Chapter Thirty-two
Natalie finished grooming Oliver and walked him back inside the stables. Em grinned at her as she fed Miracle, and Natalie wanted to smack the grin right off her face.
God, what is wrong with me? Why am I feeling so inadequate and combative when it comes to this girl?
Natalie led Oliver into his stall, closed him in, and returned to the corral as Greer led another horse inside. There were only a handful of horses left in the pen, but they weren’t Natalie’s current concern. She was looking for Vaughn and wondering if the young stallion had arrived yet. A quick glance at her watch showed that another half hour had passed. So where was the horse?
Had he arrived and Vaughn had changed her mind about having her help?
I shouldn’t have behaved the way I did. I really need to get a grip.
She stared out over the pasture searching for any sign of Vaughn or the new horse, but she saw nothing. Just another handful of horses grazing out in the pasture. Natalie walked toward the main house, determined to find Vaughn so she could apologize. But just as she reached the side door to the kitchen, Vaughn came rushing out, colliding into her.
“Shit, I’m sorry,” Vaughn said, hurrying by her.
“No, I’m sorry. And I’m sorry I was such a jerk back in the stables. I just—”
“We can discuss it later. Right now, I have to go.” She headed for her truck, nearly breathless.
Natalie followed. “What’s going on?”
Vaughn opened the door and climbed inside. “There’s been an accident on the private road. The stallion’s involved.”
“Oh, no.” Natalie rounded the truck and yanked open the passenger door. Vaughn didn’t protest when she crawled in and slammed the door. Instead, she cranked the engine and peeled out in the dirt, leaving the house behind, pulling a horse trailer behind them.
“What happened?” Natalie asked.
Vaughn rang her hands on the steering wheel. “I’m not sure. I just got a call from the guy delivering him saying he was in trouble, saying he’d been in some sort of accident.”
“God, I hope it’s nothing serious.”
“Me, too.”
They sped down the drive and turned quickly onto the private road. “Vaughn, I know you’re worried, but don’t kill us before we get there.”
“Sorry.” She slowed a little and they continued down the dirt road. It didn’t take long before Natalie could see a vehicle and what looked like a horse trailer. The vehicle, a white dually truck and the matching trailer were jackknifed just off the side of the road. Natalie leaned forward and gripped the dash.
“Oh my God.”
“Yeah, it doesn’t look good.”
Vaughn pulled in close to the trailer and braked. She and Vaughn climbed from the truck. An older man came around the side of the dually, dabbing his forehead with a blood-stained handkerchief.
“You alright?” Vaughn asked, immediately going to the trailer to peer inside.
“I’ve been better,” the man said. He joined Natalie and they too peered inside the trailer.
The black stallion was standing, but he was all the way to one side. He was snorting and anxious to move.
“He seems to be okay, but we won’t know for sure until we get him out of there,” the man said.
Natalie turned to him and examined his head. He had what looked to be a small cut up near his hairline. It was still bleeding.
“We should call an ambulance,” Natalie thought out loud.
But Vaughn looked at her quickly and Natalie realized that she probably shouldn’t be there if they did.
“I’m fine,” the man said.
“Are you sure?” Even if she had to leave, it didn’t matter. She wanted the man to be okay.
“I’m sure.” He extended his hand. “I’m Marv.” He motioned toward the stallion in the trailer. “And that’s Midnight.”
“Natalie,” she said taking his hand. “And that’s Vaughn.”
“Nice to meet you,” Marv said. “Just wish it was under better circumstances.”
Vaughn glanced back at Marv. “I’m going to open the trailer and get him out.”
“Go right ahead,” Marv said. “You’ll have to take him the rest of the way in anyway. My tires are flat.”
“How did that happen?” Natalie asked as Vaughn carefully opened the trailer.
“Come here, I’ll show you.” He led the way back down the road and pointed at the ground. A black strip was lying haphazardly across the road with large roofing type nails on it, sticking up like spikes. “I couldn’t stop in time,” he said. “And I honestly didn’t know what the hell it was.”
Natalie knelt and touched the strip. She tried to maneuver one of the nails, but it was glued heavily to the rubber material of the strip. It appeared to be some sort of homemade tire spike device, staked into the road. Similar to what the police use when trying to stop a runaway suspect. She stood and turned slowly in a circle, looking for a nearby vehicle or a person watching them. She saw nothing but the surrounding desert.
“You’re lucky you’re okay,” Natalie said. She once again studied his wound. “I really think you should have someone look at that.”
“I’ll take care of it later. Right now, I want to get Midnight to his new home and make sure he’s okay.”
Vaughn opened the trailer and slipped a rope halter onto Midnight who snorted at her. Vaughn spoke softly to him and carefully tried to lead him out of the trailer, but it was obvious he was scared. Vaughn spoke to him again and stroked his snout. Then she lightly tugged on his lead again and backed up as he began taking tentative steps toward her.
“That’s it,” she said. “Good boy. What a good boy.”
Marv was right there when he emerged, praising him as well. Midnight staggered a bit, as if he needed to regain his bearings, but he followed Vaughn farther out, walking just fine. He bobbed his head and neighed, as if letting them know.
“Good boy,” Vaughn said. She petted him and smiled. “I think he’s okay.”
“Thank Christ,” Marv said, holding the handkerchief to his head. “I thought we were done for.”
“Vaughn,” Natalie said, waving her over. “You need to see this.”
Vaughn walked with Natalie back down the road to the makeshift tire strip. She stood looking at it for a moment before she knelt and carefully touched a spike.
“Are you the only one who uses this road?” Natalie asked, already getting a painful lump in her gut.
“Going this way, yes. My ranch is the only place out this way.”
Vaughn stared out over the vast desert just as Natalie had done moments before. When she seemed to find no answers, she stood. “We need to get back to the ranch. It’s not safe out here.”
Natalie hugged herself and rubbed her arms from the cold chill bumps that had erupted on her skin. “You think it was those boys?”
Vaughn adjusted her hat and kicked at the dirt. “I don’t know who else it would be.”
Marv stood with Midnight. “If I was you, I’d call the police,” he said. “Someone coulda been killed.”
Vaughn walked back to the horse and gently took his lead. She walked him to her trailer and loaded him up. Thankfully, he didn’t fight her. Natalie watched as she closed and secured the door.
“Let’s go.” Vaughn opened the driver’s side door and climbed in. Natalie went in through the passenger side and slid over next to Vaughn so Marv could ride with them. When they were all three set, Vaughn turned around and drove back toward the ranch.
They sat in silence with Marv examining his blood-stained cloth from time to time and Natalie trying not to notice the feel of Vaughn’s leg occasionally touching hers. Vaughn seemed to be somewhat aware herself, because each time it happened, she shifted and cleared her throat. Natalie wanted to reach over and place her hand on her leg, to calm her, to let her know it was alright, but she refrained, fearing it would send the wrong signal. But the memory of Vaughn’s strong thigh pressed against her body kept infiltrating her mind, making the ride and the close proximity all the more difficult. She briefly closed her eyes and centered herself, focusing instead on the problem at hand. Someone had placed that tire strip in the middle of the road. And the target seemed to be Vaughn and those going to and from her ranch. But who would do such a thing?
It had to be the former ranch hands, Ricky and Pedro. They were the only ones with the grudge. She opened her eyes.
Unless…
No. It couldn’t be Allen. He would’ve made himself known. He would’ve barged in and demanded Natalie back, voicing all kinds of insults and threats to everyone he saw. And even if he would’ve taken the more low-key approach, he would’ve done a lot more than use a homemade tire strip. The whole thing seemed rather juvenile which was why she thought of the former ranch hands.
Marv took a last look at his handkerchief and folded it nicely to put in his shirt pocket. He spoke. “Looks like you’ve got yourself a bit of a troublemaker here, Vaughn.” He glanced over at them as he dug a tin of dip out of his front pocket. He opened it, plucked out a pouch of tobacco, and tucked it in his lower lip. “You got any idea who it could be?”
“I got some idea,” Vaughn said.
“Well, you ought to tan their damn hides.”
“Oh, I plan on doing more than that.”
“You going to get the law involved?”
“I am.”
“Good. A little time in the local jail outta do ’em some good.”
“I agree.”
“They caused you any trouble before?”
Vaughn breathed deeply and made the turn up the ranch drive. They drove through the gate and past the mounted cameras. “They cut my fence and stole one of my best mares.”
“Christ almighty.” He turned to look behind them. “Is that why you got the cameras?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Well, I’ll be goddamned. You’ve got more trouble than I thought.”
“It will be remedied. I can guarantee you that,” Vaughn said and clenched her jaw. Natalie could feel the barely harbored anger coming off her and this time she did place her hand on her leg. Vaughn glanced at her, and Natalie gave her a soft pat.
“Yes, it will,” Natalie said, removing her hand. “Rest assured.”
Vaughn’s stone-like face softened at that and she pulled the trailer around to the stables and parked. Marv opened his door and climbed out with a grunt, but Natalie remained, looking at Vaughn.
“You okay?” she asked.
Vaughn narrowed her eyes as she stared through the windshield. “I don’t know.”
“We’ll get it sorted.” She touched her leg again.
“We?” Vaughn asked.
Natalie nodded.
“You aren’t still upset with me?” Vaughn asked.
“No.”
“Thank God. I don’t think I can handle much more at the moment.”
“I’m sorry, Vaughn,” Natalie said. “About this and about the way I’ve been behaving.”
Vaughn looked at her. “I just want to make sure you’re okay.”
Natalie withdrew her hand, feeling way too much emotion toward her. She wanted to respect their boundaries, the ones Vaughn had put into place, regardless of how hard it was for her.
“I’m not,” she said, being honest. “But I’m hoping I will be.”
Voices came from the stables as Benny and Greer and Wyatt and Em came running out. Vaughn switched off the engine and opened the door. But before she climbed out she looked again at Natalie.
“Let me know if I can help.”
Natalie smiled wistfully at her. “I will.”
Vaughn emerged from the truck and the group gathered around her, asking questions and staring back at the horse trailer. Natalie sat and watched for a moment, content on remaining inside where it was relatively peaceful. It wasn’t until June came out and poked her head in, that she snapped out her trance.
“You okay, darlin’?”
Natalie scooted toward her and climbed out of the truck. She once again smiled, this time feeling more certain than she had only moments ago. “I am.”