Chapter Twenty-Three
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
At the ranch Cade and Joe were tacking up four horses for the upcoming lesson while Karen stood back and watched. When Cade started saddling the last horse, a mare named Pixie, he waved her over.
“You can do this one if you want,” he said as she joined him. “Reach beneath her and bring the cinch up just the way you saw me do it.”
“I’d love to,” she replied, but as she took hold of the strap and began looping it through the ring, she paused and looked back at him.
“I have a friend who rides English and it’s nothing like this.”
“Yes, the saddles and girths are quite different.”
“Her way is much easier.”
“I think it’s just what you’re used to, but—sorry, that’s my phone,” he muttered as it chimed in his pocket. “Huh, it’s Luke’s Western Garb. Hello?”
“Hi, Cade, it’s Jenny. I’m calling to let you know those boots you ordered have finally arrived.”
“That’s great, thanks for lettin’ me know. I’ll stop in tomorrow.”
“You’re welcome. By the way, I enjoyed meeting Karen earlier. Did her friend’s father reach you?”
“Friend’s father? Sorry, I’m not sure what you mean,” Cade replied, feeling his pulse tick up.
“A man came in just after Karen left and said he wanted to arrange lessons with you for his daughter. He planned to drive her out there and surprise them both. I thought he would have been in touch by now. When I told him where you were and how to reach you he seemed very excited about it.”
“What’s his daughter’s name? Do you remember?”
“I believe he said Mary.”
“Okay, thanks, Jenny. I’m sure he’ll contact me when he’s ready,” Cade said, keeping his voice light and telling himself not to panic. “Joe, could you finish up with Pixie? I need a quick word with Karen.”
“Sure,” Joe said with a wave. “I’m already done with these two.”
“Cade, is something wrong?” Karen asked as he took her hand and led her outside.
“I’m not sure. Do you have a friend named Mary?”
“No, why?”
“Dammit.”
“What’s going on?”
“That bad feelin’ you had…”
“What about it? What’s happened?”
“A fella went into Luke’s after you left and spun a story about a friend of yours named Mary and managed to get my address. I’m worried it might be—
“Gino Stallone? No! How did he figure out I’m here? He can’t have! It makes no sense.”
“Lord only knows, and we don’t know it’s him, but—”
“But I don’t have a friend called Mary! Who else could it be?”
“Don’t panic. Nothin’ will happen while there are a bunch of people here, but stay in the arena right next to me.”
“You’re really worried,” she remarked, lowering her voice.
“But forewarned is forearmed. We’ll take this a step at a time. The group is startin’ to arrive,” he added as a car rolled into the driveway. “Remember, stick with me and don’t panic.”
* * *
Before the lesson started Cade introduced Karen as a new student who was just starting with horses and would be watching the lesson. Though she found it interesting she couldn’t stop thinking about Gino and wondering how he had tracked her down. She was sure there was nothing in her condo that pointed to Smoky Hill, then realized it didn’t matter. If he’d found her, he’d found her. But at least she had Cade. It was almost forty-five minutes later he brought things to a close, and the happy students climbed off.
“You’re all doin’ great,” he declared with a broad smile as they approached and thanked him. “I have to take care of something for a minute, but you can take the horses back to the barn and Joe will help you.”
Karen watched them amble out, but as she turned to Cade to ask him what she should do, he put his arms around her and hugged her tightly.
“Thanks, I needed this,” she murmured, closing her eyes and resting her head against his chest. “I just can’t understand it. Maybe it’s not Gino at all. Maybe someone else is trying to find me, though I can’t imagine who or why.”
“Like I said, we have to do this one step at a time,” he said, slowly pulling back. “First, I’ll call Sheriff Cooper and ask him to stop by, then I’m callin’ Jenny back.”
“From Luke’s Western Garb? Why?”
“I want to know what this fella looked like. Then we’ll know if it was Gino or not. ”
“Of course! Why didn’t I think of that? He has a website, Gino Stallone Racing Stables. His picture is on the front page. She can look it up.”
“Perfect. Karen, if it it is him there’s no way I’ll let him find you, let alone hurt you, and once we’ve spoken to the sheriff I know just how to take your mind off all of this.”
* * *
Perched up on the bank across the street from the ranch, Gino was stretched out on his stomach watching Cade and Karen through the binoculars. When the lesson ended and the students headed out, it became obvious the two had become very close. The cowboy had hugged her, then made a couple of calls before putting his arm around her and ambling towards the barn. As they disappeared, he shifted his attention to the house and the golden retrievers playing nearby.
“Of course you’ve got fucking dogs,” he grunted. “Damn, you, Paddy!”
Rising to his feet and picking up his coat, he strode back to his BMW and climbed behind the wheel. Karen’s parents would be home the following evening. She needed to be dealt with, and quickly.
“By this time tomorrow, I don’t know how I’ll do it, but you’ll be dead, and if that cowboy gets in the way, he will be too.”