Chapter 22
Malachi
The ache of missing Gracie was as essential and continuous as breathing. I’d already lost so much time with her; it hurt to be apart when she was so close. I texted her every free moment I had, but I needed to focus. Working on a ranch could be dangerous.
After I completed my primary duties for the day, Maisie found me in Anchor’s stall. She was in charge of the ranch’s social media and websites for the ranch, lodgings and equine therapy. It was basically a full-time job, but she also worked as a server at The Dusted Bull on the weekends.
“Hey, Radar. Got a sec?” She was dressed like most of us in jeans and boots, but she had on a thick red knitted sweater that fell off one shoulder as she leaned against the stall gate.
“Sure, what’s up?”
“I need you to look at something,” she said as she waved the iPad she was holding up.
After I had finished brushing Ankh’s side, I placed it aside and took off my gloves before making my way over to her.
“These are our recent posts for our various businesses. We’ve been getting regular, weird, religious-leaning posts, and Dad said you should take a look.” She offered me the iPad. “Just flip through the tabs. Each post features you or Anchor or the team.”
With the iPad in hand, I flipped through the posts. Reading the comments, I could see she was right.
The first image was of me riding Ankh with the mountains in the background. I was in shadow, so unless you knew it was me, it would be too hard to tell. There was a new comment from only a few hours ago that read:
You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.
Nausea swelled in my stomach as I read the words that had been hurled at me over and over again throughout my youth, but most heinously during my father’s attempt at pastoral care. The iPad shook in my hand, and Maisie quickly grabbed it.
“Are you okay, Mal?” She placed her hand on my shoulder as I squeezed my eyes shut and leaned forward over the gate, breathing deeply. Blocking out those memories as best as I could, I could not let them in or he would win.
“I’m fine.” My voice was rough, so I cleared my throat. “Show me the others.” I reached for the iPad once more.
Another picture popped up, this one of Anchor in one of the fallow fields, nosing the dirt. The caption described the type of ranch we lived on and the equine therapy information. The newest comment read:
Thus, they bring judgment on themselves, because they have broken their first pledge.
I flicked to the last tab, which featured a photo of my team. We’d only taken it a couple of months ago to go with the new equine therapy website, and this comment seemed to be directed at everyone in the photo, reading:
You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?
“Those are all direct Bible quotes.” I pinched the bridge of my nose. Religious zealots were everywhere, but that first quote hit a little too close to the mark. “Do you know if they’re the same account or the same person? Can we just block them?”
“They’re all different accounts, but each account is brand new and with no other posts or followers.
” Maisie shifted from foot to foot, nerves clear in her expression.
“There’s one more that’s a little more direct than these.
” She held out her hand for the iPad and tapped a few things before offering it back to me.
There was a picture on the screen of the main ranch house with Ev, me and Gramps all squinting at the camera with various smiles on our faces.
The caption was a basic introduction of who we were and the generational legacy of the ranch.
There were multiple comments from the same user, and the comments got progressively more aggressive and direct as the comments went on.
And they each ended with a veiled threat:
Hidden sins will be revealed. Your judgement is coming. It will be swift, and God’s vengeance will show no mercy.
As I glance at Maisie, I realize I’m unsure of what to do. “Have you taken screenshots and logged the times these came through?”
“Not yet, but I will. Do you think it’s something we should be worried about?”
“Honestly, I’m not sure. I need to talk to Ev, but as a risk assessment, we need to make logs and keep an eye out for escalation.
” My military training screamed at me that this was more dangerous than it seemed, but I needed Ev’s guidance as I was not used to virtual scenarios.
My tactical risk assessment training was from our missions and with hands-on, physical and viable threats, not virtual ones.
However, this was my family, and I knew I should make the guys aware so we could all come up with a game plan.
We had to enhance security measures and inform everyone about the potential threat.
My mind was making lists and an action plan.
“Leave it with me. Ev in his office or in the field?”
Maisie laughed. “Field, of course. Anything to avoid the office.”
“True. Alright, can I take the iPad and discuss it further with him? Then we’ll bring you back in once we have a plan. That okay?” I moved to open the stall gate, causing Maisie to take a step back.
“That’s fine. Don’t you have class this morning?” she asked as she fell in step beside me as we made our way towards the stable doors.
“Yo, Zane, can you get someone to finish brushing down Anchor for me? I’ve got a situation with the boss man that needs attending to,” I asked Zane as he came out of the tack room to the right of the stable door.
“Sure thing. I can do it now.” His bright blue eyes flicked between me and Maisie. “Everything alright?” A soft blush colored his young face as his gaze caught on Maisie, and he dipped his head. The poor boy had a crush. It was sweet, but Maisie was way too much for a softie like Zane.
“Everything’ll be fine. Thanks, Zane.” Tipping my hat in his direction, I followed Maisie outside before heading to the cattle field to find Everett.
“I think poor Zane has a little crush.” I nudged her shoulder playfully as we walked.
“Ugh, I know, but he’s like my little brother. I don’t see him that way, but he’s so nice I really don’t want to hurt his feelings.” Maisie fiddled with her sweater as she huffed ahead.
“He’s a big boy. Just let him down easy.”
“I’ll try, but every time I go to do it, he looks at me with those baby blues, it feels too cruel, like I’m kicking a puppy or something. We need more women on the ranch. Make the pool bigger so you’re not all fighting over just me.”
Laughter burst out of me. I couldn’t help it as I tried to speak through my chuckles. “You’re like our little sister, Maze. No offense, but I think Zane’s your only current suitor.” I sighed at her naivety but loved her all the same.
“Hey, you don’t know. There’s more than Zane around here.”
Stopping suddenly, I gripped her arm. “What do you mean?” I did a mental calculation, and Zane was the only one in her age range and even close to suitable. Everyone else was from my team or too old for her. Worry gnawed at my gut that someone else might have tried something.
“Nothing.” She stomped her foot and rolled her eyes at my big brother antics. “It’s nothing. Some of the day laborers are hot.” She fanned her face before pointing a finger at me. “But you are not to tell my dad. I don’t need more overbearing protectiveness than I already have.”
My hands were raised, palms out. “I can’t promise, but I know what your dad’s like when it comes to you. I don’t know what he’ll do when you bring a boy home you’re serious about. It’ll probably break him.”
Looping her arm through mine, we set off again. Her lighthearted chuckle was warm on the wind. “You’re probably right, and I kinda can’t wait.”
She was a handful. Mischievous and adventurous, I didn’t know of a man who could hold her down for long.
She reminded me of Gracie’s sister, Lexi: bold, carefree, and her own person.
She walked to the beat of her own drum and didn’t take crap from anyone.
Thankfully, Maze had a great parent in Ev, but her mother left much to be desired.
We found Ev tagging calves with three of the day laborers, and I watched Maisie closely, trying to see if she gravitated to one more than the others, but she was her usual friendly self, and no one focused on her more than us.
“Got a sec, Ev? There’s something we need to discuss,” I called from the fence line.
“Give me twenty and I’ll meet you in my office. Need to finish this batch first.” He spoke after tagging the calf caught between his legs.
“All good, I’ll meet you there,” I said with a wave to Ev, before turning to Maze. “There’s something I need to chat to your dad about around all this, so you can probably get back to work or whatever else you want to do, and we’ll grab you if we need to navigate the socials. That, okay?”
Her dark brows disappeared into her thick fringe. “This isn’t some protective big brother bullshit, is it?”
“No, no, promise,” I added with a chuckle. She was a firecracker. “Honestly, it’s just personal.”
“Does it have anything to do with the stunning redhead you’re obsessed with?” She nudged my shoulder as we headed back towards the main house.
My cheeks heated and my heart damn near fluttered at the thought of my Gracie. “In this case, no,” I mumbled, not wanting to think about the full truth I might have to share with Ev if these weird comments and veiled threats continued.
“I like her. Grace is nice and a fantastic cook. I wouldn’t be sorry if she were around for a long time.” Maze spoke conversationally, but I could tell she was trying to make a point. She was cheeky.
“Trying to get someone to take over the cooking, huh?” I joked, playfully punching her shoulder. “Your cooking’s not that bad.”
“Hey, my cooking is fine! I’m better than Dad with dinners at least. But ours was nothing on Grace’s. That was such a good meal. It felt like it was when Memaw was alive.” Sadness took over her face. “She was a superb cook.”