Cowboy Reckoning

by Barb Han

  Uncle Donny being back in Cattle Cove was bad luck. Bad luck was something Levi could relate to. What had happened to Ensley’s family fell into a whole different category.

  Levi closed the laptop and pushed to standing. He walked across the room, stopping at the door with Karma at his side. Before leaving, he turned around.

  “You’re welcome to leave the door open or closed. However you like it is fine. I’m across the hall and mine will be open in case you need anything. I sent a text to Miss Penny to let her know you’re staying over. She’s been taking care of us and McGannon business for a long time. It’s important for her to know you’re here considering she’s the one you’d most likely bump into in the hallway or in the kitchen.”

  “Thank you, Levi. I know those words don’t begin to cover what you’ve done for me—”

  He waved her off. “We take care of our own around here, remember?”

  She had a lost quality in her eyes that knocked the wind out of him. His hands fisted at his sides. He flexed and released his fingers a couple of times, trying to work off some of the tension that was building. He was gutted and wanted nothing more than to haul her against his chest and tell her everything would be okay.

  “I’m serious. I’m not sure where I’d be tonight without you and Karma.” She looked affectionately toward his dog. “I appreciate everything you’re doing for me.”

  “It’s nothing anyone else wouldn’t do.” He fought against the urge to tell her how much more he wished he could do. How much better he wanted to be for her as she navigated re-living her family’s worst nightmare.

  The words she said next would stick in his craw for a long time.

  “I highly doubt that. At least not for me.”

  7

  Ensley woke with a start. The sun was up and it took a second for her to get her bearings. Four poster bed. Chaise lounge. Massive house.

  Right. She was at Levi McGannon’s ranch.

  She stretched her arms as far as she could. Sunlight was peeking through the miniblinds. A quick glance at the clock told her it was half past seven.

  Sitting up, she rubbed blurry eyes and bit back a yawn. She’d gotten a little too comfortable in the guest room.

  Sliding off the covers, she pushed off the mattress to get out of bed. She freshened up in the bathroom before throwing on a pair of pink shorts with a mint-green short sleeved button-down shirt.

  She checked her phone. The battery was low. She’d forgotten to charge it last night. She pulled out the charger from her bag and then plugged it in, figuring it wouldn’t take too long to get a good charge going.

  Sitting on her bed, she debated what her next move should be. Who she should interview. Being back in Cattle Cove was proving to be more daunting than she originally thought it would be. As much as Ensley wasn’t looking forward to the task ahead, it didn’t matter.

  Reaching in her purse, she pulled out a small journal. She’d tucked the photo of Cooper in it. His favorite one, the one where he’d been kicking the goal. He’d been so young and so full of energy. His sandy-blond hair and blue eyes would’ve given him that California beach look had he lived long enough to hit the waves. He’d had perpetually tanned skin from practically living outside.

  But he was frozen, frozen in time.

  Cooper would always be twelve, almost thirteen in her eyes.

  The unfairness slammed into her, fueling her. She opened the journal to the middle and wrote down today’s date followed by the description of the truck and the mostly torn-off window sticker.

  A few of the residents of Cattle Cove might refuse to have anything to do with her. At least, she hoped it was only a few. But, Levi had proven to be just the opposite. He was quick to offer a hand up when she’d needed it. Twice.

  She thought about her car and wondered if someone had tampered with the battery cables. Now that she thought about it, the possibility made sense. She made another note next to the date. Is someone trying to scare me away?

  She wrote down Andy Whitfield’s name and then Lowell’s. She drew a line from uncle to nephew.

  Underneath Andy Whitefield’s name she wrote, protect? Below that, she wrote, murder. It would be very interesting to find out what kind of vehicle Andy Whitfield drove.

  Her stomach growled, reminding her it had been more than twelve hours since her last meal. Since she figured Levi was already awake, she tucked the photo back into her journal and snapped the rubber band around it to keep it secure. She tucked the pad back into her handbag and then checked the battery indicator on her phone.

  It needed more time.

  Besides, breakfast and coffee sounded pretty amazing about then; she could pick up her phone after she and it had refueled. She pushed off the bed and walked to her door. Opening it, she noticed Levi’s was ajar. A thought struck that she didn’t want to end up alone in a hallway with Karma. As much as she appreciated the animal, and she did, being alone with him didn’t seem like the best play.

  But then she remembered Karma was literally always at Levi’s side and she realized that was most likely part of the training that had been ingrained in him during his time in the military.

  Rather than startle the dog, she stepped into the hallway and called out to Levi. She waited for an answer, but none came. On closer appraisal, she saw a yellow sticky note on his door.

  The note read: In the kitchen.

  Well, that was easy enough to find. The kitchen was the only other room she knew.

  Retracing her steps from last night, she was surprised to find it so quiet in the house. Then, she remembered how early ranchers got up and figured everyone was out working.

  As she neared the kitchen, she heard the familiar click-click-click of the keyboard. Again, she didn’t want to surprise anyone and especially one of the military’s finest animals, so she cleared her throat.

  “Good morning.” Levi looked up as she entered the room. He looked good sitting there in a plain black t-shirt and jeans. The cotton material stretched over a broad chest as he stood up. Karma, ever at attention, stood with his new handler. Owner wasn’t the right word for the relationship the two of them had.

  The minute she stepped inside the kitchen, Karma’s full focus was on her. Ears up, intense black eyes started at her. She had to give it to him. He was intimidating. And loyal. She was also impressed with the fact that Levi had only had the animal for a year and had made this much progress. It couldn’t have been easy to gain Karma’s trust.

  Levi issued a command in German that she didn’t understand, and Karma made a circle before returning to Levi’s side and lying down.

  “Good morning.” She glanced around the massive kitchen searching for two things, something for breakfast and coffee.

  “What sounds good?” Levi had been sitting at a massive wooden table. It was the kind that looked reclaimed and hand carved. It also sat no less than a dozen people. It was a reminder of just how big his family was. Between his brothers and cousins, it wouldn’t be hard to fill every seat. She paused long enough to think about how much food it would take to feel all those hungry teenagers. The McGannon brothers were close in age, as were their cousins. Ensley believed Cooper would eat them out of house and home the year he’d had a growth spurt and he was nothing in height compared to this family.

  “Anything would work as far as food goes. But first, coffee.” She was still searching for the machine when she heard Levi chuckle. The low rumble from his chest traveled all over her, settling somewhere low in her belly. Warning bells sounded. Getting too close to him was a bad idea.

  She did her best to shake that off. Thinking about how much food Cooper could put down when he put his mind to it brought a smile to her lips. It had been so long since she’d thought about him, about the funny things, about their past.

  Like the way she’d noticed when he’d discovered girls. Suddenly, the Jack and Jill bathroom connecting their rooms was where she could find him. Before that, he’d always been in the backyard k
icking a soccer ball.

  Then, one Saturday evening she’d found him inside checking his face for acne. It had startled and amused her.

  It was nice revisiting those memories for a change. Happier memories.

  “Coffeemaker is right this way. If you’re anything like me, that takes priority over food.” Levi smiled at her. He was right, of course, but she didn’t want to think about how much they had in common.

  Levi produced a cup of coffee in record time. He didn’t even have to pour water into anything. She was pretty certain there was an espresso machine mounted into the wall as an appliance, but she appreciated having the steaming brew.

  He moved to the fridge next. “I can do anything from an omelet to granola and yogurt. Give me an idea of what you like to eat.”

  “Yogurt and granola sound like heaven. And if you have a piece of fruit I’d take that too.”

  “As a matter of fact, I have an entire bowl.” And just to prove it, he produced the largest bowl of fresh cut fruit she’d ever seen that wasn’t on a buffet table. “Take a seat. I’ll bring everything over.”

  Ensley looked wearily at Karma, who seemed to be guarding Levi’s spot at the table. Levi seemed to catch onto her hesitation when he stopped in the middle of the room, fresh coffee mug in hand. “My bad. I’m not sure if he’s ready for that.”

  Not that she wanted to end up a human dog biscuit, but she figured they would never know if they didn’t at least try. He hadn’t attacked her in the woods when he could’ve. So, that gave her a little confidence when it came to her and Karma’s relationship.

  “You’ve done an amazing job with him. Maybe I could take a couple of steps and let’s see what happens.” It felt like the least she could do considering the both of them had done so much for her in the past twelve hours.

  Levi eyed her cautiously. “Are you sure about that?”

  “One hundred percent.”

  “Absolutely certain?” It was a valid question.

  “I’ll just move really slow and let’s see what happens. You can’t keep him away from other people forever. Eventually, you might need to be away for a few days or go somewhere without him.”

  Levi cocked his head to the left. She’d noticed he’d done the same thing earlier.

  “All we can do is try,” she said.

  Levi nodded but it was easy to see every muscle in his face had tensed up.

  Ensley took in a deep breath. She could do this. She could take a couple of steps toward the dog. How hard could it be?

  “Easy does it, boy.” She said the words low and slow. Then, she took a step toward him. When Karma didn’t launch himself at her, she exhaled. Slowly.

  One step at a time. That had been her mantra over the past decade. It had gotten her through some of her worst days. And now, she would take one step at a time to help Karma.

  The next step proved too close. Karma’s ears went up, his hackles raised and a low growl tore from his throat.

  Levi issued a command in German but it didn’t seem to help. Ensley froze. She didn’t dare move an inch. Move toward him and that might be viewed as aggressive. Take a step back and she might be viewed as prey.

  As far as no win situations went, this was clearly at the top of the list.

  Levi took a couple of measured steps, closing the distance between him and Karma. She also noticed that Levi had maneuvered himself between her and the animal.

  This time, Levi used English. “It’s okay, boy. No one is going to hurt you.”

  Karma was locked onto her. And that seemed so not good. She hoped she hadn’t just set his training back.

  Levi snapped his fingers and caught the dog’s attention. The minute Karma shifted his gaze from her to Levi, a calmness came over him. It was a sight to see, but the visual of Levi seemed to snap the dog back into the present.

  She’d take it. She’d take all the progress she could get.

  “I apologize,” Levi started.

  “Don’t.” She meant it. As far as she was concerned, this was progress. “Has he allowed anyone to get that close to him without you standing right next to him?”

  “Not yet. You’re the first.”

  “Well, that makes twice. I mean, he barked at me and scared the bejesus out of me in the woods but he didn’t bite. Your voice broke through. He retreated and found you. Now, this. Progress, right?” She could hear the shakiness in her own voice. What she said made logical sense and she meant them even though her nerves were shot. So much for needing a cup of coffee to get her blood pumping in her veins.

  But now, she really needed her cup of comfort. Levi set her mug down on top of the table and knelt down beside Karma. He spoke in low, soothing tones as he stroked the animal’s back.

  Ensley, slowly and deliberately, walked over to the table, trying to shed the fear that was trying to take hold. She picked up her mug and took a sip of coffee, liking the burn on her throat.

  Without making much fuss, she took a seat near Karma and sipped her coffee like she hadn’t just felt like her life might be on the line. Whatever Levi was saying to that animal seemed to be working.

  Within a few minutes, Karma’s ears were down and he’d relaxed his weight onto the floor, even leaning his weight a little to the left. When Levi seemed certain the dog was okay, he rose to his feet and took the couple of steps to get her breakfast.

  He returned, bowls in hand, and placed them on the table. Karma didn’t so much as breathe heavily at the fact that Levi had stepped away and left the two of them alone.

  “Progress,” she said. Levi seemed to understand all the intention and appreciation in that one word.

  “Progress,” he parroted.

  He refilled his cup and reclaimed his seat next to her. She’d wiped out the bowl of granola and yogurt and made a good dent in the bowl of fruit by the time he returned.

  She took a deep breath and thought about the day ahead of them. There was more work to be done.

  “You mentioned that you wanted to talk to Andy Whitfield today. Is that still the plan?” she asked Levi.

  “He’s on my list along with a few other names,” he said. “I got up early.”

  8

  Levi’s cell phone buzzed on the table. He leaned over and glanced at the screen. “Travis. I should take this.”

  He answered on the first ring.

  “I’m going to put you on speaker, Travis. Ensley is here.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Levi set the phone in between him and Ensley, and then hit the speaker button. “What did you find?”

  “Sir, you’re not going to like this one bit. Ms. Cartier’s vehicle took some damage last night. I can send a picture if you’d like.”

  “I would.” Levi shifted his gaze to Ensley, whose chin had jutted out. She looked ready for a fight, not ready to roll over. Good. If she wanted to get the answers she was looking for she was going to have to buck for a fight. Also, good? She wasn’t going to have to do it alone.

  They waited a few seconds for Levi’s phone to buzz. His smart phone could multitask, so he pulled up the picture without ending the call.

  Ensley gasped and anger shot through Levi’s bones the second he saw the picture. Her tires looked like they had been slashed. Someone had taken a can of black spray paint on her white sedan and had written the words, go away!

  Maybe Karma had it right all along. He’d lost his trust in people and based on what Levi was seeing here, he couldn’t say his dog was far off. At least with a few.

  “That’s not fair. Why would somebody do that?” The shock and horror in her voice would stick with Levi long after she disappeared from his life. Her question was rhetorical. It was obvious someone didn’t want her in town. Someone didn’t want Ensley digging around with questions. Someone didn’t want the truth to come to light.

  “We need to bring the sheriff in,” Levi said,

  Ensley was already shaking her head before he finished his sentence.

  “It’s not the same
person. Sheriff Skinner retired three years ago. We have much better representation now.” Even he could admit Skinner hadn’t exactly been the best or the brightest. He had, however, been the most political and his family ties had most likely gotten him the job in the first place. Levi had heard his father complain more than once about a sheriff who was too tied to a good ole boy network. Considering crime in Cattle Cove mostly consisted of teen pranks and water disputes, Skinner had been okay for the job.

  But this?

  This was over the man’s head.

  Ensley sat there, her hands fisted in her lap. He could only imagine how violated she must feel. Hell, he felt it for her and it wasn’t his property that had been vandalized.

  “The sheriff we have now might be more willing to reopen the case.” Levi had heard nothing but good things about Laney Justice. She’d been a couple of years older than him in school so he didn’t know her personally, but the Justice family had always been in good standing. He believed she would be fair.

  “I talked to Skinner once as a teenager. He made me feel like we were just an unlucky family.” She shook her head. The words came out so quietly he had to strain to hear them. She was louder when she said, “But if you tell me this sheriff is different, I’ll give her a try.”

  Karma seemed to be picking up on the tension. His ears were up and his body tense.

  “Who is with you?” Levi asked Travis, thinking he didn’t want his employees alone at a site that was clearly being watched.

  “I have Lawrence with me. Hawk is aware we are off property, sir.” Hawk, the foreman, had gained his nickname because nothing got past him.

  “I appreciate you and Lawrence. I’ll send someone with a ditch wench. We’ll get her vehicle on ranch property. Stay with it until the vehicle gets picked up.” As he hung up, Levi thought about exactly how much he despised bullies. Sneaking around in the middle of the night on an abandoned car and vandalizing it fell into that category. The spray paint, the threat, hinted at an evil Levi didn’t think existed in the town he loved. The cat was out of the bag now.