The cow escapes the chute, barreling toward the exit to the field before he can get his vaccines and my brand on his ass. I grab the rope hanging on the fence beside me and swing the lasso up in the air.
The calf flies by me, but he doesn’t get far because I throw the lasso around his neck and stop him. I hold it tight while Joe hurries over to scoop him up and carry him back to the chute.
“Sorry, boss,” he mumbles.
I glance up just in time to see Dolly’s gaze on me. She looks like a vintage pinup wet dream come to life, and I already know I’m going to have a hard time not thinking about the outfit she’s wearing later on—when I’m alone.
The Redford familydinner that night is hosted by Holden and Rosie at their house. After devouring the fajitas Holden cooked for us with beef from their ranch, Duke, Sterling, Holden, and I sit around the table for a game of poker while Rosie and Dolly play with the girls in the backyard.
Sterling mentioned to me that they don’t want Dolly knowing there’s a new development with the threat against the family. I don’t feel comfortable keeping it from her, but knowing Holden, I don’t think he would unless he had a damn good reason.
He lights up a cigar, the end glowing orange as he levels me with a heavy look. “How’s it going with Dolly at Moonlight?”
Duke is pouring four glasses of bourbon from the decanter. He hands me one.
“It’s fine.” I choose not to elaborate on the outfit choice today, but Duke takes matters into his own hands.
“It’s more than fine. Sam is getting to experience what it’s like to have a woman around, and get this: He tried telling her to go change her clothes.”
Holden’s lips twitch into a smirk. “And he’s still breathing?”
I lift the glass to my lips and take a long swig as a round of chuckles circles the felt table. I catch a glimpse of her outside the window as she bends down to give Bonnie, one of the twins, a flower she picked. The lower crease of her ass shows as the skirtrides up. Birdie runs up to join her twin sister, reaching for her own flower. Dolly bends even farther down.
I shake my head and look away.
“I’m more amazed she didn’t immediately pack her bags and move back home,” Sterling muses.
Duke snickers. “She’s lasted longer than I thought both of you would be able to take. You’re a lone wolf. If she’s driving you out of your mind, we need to know.”
I take another long swig of the amber liquid, feeling the weight of all three of their gazes before answering. Cash must be busy somewhere with Monroe tonight.
“What’s the new development?” I ask.
Holden pulls another drag from his cigar. Duke is lighting up his own, and he offers me one. It smells damn good, so I nod.
Holden clears his throat. “I got two more letters. One of them was served certified mail from a lawyer’s office in Austin. I’m being sued for wrongful death for the murder of Cain by a woman who’s claiming to be Cain’s former long-term partner. Apparently, he supported her financially, and she was raising his child.” He pauses, tapping the cigar gently on an old-fashioned ashtray. “The second was addressed to Dolly. It appears to be from the original sender of the letters sent to me. This one targets her much more directly.”
He tosses the envelope on the table near me. I pick it up, my heart rate increasing as I see her name scribbled on the front with the address to Redford Ranch. I pull out the paper inside. It’s handwritten, like the last one. A picture falls out with it.
Sluts like you reek of desperate attempts to escape the consequences of your own actions. You think your safe. But I’m never far behind, nevermiss a thing. You will pay for what you caused. Your the reason he’s dead, and someday soon, you will join him in the grave.
I pick up the photo.It’s Dolly, smiling on the front porch of the main ranch house. She’s sitting next to Pops, drinking coffee.
A spike of cold, thick fear slices through me like a knife. This threat is more direct and targeted toward Dolly specifically, blaming her for Cain’s death even though Holden pulled the trigger.
I run a hand over my mouth. “Fuck.”
I finish off my bourbon before looking back up. Duke is already refilling my glass. Their faces are a mix of somber rage and quiet resolve.
“What if it’s a ranch hand working for one of us?” I ask.
Holden leans forward. “Have you hired anyone new in the last six months?”
I nod. “Couple of guys. One’s got a record, but he was locked up somewhere up north. The other one didn’t have much on his résumé. Said he worked for different ranches in Montana and Idaho.”
Duke shakes his head. “I don’t think that matters. Whoever it is has to be connected to Cain somehow. I think the letters are linked to the lawsuit. We should start there. Let’s hire a private investigator to follow that woman around.”
Sterling speaks up. “I agree. We can’t just go around firing all the new ranch hands or investigating all of them without the ranches suffering. We have a better chance at smoking this fucker out by following the one lead we have—the lawsuit.”
