A lost memory from long ago flashed in her mind’s eye. She recognized him, but his name escaped her.
Grace stepped backward, stumbling on a root. She wobbled but somehow managed to maintain her footing while never breaking eye contact. A scream burned in her throat, begging for release, but when she opened her mouth, no sound came out. This couldn’t be happening. It was broad daylight. There were people around. Someone had to see them on the hillside.
“Why are you so shocked to see me, Amazing Grace?” The man sneered. “I told you, you’re next.”
Like a starting pistol signaling the beginning of a race, his words spurred her into action. She turned and charged back down the hill, her screams drowned out by the crowd cheering the horses in the arena.
* * *
Evan activated the blinker and turned onto the private drive that wound through the Mountain View Ranch property. He had finally spoken with Officer Wilkes a few minutes ago. They were both in the barn. Grace was providing medical care for a horse that had possibly been drugged, and Wilkes was getting a list of suspects from Henry Green.
Grace was safe.
Still, the knot in Evan’s stomach wouldn’t loosen until he laid eyes on her.
Following the drive, he pulled around the main house to the original barn and slammed on his brakes. Grace was running down the hillside beyond the barn, a man pursuing her. The assailant grabbed her ponytail and dragged her back toward the trees.
Evan turned on the siren. Grace’s captor spared him a quick glance and then tugged harder. Grace clawed at her attacker’s hands. Keep fighting, Gracie. Keep fighting.
Evan pressed the accelerator, the SUV bouncing over the uneven terrain as he drove toward the pair. In the rearview mirror, he caught a glimpse of Wilkes running out of the barn. The Greens were close behind.
Shoving the gearshift into Park, Evan vaulted from the vehicle. The assailant slipped an arm around Grace’s neck and held her like a shield.
Evan’s hand hovered over his service revolver. The thought of using his weapon and possibly hitting Grace with a stray bullet made him hesitate. “Let her go!”
“Yeah, right.” The man tightened his grip. Grace gasped for air, her face reddening.
Evan unsnapped his holster and stepped forward. “I said. Let. Her. Go.”
Grace’s attacker laughed and shoved her. She barreled into Evan. His arms instinctively went around her, but the power of the impact sent them both hurtling backward, tumbling down the incline. When they stopped, midway down the hill, he glanced back to the top. The man had vanished.
Officer Wilkes reached them. “Are you okay?”
“Yes. Go! Get him!” Evan commanded, his arm tightening around Grace, not wanting to let her go. Her face was buried in his chest.
“I’m sorry. I needed to call the animal hospital... Knight’s Honor.” She sobbed. “I thought I would be safe.”
“Shh,” he murmured. “It’s okay. You’re safe.”
She pulled out of his arms, leaving him feeling suddenly empty.
“Because of you,” she said. “You saved my life.”
This time. But could he keep her alive?
Evan pushed to his feet, aware of the crowd gathered at the base of the hill. “Are you okay? Can you walk?”
She nodded. “I think so.”
Taking her hand in his, he helped Grace to her feet and led her up the incline to his patrol vehicle, its engine still running. He settled her in the passenger seat. Closing the door, he leaned against the side of the SUV and radioed Dispatch for backup. When he finished, he contacted the county sheriff’s office to request the K-9 unit be sent to help with the search.
Wilkes jogged up to the vehicle. “Sorry, Chief. He was gone before I entered the woods. I looked around but couldn’t find his trail.”
“How is that possible?” Evan demanded. “He couldn’t have had more than a fifteen-second head start.”
He studied his officer. Had the attacker really disappeared that quickly? Why had Wilkes left Grace alone? Was he working with the attacker? No. Evan squashed those thoughts. He trusted his officer with his life. He couldn’t believe he’d be involved in anything that would harm Grace or Chloe.
Grace rolled down the window to listen to their conversation. Evan took in her pale complexion and the concern in her eyes. He hated to let her out of his sight, but he needed to work quickly to find her assailant before he came after her again. Attacking in broad daylight with other people around was a sign of desperation.
“I’m sorry, Grace. I never should have left your side,” Wilkes apologized.
“You’re right, you shouldn’t have.” Evan turned on his officer. “If you ever put her in danger again, it will be your last day on the force. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir,” Wilkes replied, not breaking eye contact.
“It’s not his fault. I’m the one who convinced him it was okay.”
Evan took a deep breath. It did matter. His officer had been careless. He had to catch the guy. Puffing out the breath, he said, “Take Grace someplace safe. I don’t care if it’s the barn or the main house, as long as you guard her and keep the crowd away from her.”
“What about you?” Grace asked, fear audible in her voice.
He turned to her. “I’ll be there after I get the K-9 unit in the woods. We’ve got to find the man’s trail.”
“I know him!” Grace gasped and her eyes widened. “When I saw him, this time, I thought he looked familiar. His name is Avery Hebert.”
“Are you sure?” Wilkes asked.
She nodded. “Yes. It’s been over twenty years since I last saw him. That’s why I didn’t recognize him at first.”
“Hebert?” Evan questioned. “Is he related to Ralph and Lydia Hebert?”
Evan knew the Heberts. Ralph had had to quit his job in construction after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s a few months ago, leaving Lydia to support the family on her salary as a school lunchroom worker.
“Avery is their oldest son,” Wilkes answered. “He was irresponsible when he was younger, in and out of trouble with the law on a regular basis.” The officer scrunched his brow. “As I recall, after he graduated high school, he got a job at a farm in Rockvale, and he seemed to have straightened out his life. Then a couple of years later, he got arrested for a DUI while transporting a horse to auction. He lost his job, and then he took off. I heard he went to Wyoming.”
“Well, he’s back now,” Grace said in a matter-of-fact tone.
“So you say,” said Wilkes. “We haven’t officially ID’d him.”
“But I know it was him.”
Evan squeezed her hand. “It’s okay. We’ll catch him.” Turning back to Wilkes, he added, “Now, get her someplace safe.”
“I really need to go to the barn to make sure Knight’s Honor is ready to be transported to the hospital,” Grace insisted.
“Fine. As long as you’re not planning to be the one transporting him.”
“Oh, no. Henry will transport. I just need to check the Thoroughbred once more to make sure he’s stabilized.”
“Okay. Wilkes, drive Grace to the barn in my vehicle and don’t leave her side.”
“Are you sure you wouldn’t rather me stay and search and have someone else guard Dr. Porter?”
To be honest, after what happened, Evan would have preferred to have another officer guard Grace, but he didn’t have a lot of options at the moment. Besides, he needed to be able to trust his officer. He opened his mouth to reply, but Grace beat him to it.
“What happened to me wasn’t your fault. You told me not to leave the area.” She frowned. “I was careless. I’m sorry.”
Evan clapped Wilkes on the shoulder. “I trust you. But don’t let her slip away from you again.”
“No worries there,” Grace assured him. “I�
�m not about to get out of his sight. I don’t want another run-in with Avery.”
Two Blackberry Falls police cruisers came up the drive with the county K-9 unit close behind, lights flashing.
Time to locate Grace’s assailant. Assuming he was still on the ranch. If they couldn’t find him, it would be time to hide Grace in a safe place. Evan hoped she wouldn’t put up a fuss.
* * *
“I don’t need to be driven back to the barn. It’s a two-minute walk,” Grace protested.
“My patrol car is right here. There’s no need in you walking through the crowd to get back to the barn.” Evan’s tone was firm, indicating he wouldn’t listen to any arguments.
He was right. The crowd watching the race had gathered when the commotion started.
Officer Wilkes drove her back to the barn, and Henry Green directed them to park inside, two employees closing the massive doors to stop prying eyes. Then, the rancher placed several of his men, armed with shotguns, at the various entrances to the barn.
If the armed guards on the outside weren’t enough, Officer Wilkes stood less than ten feet from Grace, like a sentry guarding a fort, at full attention, observing the surroundings, his back to the stall.
Grace’s hands shook as she worked, adrenaline still coursing through her veins from the recent attack. Taking a few steadying breaths, she worked to complete the task of unhooking the IV and prepping Knight’s Honor for transfer. Once finished, she ran her hand the length of the colt’s neck, leaned in and placed her cheek against his. “You will feel all better soon.”
Stepping back, she called out, “Okay, Mr. Green. Knight’s Honor is ready to go.” She exited the stall as one of the ranch hands entered.
Grace handed the small zippered bag to Henry. “These are the blood samples I drew when I first arrived. Dr. Underwood is expecting them. He said he’d have the results for us by Monday.”
He accepted the bag, a look of concern on his face.
“Don’t worry. Your colt’s going to be okay. You did everything right, calling me as quickly as you did. And Dr. Underwood is one of the best.”
“Thank you. For everything.” The rancher looked down, unable to meet her eyes. “I’m sorry about Avery.”
She sucked in a breath. “You knew he was the one who attacked Chloe? Is he the person you went to call?”
“I did try to call Avery, but I didn’t know he attacked Chloe or was after you.” Henry shook his head, and Officer Wilkes stepped closer, listening in. “One of my ranch hands saw you struggling on the hill with Avery and was headed to help you when Chief Bradshaw showed up. When you told me Mountain Shadow had been drugged and you thought Knight’s Honor had been, too, I suspected Avery was the one who was responsible.”
“Why would Avery Hebert drug your horses?” Evan asked, walking into the barn.
Henry moved the basket of uneaten food and sat on the bench outside Knight’s Honor’s stall, his shoulders slumped. “Because I’m a sucker for a sob story, and I thought maybe he’d grown up and changed his ways.”
“That tells me why you hired him, not why he’d give drugs to your horses. Was he planning to run this horse in the match race tomorrow?”
“Yes. At first, I was against it since Mountain Shadow died following the last race. But the necropsy report said he died of a heart defect. So, I let Avery talk me into allowing Knight’s Honor to run tomorrow.”
“So what exactly goes on at these races?”
Henry looked Evan in the eyes. “I don’t know. I haven’t attended one. When Mountain Shadow ran, I was in the hospital recovering from knee replacement surgery.”
Grace had heard about the unsanctioned horse races taking place across the state. There had been many news reports about the horses being given performance-enhancing drugs, as well as the illegal gambling and human trafficking that went along with these races. She’d had no idea off-the-grid match races had invaded Freemont County.
“Why would you want a horse to run in an unsanctioned race?” she asked before she could stop herself, not meaning to take over Evan’s questioning.
“That was my next question.” Evan leaned against a post.
“I knew better. I read the news reports about the illegal activities surrounding them, though the races themselves aren’t illegal. Avery convinced me it would be an opportunity to see how our colts competed against horses they hadn’t trained with. I figured there was no harm. I knew I wouldn’t let anyone drug my horses.” Sadness seeped into the rancher’s voice. “I can’t believe I allowed it to happen twice. I knew in my gut Mountain Shadow had been drugged, but the necropsy report said otherwise.”
“Someone falsified it.” Grace hated to admit the second part of that truth, but she knew she had to be honest. “Someone at the clinic.”
Henry jerked his head upward. “Who?”
“I don’t know.” Anger rose like bile burning inside her. If news spread about the falsified records, it could destroy the business her father had built. Grace could not let that happen. “But you have my word, I won’t stop until I find out the truth.”
NINE
After leaving Mountain View Ranch, Evan had followed Grace back to the clinic so she could return the truck and pack a few necessities for herself and Barkley. He’d tried to convince her to let someone else take care of the Great Dane for a few days, but she’d insisted that the animal had to stay with her. Evan had caved to her wishes because he understood her desire to do anything she could to feel like she was helping Chloe.
Now, hours later, Evan sat on a blanket beside the pond on his parents’ property packing the remnants of the picnic his mom had provided for their dinner. Once finished, he placed everything in the cargo space of his SUV. He was forever thankful to live close to his family and to always have their support. When he’d called earlier to ask his parents if they could watch Camden, they hadn’t questioned him or thought twice about disrupting their normal day-to-day lives to care for their six-year-old grandson for an indefinite period.
Evan prayed it wouldn’t be more than a day or two, but until they captured Avery Hebert and the threat against Grace was over, he would devote his time to keeping her safe. And he couldn’t have Camden in harm’s way.
“That’s it... Keep reeling... You’ve got it,” Grace cheered for Camden as he worked to land the fish on his line. Barkley ran into the pond, barking at the fish splashing in the water.
Evan rushed to his son’s side, and Grace got Barkley back onto the bank. Camden’s little hand gripped the handle tightly as he spun it round and round. “Not so fast...that’s it. You’re doing great, son.”
Finally, the fish was in the air. “Look at him, Dad! Isn’t he a big one?”
“He sure is.” Evan reached for the end of the line and pulled the largemouth bass in close, intent on setting him free.
“Hang on. Let me get a picture.” Grace pulled her phone from her pocket.
Evan knelt beside Camden, and they both held the fishing line, the bass dangling between them, while Grace snapped a few pictures. He and Camden had been fishing together many times, but he’d never thought to take pictures. Evan was glad Grace had suggested it. He needed to do a better job of preserving memories with his son.
“How much do you think he weighs, Dad?”
“Hmm.” Evan made a show of gauging its weight. “I’d say at least six pounds, seven ounces.”
“You’re silly, Dad.” Camden giggled as Evan pretended to have difficulty lifting the fish.
“Time to set this little guy free.” Evan gently removed the wiggling bass from the hook and lowered him back into the pond. He ruffled Camden’s hair. “Okay, kiddo, I think it’s time to load up and get you back to Grammy and Poppy’s house.”
“Can’t we stay thirty more minutes?” Camden pleaded.
“Not today, son. It’s already getting late.
By the time I get you back to Grammy’s and you get a bath, it’ll be your bedtime.”
“But, Dad, I want to spend more time with Barkley and Grace.”
Evan lifted an eyebrow at his son’s use of an adult’s first name. He’d raised him to show respect to his elders.
She leaned in and whispered, “I told him he could call me Grace. I hope that’s okay.”
Evan hoped so, too. But he feared his son getting attached to her. When this was all over and she walked out of their lives, he didn’t want a brokenhearted child.
* * *
The sun setting on the horizon cast orange and purple streaks in the sky, illuminating the small log cabin overlooking a waterfall on the edge of the Flying V Ranch. Set back off the road, the original Vincent family homestead was the perfect place to hide from prying eyes, though Grace wasn’t sure why Ryan and Bridget’s parents were willing to let her stay on their property.
She doubted anyone could find her there, but she couldn’t be sure her presence wouldn’t bring harm to the Vincents or their property. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”
“Yes,” Evan answered. “It’s a secluded spot few people know about, which is hard to find in our little town.”
“You’re right.” She lifted her suitcase out of the back of his Jeep Wrangler—secretly thankful he’d decided to switch from his police vehicle after dropping Camden off—and followed Evan into the cabin. He placed the large bag of dog food he’d carried in onto a kitchen chair before heading back outside.
Barkley sniffed his new surroundings then plopped down on the rug in front of the rock fireplace. The main room of the cabin had an open-concept kitchen and living room. Leading off the living room, there was a short hallway with two doors. One was a small bedroom with a white, full-size, antique iron bed, an oak dresser and a matching side table with a lamp. The other door led to an updated bathroom with a claw-foot tub, a gray mosaic tile floor and a pedestal sink.
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