I looked over at MaryAnne, who rolled her eyes. I nearly laughed but managed to hold it in. “What about the faucet outside that was leaking?”
Billy scoffed. “Fixed.”
“The plumbing in the–”
“Taken care of,” Billy said as he raised a brow. “Listen, I know this house holds a special place in your heart, what with you being raised here and all, but you need to stop worrying, Liam. We’re taking good care of her.”
Nodding, I replied, “I know you are. But I don’t expect you to use your money to repair the house.”
Billy grinned at me. “Hell, I don’t expect it either. That’s why MaryAnne scanned and emailed you those receipts.”
MaryAnne laughed. “It’s true. I sent them over to you earlier today.”
I lifted my beer in thanks. “To the best ranch hand’s wife ever.”
“Speaking of…” MaryAnne started. “You need to hire someone to help you organize, Liam. You keep forgetting appointments, and you forgot to order more feed last week.”
Swallowing a bite of stew, I replied, “I know. I’ll get someone hired soon. I’ve just been busy.”
“I can start looking, if you’d like,” MaryAnne said.
I wiped my mouth and set the napkin down as I leaned back in my chair and shook my head. “I’ll take care of it and find someone. Don’t worry.”
She smiled and passed me a basket. I took a large slice of homemade bread.
“You want to keep Moonshine here and I’ll drive you back to your place?” Billy asked.
Glancing toward the window, I frowned. The storm had pushed on through, and now a light rain fell. “The temperature hasn’t dropped much, and I could use the quiet.”
“Suit yourself,” Billy stated as he stood. “Leftovers?”
“I’ll take a bowl, if you don’t mind.”
MaryAnne stood as well. “I don’t mind at all.”
While Billy and I cleared the table, MaryAnne fixed me up a to-go box. When she handed it to me, she winked. “I put in some extra bread. I know how much you like it.”
“Thanks, MaryAnne. And thanks for letting me stay for dinner.”
She reached up and kissed me on the cheek. “You bet. Be careful riding back.”
After saying my goodbyes and putting the leftovers in my small pack, I got up onto Moonshine and we started the trek back to my house. I’d built the house when my folks were still alive, and my mother could never understand why I’d placed it so far from the original ranch house, where Billy and MaryAnne now lived. I wanted to be closer to the working barns and cattle—and far from my parents. I wanted to distance myself from my folks, specifically to prove I could run the ranch independently. It was only a few minutes’ drive, but on horseback, it took a bit longer to get between houses, especially on a night when it had been raining so hard.
I pulled up my hood, and we started toward home. As I approached a small hill, I saw something in the distance. Squinting, I tried to see if it was a younger cow that had maybe gotten lost. The closer I got, the harder my heart started to pound. Moonshine began to get antsy.
“Holy shit,” I whispered when I realized what I was looking at, before I kicked my horse and he took off galloping.
I practically jumped off Moonshine when I finally pulled back on his reins. Once off the horse, I ran over to the body on the ground and fell to my knees. Turning the person over, my heart dropped to my stomach.
“It’s a woman,” I said aloud, glancing around to see if anyone else was nearby. When I looked back down at her, she tried to speak, but she was clearly so weak she could hardly move her lips.
“Shh. I’ve got you. It’s okay,” I said as I scooped her up and quickly carried her over to Moonshine. “We need to get you out of the weather and warmed up,” I said as I somehow managed to put her over Moonshine and then climb on his back. I pulled her up against my body to warm her. I squeezed Moonshine with my thighs ever so softly, and he began heading toward home.
CHAPTER THREE
Mallory
I couldn’t run anymore. I was exhausted and had been running for two days. Cold, tired, and hungry, I climbed over a fence and stared at the vast land before me.
