Chapter 10
Ten
“ W ho the fuck would do this to us?” Zeke stomped out his cigarette in the dirt.
“Jesus Christ.” Sam’s fucking heart was pounding out of his chest trying to figure out what the hell had happened to the heifers over night. He ran his hand over his scar, willing the anxiety churning in his gut to quiet down.
“You got a problem with anyone around here?” Derrick asked.
“Not that I know of. I’d like to think someone would come to me if I’d done them wrong, because this is… atrocious.”
Five heifers lay dead in the most gruesome scene Sam had ever come across, including one very special one. It wasn’t the work of natural predators, either. No. The cuts were too clean. The way they’d been butchered told a very clear story.
“I didn’t want to fucking believe it.”
As soon as they left the office, and were outside of hearing distance for Evie, Zeke told Sam what he and Derrick had woken up to find that morning. At first, Sam suspected it was a prank. Some idiot kid got ahold of some Halloween prop and the guys had fallen for it. But seeing the severed head of his cattle at the bunk house had been just the start of his trouble.
“Zeke, get the satellite phone and call the sheriff,” Derrick said. “We need an official report. Whoever the fuck did this was trying to send a message.”
“Wish they would have just picked up the phone.”
“Yeah, me too, Boss. Me too.” Zeke squatted down, patting Lemon’s neck. “Sorry, old girl.”
A sharp acidic pain pulled in Sam’s throat. The cow and her baby hadn’t survived whatever attack had happened. She was days from having her calf, and some sick asshole had taken both of their lives. The thought of telling Evie about her fate pressed into the front of his mind and made his stomach ache.
It took a few hours, but with sweat dripping down his face, Sam finished talking over the plans with Derrick and Zeke. They needed to move the rest of the heifers to a new pasture and deal with the ones left behind.
“I’m going to get this paperwork written up and filed. I’ll make a copy of it for you and drop it off before I head home tonight so you’ll have it for insurance purposes.” John ripped the paper off his clipboard.
“Okay. Zeke, Derrick! Start moving the herd over to the west pasture. I’m heading back to the office to deal with…” he pointed to the carcasses. “All this.”
Sam grabbed his phone out of his pocket, his stomach plummeting when he saw the number of missed calls from Evie.
It only took a minute, and he could already tell she was in trouble.
“Fuck!”
“What’s wrong?” John called after him.
“Evie went into town. Got turned around from the sounds of it and that piece of shit car she drives broke down. She doesn’t know if she’s on the right road to get back here.”
John’s face dropped. “It’s hot as hell out today.”
“Yeah.” Worry tightened in his gut.
“Okay, I’m coming back with you. I’ve got what I need for a statement and we can split up. I’ll take the road out by the old Johnson property. That’s the only other way I can think of that she’d take. You can take the main road to town.”
“Okay.” Sam swung his leg over Jasper and pulled himself up into the saddle. “You call me the second you find her.”
“Same for you.”
Sam nodded, not waiting for John to make it to his truck before he had Jasper at a full gallop, racing back towards the ranch.
“Go on!” Sam was pushing the limit of how fast Jasper could run.
His horse bolted up the close field and Sam jumped down, sprinting for his truck just as a vehicle turned into the Ranch’s driveway.
Jake.
And he could see Evie sitting in the passenger seat.
Thank you, God.
“Evie!” He pulled the door open, shocked to see how pale she was. Her dress was clinging to her body, soaked with sweat. “What the fuck happened? Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine, Cowboy. Just got a little too hot and Jellybean didn’t like it. Good thing Jake was there to catch me.”
His stomach lurched. “Catch you?”
“She fainted on me as we were getting her to my truck.” Jake walked around to shake Sam’s hand.
“Christ, Bluebell. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine. I promise. Jake is just going to check me over quickly before he gets back to his other patients.” She smiled at him, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Sam, you have to move so I can get down.”
“You just passed out and you think I’m going to have you walking up to the apartment? Fuck no.”
“I can walk.”
“I’m carrying you. End of story.”
“No, you don’t need to do that. Honestly, I just overheated.”
He growled and heard Jake laugh as he opened the back door of his truck.
“Don’t be such a caveman, Cowboy. How about this? I walk, but you walk back with me and tell me what you found with the herd? I’ve been worried all morning.”
There she was, worrying about him when she should be focused on herself and the baby. Fine. He’d give her a chance.
Sam held out his hand and helped her get down out of the truck. Instantly, he knew it was a mistake.
Evie swayed, pressing her hand to her stomach. In one swift movement, Sam stepped forward, scooping her up into his arms. Her hands locked together behind his neck as her head rested on his shoulder.
“Looks like you don’t quite have your sea legs.”
“Why would I need sea legs? We’re on a cattle ranch.”
“Not funny, Evie. I’m going to carry you up to your apartment now and try not to lose my temper. We can pretend we are in a romantic comedy like we did after our walk.”
“Hmm, that was pretty nice.” She searched his face, for what, he didn’t know. “Okay. But if I’m too heavy, you put me down. I can’t have the whole ranch knowing you injured yourself carrying me.”
“I should bend you over my knee for putting yourself down again, but seeing as how you turned into a southern belle and swooned today, I guess I have to let it go. ”
“Remind me to talk poorly about myself again once I’m feeling better,” she giggled.
He couldn’t hold back his chuckle as he watched her cheeks flush with the smallest hint of pink. “Good to know you are actually feeling okay. You looked like a ghost when I opened Jake’s door.”
“Oh, Jake! Shoot. Put me down. I need to help him with the groceries.”
“No can do. And I know for a fact Jake is a strong guy. I’m sure he can lug up whatever he needs to, and if there’s anything left behind, I’ll grab it myself once we know you’re okay.”
“I’m fine. But I guess if you won’t set me down, you can tell me what you found with the cattle.”
Sam walked around to the staircase at the back of the barn.
“It wasn’t good news, Evie. Some of the herd… We lost some overnight.”
“Oh no! How many?”
“Five.”
“God.” Her head settled back onto his shoulder. “I’m so sorry, Sam.”
Fuck. How the hell was he supposed to tell her about Lemon and Lemon Drop?
“Evie, this can be serious for you and the baby.” Sam’s heart fell into his stomach as he set the last of the grocery bags on the counter.
“Everything okay?” he looked at Evie, who seemed to be on the verge of tears.
“It’s just low blood sugar. I didn’t eat before my appointment. I’ll be better about it.”
“Then I think you and your baby are going to be just fine. I’ll get out of your hair, but if you ever need anything, I’ve left my numbers on this form that just gives you a little more information on low blood sugar and what to do to help combat it. And just make sure you follow up with Dr. Hayes’s office so they have a record of this for your medical history.”
Sam extended his hand to Jake. “Thanks, man. I owe you one.”
“I’m just happy I was in the right place at the right time.” Jake winked at Evie, who flashed a brilliant smile at him as he left.
“So, what would you like to eat?” Sam asked as soon as the door to the apartment was shut.
“You don’t have to do that. I’ll put away the groceries and make something after. I promise, Sam, I’m not some fragile wallflower.”
“I know you’re not a fragile wallflower. More like a withering bluebell, wouldn’t you say?” He smiled. “I don’t mind helping so you can rest. After all, you’re carrying some pretty precious cargo there.”
“Are you sure?”
He nodded, leaning his hip against the half wall that separated her living room from the kitchen. “What sounds good to you?”
She drummed her fingers against her thigh, her eyes bouncing around her kitchen. “Maybe just an apple?”
He was sure his face portrayed the appropriate amount of horror.
“That cannot be what you are craving.”
“What? Why not?”
“An apple? Even if it was, that’s not enough calories for you alone, forget about what you need for Jellybean, too.”
“You actually only need about two hundred extra calories a day when you’re pregnant.”
“Okay. But how about we get those two hundred calories with some protein? Or you treat yourself to something indulgent because you are creating a whole human inside your body? I mean, Jesus, Evie, you’re tiny. You don’t need to worry about eating too much.”
She laughed, but there was a sadness he immediately picked up on.
“That’s really sweet of you to say, but I got a big lecture at my appointment from a nurse about not putting on too much weight too quickly.”
Holy fuck. There is no way someone could look at Evie and think she needed to slow down on gaining weight.
“Is that why you didn’t eat this morning?”
“No, I?—”
His brain ran through all the times they’d been together, especially over the last week. She’d always left the office to eat her lunch outside, under the oak tree. Had she ever even had something to eat at her desk? Fuck, he should have been paying better attention.
“Christ. Is that why I barely ever see you eating at work?”
“I eat. It’s just that I’ve struggled in the past with my weight. I don’t want to have a hard time after Jellybean is born. I can’t fall into bad habits now.”
“Whoever the fuck made you feel like your body isn’t absolutely perfect just as it is can go eat a cowpie.” Her face blossomed into the most beautiful shade of pink at his words. “Now, I’m going to fix you a snack. A proper one. If there’s anything you really want, or really don’t want, now would be the time to tell me.”
She smiled. “I actually got some peanut butter at the store. Would you mind making me a peanut butter and pickle sandwich? There should be some pickles in the fridge.”
Sam was sure his eyes bugged out of his head, because she immediately laughed. “Hey, don’t knock it until you try it. That’s one of Jellybean’s favorite things right now. ”
He held up his hands, moving towards the kitchen. “No, it just sounds…interesting. I’ll definitely take your word that it’s good.”
Sam watched out of the corner of his eye as Evie sat back on the sofa, closing her eyes as her hand rested on her belly.
“What are you going to do about the cattle? How did so many of them die at the same time?”
“Evie, someone…”
Her eyes went wide. “You’re saying someone killed them? Why would anyone do that?”
“That’s the million dollar question. I’m not sure how we’re going to recoup the loss. Our insurance policy is just about as clear as mud and I’m sure getting a payout from them will be like getting blood from a stone.” He ran his hand over his face, before returning to the sandwich he was making. “I know you’ve just started looking over the accounting books for me, but I’m sure you’ve seen how little our profit margins are.”
Evie nodded without opening her eyes. Sam finished making the sandwich, grabbing a water bottle from the fridge before walking into her living room.
“You’re not going to drive that beat up hunk of junk anymore.”
“Don’t talk about Opal that way. She’s been a great car for a really long time.” She grabbed the sandwich off the plate and took a big bite. “Thank you for this.”
He nodded. “Evie. You should have sent it to the scrap yard before you drove it over a thousand miles here to Texas. I should have made sure you got rid of it when you got here. It’s not safe for you or Jellybean. For now, if you need to go somewhere, you can take a ranch truck.”
“I can’t drive one of the trucks! I won’t be able to reach the pedals or see over the dash. ”
Sam laughed. “Fine, if you need to go somewhere, I’ll drive you there and back.”
“No. I can’t ask that of you.”
“Stop being so damn stubborn. You could have been seriously hurt today. Jesus, when I heard your message, my fucking heart…”
“Sam. I get it. I wasn’t prepared for the heat. But we’re okay. It worked out.”
“You can’t… you can’t be leaving the ranch and not telling someone where you are going before you go. Even if it was cooler out and the heat wasn’t a threat, there are all sorts of critters that could have hurt you. If you’d been bitten by a snake…”
“Stop borrowing trouble.”
“I care, Evie. I care about you and the baby.”
“I know that. But you also need to realize I’m not usually someone who needs so much help. I really have been taking care of myself all on my own for years. And I’m good at it.”
“Everyone deserves to not have to shoulder every burden in life by themselves.”
“Yeah? So who does that for you, Cowboy?”
“For a long time, that answer would have been no one. And just like you, I thought I was fine that way. But then, this little spitfire came into my life, not knowing her bluebells from her bluebonnets, and she took things off my plate. Things that I thought weren’t adding to my stress, but actually were. And I’m grateful I got over myself and that she was stubborn and stayed.”
Evie smiled, bringing the last bite of her snack up to her lips. She chewed slowly, her tongue peaking out to capture the few stray crumbs at the corner of her mouth. He watched her neck as she swallowed the last bit of sandwich down.
“Fine,” she sighed. “I’ll let you know if I need to go anywhere, and you can take me. ”
His hand reached out and squeezed her arm. “Thank you.”
Evie laid her head back on the sofa and he watched as her eyes drifted close.
“I’ll put away your groceries and get out of your hair.”
Her eyes popped back open. “Oh, you don’t need to do that.”
“Shh. Just rest. I’ve got it.”
Sam opened the four shopping bags and placed everything on the counter. After five minutes, he had everything put up either in her cupboards or in her fridge. Sam knew he needed to tell Evie about Lemon, but he’d convinced himself while putting things away that if she’d fallen asleep, he could just leave the news for the next day.
Turning, his eyes met hers. Damn. He was about to break her heart.
“How long have you been watching me?” he asked.
“A while. It’s like you belong here. You know where everything goes.”
“You organized everything how I would have, that’s all.”
“Well, I’m okay if you have to go. I know you probably have a million things to deal with after this morning. Oh, do you need me to look at insurance or start getting a hold of anyone? The sheriff? Game warden?”
“No. Don’t worry about any of that. I do have something I need to tell you before I go.”
“Okay.”
Sam sat down on the sofa, leaving room between the two of them.
“Lemon was one of the cows killed today, Evie.”
Her beautiful eyes went wide as his words sunk in. The tiniest space popped open between her lips, and a gasp hit him right in the chest. She began shaking her head softly back and forth as her eyebrows pulled together. ”
“No, Sam. She wasn’t.”
“I’m so sorry, Bluebell. She was.”
“No!”
“I saw her in the field.”
“I don’t believe you. I want to see her too.” Tears were teetering on the edge of her lashes, but he could tell how hard she was fighting to hold them back.
“You don’t want to see that. I wish it wasn’t her, but it was.” Sam slid his hand over hers and squeezed. That was it. Evie’s tears fell in two heartbreaking tracks down her face.
She pulled her hand away from his, standing up from the sofa where she began to pace back and forth, wiping at her tears.
“What about Lemon Drop?”
Her face looked so fucking hopeful, but only for one fleeting second. Sam was sure the expression on his own face gave her the answer, but he still said the words out loud, just in case.
“We were too late, Evie. They’d been gone all night.”
Her hands moved to cover her face. Sobs wracked through her body and Sam was up in an instant, closing the distance between them to wrap his arms around her.
“You told me not to fall in love with them. B-but I did.”
Of course she did. He’d seen the way she looked at that damn cow. He was ready to bring her calf into the barn the minute it was born and let Evie bottle feed it if it made her happy. Hell, he would have put a bow on Lemon and given them a field right in view of Evie’s apartment window if it meant seeing her smile. But he couldn’t any more. They were gone.
“I know, sweetheart. I know you did. There’s nothing wrong with that. I’m glad they were loved before they left this earth.”
“Oh god, Sam. Her baby.” Evie’s whole body shook. “She didn’t get to meet her baby. I got to see Jellybean at my appointment today and Lemon is never going to get a chance to meet L-Lemon Drop.”
His hand circled over her back. “That’s how life goes sometimes. You know that pain too, Evie.” He thought back to their walk and how he could hear the pain in her voice when she talked about her miscarriage.
“You’re right.” She pulled away, walking towards the kitchen. He watched as she used a napkin to dry her tears and wipe her nose. “I’m so sorry I fell apart like that.”
She squared her shoulders before continuing. “This is a working ranch. That’s the circle of life. I’ve never really thought about it before, but I guess I believe there is something after this life for all living c-creatures. I’m sure Lemon,” her voice caught and she bit her lip. “I’m sure Lemon and Lemon Drop are still together, wherever their sweet souls have journeyed on to.”
“I believe that too.”
Her eyes narrowed. “We’re going to find out who did this and make them pay, aren’t we?”
“I’ve already filed a report with the Sheriff’s Department. We’ll figure it out and they’ll pay.”
“Good. All of the cattle who were killed deserve that justice. But I really want to see it happen for Lemon and her baby.”