Chapter 27
Cal knew something was wrong the moment Dillon walked out of the house. He tried to talk to her, but she seemed lost in thought. He left her alone, sticking close, just in case. She spent some time with the mares and their foals until lunch.
She barely spoke during the noon meal. Cal wanted to push her to see what had happened, but he decided to leave it until they were on the ride. Whatever had happened, it had affected her greatly. She no longer had an easy smile for him. In fact, she barely looked his way.
“Did you speak to Emmett?” she asked as they walked from the house to the stables.
Cal glanced at her. “Briefly. I told him what you said we were doing after lunch. He said he and Dusty would be back around one.”
Dillon nodded absently. She got her horse and brought the mare to the hitching post before brushing the black down. Cal became more worried by the minute. He chose his horse, a gray gelding, and brushed him. When he went to get a saddle, Dillon was already in the tack room.
She pointed. “Take that one. It’ll fit you better than the others. It was my grandfather’s.”
“It’s yours. I’ll be okay on one of the others.”
Dillon shrugged and met his gaze. “It’s a bigger saddle. Honestly, it’s too big for me. I use it because it was Dolly’s.”
Cal shrugged and grabbed a bridle as well as the blanket and saddle that sat atop it. He returned to the gray and put the saddle atop the hitching post’s railing. Then he set the saddle blanket atop the gelding before putting the saddle on. The moment he did, the horse neighed and sidestepped.
Cal immediately grabbed the horse’s lead rope with one hand and calmly stroked him with the other. “Easy boy,” he said in a mellow tone.
“Skylar has never done that,” Dillon said.
Cal glanced behind him to see her holding her saddle, watching him and the horse. “He was fine until I put on the saddle.”
The horse calmed, but Cal still wasn’t satisfied. He removed the saddle and blanket and walked the horse around for a bit. The gelding didn’t act out again. Cal returned him to the hitching post and tried the blanket and saddle once more. This time, the horse didn’t so much as bat an eye.
“That was odd,” Dillon said as she cinched the saddle to her mare.
Cal shrugged. He took his time tightening the saddle and adjusting the stirrups to fit his legs. Only then did he slip the bridle over the gelding’s head. Dillon was on her mare, waiting for him by the time Cal put his foot in the stirrup and swung his leg over.
No sooner had he sank down in the saddle than Skylar let out a high-pitched scream and began to buck.
It was only pure instinct born of years atop bulls that kept Cal from flying off.
He kept his heels down and tried to pull back on the reins to keep the gelding’s head up so he couldn’t buck, but the horse was having none of it.
Cal knew he had to get off or chance being thrown.
Cal kicked his feet free of the stirrups and put his hand on the saddle’s pommel to protect his stomach.
He used his hand on the pommel to brace himself and kicked his right leg over the back of the horse, pushing away and releasing the reins.
Cal landed on his feet as Skylar continued bucking as if his life depended on it.
Dillon leaned low over her mare’s neck and nudged her into a run to catch up with the gelding. She managed to get a hold of the gray’s reins, but it didn’t do any good. The horse continued bucking for another few moments before he finally calmed down.
Cal waited for them while Dillon led Skylar back to the stables.
The first thing Cal did was loosen the cinches and remove the saddle.
The gelding was breathing hard, his eyes wild.
Dillon dismounted from the mare and came up on the gray’s other side to try and calm him.
They exchanged a worried glance before Cal lifted the saddle away.
He looked the saddle over carefully before placing it on the hitching post but found nothing that would harm the horse.
Then he lifted the saddle blanket to inspect it.
He saw nothing against the beige material until he ran his hand down the middle of it.
“Shit,” he bit out as he jerked his hand away. There, stuck in his palm was a burr.
Dillon’s face paled. “Oh, my God.”
Cal found three more of the prickly annoyances. He pulled them off and tossed them into a trash can before returning to Skylar. “I’m sorry, boy. No wonder you were bucking.”
He led the horse to a paddock and released him. When he turned around, Dillon stood before him.
“That’s my saddle.”
He nodded slowly. “I know.”
Her blue eyes searched his. “I didn’t do this. I know it looks like it, but I didn’t. I honestly thought the saddle would fit you better. I—”
“It’s okay,” he said over her.
“It’s not.” Her eyes filled with tears. “It’s not okay at all. I used the saddle and blanket the other day, and it didn’t have any burrs. I always use it.”
He ran a hand down his face. “Then someone put them there, hoping you would be injured when you saddled your mare.”
She stood there silently.
“I didn’t do it.” He hoped that she knew that, but he felt compelled to say the words.
She sniffed and looked away.
Cal’s heart sank. “Dillon, look at me. Please,” he added when she didn’t comply.
Her gaze slid back to him.
“I don’t know what happened in your office this morning to upset you. All I’ve tried to do since being here is help.”
“I don’t know who to trust anymore.”
Cal really wanted to know what was going on. It killed him not to ask, but he knew she wouldn’t tell him. He also realized how bad this likely looked for him. “And I’m the only one who’s been around the barn this morning. If I had put the burrs there, I wouldn’t have used the saddle.”
“I want to believe you.”
“Do you still want to put up the cameras?”
She glanced in the direction they had been headed. He could well imagine her thinking of doing it on her own. All Cal could hope for was that she wouldn’t go out alone—not after the attempted murders and now the burrs.
“The ones by the house will have to do,” she said.
“I can show you how they work.”
Dillon took a step back. “I can figure it out on my own.”
Cal could feel the distance growing between them, and he didn’t know how to stop it. That’s when he realized that she thought he was the culprit for everything. Not that he blamed her. Things had taken a dramatic turn since his arrival. Hell, if he were in her shoes, he’d think the same thing.
“And me?” he asked. “What do you want me to do? Because it’s obvious you don’t want me near you.”
She took another step back. “I’d like you to leave.”
Five words he’d prayed she wouldn’t say. What the hell had happened? There was so much he wanted to say, to do. Instead, he nodded. “I’ll get my things and leave immediately.”
“I’d appreciate that.”
Cal couldn’t believe this was happening.
After their night together, he couldn’t understand what had gone wrong.
His legs were wooden as he walked away. The entire way to the bunkhouse, he kept trying to come up with something to say to Dillon that would change her mind.
He needed to be there to keep her safe. Surely, she knew that.
Once in the bunkhouse, he packed up what few belongings he had before getting into his truck and driving to the main house. Dillon stood on the porch with his toiletry bag and clothes from the night before in hand. He put the truck in park and slowly got out to walk to the porch.
“Dillon,” he started.
She handed him the items and stepped back. “Good luck.”
When she wouldn’t look at him, he turned on his heel and tossed the items into his truck.
He took a deep breath, hoping like hell this was a nightmare he’d wake from.
Then he put the truck in gear and drove away.
As he left, he looked in his rearview mirror to see Dusty and Emmett riding up, and Dillon going out to greet them.
Cal had thought he’d found his place at the ranch.
He thought he’d found his future and so much more.
But it had been yanked away from him. He was numb as he turned on the road and headed into town.
He wasn’t sure where to go, but he knew he wasn’t leaving the area.
Not yet. Not until he stopped whoever was after Dillon.
So many thoughts went through Cal’s head as he drove. He passed Ike’s, and a part of him wanted to go in for a drink so he could drown his sorrows. But that was how all of this had begun. He wouldn’t do that again.
Cal pulled into the motel parking lot and got a room with what little money he had left. As he walked up to his door and put the key in, he heard his name. He looked over to find none other than Chet Thompson.
“What are you doing here?” the ranger asked.
Cal looked away, not wanting to say the words because saying them would make them real.
“I see,” Chet mumbled.
Cal just wanted to be alone. “Can I help you with something?”
“Actually, I believe you can.”
Cal perked up. “Tell me this is about Dillon’s case.”
The ranger grinned. “Now that I have your attention, first tell me what you’re doing here.”
“I don’t know exactly. Something happened this morning.
Dillon was by herself in the office, and I was putting up some security cameras.
She didn’t want anyone else to know but me and you.
Then she came outside, and she was visibly upset.
She wouldn’t talk about it. We had a silent lunch, then got the horses ready to put up some more cameras along the fence line near Hank’s place.
She wanted me to use her saddle because she said it would fit me better.
I did, but someone had put burrs under the blanket, and it caused the horse to buck. ”
Chet crossed his arms over his chest. “You don’t look any worse for wear. I take it you got off without an issue.”
“It was close, but I managed to get away before the gelding could throw me.”
“I’m guessing Dillon thought you put the burrs there.”
Cal nodded.
Chet huffed out a breath. “Some might think she did it if she wanted you to use the saddle.”
“She didn’t,” Cal stated.
The ranger’s brows shot up. “You’re that sure, are you?”
“I am. That’s not the kind of person she is.”
“You barely know her.”
Cal shrugged. “I know what I know.”
“I agree. Did she fire you?”
“In a manner of speaking.”
“That might actually help.”
Cal frowned in confusion. “What are you talking about?”
“Come with me, and I’ll explain everything.”