by Beth Alvarez
Straddling his lap, she pushed off his hat and pressed kisses to his temple. “Just talk?”
“Why, you want more?” His thumbs slid beneath the underwires of her bra, teasing the stiff peaks of her breasts.
She gasped, clutching his shoulders.
“You want more?” he repeated huskily.
“Yes,” she moaned.
Trailing kisses down her throat, he hooked an arm around her, his other hand sliding down her stomach. “And here we are, dead of winter.” He popped the button on her jeans. “If it were summertime, I’d show you how a cowboy rides, right here.”
His fingers dove into her jeans and she rocked her hips forward, desperate for his touch.
One of the cattle gave a warning bellow, the whole herd stirring to motion.
Kade growled beneath his breath. “Really?”
The horses behind them stamped and fidgeted.
Felicity slid off his lap, clutching the blanket close as he stood and started to untie his gelding.
The drone of an engine reached her ears before she could ask what was wrong.
Cursing, Kade dropped his horse’s reins, tearing Prissy’s free of the branch. “You gotta get out of here.”
“I’m not going to leave you here alone,” she protested, starting to rise.
Too late, she heard the sound of someone behind her. Arms wrapped around her from behind and she threw back her head, rewarded with the crack of hitting her captor’s mouth.
The man behind her howled in pain and a split second later, Kade was hauling her to her feet.
Headlights crested the horizon, the cattle wheeling and stamping, silhouetted against the approaching truck.
“You weren’t supposed to have friends.” The stranger spat blood, shooting a look at the truck before lunging forward.
Kade met him halfway, catching his arms and flipping the man over his shoulder. “Go, Filly!”
The horses whinnied and Prissy hopped back several steps, prancing away. Felicity didn’t bother trying to catch her, scrambling instead for the gleam of metal in the grass.
Their attacker hit the ground beside her, rolling toward her, reaching for her arms.
She swung the flashlight as hard as she could, the metal case connecting with the man’s skull, knocking him flat. He sprawled in the grass with his eyes rolling back in his head.
Kade stared at her in surprise.
“I grew up in the country.” She hadn’t noticed the man held rope until she took it from his hand. She hefted him up, grunting as she looped it around him, tying him the way she assumed he’d meant to tie her. “Farm boys don’t play fair in a wrestling match.”
The truck stopped and Kade spat another curse. “Last chance, Filly, you gotta go!”
“Not without you!” She stood and brushed dirt off her knees.
He gritted his teeth and shoved past her, catching Dex by the reins. The gelding pulled. Kade pulled harder. She thought he was going to give the horse to her, but instead he snatched something from the saddle and let the horse go.
His rifle.
“Get down,” he ordered, and this time she didn’t protest. She dropped to the earth, laying on her stomach. Through the tangle of shadows and light where the headlights shone past the cattle’s legs, she saw people moving to the back of the truck.
Kade braced his rifle against his shoulder, taking aim. “Damn cows,” he murmured. “Just need one clear shot, soon as that door drops . . .”
A shot rang out before she was ready. Kade staggered backwards with a grunt, and her stomach flopped.
“Stay down!” he snarled before she could push herself up. His rifle’s muzzle dropped a few inches and he stumbled before bracing himself, breathing hard, struggling to level his gun again.
Panicking, the frenzied cattle ran in every direction. The horses screamed behind them. Prissy bolted. Dex pranced circles around the trees.
Another shot.
He dropped, his hat tumbling away.
“Kade!” she shrieked.
Holding out a hand as if to stop her, he struggled to stay on his knees, reaching for the rifle in the grass.
She ignored him, scrambling forward, reaching him just as he collapsed.
“Told you to stay down,” he wheezed as she rolled him onto his back. He grimaced and pressed a hand to his chest, where a dark, wet shadow blossomed on his coat. A second bloomed on his stomach, the scent of blood acrid in her nose.
Heart thundering in her ears, she reached past him, taking his rifle.
“Filly-” he gasped, reaching after her.
She jumped to her feet, widening her stance, cocking the rifle and planting the stock against her shoulder.
The shadows of men beside the truck gestured angrily, one shoving the other, tearing the gun from its grasp. Disarmed and angry, the shadow disappeared around the side of the vehicle. The other turned, and even from a distance, she felt the weight of the man’s eyes.
She moved her finger to the trigger, aligning the sights with the middle of his body.
He turned away before she could shoot, rifle dangling by his side as he climbed into the truck.
“They’re leaving.” Her jaw clenched. Why were they leaving? She blinked hard, her eyes burning. By the second blink, she’d tossed the gun to the grass and dropped to Kade’s side, grasping his hands.
His hazel eyes were pinched, but he forced a grin, dimple deepening in his cheek. “Shoulda ridden when I told you.” His breath came ragged, his hands shaking in hers.
“I’m not leaving you,” she insisted, squeezing his hands before trying to unfasten his coat with trembling fingers.
“What’s that gonna do, Filly?” He swallowed hard, squeezing his eyes closed. “What’s that gonna do?”
Tears blurred her vision and she jerked off her scarf, snagging it with her teeth and pulling until the edge tore. She split it in half. “I’m not going to let you die alone!”
Seeing the bloodied bullet holes in his shirt made her sick, but she pressed one piece of the scarf against one of the wounds.
“Filly,” he breathed, taking her hand. “Take Dex. He’s fast.”
“And leave you like this?” She tried to pull away but he held her fast.
“Wasting time,” was all he said.
Felicity grimaced, looking up. The truck was already out of sight. Behind her, Dex no longer danced between the trees, instead creeping closer and whickering for his owner.
“Go,” Kade said.
Squeezing her eyes closed against the tears, she tore her hands away from his and snatched Dex’s reins.
She scrambled into the saddle and dug her heels into the gelding’s sides. Everything in her screamed to turn back, but she ignored it. She couldn’t let her last vision be him bleeding on the ground, left alone while she rode.
Kade was right; Dex was fast. The bay flew over the ground, wind whipping her hair against her face so hard it stung, the biting cold leaving her nose and cheeks raw.
She urged him harder, giving him his head. They breezed past stray cattle, still running in every direction. Her lungs burned but she couldn’t breathe fast enough. Tears turned icy on her cheeks as the glow of the farmhouse came closer, growing brighter, until the porch light finally stood clear as a beacon.
People—friends—stood on the porch, one halfway to the fence by the time Dex slowed, snorting as he caught his wind, his breath steaming in the cold.
Brady was at the gate now, close enough for her to recognize him. “What happened?”
“They shot him!” Felicity choked on a sob, almost falling out of the saddle when Dex stopped.
The cowboy caught a swear before it could escape, spinning on his heel. “Ambulance!” he shouted back at the house. James was in the door before Brady could turn back around. He threw the gate open, leaving it standing wide as he helped Felicity down from the tall gelding. Her legs buckled beneath her. He held her fast.
Marshall McCullough burst through the doo
r, long strides carrying him across the driveway. Rico beat him to the ATVs, firing one up and pulling close.
Brady eased her onto it, helping her slide her arms around Rico’s middle. “Go,” the younger man said, backtracking before spinning to race back and join Marshall.
The rancher handed Brady a rifle. Felicity shut her eyes so she didn’t have to see it, burying her face in Rico’s back. “Northwest,” she croaked, and the 4-wheeler jerked forward.
The trail of stray cattle led them toward where the herd had been. She tried not to look at the animals, either keeping her eyes closed or staring at the small first-aid pack that was always strapped to the back of the ATV. But even looking at that made her dizzy. The ground rushed past, leaving her queasy.
“Where?” Rico yelled over the motor.
Felicity forced herself to look, pointing toward the shadow of trees on the horizon. They turned, speeding past the bawling cattle, weaving between the beasts.
Please be alive. She repeated the words in her head, silently begging.
She should have kissed him before she left.
The 4-wheelers slowed and Marshall pulled ahead, Brady jumping off the back while the vehicle was still moving.
Felicity leaned past Rico to see, and the bottom dropped out of her stomach.
At the edge of the woods, a black cowboy hat crowned a bloodstain on the grass.
Kade was gone.
ELEVEN
* * *
“HERE, THIS WILL warm you up.” Alberta, Marshall’s wife, pushed a cup of cocoa into Felicity’s hands.
Her fingers closed around it reflexively, though the ceramic felt scorchingly hot against her numb fingers. She couldn’t make herself lift it, though she murmured a thank-you, shifting on the steps and staring out into the night. Blue lights flashed in the driveway and farther out in the field. Without a patient to retrieve, the paramedics were preparing to leave.
“Assumed kidnapping,” Sam said into his SUV’s radio, rubbing his forehead as he spoke. “Potential homicide.”
She shut out the sound of his voice, refusing to hear any more.
Alberta rubbed her shoulder. It was strange to have the woman try to comfort her; they’d rarely spoken outside formalities during visits. Though they were cordial, they’d never been close. Felicity had always won people over with her sweets, but Alberta was diabetic, meaning Felicity had never known how to break the ice. She’d always used food for that.
Until Kade, that was.
Rico and Brady stood with Sam, discussing things in low tones. Marshall was still out in the pasture. The border collies sat at Felicity’s side, occasionally nosing her, as if it would make her feel better. She barely noticed they were there.
The rancher, cowboys and police all assured her she’d done the right thing in taking Kade’s horse and riding for help, but she couldn’t help feeling like she’d failed. He’d been vulnerable, dying. Even if the thieves had circled back in their truck to claim him, she didn’t see how he could still be alive. It would’ve taken a while for Kade to bleed out, but she couldn’t imagine they’d turn back to offer first aid.
Worse still was knowing what must have been in the back of that truck. What Kade thought was in there, anyway. Would they have put a bleeding man in the cab, or just thrown him in the back with a monster that could take care of the rest?
Shuddering, Felicity forced herself to take a sip of cocoa, not even flinching when she burned her tongue.
A silver truck pulled around the emergency vehicles, winding its way toward the open space beside the barn.
“There’s Grant,” James said from behind her. He jumped off the porch, avoiding her on the stairs. “I’ll go get him.”
“Your dad’s on the way. One of your neighbors is bringing him.” Alberta looked toward town as she spoke, as if she expected to see them right away. “That way you won’t have to drive.”
“Thank you, Mrs. McCullough.” Felicity lifted the cup to her mouth, though she didn’t drink any more. She breathed in the warmth of it, wondering briefly at the sweet smell. It didn’t bear the chemical taste of artificial sweeteners, so it must’ve been something they kept on hand for the cowboys to drink.
“Just Alberta is fine, hon, you know that.” The older woman patted her shoulder. “Do you want me to stay until he’s here?”
Felicity shook her head. “No, thank you.”
“All right.” Alberta smiled sadly, then made her way back to the door. “I’ll be inside if you need me, or if you need to come in and warm your toes.”
The door closed behind her and Felicity stared ahead without seeing anything clearly. The blue lights in the field were gone. There wasn’t much need for them, nothing for the police to do except take pictures and write notes. All of Holly Hill probably knew what had happened by now. If not the details, they knew it warranted paramedics and all the officers the little town and its neighbors employed, and that was enough on its own.
“Hey.”
Her eyes flicked up.
Grant offered a weak smile, sliding his fingers into the pockets of his jeans. “You okay?”
She tried not to snort at the question. Of course she wasn’t okay. She bit off the sharp retort ready on her tongue and looked back to the sprawling range before her. “I’m still here. And in one piece, so there’s that.”
He shifted uneasily. “What can I do?”
“Unless you know where that truck might’ve gone, I don’t think you can do anything.”
Troubled, he looked away.
Guilt filled her, making her insides heavy. He was only trying to help, she reminded herself. There was only so much he could offer. She knew that, but it didn’t make it any easier.
“I’m sorry,” she murmured, bowing her head. “I just want to go home.”
A glimmer of hope lit his face. “Do you need a ride?”
Again, she tempered her response. As helpless as she felt, being one of the farmhands had to be worse. Aside from following tire tracks through the field, losing them again when they reached the roads, there was nothing they could do. Comb the pasture for more evidence, maybe, but she doubted there was anything else to find. He probably felt as helpless as everyone else. “My dad’s on the way. He shouldn’t be long.”
Grant nodded. “All right. If there’s anything I can do, though . . .”
“Thanks, Grant.” Mustering a smile, she took a sip of cocoa before he could see it fade. The cocoa was cool enough to drink now, though it still steamed in the bitter air.
The cowboy nodded, lingering beside the stairs until more headlights turned down the drive.
Whoever it was didn’t stay long, just stopping to let Emmett out of the car before they turned around. He jogged toward the house, his expression a mixture of worry and weariness.
She stood and stepped down to the gravel to meet him.
“I got here as soon as I could,” her father panted, pulling her into his arms for a solid hug. “Are you okay?”
Felicity managed not to groan. She’d likely hear that question every day until she’d spoken to everyone she knew. Twice in five minutes and she was already tired of hearing it. “I’ll feel better when I’m home,” she lied.
Emmett nodded. “Is it okay with the officers if I take you?”
“I think so,” she murmured, glancing toward the SUV where Sam sat in the driver’s side with the door propped open, writing down who knew what. “They said they’d call or come by if they needed me for anything else.”
“They must be done,” Grant said, nodding toward the pasture. “There’s Marshall.”
The rancher paused to talk to the two cowboys still lingering beside Sam’s SUV before abandoning his 4-wheeler and making his way toward the house.
“Evening, Emmett,” Marshall called. “Wish it were a happier visit.”
“Likewise,” Emmett replied. One of his arms stayed around Felicity’s shoulders and while it was comforting, she couldn’t shake the feeling he—like eve
ryone else—saw her as a fragile little girl instead of what she was: a heartbroken woman who, what seemed like only moments before, stood with a rifle ready to defend the man she’d thought would pick up the pieces of her shattered dreams.
“There’s not much else we can do right now, little missy.” Marshall gave her a sympathetic look, holding something out as he came into the bright porch light.
Kade’s hat. Her throat tightened, but she took it anyway. “Don’t they want to keep this as evidence?”
The rancher shook his head. “They took pictures, took a couple other little things that were out there, but . . . well, I thought you might want it, and they didn’t refuse.”
She turned the black Stetson in her hands, frowning down at it. Part of her wanted to drop it and leave it on the ground, pretend it had never been brought in from the bloodstained field. But her fingers wouldn’t move, gripping it tight, betraying how precious a gift it was when she couldn’t admit it to herself. Strange how everyone else seemed to know her feelings before she did, where Kade had been involved. “Thank you.”
Marshall nodded, shifting his attention to Emmett. “The police will be out to visit you in a day or two. They’ll want to have a look at the room he was stayin’ in, things like that, but paperwork first. Don’t know if they need to file for a warrant for something like that or not, I ain’t a cop.”
“Of course,” Emmett said. “Thank you, Marshall.”
“Take it easy, both of you. And you get some rest, little missy.” Marshall touched the brim of his hat, then made his way over to talk to Sam.
Felicity dug the car keys out of her pocket, pushing them into her father’s hand before putting her half-finished cup of cocoa on the edge of the porch.
Grant cleared his throat. “If you think of anything you need, let me know.”
“Thanks, Grant.” She willed herself to smile, then followed her father to the car.
Emmett didn’t ask any questions on the way home and she rode with her eyes trained on the worn hat in her lap, her thumbs absently stroking the brim.
