Page 23 of Setup In Montana

She opened her mouth. She might have lied. She might have blurted out the truth. But she didn’t get a chance for either as Dub turned at the sound of a truck roaring in their direction.

“Hold that thought,” he said. “I better see what this is about.” But as he started to turn away, he stopped to glance back. “Just for the record, I’m not finished.”

His words made her grab the stall wall for support, as did the look he gave her. What both promised had her weak with desire. Dub had asked if she was in trouble. Well, she was now, she thought as she touched the tip of her tongue to her upper lip.

* * *

AS DUB CAME out of the corral past the barn, he saw that Tanner was on his phone. Where had he gone to come roaring back so quickly? Had something happened to their father down at the washed-out bridge?

He walked over to the truck as Tanner finished his call. The look his brother gave him was all fury. Nothing new there. Dub took a step back as the truck door was flung open. Tanner stepped out, looking ready for a fight.

“What’s going on?” Dub asked, worried. “Where’s Dad? Is he all right?”

“Dad’s fine. Still down working on a temporary bridge.” The words came out hard as stones. His brother shook his head as if trying to get control of his temper. “The old man’s really done it this time. He’s working so hard on that damned bridge because of her.” He moved his head to indicate the barn. “The two of you are so easily charmed by a pretty face.” He snorted in distaste. “Wait until the old man hears the truth about what he brought home, the woman you are so infatuated with that you’re blind to what she’s doing to this family.”

“What are you talking about?” Dub demanded.

“Your…girlfriend…the one you were making out with over in the barn?” His brother didn’t give him time to deny it or anything else. “She’s wanted for murder.”

“What?” Dub hoped he’d heard wrong or that Tanner was mistaken.

“I just spoke to my friend Mike, the highway patrolman. There’s a BOLO out on Clancy Roberts, your little friend who worked at the convenience store. That’s right, she had an argument with some old lady at the rest home and threatened her over some money she owed her, and the woman ended up dead and Clancy on the run.”

“That doesn’t mean she killed her.”

His brother made a disgusted sound. “Her car was found beside the road not ten miles out of Grass Range. All her belongings were in it. She apparently left work at the convenience store as soon as she heard the sheriff was on his way. Cleared out all her stuff from the trailer she rented behind the place and lit out. I couldn’t understand why she’d hitchhike south rather than going back to Grass Range when that made the most sense. I guess we know now, don’t we?”

We know she was afraid, Dub thought, but he was smart enough not to say it. “You’re just angry that Dad being Dad stopped and gave her a ride.”

“He didn’t just give her a ride, he brought her here to my ranch,” Tanner snapped. “He brought a killer home.”

“You don’t believe she’s a killer any more than I do.”

His brother lifted an eyebrow. “You want to bet our lives on that?”

Dub hadn’t miss the “my” ranch. Tanner had always thought, being the eldest son, that he would get the ranch. When Dub had gone away to college after high school, he’d been delighted. He’d been upset when Dub came back after graduating, telling him that he and Dad didn’t need him.

“I’m telling Dad. Mike already knows she’s here. Won’t be long and they’ll be coming to take her away.”

Dub wanted to wipe Tanner’s smug look off with his fist, but he knew his brother was looking for a knock-down, drag-out fight right now. He wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. He had hoped their days of wrestling in the dirt were over.

“You’re overreacting,” he said with a shake of his head. “I want to at least hear her side of the story.” Hadn’t Dub known she was running from something? He’d just never imagined it was this serious.

“Like I would trust anything she has to say,” Tanner snapped. “Dad needs to hear about this.” Tanner started to walk back toward the truck, but Dub grabbed his brother’s arm.

“Hold on a minute. Let me talk to her first.”

His brother shook him off. “Talk to her? You stay clear of her. Dad needs to know and so does the sheriff before it’s too late. You have no idea how dangerous that woman could be.”

Chapter Ten

Clancy stood at the edge of the barn door, trying to catch her breath. She’d heard everything. Tanner was going to tell his father. She listened to Dub trying to reason with his brother. Dub had trusted her, believed in her. His father had given her a ride, brought her to the ranch, saved her from what could have happened to her that stormy night. He’d taken her in when she needed help.

But once he found out about Esther’s murder and her alleged involvement… She couldn’t bear to think of how deceived he and Dub would feel. She’d lied by omission to them all and now couldn’t bear to face them.

She had to get out of here, but how, she thought as she dropped the shovel she’d been working with and ran back deeper into the dark barn. She heard one of the horses snort from inside its stall. She’d ridden horses before, but was she really going to take one of their horses? Being a thief couldn’t be worse than being a killer, right?

What choice did she have? She had to leave. Now! She had known that Max had put out a BOLO on her and that every cop in the state had been looking for her. She felt sick at the thought of how many people would believe she was a murderer, especially in the Crawford ranch family.