Chapter 34 Noah
NOAH
The herd was restless, spooked by the shifting ground near the east ridge.
Hank and I had been up since before dawn, riding out with the crew to push them back toward the pasture before the terrain got worse.
My stallion, Wyatt, moved beneath me. His ears flicked back as the dogs darted through the dust, keeping the cattle in line.
A landslide had carved out a rough patch along the trail, forcing us to reroute. The longer we took, the riskier it got. One wrong move, and we’d lose a cow or, worse, a man.
Just as we crested the ridge, a ranch hand’s horse startled, rearing up. I saw it before it happened, but not fast enough. He tumbled back, his boot catching on the stirrup.
“Hold on!” I kicked Wyatt forward, Hank right behind me. The guy struggled, half-dragged, half-fighting to free himself as the ground gave an ominous shift beneath him.
Wyatt surged ahead, his muscles coiling as I swung down, gripping the reins of the spooked horse before it could bolt. Hank grabbed the ranch hand, yanking him up just as a chunk of earth crumbled down the slope. A close call, but we were used to those out here.
By the time we got the herd settled and made it back to the ranch, my back was covered in sweat and my throat full of dust. There were no easy days in ranching, but this one had been a little too close for comfort.
As I swung down from Wyatt, Logan was already waiting with his arms crossed, looking entirely too amused. “This fella got lost big time,” he said, jerking his chin toward the man standing next to him.
And that fella was none other than my old buddy, Dominic Powell.
“Lucas,” Dom greeted, squinting against the setting sun, clearly trying to make sense of what he was seeing. “Fuck me! You really went full sea change. Look at you, all Clint Eastwood. No, John Wick.”
I smirked, dusting off my sleeves. “Well, I’m nowhere near either end of that spectrum.”
“Yeah? Because you look like a cowboy who just got tossed at a rodeo,” he countered, grinning.
“And you look like a city boy trying too hard to blend in,” I shot back, eyeing his spotless jeans and way-too-crisp T-shirt.
Dom huffed, shaking his head. “Right. Next time, I’ll show up in my usual attire.”
“Wouldn’t hurt,” I said, pulling him into a quick, tough handshake.
Dom laughed. “Good to see you, Noah.”
Logan clapped him on the back. “Tried to drop him off at my ranch, but the man looked too lost. Figured I’d bring him here before he wandered into a bar and got himself into trouble.”
“Just trying to make friends,” Dom said smoothly.
“Uh-huh. You and a room full of ranchers? That, I’d pay to see,” I said.
Logan chuckled. “Anyway, I’ll leave you to it.” He gave me a pointed look before heading off.
I turned to Dom. “Hope this place is treating you right.”
“Barely been here a day,” Dom said, rolling his shoulders. “But if everyone’s like Logan, I might stick around.”
“Log’s one of a kind. But Buffaloberry’s got its own charm. And hey, this isn’t your first time going Montana-deep.”
Dom smirked. “Didn’t I tell you about my genius plan to open a bar in Paradise Valley?”
“Oh, right. What happened to that wild dream? Thought you were all about making your mark.”
“Turns out, getting a liquor license in Montana is about as straightforward as deposing a ghost—messy and full of delays.”
I snorted. “You gave up over paperwork? You’re a lawyer. Isn’t ‘fighting bureaucracy’ your whole brand?”
“I wasn’t that desperate, man. Besides, I have already spent most of my life arguing with people for money. Why turn it into a bar fight?”
I chuckled, shaking my head. “So much for justice and whiskey.”
He hesitated then, enough for me to notice. “The truth is,” he said quietly, “last year, I almost dropped dead. Heart attack.”
My grin vanished. “Shit, Dom.”
“Yeah.” He let out a breath of laughter, but there was no humor in it.
“One day, I’m in court, ripping through paperwork and thinking about my next case, my next win.
Next thing I know, bam. Chest pain, ambulance, the whole nine yards.
Doc told me if I kept living like that, I wouldn’t make it past forty. ”
I eyed him again, his T-shirt still too clean for rancher country, though I might’ve smeared a little dirt near the Lacoste logo. “And now you think ranch life is your solution?”
“Might open a fishing shop instead. No one ever had a heart attack from fishing, right?”
“You’d be the first,” I deadpanned.
He grinned, then gave me another once-over. “Didn’t know you were keeping such interesting company,” he said, his voice laced with something between amusement and curiosity. “Maya Belrose, of all people.”
I shrugged. “Life’s full of mysteries.”
His gaze narrowed. “And you called me in early, which tells me you know this one’s about to blow up.”
“Yeah.”
“Wise move, my friend. A case is at its worst right before the noise hits.”
“It’s already started,” I said. “A detective from Bozeman showed up yesterday.”
Dom tilted his head. “Frederic Harlow?”
So he’d already been digging.
“That’s him.”
“What’d he bring to the table?”
“Nothing worth writing home about.” I nodded toward my truck. “Come on. Time to meet Maya.”
We headed for The Sundown, where I introduced them.
She gave him a once-over, clearly assessing. Dom, in turn, studied her with the same cool calculation he probably used in the courtroom.
Before either of them could say a word, his phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen, then silenced it.
“Could be important,” I said.
“Nah. Just a case I’m working on, but everything’s under control.
” He slipped the phone into his pocket. “That’s what assistants and legal prodigies are for.
” Then his gaze flicked back to Maya. “I read up on your case. A lot of things didn’t add up.
And with this…second act of yours, let’s just say it didn’t do you any favors.
But I get it. Noah filled me in. I’m on your side. ”
“So, there’s actually a chance I won’t end up back in prison?” Maya asked.
Dom smirked. “Depends. You make a habit of complicating my job?”
“She’s not running. If that’s what you’re worried about,” I said.
“Good. Because I’m putting my name on this, and let’s just say defense attorneys aren’t exactly beloved in small towns.”
Maya huffed. “So I’ve been told.”
Dom shrugged. “Hey, I get paid to be disliked.”
She shot him a look. “You should put that on a business card.”
Dom grinned. “Maybe I will.”
“Can we focus?” I cut in.
“Fine.”
Maya tilted her head. “I like you.”
Dom actually looked caught off guard for half a second. “Thanks. Uh, appreciate that.” Then, recovering, he leaned forward. “Now, let’s talk logistics. Are you absolutely sure no one saw you?”
“Absolutely,” Maya said.
He turned to me. “And you gave her an alibi?”
“Yeah. I had to.”
Dom arched a brow.
“You can think it was stupid,” I said. “But I had to.”
“No stupid here. I’d have done the same,” he said. “Maya, does your mother have any kind of certificate proving the necklace is hers?”
She shook her head. “No. That’s why she didn’t stand a chance legally. All she could do was beg over and over, asking my uncle to give it back.”
Dom gave me a reassuring gaze. “Alright. I’ll dig into that. See what I can find.”
“What’s the angle? How do we make this airtight?” I asked.
“I don’t have a full answer yet, but I’m laying the foundation. Been poking around in Bozeman and Bridger Canyon.”
My chest deflated. “You were discreet, right?”
Dom spread his hands. “Relax. I wasn’t strutting around in this blindingly white T-shirt. I blended in. Went full private-investor-from-California mode. Wore my Calvin Klein shirt and everything.”
Maya snorted.
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Jesus, Dom.”
He looked far too pleased with himself. “The point is, I know for sure the cops are looking. And they’re looking hard. So expect them to find something soon. And when they do? We need to be five steps ahead.”