"Not really. All she said was that the woman likes to take pictures."
"Beautiful landscapes are easy enough. I'm glad she didn't choose the resort, but I'm still slightly confused as to why."
"Not low key enough?" Vinia shrugged. "Maybe she just wants to be out of the public eye for a bit."
"This is the best place for that. She'll have the whole ranch to herself." He put his mug in the sink. "I'm going to get my stuff put away and go feed the horses."
"The goats could use a little love, too."
Colton rolled his eyes. "Your goats. The little bastards butt me in the thighs every time I go near them."
"Your dragon is just more fierce than mine," she laughed. "Just throw them some oats, okay?"
He thought about Sarah as he did his chores before their guest arrived. Where could she be going? The only way he knew to get answers was to follow her. She'd be pissed, but at least he'd have some idea what he was up against.
He was still pondering the best way to handle the situation when he heard horns and yelling in the distance. He pushed the barn doors closed and hung up the rake he'd been using. The honking got louder as he rounded the main house where he could see down the drive to the road.
A car was attempting to turn into the ranch but was blocked by other cars. People ran up and down the road sticking cameras up to the windows of the car. He groaned. He'd seen paparazzi on the television, but he'd never experienced it himself.
Vinia came out on the porch. "What in the world is going on?"
"I believe our guest has arrived." He walked past her and went into the den where he hit the button to reveal a hidden gun safe built into the wall. As the panel slid away, he spun the dial for the combination and waited for the door to spring open. He pulled out his 12-gauge and grabbed a handful of shells.
Vinia's eyes widened when he rejoined her. "You think you're going to need that?"
He nodded to the car that had finally found enough clearance to head up to where they stood. Several cars and even more people on foot chased after it. "You see that circus headed our way? I don't think I grabbed enough ammunition."
Chapter Eight: Paparazzi Down
Ellie Dampier
Anger flared as Ellie watched the paparazzi try to block her car in. The driver was irate also as he tried to make the turn into the ranch.
"Who the hell are these people? I'm about to get out and shoot half of them."
"You'd be doing a big public service if you did."
He glanced at her in the rearview mirror. "You must be some kind of movie star or something. I've never seen so many cameras." He laid on the horn as another camera was shoved up against the window. "He breaks the glass and I'm going to break his ass."
She started to dare him, but she wasn't sure if that was a good idea or not. She breathed a sigh of relief when the car actually made the turn and started to drive away.
"I can't believe these idiots are following us up onto private property."
She turned and peered out the back window. Sure enough, reporters and photographers were chasing after the car. She groaned. "How did they even know I was coming here?"
"I don't know, but I can tell you that the Hales won't take kindly to it."
"They run the ranch?"
He snorted. "Run it? They own it. They own this whole spread and half the mountain."
She watched the joggers anxious to keep up with the vehicle. Could one of them be the stalker? The fire marshall had shown her the remnants of the pipe bomb that had torched the car intentionally, and the cameras showed the suspect entering her house many minutes before the car exploded. The thought of him standing there watching her sit on the couch with her eyes glued to the television made her skin crawl. She just couldn't figure out why he'd allowed her to go outside instead of just grabbing her.
"Oh, shit. Cole's home."
The driver distracted her train of thought. She peered forward to see a man and woman standing on the front porch of one of the buildings. The man was tall and brooding, with dark hair and a dark beard. "That's Cole?"
"Colton Hale. And he's got his shotgun. This isn't going to end well for someone."
