by M Elle Kelso
EAGLE DOWN
ISBN 978-1-7775561-1-1Electronic book
ISBN 978-1-7775561-0-5 Book
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Eagle Down – Copyright 2020, M Elle Kelso
Cover: M Elle Kelso using Canva
All rights reserved. With the exception of quotes used in reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author or Magek Ink Publications.
This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the authors’ imagination and used fictitiously.
Cover content is for illustrative purposes only. Any person depicted on the cover is a model.
Please note: this novel contains scenes dealing with sensitive issues that may trigger some readers. While not graphic, scenes depict or describe domestic violence, drugging/hypnosis, and kidnapping of both adult and child.
Eagle Down
M Elle Kelso
They wheeled as one.
They charged.
Sixteen thousand pounds of prime Arabian horseflesh bore down on him as he stood, watching them come to him.
He wasn’t afraid. He didn’t move.
He felt the ground tremble beneath his boots as the herd came closer.
In fact, David Taylor was laughing out loud as he watched sixteen Arabian horses, new to his ranch, cavort in their strange new surroundings. The last four, still to arrive, would be here soon, then the gallop would start again. This lot had been running and kicking up their heels for the last half hour. From the original frenzied, flat out gallop they had slowed so an easy canter. So far they hadn’t taken down any fence boards. But before this day was finished he fully expected to have to replace one. Maybe two.
He watched the fight or flight response to things new, something he wasn’t used to seeing in the Quarter horses he knew well. Instead, these magnificent animals snorted and pranced, sensing the air, tasting the new smells of the stand of massive ponderosa pines that surrounded the ranch’s barn and main pasture.
For sheer beauty and form they were wonderful.
For stamina and endurance, they were reputed to be incomparable.
Whether they’d be the breed he eventually wanted to base his side business on, well, the jury was still out.
David knew he’d led with his heart instead of his brain when he’d bought this lot. In the far reaches of his mind a little voice had prodded him to buy what remained of C.J. McCormack’s herd. His business partner, Jared Wynn, had cleared the herd of every black-bay with white socks or stockings, leaving a few nearly black horses, and a number of chestnuts with flaxen manes and tails; there were regular bays—brown bodies with black legs, manes and tails—and one flashy gray who stood out in this stable like a bandaged thumb on a manicured hand.
David watched as they whirled and snorted, the cloud of grey dust they’d kicked up, from the dry earth beneath their unshod hooves, gently settling on their backs; they then headed back to the place where the trailer had jettisoned them, looking for the last familiar thing they remembered. They slowed as they approached the fence, still a little leery of him perhaps, although they knew him. They stood, snorting and blowing, plumes of white spearing upward through the cold, morning, mountain air.
This country was a world of change. From early morning to late in the evening, weather changes sometimes made you wonder how many different places you’d been in one day. This late in the fall, those leaves that hadn’t yet fallen, were a kaleidoscope of autumnal hues. Each morning was a surprise. One day there might be bright sunshine. Another day, there might be a trace of snow, although the daytime sun was warm enough to melt any hint of the winter yet to come.
David turned at the sound of an approaching vehicle. He knew it would be his partners, Blake Corbin and Jared Wynn. These men, who, with him, formed the cyber security investigative agency known as Corbin, Taylor & Wynn, were more like brothers than friends. They were there for each other, no matter the need. The need this morning was to ensure that all of David’s plans went off without a hitch. Moving the large number of horses he’d bought was a big chore, although the very short distance of the move meant they’d be done well before lunch.
“So, my friend, how are they doing?”
Jared smiled at the scene in front of him, seeing sisters and brothers to the horses in his own barn, as well as a few totally unrelated. When Jared’s wife, Annie, had described her dream home to him, she had included a black bay horse with white socks, one that looked like a memory from her happier childhood, and Jared had gone a little overboard.
His one hundred and sixty acres of land was now home to every horse that had come close to that description that had been in C.J. McCormack’s herd. All ten of them.
With one notable exception.
Jared had help picking his horses from the herd for sale by C.J. McCormack. David had the knowledge and he’d been there when Jared made his choices. But on that fateful afternoon, David had made almost immediate eye contact with a black bay stallion C.J. called Mirage. He had three white socks and a half stocking, an altogether flashy combination. The horse had proceeded to win David over to the breed in a few quick, prancing strides and a soft blowing exchange that left Jared and C.J. unsure of what they’d just witnessed, but knowing that David and Mirage were absolutely meant for each other.
David and Mirage became one as he rode the horse away from the rest of the herd. David rode him bareback, taking the horse in an amazing jump over the pasture fence with only two lead shanks attached to the halter to guide the horse. It was many hours before David returned, and not before he’d settled the stallion back in the pasture with the rest of his herd, after a good grooming and bonding session, and seated himself in a bemused trance while the others enjoyed the evening together.
He had no idea what had been discussed that night; had no idea who’d been there.
He was there in body, but his spirit was back in the pasture with the horse.
Now, he looked at the horses Jared was asking about, taking in the uniform conformation and the look of pride and dignity each radiated. These were a special lot; all that was left of C.J.’s herd.
“They’re fine, still acting a little silly about their new surroundings. But once the rest of them get here, they should settle down. Dutch left a while back to get the others, so they don’t have long to wait.”
Jared sensed an under-current in David’s voice; it sounded almost like a wry acknowledgement of something. What, Jared had no clue. But sooner or later, David would come clean.
Blake had been busy at the back of his SUV, digging out an English-style saddle that he now toted toward the barn. David and Jared turned to watch, wondering what he was up to. They didn’t have long to wait before Blake joined them and explained his actions.
“Patrick sent it over. Said it might as well go in your tack room as stay in his barn. It’s C.J.’s saddle, and now that she has no horses left at his place, he couldn’t see any reason to have it hanging around. I think he’s hoping she’ll change her mind and come out to see for herself how Mirage is doing, then you can saddle up a horse for her and take her out riding. You know Patrick. As far as he’s concerned, if you can’t ride, you might as well curl up and die.” The three men moved slightly away from the fence as the horses once more charged the length of the pasture.
“He tried to get her to keep one of the horses, that’s what she told all of us she was going to do. But when th
e list came out for the sale, every horse she still owned was on it. Kaycee tried to get her to talk about it, but she refused. So Kaycee says I’m to tell you it is up to you to get her out here and up on a horse.”
David hung his head, busy looking at his dusty boots. He would love to be able to invite C.J. McCormack out to ride with him. He was intrigued by the lady; attracted to her. And for that reason alone, he wouldn’t be asking her to visit his ranch.
“Guess I should tell you, since you all seem to think that there’s something between C.J. and me, that there isn’t. There can’t be.”
David stood, scuffing the toe of his boot in the dirt, raising a small cloud of dust.
“I like her. Hell, I like her a lot. And I would be honored if she’d come and ride with me. But I can’t ask her. She’s married.” His eyes were still on the ground and he missed the look Blake exchanged with Jared. “I don’t know what kind of marriage it is, since he never seems to be around, but she made a point of telling me that her husband was away a lot and didn’t mind her going out to visit your place and Kaycee. I can’t ask a married woman out here on her own. So, I guess you’d better just take the saddle back to Patrick or take it to your place. Or maybe Jared can take it home and keep it where she might actually have a chance to use it. Besides, she doesn’t know I’m the one that bought her whole herd. The bank sent a cashier’s check. There was nothing on it to indicate it was from me.”
David turned abruptly and walked back to the pasture, hanging his elbows on the top bar of the fence, gazing at the herd, but seeing C.J. in his mind.
Her smile, her green eyes, that glowing crown of dark red hair.
It was true. He was attracted to her. Genuinely attracted to her. In fact, he’d reacted to her like he’d reacted to no other woman, including the woman he’d thought at one time he would marry. But C.J. had made it clear the first day when she’d told him to call her Mrs. McCormack that she was married. He was not going to be the guy who broke up anyone’s marriage.
Blake and Jared stood looking at him. “Do you suppose he really doesn’t know?” Blake whispered to Jared.
Jared looked from David to Blake and back again to David. When he spoke, his voice was so low only Blake could hear.
“That day he first met her, I gather she laid it on kinda thick about how rude he was in that email he sent and I know she rubbed in the bit about calling her Mrs. McCormack. Do you suppose Kaycee and Annie kept her secret?”
The two men walked slowly toward their partner.
“Do you think we should be the ones to tell him?” asked Blake.
“If we don’t, he may never invite her out here. And we are his friends; better he should hear it from us than someone in town.”
Jared had pointed out the obvious, shaking his head over this turn of events. Both men knew Patrick had sent the saddle because he’d seen something between C.J. and David; the same way the others had noticed the sparks flying that afternoon at Patrick’s ranch, when all of them had gathered in an effort to help Jared and Annie. C.J. had been there with David to get Jared’s signature on the sale agreement for Jared’s ranch.
The three men stood at the fence, silently watching the horses. David’s silence was not the kind to be broken easily, so if they were going to interrupt, they knew it had better be for a good reason.
They were spared having to tell him anything by the arrival of Kaycee and Annie, minus their kids, followed up the lane by the horse trailer with the last load from Patrick’s ranch. The truck was driven by Patrick, and his wife, Suzanah, was with him. As everyone piled out of the trucks, the women carried lunch inside, planning to set the food out buffet style. David didn’t have a table or chairs yet, so they’d have to sit in front of the fireplace, the only place he had managed to group enough sofas and chairs to seat all of them. The men followed the truck to the pasture gate; unloading would take no time at all with four pairs of hands.
Blake and Jared slipped away as Patrick and David closed the gate and turned to watch the horses romping in their new home. They wanted to make it back to the house without David in tow. They had an idea.
Blake and Jared stood on the porch and beckoned to Kaycee through the kitchen window, trying to separate her from the others without being too obvious. She slipped outside, following them around to the side of the house. Blake gave her a hug, then continued to stand with his arms around her.
“Kaycee, love, we’ve got a problem.”
“What? Anything serious?”
“Jared and I don’t think David knows about C.J. That she isn’t married, I mean. Did you tell him what happened to her?”
“No. I figured she’d eventually let him know the situation. Why?”
“Because he can’t understand why Patrick sent her saddle over here. We all know he’s interested in her, but he’s not doing anything about it. If he knew she was divorced, we reckon he’d have done something about it by now.”
Jared had been leaning against the side of the house, listening as they spoke. Now, he had to ask his own question. “Is it possible she isn’t interested in him, that what we thought we saw wasn’t real?”
Kaycee’s head began shaking before he even finished his question.
“Oh, no,” she shook her head forcibly. “She is interested in him. We all saw it. I even gave her a bad time about it and she turned as red as a beet. And when I asked if she was interested in him, she protested so strenuously, I knew she wasn’t telling me the truth.” She turned her head and smiled up at her husband, dimples appearing on her cheeks. “C.J. has a problem telling lies. It shows on her face; she turns bright red. That’s the trouble with being a redhead. Her complexion gives every emotion away.”
Kaycee stopped speaking as Blake’s lips found the soft spot beneath her ear. She turned, inclining her head slightly to give him more room to canoodle.
“I know she was interested, but she’d been so annoyed with him over that email business the day he met her for lunch, she came on strong and made him call her Mrs. McCormack for that whole meeting. She only backed off and let him call her C.J. after he’d groveled a lot and apologized more than once. And when they flew out here in the helicopter, she told me David had asked if her husband wouldn’t be upset by her being away until late that night. The silly woman just said no, he was out of town and didn’t care. She was lamenting she’d done that, so I know she wishes she had let him know there wasn’t a marriage or a husband anymore.”
“So how do we go about telling him she isn’t married, that she’s available if he’s interested.”
Blake looked to his wife for guidance, certain she’d know what to do.
“Would you like me to tell him? After we eat, I could get him to show me the barn and ask about the saddle you brought over, then sort of confide the truth to him. Maybe he won’t see through it.”
They all knew full well David would know exactly why she told him. He wasn’t stupid and he knew Kaycee too well.
Blake and Jared breathed a collective sigh of relief. They hadn’t wanted to be the ones to talk to their partner, but would have done so if Kaycee hadn’t volunteered. Blake kissed her ear, whispering his thanks, while Jared beamed at her, a killer smile that got everyone sooner or later. As a thank you it was worth millions.
They rejoined the others in the house for lunch. By the time Jared and Annie had told everyone the latest about their three adopted babies, the whole room was in an uproar. Laughter erupted at Jared’s description of Annie trying to catch up to the rolling babies, each going in a different direction, with the golden retriever puppy, Jonathon, trying to help by taking hold of their diapers and pulling.
“It wouldn’t have been so funny, I guess, if a chunk of a diaper hadn’t got stuck in Jonathon’s teeth. Here was this golden bundle of over-excited puppy barking like he was gagged. You know, kind of like marwf, marwf instead of bark, bark.”
Jared was smiling at Annie, the two of them remembering the happy afternoon. Jared noticed th
at while everyone else was laughing, David had risen and walked to the window. He stood, looking forlorn and alone in a room full of families, watching the leaves falling from the trees around the house. Jared got Kaycee’s attention and silently indicated by a tilt of his head that it was time for her to take David outside and have a talk with him.
David didn’t hear her approach, just knew she was there when her arm snaked around his waist and she leaned against him. He’d known Kaycee since Blake first met her. He treated her like his little sister in the general scheme of things around the ranch and the office. So when she asked for a tour of the barn, as much as he didn’t want to do it, he thought it would appear churlish and unfriendly if he refused.
As the two of them left, Jared and Blake made sure no one else followed. They would handle explanations in the house.
Kaycee had her own story to tell David.
Kaycee gazed around the barn, looking for the saddle, finding it right where Blake said he put it. Knowing David rode only a western saddle, it gave her the opening she needed.
“You changing your riding style?” She nodded at the smaller English style saddle on the stall divider. “Thought you always called those sissy saddles?” She looked at him, following his gaze back to the saddle. “What’s the matter, David? You don’t seem very happy for someone who just moved onto his own ranch and took delivery of a nice, not so little, herd of lovely horses.”
Kaycee watched him, wondering if he’d even answer her.
David thought seriously of grabbing her hand and dragging her back to the house. The conversation had deteriorated from a personal tour to way too personal, much too quickly; but Kaycee would eventually dig an answer out of him so he might as well deal with the problem now. David stood gazing at his boots, trying to figure out how to answer her.
“Kaycee, I think I know where you’re headed and I wish you’d take another road. Patrick sent the saddle, it doesn’t have anything to do with me.”
