Rancher's Covert Christmas Page 12

  Roy shot her a concerned look, then squeezed the steering wheel harder. “I don’t...” He hesitated then frowned. “I hope not. Brady doesn’t have much, and what he’s got, he worked hard for.”

  She kept silent, watching his expression. Something was on his mind. She could see the play of emotions on his face. Finally she prompted, “But?”

  He jerked a glance toward her. “But what?”

  “I just thought you had more to say on the subject. If you do, please share it.”

  He scratched his chin and sighed. “Nah. I was only thinking how Brady would do anything for those McCall kids. Especially Piper.”

  “Understandable, since they’re married,” she said, grinning.

  He nodded. “Yeah. But even before they got married, he’d have given his left nut for—” He stopped abruptly, and with his face flushing, he amended, “Pardon, ma’am. I mean, he’d have done anything to make her happy. He’s been in love with her most of his life. And the boys...they’ve been his best friends. They were raised together, living on the ranch like we were.”

  “And you?”

  He wrinkled his forehead. “What about me?”

  Hoo-boy. “Do you consider yourself close to the family?”

  A shrug. “Sure. I’ve worked for ’em a long time.”

  She gritted her back teeth. Apparently she was going to have to bend some rules of interviewing to get any valuable information from him. “So, um...what can you tell me about the trouble the family has been having? What do you know about the sabotage to the ranch?”

  He jerked his gaze to her, frowning. “Pardon?”

  “You do know about the sabotage? The burned field? The poison in th—”

  “Sure. I know about it.” He squeezed the steering wheel then reached for his coffee and took another sip. “What is it you want to know?”

  “Just your thoughts about who could be behind it and why? How it has affected your job. Anything really. Just tell me your thoughts on the subject.”

  He grunted and stared silently out the windshield at the road for so long she was about to decide he was refusing to answer when he finally mumbled. “It’s a hell of a thing, the damage to the ranch. It’s hurt us, no doubt. But...the McCalls, they’re smart. They’re strong. They’ll bounce back. At least, I pray they will.”

  “And if they don’t?” She watched his face closely. His jaw muscle was flexing and tightening as if he was grinding his back teeth.

  “Well... I’ll be out of a job. Brady, too.” He sighed. “It’ll mean the end to one of the oldest ranching businesses in the state.”

  “Hmm,” she hummed sympathetically, hoping to encourage commentary.

  His expression grew more serious, and he shook his head. “Won’t happen. Michael knows his business, and I’ll do anything I can to help turn things around, ’spite the run of bad luck.”

  “Ever think about leaving the Double M for another, more secure position with another ranch?”

  He shot her a look that suggested she’d spoken blasphemy. “Never. The Double M is my home. The McCalls...” His voice cracked, and he blinked rapidly as if fighting back tears. Roy sniffed hard and took another drink from his cup. “Sorry. I... I was sayin’ the McCalls are like family.”

  He wiped his nose with his sleeve, and his expression hardened. “This sabotage has got to end eventually. Somehow. And then Michael and the boys will build the ranch back to its glory days.” He nodded. “They will.”

  “Just the boys? Not Piper or Melissa?”

  He scoffed a laugh. “Well, sure. Them, too. Just...it’s the boys that get their hands dirty, most of the time. Piper even left for a time. Went off to school and to work up in Boston for a while.”

  Erin scratched her head with the tip of her pen and bit the inside of her cheek. She still wasn’t getting where she wanted with the foreman, and they were nearly back to the ranch. “Roy, as an observer of all that’s happened in recent months, the vandalism and so forth...”

  He tensed and cut a quick glance to her.

  “And...well, as a longtime resident of the town and with your knowledge of ranching and the other ranchers and all...”

  “Who is the vandal?” he asked for her.

  “You have ideas?” she prompted.

  His jaw tightened again. “The police and Michael have asked me the same questions over and over.”

  “And what do you tell them when they ask?”

  “I have nothing. Only my promise to work hard to help Michael put things right when it’s all over.”

  “Just between you and me, do you have any suspicions? Or hunches?”

  Roy turned off the highway onto the drive to the ranch. “Sorry, Ms. Palmer. I can’t help you with that.”

  She exhaled a big breath of frustration. No wonder Michael was at his wit’s end. How could no one have any notion who was behind the trouble at the Double M? Well, any reasonable idea anyway, she amended, remembering the older gentlemen’s mafia theory.

  Someone was hiding something. Her gut told her as much, but she hadn’t yet discerned who that someone was. Frustration and impatience chafed down her spine as she jammed her notepad back in her bag.

  As they pulled up to the end of the long drive, Roy’s attention caught on something that had him squinting, then mumbling, “Well, looky there.”

  Erin shifted her gaze out the dusty windshield and spotted the car parked near the front door of the family home. A dark-haired man with crutches stood near the passenger door while Michael, Melissa and a pretty blonde fussed over him. “Is that Dave?”

  “Mmm-hmm.”

  “Well, good! It’s nice to see him up and about.”

  Roy hummed again in agreement as he pulled the truck alongside the family’s car. He touched the brim of his hat and gave a nod when Dave lifted a hand in greeting.

  Erin unfastened her seat belt and thanked Roy for the ride.

  He dipped his chin. “My pleasure, ma’am. Sorry I wasn’t more help.”

  After gathering her belongings, she climbed from the front seat with a big smile for the returning hand. “Dave, welcome home!”

  As soon as she closed the truck door, Roy pulled away, headed toward an outbuilding where a few other vehicles and farming machines were parked. She frowned as she watched Roy drive away. The foreman seemed...underwhelmed by the hand’s return from the hospital. Erin twisted her mouth. Maybe she was reading too much into Roy’s subdued reaction.

  “Is something wrong, Erin?” Melissa asked.

  She turned a polite smile to her hostess. “No. I just thought Roy would be happier to see Dave.”

  Zane’s mother glanced in the direction Roy had driven. “Oh, I’m sure he’s thrilled, but Roy’s not one to show much emotion one way or the other. He’s the king of laid-back and low-key.”

  Michael waved a hand toward the other woman with Dave. “Did you meet Helen? She’s our cook and also Dave’s girlfriend.”

  Erin greeted Helen. “We met...sort of. I’d just arrived when Dave fell.”

  “Of course. You showed him the calm breathing technique.” Helen shook Erin’s hand. “Nice to meet you...again.”

  Dave nodded to her. “Thanks for your help. Not the kind of first impression I wanted to make.”

  Erin waved off his comment. “I’m just glad to see you back home and on your feet...sort of.” She motioned to his cast and pouted.

  “Oh, well...” He released his grip on one crutch long enough to swipe at his cold and runny nose. “This isn’t my home, but Mrs. McCall insisted I spend a week or two in Piper’s old room while I recover.”

  “That way I can still work and keep an eye on him,” Helen said, scooting closer to him and looping her arm through Dave’s.

  “We can all take care of him. Better than him being laid up at home alone,” Melissa sa
id.

  Dave looked embarrassed by the fuss. “I won’t be laid up. I can get around with the crutches.”

  Melissa propped a hand on her hip. “Pfft! You’ve earned a little downtime, Dave. Allow us to take care of you.”

  He shrugged. “Well, I have been wanting to catch up on the latest seasons of Longmire and Game of Thrones.”

  “And now you can,” Helen said and kissed his cheek.

  “But I’m missing round-up and getting the herd ready for auction.” Dave gave Michael an apologetic frown then glanced toward the spruce tree, which still sat half decorated, and regret slid over his face.

  Michael lifted a hand in a what-are-you-going-to-do gesture. “Can’t be helped. We’ll manage. Don’t worry yourself over it.”

  But the furrows in Michael’s brow said clearly the senior McCall was concerned about being shorthanded. He turned to Erin and cocked his head in query. “What were you and Roy up to?”

  “Oh, he just gave me a lift home from town. I had lunch with Zane and took the opportunity to chat with some townsfolk about the ranch for my...article.”

  Michael raised an eyebrow. “Why didn’t Zane bring you home?”

  “I, um...wanted to take the opportunity to chat with Roy. And speaking of which...” She flipped up a hand in inquiry. “If you’re free now, may I interview you...say, in your office?”

  His eyebrows dipped, knitting his brow with concern. “Is something wrong?”

  Now she knew where Zane got his wariness. She glanced at the others who were listening to their exchange and flashed a smile. “Not at all. Just doing due diligence for my article.” She swung a finger to point to the rest of the small crowd. “And you all are next. Interviews in the next couple of days, one and all.”

  “This way, then,” Michael said, and he escorted her through the house, pausing long enough to lift Zeke out of the Christmas tree where the cat was chewing on ornaments. The smaller black and white kitty watched from the floor with wide green eyes.

  When Erin chuckled at Zeke’s naughty behavior, Michael shook his head, grumbling, “That cat is exhausting. Always into something. And now he has help from Sadie.”

  She patted the feline’s fuzzy cheek then hurried to catch up as Michael entered his office and closed the door behind them.

  “So? Any luck so far finding the person responsible for sabotaging my ranch?” He circled his desk and sank wearily into his worn chair.

  “No conclusions yet, but I’m learning a lot.” She reported on all she’d uncovered in her conversations that morning, briefed him on her plans to follow up on a few ideas, and reminded him she’d only begun her investigation. “I know it is hard to wait, but I want to be thorough, talk with everyone, explore some unconventional outlets.”

  Michael rocked back in his desk chair. “How unconventional?”

  “Broncs.”

  She explained her plan to chat up patrons at the bar, and he shrugged. “Worth a shot. Nothing else has turned up anything useful.”

  He laced his fingers over his chest and tapped his thumbs together restlessly in a gesture that reminded her of Zane’s fidgeting when worried.

  “Michael,” she said, meeting his eyes, “I promise you, I will do everything in my power to find the person who has been hurting your ranch. It is a slow process, and I don’t want to raise unnecessary suspicions. But I swear to you, somehow I will get the person responsible and find you justice.”

  Chapter 9

  Pretty bold words, considering you have no real leads yet, Erin thought to herself as she reviewed her conversation with Michael that evening. After a grand dinner, featuring roast beef, potatoes, apple pie and a warm welcome home for Dave, Erin needed a walk to ease her full stomach and clear her muddled mind. She strolled across the yard toward the large, half-decorated spruce tree and tipped her head back to take in the breathtaking sight.

  From the stable, she heard a soft bark and turned to see one of the blue heelers—Checkers maybe?—standing at the small door to a doghouse just inside the stable door. Beside Checkers was a Labrador she’d not seen before. The Lab stood and wagged its tail. The orangish glow of a heat lamp illuminated the canines and assured her the family wasn’t letting the dogs get cold. “Hi, pups,” she said, receiving another tail wag in response, and kept walking.

  The night was clear, and the sky over the ranch full of stars. Even the near-full moon’s glow couldn’t hide the glorious array of heavenly bodies. Living in town where the city lights made it hard to see so many stars, Erin took the opportunity now and stood for a moment just staring in awe at the twinkling lights.

  “Erin?”

  She started at the male voice and turned slowly, peering through the darkness of the ranch yard for the person who’d spoken. She recognized Zane’s gray Stetson on the figure standing by the corral fence. She crossed the yard toward him, lifting a hand in greeting. “I was just admiring the stars. You can see so many out here!”

  He tipped his head back, squinting at the night sky. “Yeah. I suppose I take that for granted. Having grown up here, I’ve always seen this many.”

  She arrived at the fence, where he leaned on the top rail, and gave him a playfully scolding frown. “Shame on you, taking any of this natural beauty and breathtaking landscape for granted.”

  He tugged the rim of his hat. “Touché.”

  After a beat of awkward silence, she said, “Zane,” at the same time he said, “Erin.”

  They chuckled, and he waved a hand toward her. “Ladies first.”

  “I wanted to apologize for being—”

  “No,” he said, putting a gloved hand on her arm. “I’m the one who should be sorry. And I am. I was rude and... What was your word? Dictatorial? I let my worry over the ranch and the things that have been happening override common sense.”

  “Common sense?”

  “Or maybe just common trust.”

  She felt something bump her leg and glanced down to see the yellow Lab she’d spotted earlier, the dog’s eyes bright and eager.

  Zane bent to scratch the Lab behind the ears. “Hi, Kip. What are you doing out here?” Then to Erin, “You’ve promised you’re not out to write a sensationalist, yellow journalism piece about us, and I want to take you at your word.”

  She clutched her coat closed at the neck when a chill breeze buffeted her. “Do I hear a ‘but’?”

  “Trust is hard to come by for me lately. Someone I know, possibly someone I care about, is quietly working against my family, trying to hurt us.” He shook his head and turned his gaze out across the corral, where a couple of the horses, wearing stable blankets, shuffled through the darkness and nibbled grass through the far fence.

  “Someone, but not me. I don’t want to hurt your family. Quite the opposite. You have a charming, warm, loving family that has been so kind to me since I arrived. I like you all very much.” She stepped closer to him and stroked a hand along his square jawline. “Some more than others.”

  He arched an eyebrow, and even in the pale moonlight, she could see the flare of heat in his eyes. “We like you, too.” He covered her hand with his own gloved hand, the hint of a grin playing at the corners of his mouth. “Some more than others.”

  “So then...can we start over? Be friends? Put today’s tensions behind us and make a fresh start?” She canted closer, curling her fingers into his coat and savoring the added heat of his body blocking the gentle stir of brumal air.

  He wrapped an arm around her, anchoring her close with one arm while his free hand tucked coils of hair that escaped her knit cap behind her ears. She gave him a quick hug, then turned in his arms to face the corral and take another gander at the brilliant stars. A cloud or two had drifted in, cluttering the view with shadowy wisps.

  The yellow Lab pawed at her leg and whined, seeking attention. She rubbed the dog’s head and cooed sweet nothings t
o the canine.

  “Excuse me for a minute,” Zane said, his voice heavy with regret. “Kip here is not supposed to be out. I need to take her home before she gets herself into trouble.”

  “Oh, sure,” she replied, shivering a bit as he stepped away from her and a cool stir of air swept away the heat of his body. “Where does she belong?”

  “She’s Connor’s dog, but she stays in the fence of their yard. She’s not trained to work with the cows like Ace and Checkers, and she causes problems when she gets in the mix.”

  “I see.”

  Zane took the Labrador by the collar. “Back in a minute. C’mon, Kip.”

  She watched him lead the dog across the yard toward the foreman’s house, where Piper and Brady lived with Connor and Roy. And Kip. She smiled to herself as she scanned the quiet ranch yard. The McCalls truly had a little community here with the ranch hands, the foreman’s family and all the family pets and work animals. Her gaze settled on the half-decorated spruce that had been neglected since Dave’s fall from the ladder. A pang twisted in her chest. She ruminated on a plan until she saw Zane approach again, Kip safely delivered to her warm house.

  “Isn’t that your truck over there?” she asked as he joined her again at the corral fence. She aimed her thumb at the pickup near the front of the family home.

  He lifted his chin a notch, and his expression reflected wary curiosity. “Yeah. Why?”

  Without answering his query, she held out her hand. “Do you have the keys on you?”

  His countenance grew more suspicious. “Again, why?”

  “Because I’d like to borrow them for a moment.” She could see his hesitation, could almost hear his internal debate on whether to trust her. “Fresh start, remember? You don’t have to look at me like that.”

  With an amused snort, he dug the keys from his pocket and, with one eyebrow arched as if in warning not to let him down, he dropped them on her upturned palm.

  She chuckled. “You’ll be a great father one day. You already have the don’t-disappoint-me evil eye perfected.”

  He blinked his surprise. “What evil eye?”