Chapter Twenty-Two
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Though Devlin was a little taken aback by the intense and sudden romance with Portia, he wasn’t about to rein it in. In some ways she was the stereotypical spoiled rich girl, but she also possessed a loving sweetness and a passionate soul.
“I hope you realize not every day will be like this,” he said, tightening his hold. “My ranch is a busy place, and you’re not allowed to distract me. I’ll be teachin’, and when I’m not teachin’, I’ll be working with horses in the round pen or ridin’ myself.”
“And what will I be doing?”
“Helpin’ Jimmy and Mike, cleanin’ the tack like I showed you, fillin’ hay nets, whatever they need.”
“You don’t have to worry. I’m ready to tackle whatever you throw at me. Oh, look. We have an audience,” she added with a grin.
Turning his head he saw Jethro and Jezebel sitting side by side staring at them.
“They look like they’ve been up to no good,” Portia exclaimed.
“They’ve probably been next door.”
“To Annie Baker’s place?”
“Yep. It’s their home away from home. When her musicians are there those two mutts can’t wait to join the fun. Annie claims the guys spend more time playin’ with them than they do rehearsin’.”
“That’s so funny.”
“Yeah, I know. It’s doggie party time. Is that where you’ve been?” Devlin asked as they suddenly jumped on the bed. “Yep, that’s where they’ve been. They always come back rambunctious like this. Come on, we need to get up anyway.”
The dogs jumped down, then started barking and ran from the room.
“What’s up with that?” She asked. “Did they hear someone?”
“Nope, it’s Milk Bone time.”
“They’re so demanding.”
“They can be,” he replied with a chuckle as he quickly dressed. “I’ll see you in the kitchen.”
“I’m right behind you,” she called after him, but as she picked up her jeans her phone rang in the pocket. Sitting back down she lifted it out and was surprised to see it was her father.
“Dad, I’m so happy to hear from you.”
“How is everything working out? Are you getting along with that cowboy? After your email we didn’t hear anything.”
“Sorry, the hours have just flown by. Everything’s great. I love it here, especially being around horses.”
”Good, good, but, Portia, Sharon just called and told us what William Buckley tried to do.”
“Oh, yes, it’s so bad. I was going to call you and let you know, I just haven’t had a chance, but I figured she’d be in touch. Has anything happened? Has he been fired? I assume his firm knows.”
“Oh, yes, everyone knows but he’s disappeared. Your mother and I are a bit worried. There’s no telling what he might do. No-one had any idea he was so crooked…or apparently unstable.”
“He can’t get to me on this ranch, no way, and I won’t go off anywhere by myself. I will have to go back to my house at some point to pick up a few things, but Devlin will take me, so I’ll be fine.”
“Please keep your eyes open. All sorts of things are coming out about that young man. It’s truly shocking.”
“Like what?”
“A couple of the secretaries at his law firm have come forward and claimed he drugged them.”
“Oh, dad, he probably did. He tried to drug me.”
“No! When? What happened.”
“It’s okay, sorry, I didn’t mean to panic you. Devlin came to my rescue.”
“Have you contacted the police there?”
“Not yet, but we were just talking about that.”
“What a mess. Please stay put and don’t go off anywhere by yourself. Do you need anything?”
“No, dad, I’m fine. Devlin has been amazing, especially considering I hit his truck. I’m guessing he’ll be taking it in to get fixed sometime this week. I’m not sure, we haven’t talked about it.”
“Stay in touch, and if I hear anything about William I’ll let you know.”
“Thanks, dad. Bye for now.”
Ending the call, Portia let out a happy sigh. Since the crazy afternoon on the freeway her life had taken a wild turn, one she never could have imagined. Though it had been a wild ride, she had Devlin, and it was worth every moment.
“Hey, what’s goin’ on?” Devlin asked, poking his head in the door.
“Dad called. William has disappeared.”
“Damn. We’d better keep our eyes open, there’s no tellin’ what that joker might be up to. Get dressed and come back to the barn with me. It’s time to bring the horses in, give them their buckets and blanket them for the night. I’ll show you how we do that.”
* * *
The sun was setting and there was a slight chill to the air. Dressed in slacks, hiking shoes, a thick polo shirt and a windbreaker, William moved through the back gate and started up the hill. He had a small, powerful pair of binoculars, two pairs of handcuffs, a flashlight, and a revolver. With his long legs he had no problem climbing the hill. It was a dry, easy trail, but when the path turned to the left he paused to catch his breath.
He didn’t know how long it would take to reach the area above Devlin Hatfield’s ranch, and he didn’t care. He wouldn’t be making his move until it appeared the ranch had settled for the night. Depending on the circumstances he might even wait for another evening. He needed to be alone with Devlin and Portia, and when it mattered, William could be a very patient man.