Chapter 38
THIRTY-EIGHT
Hazel
Amelia comforts me as I finish crying my way through the aftermath of the stables fire. Kit brings me another water from the inn and a small plate of dinner that she insists I eat while I sit at the picnic table outside. The embers are still smoldering as the fire department finishes their work, and I feel like I should be doing something—anything—to begin picking up this mess. The idea of just walking away and letting it all sit here like this is killing me inside.
“There’s nothing you can do right now but take care of yourself.” Kit’s brows raise as she gives me a pointed look and motions to the plate.
Grace has come back out to the ranch and told me to take the night off, promising me it’s no big deal for her to work the night shift. I feel guilty, though, since she’s only just come off of one the night before, but she won’t hear any arguments. I’m grateful I have staff that feel like family; people who have my back like this in a crisis. If I didn’t, I’d probably be losing my mind more than I already am.
After I eat, Dakota and Marlowe show up to lend some support too. Dakota brings several cases of beer for me and the guys, including my brothers, who’ve all made their way over here. They’re currently on the porch with Ramsey looking conspiratorial as they have some sort of hushed discussion and motion erratically to different spots on the ranch. It’s another thing I should be worried about. The four of them are bound to be plotting something I’ll want to know about, but I simply don’t have the energy. My whole body feels heavy with the weight of the day, and I can only bring myself to stare at what’s become of the place.
Marlowe brought leftover donuts and gives them to the first responders as they pack up their equipment. Distributing them like they’re magic and will somehow cure everyone of their exhaustion. I smile at the way she insists on handing one to the grouchy fire chief, who only takes the sprinkled pink sugared dough when she makes him taste it. His bushy eyebrow popping up in surprise is one of the few highlights of the day. That and the fact all the horses survived with seemingly minor injuries.
The fire department is leaving, and the police department is wrapping up the last of their witness questioning. A short while later, they’re giving Ramsey and me their information, and he’s reluctantly stuffing their card into his pocket as they drive away. I see him shake his head, muttering something to Bo as they agree about something.
I hear Anson and Bo starting to say their goodbyes a few moments later, and soon everyone else is as well. I stand for the assembly line of hugs and reassurances. People say all the right things and promise me that it’ll all be okay as they pile into their cars and drive away. Leaving me staring at what’s left of the stables in the darkness, the moon illuminating the giant crater in the roof and the pile of rubble underneath it. One full side of it collapsed and the whole structure is dangerously canting over like it’s bowing to a higher power. The latest victim in whatever feud the Stocktons have managed to land themselves in. The only solace is that, at least this time, no one lost their life.
“I hope the police don’t come back tomorrow,” Ramsey grumbles as he walks up behind me.
“I’m sure they will. They’re going to want to investigate more. You need to tell them about the situation you and Bo encountered in the pole barn. Tell them what happened. That they attacked you.” I give him a hard look, but he’s too busy staring at the aftermath to see my reactions in the darkness.
“No. I don’t want them involved.”
“Why not?” I raise my voice slightly, frustrated with Ramsey’s reaction to this. Usually, I side with him. I’d rather not have the police involved in things if they don’t have to be, but the kind of people that would kill horses to make a point seem like the kind of people I don’t want to deal with on my own. At some point, Ramsey will leave, and I’ve got to keep everyone here safe.
“Because I don’t want my parole officer involved in this. I don’t want to go back to prison on some fucking technicality. I’m supposed to stay out of trouble, even if it comes to me.”
“You were defending your own property.”
“You think the cops will care about that? They look at me and my record. They see a high-profile murder case. They see the tattoos and that video of me beating the life out of a man. They don’t remember that it was the guy who tried to kill Coop. That hurt Bea. They don’t see a man just trying to defend his family, Haze. They see a family with a history of crime. It’s too risky to involve them. I don’t want to bet my life and yours on the right one coming to help us.”
“We need to know who did this. If it’s starting all over again. Guests could have been trapped in the stables. Kell or Elliot could have gotten hurt helping us get the horses out. Wolfsbane would have died if you didn’t come home when you did. You won’t be here all the time, and we can’t handle everything in-house.”
“We can handle it a hell of a lot more than some small-town police department. They’re cut out to handle domestic disputes and the occasional car accident, Haze. This is more than that. It’s deeper than that.”
My heart sinks. There’s more to this than I know.
“What aren’t you telling me? What are you and my brothers plotting?”
“I was going to tell you when I got home, but then the fire was happening…”
“So tell me now,” I demand.
“There’s no good way to do that. I don’t have enough information yet, and I don’t want to—”
“Fucking tell me, Ramsey. I’m not some delicate little flower that needs to be protected.”
“I think the guys that did this are the ones who were in the pole barn the other night.”
“No shit.” I scoff at his ridiculous declaration—as if anyone couldn’t easily put that together.
“I think it runs deeper than just disgruntled thieves though. I think it’s related to what my parents were involved in somehow. Enemies of theirs.”
“Enemies of the Stocktons, you mean, since they made that clear.” I can still see the note scrawled on the side of the stables in my head, burned forever now.
“Yes. ”
“So one of their past rivalries is coming back to haunt you?” I press for more information because I hate being held in the dark.
“I’m not sure.” He shakes his head, and when he sees the doubtful look on my face, he winces and looks out the window.
“What else?” I feel my stomach turn. Whatever he doesn’t want to tell me, it’s big.
He takes a deep breath before he speaks, studies my face for long minutes and looks like he’d rather die than tell me the next piece of information. So I brace myself when he finally says the words.
“I think Curtis could be involved.”
Whatever I thought he was going to say, it wasn’t that.
“Curtis? Are you fucking serious? He’s not even here, Ramsey.” I feel the anger bubble up in my gut. I can’t believe he’d take a moment as serious as this one to try to rope Curtis into this mess in some wild attempt to get one over on him.
“It’s curious that he disappeared right as everything started happening.” Ramsey’s voice is low and lethal.
“You appeared right as it all started happening. It’s you who’s getting into fights and chasing people off the property. It’s you with the spray-painted threat against you on the side of the stables. It’s your family who always seems to be at the bottom of whatever drama is happening in this town.” I gesture to the wide range of places this ranch has seen violence.
“You should talk to your brothers too, then, if you don’t want to listen to me,” Ramsey suggests, a thing that makes me feel even angrier—like that meeting on the porch might have been about managing me and Curtis rather than the heart of the matter.
“I don’t want to talk to anyone right now, Ramsey. I want to go take a long shower and get the dirt and smoke and misery off me and try to get some sleep before the vet comes back in the morning,” I snap back at him.
“I can meet the vet,” he offers, looking over me, and I’m sure finding me haggard and worn down from the day’s events. He’s probably already deciding how he can tuck me out of the way and take this whole thing over. Probably discussing with my brothers how they’d fix this and keep me busy in the inn. It’s not happening.
“No. Absolutely no way,” I answer firmly. “I need to be the one to do it. They’re not your horses. This isn’t your ranch anymore. It’s mine, and it’s my responsibility to take care of all this mess. This is exactly what I meant when I said you’d come back and turn everything upside down, and then I’d be left to clean it up. I just didn’t realize the path of destruction would be quite so literal.”
“I’m right here offering to help however I can.” His tone is bordering on incredulous.
“You’re not here. Not really. You’re not dealing with the practical realities of the aftermath of this fire. You’re making up accusations against Curtis and conspiring with your brothers and mine. Hell, you almost missed the fire entirely because you were over in that golden monstrosity doing God knows what with them. Dragging their problems at the casino all the way back here to the ranch. Wolfsbane could have died, Ramsey. Worse—Kell or Elliot could have been under that beam.” The tears threaten again, but I hold them at bay. I’m not about to look like I can’t handle this on my own or give him any reason to pity me.
“I’m well aware of what could have happened. It’s why I want to make sure I’m getting to the root of it and snuffing it out.”
“The root of it? I can tell you what’s at the root of it—anyone and everyone with the Stockton name.” I tear out of the room, not interested in discussing this further. I want my shower. I want to cry long and hard without witnesses, and I definitely don’t want him trying to be the one to comfort me.
I don’t want to lean on him any more than I already have—I can’t. Because if this does turn out to have to do with him or his family, the chances that he’ll run again are high. He can go back to the happy version of his life in Ohio, back with all his football friends, and all the laughter and money and fame. The better life—the better version of himself—the one not tangled up in all the misery this place represents.
And I’ll be the one still here. Left alone to run the inn and the ranch the same way I’ve been doing for the last five years—with a broken heart and a mean spirit. One that just won’t seem to let me quit.