Cowboy Under Fire

by Carla Cassidy

  A hollow wind blew through her, and she stubbornly refocused her attention on the slick magazine detailing the life of people she’d never know, people she had no desire to meet.

  This was safe. This was her life, and the idea of opening herself up to Forest terrified her. How could he love her? Her own mother had walked away from her. Her father had only tolerated her. She was a shrew and the dragon lady, a difficult taskmaster and distinctly unlovable.

  Yet she couldn’t discount the utter conviction that had been in Forest’s voice as he’d spoken of his love for her. She couldn’t forget the softness of his gaze whenever it lingered on her.

  Was it possible he found something about her to love? Was it possible karma or fate or whatever had brought them to each other for a reason? She flipped a page in irritation. She didn’t believe in karma or fate. You just lived one day to the next without any grand plan in place.

  Why did her father marry her mother? Patience closed the tabloid, rolled over on her back and closed her eyes. Why, indeed? She reached back to access memories she’d spent most of her years attempting to forget.

  A vision of the two-story house where she’d grown up presented itself, along with a vision of her mother, Paula. She’d had red hair, too. She’d had long flowing locks that fell beyond her shoulders and emphasized delicate features and big green eyes.

  She’d been an excellent cook, a good housekeeper and talented as an artist. One of Patience’s very first memories was of her mother and her seated at the kitchen table drawing and coloring pictures together.

  Then her father had entered the kitchen and berated them both for wasting time on such nonsense. Her mother’s laughter had instantly transformed to tears and she’d gotten up from the table and stomped up the stairs to the master bedroom. Funny, she’d forgotten that particular memory until now.

  The wall up the stairs to the second floor had been lined with framed photos. Patience frowned as she tried to bring those pictures to life in her head.

  Her parents standing on the balcony of a cruise ship, both of them smiling and looking achingly young. Another image was of them standing in front of the house, her father gazing at his mother with a softness Patience had never seen before on his face.

  Finally, Patience remembered their wedding photo. There was no question that they gazed at each other with a love that leapt out of the photo.

  Love. Her father had married her mother because he’d been in love with her. Patience’s heart stopped in her chest as the realization took full possession of her. The man who had taught her not to believe in love had loved.

  Why else would he have married? He’d been a self-sufficient man who didn’t need a wife. He certainly hadn’t shown any enjoyment in having a child. There had been no reason for him to get married other than for love.

  She had no idea what dynamics had been at work that had ultimately forced her mother to leave, but she could only wonder now if bitterness had been her teacher.

  After her mother had left her father, had he become so bitter that he was determined his daughter would never be hurt but also would never experience the joy of love?

  Her heart began to beat again, faster, more frantic as the past faded away and thoughts of Forest bloomed in her mind. Forest, with his charming smile and teasing laughter, she’d been drawn to him from the moment he’d introduced himself to her.

  He’d protected her from danger, putting his own life on the line for her. He’d forced her out of her comfort zone and into a new place that had become just as comfortable.

  The fear that had always clutched her when she thought of loving somebody melted away as she remembered their sweet kiss by the silo and the picnic he’d planned just for her.

  He’d forced her to be sociable with the others on the ranch. His smile made her smile no matter what was going on. Making love with him had been something she wanted to do again and again for the rest of her life.

  Most importantly, he made her want to be a better woman, a better person. She’d been so afraid of everything he was offering her, and now she realized she didn’t have to be afraid anymore.

  Love.

  It burst forth in her heart, it filled her soul and she wanted his dreams to be her own. She wanted to tell him right now, this minute, that she was in love with him.

  She’d fought against it and tried to deny it, but there was no question that she was in love with Forest Stevens. She understood now why he had spoken of his emotions to her. When you realized you were in love, you wanted to tell the person as soon as possible. You wanted to start your life with them immediately.

  But a glance at her clock let her know it was nearly one in the morning. He’d be asleep by now, and despite everything that simmered inside her, she didn’t want to awaken him. Letting him know the depth of her love for him would have to wait until morning.

  She turned off her light and got back into bed, still filled with the awe of the love she’d finally embraced. She’d clung to her father’s beliefs for so long, she had become just like him, emotionless and cold.

  She didn’t want to be that person anymore. More important, she wasn’t that person. It was time for the tiger to transform into something better, and she was more than ready for that. She wanted to be the woman Forest deserved. She wanted to take his love and give it back to him.

  She was almost asleep when she heard a soft knock on her door. Forest! It could only be him. Maybe he had decided to give one more try at convincing her to look inside herself and discover the love she felt for him.

  Wasn’t he going to be surprised to find out that’s exactly what she’d done. Eagerly she jumped out of bed and without turning on the light she unlocked and opened her door.

  Surprise riveted through her, but before she could say anything a needle plunged into her neck. She stumbled forward as she tried to raise a hand to remove the syringe.

  Her hand never reached her neck. Dizziness was followed closely by the dark of sleep...of death.

  Chapter 14

  Forest sat in a chair outside his room, waiting for Patience to make her morning appearance. It was almost eight and he was surprised she hadn’t come out of her room yet.

  He’d assumed she’d want to get an early start on finishing up her reports and getting out of here, especially after the conversation they’d had the night before.

  He’d sworn he wasn’t going to tell her that he loved her, but he hadn’t been in control of his emotions, knowing that he had only one night left with her. And she’d reacted just as he’d expected her to, with a touch of horror and with a defensiveness he’d been unable to breach.

  Maybe he’d been wrong about her all along. Maybe she really didn’t love him. Although he could have sworn he’d seen love shining from her eyes, felt it radiating from her whenever they touched, whenever they were near.

  It was possible she just saw him as a nice, big cowboy who had been her bodyguard during a difficult time on a job site and nothing more. It didn’t matter now. He’d told her how he felt about her and she’d blown him off.

  It was over. It was done, and this afternoon she’d be gone, leaving his dreams of a family and of a future in shatters. He’d pick himself up, brush off the reddish brown Oklahoma dirt from his butt and get on with life. That was the only choice he had.

  Maybe she was late leaving her room this morning because she was reluctant to face him after the heated discussion they’d had the night before. She could hide out for a while, but eventually the job would call her and she’d open her door.

  He looked up as foreman Adam Benson approached where he sat. “Sounds like you’ll be getting off guard duty after today,” he said.

  “That’s the plan. I’ll be back to my usual schedule tomorrow,” Forest replied.

  “I know the rest of the men will be glad to have you back
among them.”

  “It’s past time,” Forest agreed.

  “I heard Dillon was meeting with Francine Rogers sometime this afternoon. Hopefully, she can give him some names or answers about this whole mess.”

  “Hopefully.” Forest thought about the ring Patience had found. Did it belong to one of the victims, or had the killer inadvertently dropped it when he’d stuffed the first body into the pit beneath the floorboards of the old shed?

  “Dr. Forbes is getting a late start this morning,” Adam observed and looked at his watch.

  “Yeah, I’m just about to knock on her door and rouse her,” Forest replied. “I figured I’d give it another few minutes and see if she makes an appearance on her own.”

  If she was putting off seeing him after last night’s debacle, she didn’t have to worry. He didn’t intend to talk about his feelings for her again. He just wanted to see to it that she finished her work safely and then she’d be gone from any danger here...and from him.

  He and Adam chatted about ranch business for a few minutes, and then Adam headed toward the main house and Forest checked his watch once again. It was almost eight-thirty, definitely late for her to get to work. The sun had been up for hours, and for the last week she’d wanted to be in the tent as soon as it was light outside.

  He stood in front of her door and after a moment of hesitation, he knocked. There was no reply. “Patience,” he yelled and then knocked again, this time harder.

  No sound came from the room. He tried the doorknob, surprised when it turned easily in his grasp and the door opened. Her bed looked slept in, but the bathroom door was open and it was apparent she wasn’t in the room.

  Don’t panic, he told himself. She probably got up extra early to avoid seeing him and was already at work in the tent. Still, his heart beat a little faster as he hurried from her room and toward the blue tent in the distance.

  When he reached it, there was nobody inside. He still refused to allow himself to think that anything might be wrong. He stepped up to the door of the white behemoth that had served as headquarters and living space for Devon. He knocked on the door and after a moment Devon answered.

  “Good morning,” Devon said.

  “Have you seen Patience this morning?” Forest asked.

  Devon shook his head. “I haven’t seen her since she kicked me out of the tent yesterday so that I could start packing things up in here and get ready to head out. I just assumed she was in the tent finishing up reports.”

  The panic that Forest had tried to tamp down now roared out of control. “She isn’t in her room and she isn’t in the tent. I don’t know where she is.” His voice held the faint ring of alarm.

  Devon frowned. “Have you checked the cowboy dining room? Maybe she had Cookie whip her up a late breakfast before finishing her work. She’s definitely been eating better for the last couple of weeks.”

  “Maybe,” Forest replied. Without saying another word he took off at a half run back toward the cowboy motel and the dining room in the back.

  Let her be there. Even though it would be uncharacteristic of her to want breakfast and especially to go to the dining room alone, he prayed that she would be there. He broke into a full run as he rounded her room and headed for the dining area in the back.

  He was half out of breath by the time he whirled into the dining room...the very empty dining room. “Cookie,” he yelled.

  Cookie stepped out of the kitchen and wiped his hands on a towel. “Too late for breakfast, too early for lunch,” he said.

  “Have you seen Dr. Forbes this morning?” Forest asked.

  “Nope, she never shows up for breakfast.” Cookie frowned. “Is there a problem?”

  “Yeah, there is. I can’t find her. I can’t find her anywhere.” Forest turned on his heels and left the dining room, his heart pounding so hard it threatened to burst out of his chest.

  Where could she be? In trouble...she was in trouble. He didn’t need facts or evidence to support his gut instinct. She was in danger and they needed to find her immediately.

  He ran for the main house. There was only one way he knew to get everyone’s attention as quickly as possible. Full-blown panic pumped his legs as he rounded the house to the front porch where a large bell hung. He rang it, the peals sounding a loud frantic tone around the ranch.

  Cassie flew out of the front door. “What’s happening?” she asked, her eyes wide with concern.

  “I can’t find Patience. Have you seen her this morning?”

  “No,” Cassie replied. “What do you mean you can’t find her?”

  “She’s not in her room, she’s not in the tent and she isn’t in the dining room. I can’t find her anywhere.”

  By that time the cowboys began to arrive, some on foot and others on horseback. “What’s going on?” Dusty asked worriedly. All of them knew that the bell was only rung in case of an emergency.

  “I can’t find Patience. You all need to spread out and check every outbuilding and every inch of the ranch,” Forest replied, his panic deepening to a tone he scarcely recognized.

  The men didn’t wait for further instructions. They took off and disappeared from the front of the house.

  “I’ll call Dillon,” Cassie said worriedly. “She’s got to be here someplace. We’ll find her, Forest.” She disappeared back into the house.

  Forest fought the instinct to fall to his knees as a sense of sheer horror swept through him. Her bed had appeared to have been slept in, but for how long? In all the times he’d entered her room when she was awake, the bed had always been neatly made up.

  The unmade bed spoke of something bad. She normally didn’t just get up and go directly to work. She made her bed. He mentally shook himself. He was obsessing about a bed when he should be doing something to find her. But still questions plagued him. Why would she have left her room by herself? And how long had she been missing?

  It hadn’t been that late when she’d angrily stormed off into her room. There was no way of knowing when exactly during the night or early morning hours that something had happened to her.

  Action. He needed action to drive the horror of possibilities out of his mind. She wasn’t a stupid woman. There was no way he believed she’d just decided to wander around the ranch without his protection.

  Even though her job was pretty much finished here, she had to know that danger could possibly still find her. Besides, she wasn’t one to alter her routine. If she wasn’t in her room and she wasn’t in the tent, he had no idea where else she could be.

  All he knew was that he needed to join the others in the search. He raced from the porch to the stables where he saddled up Thunder in record time. He could cover more ground on horseback than on foot.

  There was little relief to see the others searching a variety of places. There would be no relief until she was found safe and sound. Thunder’s hooves against the ground mimicked the frantic beat of his heart as he headed toward the barn.

  Behind him he heard various men yelling updates. “Utility shed is clear,” Dusty’s voice rang out.

  “She’s not in the garage,” Brody shouted.

  “Dr. Forbes.”

  “Patience!”

  Everyone called her name, and building after building was checked with no success. With every minute that passed, Forest felt as if his heart ripped out of his chest.

  Where was she? What could have happened to her? Who would want to harm her at this point in the investigation? She’d been done except for writing a few reports. She shouldn’t have been a threat anymore to anyone.

  Was this about the ring she’d found? But nobody knew about it, so what could that have to do with anything? With her disappearance?

  A modicum of relief swept through him as Dillon pulled in with three patrol cars behind him. The more men, the mo
re thorough the search, and there was still so much ground to cover. Forest rode up to the side of Dillon’s car.

  “Is she still missing?” Dillon asked through his open driver window.

  Forest gave a curt nod, momentarily unable to speak around the huge lump in the back of his throat. He moved Thunder away from the side of the vehicle, and Dillon got out and motioned for the men in the other cars to do the same.

  “Spread out,” he instructed his men. “We’re looking for a small red-haired woman.”

  Forest told himself that the more people searching, the better the odds that she was found, but he couldn’t halt the sickness in his gut, a sickness that was born from the fear that they would never find her, or if they did, it would already be too late.

  * * *

  Sunshine on her face. It warmed her skin like Forest’s kisses warmed her heart. A tiny headache danced across her forehead, and she opened her eyes to find herself staring directly at the morning sun.

  Her brain worked to make sense of the fact that she was peering up through a large opening surrounded by metal. Her bedroom didn’t have any metal in the ceiling. She certainly couldn’t see the sun inside her room when she was on her back in bed.

  She wasn’t in her bed!

  She slammed her eyelids closed. A dream. Surely she was dreaming. Yet the sun felt so hot, and despite the fact that her eyes were closed, she saw its brilliance through her eyelids. She wasn’t sleeping and this wasn’t a nightmare.

  Kernels of corn. She was on top of them. Her heart jumped a dozen beats and she opened her eyes once again. She was in a corn silo. She didn’t move, was afraid even to breathe.

  She wasn’t completely flat on her back, as her legs were slanted outward and buried to just under her knees in the yellow corn. Dust swirled in the air, tickling at the back of her throat, but she didn’t dare sneeze or cough.

  How had this happened? Still scarcely breathing yet with her heart pounding so fast she was half-breathless, she tried to remember how she had gotten here and who had put her in here.