Why did they have to be on opposite sides?
Suddenly, he felt more sympathetic for Noah and Maya. You couldn’t help who you liked, even if they were supposed to be your enemies. It was hard to remember Tory wasn’t an ally, especially when he thought of her at the lake, stripped down to her skivvies, soaking wet.
Liam got his thoughts under control, ate quickly, figured he still had a few hours and got into his truck. He meant to go straight home, but his route out of town took him past Rafters, a watering hole that served an older clientele than the Dancing Boot. He found himself parking and heading inside, arguing in his head the whole time. He’d just have one to help him get past his fury at Gary—and his longing for Tory, he told himself, then get himself home and back to work. He’d had a stressful day. He deserved a break.
“You look like a man who’s been kicked in the gut by his favorite horse,” Holt Matheson said, taking the seat beside his a few minutes after Liam sat down at the bar. He was a middle-aged man, the father of four sons Liam had gone to school with.
Liam shrugged. “You ever feel like life doesn’t want you to accomplish anything good, no matter what you try to do?”
Holt studied him. “What is it you’ve been trying to do?”
Liam gave him a brief overview of his work trying to get organic certification for the Flying W as well as trying to keep the hospital’s dialysis wing from closing.
“Organic, huh? That’s a lot to take on,” Holt said. Liam wasn’t sure if the older man thought much of the plan, but at least he didn’t bad-mouth it.
“You think I should just give up?”
“Never said anything of the sort. The way I figure, two things are worth fighting for, even if it’s hard: your family and your land. Especially land that’s been in the family a long time.”
Liam sighed. “Sometimes I’m not sure how to fight for either of them.”
“You sure won’t find the answers in there.” Holt pointed to the beer on the bar in front of Liam.
Hell, who was Holt to tell him he wasn’t allowed to relax a little, given everything he was dealing with? He opened his mouth to say as much but thought better of it.
“You’re right,” he admitted. “Never did find much wisdom in the bottom of a bottle. Still tastes good.” He took a long drink, then deliberately stopped himself, dropped the money he owed on the bar and stood up. “There’s a third thing worth fighting for,” he added. “The woman you love.”
Holt met his gaze. “That goes without saying.”
When Tory had first returned to Thorn Hill, she’d refused to ride any of the horses in the stables, not because she thought there was anything wrong with them but because she missed Starlight, missed riding altogether and was afraid if she started up with it again now she’d never be able to make herself leave Chance Creek behind when the time came.
Now she knew she’d be here three years at least, and it seemed silly to stay away. Besides, riding horseback would allow her to cut directly across the ranch to the Ridley property without being seen driving there on the road. She wanted to know what was going on there, even though she knew it was probably a bad idea.
She’d been hung up on the phone with Megan for some time after Bart and Maggie left. Megan had called to ask if she wanted to get coffee. Since she had to decline, she made sure to stay on the line long enough to shoot the breeze a little, not wanting Megan to think she didn’t want to be friends. If she was going to stay here for three years, she needed something to do in her off hours—and she couldn’t always hang out with Liam.
Much as she’d like to.
She was happy to find the stables empty, no one to watch her fumble as she saddled the horse she’d chosen, a mare named Lily. Soon enough she was out on one of the trails that crisscrossed the property. She stopped at the border between the two ranches, fished her phone out of her purse and called Steel. As far as she could tell from here, nothing was stirring on the Ridley property, but plenty of brush and even small trees had grown after years of neglect. Who knew if anyone was lurking around the place?
“Why the hell is there a pot crop on the Ridley property?” she asked without preamble when Steel picked up. She urged Starlight on at a walk.
“Don’t tell me you’re there.”
“I’m there. So you knew about it? Did you plant it? What the hell is going on, Steel?”
“Better you don’t know.”
“Someone stumbled onto it. You should be glad they came to me and didn’t report it to the sheriff.” She wasn’t about to name Bart and Maggie. “I know you like your secrets, but it doesn’t look like this one will stay quiet for long.”
The run-down Ridley house was visible on the far side of the creek. The old barn and other outbuildings were on this side. Tory knew a wide, low bridge connected the two halves of the property. She kept going through the overgrown fields and pastures until she spotted a couple of outbuildings tucked into a copse of trees that had grown up around them since the ranch was abandoned. The buildings weren’t visible from the street, and they were as old and dilapidated as anything else on the ranch, except… they weren’t. Not really, Tory realized as she drew closer. Brush had been cut back around their doorways. If she wasn’t mistaken, someone had run electricity out here. And water. A long hose cut through the tall grass.
Beyond the
