Chapter 37
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Rhett
I found myself oddly restless while I waited for Cheyenne to get back. I knew better than to worry about her. She could take care of herself. Had been doing it for years.
But reminding myself of that did nothing to change how worried I felt waiting for her to come home safe. I kept picturing all the things Mom had told me about SAR: Cheyenne dropping out of a helicopter to rescue someone from the top of a mountain, or taking a horse through bear country with nothing but a can of bear spray for protection. Rock climbing to perform a ropes rescue, or going deep into the earth because someone got lost in a cave.
The woman was a superhero. But her job was dangerous, and I worried about her. And that wasn’t even taking into account the fact that Thomas Smith was still on the loose. I wasn’t too worried about him though. Truth was, there was some comfort in knowing that Cheyenne was out of his reach. He wouldn’t know where she was or what she was doing, and there was safety in that.
Plus, there was safety in having her surrounded by her team. That was one bad-ass group of people, and I knew they had her back.
I wouldn’t leave the house because I’d promised to protect Ash and Wildfire. But sitting around doing nothing was driving me nuts. So I found her toolbox and took the time to fix the leaky sink in her kitchen. Changed a lightbulb in the living room and shaved down her screen door so it would close tight. Checked all the locks on the windows, pleased to see they were in good working order.
I looked around some more and started making a list of supplies I’d need to spruce the place up. The house wasn’t in terrible shape, considering its age, but I could upgrade it significantly without losing any of its character. The legacy would matter to Cheyenne. I wanted to be the one to restore the cabin to its original glory, the way I wanted to build her that new barn.
Mom and Dad would offer us land to build a house out by the ranch—I knew that. But I also knew we’d never take it. Cheyenne belonged here, in the woods, on the land she loved. I couldn’t imagine her living anywhere else.
The hours ticked by slowly. I knew better than to text Cheyenne or Claire and distract them on the search, but I shot Travis a message to check on the family. They were in the clear, too, though struggling to make things appear “normal” for the tourists without splitting up and dispersing over the property. They’d canceled the trail rides for the day, using search-and-rescue as an excuse, with a promise to make it up to everyone. Had managed to get Dad outside, where he was sitting out back, entertaining the guests with wild cowboy stories—while also keeping watch on the property with a pistol tucked into his belt.
With nothing else to do, I looked over at Ash. “Hey, girl. You probably need to go outside again, don’t you?”
Her ears pricked.
“Let’s go, then.” A change of scenery would do me some good.
I walked to the front door with Ash following me and looked down at her.
“You don’t need a leash, do you?” I knew that Cheyenne didn’t use one, but then again, Ash was hers. Didn’t know how she’d respond to my commands or if she’d come back if I called. Hoped she didn’t take off, looking for her master.
Ash gave me a look that I imagined had a few colorful words in it.
I chuckled. “Okay, then. Don’t make me regret it. Chey will kill me if I lose you.”
I opened the door and she bounded out, energized by the great outdoors. Couldn’t blame her. I felt better too, getting some fresh air and sunshine. I sat down on Cheyenne’s porch, noting how she’d painted it a deep green shade that matched the pine surrounding it. It was fitting and totally her.
It was also starting to peel and needed to be redone. Half a dozen boards needed to be replaced entirely. I made a mental note to pick up some lumber. And then a second mental note to either borrow someone’s truck or buy one for myself so I could do things like that. I’d always used the company truck in Austin, but if I was starting my own business here, I’d need one of my own.
The idea excited me. Crazy. At eighteen, I couldn’t wait to get out of Wyoming. Now, I couldn’t wait to settle down and build something here that I could be proud of.
Ash relieved herself, then played for a bit before joining me on the porch. She plopped down beside me, staring up with big blue eyes.
“Are we friends now?”
In answer, she nudged my hand. I stroked her fur and decided maybe she wasn’t so bad after all. She looked scary, but she was a sweetheart. And, hell, Cheyenne had been a single woman living alone in the mountains. She needed a scary-looking dog. Ash was probably a damn good deterrent when it came to troublemakers.
Like she could read my mind, she lifted her head and let out a low growl.
I heard a car engine in the distance. I glanced at my watch. “It’s probably your mom,” I said, petting Ash again. “Maybe they wrapped up the search and she’s on her way back home.”
But Ash let out another growl, lower this time.
“Hmm. Does that not sound like Cheyenne?”
A few seconds later, a silver car rumbled into view.
I frowned. “Nope, not your mom. You were right,” I murmured, keeping a hand on Ash’s back. I was suddenly glad to have such a scary-looking dog beside me.
But I relaxed when I saw who was driving the car. Alma jumped out in her acid-washed jeans, snakeskin boots, and a brown poncho.
“Rhett,” she called, gasping for breath. “You have to come quick! It’s Cheyenne. She’s hurt.”
My entire world stopped.
“What do you mean she’s hurt?” I was already moving, already running toward Alma with Ash by my side.
“She fell down a cliffside during the search this morning.” Alma’s hand was fisted at her chest, gripping so tightly her knuckles turned white. “She’s hurt bad. Needs emergency surgery. Claire sent me to pick you up, take you to the hospital. She knew you’d be a wreck and didn’t want you driving your motorcycle up there.”
“Okay.” I braced my head in my hands, trying to stay calm even though all I wanted to do was rush to her side. “Let me put the dog inside and lock up.”
“Do you have keys?”
“No,” I realized, shaking my head.
“It’s alright. I do. I take care of Ash when Cheyenne’s gone.” Alma patted my arm. “Go ahead and get in the car. You look like you’re going to pass out if you don’t sit down. I’ll lock up, and then we’ll go straight there. Everything’s going to be okay.”
“Okay.” I took a deep breath and did what she said.
But my entire body was screaming at me that things were not okay at all.