She’d thought of Angus’s scar—the one she’d basically given him. “I don’t mind.” It was the scars you couldn’t see that bothered her.
The doctor had studied her. “I suspect you have a terrific headache, am I right?”
“It’s not bad,” she’d lied. “Please, Doc. I’d feel better at home.” But she’d known she wouldn’t feel better until Angus was found alive and safe and Max was back at the ranch. “Is there any word on Brick Savage yet?”
“He’s still in surgery. He had a really close call. Surely there are even more things you need to worry about.” He had no idea—or maybe he did.
Dr. Kirkland had finally agreed to discharge her if she promised to take it easy at home. He’d said he’d see to the paperwork.
“I’d feel better if she stayed here,” the sheriff had said as he pushed aside the curtain in her ER room.
“You two work it out,” Dr. Kirkland had said as he left.
“Have you heard anything?” she’d asked Harvey.
He’d shaken his head. “Since you feel good enough to go home, I’m sure you’re up to some questions.”
“Shouldn’t you be up on the mountain looking for Angus?”
“I have deputies up there right now searching for both Angus and T.D. Anyone else I should be looking for?”
“Cash and Royce were up there. Wyatt and Travis.”
The sheriff had nodded. “Travis is getting his arm cast as we speak and from what I heard, Royce is dead. A chopper will be taking me up to the mountain soon, so why don’t you tell me what happened. I’ve already gotten the story from others who were brought in, except for Brick. He’s still in surgery.”
She had given him a shortened version. When she finished, he asked, “Booby traps?” and shook his head. “You say you don’t know who shot you and T.D.?”
“No, but I saw Wyatt Hanson with a rifle and he rode away right after the shooting stopped.”
The sheriff had mumbled something under his breath. All she caught was “wouldn’t blame one of his own for taking a potshot at him,” before he said, “What the hell was T.D. thinking, going up there after you?”
“Like I know what makes him do what he does. As I told you, he started a grass fire, trying to stampede my herd, but we got that put out. We knew he’d hit again so we made some booby traps to slow them down.”
His gaze had saddened. “He tried to rape you.”
“But he didn’t. Angus stopped him and so did whoever shot him.”
Still, the sheriff had looked distraught. “I wish I could have been able to stop him from going up there. Unfortunately, there is no law against riding up into the mountains. But you could have called when you saw him. Even if I hadn’t been able to arrest him...”
“What would you have done? We had no proof that T.D. had started the fire. He hadn’t gotten anyone killed at that point. He hadn’t even gotten close enough to me to arrest him for breaking the restraining order.”
“Fortunately, Ella Cardwell climbed a tree on top of the mountain and was able to reach 911 for help. Smart woman.”
Jinx had mugged a face at him. “What do you want me to say? That I should have sold my cattle at a loss and never gone up on that mountain?” She’d felt a sob climb her throat. “I wish I had.”
The sheriff had laid a hand on hers. “None of this is your fault. This all falls on T.D. and those fools he got to go along with him.” Harvey’s radio had gone off. He’d checked it and said, “I have to go. They have a helicopter ready to take me up there. Anything else I should know?”
“Just find Angus, please.”
“And T.D.,” he’d added pointedly. “Until he’s behind bars, you won’t be safe. Which is another reason I’d like you to stay here tonight.”
She’d shaken her head. “He’s up on that mountain somewhere wounded. I’m not worried about him. You’re going to find him anyway and lock him up.” She’d smiled at the sheriff. “I’ll be at the house. I have my shotgun loaded by the door.”
“Great. We love it when private citizens take the law into their own hands. Nothing can go wrong with that.”
“If he so much as steps on my porch, I’m going to shoot him,” she’d said with a fierceness that she could see even surprised the sheriff. “He is never touching me again.”
The sheriff had looked at her for a long moment before he’d drawn her to him and hugged her. “I’d send a deputy out to your house but—”
“You need them up on the mountain to find Angus and T.D. I’ll be fine.”
He hadn’t looked convinced of that. “I’ll call as soon as I know something.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
ANGUS COULD SEE a rock rim ahead. He slowed, feeling the air around him seem to still. The sun was golden against a blue sky studded with puffy white clouds. The morning was cold and crisp and completely still now that the helicopters had left.
But he knew that the sheriff could be arriving soon to search for T.D., pick up Royce’s body and investigate the crime scene. The cattle had scattered with the landing of the urgent care helicopters. It was just one more thing Jinx would have to worry about. Angus was determined that T.D. wouldn’t still be on that list.
The silence on the mountain took on an eerie feel that made the hair on the back of his neck prickle. He felt as if he and T.D. were the only ones left on the planet. He figured they were the only ones still alive left on this mountain.
Angus studied the terrain ahead of him. He saw no movement, heard nothing for a long moment. A squirrel began to chatter at him from a nearby tree. A jet left a contrail in the sky
