by SJ McCoy
She pulled up outside Susie’s with a smile. She was so grateful that the older woman, who also worked at the guest ranch, had offered to help with Ruby. It had worked out so well. Susie took her to school each morning with her granddaughters and picked her up and brought her home with them afterward. Ruby loved spending time with the girls and Corinne didn’t have to worry about her; she came and picked her up when she finished work—and Susie didn’t mind in the least when she had to work late.
She knocked on the door and Susie opened it with a smile. “How long’s it going to take you to get the hang of the fact that you can just walk in? That’s how we do it around here.”
Corinne smiled. “Sorry, I know you always tell me that, but I can’t make myself do it. It seems rude to me.”
“It’s funny how we all have our different ways, isn’t it? With anyone else, I’d think they were being stand-offish.” She held up a hand as Corinne started to protest. “With you, I know it’s just your impeccable manners.” She winked. “And, hell, you’re from California, you can’t help being a bit different can you?”
Corinne laughed. “Apparently not.”
“Come on in. I’m only teasing.” The older woman’s smile faded. “Ruby’s upstairs with the girls, but before we call her down, there’s something I want to tell you about.”
“What?” Corinne didn’t like the sounds of that; she hoped Ruby wasn’t being a handful.
“I’ve been wondering ever since we got home whether I should tell you or not. It’s probably nothing but my suspicious mind making things up.”
“What is?”
“You know what this place is like, you know how fast rumors fly.”
Corinne nodded. Susie had no doubt heard about the fire.
“Everyone’s talking about Al Delaney…and about Guy Preston.”
“Yeah, I don’t know what to tell you. The guys all went up there to help put out the fire last night and Beau was pretty upset about it when he came back, but they don’t know anything for sure. Mason was going to talk to Luke Wallis today.”
Susie shook her head. “I’m not fishing for details. I steer as far clear as I can from all the gossip and rumors. I’m just worried that’s all.”
“Thanks, but…”
“I’m worried because when I picked the girls up from school today, Guy Preston’s truck was parked out by the road at the end of the driveway. Call me a crazy old coot, if you will. I probably am. In this case, I hope I am. But it put the wind up me. I just had this horrible feeling that he might be after one of the kids. It sounds like he’s gone right off the rails lately. I tried to dismiss it, tried to think it’s just me, but as we were driving back I just couldn’t kick the thought that he might be after Ruby.”
Corinne’s heart stopped for a moment and a wave of cold fear washed through her. She stared at Susie.
“See, I don’t mean to go upsetting you, hon. That’s not what I want at all. I should have kept my mouth shut. I’m sorry. I just couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t tell you. Once I’d had the thought, I felt like I should warn you. I couldn’t stand it if I didn’t say anything and something happened.”
While Susie apologized, Corinne took a moment to compose herself. She took a deep breath and smiled. “No, I’m glad you did say something. Thank you. It’s probably nothing, but I’d rather be on the alert and end up feeling silly when nothing happens, than just carry on without a care and be totally blindsided if, God forbid, he tried to do something.
Susie nodded. “That’s what I figured, but I don’t want to scare you.”
“I’ll admit, just the thought of it freaked me out, but I’m not scared. Forewarned is forearmed and all that.” She smiled, hoping to reassure the older woman. Her heart had restarted and was pounding away in her chest, but it wasn’t caused by fear so much as the need to step up and do whatever it took to keep her daughter safe.
“Do you want a drink or anything? You’re early tonight.”
“Thanks, but we need to get going. We’re having dinner at the cottage—the whole family is. They want to talk about the fire and whatever Luke Wallis had to say today. And to figure out what we need to be doing to keep our guard up if Guy tries anything else.”
“Good. The boys won’t let him get away with anything. Not now they know he’s on the rampage. Let’s go get Ruby then and get you on your way.”
As Corinne drove back down to the ranch, little shivers kept running down her spine. The threat that Guy Preston might do something to really hurt them, now seemed very real indeed. She was still convinced that he was responsible for Beau’s accident. If he had his sights set on the rest of the family, if there was even the tiniest possibility that he might go after Ruby… She shuddered again. She couldn’t wait to get to the cottage now and discuss this with the rest of them.
~ ~ ~
Beau sat at the picnic table out front of the cottage with Carter. He wanted the fresh air, and he didn’t want to do small talk with everyone inside. Mason wanted to wait until everyone was here before he told them what Luke had to say. They were only waiting on Corinne now.
He watched Carter twist his hat in his hands. He looked as though he’d shut down. He was lost in his own thoughts. Beau felt the same way. That was why he’d come out here. Carter was the best company when you didn’t want to talk. He wouldn’t make you say anything. He was just a big reassuring presence. He didn’t feel as reassuring as usual today though; waves of tension were rolling off him. Or at least it seemed that way to Beau.
“Are you okay?”
Carter looked up and met his gaze, then shook his head slowly. “Not really, no.”
Beau waited. If Carter wanted to talk, he would, and if he didn’t, there was no point trying to coax anything out of him.
Carter sighed. “I feel like I’ve failed again.”
“Failed? At what?”
“At taking care of the family. First you, with the accident. I’d almost gotten around to forgiving myself for that. I mean, we didn’t know; we couldn’t have known, could we? Not that he’d pull a stunt like that. But now with the fire at Al’s, I should have known. I shouldn’t have let it happen.”
“How in the hell could you have known, Carter? That’s a dumb thing to say.” Beau regretted those last words the moment they were out of his mouth. He usually made sure he chose his words carefully with Carter—he talked himself down as a dumbass all the time. Beau tried to build him up. “I mean there’s no way you could have known Al would go after him.”
Carter shrugged. “I’d heard he was behind the other fires. I know he hates us. I should’ve…”
“No. It’s just not true, C. There’s no way you could have figured out he’d do that. I understand how you’re feeling. You take care of us all. But there’s just no way you could’ve known. Don’t go beating yourself up.”
Carter shook his head sadly. He was beating himself badly by the looks of it.
“Quit it, would you?” Beau spoke in a sharper tone this time. “You can’t afford to be dwelling on your hurt pride right now. You can’t change what you didn’t do so you need to let it go. Focus on what you can do from here on out and quit feeling sorry for yourself.”
Carter looked up. “I guess you’re right.”
“You know I am.”
Carter smiled. “You ain’t fooling me though.”
“What do you mean?” Beau tried to hide a smile, glad that Carter had rumbled him.
“I’m not that dumb. You’re just trying to make me snap out of it; you’re not being mean.”
Beau shrugged. “I have my reputation as an asshole to think about.”
Carter smiled. “Nah, you blew that months ago.”
Beau smiled back. Things really had changed in the last few months. He’d changed and all for the better. He looked up as Corinne’s SUV turned into the driveway.
“And she’s the one responsible.” Carter stood up. “I’ll see you inside.”
Beau was glad
of a moment alone with Corinne. He’d been preoccupied when everyone had left last night and he’d been up and out early this morning. He smiled as Ruby came flying toward him.
“Beau!” she cried as she flung herself into his arms.
He scooped her up and twirled her around. “Hey, pumpkin. Did you have a good day at school?”
“Yes. Did you have a good day? I missed you this morning.”
“Sorry, sweetie. I had to go out early.”
Corinne reached them and leaned in for a kiss. He wrapped his arm around her, and Ruby put an arm around each of their necks.
“Mommy says I can go to see Grandma and Grandpa. Are you coming?”
He frowned at Corinne. “You mean now? Everyone’s here waiting.”
“I know.” Corinne gave him a meaningful look. “But I thought Ruby would have more fun with Grandma and Grandpa than listening to what we have to say. She hasn’t seen them in a while. I called them on our way back and they’re happy to have her.” She looked at Ruby. “But madam here wanted to see you first, since she didn’t get to see you this morning.”
“Yeah, sorry about that. I’ll come up to the big house with you, but we’ll have to be quick. Everyone’s waiting.” He had a feeling Corinne had something she didn’t want to talk about in front of Ruby. Hell, it was better she didn’t hear anything about Guy at all now he came to think about it.
Once they’d left Ruby with his folks—curled into the crook of his dad’s arm on the sofa, watching a documentary about elk—Beau drove them back down to the cottage.
“What’s got you worried?”
Corinne blew out a sigh. “Susie said she’d seen Guy hanging about near the school gates when she picked the kids up today.”
“Jesus!” Beau’s heart felt like it might explode in his chest as the adrenaline coursed through his veins.
Corinne put a hand on his arm. “That was my first reaction, too. That’s why I wanted to tell you alone before we tell everyone else. You need time to process those initial instincts just like I did. Then we can talk it out with the others.”
Beau shook his head as he parked up in the driveway. “You still don’t quite have the hang of how this family works yet, do you? Every single one of them is going to react the same way I just did. The same way you did. She’s our own.”
There were tears in her eyes as she nodded at him. “You’re right, I’m still not used to that.” She climbed out of the truck and he walked around to meet her in front of it before they went inside.
“You’ll get there, you’ll have the rest of your life to work on it, but in the meantime, don’t expect any rational reactions when you tell the guys. They’ll all need to process their reactions too.”
~ ~ ~
Shane smiled at Corinne when she and Beau came into the cottage. She looked more stressed out than he’d ever seen her. She was usually the embodiment of calm, capable, composure. Right now she looked…frazzled! That was the word for it.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
She nodded and exchanged a look with Beau. It seemed they reached a silent agreement that she should come straight out and tell everyone what was on her mind. “I’m a bit shaken up.”
The others stopped their conversations and gathered around her. “What happened?” asked Mason.
“Nothing, and it probably won’t.” She gave them all an apologetic smile then tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.
“But that’s not a risk we want to take,” said Beau.
“It isn’t,” she agreed. “So, much as I feel like a pathetic, overprotective momma, I need to let you know that Susie told me she saw Guy hanging around outside school today. It’s probably a huge overreaction on my part…”
“It isn’t,” said Beau.
“…I need to share my concern with you. I’m scared he might go after Ruby.”
Shane shook his head in disbelief. No. Guy wouldn’t do something like that, would he? He looked around the room and saw varying reactions to that question on the others’ faces.
Carter looked like a bull ready to charge again. No way would he let it happen. Summer’s hand had come up to cover her mouth. She looked shocked and scared. Chance’s eyes were narrow slits. It wouldn’t surprise Shane if he strode out of here right now and went to take Guy down before he even thought about going near Ruby. Mason’s eyebrows had come down and the thunderclouds had rolled in, clouding his face. Gina and Cassidy were shaking their heads at each other, seemingly in the same kind of disbelief Shane felt.
“I’m sorry; I know it sounds crazy,” Corinne said.
“But we’ve got a pretty fair idea that he’s gone crazy,” said Chance. “We can’t be too careful, especially not when it comes to the little one.” He looked at Beau. “Can you get out of town till we take care of this?”
Shane wondered what he meant by that.
“Do you want to take her and stay with Carly and James?” Beau asked Corinne.
“No. I don’t want to take any stupid risks, but I don’t want him running us out of our lives either.”
Mason nodded. “That’d be like letting him win.”
“It’s not a game, Mase. It’s not about winning and losing petty victories anymore,” said Carter. “It’s about keeping everyone safe. I think you should take her and go, Corinne.”
“Thanks, Carter, I might. But right now all we’re going on is a feeling. He could have been there for any number of reasons, but Susie noticed him and it made her uneasy enough to tell me.”
“I think you should go, too,” said Chance, “but if you don’t want to, I’ll take the little one to school every day and pick her up afterward.”
“I can do that, too,” said Carter. “I can drop her off on my way up to town in the mornings. Chance and you can pick her up.”
“Thanks,” said Beau, “but I can do it myself.”
Shane had to smile at the look Chance turned on Beau. “No one’s saying you can’t; you just need to know you don’t have to.”
“Thanks.”
Wow. Those two really had come a long way.
Corinne smiled at Carter and Chance. “Thank you, we’ll figure out what to do for the best, but I don’t mean to hijack everything with talk about Ruby.” She looked at Mason. “What did Luke have to say about the fire?”
Mason sighed. “Not a lot. At least there’s not much he can say about Guy yet. The fire was set deliberately, in the same way as the other two fires. Off the record, he told me that he thinks Guy’s behind it. On the record, he can’t tell me anything other than it appears the fire was not accidental and they’re pursuing all leads to identify a suspect.”
Chance shook his head. “In other words he can’t do a damned thing.”
“He’ll do all he can,” said Mason.
“Exactly, which is nothing. His hands are tied by the law, and the law is an ass.”
Cassidy raised an eyebrow at him. “Dickens?”
Chance shrugged. “That’s what most people think; it was more likely Chapman or Glapthorne.”
“Seriously?” asked Gina. “You two are going to get into the origins of obscure quotes at this point?”
“Sorry.” Cassidy hung her head.
Chance wasn’t in the least apologetic. “My point is, we can’t leave it to Luke or the law to deal with this for us. We need to take care of it ourselves.”
“I agree.” Shane wouldn’t have expected that from Beau.
It surprised the others too judging by the looks on their faces as they all turned toward him. “We can’t sit back and do nothing while we wait for someone else to sort him out.” He looked at Chance. “But we need to be smart about it. We don’t need to wait for the law to take care of us, but we do need to work within it.”
Shane nodded. Beau was smart, and he could be crafty when he wanted. Whatever he came up with should be interesting. They all waited.
Beau shrugged. “I just don’t know how yet.
Chapter Seven
Mason looked around at everyone. “So, are we all happy?”
Carter blew out a sigh. “Happy is a bit of a stretch. We’re battening down the hatches in case he does something. I’d rather be making sure that he doesn’t even try.”
Chance nodded grimly.
Mason knew they were the two he’d need to worry about most. Carter was all about protecting everyone. So was Chance, but he had a vengeful streak, too. He held up a hand. “I know, guys. But like Beau said, we’ve got to be smart about it. Much as I hate to admit it, Guy’s smart. For all we know he may be trying to provoke us into going after him so he can bring the law down on us.”
Gina nodded. “That’d be just like him—to use our own actions against us. We can’t let him.”
Chance and Carter both nodded.
“We can’t just circle the wagons and wait for the storm to pass, though,” said Shane. “It’s never going to be over until we stop him.”
“You’re right,” said Beau, “but the first thing we need to do is make sure everyone’s safe until we figure out a way to stop him.”
“Well, can you hurry about it, then?” Cassidy asked. “Because I don’t like the sounds of this at all. I’ve got a business to run and a wedding to plan. I don’t need to be tiptoeing around looking over my shoulder, wondering if Guy the bogeyman is after me the whole time.”
Mason smiled to himself. Neither Gina nor Cassidy liked the idea they’d come up with—that everyone should be extra vigilant, and if anything else happened, they should all come stay at the ranch until they found a way to deal with Guy. It shouldn’t matter to Gina, she lived here anyway, but she hated the principle—that they were prepared to cower and hide as she’d put it.
Beau smiled at Cassidy. “Sorry, princess. You’re just going to have to live with it for a while.”
