Chapter 6
6
Rachel
R achel couldn’t think of anything she enjoyed more than the look of utter shock on Hudson’s face. He hadn’t been expecting that, and it was delicious to see the understanding melt with the disbelief he wore.
He jabbed his finger on the table. “You’re not lying to me to get me off your back, are you?”
She wrinkled her nose. “I have no reason to lie about this sort of thing.”
“Yes, you do,” he argued. “You clearly don’t want me here bothering you. I’m sure nothing would make you happier than to have me leave.”
Actually, she toyed with the idea of telling him who exactly had purchased the land, just to see if she could get another reaction out of him. There was something so satisfying about getting under Hudson’s skin. He’d never liked her anyway. Now he could have a reason for his disdain.
“Fine. I don’t want you here. I was enjoying my pie before you showed up. Now I have to argue with someone who doesn’t respect my time.”
His eyes narrowed. “So, you are lying to me.”
Rachel threw up her hands and groaned. “For heaven’s sake, Hudson. I don’t make a habit of lying to people and I’m not going to start now—even if it would get you out of my hair.”
Hudson opened his mouth, probably to say something condescending, but then her phone vibrated on the table. It drew his gaze and hers. She lifted a finger and picked up her device, not caring if he got frustrated over the interruption.
“This is Miss Walton.”
“I have bad news.” Brent was a wonderful project manager when it came to all the nitty gritty of turning her property into a wild horse sanctuary, but he had a tendency of ripping off the Band-Aid, and that was more tiresome than she preferred.
A sigh burst from her lips. “What’s wrong now?” Her eyes darted to Hudson, who was watching her intently. She frowned and turned to the side so her phone was farther from him. “You said it was in the bag. The land has everything needed. We went over the requirements in extensive detail.”
“An inspector was sent already.”
“You said that wouldn’t happen for several weeks, if not more.”
Brent was quiet for a moment, the sound of clicks on a keyboard the only thing she could hear. Then he spoke again. “I was able to call in a favor, seeing as this is a big project and one the state values.”
Rachel dug her hand into her hair and sighed again. “What is it then? Did we leave something out of the paperwork? Did someone forget to dot all the I’s?” She glanced once more at Hudson. “Do you mind?” she muttered.
One side of Hudson’s mouth twitched upward, and he shook his head as he leaned back in his seat. “Not at all.”
“Who are you talking to?” Brent asked.
“Doesn’t matter. Tell me what the bad news is so we can fix it. I’d like to get this project up and running quickly to prevent any vandals from doing anything to the property.”
“That’s just it.”
Her stomach dropped. “ Vandals ?” Rachel sat up a little straighter. “What do you mean? Brent, you better start talking and talking fast. I need to know what’s going on.”
“Well, as you know, there is no real requirement when it comes to the enclosed space. As long as there is a secure fence around the perimeter, it’s fine.”
“Yeah…” she drawled. “Did someone sabotage my fence?”
“In a few places.”
She pinched the bridge of her nose. “Please tell me that’s the only thing. I can get a few guys out there to check the fence lines and fix them. That should be easy enough.”
“Unfortunately, there’s evidence that someone has gone in and cut several of your trees down.”
Rachel couldn’t breathe. “You’re joking.”
“I’m not. According to the rules for adopting or taking on the wild horses, not only do you need to have adequate acreage, but you need adequate shelter.”
“What do you suggest we do? It’s not like I can just grow trees overnight.” Rachel had forgotten about Hudson until he cleared his throat. She glanced up at him, startled. “What?”
“Something wrong with the property?”
She scowled and ignored him, turning back to Brent. “I’ll have someone out to fix the fences. Do you have any suggestions for the shelter issue?”
“You could build some lean-tos. Shelter can be anything from the trees to actual buildings. It’s mostly so the horses have a place to go during inclement weather.”
Rachel shook her head. “I—” She eyed Hudson again. “They wanted this to be as natural as possible. I can’t just put a bunch of buildings on the premises.”
Hudson cleared his throat again, and she squinted at him. “Maybe you could build shelters that look like caves or something. There are plenty of ways to fix that problem.”
“Is someone talking? I hear a voice in the background,” Brent said.
“Just some cowboy. He says we could build some natural-looking shelters around the property.”
“That’s actually not a bad idea.” Brent’s voice grew quieter and the clicking resumed. “There are a lot of options. I think you’d be happy with them. Sure, there would be upkeep, but it’s not like you don’t have the funds to do it.”
Rachel glanced at Hudson again, not sure if she should be grateful for his input or if she should tell him to get lost. “Fine. Draw up a report on the cost, and I’ll look into getting it approved. How long do we have to wait until they can come out again to inspect the project?”
“One month at least. But that shouldn’t be too bad. I’m sure we could get a few of the enclosures built by then. You might have to start out with smaller numbers for your herd, but we can add onto it as we go.” Brent’s reassurances did little to ease the tickle in the back of her mind. Something was going on.
The fence getting sabotaged and the trees getting chopped down didn’t sit right with her. She knew better than to believe in coincidences. “I think I’m going to have to hire some security.”
“I thought you were going to stay in the house on the property.”
She nodded, more to herself than anyone else. “Yeah, I’ll be doing that, too. It’s just a really big place. I can’t keep an eye on it everywhere.”
“Have you considered cameras?”
Rachel hated that idea, too. But it was looking more and more like she didn’t have a choice in the matter. “I’ll look into it.”
“I’ll send you some specs. You let me know when the fences are repaired and if you find a company you like for the enclosures.”
“Thanks, Brent.” She hung up her phone and pushed it across the table. Well, that was just great. Now she had to deal with criminals while getting her project off the ground. On top of that, she had expenses she wasn’t planning on.
Sure, she had the money for it, but that didn’t mean she liked spending it. Despite being raised in a wealthy family, she had learned to be frugal. She didn’t buy designer clothes. She didn’t splurge on high-end cars. For all intents and purposes, she was in the upper division of the middle class.
“Sounds like you could use some help.”
Her eyes darted upward to find Hudson still seated across from her, a wry smile on his face. She scowled at him. “What are you still doing here? Don’t you know when you’re not welcome?”
“Sounds like you struggle with that, too.”
“What do you mean?”
Hudson shrugged his shoulders with another smile. “Sounds like someone doesn’t like the fact that your friend bought that land. Do they have any enemies?”
She didn’t think she had enemies. She’d kept her head down while being in Copper Creek. There was no one she’d offended as far as she knew. Except one. Her eyes narrowed, and she pointed a finger at him. “You’re the only one who doesn’t…” She cleared her throat. “You’re the only one who didn’t want that land bought. Maybe you sabotaged it before you realized what the land would be used for.”
He lifted a brow and chuckled, throwing her off balance.
“What?”
Hudson shook his head. “I would never sabotage the land. I might show up and scare off the investors, but destroy property? I know better than that. I can’t afford to pay for my dinner sometimes, let alone a lawyer. Nope, whoever it is that ruined those fences has it out for whoever bought it.”
Rachel worried her lower lip and stared at her phone as if it would give her the answer. Still, nothing came to mind. She was at a loss. All she could do was try to strengthen her defenses. She didn’t want to electrify the fences, but she might actually have to do that.
A security team definitely would be helpful. She just didn’t know where to start on that. The town was small as it was, and most of the strong men had jobs on farms or ranches. She’d probably end up paying through the nose for someone from Colorado Springs to move out here for the next couple of months.
She groaned. Perhaps this was her sign. She’d bitten off more than she could chew with this one, and she wasn’t prepared for the consequences.
“Maybe I could help.”
Her eyes cut to Hudson’s again. “What?” she said incredulously.
“I could help.” He said it like it was the most natural idea in the world. “I could come out and help fix the fences for cheap. I wouldn’t even mind making the rounds so we can keep people off the property. I’m guessing I could convince some of my brothers to help out, too—when their work is done.”
She couldn’t believe her ears. He wanted to help her? Rachel’s eyes narrowed once more as she leaned forward, her voice low. “Why would you even offer that?”
“Do I have to have a reason?”
“Yes.”
He settled back, apparently more at ease now that he knew what was going on. “While I reject that notion, I’ll tell you. I like the idea of a sanctuary. That land is perfect for it, and the wild horses in this area are getting rounded up and treated poorly. Your friend is giving them a chance at a second life—a life where they can still feel the wind against their bodies as they run from one side of that land to the next. It’s got water, vegetation, trees, and interesting hills and valleys. I can’t believe I didn’t think of it myself.”
She couldn’t decide if she should trust him. Still, she had a feeling he wasn’t going to give up the idea of helping her. “What if I said no? What if my friend isn’t willing to pay you?”
He shrugged again. “As long as I’m not forcibly removed due to trespassing, I don’t think there’s anything they can do to stop me.”
She huffed. “You sound ridiculous. No one would do that kind of work for free.”
“Is that a challenge?”
Rachel smoothed her expression to prevent him from seeing her own surprise. Hudson had stunned her more than she was happy to admit. “Do what you’re going to do. I’m not asking for your help.”
“Don’t you think I know that?”
She rolled her eyes. “I have several phone calls to make. If you wouldn’t mind…” She gestured to him by flicking her fingers in his direction. He got to his feet with an irritating smirk on his face. She knew that look. It wasn’t that she’d seen him use it; she’d seen it with other people. He was going to do something stupid, and if she wasn’t careful, he might drag her into it.