Collecting the Pieces

by L. A. Fiore

  And that’s why I was grateful for Abel pulling back, because for me to want him as badly as I did, I needed to like him. And I did; I really, truly liked him. And like could so easily slip into love.

  “How is that a bad thing?”

  “Because going down that road will lead only to heartache. I’ve had enough of that.”

  “You don’t know that.”

  But I did and it scared the shit out of me.

  All anyone was talking about was the body found on the trail, the trail I had offered to take Doc on. I should have checked up on her, but I didn’t. I needed to put space between us because it wasn’t just a flirtation any more. I wasn’t sure when causal interest shifted to hunger, but I wasn’t good for her…wasn’t the kind of man to settle down. Her first experience with a man after the loss of her husband shouldn’t be someone with one foot already out the door.

  Just thinking about her though put a smile on my face. I couldn’t remember the last time I felt genuine admiration for a person. Seeing her that day facing down the mountain lion was the fucking stupidest thing I’d ever seen, but there she was putting herself in harm’s way to save that half-dead wolf.

  It was the day of the block sale when I realized her hunger rivaled my own, and it was a heady fucking feeling having a woman like her into me. I wanted her. I wanted to lock her away with me for days, weeks, as I sated the burning in my gut she caused. I almost did that day we were heading for the trail. It had been so fucking tempting to pull her into my cabin and fuck her senseless. Nothing could come of it though, so it was best to leave her alone. Especially since I suspected she could become my addiction…just one taste and I’d be hooked.

  Marnie was taking Carly to her first therapist appointment. The fact that Carly went was progress. I hoped this worked. I hoped Carly was finally ready to face her own demons because I had a business, employees and a life to get back to, even if lately I wasn’t feeling the same urgency to return to that life.

  Jayce’s truck pulled up my drive. I moved from my spot to join him. “What are you doing here?”

  “Just thought I’d stop by and say hi.”

  “I’ve been back for over two months and you’ve never just stopped by to say hi.”

  He leaned up against his truck and pushed his hands into his pockets. “What happened with us?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “We used to be tight. What happened?”

  “I moved.”

  “It’s more than that.”

  “I don’t know. Have you ever asked Duncan since it all seemed to go to hell after he was sent to military school?”

  “Yeah, I guess it kind of did.”

  “Why was he sent to military school?”

  “He’d been acting out, just typical teenager stuff, but you know Dad. He wasn’t about to sit back and watch Duncan ruin his future.”

  “Doesn’t seem like working the farm is the future Duncan was hoping for.”

  “It’s not. Or maybe it’s not so much that it isn’t what he wants to do, but that he hadn’t been given a choice in the matter. I get where Dad was coming from though. Duncan was floundering and Dad forced him to find a purpose. It’s on Duncan that he’s still doing something he doesn’t want to, but at this point I think he’s afraid of disappointing Dad if he tries something else and fails.”

  “He’s a grown ass man.”

  “I know.”

  “Has he ever acknowledged that he’s in love with Carly?”

  “You saw it too?”

  “Fuck, yeah. The kid couldn’t speak in a full sentence around her. I don’t know why he never acted on that, but he’s still pining.”

  “True. But in fairness to Duncan, Carly isn’t really in a place right now for a boyfriend.”

  “That’s fair.”

  “How are things with you? How’s Pipes?”

  “I love the work, but I hired an assistant manager and the dude is like a cheerleader on crack. He keeps bringing in new business, forcing us to grow faster than I want. The work suffers when you’re committed to so many jobs. He’s a good kid, a hell of a mechanic, but we have different visions for the place.”

  “It’s your place.”

  “I know. I think opening a second location isn’t out of the question with the amount of business we’re doing. One where the customer base is smaller.”

  “You’re seriously thinking about opening another Pipes?”

  “Yeah, but I’m not there yet. I’ve got to go through the financials with Tiny and we’ll want to incorporate. Removing liability from our shoulders, especially when we won’t be overseeing one of the locations, is worth the added work. There are so many steps from where I am to where I want to be, but it’s definitely something I’m mulling over.”

  “I’m happy to hear that. Maybe you’ll pick a location that’s not so far away because it’s been nice having you home.”

  “I never really thought of here as home. I always equated Sheridan with my dad, but as much as you can all be pains in my ass, it has been good being home. And maybe when Carly gets better, Duncan will stop dragging his feet and ask her out and put us all out of our fucking misery.”

  Jayce grinned. “And if not, we’ll give him a little nudge.”

  Being present when a body was found would be news anywhere, but in a small town like Sheridan it was doubly so. I think the entire town had introduced themselves to me before breaking into their theories on what happened. Belinda Kramer, the victim, had been a local. She had lived in Sheridan her whole life and from all the accounts I had heard, she was not a very nice person. In fact, “bitch” was used often when addressing her, even now that she was dead. She had a rap sheet as long as my arm, apparently, and never had a kind word to say to anyone. Most weren’t surprised to find she ended up dead and yet her death still rocked the town. The consensus was she had been a bitch, but she didn’t deserve what had happened to her. Many theorized on who had killed her; the popular opinion was that her killer had been another local. The theory that this quiet and unassuming town was home to a killer disturbed me.

  Another fact that made this case so talked about was never had the town experienced something so gruesome. And it was gruesome, every part of it.

  I was at the Brass Bull grabbing a bite to eat before I made my way back to the clinic. Rylee had intended to join me, but was detained by an emergency. Lulu, a spirited Pomeranian, was in labor.

  I hadn’t seen Abel since the day he left me to walk the trail alone and unlike the rest of Sheridan, he had kept his distance. Not even my run-in with a dead body swayed him to seek me out. That pissed me off. Sure, we both had concerns about a physical relationship, but I had thought we were working in the direction of becoming friends. But a friend would have checked in to see how I was holding up. Whatever.

  Someone settled next to me. I glanced over to see a smiling Mr. Milburn. And it was then that I realized where I’d seen that asshole from the crime scene, the one who had been taking pictures of the body. He was the same clown who had gotten up into Mr. Milburn’s face that day at the hardware store. The guy was a major loser.

  “Hi. How’s Cooper?”

  “He’s good. Resting up at home. I never did ask you about your wolf and your encounter with the mountain lion.”

  “How do you know about that?”

  “Everyone knows about that. It’s a small town, remember?”

  “Right. Well, Cain is doing really well. I’m getting ready to set him free.”

  “You aren’t going to keep him?”

  “I would love to, but if he wants to be free I won’t stop him.”

  “And if he doesn’t?”

  “Then I’ll work to make him comfortable again around people.”

  “How is he with you?”

  “We sit together and we walk together. He lets me in his domain.”

  “No aggression?”

  “No.”

  “Sounds to me like he’s right where he wants
to be.”

  I couldn’t help the smile because I thought that too. “I hope so.”

  His expression turned solemn. “You were there when they found Belinda.”

  “You knew her?”

  “Everyone in town did. I’m sure you’ve heard she wasn’t a nice person.”

  “Yeah, everyone seems to be in agreement on that. Do you agree with everyone in that her killer is a local?”

  “No, I don’t think so. Belinda, despite Maggie’s and my best efforts, was a bad egg. She broke the law to break it. She didn’t want help, not mine, not Maggie’s, not anyone’s. She did what she wanted because she wanted to and didn’t care if she hurt people in the process. A person like that makes associations with some very unsavory characters. It’s more than likely one of them killed her. I think the theory of a local is based solely on the fact that Belinda liked to push people’s buttons to the extreme.”

  An edge of anger came into his tone, which prompted me to ask, “Did she push your buttons?”

  “She was a client, so, yes, frequently.”

  I understood his anger because it was a lot like my situation with Connor. Mr. Milburn had tried to help Belinda, but she was unwilling to help herself. Seeing someone you care about losing themselves was heartbreaking and infuriating.

  “If it was a local, it was likely a good person pushed to their breaking point.”

  And as callous as Mr. Milburn’s take on the situation sounded, he wasn’t the only one I had spoken to who felt that way.

  “It’s still terrible business.” He shook off the gloomy mood and turned a bit more in my direction. “So tell me about these horses you get to tend.”

  And for the next hour I did just that.

  Chris Dearly was the barn manager of Hellar Farm. He’d held the position for twenty years. He knew everything about the horses in the Hellar stables. He managed a team of ten grooms and was the main reason Hellar Farm operated as smoothly as it did.

  Chris had requested that we meet bimonthly not long after I had started. The meetings usually only lasted about fifteen minutes, but I liked being kept in the loop. The horses worked the trails, injuries happened and often. Not to mention births and deaths. The former always took my breath away, the latter heartbreaking.

  “I will see you in two weeks. If anything comes up, you have my cell.”

  “Thanks, Sidney.” He leaned back in his chair. “How are you enjoying Wyoming?”

  “I love how different it is from home, the people and the landscape. I love that I can drive down a country road and see buffalo.”

  “That still turns my head and I’ve been treated to that sight most of my life.”

  I glanced at my watch as Chris said, “You’re going riding now, right?”

  “Yeah, my first time.”

  Surprise moved over his face. “You’ve never been on a horse?”

  “No.” And I had hoped not to be climbing on one now, but Rylee, Duncan and Jayce made a great tag team.

  “You don’t know what you’re missing. Jayce is a show off, but he’s a great guide and he’ll put you on someone easy. Crème Brûlée or Angel Food Cake would be good.”

  “Actually Duncan’s getting me on the horse.”

  “Even better.”

  “I still can’t get over that all the females are named after desserts.”

  “That was Jayce and Duncan. They started the tradition when they were little and Garrett kept it up.”

  “Except Speckled Egg.”

  “She’s a princess, so her name doesn’t quite follow the others.”

  “Well, the others make me hungry.”

  Chris laughed as he rubbed his belly. “How do you think I got this?”

  “Good to know. I need to take up running.”

  “Ha. Run for me too. Enjoy your ride.”

  “Thanks. See ya later.”

  Stepping outside, it was hot today but the sky was so blue with not one cloud. I started toward the training paddock; Duncan, Jayce and Rylee would be meeting me there. I couldn’t believe I had let Rylee talk me into this, but she’d been so excited to show me spots only accessible by horseback. I hadn’t gone very far when I heard the sound of voices and followed it to see as Abel and Carly came from around the side of the house. My body tensed in awareness and a bit of jealousy seeing the two of them together. Bitterness was there too since I didn’t understand why he made any overtures to me when he was involved with her—opening me up to the possibility of him only to shut down so thoroughly. And it stung all the more because I had begun to believe they were just friends, but seeing them together I wasn’t so sure. It was moot anyway. I turned to find Duncan waiting for me, standing by the fence looking past me to Abel and Carly. I saw a bit of what I felt in his expression. Did he like Carly? That certainly would explain a lot. As I grew closer, he shifted his focus to me.

  “Hey. Are you ready for your ride?”

  “No. Where are Jayce and Rylee?”

  “In the barn. You’re going to love it. In fact, you’ll be begging us to take you out more often.”

  “I seriously don’t see that happening.”

  “Trust me.”

  “Trust is not the issue here. Falling and breaking my neck is.”

  “That won’t happen.” His gaze moved to behind me again. “I’m happy she’s here.”

  “Carly?”

  “Yeah. She stopped coming around and then she moved away. It always felt weird not seeing her.”

  “You’ve all been friends for a long time, huh?”

  “Yeah, those two were always the closest. On and off since we were kids. I never really understood it since he never sticks around, but whenever he comes back it’s like he never left. Thick as thieves those two.”

  Bitterness, raw and exposed, weaved through his words but watching your friend with the woman you loved had to be hard. His comment that night at the Brass Bull about Abel hooking women but not keeping them made perfect sense now.

  He turned from them, his attention completely on me. “Angel Food Cake is very gentle. If something should happen and you get separated, she’ll find her way back here. Not that that is going to happen. Can I give you a hand up?”

  I knew Angel Food Cake, all her stats, but standing next to her she suddenly looked so much bigger.

  Duncan saw my hesitation and moved closer. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”

  “Okay.”

  “Step into my hand. I’ll lift you up and you swing your leg over her back. Ready?”

  I took a deep breath; let it out slowly. “Yes.”

  He lifted me effortlessly and before I knew it I was sitting on the back of Angel Food Cake. Jayce called from the barn. “Ready, Sidney?”

  I really wasn’t.

  Duncan flashed me a grin. “Now for the fun part.”

  Rylee rode next to me and Jayce was just in front of us checking the terrain, since it had rained the other night. He was looking for muddy and loose soil that could have the horses losing their balance and risking injury. I held on to the reins like I was holding on for dear life; the jarring my body took and the pain radiating from my ass didn’t hold a candle to the view. Rylee had been right. It was incredible out here. We had taken a pretty steep trail and even now the one side of it was far enough down that if you were afraid of heights you wouldn’t want to look, but the view was unbelievable.

  “Exquisite, right?”

  “There aren’t words. It’s like we’ve stepped back in time to the days on the frontier. No cars, electricity or cell phones. Just nature in its purest sense.”

  “You can say that again. I’d almost love a little cabin right in the middle of it—rustic, no electricity and just living off the land.”

  As romantic a picture as she painted Rylee wouldn’t last a week in those conditions. My eyes found hers, she knew that too.

  “Why didn’t Duncan come?”

  “He’s getting ready for a tour.”

  “Ah. So Jayc
e, what’s up with him?”

  Her face went soft, her eyes seeking and finding the man in question. “I really like him.”

  “I can tell and it seems the feeling is mutual.”

  Her head turned, the sweetest smile touched her lips. “I can’t stop thinking about him. Is that crazy? It’s only been a few months and yet I’m crazy about him.”

  “I fell for Jake on the car ride home that first day, so no, I don’t think it’s crazy.” Especially since I’d known Abel for as long as she’d known Jayce and I couldn’t stop thinking about him either. Maybe there was something in the air.

  Jayce was just ahead waiting for us to join him. The look that passed between Jayce and Rylee had me suddenly feeling like the third wheel. I’d give the lovebirds some alone time.

  “You guys go on ahead. I’m going to climb off and stretch my legs.”

  “We’ll wait,” Jayce said.

  “And I appreciate that, but um…I kind of have to…”

  He caught on immediately. “Right. Okay we won’t be far.”

  “I’ll follow right along.”

  “Sidney, follow right along. It’s not safe to be out here alone. Understood?” I had never heard Jayce sound so stern.

  “Yes.”

  They were adorable together. He reached for her hand to hold as their horses moved slowly along. I didn’t have to pee, but I did want them to have that moment. Climbing from Angel Food Cake, because my butt was killing me, I almost fell to my knees with how badly my legs shook.

  “I need to walk this off, Angel Food Cake. You graze there, sweet girl. I won’t be long.”

  Rylee was onto something with her cabin. I needed electricity too, but I could get used to opening my eyes to this view every morning. Keith had called to set up our dinner to discuss his farm. I hadn’t returned his call, but since he was mixing business with personal I’d have to. Ignoring his wish to meet was unprofessional; avoiding answering about dinner was personal. Keith seemed very nice; he wasn’t hard to look at and it was just dinner. The trouble was I felt nothing around him. I wasn’t looking for a soul mate, not even close, but I wanted the man to stir me in some way. Maybe it had just been an off day. I’d call him when I got back.