Chapter Eighteen
“Where’s Sam?”
HW walked back down the barn to where his brother Blue was leading out his horse, Messi. He’d snuck into the ranch house, eaten a quick lunch, and headed out before Ruth could catch sight of him.
“Nice to see you back, HW,” BB said. “We’ve all been great, and your grandma isn’t mad as fire that you just disappeared on her.”
HW waved him away. “I’ll sort all that out later; where’s Sam? Her horse is gone.”
“Not sure if I should tell you.” Blue patted Messi’s nose. “I don’t think she likes you very much at the moment, bro. Running back to your old girlfriend probably wasn’t your smartest move.”
HW didn’t bother to reply to that brotherly attempt to rile him up and just kept standing there until Blue tied up his horse and turned back to him. “What?”
“Please tell me where Sam is,” HW repeated.
“That’s better. As I’m always telling Maria, a bit of politeness never hurts. Sam and Rachel decided to go over to Roy’s to help Jenna with the pig vaccinations.”
“On horseback?”
“Yeah. Well, Sam’s riding, but Rachel went with Jenna in her truck.” Blue raised his eyebrows. “What’s the problem? It’s a straight fifteen-minute trek.”
“Who went with Sam?”
“As I said, it’s an easy ride, and Jenna and Roy are waiting at the other end.” Blue turned back to his horse. “There’s no need to get agitated. Unlike most of your girlfriends, Sam’s really capable.”
“She’s not my girlfriend,” HW said.
“Sure as hell looks like it.” BB mounted up in one smooth motion and gathered the reins in his hands. “But maybe not, seeing as you ballsed it up. She’s not really your type, is she?”
“How the hell would you know?” HW scowled at his brother. “Sam’s amazing.”
“True, but from what I’ve heard, you prefer the pretty ones who treat you like a god.”
“Don’t we all?” HW muttered as he started back toward his truck. “They sure make life a lot easier. I’m going to kill Ry when I next see him.”
He got in and started the engine. Whatever BB thought, he’d just drive down to Roy’s place and check that everything was okay. If Sam was there and everything looked good, he wouldn’t even need to speak to her. He still wasn’t sure how to approach her but couldn’t deny his strong desire just to see her face. There was something about the way she stared him down that resonated with him and made him feel . . . safe.
HW snorted and backed up his truck. Where the hell had that mushy sentiment come from? He must be spending too much time with his lovestruck twin.
After two days away from the ranch in the noise of the city, the beauty around him was magnified tenfold. This time it really felt like more of a homecoming. There had to be something he could do on the ranch—something that helped out . . .
He drove slowly down to Roy’s place, making sure he wouldn’t spook any horses he came up behind, but there was no sign of Sam on the road. As he approached the small house and barn, his breathing eased as he recognized Dollar parked in the shade and Jenna’s old truck beside him.
He drew up alongside her and got out, shading his eyes against the glare of the sun, aware of something not being right.
“Get that one!”
Jenna suddenly came around the corner, a squealing piglet clasped to her chest and another one running ahead of her.
HW instinctively bent down and scooped up the piglet as Jenna came to a stop in front of him. Her face was flushed and her reddish hair was escaping from its ponytail.
“Thanks, Ry.”
“It’s HW.” He offered her the piglet. “Did you have a breakout?”
“Worse.” She grimaced. “Something big got into the pen last night.”
HW started toward the walled sty. “Where’s Roy?”
“I’m not sure. He texted me to come over, but he wasn’t here when Rachel and I arrived.”
“Where are Rachel and Sam?”
“In the barn, trying to find something to fix the broken gate.” She jerked her head toward the pen. “Let’s put these guys in the boarded-up part, then I’ll check them for injuries.”
HW lowered the piglet over the side, where its mother was lying in the shade, and made a quick count. There were at least four piglets missing. He bent down to examine the sandy ground, where there were drops of blood, and followed the trail toward the pastureland.
Twenty feet away from the barn, he found the remains of a piglet and a set of paw prints embedded in the soft ground.
“Damn.” He straightened up and went back to Jenna. “Looks like that cougar got at least one of them.”
She winced. “Poor little thing.”
“He probably didn’t know much about it,” HW said. “I wonder if Roy heard the commotion and came out to see what was going on?”
“He might have done.” Jenna bit her lip. “He loves those pigs like children.” She looked past his shoulder. “Here’s Sam and Rachel.”
HW turned around as Rachel and Sam approached, holding something between them. Sam was limping quite badly. He’d bet the ranch that she’d been chasing pigs and wanted to read her the riot act.
“Will this work?” Rachel called out as HW strode toward them. “It’s the best I could do with the tools available.”
“Let’s see.” HW reached them, plucked the makeshift metal out of their hands, and headed for the pigpen. He leaned the gate back against the broken wooden one and muscled it into place. “Looks good to me. Nice job, Rachel.”
“Hey, I helped as well,” Sam said from behind him.
HW pretended to be busy settling the gate in. For the first time in his life, he felt like some goofy adolescent too scared to talk to a girl. “Do you have wire to hold it in place?”
A coil appeared under his nose, along with a set of wire cutters.
“Thanks.”
“Knock yourself out,” Sam muttered as she slapped a pair of gloves into his hand as well. “Actually, please knock yourself out and save me the inconvenience.”
He focused on securing the gate while Rachel watched anxiously and Jenna carried on methodically examining the remaining piglets for injuries. He had no idea where Sam was, and that made him nervous. If he didn’t get it together soon, she’d probably ding him from behind with a bucket or something.
A thundering noise made him look up as he secured the last loop of wire. “That sounds like Roy coming back.”
Sam gasped, and he instinctively turned toward her.
“There’s his horse, but where’s Roy?”
HW walked toward the runaway and caught the trailing reins, bringing the horse to a stop. The horse was breathing hard, his flanks heaving, and was covered in white foam.
Jenna immediately took charge. “Get him in the shade and walk him about, Rachel, and Sam, grab some sponges we need to cool him down.”
HW continued to talk to the horse as he led him toward a more-sheltered spot and tied him up. Jenna handed him a halter and he carefully took off the tack and put it in the barn. When he came back, Jenna was busy checking the horse out.
“He’s got some scratches on his legs. I’m not sure if they’re just because he was running through the scrub too fast or if he and Roy actually encountered that cougar.”
“They don’t usually approach a man on a horse,” HW said.
“It depends how desperate they are and what Roy was doing at the time.”
“Roy wouldn’t do anything stupid.”
“I know, but he might have inadvertently ended up at the big cat’s lair.” Jenna paused. “Maybe she was protecting her cubs.”
“Or maybe it’s just got a taste for blood and wants more.”
Rachel pressed her hand to her mouth. “Oh no. I hope Roy is okay.”
Jenna was already on her cell. “I’m trying to call him. He’s useless at picking up at the best of times, but I’m not getting anything.”
“I’ll check his house.” HW strode off toward Roy’s place, appreciating the coolness of the air conditioning as he stepped through the door. A mug of coffee and half a plate of congealed bacon and eggs sat on the table and the chair was pushed back, as if Roy had left in a hurry.
“It’s not looking good.” HW returned outside to the concerned circle of women. “His cell’s recharging on the countertop. He probably forgot to take it with him when he rushed out.”
“What are we going to do?” Rachel whispered.
“I’m going to find him. I know the ranch best and I’m a pretty good tracker,” HW replied. “I’ll take my truck and keep you all informed. Jenna, can you tell BB and Ry what’s going on, and tell them to keep in touch with me?” He pulled out his cell phone and groaned. “Damn it! I forgot to recharge it!”
“I’ll go with you.” Sam stepped forward. “I’ve got my phone. I can liaise with everyone while you’re driving.”
“Okay. Does everyone have Sam’s cell?” Jenna and Rachel nodded. “Then let’s go.”
* * *
Sam hauled herself up into the passenger seat of HW’s truck and gingerly stretched out her left leg. She’d been so busy trying to catch the piglets that she’d fallen over a couple of times and jolted her knee. She checked that her cell was working, glad that Chase Morgan had made sure the ranch had the best internet and phone network in the entire valley.
HW had disappeared back into Roy’s house, so she waited impatiently, tapping her fingers on her knees until he reemerged. He only glanced at her briefly as he dumped a load of stuff in the backseat of the cab and got in.
“Medical kit. In case Roy’s hurt.” He tossed something over to her as well. “Ice for your knee.”
“Thanks.” Sam just about stopped herself from rolling her eyes. HW Morgan didn’t miss a thing, even when he was being a complete ass and ignoring her. “Maybe I shouldn’t have chased all those pigs.”
“Correct.”
He turned the wheel and headed out again, dust spiraling in the air behind them as the truck avoided the road and set off across the rocky pasture, where Roy’s horse had come from. Sam put on her sunglasses and contemplated the view.
“Where do you think Roy will be?”
“I have no idea.”
She snorted. “Well, that’s helpful.”
He pointed ahead of them. “See the way the bushes and grass were disturbed when that horse came flying through? That’s what I’m looking for.”
She squinted at the barren landscape. “I can’t see much.”
“Neither can I, but it’s a start. I’ll stop the truck when we lose this part of the trail and check for hoofprints. Lucky we had some rain last night.”
“How would you know?” Sam said sweetly. “You weren’t here.”
He gave her an irritated sideways glance. “Can you hold it in until we find Roy? I don’t have time to fight with you right now.”
“Who’s fighting? And I forget, you’re a man and you aren’t capable of multitasking.”
His fingers flexed on the steering wheel. “The way you make me feel means that right now I might multitask you off a cliff, okay? So pipe down and help me out here.”
“Okay.” Sam subsided into her seat and checked the ice pack on her knee. “No need to increase the body count.”
“I doubt Roy is dead, darlin’.”
“I was talking about the piglets, and don’t call me that.”
He returned his attention to the terrain, the huge truck crawling over the uneven surface with such ease that Sam was barely jolted.
“Okay, I’m stopping here.” HW braked and left the engine running. “Sit tight.”
“But—” She spoke to herself as he slammed the door and got out. He walked out in front of the truck, and got down on his knees to examine something on the soft ground.
He slowly stood up and gazed out over the foothills before returning to the cab, his Stetson shielding his face against the bright sun.
“Well?” Sam demanded as he got in. “Did you find anything?”
“Yeah. I can see down the slope where the hoofprints go, so we’ll follow on down and hope Roy’s out somewhere on that plateau below us.” He checked his mirrors. “Hang on to something. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.”
Sam did as he told her. The truck went forward and then dropped about ten feet, which made her whoop.
“I take it you think this is fun?” HW asked, his gaze fixed straight ahead as they crept down the slope between the massive boulders. He pulled up and scanned the route again. “There’s a pair of binoculars in the back; why don’t you get them and start looking for anything that might be Roy?”
“Will do.” Sam released her seat belt and turned around. “In the stuff you brought from Roy’s or in the bag on the floor?”
“On the floor. Watch out; my rifle’s in there as well.”
“Got it.” Sam grabbed the handles of the surprisingly heavy bag and gently brought it through to the front. She unzipped it and extracted the binoculars before replacing the bag on the floor mat. “Okay. While we’re stopped, do you want me to text Jenna to tell her what direction we’re going in?”
“No point yet. Let’s see if there’s anything down there.”
Sam put her cell away and picked up the binoculars, exposing the lens and giving them a quick clean with the hem of her T-shirt.
“These are good.” She adjusted the view frame and focused her gaze downward on the valley floor.
“Present from a sponsor. Can you see anything?”
“Not yet.”
“Then I’ll keep going.”
He kept up the slow downward pace, stopping occasionally to let Sam take another look at their surroundings. It seemed to take forever to get anywhere, but she appreciated the need for caution.
“We’d probably be faster on horseback,” Sam remarked.
“Yeah, but if Roy’s hurt we wouldn’t be able to get him anywhere.”
“True.” Sam stiffened. “Hold on. I think there might be something down there. Over on the far side of the valley there’s a rocky wall with maybe some cave openings?”
“Where?”
Sam handed him the binoculars. “See there, on the left? There’s something red and orange that’s out of place.”
“I see it.” HW’s voice was grim as he gave her back the set. “Let’s go.”
Sam gave up on the binoculars as they slowly approached the cave-lined wall and strained her eyes, trying to focus on the slumped shape on the ground.
“Roy has a checked shirt in red and orange,” HW muttered. “My grandma gave it to him for Christmas last year. She said it would help her see him coming.” He leaned forward. “I’m pretty sure that’s him. What do you think?”
“Yes.” Sam swallowed hard. “He’s not moving.”
HW parked the truck and took her hand. “I can’t get any closer. Let me go first and see what’s up with him. You text Jenna and tell the others to stand by, okay?”
“HW, I’ve probably seen more injured people than you ever have. I’m trained in basic first aid and combat injuries. I’m not going to pass out or anything.”
He smoothed her hair away from her cheek. “I know that. But just give me a sec, okay?”
Sam grudgingly nodded, aware of all the things he wasn’t saying about her current level of both mental and physical fitness. She didn’t like it, but for once she appreciated his restraint. He kissed her nose before climbing out of the truck and grabbing the medical kit.
With the engine idling and the door open, a wave of heat swept through the truck, reminding Sam of another desert in another faraway place. She took out her phone and texted Jenna.
We think we found Roy. More details soon.
Pocketing her cell, she opened her door and carefully got out, wincing as her left heel hit the ground too hard, shocking her knee. The silence in the enclosed valley was all-encompassing, as if it was holding its breath along with her. She took one tentative step toward HW when a flash of movement and the slight puff of dust from a rockfall made her look up.
“HW!” she shouted, the echo of her words bouncing off the rocks. “Above you!”
Even as he turned toward her, she wrenched open the rear door of the truck and unzipped the duffel bag. Within seconds, HW’s unfamiliar rifle was in her hands and she tried to work out if there was a round in the chamber.
“Where the hell’s the safety?” she muttered as the rifle refused to fire and her fingers moved desperately over the gun. She found it more by accident than design, flipped off the safety, and came around the truck just as the giant cat leaped off the rock wall onto the valley floor a few feet away from HW and the unconscious Roy.
As she instinctively took aim, Sam went down hard on her left knee. Centering herself, she brought the rifle up into position and sighted on the cat advancing on the two men. The sound of her first shot ricocheted against the rock with a deafening crack, scaring the cougar, but it didn’t retreat. Sam aimed again, this time just above its head, and closed her eyes as she squeezed the trigger.
Her breath whooshed out as the cougar finally turned and ran. For a long moment she could do nothing but fight the black spots of dizziness swirling before her eyes. She wasn’t going to faint and leave HW with two invalids. She wasn’t.
* * *
His ears still ringing from the crack of the rifle, HW carefully laid Roy back on the ground and stumbled to his feet. Sam was some distance away by the truck, kneeling in the dirt, her face a white blur, her eyes wide. He’d never seen that look on her face before and he hoped he never would again.
He approached her from the side, his hands held where she could see them.
“Sam? Put the gun down, okay?”
She didn’t respond, so he took the Mini 14 away from her, dropped the magazine, and pulled back the bolt to clear the round in the chamber. When the gun was disarmed, he laid it to one side and wrapped his arms around Sam.
“It’s okay. You did good. Roy and I are both fine.”
She elbowed him in the ribs. “I know that. My knee’s locked in position. I can’t straighten up.”
“Your left knee?”
“Yes, stupid!”
HW let out his breath. “What can I do?”
She pointed down the valley. “Go and help Roy.”
“But—”
She pointed again. “Go. This has happened before. I know how to deal with it.”
HW reluctantly got to his feet and stared down at her. “Stay there.” Her glare was so feral, he backed up a step. “Just kidding.”
“I’ll text Jenna. Does this place have a name?”
HW considered. “Tell Chase to come to the valley south of the silver mine where we used to play cavemen.”
“Seriously ?”
He shrugged as he turned away, pretending not to notice the ragged edge of pain in her voice. “Don’t know any other name for it.”
“Leave the rifle here. I’ll keep an eye out for that cougar.”
“It’s right beside you.”
Walking away from her took some doing. Despite everything she’d said, he wanted to pick her up, hold her tight, and take care of her. Not that she’d let him. She’d probably shoot him with his own gun. He’d never met anyone who was so fiercely and annoyingly independent in his life.
When he reached Roy, he crouched down beside the old man. He’d already made a pillow out of his jacket and checked him over. Sam might be better trained, but during his time in the rodeo he’d seen plenty of injuries caused by falls from horses.
“Roy? How are you doing?” There was a darkening bruise on Roy’s forehead and a sticky patch of blood on the side of his skull.
“What happened?” Roy croaked through dry lips.
“Your horse came home without you.”
“Tricky little bugger,” Roy whispered. “One minute I was tracking the cougar, the next thing I knew she’d led me here and turned on me when I got close to the caves.”
“She’s probably got cubs in there.” HW opened the medical kit, found some antiseptic wipes, and gently wiped Roy’s battered face. “What’s hurting?”
“My head and my right leg,” Roy answered. “Think I heard something break when I hit the ground.”
HW winced. “Don’t worry; we’ll get you all fixed up in no time. Chase is on his way.”
As if in answer to his unspoken prayer, a loud, roaring sound filled the canyon, making HW cover his ears and look skyward to where a small helicopter was attempting to land.
“Trust Chase to make an entrance. Where the hell did he get that?” HW said as he attempted to clear the dust from his eyes. “You okay, Roy?”
He glanced anxiously back toward where he’d left Sam, but he couldn’t see anything behind the billowing cloud of dust the helicopter had stirred up.
Eventually, Chase came striding toward him, followed by two people kitted out in bright orange paramedic jackets.
HW got out of the way as the man and woman converged on Roy and started asking him a million questions.
Chase gave him a one-armed hug. “Thanks for finding him.”
“I had help. There are probably cougar cubs in the caves here, and a very protective mama who didn’t like Roy getting so close.”
Chase glanced back at the caves. “I’m just glad he’s okay.”
“From what I can tell, the cougar didn’t attack him directly, but his horse was scared enough to throw him and bolt. Sam and I saw the cougar when we got here. Sam scared her off again.”
“Good for Sam. Where is she, by the way?”
“Over by my truck.” HW pointed at the helicopter. “Where did that come from?”
Chase shuffled his booted feet. “Well, I’ve been thinking about acquiring a helicopter for the ranch, and I liaised with some charities and the local firefighters and got this.”
“Nice and perfect timing,” HW said. “Is there room for another one on there?”
“Why?” Chase’s piercing blue gaze ran over HW. “Are you hurt?”
“I’m not, but I think Sam might need a ride.” HW hesitated. “When they’ve got Roy settled, could you ask one of the guys to come check Sam out?”
“Sure. Thanks again, bro.”
HW set off back up the slope to where he’d left Sam. She was still on the ground, both hands working the muscles of her left leg. He knelt beside her and added his strength to hers, aware of her pain, wanting desperately to take it away from her.
“Any better?”
“A little.” She was literally talking through gritted teeth. “I need something like a hot pack to really get it moving again.”
“Hang in there.”
“Can you just get me in the back of the truck?”
“I can do better than that.” He scooped her up into his arms in one smooth motion. “Come on.”
“Where are you going?”
“You can go with Roy in the helicopter.”
Her fingernails dug into the back of his neck. “I don’t want to do that.”
“Bullshit; let them take you to the ER. They can give you something for the pain and you’ll be back on your feet tomorrow.”
“I don’t want—”
He halted near the helicopter and stared down at her. “Just for once, let someone take care of you, okay? You’re in pain and you need help.”
She glared back at him. “I don’t need any help. If you’ll just put me in the truck, I can go back to the ranch. I’ll be fine.”
“Not this time.” HW paused. “Sam, what if you can’t unlock those muscles yourself? Asking for help doesn’t mean you’re weak. It just means you’re not stupid.”
She opened her mouth to reply and he talked over her. “I know what you’re going to say—that you don’t need anything from me—but please get yourself checked out.”
“I don’t need anyone to look after me or tell me what to do.” Sam’s voice was trembling now. “So you don’t need to save me, HW.”
“I’m not trying to save you! I’m trying to stop you hurting yourself more because you’re too damned stubborn to take any advice!”
“Like you take advice? Haring off to Austin to save Lally?”
“At least she let me help her!” It was his turn to glare down at her. “And stop changing the subject.”
Behind them, Chase cleared his throat. “Er, guys? Can you let Adam take a look at Sam?”
“Be my guest.” HW pivoted around. “Her left knee has locked up.”
“I’m quite capable of speaking for myself, HW,” Sam snapped. “And I don’t need to go to hospital.”
Chase came up close. “Sorry, Sam, but seeing as you’re a guest on the ranch, I have to get you checked over by the professionals.” He turned to Adam. “Can you take her in?”
* * *
Adam was already checking out her knee. Sam’s breath hissed out as his fingers probed the locked joint.
“Is it sore there?”
“What do you think?”
“Sam . . .”
She ignored HW and concentrated on the pain. For once, it was better than all the other shit screaming through her head of another desolate place, of the cries of the dying, and the smell of hot, coppery blood.
“Sure. She’ll fit in fine with Roy.” Adam looked up at Sam. “Would you like something for the pain?”
“No. I don’t want anything. I’m fine.”
HW took a firmer grip on Sam and turned toward the helicopter. “Great. Let’s load her up.”
As he walked away, he muttered in her ear, “There’s no need to act like a brat. Adam’s just trying to help.”
She buried her face against his arm and nipped him through his shirt.
“Ouch!”
The female paramedic was chatting away to Roy, who had already been loaded into the chopper. She grinned at HW as he approached.
“Roy’s a bit of a charmer, isn’t he?”
“And still single,” Roy chimed in.
“He’s wedded to the ranch.” HW lowered Sam onto the bed. “I’ll check up on you both when I get back, okay?”
Roy gave HW a thumbs-up, but Sam refused to meet his gaze. She just couldn’t let him see how afraid she was because then he’d never leave her side, and right now she wanted him to stay more than she could breathe. She didn’t want to be that person again—the stupid girl who’d clung to Jason, begging him not to leave her even as he walked away. She couldn’t bear to be weak. It hurt more than any injury she’d ever sustained.
What if she let HW in? Let him take care of her? He’d take over everything she was, engulf her and leave her for dead.
“Better get out of the way,” Chase said to HW. “That thing creates a lot of dust.”
The last thing she saw as the medics climbed in and strapped themselves in was HW’s face. She resolutely turned away and tried to slow down her breathing. It was nothing like Afghanistan. She had to get over herself.
She jumped as Roy reached over and took her hand.
“You okay, Miss Sam? You’re looking a bit green around the gills there.”
She couldn’t even manufacture a smile.
“Takes you back, don’t it?” Roy squeezed her fingers. “I fought in a war just like you did. Still hate the sound of an incoming chopper.”
This time she barely managed a nod, and then the pilot took off and, thankfully, she couldn’t hear a single thing above the roar of the engine.
She needed to get a grip or else they’d start pumping her full of drugs and wheeling her off to see a shrink at the nearest VA hospital. Her knee would unlock itself when she applied enough heat, and she’d be at the ranch by sundown and back to her normal, happy self.
At least, she hoped she would. She stared out at the blue sky and took deep breaths. Somehow, she’d allowed Hoss William Morgan to steal into her heart and make her care for him. Somehow, she had learned to depend on him—to want his support. And he’d hate that. He’d told her that.
Now all she had to do was find a way to stop herself from caring.