While I waited for her to make the call, I drove down the drive, then past the house and a couple of big barns. There once was a time in my life when this type of set up appealed to me. Back when I was a wet-behind-the-ears rookie just out of my first training camp, I figured I’d play a few years in the pros, save all my cash, buy a place like this in the mountains, and settle down with the love of my life.
Damn, I’d been so stupid back then.
Ashley ended the call. “He’s fixing the fence in the high pasture. We can either ride up to meet him or wait until he comes down later this afternoon.”
“When you say ‘ride up to meet him’, what would we be riding?” I wasn’t a stranger to sitting on the back of a horse, but it had been a long damn time.
“Dusty took the four-wheeler, so if we ride up, we’ll be on horseback.” The hint of a smile teased the corners of her mouth upward. “Do you know how to ride?”
“It’s been a while, but yeah, I can handle myself on a horse.”
She bit down on her lip to hide her smile. “You sure about that?”
“Don’t worry about me, sweetheart. As long as you’ve got a mount strong enough to hold me, I’ll be just fine.”
A half hour later,my ass shifting from side to side in the saddle strapped on top of a giant draft horse, I started to have second thoughts. Ashley rode next to me in silence, astride a chestnut-colored mare. Unlike me, she was a natural. I was about to ask how much farther until we reached the high pasture when I caught a glimpse of the four-wheeler off in the distance.
“Race you to the fence line?” Ashley asked. She didn’t wait for me to answer before urging the mare into a run. Sensing a challenge, my horse galloped ahead. I adjusted my grip on the reins and somehow managed to stay in the saddle, even with every bone in my body rattling.
Ashley reached the fence first. By the time I caught her, she’d slid out of the saddle and looped the reins around a fencepost. “Thunder, meet Dusty.”
I flung my leg over the saddle and set both feet on the ground. “Nice to meet you. Ashley tells me you’ve been part of this ranch for as long as she can remember.”
“That’s right.” Dusty pulled off his glove and held out his hand. A pair of dark shades covered his eyes, and he had on a cowboy hat that had seen better days. Even though he stood several inches shorter than me, he had a wiry build that had been earned by working the land for decades.
I’d always been able to tell a lot about another man by his handshake. Dusty’s grip gave me the sense he was an honest man who could be trusted.
“What brings the two of you all the way up here?” Dusty lifted his hat and swiped a bandana over his brow. “Did something happen to Stella?”
“No, Gram’s fine.” Ashley glanced at me as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “It’s Ellie. Someone killed her and left her right outside the front door this morning.”
“What?” Dusty ripped off his sunglasses. “Who would do something like that?”
Based on his reaction, he didn’t seem to be involved. Tears coursed down Ashley’s cheeks again. I almost reached out and pulled her into my arms, but stopped myself. She was hurting, but I wasn’t the right man to offer her comfort. The best way for me to help her would be to find out why the Savage Bones had targeted her family and put an end to whatever they had in mind.
“I haven’t seen Scamp since last night. Did you see him around at all this morning?” Ashley wiped the tears away, and I caught the glimmer of hope shining in her eyes.
Dusty shook his head. “No, but I didn’t think anything of it. He usually stays by the house to keep an eye on Stella while she does her morning chores.”
“Do you have any idea why the Savage Bones might be trying to get Stella’s attention?” I asked.
Dusty glanced at his feet. “What makes you think this was done by them?”
“One of my guys found a knife pouch with their logo on it in the flower bed. Have you seen any bikers around here lately?” I narrowed my eyes, watching for a sign that he wasn’t telling me everything he knew.
He shook his head a little too hard. “No.”
“They’re after something, and in my experience, they won’t give up until they get what they want.” I stared down at him, willing him to tell the truth.
“I don’t know what that might be.” He seemed to shrink under my attention. “But if I hear anything, you’ll be the first call I make. Ashley, honey, I’m so sorry.”
Ashley melted into his arms, and the two of them hugged for a long beat. I didn’t like how close he held her or how she closed her eyes and seemed to lean into him for strength. It couldn’t be jealousy. He was almost old enough to be her grandfather. I gritted my teeth and looked out over the neighboring pasture until the two of them separated.
“You hear anything, you let me know,” I said. “We should probably head back. I need to check in with the club to see if anyone’s uncovered a motive.”
“Are you going to be okay staying at the house by yourself?” Dusty pulled back, though his hands lingered on Ashley’s shoulders. “I can always take the spare bedroom or you can stay at my place if you need to.”
I might not let myself entertain ideas about being with Ashley, but there was no way in hell I was going to leave the door wide open for him. “I’ll make sure she’s not alone.”
