Montana Sky by Nora Roberts Page A

me. I let him into the house myself, and there wasn’t anything on the porch then.”
    â€œNothing like this happened when the old man was around.” Pickles tipped back his beer again and flicked a glance at Willa.
    â€œCome on, Pickles.” Uncomfortable, Jim shifted in his creaking chair. “You can’t blame Will for something like this.”
    â€œJust stating fact.”
    â€œThat’s right.” Willa nodded equably. “Nothing like this happened when the old man was around. But he’s dead, and I’m in charge now. And when I find out who did this, I’ll take care of them personally.” She set her cup down. “I’d like all of you to think about it, to see if you remember anything, or saw anything, anyone. If something comes to you, you know where to find me.”
    When the door closed behind her, Ham kicked at Pickles’s chair and nearly sent it out from under him. “Why do you have to be such a damn fool? That girl’s never done anything but her best.”
    â€œShe’s a female, ain’t she?” And that, he thought, was that. “You can’t trust them, and you sure as hell can’t depend on them. Who’s to say whoever cut up a cow and a cat won’t try it on a man next?” He swigged his beer whilehe let that little seed root. “Are you going to look to her to watch your back? I know I’m not.”
    Billy bobbled a dish. His eyes were huge and filled with glassy excitement. “You think somebody’d try to do that to one of us? Try to knife us?”
    â€œOh, shut the hell up.” Ham slammed down his cup. “Pickles is just trying to get everybody worked up ’cause his pecker’s in a twist at having a woman in charge. Killing cows and some old flea-bitten cat isn’t like doing a man.”
    â€œHam’s right.” But Jim had to swallow, and he wasn’t interested in the rest of the dumpling on his plate. “But maybe it wouldn’t hurt to be careful for a while. There are two more women on the ranch now.” He pushed away his plate as he rose. “Maybe we should look after them.”
    â€œI’ll look after Will,” Billy said quickly, and earned a quick cuff on the ear from Ham.
    â€œYou’ll do your work like always. I’m not having a bunch of pussies jumping at shadows over a cat.” He topped off his coffee, picked up the cup again. “Pickles, if you haven’t got anything intelligent to say, keep your mouth shut. That goes for the rest of you too.” He took a moment to aim a beady eye at every man, then nodded, satisfied. “I’m going to watch Jeopardy. ”
    â€œI tell you this,” Pickles said under his breath. “I’m keeping my rifle close and a knife in my boot. If I see anybody acting funny around here, I’ll take care of them. And I’ll take care of myself.” He took his beer and stalked outside.
    Jim bypassed the coffeepot for a beer himself, glancing at Billy’s pale face along the way. Poor kid, he thought, he’ll be having nightmares for sure. “He’s just blowing it out his ass, Billy. You know how he is.”
    â€œYeah, but—” He wiped a hand over his mouth. It was just a cat, he reminded himself. Just an old, mangy cat. “Yeah, I know how he is.”
    Â 
    W ILLA HAD NIGHTMARES . THEY WOKE HER IN A COLD sweat with her heart pounding against her ribs and a scream locked in her throat. She fought her way out of the tangleof sheets, struggling for air. Alone and shivering, she sat in the center of the bed as the moonlight streamed through her windows and a fitful little breeze tapped slyly on the glass.
    She couldn’t remember clearly what had haunted her sleep. Blood, fear, panic. Knives. A headless cat stalking her. She tried to laugh over it, dropped her head on her drawn-up knees, and tried hard to laugh at herself. It came perilously close to