dismounted and went to look at the snake. “You think the Girl Scouts might like to see this?” he asked with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
“You’re not actually thinking about taking that home with you, are you?”
“Yeah! Of course I am. I can just see them now. All of them running…screaming.” He guffawed at the thought of it.
“Don’t even think about it.”
“Oh, I won’t scare them with it but I’m sure going to take it home with me.” He mounted and turned his horse toward home. “You coming?”
“Yeah. We’re right behind you.”
“Hurry up. Sadie is feeding them cookies.”
“Fantastic. Twelve little girls, all with a sugar rush.”
Brody held Lou’s horse as she mounted. She stopped briefly, a shy smile in the eyes that met his. He kissed her on the knee and patted her calf gently before mounting his own horse. Then the three of them headed for home.
Chapter Eight
Wesley’s pocket rang and he retrieved his cell phone. He flipped it open and groaned inwardly when he saw the number displayed on the caller ID . “Hey, Boss.”
“Tell me what you know,” was barked in his ear.
“Boss, it’s barely been twenty-four hours.”
“You need longer than that? What the hell have you been doing? Sitting on your thumbs?” The tone wasn’t jovial.
“No. I’ve been researching the problem . ” H e almost stuttered.
“Got anything at all for me? Or do I need to get someone to come and replace you?”
“No boss. I know she’s working at a place called Western Skies. It’s a horse-breeding farm. Tons of old money. The old lady who owns the place is sick, just got out of the hospital. There’s an old couple who takes care of the place and a couple of men who are family who live there, but that’s all I know so far. It’s not easy to get close to the place. They have farm hands all over. I’ve got some leads I’m working on, though.”
“Stay on it. I want a full report within the week.” He mumbled under his breath. “I want what’s mine.” The call disconnected.
Chapter Nine
Lou avoided Brody for days. She stayed as far from him as she could and was obviously surprised when he showed up to jog with her every morning. She made a cursory attempt at small talk but he knew it was only as a courtesy. Her tone was pleasant but she avoided meeting his eyes. After the first day, Brody thought that it might be a good thing. Maybe he could get her out of his system . But when he went to bed at night, she was all he could think about .
She continued to have nightmares, although they were not as loud as the one that occurred the first night , and they lessened in intensity as each day passed. They were quiet enough to wake no one but him , he did n’t run to her room to help now that he knew what was going on. Catching her bathed in sweat, wearing skimpy nightclothes would not be a good idea at this point.
How Sarah slept through them all, he would never know. She must be a deep sleeper , or maybe it was because she played hard during the day. She barely ever sat still, unless she was minding her manners at the table or visiting with his mother. She visited once a day with a card or homemade gift that his mother always seemed to adore. She posted every last one on her vanity mirror so she could enjoy them all day.
His mother sat up a few times a day now but she rarely ever felt well enough to get out of bed. He watched the life draining right out of her eyes as she became weaker and weaker. Her breathing was much shallower and her periods of alertness were fewer and farther between.
It was just a matter of time.
****
Lou was disturbed by Brody’s mere presence. She was bound and
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