“What the fuck?” I looked up to see Marcus strolling into the barn.
“Hey, Braden, I need you and Marcus to start helping the girls clear out all of the hay from the stalls.”
“Got it.” Braden moved to a wall and picked up a rake.
“London, I need you to call Wally and the others and get them in here now.” I pulled out my phone and started dialing.
“Holland, I need you to start giving each of the horses some activated charcoal to keep any more poison for absorbing into their system.”
“Poison?” we all asked in unison.
“Yes, I’m not sure which plant, but from the symptoms I’d say it was a hemlock variety or oleander. Paris and I will start administering the anti-arrhythmic drugs.” Then he turned to Paris and cupped her cheeks in his palms to make sure she was paying attention. “I need you to go check their heart rate and get a base idea of temperature. I’m going to start with Yzma, but let me know who appears to be in the worst shape so I can move to them next. Can you do that?”
A tearful Paris nodded. “Got it,” was all she said before moving to the end of the barn to start with the first stall.
As I waited for the first call I had to make to connect, I stared at the horses, blaming myself for what had happened. If I hadn’t been out riding, flirting with Braden, or whatever, I would have been here. I would have been doing my damn job, running the ranch, and then maybe I would have noticed something or someone. Wally’s voicemail picked up, and I left him a quick message, telling him to get to the stables as soon as he could and then hung up. I got ahold of both Jack and Ryan, and both assured me they were on their way.
“I don’t get it, who could do something like this?”
Holland heard me ask as I slipped my phone into my pocket and looked around the barn, feeling as lost as I probably looked. Holland moved from stall to stall, squirting liquid activated charcoal into each horse’s mouth. “An animal, and not the sweet, gentle kind like a horse.”
I couldn’t have said it better myself.
I worked with Braden and Marcus, raking, shoveling, and piling any possibly contaminated hay into a giant pile away from the horses. We were halfway done when someone appeared at my side. “What can I do to help?” I turned to see Wally.
“Help Marcus and Braden start clearing out the stalls of any leftover hay. We need to destroy it.”
“On it. I’ll pull a tractor around and we can load it up on there.” Wally headed out.
I joined Holland and helped her with the charcoal, and when we were done, we started clearing out the tack and water pails that we kept in each stall.
An icy chill tore through me at the sound of Paris’s sobs, and I dropped the buckets and raced to where I had heard her. She was in Yzma’s stall, the foal’s little head was lying peacefully in her lap. Paris pulled her fingers through the tousled creamy mane that was splayed out.
My eyes filled with tears as I dropped to my knees next to her and took in the sight before me. I didn’t have to ask what was wrong. I could see it for myself. There was no rise and fall to the gentle horse’s chest and no soulful look in her dark eyes.
“Honey, Yzma was too small, she couldn’t fight it.”
“She shouldn’t have had to. Whoever did this murdered her. She should have been safe here.” Paris half-cried, half-shouted.
“I know, and I promise we will find out who is doing this.”
“Ursula is going to be so sad. This was her baby, her first baby.” Paris continued brushing her fingers through the horse’s mane as she rocked back and forth.
I held Paris until her sobs quieted, but I didn’t try to make her get up when I stood. I just backed quietly out of the stall and went in search of Asher.
“How is she?” he asked, and the anguish on Asher’s face was almost as heart-rending as it had been on Paris, but I think his pain was for an entirely different reason. Yes, Asher hated losing an animal, but I knew he hated not being Paris’s rescuer even more.
“She’s hurt and angry at whoever did this. She just needs some time alone. What can I do to help you?”
“I need you to start working on getting each stall sterilized. Start with the empty four, and then we will move some of the horses there as soon as we can get them standing or onto a cot. Then we will clean the other ones as we get them vacated. Leave Yzma until the end.”
I did as he asked, and by the time the stalls were deemed daft, we’d worked through the night and morning and it was already two in the afternoon. Ryan, Jack, and Wally had buried Yzma, and Paris was inside quiet and sad.
“We are going to need to watch them, the next seventy-two hours will be vital,” Asher said as he gathered his supplies.
“Their symptoms? Are they normal reactions? I mean, does that happen the first time a horse is exposed or after a long period of exposure to the poison?” Braden stood next to me. He was asking questions that I should be asking, but truth was, I hadn’t thought of them.
“The symptoms are normal when ingesting the poison. I’d say the poison was in their system all of a few hours. I’m going to send some fecal matter off to be tested and know for sure which poison was used. But like I said, the next several hours you’ll need to watch them around the clock.”
“London and I will take first watch.” Braden wove his fingers in-between mine.
Swallowing hard, I gave him a faint smile as hopelessness started to wash over me. I hated it, but part of this was my fault. No, I would never do anything to hurt the horses, but the ranch and stables were partially mine to take care of, and in less than a month, we’d had a massive fire, a minor flood, and almost every one of our horses had been poisoned.
“London, I only have one lesson today, but I forgot to cancel her with all this chaos. Is it okay if I use Mim?” Holland grabbed a child-sized saddle and turned to look at me.
“Of course, you know that you never have to ask. I trust you.” I waved her on. “Ryan and Jack, if you two could go herd the cattle to the small pasture and make sure they are okay, you can head home after.” After the two men were out of earshot, I turned to Wally. “I need you to step up and assume the leadership role of the three of you. I’ve been looking for a new field hand, but I need you to know that I plan to let Ryan go, which means you are going to be in charge. He reports to you, not me.”
I caught hold of Braden’s eyes and could tell that he’d prefer I just get rid of Ryan, but after tonight, I needed all the help that I could get.
“Is something wrong?” Wally looked anything but pleased by my decision.
“Honestly? Yes, I don’t appreciate the way he treats me. My sisters aren’t too fond of him either.”
“What if I talk to him?”
“You can talk to him and tell him to cool it if he wants to keep his job, but as far as being in charge, that is me and my sisters, and he still reports to you.”
Wally didn’t say another word as he headed toward the barn doors.
“I need to get to the bar, Jett will need some help.” Marcus stepped up to me and gave me a kiss on my cheek. “Call if you need anything or learn of anything.” I leaned into Marcus and soaked in his strength, the familiarity that was like a big brother.
“I need to file a report and get an investigation going on this.”
I hadn’t even thought about pressing charges or police reports. “This is such a mess, all of it, first the fire, then the pasture being soaked, now this.”
“Look at me.” I met his eyes. “I will figure this out, promise. Aside from the three of you who else goes in and out of the barn?” Braden settled on top of an old chest in one corner where we stored saddle blankets.
“Wally, Jack, and Ryan. But Asher and Marcus come and go as they please.” I turned to face my sister when she let out a loud humph. Holland raised an eyebrow as if casting judgment on me for even mentioning their names. “I’m not accusing Marcus or Asher, and Braden knows that. He asked who else has access. We also have a farrier
who comes by twice a month, but he was here last week.”
“What do you know about Jack?” Braden had his phone open and was entering information as I spoke.
“He’s been working here about twenty years. Was married, wife died a few years ago, no kids. He’d spend all his time here if we’d let him. There’s no way he’d do something as horrible as this.”
“Besides that, he mainly works with the cattle.”
Shoving all the bad ideas aside, I chanted in my head that I needed to trust our workers. I had to believe in them because if I didn’t, I might as well fire them all.
“Whoever did this wants to see the ranch hit rock bottom.” Holland’s voice was grim. She was staring at her horse, Shere Khan, who was starting to look a little better.
“You guys should be on the watch out. I really think the person who poisoned the horses is the one responsible for the fire and probably the flooded field. I know that had no permanent damage, so you didn’t take it seriously, but at this point, I wouldn’t rule out any sort of mishap.” Braden made sure that Holland and I were both paying attention before he continued. “This can’t be entirely coincidental. I have been thinking about this a lot lately, especially since I haven’t gotten any new details on the arson case. Cases like this oftentimes end up being an inside job.”
“What? Why would you think that?”
“I bet it is our neighbor,” Holland scoffed. “He’s mad that he isn’t making money off us. He’d thought he’d force our hand by flooding the pasture and now this.”
“You think?” I looked at Braden for answers.
“I’ll talk with him, and I’ll mention it to the fire investigator but truthfully I doubt it was your neighbor. More than likely it was one of the three guys that just left here. Whoever did this knew your schedule. They knew when the cattle were in which area and when you all locked up for the night.”
I turned to Holland, my gut telling me that Braden was only half-right. I agreed that it wasn’t our cranky neighbor, mainly because I doubted the guy who breeds horses would be as heartless as to poison them for some petty revenge, but our employees? I just couldn’t fathom it.
“How could you doubt our guys, though? Why would they try ruining their livelihood? That doesn’t make sense. Ruining us would ruin them.”
“Unless ruining your ranch proves that you need them. London, can’t you think of anyone who wants to prove that you are incapable of running the ranch? Someone who—”
“I get it, you are hinting to Ryan. Yes, he is an ass, but I don’t think he’d ruin our ranch. I just think he is a chauvinistic pig.”
“Don’t rule it out, ruining us could force us to sell dirt cheap and give an asshole neighbor the opportunity to buy our land for a steal.” Holland wasn’t letting the idea of the neighbor go.
“Listen, I’m not ruling anyone out, we shouldn’t be too quick to accuse anyone just yet. But at the same time, don’t let your guard down.” Braden reached over and squeezed my hand.
Shaking my head, I stood and shot him and Holland an angry look. “I can’t believe that this was done by someone we think of as family. But I do believe that the person who poisoned the horses was also the one who set the fire.”
With that, everyone nodded. At least we all agreed on one thing. I began pacing but stopped and looked up when I heard the stable doors opening, Ryan had entered the barn.
“We’re having a private discussion,” I said, not wanting Ryan lurking around or making comments about how this proved females couldn’t handle the ranch.
“Private?” Ryan raised one eyebrow as he and Braden locked eyes in a death stare.
Braden squared his shoulders before speaking, his voice the most authoritative I’d ever heard. “If you have any idea who might want to do this to the girls, you should tell me now. The fire may not be something that I can investigate because it isn’t my area, but this is something I can, and will, pursue. So, that means I will dig deep, and when I find the person responsible, I will find every charge I possibly can and throw it at them.”
Ryan simply shrugged. “I have no clue. Well, Wally told me to come in and make sure the horses all had full water buckets. So that’s what I’m going to do, if you all will excuse me.” He stalked toward the first stall door, not looking back at us.
“Ryan, I’m taking care of the horses right now. Besides I told you to go on home. If you want to help then that is fine, but you can go on and help Wally with something else. Tell him that we’ve got this part handled.”
Ryan stomped toward the barn doors, clearly not happy about being ordered around.
“Well, whoever did this has royally fucked up, my hands were somewhat tied with the fire. But this? This is my department. I’m going to give it everything I have,” Braden said a bit too loud, obviously intending Ryan to hear him before he was out of hearing range. “I don’t care what it takes, I’ll be here day and night, I promise.”
Day and night? Did Braden just insinuate that he’d be sleeping here? What. The. Heck? On one hand, it was comforting knowing that we’d have the extra protection, but on the other hand, I needed to refocus and pay attention to the ranch before I lost everything Daddy had ever worked for. But then again, the thought of a replay of our one night seemed to make my girly parts happy.
Braden glanced at me, and from the look on his face, I could tell he knew I wasn’t listening to whatever he was saying. Heat rose on my cheeks, and his lips lifted in a half smile as if he knew what I’d been thinking.
“What?” I snapped.
“Nothing, I just like looking at you. How you holding up?”
“I’ve been better.” I stepped away from him. “I...I’m just wondering what do we do next? Do we constantly sleep with one eye open until this gets solved, do Paris, Holland, and I need to come up with a rotation so that one of us is always on watch duty, what?”
“Sweetheart, let’s get some rest, we will worry about all of that in the morning. We are going to solve this, I promise. I told you, I’m going to figure this out. Tonight, our focus is on the horses and just watching them and making sure they are okay.” Braden pulled me into his arms and then covered my lips with his. I moaned and found myself lost in one of his addicting kisses, lost from the world of chaos going on around us. Yep, every ounce of will I had just went out the window, I wanted this man. One-night stand, stupid note, and all. He was a fabulous kisser and right then, he made me feel incredibly safe.
10
Braden
I waited on the front porch as London ran inside to grab a few things, and while she did, I put in a call to David.
“Hey, Lieutenant,” David greeted on the other end of the phone.
“You won’t believe the shit storm going on at the Kelly Ranch now. Someone poisoned the horses, and one of the foals died. I’ve done a sweep of the property, and everything else seems to be okay, but I need two favors.”
“Sure, you name it.”
“I need you to run down to technical services and checkout a few fingerprinting kits. I’ll call ahead and give them a heads-up that you’ll be picking them up.”
“You got it. You think someone left something behind?”
“Even if they had, there were so many people in and out that whatever was there is useless. I want them just in case something else happens.”
“I take it you won’t be in tonight?”
“Nope, which brings me to my second favor. I need to you to run them down here for me.”
“I’m on it. See you in thirty.” David disconnected, and I slid my phone into my pocket.
“What’s he bringing over?”
I turned to find Holland standing at the bottom of the steps. I hadn’t realized she was there, let alone listening to my conversation.
“He’s grabbing me some fingerprinting equipment in case anything else happens.”
She nodded and blew out a deep breath. “Smart idea.”
“You really think it’s the neighbor?”
“Truthfully? No. He just gets me so angry that I want to blame everything that goes wrong in the world on him. But no, I don’t think it’s him.”
“Then who do you think wants to hurt your family?”
Holland gave me a wry smile. “Ryan Cardenas. I don’t trust that bastard.”
“Mind telling me why him?”
Holland eyed me. “You might think this is stupid. But it’s because no animals around here really like him. When he tries riding Jafar, Jafar runs and bucks until Ryan finally calls it and gets off. The same thing happens with Dad’s stallion, Balthazar. Balthazar is the kindest among all the horses around. Anyone but Ryan can ride him. There is just something about the whole scenario that rubs me the wrong way.” Holland and I leaned on against the split rail banister of the porch and looked out toward the three-quarter moon.
I knew that animals were good judges of character. Hell, we saw it with the K-9 units all the time.
“Cujo hates him too.”
“Who’s Cujo?”
“Asher’s dog, he’s a Golden Retriever.”
“A Golden Retriever named Cujo seems like sort of an oxymoron.”
“Asher had to stop bringing him after he tried to attack Ryan. It’s always bothered me since the only person that Cujo protects more than Asher is Paris. I still swear that Ryan was doing something that Cujo believed was going to hurt Paris because Asher wasn’t around and no one had ever seen the dog react that way before.” Holland finished explaining her thought process about Ryan.
The more I heard about Ryan the more I seriously disliked the guy and the more I hated that London hadn’t just fired him.
London appeared in the doorway and then made her way over to Holland and me.
“Yeah, the dog is the sweetest.” London had obviously overheard part of our conversation.
“You ready to get back to the stable?” I asked as I slid the bag from her shoulder and draped my arm over her shoulders.
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