“Thank you for everything. We appreciate you letting us stay with you and everything you did for us.”
“I’ll do anything for you, ba-Riley,” he said sadly, before heading toward his truck.
CHAPTER THIRTY TWO
“Find Riley’s old man and bring him here,” Kenny said, stewing over his dilemma with Garrett Johnson. Bernice didn’t spurn any compassion from the man with a blackened eye she received for mouthing off. He needed to step up his efforts.
“I thought you said we’re only playing along with the man. What do you intend to do?” Stitch asked, eyeing Bernice from across the room.
“I saw him in the jewelry store. He bought two items. Riley and her kid sister have stayed on the ranch. Have you seen Garrett leave other than getting groceries, more than one man can eat?”
“No. But most of the cowboys on Haven Ranch stick to themselves,” Stitch pondered. “Jughead and Hemi followed them to the horse sale and reported he took Riley, and they seemed pretty close.”
“Exactly. We’ll have the old man tell us where to find his two lovely daughters. Make him think we’re letting him take the youngest,” Kenny said, scratching his scruff.
“What will you do with them?” Stitch asked, perking up.
“We’ll keep Riley. She’s a looker,” Kenny said, thoughtfully.
“What about Tara?” Stitch asked.
“I think she’ll be a nice present for our new supplier in Mexico. Let the old man wait for them here, then get rid of him,” Kenny ordered. “Keep him here until they leave the ranch, then we’ll take them. Make sure he bathes. I won’t have him stinking up the place.”
“Will do, boss,” Stitch said, rising. “Do you mind if I take a turn with Bernice?”
“Go for it. She’s no use to me anymore,” Kenny said, not even bothering to glance at the club whores. His mind stayed on the pretty blonde with the startling blue eyes and how he planned to make Garrett pay.
CHAPTER THIRTY THREE
A week later
Riley finished her shift, showered, and headed to the cafeteria. Rachel called. Two workers called in sick, and they needed someone to help with the kids’ activities. Her body felt weary, and her heart empty. She yawned as she pulled her hair up in a ponytail and grabbed her boots.
Her phone buzzed, and she glanced at it, seeing Rachel’s name pop up on the screen.
“I’m coming,” she said, thinking Rachel planned to snark at her about working overtime. If she continued at this pace, she’d have enough money to leave for Corpus Christi. She saw Garrett in the fields, and she always disappeared in the shadows when she saw him appear near the cabins.
“Annabelle arrived. When you finish with the kids, she’ll remove your cast because we know you haven’t made any appointments. She’ll run X-rays to make sure the bone healed properly. Next time you break something, remind meto kick your butt. Hurry up and get over here, Delaney’s growing crabbier by the minute, and she’s the only one with patience for kids,” Rachel grumbled. “Tara and Kara have them decorating cookies. Great, just what we need, sugar-fueled kids…”
“I’m on my way,” she said before she disconnected. “How does it feel to turn twenty-seven and you’re already dying to crawl in bed? I thought the exact same thing. Riley Stewart, you’re one hot mess. You can’t love a man who walks away at the first sign of a problem. You’ll get your act together, put Tara in a real school, and let her finish high school. Then, you can have a life,” she said, staring at her image in the mirror.
Picking up her hat, she made her way across the yard to the cafeteria. She fumbled with the doors and finally made her way inside.
“Surprise,” everyone yelled, scaring the living daylights out of her.
The cowboys, her friends, and the survivors she helped filled the room, decorated with balloons, graffiti, and cupcakes.
“Oh, my gosh,” she exclaimed, while Tara ran up to her, giving her a hug.
“They wanted to surprise you. See, they love having us here,” Tara whispered, driving her point home.
“Did you tell everyone about my birthday?” she asked, ignoring Tara’s comment.
“Nope. Garrett told them. Of course, Rebecca, Delaney, and Rachel knew, but one of the greenhorns said, Garrett told the cowboys at the bunkhouse.”
Riley walked toward the crowd, painting a bright smile on her face as everyone greeted her. Rebecca and Rachel led her to a table while Tara made her a plate full of barbecuefrom the restaurant Garrett took her to after the horse show. Her stomach twisted in knots as she thought about the man. She forced herself to forget.
“Did we surprise you? Never mind, don’t answer. The way you’ve walked like a zombie through the past week, of course, we did,” Rachel deadpanned.
