Chapter 10 #2
He carried Charlotte back to her room, noting that both puppies were indeed on edge, their little bodies tense as they stared toward the window. Setting Charlotte on the bed, he moved to peer outside.
The moon cast enough light to illuminate the yard, and for a moment, everything seemed still. Then he caught it—a shadow moving off in the distance. In the direction of Heather's cabin. He nearly cursed the fact that he couldn’t actually see the cabin due to the bend in the pathway.
"Stay right here," he told Charlotte, his voice firm but gentle. "I'm going to make sure everything's okay."
Joe appeared in the doorway. “I called Kenny. He’s headed over.”
Lyle nodded and glanced at Charlotte. Joe understood. He’d stay with her.
Grabbing his phone, he made a quick detour into his room and retrieved his nine-millimeter Glock, checked the magazine, then headed out into the night, his steps quick but careful as he made his way toward Heather's place.
As he got closer, he saw that her porch light was on, and he could hear the sound of her dogs barking inside. His heart rate kicked up a notch.
Something wasn't right.
"Heather?" he called out, not wanting to startle her if she was already aware of the disturbance.
The door flew open, and she emerged with a baseball bat in her hands, her face pale but determined in the yellow porch light.
"Someone's out here," she whispered urgently.
"I know. I saw them from Charlotte's window." He moved closer, placing himself between her and the darkness beyond the porch.
But before either of them could move, the sound of an engine roaring to life shattered the quiet night. Headlights flashed as a vehicle—a dark crew cab pickup—peeled out from behind Heather's cabin, tires throwing gravel as it sped away.
Heather's grip on the baseball bat tightened, her knuckles white. "That's the same truck I saw in town."
"The one that spooked you earlier?"
She nodded, her voice barely a whisper. "It's like Bret's truck."
"Bret?"
She swallowed hard, and in that moment, Lyle saw real fear in her eyes. "My ex-husband."
Lyle felt his protective instincts surge. The way she'd frozen earlier in town suddenly made sense.
Kenny appeared from around the corner and Heather jolted.
“Sorry,” he said, discreetly tucking a weapon in a shoulder holster. “All clear here. It was too dark to make the plate.”
Lyle nodded at his brother, holstered his own gun. "Come on," he said gently, wrapping an arm around Heather’s shoulders. "You're staying at the main house tonight. No arguments."
For once, she didn't protest. Instead, she let him guide her inside to gather a few things and make sure the dogs were secure and settled for the night.
As they walked back to the house, Lyle couldn't shake the feeling that something bigger was at play. Whether it was Darren Richards or this mysterious ex-husband—or both—someone was trying to intimidate Heather.
And that raised every chivalrous, protective instinct he possessed.
Back in the main house, Joe had already called the sheriff and was in full protective mode, checking windows and doors while Charlotte sat at the kitchen table, Pudge in her lap and the puppies at her feet.
"Sheriff's on his way," Joe said as Lyle and Heather entered. "You okay?"
Heather nodded, though her hands were still shaking slightly. "I feel silly causing all this fuss."
"Nothing silly about being cautious," Lyle said firmly. He guided her to a chair beside Charlotte, who immediately reached out to take her hand.
"Was it a bad guy?" Charlotte asked, her small voice trembling slightly.
"No, sweetheart," Heather assured her, squeezing the little girl's hand. "Probably just someone who got lost and turned around in our driveway."
But Lyle could see that she didn't believe that any more than he did. The timing was too convenient, especially after what Joe had discovered about Darren Richards.
Twenty minutes later, Sheriff Dan Tucker arrived, his suntanned face serious as he took their statements. He'd known the Watkins family for years and had actually gone to school with Lyle and Frank.
"I'll have deputies keep an eye on the property," he said, closing his notebook. "And Heather, you might want to think about getting some security cameras installed."
"I can help with that," Joe offered. "We've got a pretty good system here at the main house. Wouldn't take much to extend it to your cabin."
Heather started to protest, but Lyle cut her off. "It's not negotiable, Firefly. Not after tonight."
She looked like she might argue, but then her shoulders sagged slightly. "Okay. But I'm paying for it."
"Deal," Joe said, though Lyle knew his brother had no intention of actually letting her foot the bill. Her cabin belonged to them. Eventually, as the dude ranch expanded, they’d be extending the security anyway.
After the sheriff left, they all sat around the kitchen table, the silence heavy with unspoken questions. Charlotte had dozed off in her chair, her head resting against Heather's arm.
"You want to talk about it?" Lyle asked quietly.
Heather took a deep breath, her fingers absently stroking Charlotte's curls. "Not really. But I suppose I should."
Joe stood, gathering his laptop. "I'll give you two some privacy. And I'll get the guest room ready."
Once Joe had disappeared down the hall, Heather turned to face Lyle fully. "Bret McGowen was my husband. It wasn't... it wasn't a good marriage."
Lyle reached across the table, taking her hand in his. "Did he hurt you?"
She nodded, tears gathering in her eyes. "He had a temper. And control issues. I left him about a year ago and came back here to start over."
"Does he know where you are?"
She shrugged." I haven’t had any contact with him since the divorce, but he knows where Frank is, so I imagine he could find me if he wanted to. That truck tonight was just like his. But it’s been a year since the divorce. What would he want with me now?”
Lyle's jaw tightened. "Hard to tell. But we'll figure it out. Even though we consider Joe the financial wizard in the family, he’s got contacts all over the globe. Between whatever game Richards is playing and this... Joe will get to the bottom of it or know someone who can."
She met his gaze, and the vulnerability in her eyes made his heart ache.