“Find anything?” Reese called to him when he made his way back to the road.
“Besides a few stray beer bottles and evidence someone’s been tramplin’ through, no.”
Reese carefully gripped the top wire of the fence, then put his foot on the middle and separated them to give Brantley room to ease back through.
“Could be kids,” Reese said. “Popular hangout for the local teenagers, maybe?”
“Could be.” Brantley pulled out his phone.
“Who’re you callin’?”
“Magnus.” Brantley looked up at Reese. “Figured we could get his dogs out here to search.”
Reese turned, his gaze swinging along the darkened pasture. “I think you should wait till dawn. Get a full search team, and we can go door to door.”
“You don’t think she’s here?”
Reese glanced back. “I think the senator came here for a reason, sure. I think it’s possible shewas here at some point. But based on his reaction, he didn’t find what he was lookin’ for, so no, I don’t think she’s out here.”
Brantley nodded. Reese made a good point.
“We can get the Lamberts to call the sheriff,” Reese continued as they moved back toward Brantley’s truck. “Get him out here at first light.”
The Lamberts owned Dead Heat Ranch, Brantley knew.
With that decision made, they returned to the senator’s house to keep an eye on things.
Chapter Eighteen
Tuesday, March 15, 2022
“I’M GONNA TAKETESHA FOR A RUN,” Brantley said when they returned with the sun on the horizon and the new day nearly underway.
Reese wanted nothing more than to grab a few hours of sleep, but he knew that wasn’t an option. He’d managed to sleep for roughly an hour in the truck while they’d kept watch over Harrison Rivers’s place, but it hadn’t been nearly enough.
“I’ll grab a shower, put somethin’ together for breakfast,” Reese told Brantley.
“You’re welcome to go with us,” Brantley said, hands on his hips as he stared back at Reese.
As much as he wanted to, he wasn’t sure he was up for it. Ten miles had been easy for him before getting shot. These days, five was more his style, but he didn’t want to admit that to Brantley.
“Next time,” he told him, meeting that steel-blue gaze.
Brantley nodded then whistled for Tesha, who’d slipped out into the backyard when they returned.
She came bounding through the door, tail wagging furiously, tongue lolling out of her mouth. Just seeing her made Reese’s heart swell. He’d missed her so damn much.
After Brantley changed clothes and harnessed Tesha, they took off out the front door, leaving Reese alone with his thoughts. He figured he had a little time before they returned, so he dropped onto the couch, stared at the blank TV for a minute. In the dark screen, he could see the reflection of the kitchen behind him, and he found himself relaxing a bit.
He was home again.
He wouldn’t deny being relieved when Brantley had told him he wanted him to come back. As for what that meant for their relationship, Reese didn’t know yet; however, he considered it a good first step. He had a lot to atone for, and he had every intention of making it right with Brantley. He wanted nothing more than for them to get back to a good place again, back to where they’d been before Reese had let his insecurities get the best of him.
His thoughts drifted to one of the last sessions he’d had with his therapist.
“The last time we talked, you mentioned Brantley had tipped your world on its axis,” Dr. Regina Sanders said, her gaze skimming the notepad in her lap. “I’d like to know what you meant by that.”
Reese took a deep breath. “I don’t know,” he said honestly.
