Chapter Twenty-One
Beau
“Having an office in the loft of a barn is a little ridiculous, don’t you think?” Ricky asked, every syllable of his voice testing my patience.
I leaned back against the wall across from Denver’s desk and crossed my arms and ankles, settling in for the verbal—possibly physical—ass beating about to occur. Denver took off his hat, placing it on a hook by the window that overlooked the corral before turning to face the warden. “I asked for a team days ago, Johnson,” he deadpanned, taking a seat in his chair behind the desk, the wooden creaking underneath his heavy frame. “I expected a team days ago.”
Ricky Johnson being the District Wildlife Manager was nothing short of a surprise. We didn’t know when or how he came into this position. Hell, we weren’t even notified Paul had retired. Then again, he wasn’t the best in the first place, but anything was better that Ricky fucking Johnson.
The man was untrustworthy, a snake hiding in plain sight, waiting for the right moment to strike.
“Ricky, I don’t get surprised very often, but when you called me that morning, you did the impossible,” Denver began calmly. “When did Paul retire?”
“Two months ago,” Ricky answered boastfully, puffing his chest out.
“So you should understand the ins and outs of your job by now,” Mason mused, rolling his eyes.
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Ricky asked slowly, ticking his head to the side.
“It means, when a ranch calls with a grizzly problem, you fucking answer it,” Denver clipped.
“The Wildlife—”
Denver held up his hand, his gray eyes cold. “Hallow Ranch is the largest and most profitable ranch in the state of Colorado, but I’m fairly certain you’re aware of that.”
I studied Ricky’s posture from behind, taking note of how stiff and rigid he was, the tension in his shoulders, the way he picked at the hangnail at his side.
“Yes, Mr. Langston, I’m aware of that,” Johnson pushed out slowly, as if the words left a bad taste in his mouth.
My lips twitched, and I found it difficult to conceal my smirk. He hated Hallow Ranch and the Langston Brothers. Back in the day, his own family tried starting a ranch, but it only lasted maybe a decade or two before declaring bankruptcy. Then, Ricky’s father, Billy, tried his hardest to get his sons on Langston’s staff. The only problem was, Hallow Ranch wanted nothing to do with the Johnson Family. They were cheats, liars, and money hungry bastards, all reasons why their ranch failed.
“We’re just making sure, because since Hallow Ranch brings in such a profit and not to mention, beef for majority of the state, we just found it odd that your agency has been dragging their feet to get out here,” Mason added calmly, coming to stand at the side of Denver’s desk. “You haven’t sent one officer here. The one who was supposed to meet us the other day never showed. Why is that?”
“Hallow Ranch is not our only concern,” Ricky bit off.
“A grizzly killing livestock should be a top concern,” I said, my voice low, watching Ricky’s reaction. He didn’t acknowledge me, and I shot a look over to Mason.
Denver leaned forward then, a shadow looming over his face. “You owe me three calves.”
“Excuse me?”
“Calves. Heifers usually give birth to them a few months after insemination,” I deadpanned.
Ricky’s head snapped back so fast, I was disappointed when it didn’t fall off. “Can I ask what the hell you’re doing in this meeting?”
“No, you may not,” I said, grinning.
His mouth flattened. “Last I checked, you weren’t the owner of Hallow Ranch or kin to said owner.”
“No,” Denver cut in, “but he is a shareholder.”
Ricky looked back at him. “He’s a what?”
I pushed off the wall. “The details of why I’m in this fucking meeting are of no concern to you. Denver and Mason wanted me here, so I’m fucking here. Now, stop fuckin’ stalling and get to the part where you tell us why you took so long to get out here,” I ordered, coming around to face him head on. “That bear has killed three calves in the last three weeks. That’s almost two grand of profit loss, Ricky.”
The man scoffed. “That’s what bears do. Surely, these aren’t the first calves you’ve lost.”
“No; usually, it’s wolves,” Mason clipped, stepping towards the warden. “And those are taken care of swiftly.”
Ricky’s throat bobbed before looking Denver once more. “Killing a bear is illegal.”
Denver sighed and leaned forward, reaching behind him and pulling out his pistol. He calmly set it on the table and leaned back, stroking his beard. “What gave you in the impression I’m a patient man?”
“I’m well aware of what kind of man you are, Denver Langston,” he spat, looking at the three of us with so much hatred in his eyes. “What kind of men all of you are, and if you think threatening an officer is going to get you anywhere—”
“—all I did was set my gun on the table, Mr. Johnson. If you think that’s a threat, then maybe I should get you a dictionary,” Denver said calmly, cutting him off.
I watched as Ricky’s upper lip curled, reminding me of how his father used to look anytime Pop and I would see him in town. “You cowboys are all the same, thinking you’re God’s fucking favorites, thinking you deserve anyone and anything.”
The hair on the back of my neck shot up, and suddenly, all I could see was the way he was looking at Abbie earlier. I hadn’t liked the possessive look in his eyes, like she was his, and I sure as shit didn’t like the look in them now. My jaw tightened, and while he pushed out some more bullshit, I remembered the night Abbie was nearly assaulted. I had to push Ricky’s father to the ground because he had been in on it. That grown man was helping his friend assault a child, keeping a look out.
I made a mental note to call Red Snake and have them run a background check on Ricky and Billy Johnson. I wanted to see what they’d been up to the last decade.
“We have a large male grizzly within the property lines, killing calves,” Mason cut in sharply. “We didn’t drag you up here for your damn opinion on us. We don’t give a single fuck, Johnson. Do your damn job and remove the animal.”
A tense silence filled the loft and, down below, I heard my father and the twins coming back in from mending the fence on the east side of the ranch. Mags was monitoring the herd in pasture four. Ricky shifted on his feet, pulling out his phone while glaring at the bull rider. He pressed it to his ear, and the three of us waited patiently. I shot a look to Denver, my mind now racing. For the last three days, I’d been trying to get information on who the hell forced Abbie to leave me. That, of fucking course, was easier said than done.
The first guess had been her mother, but Sheri Spears wasn’t the brightest woman on the planet, and she didn’t have much sway with Abbie anymore. After that, there were all the people in this town who loathed Sheri Spears, how easily she spread her legs, and all the families she’d broken apart. She had a ton of enemies, and when she secluded herself to that shitty trailer on the outside of town, her own daughter was subjected to the hate and violence on her behalf. That night changed my life, and my soul was forever tainted because of it.
I do it all over again in a heartbeat.
I would do anything to make sure Abbie was safe.
“Yeah, deploy the team to the Langston property,” Ricky ordered into the cell before looking at us. “Where was the last place you saw the animal?”
“My tracker spotted him on the northeast side by the mountain,” Denver replied, studying the man and tilting his head to the side.
Fuck, I really hoped he was seeing what I was.
After the other night, the next morning, I went directly to Denver and Mason to set the record straight.
Three Days Ago. Hallow Ranch.
“It’s too fucking early for this shit,” Mason muttered, coming into Denver’s office and yawning.
I’d been in here for two fucking hours; hell, I don’t think I even slept. All I could do was hold Abbie in my arms. I was afraid if I fell asleep, I would lose her again.
I couldn’t fucking lose her again.
Hell, I shouldn’t have lost her in the fucking first place.
I should’ve seen it.
I should’ve ran after her, chased her down into the city and demanded answers. Hell, then we could’ve handled this together.
“There’s been a development,” Denver grunted, taking another sip of his coffee.
I waited until Mason plopped down in the chair beside mine before giving it to him. “Abbie was forced to leave me six years ago.”
My friend blinked, and I waited, letting it sink in. After a few moments, he asked, “How in the fuck do you know that? Did she tell you?”
“I know you have issues with her, Mase, but listen to me,” I urged, my voice tight. “She didn’t want to fucking leave me.”
His stormlike eyes held mine for some time, his older brother sitting back in silence.
“She was threatened?” he guessed, slicing his eyes over to look at his brother.
“Yes,” I confirmed, the weight of the word crushing my heart. I fell back in my chair, shaking my head and looking out the window. I was still trying to wrap my brain around it.
“Did she tell you?” Mase asked quietly, leaning forward on his forearms.
I shook my head, keeping my eyes on the dark blue horizon, the top of the sky turning purple. Pink would follow shortly, then the oranges and yellows. God always painted the prettiest sunrises, but there was something about this one that spoke to my soul.
“Who figured it out?” Denver asked, his voice void of the skepticism I expected.
“Who do you think?” I returned quieter than before, looking over to him as I rubbed my jaw.
“Jigs?” Mase huffed out in disbelief. “You mean to tell me that old man saw—”
“Aside from your wives, my pop was the only person on this ranch who didn’t have any resentment towards her,” I reminded him patiently. “He went to talk to her yesterday. I guess he was wanting some answers too.”
Denver grunted, muttering a curse, and Mason’s jaw jumped as he peeled his gaze from mine, a shadow of regret hovering over his features.
I looked down to my lap, dark emotions pooling in my gut, creating a toxin that seeped into my bloodstream. I pinched the bridge of my nose, dropping my head. “I’m such a fucking coward,” I whispered, my voice cracking, the emotion too much. “I should’ve gone after her. I should’ve fought for her.”
I closed my eyes, remembering her running away from me as I fell to my knees, the heartbreak unbearable.
“Regret isn’t going to change the past, Beau,” Denver said quietly. “Trust me. You can spend a lifetime replaying your mistakes in your mind, but nothing, no matter how much you want it, will ever change the past. All you can do is move forward.”
My head shot up then. “There’s no fucking moving on from this, Den,” I barked. “I lost six years with her.”
Denver’s eyes flashed. “And I lost ten with him,” he said, tipping his head towards his younger brother.
“Den…,” Mase warned gently.
The cowboy ignored the warning, pointing at me. “Do you want Abbie back?” he asked sharply.
“You know damn well I do.”
He nodded. “And if she doesn’t want you back? Then what, Beau?”
I held his eyes. “She fucking wants me back. You have my word on that.”
A low whistle came from Mason. “Knew both of you in that cabin would do some damage. That didn’t take long.”
“I’m this close to breaking your jaw,” I told him simply, giving him a look.
The bastard grinned. “Don’t flirt with me. I’m married.”
“I highly doubt Harmony will want a husband who can’t fucking talk,” I shot back.
“Actually, she might,” Denver added just before Mason gave us both the bird.
“Look,” I began, getting back on topic, “I don’t know who was behind this, and I’m going to do some digging. Abbie didn’t have a lot of enemies, but her mother did.”
“So do we,” Denver reminded me. “Hallow Ranch has always had a target on its back.”
I leaned back again. “I’m just a ranch hand to the outside world, Den.” A few years ago, Denver and Mason came to me with an offer to make me a shareholder. At first, I didn’t understand, but the Langston brothers were quick to remind me how much work my father and I had put into this place. I now owned a small share of Hallow Ranch and Evergreen Feed, one of Mason’s top sponsors in the Pbr.
“And to the outside world, you’re still family to us,” Mase tacked on.
“We need to make a list of potential suspects,” I told him. “Then, I’ll start digging.”
Denver sighed and put his fist on top of his desk. “One more thing, Beau,” he called at I rose from my seat. “Do you want to bring Chase in on this or not?”
Instantly, I replied, “Until we know who is pulling Chase’s strings now, he stays out of this business.”
Mason nodded, adjusting his hat. “I think Chase needs to stay out of Hallow Ranch business for now anyways, Denver. Something doesn’t sit right with me. There’s been a change of power, and we need to be mindful of that.”
Present Day. Hallow Ranch.
Denver stood beside me as we watched Ricky walk back up the hill to his truck, the phone connected to his ear the entire way. Mason was behind us in the barn, saddling his horse.
“You felt it too, didn’t you?” I asked, crossing my arms. In my peripheral, Denver adjusted his black cowboy hat.
His answer was quiet, vibrating with darkness. “Yeah, I sure fucking did.”
“You said something was coming and I should’ve believed you.”
“In this business, Beau, it becomes second nature to watch your back.” He left me with that, heading over to the bunkhouse while I remained in my place, staring at Ricky’s back. The clicks of hooves sounded from behind me, and then, I was nudged forward. Mason’s horse stared at me, his tail flapping behind him when I turned.
“Hey, buddy,” I said, giving him a pat before looking at his rider.
Mase’s eyes were zeroed in on Ricky’s truck, now making a U-turn to leave Hallow Ranch for the day. Ricky’s team would be here within the hour, and Mason was heading out to pasture four to relieve Mags.
“You sure you don’t want me doing that?” I asked.
The bull rider looked me dead in the eye. “The only thing I want you doing tonight is spending it with Abbie,” he said, guiding his horse by me. I bit down, grinding my teeth as he mounted. “Do me another thing, yeah?”
I pulled off my hat, running a hand through my hair. “What’s that, Mase?”
“Tell her I’m sorry.”
My head snapped up again, my fingers tightening around the top of my hat. I knew Mase had said something to Abbie the first morning she was here, and I couldn’t fault him for that. He was just protecting his own. “I’m not in the business of delivering apologies, Mason. You want to apologize, do it yourself.”
He nodded. “Done.” He clicked his tongue and snapped his reins. Then, he was gone, and I headed into the bunkhouse. The door swung shut behind me as I muttered, “What the fuck?”
“That’s what I want to know,” Denver growled, leaning against the kitchen sink, fury masking his features now. He was a completely different man than the one I’d seen just a few minutes ago—a different kind of cowboy.
I looked over to the back of the bunkhouse, spotting Pop at this small desk, holding up his hands. “Don’t look at me. I just work here.”
My eyes suddenly found the bunkhouse ceiling very interesting as Denver barked out demands to the twins. “What did I fucking say about this shit?” he bellowed.
I looked at the young woman sitting at the table with a notebook and a textbook. She was younger than Abbie, or hell, even Harmony. She had dark brown skin and braids that went down to her waist, dressed in jean shorts and a faded Harvard t-shirt. My eyes met her ember ones, respecting the absence of fear within in them. “Long way from Massachusetts, aren’t you?” I said.
“I’m right where I want to be,” she replied, her voice smooth and confident.
And fuck me, I couldn’t help but give her a wide smile. “That right?” I asked with a laugh.
She nodded once.
I put my hat back on and looked over to where the twins stood. Lance looked bored with Denver’s lecture, but Lawson…Lawson looked angry. “We have a rule about damn strangers,” Denver growled. “I shouldn’t come into my bunkhouse on my goddamn ranch to find a fucking stranger sitting at the table.”
“She’s not a stranger, Den,” Lawson replied, his voice cold.
Denver stepped up to the young cowboy. “She’s a stranger to me, to my family. Get her out of here.”
“Thought we were your family, Denver,” Lance noted from behind his brother, leaning against the wall, putting his hands in his pockets. He pursed his lips and shrugged his shoulders. “Or was that just a load of horse shit?”
Silence filled the bunkhouse then, the tension wired.
“It’s alright, Lance,” the woman said, rising from her seat and gathering her things. “I’ll find someplace to work in town.”
Denver had demons, like every other cowboy on this ranch, but Denver was the only one who’d come close to losing everything he ever had. He had trust issues, especially with strangers coming onto Hallow Ranch. The twins should’ve known better than to bring her here.
The woman moved away from the table, her belongings wrapped tightly in her arms. I stepped aside and held the door open for her. I should’ve felt sorry for her, but I had too much shit of my own to worry about, and right now, we couldn’t trust anyone.
“Wait.”
Her head snapped over in Denver’s direction. Keeping his eyes on her, he pointed at the twins. “Who is she to you, boys?” he quipped.
“An old friend,” she answered for the twins.
Denver’s eyes narrowed underneath the brim of his hat. “Old friends usually bring trouble. Is that what you’re bringing to my ranch today, miss? Fucking trouble?”
“No, sir,” she answered, her voice strong and unwavering. She wasn’t afraid of him, and fuck, if that wasn’t impressive.
Denver looked over to the twins. “Why is she here?”
Lance spoke up first. “We just thought—”
“I’m not asking for bullshit, I’m asking for an answer. Why. Did. You. Bring. Her. Here?”
Outside, I heard an engine coming down the hill and looked up to see Harmony’s car. “This conversation was none of my business anyways,” I muttered under my breath, stepping back outside again. I waited somewhat impatiently for Harmony to park in front of the barn before making my way over to the car. I reached out, grabbing Abbie’s door handle, and just as I was about to pull it open, it was shoved into my legs.
I grunted, biting off a curse as my wildflower folded herself out of the car, her brown eyes cold, her mouth tight.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, shutting the car door.
She said nothing to me as she bent down, muttering a thank you to Harmony through the passenger window, quiet until Harmony’s SUV was headed back up the hill.
“Wildflower,” I murmured, coming to stand behind her. “What’s going on?”
She carefully turned to face me, keeping her laptop close to her chest, her knuckles getting lighter by the second. I was half- convinced she’d break the damn thing if her grip got any tighter. My eyes flicked up to her face, my gut twisting at the sight of angry tears.
“How could you?” she pushed out quietly.
“Baby, I’ve done a lot of things in my thirty-one years on this Earth, and not one of those things were with the intention of hurting you,” I said roughly, grabbing her chin. “What’s wrong?”
She jerked out of my hold, stepping back. “Tell me right now that you’ve only killed one man,” she demanded, her voice shaking. I opened my mouth, but she beat me to the punch. “I’m not talking about the men Denver and Mason have killed. I know they’ll do anything to protect Hallow Ranch.”
My jaw clenched.
When I didn’t answer her, her bottom lip began to tremble. “You killed that man when you were seventeen to protect me,” she whispered, backing out of the shade the bunkhouse provided and stepping into the late-afternoon sun. I could see the gold in her brown eyes now, and all I wanted to do was fucking kiss her.
“Know that, Wildflower,” I said on a sigh and looked towards the barn for a moment. “And we both know I’d do it again in a fucking heartbeat.”
“Did you like it?”