Chapter 10
CHAPTER 10
L yris quickly showered, dressed in a warm, turtleneck sweater, tennis shoes and her leather jacket. She walked over to the main house for dinner. She arrived just a few minutes before six.
Ray smiled and greeted her holding a cocktail. “Would you like one?”
She nodded. “Please. It’s been that kind of day.” Glancing around the room, she was glad not to see Ted. “No Ted tonight?”
He frowned. “He said he had a date. That probably means he’s with Marissa. I can’t help but feel they are planning something big.” He walked into the family room to the rolling bar set up there.
Lyris’s gaze locked on Maddy. I can’t tell Ray about Ted while she might hear.
Maddy was on her phone, texting someone.
She walked over to the bar and lowered her voice. “Ted was waiting in my home when we came back here.”
Ray’s eyebrows immediately furrowed, and he spoke through clenched teeth. “What do you mean he was waiting for you? How did he get in? I’m sorry. That should never have happened. He’s fired. I doubt we’ll be seeing Ted any longer anyway. He’s got to know we’re on to him now.”
“You would think, but he might stay here just so he can be close to Stormchaser…and your other horses. Just because Stormchaser has been the only animal injured so far, doesn’t mean he’s the only one who will be hurt.”
He gazed over at his daughter.
Maddy hadn’t looked up from her phone seemingly entranced by what she saw there or whoever she was talking to.
That was fine with Lyris. She didn’t want her to overhear about the trouble the ranch was having. She would panic and worry about White Lightning. Something occurred to Lyris. “We need to keep close track of White Lightning. Ted knows how much that horse means to Maddy. He might hurt him just to hurt Maddy, and you, by extension.”
Ray handed Lyris a glass of Berringer’s white zinfandel, her favorite. “You’re right. I was at the point when I was about to fire him, keeping your enemies close be darned. Too many things were going wrong on his watch. I shouldn’t have to worry about my stable master hurting the animals under his care.”
“You’re right you shouldn’t.” She sipped her wine. “There is something else you should know. He admitted?—”
Maddy put her phone in her jeans right front pocket. “Dad. that was Jenny. She’s going to have a sleepover on Friday night. Can I go? Please?”
He turned toward his daughter. “Who are Jenny’s parents again? I don’t remember.”
“Chuck and Monica Jasper.”
He furrowed his brows for a moment and then nodded. “Ah, yes, I remember now. Nice people. I met them at the club the last time I was there. But I don’t know. Now is not the best time to be away from home.”
“Daddy, please. How can I have any friends when we live out in the boonies?”
“The boonies? You’ve never complained before.”
“I’ve never been asked to a sleepover before. Please. Please don’t ruin this for me.”
Ray took a deep breath and let it out before responding. “All right, you can go. But I want to be in contact with you. You promise not to leave for any reason, you text before you go to bed and when you’re ready to be picked up. No one except me or Lyris will pick you up. No one else, whether you’ve seen them on the ranch or not.. Understand? Those are my rules.”
“Yay!” Maddy hugged Ray with her arms circling his waist. “Thanks, Daddy. I’m so excited. I haven’t been to a sleepover since I was a little kid.”
Ray chuckled and wrapped his arms around his daughter. “Well, I guess it’s time then. Next time you can host. We have plenty of extra bedrooms. As a matter of fact, you can have the entire west wing, and I’m sure you can ask Amy for some special treats for that night.”
Maddy hugged him again. “You’re the best.” Then she let him go and hurried into the kitchen. Dinner was being served.
With the corners of her mouth tipped up, Lyris watched Maddy go, then she turned toward Ray. “She’s a good kid. You should be proud.”
He smiled wide. “Oh, I am. She reminds me of her mother more and more each day. Francie would be so proud of her. The house was Francie’s doing. She liked the idea of a house a multi-millionaire would have, but didn’t want it to look too pretentious so we designed it to hide the size. It’s much bigger because the house is much deeper than it is wide.”
“Speaking of Francie—I don’t know how to tell you this other than to just say it—Ted said he caused the accident that killed Francie. He needed money and Marissa had it. She wanted you and Francie was in the way. Could that be true? I didn’t think you’d gotten together with Marissa until years after Francie’s death.”
“I’ll kill him.” He began to pace. “Are you sure that’s what he said? And no we didn’t. But I started being around her after I bought this place. She’s had her stable longer than I’ve had mine. It was her father’s before he died.”
“I’m sure that’s what he said. He said he’d see that Maddy had an accident just like Francie. I don’t suppose Marissa’s father had an accident, too?”
His mouth was in a flat line and he turned red with anger.
She couldn’t imagine what he was feeling right now. Anger, of course. The need to avenge Francie…probably. “Ray?” Lyris reached out to touch his shoulder. “Did he die in an accident?”
He seemed lost in thought, then he nodded. “Not a riding accident. He had a car accident. Hit a tree on the ranch. Marissa had him cremated and the car destroyed. I always wondered about that. It seemed a bit drastic, destroying the car before it could be checked for tampering, but it wasn’t my call, and the police didn’t seem to have a problem with it.”
She noticed he gripped his glass until his knuckles were white, but he never raised his voice.
Maddy came back downstairs.
Amy put dinner on the table. “Lyris gave me her meatloaf recipe since it didn’t look like she would have time. So I hope you like it.”
The four of them sat around the table and then the dishes of food were passed.
Conversation during dinner concerned sleepovers and what to wear to them.
Maddy was particularly animated. “Dad, can I get some new pajamas? I don’t really have pjs that I wear anymore. I sleep in gym shorts and a one of your old t-shirts.”
Ray took a bite of his meatloaf. He chewed and swallowed. “Hey, this is good. I guess you do have a good recipe. I could get used to this.” Then he turned his attention to his daughter. He was doing very well at keeping his concerns from his daughter. “I think new pajamas are a necessity. I’ll take you to town in a couple of days. Plenty of time before the slumber party.”
Maddy cocked her head, widened her eyes and pursed her lips.
Lyris hid a smile behind her hand. She was glad to see the smile but knew it was costing him. Yet she also knew he couldn’t let Maddy know.
The teen rolled her eyes. “Sleepover, Dad. They don’t call them slumber parties anymore. God, you’re so old.” The girl whispered the last part.
Her father just chuckled. “Okay. Sleepover. You’ll get your jammies in time for your sleepover .”
She grinned. “Great. Thanks. And, Dad, it’s pajamas. Jammies make it sound like I’m two years old.”
“Oh, if only,” muttered Ray under his breath. “You’re welcome, my darling daughter,” he said louder so Maddy was sure to hear.
By the time Maddy went to bed, Lyris had drunk two glasses of wine and she’d discovered that a Smuggler is hot chocolate with peppermint schnapps, which went down way too easily. She was feeling just a little tipsy. Thank goodness she’d eaten dinner. She was a lightweight when it came to alcohol, and three drinks would have made her falling-down drunk without food. She sat in the family room with Ray. He didn’t seem even a little bit affected by the bourbon he’d consumed. Of course, he was much bigger than she was and he’d eaten a lot more food than she had. She’d been too nervous to eat much
“So, what will you do about Ted?”
Ray shrugged. “I’ll fire him. I can’t have him sabotaging my ranch or hurting my animals or more importantly, Maddy. I don’t have any proof that he did any of the things he said he did, but I don’t put it past him. He’s always been money hungry. In any case, I don’t think he’ll be back. If he does show his face, I’m firing him.”
“At least he can’t sue you.”
“He can’t. There is nothing he can do. Colorado is a right to work state. I can fire him with or without cause. Though I don’t know if he knows that.”
She cocked her head to the side. “Really? Does that apply to me, too? I do have a contract.”
“With your contract, I can’t do that. If either of us want to terminate the contract, we have to notify the other, in writing, thirty days before.”
She nodded and tried to focus. Ray looked a little blurry. “That’s right, I remember. And you can’t terminate it for six months anyway, without paying me in full for the year.”
“But that won’t happen.”
Lyris nodded and blinked several times as she stood. “Well, um, I need to check my youngest charges before I turn in for the night.” She put her hands in her pockets and rocked back and forth on her heels.
Ray stood, too and walked toward her, stopping about three feet away. “Lyris?—”
As she stepped forward, she pulled a hand from her pocket. Then she pressed two fingers across his lips. “Don’t Ray. We worked well together today. Let’s leave it at that.”
He sighed before stepping back and giving a single nod of his head. “I’ll convince you I’m true. This thing between us.” He waved two fingers back and forth between them, “isn’t going away any time soon.”
“It will. The feelings we have aren’t real.” Guilt swamped her as she knew she was lying to him. “We just happen to be in the right place at the right time. That’s all.”
Ray nodded vigorously. “Yes. The right place and time. But that doesn’t mean how we feel is any less real. Do I need to fire you in order to date you? Actually, it wouldn’t be firing because you aren’t technically my employee.”
Her eyes burned and her throat was tight. “I am for all intents and purposes. That’s why we can’t date. I won’t take a chance. I won’t get hurt again. Leave it alone, Ray.”
He took her hand in his. “Lyris, I can’t leave it alone. I haven’t felt like this for anyone since Francie died. I know you feel it, too. I can’t just give up before we explore what could be. If I’m wrong, I’ll back away. I won’t do anything to hurt you. I promise.” He caught her gaze before she could shudder it. “You feel it. Don’t deny it, don’t deny us when we haven’t even tried.”
She shook her head. Her eyes were full of moisture, and tears threatened to spill down her cheeks. “Please, Ray, don’t.”
“Fine. For now. If you see anyone at the barn, tell them to notify me if they see Ted. That he’s no longer working here.”
She nodded, then turned and headed out toward the barn. Regret filled her that she couldn’t trust herself to give in to her feelings.
Ray ran a hand through his hair. “Well, that went well,” he said to no one. He headed to his bedroom and another lonely night. His phone rang.
“Kincaid. No, no it’s not too late. What can I do for you?”
He listened.
“Yes, I’m aware of your breeding operation. No, I’d like very much to talk about it. Can you meet me at Whispering Winds, tomorrow at ten?’
He listens.
“Great, Mr. Jacoby. I’ll see you then.”
He placed his phone in the front right pocket of his jeans. Then he went to the bar and poured himself a double bourbon.
He needed to rearrange the duty roster. But who would he give it to, to see it carried out? Will or Jason? Those were his most trustworthy cowboys. Will was younger and had only been with the ranch for five years.
Jason had been with the ranch for fourteen years, since the beginning but he never wanted the responsibility of the stable master.
Will Asher it would be.
He opened up his laptop and then opened the current duty roster. Changes would have to be made to cover Teds chores.
Lyris entered the barn and flicked the light switch. The walk over and the confrontation with Ray had cleared her head of the alcohol buzz. She picked up a few horse cookies from the bag on the wall beside the door and then walked to the first of the large birthing stalls.
Majesty snorted and then whinnied.
“Hello, girl.” She rubbed her hands over Majesty’s back. Then she saw the little black filly with four white socks peeking from under her mother’s neck. Lyris held out her hand. “Hello, baby girl, How are you tonight?”
The filly moved forward and sniffed her hand.
Finding Majesty’s scent, she moved forward and pressed her head into Lyris’s hand.
“Oh, you want some scratching, do you?” She ran her hand down the filly’s head and then scratched her around her ears and then the ears themselves.
When Snow’d had enough of that, she moved so Lyris could pet her and scratch her back.
She was an itchy little thing and loved to be scratched all over.
Lyris reached her tail and ran her hand over the top.
The baby automatically lifted her tail.
Lyris laughed.
The sound startled the filly and she moved back behind her mother.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.” She held out her hand so Snow could smell her again and see that Lyris wasn’t a threat. “Come on, Snow. You know me. I won’t hurt you.”
But there was no getting the baby to come back out. Lyris gave Majesty a horse cookie and left her stall to check on Junebug. She did the same things for this mare and her colts.
These babies were not as leery of Lyris and came over as soon as she’d closed the gate to the stall.
They pushed each other to be the first to put his head into her hand.
“Well, hello there to you, too.” She chuckled and proceeded to scratch both of them behind the ears and then down their backs, just as she’d done with Snow. “Okay, I need to go to bed. Let me give your mama some lovin’ and a treat.”
The colts went to their mother and began to nurse, Lyris seemingly forgotten.
She loved on Junebug, gave her a horse cookie, and then left the stall, closing the gate firmly behind her.
Will Asher came into the barn. “Oh, it’s you, Lyris.” He lowered the shotgun he carried. “I was afraid we had an unwanted visitor.”
Lyris jumped at Will’s appearance and placed her hand at her throat.
Will was about twenty-seven or eight, with sandy blond hair that reached his shoulders and a well-worn black cowboy hat.
She wasn’t unexpecting the shotgun. “Oh, Will, you startled me.”
“Sorry about that.”
“Speaking of unwanted visitors. Ray is firing Ted. He’s not to be allowed around any of the animals, especially these horses. He’s a bad man.”
He huffed out a breath. “Ha! I could have told you that the day I started here five years ago.”
“Did you? Did you tell Ray?”
He only shrugged. “It wasn’t my place to say anything against my boss. I’d only just started, and it wouldn’t have looked good. But if I thought he was hurting the horses, I would have stepped up. No, he was just a butthole to the people who reported to him.”
She let out a sigh. “Yeah, I can see how that would be looked at. What about later, after you’d been here a while?”
Will shook his head. “I didn’t have any proof. Ted was really good about never leaving anything that could be connected to him. I’m sure he’s the one who doped Stormchaser but I can’t prove it.”
She shoved her hands into her jeans front pockets. “I can see where that would have been difficult. I believe you though and so does Ray.”
“Is that why he’s firing him?”
“I can’t say for sure that is the only thing. I believe other incidents have come to light recently.”
He snorted and rolled his eyes. “You mean Marissa Holloway. We’ve all seen him with her for the last couple of months. She’s not the kind of woman he usually has.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning, his women are usually…” His cheeks turned a rosy pink and so did the tips of his ears. “Um…looser, than the Holloway woman.”
Lyris lifted her brows and nodded. “Oh, I see.”
“Yeah. Anyway, I won’t let him near any of our horses.” Will shuffled back and forth on his feet.
“Are you out here all night?”
“Yup, I’m the last defense these animals have and I mean to keep them safe.”
She nodded. “Good. That’s good. I’ll sleep better knowing someone is with them.”
“Yeah. I’ll make sure all the guys know about Ted. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s already approached the newer men. I’ll tell them he’s been fired and if they don’t want the same thing to happen to them, they’ll show him to the exit immediately.”
“Thanks, Will.” She smiled. “I’m glad to know the animals are in such good care. They need someone who loves them. Ted didn’t care about anything but money. I believe he’s responsible for Stormchaser’s injury and so does Ray, but we can’t prove it.”
“I wondered that myself. Especially when Ray ordered all of us to comb that pasture for more traps.” He shifted the shotgun to rest on his shoulder pointing at the ceiling instead of the floor. “ I found a few as did the other men. Ted was the only one who didn’t find anything. After we were done and everyone headed back, I went back over the part of the pasture Ted was supposed to comb. I found three traps. He had to have seen them and didn’t pick them up.”
Lyris narrowed her eyes. “Why am I not surprised? I bet he would have tried to get Ray to open the pasture again, hoping to hurt the horses permanently. Do you think all the traps have been found now?”
Will shrugged. “I can’t say for certain, but I’m pretty sure they have been. We should go over the pasture again just to make sure before any horses are let loose in there.”
“I agree. I think you should talk to Ray about it.”
“I’m on my way to see him now. It would kill me to see an animal maimed because we missed one. That’s not saying Ted won’t reset them, but the men and I will make it as safe as we can for the horses.”
Lyris walked over to Will and laid a hand on his shoulder. “You’re a good man, Will Asher. A very good man.” She backed up. “I’m headed to bed. If anything happens, have Ray call me.”
He held the shotgun in his arms like he would a baby. “I will. You can rest easy. I’ve got this.”
“I believe you do. Goodnight.” She turned and headed to the guesthouse. What if Ted did something else to hurt the animals? What if he hurt Maddy like he boasted he would?
A knock sounded on Ray’s office door.
“Enter.”
Will entered the office. “Do you have a minute?”
“Sure, have a seat and tell me what’s up?” Ray pointed at the brown leather Queen Anne chairs in front of his desk.
“Well, I wanted to tell you that we found three more traps in the area that Ted supposedly searched. There is no way he couldn’t have found them. I think he meant to leave them there and hopefully maim a horse again.”
Ray slapped a hand on his desk. “I think you’re right. Thank you for letting me know. And Will. I’m firing Ted, and I’m promoting you to Stable master effective immediately.”
Will’s eyes widened and then a grin spread across his face. “Thank you, Mr. Kincaid. Thank you, very much.”
“Don’t thank me. You’ve earned it. Let the men know, and if they have any questions, they can come to me.”
Will stood and extended a hand to Ray. “Thank you, again, Mr. Kincaid.”
“Call me, Ray. And come to dinner tonight. Six o’clock sharp.”
“Thanks, I will…Ray.” He turned and left the office.
Ray watched him go and then followed him out. The days were longer now and even though the time was after eight o’clock, it was still light out. He went looking for Ted. He might not be able to prove that he’d killed Francie, but he sure as heck wasn’t working here anymore. He found him down at the racetrack. He was leaning on the rails with his right boot on the bottom and his arms crossed over the top rail.
Maddy was riding White Lightning putting him through his paces. She’d be riding a practice race tomorrow. They had to know how the horse would behave with other horses on the track. They’d done it before but just with two other horses. This would be with seven others. Hopefully he would still perform well.
Ray had to stop and watch her. She was so good and he was so proud of her. Then he turned toward his quarry.
“Ted. I want to talk to you.”
The man turned and faced Ray with a smirk on his face. “What do you need, Ray?”
“You’re fired Ted. I want you off the ranch and out of your quarters within the hour. You’re not to go near any animals or talk to anyone in that hour. Do you understand me? Meet me in my office when you’re packed and I’ll give you your last paycheck.”
Ted narrowed his eyes and snarled. “You can’t just fire me. You’ve got no cause.”
“I just did. Sue me if you want but you’ll lose. According to the law I can fire you any time with or without cause. But I’m sure I can come up with cause if I need to. Now, get out of my face.” Ray stood there.
Finally, Ted turned and walked toward the bunkhouse where he had a small apartment. Actually, each man had their own room with two communal showers and bathrooms. Ted’s room was bigger and had a private shower. There was also a small refrigerator.
Ray returned to the house.
Forty-five minutes later, a knock sounded on Ray’s office door.
“Come in.”
Ted entered. “I’m here for my check.”
Ray picked up an envelope from his desk, stood and walked to Ted. “This is your blood money. If I could prove you killed Francie, I’d hunt you down to the ends of the earth. Nothing and no one could stop me from my vengeance. But I can’t and until I can prove it, I have to let you go.” He handed him the envelope. “Now get out and off my property.”
“I’m goin’ but don’t think you’ve seen the last of me.”
“If I see you on my property again, I’ll shoot to kill and remember I’m a crack shot. You’re not.”
“Goodbye Ray.” Ted took his time walking out of the office.
When he was gone, Ray picked up his phone and called the head of his security. “Nate. Ray. I’ve just fired Ted Gulliver. See that he leaves the property and make sure to watch for him trying to get back on the property.”
He listened.
“Thanks, Nate. I appreciate it.”
Ted’s gone for the moment. I don’t trust that he won’t try to get back on the property but at least security is aware of the problem and the rest of the employees are aware, too. Why is it I have a bad feeling anyway?