Chapter 12
LAINEY
Beau didn’t leave my side after he arrived at the hospital.
Not while we were allowed to see Pops for a few minutes.
Not that night when we went to Cam’s vet clinic, where Cam had taken Junior from the arena in the trailer to be monitored for the effects of the drug cocktail.
Or after, when he drove me home, since I’d ridden in the ambulance with Pops. Or in the shower. Or in my bed.
Or even the next morning when he drove me back to the hospital to visit my still-sedated father.
Ma had been set up with a recliner in Pops’ room. Even though it was the ICU, he had a large amount of visitors. I could only imagine the hospital staff was ready to have him better so the section quieted down.
Currently wedged into the small room surrounding Pops’ bed was Ma, Colt, Molly in her scrubs and doctor’s coat, Bray, Katie, Ellie, Trig, and a nurse I didn’t recognize who was fiddling with a machine in the corner.
On the wheeled table was a plate of cookies with the foil pulled back, a small bouquet of flowers and a thermos filled with what smelled like coffee.
Tears welled in my eyes when I saw Pops still unconscious. I knew it was temporary and that they were giving his brain time to heal, but I was far from patient. I wanted to hear him call me his pumpkin and I wanted a hug.
I looked to Colt. “Any updates?” While he had to handle Pops being hurt, he still had to hunt down the fucking bad guy.
I had no idea when I left with Pops in the ambulance that someone had intentionally hurt him.
And Junior. It made sense, though. Junior was always eager to run, but gentle. And Pops was far from old or sick.
“When he wakes, we’ll get his story,” Colt said, tipping his head to Pops.
Colt was in full uniform, which for him was a crisp tan shirt with a star pinned to his chest, utility belt with radio and pistol, jeans, sturdy leather boots, and his white Stetson.
His hair was a mess and his eyes bloodshot.
It didn’t look like he’d had much sleep and was running on caffeine and determination.
“Cam texted me earlier and said Junior’s going to be fine,” I announced to the group. At least I had something positive to share. A step in the right direction, at least. “I’ll collect him and the trailer from his clinic later. And Buck’s handling the chores at home.”
“We just don’t know why someone would do this,” Ma stated. She was usually unflappable. Having eight boys made her handle the most trying of situations with impressive calm. But her hair was pushed up on one side, as if she’d slept on it and she looked as tired as Colt.
“I do.”
A shaky voice came from behind us. Everyone turned to the woman in the doorway who just admitted to knowing the truth.
“Taylor?” Katie stepped away from Bray and crossed the room to her, forcing Trig and Ellie to step back.
I knew her. Taylor Reeves. She was a fellow barrel racer.
Up and coming. Very good, but not as in sync with her horse yet as she could be.
She was in her early twenties and had years in front of her to keep working the circuit.
I knew she hit rodeos and events outside of Montana that I never attended.
She was closer to Shep’s age, red hair pulled back in a sloppy ponytail. Her face was splotchy as if she’d been crying and she was literally shaking in her cowboy boots. She had on jeans and a pale pink button-up. Every time I’d met her, she was bright and smiling. Cheerful.
She wasn’t cheerful now.
“Katie, I’m so sorry!” Taylor started to cry and Katie pulled her into a hug. Katie looked over her shoulder at her family in total confusion.
“Okay. Just take a breath and tell us what’s going on,” she said.
Colt’s keen gaze narrowed and he set his hands on his hips above his utility belt. I doubted he was going to shoot Taylor, who seemed to be a friend of Katie’s. I didn’t realize they were close. Katie was the quiet one. Content to stay at home and read in her free time. Shy.
Ellie grabbed a napkin from the table with the food and handed it to Katie.
“Here,” Katie pushed the napkin into Taylor’s hand. “Wipe your face and then tell us everything.”
It took another minute for Taylor to calm herself enough for the tears to stop and to wipe her eyes and nose. When she looked at Pops, I thought she was going to cry again.
“It’s Rod. He did this.”
Colt weaved around his siblings to get to her. Ma sat on the side of the bed next to Pops and took his hand, even though he wasn’t awake. Beau pulled me back against his chest and wrapped a hand around me.
“Rod?” Katie asked, frowning in confusion. “Wait. Your boyfriend?”
“Ex. Very ex,” Taylor clarified, her mouth turned down.
“Katie, aren’t you going to introduce us?” Colt pressed.
Katie turned and looked at Colt, her long braid sliding over her shoulder as she did. “Yes. Right. This is Taylor Reeves. Her family’s place is down the road from mine and–”
“Reeves. Right. I know the ranch,” Colt said.
“Your mother used to win the chili cookoff every year,” Ma added.
That made Taylor smile, if only a little. She nodded. “That’s right. I forgot about that.”
“Taylor used to work for me in the stable. Gosh, for about two years, but then I had to cut back and let her go–”
“Who’s Rod?” Colt asked, interrupting Katie.
“Colt, don’t be rude and cut her off,” Ma gently scolded.
Colt glanced over his shoulder. “Ma, she came here to tell us this guy Rod is the one who hurt Pops. I want to know about him. Now.”
I did, too.
Ma pursed her lips and nodded.
“It’s all right, Colt. I understand,” Katie said, then wrapped her arm around Taylor’s shoulder. Obviously she liked her, that there was a friendship there of some kind.
“Rod Severs,” Taylor explained. “He wanted me to win the barrel racing competition and Lainey, well, you’re so good.
” The look she gave me was equal parts admiration and shame.
“You’re the only one who stood in my way.
I’m never going to be as good as you, but he had his eye on that prize no matter the consequences. ”
Colt tipped his chin down. “You’re saying he drugged Lainey’s horse?”
Taylor’s gaze flicked to mine again, then nodded. “And hit Mr. Wilder on the head since he was there.”
Colt looked at me. “He tried to keep you from competing the previous night, which would have disqualified you, and that didn’t work.”
Taylor nodded. “I think that’s exactly it. He stepped things up.”
“He had his friend Gil keep Lainey occupied the night before?” Beau asked her. His arm around my waist tightened, as if trying to keep anyone from pulling me away from him. As if Gil were here in the hospital room.
Her eyes got fearful and she turned to face Katie directly. “God, Gil. I know him. He’s a creep. Rod didn’t say who, but it makes sense. I didn’t know about any of this. I swear. I’d never want to hurt a horse, and Lainey could have been hurt, too.”
Not to mention Pops getting clobbered.
“How is it you didn’t know about this if you’re his girlfriend?” Colt asked.
“Was. Definitely past tense. I dumped his ass when it all came out last night.” Taylor looked down at her feet.
“I thought… he was sweet. Said all the right things. We first met in May when he got the job here in town after his semester ended. He was actually a nice guy for a while. Until he wasn’t. ”
Colt gave a little growl. “He ever hurt you?”
She shook her head slowly but still wouldn’t meet his eyes. She wiped her face, probably another tear. Pretty much, guys could be dicks and she’d believed in one when she shouldn’t. Perhaps even gave the asshole her heart, too.
“No. Not physically. But when he found out the size of the cash prize winning the barrel race… he threatened me. Said I had to win.” She visibly swallowed. “I didn’t think that meant hurting people. Like having Lainey kidnapped or Mr. Wilder hospitalized. And Junior.”
She lifted her chin, turned to Pops and went to the foot of his bed.
Studied what her ex had done to him. The beeping machines.
“Mrs. Wilder, ma’am. I’m… I’m so sorry that your husband was hurt because of me.
While I can’t make him better, I can come to your ranch and work to pay off your hospital bill, although that will probably take a really long time.
Katie knows I’m good with horses and I’m a guide for tourists at Wild Wild Wilderness so I know my way around a ranch. ”
Ma gave her a kind smile, all things considered. “Honey, I’ll hear none of it. You were a victim in all this, too, it sounds like. You’ll come to dinner when he’s home. Bring your dad. How is he?”
She gave a careless shrug. “He’s… okay.”
“You have your mother’s chili recipe?”
I only saw the back of Taylor’s head, but by her silence, it seemed Ma had stunned her. “Um, probably in some kitchen drawer.”
She nodded. “Then when Mr. Wilder’s home, you’ll bring the recipe and we’ll make a big pot together.”
Ma was too nice. How could she just… let her join us for dinner when her husband of over thirty years had been hurt because of her, even tangentially?
“Ma might be square with a pot of chili,” Colt cut in, his voice not soft like Ma’s. “But I’m not.”
Taylor spun around. Put her hands together and started wringing them. She looked between Katie and me. Back and forth. “I swear I didn’t know until last night.”
“What happened last night?” Colt asked.
“I was in the staging area when it was announced that Lainey had dropped out. I didn’t think anything of it, other than wonder why.
After I competed, and won, Rod came over and spun me around, then took the cash the organizers gave me, waved it in the air.
He was so pleased, it felt good. I thought he was proud of me.
” She paused, then frowned. “He didn’t care about me, he was pleased with the easy money, as he worded it and stuffed it in his pocket.
Said his plan worked. I asked him what he meant and–”
She put a hand over her face for a moment, then looked at Colt. “Have you ever dated someone who turned out to be a real bad choice?”
Colt’s lips thinned, then nodded.
I could relate to that, too. Before Beau, my ex had totally ghosted me. I never knew why Chris had been such an asshole, but Taylor knew why hers was. I wasn’t sure which was worse.
“Well, hindsight’s twenty-twenty, or whatever.
At first it was just verbal meanness. Saying hurtful things to me.
Making me feel bad. Telling me I should be upset that everyone was taking what belonged to me.
My job, first place, all that. It was like I was entitled to it instead of earning it.
That there were easier ways to get what I deserved. I don’t stand for that.”
Katie patted her on the shoulder.
“I don’t deserve to win,” she continued. “I want to beat Lainey because I’m better, not because I cheated. Someday, maybe I’ll do it.”
I smiled at her. “You will. But your ex needs to be throat punched.”
Colt practically glared at me for interrupting.
Taylor smiled. “Right? I’m fine, Katie, without working in your stables. I’ve got the guide job plus I work at the Feed and Seed. I just hope I can find a guy who treats me right because I’m wiser now and really tired of losers.”
Colt was my most serious brother and I often wondered what he was thinking. As a sheriff, he had to separate his emotions from the law. It was pretty hard, I thought, with Taylor. I felt really bad for her.
“Anything else?” he prodded.
Taylor sighed. “I asked Rod what he meant about his plan. It was simple. Use me to get the prize winnings. If it worked here in Devil’s Ditch knocking you, Lainey, out of the way, it’d be easier in out of state rodeos where you don’t compete.”
The fucker.
“The prize money’s yours, Taylor. You won it,” Katie said.
She shook her head. “He took the three thousand dollars. Said he was getting the new TV he wanted and the lift kit for his pickup.”
That asshole.
“Besides, I didn’t win it fairly. I won’t feel good spending money I didn’t earn.”
“Doesn’t he make his own money?” Colt asked.
Taylor nodded. “Yeah. It’s the place where he works that’s changed him for the worse.
” She paused. “No, that’s not true. He became friends at college with the guy who lives there.
Got him a summer job as a ranch hand, but I’m not sure how much work he actually does.
He thinks everything should be handed to him. ”
“Where?” Colt asked.
“Two Rivers Ranch.”
Colt swore under his breath.
Trig swore out loud.
“What?” Beau asked. “What’s so special about that place?”
“That’s Conrad Trout’s ranch,” Colt told him.
That explained why he was such a dick. It was like something was bad in the water over there. “Wait,” I said, holding up my hand. “He’s friends with Conrad Trout’s son?”
Taylor frowned. “Yeah.”
Colt pointed toward the door. “Time to pay that family a visit.”
Trig nodded. “Let’s go.”
“I’m in,” Beau said, his voice laced with steel and malice. Setting his hands on my shoulders, he spun me around. Tipped his head down. “You good getting your Ma home?”
I nodded, because I knew saying I wanted to go with them and track down the fucker who’d drugged my horse and hurt my dad wasn’t going to happen.
Beau would say no. Trig would say no. Colt would say no.
So would Pops, if he were conscious. It would be embarrassing and I’d feel childish like I did every time my brothers shut me out of something that they thought I shouldn’t or couldn’t do.
They never asked, only told. They knew best, the jerks.
Now I had Beau to add to the protective wall.
So I bit my lip and went along with it. For now.
“We’ll take Taylor to the station for a statement,” Bray offered to Colt. “Go get the guy.”
Beau tipped my chin up, met my eyes with his dark ones and gave me a kiss. “More of that. Later.”
Then he was gone, following Trig and Colt out the door.