up.”
“Thanks. See if you can find out anything about the guy who got run over in the canyon, will you?”
“Anything else?” Kelso grumbled.
Jake grinned. Kelso loved digging up facts. “No. I’ll check back in soon. I’m going to ride back out into the forest and look for Martin again and my cell doesn’t work out there. I don’t know when I’ll be back. Probably tomorrow.”
“Watch your back.” Kelso hung up.
Jake stood for a minute in the morning sun, enjoying the warmth. Then he turned toward the house to take a much longed for shower. With his head bent under the steaming hot spray, Jake thoughts again centered on Castaña. She hadn’t been in trouble before, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t cross the line to protect Martin. Jake couldn’t afford to let his guard down for one minute.
• • •
Castaña, Patty, and Eagle, who had insisted on coming along, sat on a hill overlooking the mustang herd. A shaggy brown and white stallion stood guard over his mares and foals. The herd patriarch had seen the riders as they topped the ridge and his ears were perked forward, his nostrils flared, his neck arched. He would signal his family to run if the riders continued to approach.
“Aren’t they beautiful?” Eagle breathed.
“Gorgeous,” Patty agreed.
Castaña nodded. Compared to the highly bred horses she was used to, she didn’t think the mustangs were especially pretty, but they were striking in their element. She watched the stallion prance back and forth in front of the mares and foals. He reared and squealed — an invitation to fight. In spite of herself, Castaña grinned. “I think he’s telling us off.”
“Good thing you left Cloud back at the barn,” Eagle said. “Even though he’s a gelding, he might take up the challenge.”
“It could get ugly,” Patty agreed.
Castaña pointed toward a small building at the edge of the meadow. “I wonder if the ranger has seen Martin?”
“Only one way to find out.” Eagle reined her pinto that direction.
At the cabin, the women dismounted and tied their horses to a hitch rack meant for that purpose. Eagle gave each of the two fat bay mares in the corral a quick pat on the nose before heading for the cabin. A dusty Jeep was parked at an angle on the far side.
“Looks like Skip’s here,” Patty said.
“You know him?” Castaña glanced at Patty in surprise. She hadn’t mentioned knowing the ranger.
Patty shrugged. “A little. We’ve worked with him a couple of times on S&R stuff.”
A young blonde man opened the door. He wore a wide smile. “Hi. I spotted you ladies when Tomahawk did.”
“Tomahawk?” Patty arched her brows at him.
The ranger tipped his head toward the pinto stallion. “My name for him because of the mark on his shoulder.” He stepped asked. “Come in. I wasn’t expecting company so the place is a little messy.”
They entered a one room cabin. Not a lot different that Eagle’s, although this one had a loft with a bed in it. Only a few dishes were stacked in the sink and a pair of boots had been kicked off in the middle of the floor. Skip motioned toward two chairs at a table and the saggy couch. “Please sit. I haven’t had any visitors for days. It’s good to see someone.”
Skip poured them each a cup of coffee. Then he looked at Patty with a slight frown. “Is this a Search and Rescue mission?” He frowned. “I haven’t heard anything.”
“No,” Patty said. “I assume you know Eagle?”
The old lady shook her head. “Haven’t had the pleasure.”
Skip leaned forward and shook her hand. “The pleasure’s all mine.”
Eagle flushed and withdrew her hand.
“And this is Castaña Castillo. Martin’s sister.”
“Nice to meet you.” Skip’s handshake was firm, but he didn’t look as friendly as he had toward Eagle.
Castaña didn’t beat around the bush. “Do you know my brother?”
“Yes.” He didn’t elaborate.
“He’s missing,” Castaña said in the
“Thanks. See if you can find out anything about the guy who got run over in the canyon, will you?”
“Anything else?” Kelso grumbled.
Jake grinned. Kelso loved digging up facts. “No. I’ll check back in soon. I’m going to ride back out into the forest and look for Martin again and my cell doesn’t work out there. I don’t know when I’ll be back. Probably tomorrow.”
“Watch your back.” Kelso hung up.
Jake stood for a minute in the morning sun, enjoying the warmth. Then he turned toward the house to take a much longed for shower. With his head bent under the steaming hot spray, Jake thoughts again centered on Castaña. She hadn’t been in trouble before, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t cross the line to protect Martin. Jake couldn’t afford to let his guard down for one minute.
• • •
Castaña, Patty, and Eagle, who had insisted on coming along, sat on a hill overlooking the mustang herd. A shaggy brown and white stallion stood guard over his mares and foals. The herd patriarch had seen the riders as they topped the ridge and his ears were perked forward, his nostrils flared, his neck arched. He would signal his family to run if the riders continued to approach.
“Aren’t they beautiful?” Eagle breathed.
“Gorgeous,” Patty agreed.
Castaña nodded. Compared to the highly bred horses she was used to, she didn’t think the mustangs were especially pretty, but they were striking in their element. She watched the stallion prance back and forth in front of the mares and foals. He reared and squealed — an invitation to fight. In spite of herself, Castaña grinned. “I think he’s telling us off.”
“Good thing you left Cloud back at the barn,” Eagle said. “Even though he’s a gelding, he might take up the challenge.”
“It could get ugly,” Patty agreed.
Castaña pointed toward a small building at the edge of the meadow. “I wonder if the ranger has seen Martin?”
“Only one way to find out.” Eagle reined her pinto that direction.
At the cabin, the women dismounted and tied their horses to a hitch rack meant for that purpose. Eagle gave each of the two fat bay mares in the corral a quick pat on the nose before heading for the cabin. A dusty Jeep was parked at an angle on the far side.
“Looks like Skip’s here,” Patty said.
“You know him?” Castaña glanced at Patty in surprise. She hadn’t mentioned knowing the ranger.
Patty shrugged. “A little. We’ve worked with him a couple of times on S&R stuff.”
A young blonde man opened the door. He wore a wide smile. “Hi. I spotted you ladies when Tomahawk did.”
“Tomahawk?” Patty arched her brows at him.
The ranger tipped his head toward the pinto stallion. “My name for him because of the mark on his shoulder.” He stepped asked. “Come in. I wasn’t expecting company so the place is a little messy.”
They entered a one room cabin. Not a lot different that Eagle’s, although this one had a loft with a bed in it. Only a few dishes were stacked in the sink and a pair of boots had been kicked off in the middle of the floor. Skip motioned toward two chairs at a table and the saggy couch. “Please sit. I haven’t had any visitors for days. It’s good to see someone.”
Skip poured them each a cup of coffee. Then he looked at Patty with a slight frown. “Is this a Search and Rescue mission?” He frowned. “I haven’t heard anything.”
“No,” Patty said. “I assume you know Eagle?”
The old lady shook her head. “Haven’t had the pleasure.”
Skip leaned forward and shook her hand. “The pleasure’s all mine.”
Eagle flushed and withdrew her hand.
“And this is Castaña Castillo. Martin’s sister.”
“Nice to meet you.” Skip’s handshake was firm, but he didn’t look as friendly as he had toward Eagle.
Castaña didn’t beat around the bush. “Do you know my brother?”
“Yes.” He didn’t elaborate.
“He’s missing,” Castaña said in the
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