Stalking Season

by Sandra Robbins

  EIGHT

  Cheyenne lay back on the pillows and closed her eyes. Finally she’d told someone, and it felt like a huge weight had been lifted. It didn’t change the fact that she still believed she was responsible for her parents’ deaths, but at least now someone else knew. The only problem was that it had been Luke who learned the truth about her.

  There was something about him that she’d liked the minute she looked up and saw him bending over her earlier today when she’d run into his car. Since that time, he’d demonstrated over and over the kindness he possessed. She’d hoped that he would be the first friend she’d make outside of the Johnsons and the Harwells. Now he probably saw her for the secretive, deceitful daughter she’d been and would want nothing to do with her.

  She opened her eyes and stared up at Luke, and her breath hitched in her throat. He wasn’t frowning, as she suspected he would be. Instead he stared at her with a sad look in his eyes and nodded. “It’s not easy waking up every day filled with remorse. I should know. I’ve been doing it for years.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Luke took a deep breath and stared down at the floor for a moment before he answered. “My dad was the greatest man I’ve ever known. When I was little, I wanted to be with him all the time. I followed him everywhere, and I knew that when I grew up I wanted to be just like him. My mother had died when I was young, so it was just the two of us, and his world revolved around me.”

  “That sounds a lot like the relationship I had with my dad except I had my mother, too,” she said.

  Luke pursed his lips for a moment before he continued. “When I got older, I began to change. I thought he was too strict, and all I wanted to do was get out on my own. I went to college for a few years, but I didn’t really like it, so I enlisted in the army. By the time I came home, I’d been in combat and thought I was a real tough guy. One night I’d been drinking at a bar and got in an argument with a man who tried to hit on the girl I was with. We ended up in a fight, and we both were arrested. I called my dad from the jail, and he said he’d come bail me out. I knew it was late, and I knew it was raining, but I wanted to go home. So I told him to come. On the way he skidded on the wet road and hit a tree. He didn’t die. He lived for six months in a coma, and I had to watch the life slowly drain out of him because of what I’d done.”

  Cheyenne scooted up in the bed. “Oh, no!”

  “So you see, I know what it’s like to feel responsible.”

  “I guess you do, but you couldn’t help that his car hit a tree.”

  “Just as you couldn’t help it because your stalker made the decision to kill your parents.”

  Cheyenne thought for a moment about what he’d said, then sighed and shook her head. “It’s a terrible thing to live with guilt. Tell me how you do it.”

  He sighed and raked his hand through his hair. “Ben helped me see that I didn’t have to. He had just been elected sheriff, and we’d been friends a long time. He knew what I was going through, and he came out to the ranch I’d inherited one night. He talked to me about how much my dad loved me and said that he wouldn’t want me to blame myself.”

  “But you did,,” Cheyenne interrupted. “Just like I do.”

  Luke nodded. “Yeah. Getting rid of guilt is easier said than done. But Ben reminded me that God forgives our sins all the time, and He’s our father. So if God can forgive, then my dad would have forgiven me, too.”

  The memory of standing at her parents’ graves returned, and she felt fresh tears in her eyes. “Our pastor said much the same thing to me after my parents’ deaths, and I know they’d forgive me for not telling them. The problem is I can’t forget what happened.”

  Luke paused for a moment before he spoke. “When I was about ten years old, I opened my mother’s jewelry box even though my father had warned me to leave it alone. Everything in it reminded him of her, and he didn’t want anything to happen to the things that she had loved. I took out her locket that I knew he gave her before they were married and put it in my pocket. At the end of the day when I went to put it back, it was gone. I don’t know where I lost, but I couldn’t find it anywhere.”

  Cheyenne’s eyes grew wide. “What did your father do when he found out?”

  Luke chuckled. “Of course he was furious. He punished me by taking away all television for a month, and he gave me extra chores around the ranch to keep me busy. I took my punishment, and then he told me that he’d forgiven me for disobeying him and that we would never talk about it again. I know he didn’t forget because he loved my mother, and he treasured that locket, but he chose not to remember it because he loved me, too. That’s what I had to do. I had to realize that Dad would have forgiven me for asking him to come, and he would never have reminded me of it again.”

  “And that’s helped you live with it?”

  “It has,” Luke said. “I haven’t forgotten what happened, but I choose not to remember it with guilt. I asked God’s forgiveness, and I have it. So I know I have my father’s forgiveness also.”

  Tears came into Cheyenne’s eyes again. “You make it sound so easy.”

  “Oh, no,” he said. “It’s not easy. It’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, but I decided it wasn’t going to rule my life. I was going to make something of myself to make my dad proud. I went to Ben and asked him if he would consider making me a deputy sheriff. The charges against me had been dropped, and I didn’t have a record, so he agreed. I’ve worked hard to be the best officer I can be, and I know my dad would be proud of me.”

  Cheyenne let her gaze drift over him. “I think he would be, too.”

  Luke started to respond, but before he could there was a knock at the door. A man stuck his head inside and looked toward Luke. “Sorry to interrupt, Luke.”

  Luke got from the chair and motioned for the man to come into the room. “That’s okay, Jeff. I wondered if you were going to come.”

  The man stopped beside her bed and looked down at Cheyenne. “Miss Cassidy, my name is Jeff Swan. I’m the head of security here at the hospital, and I’m very sorry about what you’ve had to go through tonight.”

  “How’s the guard who was stabbed?” Luke asked.

  “He’s still in surgery. Maybe we’ll know something before long.”

  Luke put his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels. “How long has he been working for you?”

  “Not long, but he went through our training program. The nurses at the desk told me he seemed more interested in flirting with them tonight than he did with doing his job.”

  Luke arched an eyebrow. “Well...”

  Jeff glanced at Cheyenne. “Don’t you worry, Miss Cassidy. I’ll be right outside your door for the rest of the night. Nothing else is going to happen to you.” He turned back to Luke. “I’m sorry it took me so long to get here, but I’m ready to take over if you want to go on home.”

  “I think I’ll do that. I’ll just say good-night to Cheyenne, then I’ll be on my way.”

  “Then I’ll see you when you leave,” Jeff said. “Miss Cassidy, if you need anything at all, don’t hesitate to call either the nurse or me.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Swan. I’ll do that.”

  With a nod in their direction he turned and walked out the door. When it closed behind him, Luke looked back at her. “I’ll come in the morning and check on you. If you’re still doing well and the doctor dismisses you, I’ll take you home.”

  The expectant look he directed at her seemed to indicate he was asking permission to come back. She started to object, to say that Gwen could come, but for some reason she wanted Luke to be the one. So she smiled as she stared up at him. “I’d like that. I’ll be waiting for you.”

  His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed, and a slight flush tinged his cheeks. “See you then.” He headed to the door but stopped
and faced her again. “When I take you home tomorrow, I’d like to get your computer and take it with me. We have some tech guys who do great work. They might be able to track all the messages you exchanged with Jesse and discover who he really is.”

  Cheyenne frowned. “I don’t think they’ll be able to. I deleted all the messages.”

  “That doesn’t matter. Nothing is ever completely lost. If anything’s still there, they’ll find it.”

  Her eyes grew large. “Do you really think they might be able to locate him?”

  Luke shrugged. “I don’t know, but it’s worth a try.”

  “It seems like you just keep giving me reasons to thank you.”

  He smiled down at her. “It’s my job, but in your case, it’s also a pleasure. Anything I can get for you before I leave?”

  “No. You’ve done quite a lot tonight. I’ll never forget it, Luke.”

  He gave a slight nod. “So I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said as he walked away. Cheyenne sat without moving and stared at his retreating figure as he headed to the door. When he put his hand on the doorknob, he paused and looked back over his shoulder. “Sweet dreams, Cheyenne.”

  Before she could answer, he was out the door, and it was closing softly behind him. She lay back against the pillows and smiled. It had been a long day, and she was tired. She’d had two attempts on her life and a man guarding her had been hurt. The ordeal had left her drained of energy, but she doubted if she would be able to go to sleep.

  She closed her eyes as Luke’s voice and his soft spoken words played over and over in her head. Sweet dreams, he’d said. The soothing effect made her yawn and she snuggled down under the covers. Maybe Luke wanted to be her friend after all. She hoped so. In the short time she’d known him, she had come to recognize he was a good man, a kind one she was sure her parents would have liked.

  With that thought in mind, she felt herself growing drowsy. Sweet dreams. The words echoed in her head one last time before she drifted into a deep sleep.

  * * *

  A week later Luke walked out of the new barn at Little Pigeon Ranch. He couldn’t help but remember the night a year ago when Dean’s old barn had burned down. Thankfully all the horses had been saved, and now a new state-of-the-art structure occupied the space where the old one had sat. The horses on Little Pigeon should feel fortunate to have such grand quarters to live in. He only wished he could afford something like this. Maybe someday when he was able to get his horse-breeding business off the ground. At the present time, however, that seemed a long way off. He didn’t have the capital to get the venture going or a partner to help him run it.

  He dismissed the thoughts and had just stepped outside the double doors as Dean rode up on his horse, Midnight. Luke waited for his friend to dismount, then approached him.

  “Hey, Dean. Where’ve you been?”

  Dean held Midnight’s reins in his hand and led the horse toward the barn. “I rode over to the back of the ranch to check on the fences. Everything seemed okay. What are you doing here again?” he asked with a sly smile.

  Luke’s eyebrows arched, and he stared at Dean. “I wanted to see if Cheyenne had heard anything from her stalker, but she said he’s been quiet all week.”

  “Yeah,” Dean said. “We’ve all been on alert around here in case he shows up, but so far nothing. Have you talked to her yet?”

  “I have. I thought while I was here I would help with Patches’s therapy. I’ve been worried about the horse.”

  Dean couldn’t hide the grin on his face. “It just seems like you’ve been over here about every day this week. I just wondered if you were really coming to see Patches or the girl who rides him.”

  Luke felt his face grow warm, and he scowled. “Cut it out, Dean. I like Cheyenne, and I’m sorry about what happened to her horse. She’s had a rough time the past few years, and I just want to make things better for her. You know I’m not looking for a relationship, not after what happened with Jasmine.”

  “Not all women are like your ex,” Dean said.

  Luke nodded. “I know that, but it’s made me stop and think before I risk getting involved with anyone again.”

  Dean pursed his lips and clamped his hand on Luke’s shoulder. “I understand. In any case I’m glad you’re coming around. Cheyenne needs some friends. Gwen and I have tried to be that for her, but a woman like her needs to spend time with people her own age.” Dean’s eyes searched Luke’s face. “Someone like you.”

  Luke swallowed and tried to ignore the way his pulse quickened. “I like her, Dean. I’m enjoying getting to know her.”

  “Good.” Dean took a deep breath. “So how’s the investigation going? The tech guys found anything on her computer?”

  “Not yet, but they’re still working. I was right about the phone, though. It was a burner. They said they’d let me know as soon as they found anything.”

  Dean sighed. “Well, as a former cop, I know a case isn’t solved in a single day. It takes time.”

  “You got that right.”

  “How’s the hospital guard who was stabbed doing?”

  “Better. I talked with the doctor this morning, and they’ve moved him out of the intensive care unit into a room. Ben went over to question him, but the guy couldn’t tell him anything. Of course, the attacker had on a ski mask, and there was very little light in the room so he couldn’t make out any details.”

  “That’s too bad,” Dean murmured. He started to say more, but at that moment Cheyenne came out of the barn. She held a bucket in her hand and was laughing with Maggie, who walked along beside her. They were almost to where Luke and Dean stood before she looked up and saw them there.

  Maggie spotted her dad at that same moment and gave a little shriek as she ran toward him. “Daddy!” she cried. “You left before I got up this morning. I wanted to go with you.”

  Dean reached down with one arm and scooped up his daughter. She wrapped her arms around his neck and, smiling, leaned forward for the two of them to rub noses. Dean laughed and stared into her eyes. “You didn’t need to go this time, darling. You’d have been tired out, but we can take a short ride this afternoon if you want.”

  Maggie frowned and looked at her father. “We have to be back in time to help Mommy decorate the Christmas tree.”

  “Oh, we’ll be back way before that. We won’t start on the tree until after dinner.”

  Maggie twisted around in her father’s arms and stared at Luke. “Do you have your tree up yet, Luke?” she asked.

  Luke chuckled and shook his head. “No. I don’t have one.”

  Maggie’s mouth dropped open, as if she’d never heard anything so ridiculous in her life. “Why not? Don’t you like Christmas?”

  “Of course I do, but I’m a man living alone. Most bachelors don’t bother to put up a tree.”

  “Bother?” Maggie’s whispered word made him suddenly feel like he was Scrooge in the flesh, and he glanced at Cheyenne, who was trying to hide her smile with her hand. “If you don’t have a Christmas tree, Luke,” Maggie continued, “you have to share ours.”

  He started to refuse, but Dean spoke up first. “I think that’s a great idea, Maggie. Luke needs to help us decorate so he can get in the Christmas spirit.” He glanced at Luke. “How about coming to dinner tonight and helping us put up the tree?”

  “Uh, I don’t know,” he muttered and looked at Cheyenne, who seemed to be waiting for him to say something. “Do you want me to come?” he asked.

  She smiled and nodded. “Very much. I think it will be a lot of fun.”

  The way her eyes sparkled sent a thrill through him, and he smiled back. “Then I’ll be here. What time is dinner?”

  Dean headed toward the barn with Maggie on one arm as he led Midnight with the other. “Be here about six thirty,” he called over his shoulde
r. “It’ll be good to have another guy around to keep the women from getting too carried away with the decorations.”

  “Oh, Daddy,” Maggie said as they left, “you know you like to help decorate.”

  “I like anything I get to do with you, darling,” Dean said before he and his daughter entered the barn.

  Luke suddenly felt shy being left alone with Cheyenne. Just minutes before they had been talking, but that had been about Patches. Now there was no horse to discuss, just the fact that he was coming back for a dinner that was usually reserved for family.

  “It’s been a long while since I helped decorate a Christmas tree,” he said.

  A sad look flashed in her eyes. “My family used to do it every year. My father would always cut one that had grown on the ranch and bring it in and get it set up. Then after dinner the three of us would gather in the den and put on the decorations that my mother had collected all the Christmases since they’d been married. I’m sure you must have some memories from your childhood.”

  Luke smiled. “I remember the last Christmas my mother was alive. She was sick, but she insisted that we have a wonderful Christmas. She did everything she could to make it that way. Sometimes I think I can still smell the cookies that she baked, and I remember what the tree looked like. It had twinkling lights, all colors of balls and a big star on the top. She hung every construction-paper and Popsicle-stick ornament I’d ever made in school on it and said it was a special tree for her Luke. Then on Christmas morning the three of us sat beside it before we opened presents, while she read the story of Christ’s birth from the book of Luke. When she finished, she told me she’d always loved that story and named me after that book in the Bible.”

  Cheyenne had stepped closer to him and laid her hand on his arm. “That sounds like a wonderful memory.”

  He nodded. “It was the best Christmas I ever had.”