His woman. She liked the sound of that.
Nathan laughed and slapped Lincoln on the back. Nathan led them into the kitchen. “I do have my own woman, ya know,” Nathan said, laughing.
Lincoln chuckled, and then leaned down to kiss Veronica before he moved to greet Shelly, who was standing at the stove, with a hug. She smiled up at him, and then hugged Veronica too.
Dakota entered the kitchen just then, grabbed Veronica, and hugged her. Over his shoulder, she saw a woman standing behind him. Dakota glanced behind him, took hold of the woman’s hand, and pulled her forward.
“Roni, this is Megan Carson. Nutmeg, this is Roni Bailey, an old friend.”
Veronica put her hand out to her and Megan who shook it. She was a beautiful woman with auburn hair the color of ground nutmeg. “I can see why Dakota calls you Nutmeg.”
Megan laughed. “Almost from the start…it’s nice to meet you.”
A young man entered the kitchen and smiled at Veronica.
“This is Megan’s brother, Aiden. He decided to join us for dinner too.”
Veronica heard the sarcasm in Dakota’s voice and wondered about it, but shook Aiden’s hand. There certainly was something unsettling about him.
Once the food was ready, everyone sat down at the table in the dining room. Nathan carved the turkey while sides got passed, and wine poured. Dinner was a loud affair filled with good-natured teasing and arguments over who was going to the Super Bowl and speculation on why everyone needed a nap after the meal. No one got one yet though, because everyone helped clean up, and load the dishwasher. Only after partaking in cake and pie did they all finally take seats in the living room to watch yet another game. Veronica sat beside Lincoln with her head on his shoulder, fighting off that dreaded turkey nap.
“Do you know what time you can come by on Monday?” Veronica shook the sleepiness from her head, and sat up to look at Nathan.
He looked at her from around Shelly’s head where it lay on his shoulder. “I can be there around ten.” He looked down at Shelly. “Roni wants me to take a look at a dog she has there.”
“You’re going to look at a dog?” Shelly asked her husband with a smile.
“It might help in getting over Nero.” Nathan took her hand and kissed the palm.
Veronica smiled. That was love. She turned her head to gaze up at Lincoln and he kissed her forehead. She sighed and leaned her head back on his shoulder. She loved him so much. She only hoped someday he would love her too.
“You look like you’re about to pop, Shelly.” Veronica laughed.
“I feel like it too. January can’t get here soon enough,” Shelly said caressing her swollen belly.
The phone rang just then and Nathan climbed out of the warm comfort of his pregnant wife’s arms to answer it. When he returned to the living room, he wore a frown and looked at Veronica.
“Chapman posted bail,” he muttered. She gasped as Lincoln removed his arm from around her shoulders and sat forward.
“How?” Lincoln growled.
“I suppose he had enough money to do it. His bail was ten thousand so all he had to pay was one thousand.” Nathan turned to Veronica. “I want you to be careful. I don’t want to scare you, but just be on your toes.”
“She can stay with me,” Lincoln announced.
“No. I have to be close to the hospital. I’ll just be extra careful. Only going from home to there and I drive anywhere else,” Veronica told him.
Nathan shook his head. “I don’t like it, but I have a feeling you’re not going to listen to me.”
She smiled. “You’d be right. I promise I’ll be careful though.” She looked at Lincoln who was giving her a worried look. “I promise.”
Nathan nodded, and then he glanced at Lincoln who had shifted his attention back to Nathan. Veronica saw the look that passed between them, and now she wondered if she should be worried more than she already was.
Around seven, everyone said their good-byes and left for home. She wished Nathan and Shelly well, and made Shelly promise to rest. She hadn’t realized she was so tired until she woke to Lincoln carrying her upstairs. She was asleep again as soon as her head hit the pillow.
On Monday morning, Veronica walked the short distance to the hospital yet found herself constantly looking over her shoulder. She knew Chapman wouldn’t try anything in town, or so she hoped. Too many people knew him and what he’d done, so she doubted if he would even come to town but after returning home from her wonderful weekend with Lincoln, she hadn’t slept a wink last night because she was alone. If Lincoln had been with her, she would have been fine but they both had jobs to do, and on Sunday evenings, they always parted ways. However, he had tried hard to talk her into staying this time. She insisted on going home because she had a surgery scheduled for early this morning, so she couldn’t stay with him. He had a client coming early this morning so he couldn’t stay with her and so it was, the way it was.
She exhaled anxiously as she unlocked the doors, entered the hospital quickly, and turned to lock the doors behind her. Carrie, the techs, and Patsy had keys so they could let themselves in when they arrived. Patsy and Carrie weren’t due in for another hour yet.
Veronica was checking messages on the hospital phone when her heart leaped into her throat hearing a key in the door. She turned to see her tech enter, locking up the door behind her. She hadn’t mentioned her worry about Chapman to anyone, but keeping the doors locked during off hours was standard, so it wasn’t necessary.
“Good morning, Roni.” Maggie smiled at her.
“Good morning, Mags. Are you ready for surgery?”
“I will be. Let me get Bobo ready. Such a cute little dog.”
Veronica laughed. “He is. I’m glad his owners are being responsible and getting him neutered.”
“I agree. I wish more people were as responsible in that way.”
Veronica sighed. “I do too. Not much, we can do about it except educate owners. There are so many wonderful animals out there without homes, and yet people keep letting their dogs and cats breed unchecked, never thinking about where they’ll end up in a year.”
Maggie nodded then headed down the hallway to get the dog ready for surgery.
Two hours later, Veronica sat in her office entering the details of the surgery into her computer when Patsy entered the room and plopped down in the chair across from Veronica, who glanced up at her.
“My feet hurt and the day’s only half over,” she said as she kicked her shoes off and rubbed her feet.
“I hear ya. This is the first I’ve had a chance to sit down too. The surgery went great, but then it seemed like all hell broke loose in the waiting room.”
“I don’t know how Carrie does it. Those people get so rowdy out there sometimes. They’re worse than the animals.”
Veronica laughed. “What’s that saying about humans? The more people I meet, the more I like my dog?”
Patsy burst out laughing. “Something like that. I agree though.” She grew silent as Carrie announced Veronica had a call.
“Dr. Bailey.” Veronica cringed when she heard Johnson Chapman’s voice.
“I need my cow looked at,” he growled.
“I told you I would not come out there again.”
“Bring your damn boyfriend. I don’t care. She ain’t feelin’ right.”
“Fine, I’ll get someone there or bring Lincoln with me.” She hung up and put her hands over her face in frustration and a bit of fear.
“What is it?” Patsy leaned forward grabbing her hand.
“Johnson Chapman said his cow needs looking at but I…I’ll call Lincoln and have him go with me. I can’t ignore a sick animal.”
“Do that, call Lincoln. If he can’t go, I can go out there.”
“Oh, no! Patsy, I am not letting you go out there alone.”
“I’m not afraid of him. I have a gun and a permit to carry it.”
Veronica was sure her mouth dropped open. “You have a gun?”<
br />
“Yes. Ever since Isabella’s kidnapping, I’ve been paranoid. You just never know.”
“All right, but let me call Lincoln first.” She picked up her cell and called him, but it went straight to voicemail. “He must be busy.”
“I’ll go. You have to stay here. I’ll be fine but if I’m not back in an hour or you don’t hear from me, send Nathan or Mont out.” Veronica agreed and began to worry even as Patsy rose, gathered her things, and left the office.
Veronica really hated letting her go alone but both of them couldn’t go and neither of them would ever leave an animal in distress. She picked up her phone and dialed a number.
PATSY STEERED HER SUV onto Johnson Chapman’s ranch and drove up to the barn. After parking, she exited the vehicle and quickly glanced around. She hated being here but she also knew there was no way that Roni would come out here, at least not alone.
Patsy took a deep breath and after retrieving her bag, she tucked her gun into the back of her jeans, pulled her shirt down over it, and entered the barn. She let her eyes adjust to the dimmer light, and then walked down the aisle. She came to a stop when she saw Chapman emerge from a stall.
“Who are you?” He demanded as he walked toward her.
“Dr. Murphy. Where is the cow?”
He stared at her for a long moment, narrowing his eyes then spun on his heel and led her to the cow.
“In here. She won’t get up. She ain’t due yet.” He waved his arm toward the cow.
Patsy hesitated as she walked past him, but entered the stall to see the cow lying on her side and bawling.
“Hi baby,” she crooned to the pregnant cow. “I’ll just check you over and then leave you alone.”
After setting her bag down, she took out rubber gloves and put them on. She checked the position of the calf, but it didn’t seem to be moving. She reached inside the cow’s birth canal. After pinching the calf’s tongue and getting no response, she glanced up at Chapman.
“I think the calf may be dead. I’ll help her and once the calf is out, I’ll see what I can do.” She didn’t wait for his response but simply went to work. She knew he stood at the stall door watching her. She totally understood Roni’s apprehension about coming out here. He totally gave her the creeps. She wished he’d step outside or something because he didn’t need to watch over her. She turned to glare at him but all he did was smile at her. She suppressed a fearful shiver as she returned her attention to her patient.
“Just do what ya gotta do. I can’t afford to lose another calf.”
“Another calf? How many have you lost?”
“Three in a month.”
“That’s a little excessive. You need to take better care of your breeding cows.”
“You just do your job, missy,” Chapman growled at her.
Patsy worked with the cow and helped her deliver her baby. At first, the calf didn’t move but she went to work on him and had him up in no time. He stood on wobbly legs but walked to his mother, and began suckling. Patsy grinned and stood. It was a good day’s work, watching the young life almost lost. When she turned around, she didn’t see Chapman anywhere, which was more than fine with her. The sooner she got away from him, the better. She quickly picked up her bag and left the stall.
Walking down the center of the barn, she glanced around. Her gut told her something wasn’t right, but she didn’t know what it was. She was just about to the door when someone tackled her from behind. She hit the floor, her wind knocked from her at first. She heard Chapman laugh as he straddled her after flipping her to her back, and pinning her arms down.
“Get off me,” she grunted and tried to push him off.
“I don’t think so. I was hoping Doc Bailey would come out here, but you’ll do. I like a little woman too.”
“Do you seriously want to go back to jail?”
“I ain’t goin’ back to jail. I’ll just make sure you disappear.”
“People know where I am,” Patsy yelled as she pushed at him. All he did was laugh at her. She couldn’t reach her gun but wished she could.
Finally, she worked one hand free and tried to scratch his face, but he slapped her. She saw stars but shook her head to clear it. She glanced down and it sickened her to see a bulge behind his fly. His fly, which she realized was very close to her hand. She reached out, grabbed him, and squeezed as hard as she could. He yelled out and rolled off her. She quickly scrambled away and got to her feet. She pulled her gun and pointed it at him.
Chapman lay on the ground holding his crotch. He glared up at her, and then his eyes narrowed when he saw the gun. “You ain’t gonna shoot me.”
“Don’t press your luck.” Patsy backed away from him and watched as he stood, and faced her.
“You ain’t got the guts,” he said as he advanced forward limping.
“Don’t ever tell a woman that. One more step and I will shoot you.” She aimed her gun at him.
Chapman laughed and took another step toward her. She pointed the gun at his leg just above his knee, and pulled the trigger. He screamed out in pain and fell to the ground holding his leg. Patsy pulled her cell phone out and called the sheriff’s department reporting that Chapman had assaulted her and she’d shot him then ran to her SUV to wait for them.
When a sheriff’s cruiser pulled up a very short time later, the lights were flashing. She stepped from her vehicle and nearly cried out in relief, when she saw Mont hurrying toward her. She ran to him and threw her arms around him.
“How’d you get here so fast?”
“Roni called to warn us you were coming out here. I was on the way when you called it in. Where the fuck is the bastard?” Mont growled. Patsy trembled at Mont’s anger and pointed to the barn. He pointed at her car as he pulled away from her. “Go wait in your car. Go!”
Patsy nodded and walked to her car. She got inside and watched as Mont drew his weapon before entering the barn. She hoped Chapman hadn’t gotten up to find a gun. She’d never forgive herself if something happened to Mont. He was married to her best friend and he’d become like a brother to her. She wrapped her fingers around the steering wheel and peered through the windshield. It seemed she hadn’t breathed since he entered so when she saw Mont emerge, pulling a limping Chapman behind him, she exhaled a loud breath steaming up the window in front of her. She opened her door and stepped out.
“I want to press charges against that bitch. She shot me,” Chapman yelled.
“Shut the fuck up,” Mont growled. He glanced at Patsy. “You are pressing charges, correct?”
“Absolutely!”
Mont nodded. “Good.”
“I need an ambulance.”
“She only grazed you. You’ll live…which is a fucking shame.” Mont grinned at Patsy and winked.
Patsy laughed. “I only grazed him? Shit.”
Mont burst out laughing. “Yep. I’ll take him to the hospital and then to jail. This time he won’t be getting out anytime soon.”
“Thank God. I need to go home and take a hot shower to wash his filth off.”
“Well, you’d better call Roni, and call Bella too. If she hears about this before either of us tells her, we’re in big trouble.”
Patsy smiled. “Yes sir, you’re right about that. She does have that red hair.”
“I love that red hair,” Mont said, laughing.
“I know you do. Thank you, Mont. I…” She started to admit she might’ve been in over her head but then thought better of it, and just shook her head.
Mont put Chapman into the back of his cruiser then walked to her and wrapped his arms around her. “You’re fine now. With what he did to Roni and now you, he’ll be away for quite a while. Go on home. We’re here if you need us.” He kissed her forehead.
“All right.” She gave him one more hug and climbed into her car. As she pulled out of the driveway onto the road, she hoped Chapman never returned to this ranch.
Chapter Eight
A FEW DAYS LATER, LINC opened his back
door to find Nathan standing on the porch. He held the door open, and motioned him to come in.
“What’s going on, Nathan? You miss me?” Linc waved for him to take a seat. Nathan took off his hat, laid it on the table before pulling out a chair, turning it around, and straddling it.
“This isn’t really a casual call. You’re not going to believe what I…” He stopped when they heard a car pull up outside.
Linc smiled. “That’ll be Roni.”
Nathan stood looking uncomfortable. “Shit, Linc. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it. Sit.” Linc laughed at him.
Linc opened the back door. When Roni glanced up to see him standing there, she ran to him and jumped into his arms. He laughed and hugged her. He put her down, kissed her mouth, and pulled her inside.
“Oh! Hello, Nathan.” Linc closed the door watching her smile at Nathan and lean in to give his friend a hug.
“Hello, Roni. I came out here to tell Linc something. You may not want to hear it.”
“Does it concern me?” She glanced over her shoulder at Linc as she took her coat and gloves off.
“It’s about Chapman.”
“Then I want to hear it,” she said in a low voice, and took a seat in a chair beside him.
“The CSI was at Chapman’s farm this morning. As protocol, they took cadaver dogs with them since it’s now known that there are two missing women that Chapman apparently dated.” Nathan sighed. “They discovered three bodies buried on the property. We don’t know for sure who they are yet. But we will once we get dental records.” He looked at Veronica. “You were very lucky, Roni. It probably wouldn’t have mattered to him if you were the town vet or not. If you hadn’t given him so much trouble it’s possible he would’ve killed you, and Patsy was damn lucky too.”
Linc squatted down beside her chair when he saw her go pale. “You okay?”
She nodded but when she tried to stand, her knees weren’t very steady. Linc caught her in his arms, and cradled her against him. Nathan stood and patted her on the shoulder.
“Maybe she should lie down for a while.”
“I’m okay. I just got up too fast.” She glanced up at Linc who nodded.
Lincoln Bad Boys of Dry River, Wyoming Book 4 Page 12
