Skylar opened the double door and found Shawn Bellarmine, her deputy ranch manager, talking with one of the grooms. Marko Darcey had just finished saddling Sir Bogie, her roan gelding. Her father had hired Shawn before Skylar had taken over the overall management of the ranch. He was experienced and reliable, but hadn’t been happy when he’d essentially been demoted when Skylar took over.
“I’ll get to the other horses now that I’m finished here,” Marko said.
Shawn saw Skylar and stopped whatever he was about to say to the groom.
Had he tried to get Marko to drop what he was doing to obey him?
“Good morning,” she said to both of them.
Marko smiled with genuine respect and Shawn just mumbled, “Mornin’.”
“Thank you,” she said to the groom, taking Bogie’s reins. Then she turned to Shawn. “Is everything all right?”
“Just fine, ma’am.”
The groom went to a nearby stall and got busy feeding the animals.
“I’m going to check the cattle in the south pasture and then ride the fence.” She climbed onto the roan.
“I’ve got an errand to run and then I’ll be back. You hear from your brother?” Shawn asked.
He rarely engaged in conversation with her, so, halting Bogie, she turned to look back at him. “No. Should I have?”
“Ran into him last night at your parents’. He looked worn and well into a few glasses of spirits. I asked the housekeeper if he was all right and she said his wife kicked him out of the house—she heard him talking to your father. Apparently, Ambrosia wants everything and then some. She’s going to clean him out.” Shawn emitted a single laugh, clearly enjoying the news.
Skylar’s brother deserved what he got, after marrying a woman like Ambrosia. Everyone other than Corbin had seen that she’d only been interested in his money.
“Corbin was surprised?” she asked.
“I’d say he was more upset than surprised. He must have loved her.”
“Thought he loved her,” Skylar corrected, not feeling very sorry for Corbin. It was high time he wised up when it came to women and started choosing much more carefully. She’d talk to him later. Maybe. Corbin liked to turn those kinds of topics back around onto her, pointing out her failures when it came to men. He never admitted that she’d learned from her mistakes and he had yet to. She’d had some doozies, though. She could never recognize men who wanted her for her money and nothing more until she had invested too much of her heart, for one.
She guided Bogie out of the stable and rode toward the pasture. It was just a little bit out of the way to the River Rock Ranch—also known as the “Triple R”—property perimeter.
She loved these rides; the early Texas morning, the quiet, other than the happily chirping birds, the sight of livestock beginning their day, and bonding with Bogie. He was an intelligent horse that, she swore, understood everything she said. He definitely knew her moods and sometimes took advantage of that, like when she was tired. He’d bolt into a run if he felt the urge. When she was feeling low, he always comforted her by nudging her with his soft, velvety nose and nickering gently. His golden-brown eyes were windows into a mighty soul.
Skylar thought about her brother’s forthcoming divorce. Skylar took the position that rushing into a union wasn’t smart. Corbin argued that being with someone was better than being without. Skylar didn’t mind being alone.
After seeing the cattle were fine, she headed for the river that ran through the Chelsey property and meandered into the adjacent land. About twenty minutes later, she reached it. Her neighbors, Weston and Charlotte McKann, ran a horse boarding and training operation on the adjacent ranch, and they pretty much kept to themselves. The only times Skylar had spoken with Wes had been over fence issues and roaming livestock.
Movement ahead attracted her attention. She saw a person working in a group of trees just on the other side of the fence. It appeared to be a man. He was a fair distance away, but Skylar could tell he was digging. Something lying on the ground beside him—an elongated black plastic bag or tarp rolled up, with something inside—made her pull Bogie to a stop. The man saw her and stopped shoveling.
Skylar felt a prickle of foreboding on her neck. She couldn’t explain the cause of the sensation. She had no way of knowing what he was doing, or why he was digging in such an odd location—far from any buildings or people.
Was that Wes? He wore a cowboy hat and seemed about the right height and build, but she couldn’t be sure. She nudged Bogie forward. As soon as she did, the man dropped his shovel and walked toward a gray car. Reaching inside, he came out with a pistol.
Alarmed, Skylar wheeled Bogie and then kicked him into a full run. Bogie charged in the direction of the River Rock stable.
“Hea! Hea!” she shouted. Bogie extended his stride farther. Skylar heard the gun go off and waited in pure terror for a bullet to rip through her. Nothing. Bogie was blowing hard and Skylar could feel his muscles strain at their limits as though he sensed the danger.
As they neared the trees that lined the river, the man fired at her again. This time Skylar saw the bullet strike the ground beside Bogie’s hooves. The gelding whinnied in fear and surged even faster.
They reached the trees. Skylar didn’t have to guide Bogie; he maneuvered between trunks with smooth and graceful power.
Skylar dared to look behind them. She could no longer see the man but didn’t take any chances that he might try to chase her. Urging Bogie to charge over a hill, Skylar spotted the River Rock outbuildings and a surge of guarded relief flooded her. She wasn’t in the clear yet. Or, at least, she couldn’t be sure just yet. With Bogie galloping at breakneck
