Born to Be a Cowboy Read online

  “Hey.” He stepped inside and tried for a smile. “You okay?”

  “I’ve been better.”

  “Were you able to salvage anything?”

  She held up her purse. “My phone, driver’s license, credit cards. Only because they were under my pillow. I kept them close because the motel was…sort of creepy.”

  “Well, there you go. You followed your instincts. And the best thing of all, you’re alive.”

  “Yeah.” She hugged the blanket around her.

  Ben stepped in, shaking his hat against his leg. “You made good time.”

  “Where are the cowboys?”

  “I took them to the Fisher Ranch to be put up in the bunkhouse since they’re scheduled to start later this week.” He glanced toward Jessie. “I thought, since Miss Blair’s car burned, she might like to try that bed-and-breakfast out at the Potter place. Billy Joe and Frieda aren’t open for business yet, but I know they’ve got the rooms finished.”

  “Maybe another time. I think for tonight I’ll just take Jessie back to the ranch.”

  “Okay.” Ben turned to Jessie. “Is that all right with you?”

  She nodded as though speaking would be too much effort.

  “You’ll need clothes. The Haller Creek Aid Society keeps a supply on hand for emergencies.” Ben nodded toward the door. “One of them is here now with a box of supplies.”

  He held the door as a tiny, birdlike woman stepped through the doorway. “’Morning, Mrs. Gaddy. Sorry to wake you.”

  “’Morning, Sheriff Monroe. You’re not responsible for the time an emergency strikes.” It appeared that she’d tossed a parka over her pajamas. Her feet were encased in work boots, and her bed-head hair and round glasses gave her a comical appearance. But there was no doubt she’d been through a situation like this before and was ready to take charge.

  She glanced at Jessie. “You poor thing. Getting caught in a fire can leave a mind and body scrambled. You follow me.”

  As she led the way to the back room, Jessie meekly followed.

  A short time later the two women were walking arm in arm, and Jessie was dressed in a simple denim shirt and jeans rolled to her ankles. On her feet were scuffed sneakers. In her hand was a heavy denim jacket.

  Mrs. Gaddy paused at the door. “If you need anything at all, you call me. Our Haller Creek Aid Society is prepared for any emergency. Don’t you be a stranger now, Jessie.”

  “Thank you, Flo. And be sure to thank the folks who donated all this, too.”

  When the older woman was gone, Ben turned to Jessie. “Are you all right with spending the night at our ranch?”

  “Yes. That will be fine.”

  Ben nodded. “Well then, if you’ve got all you need, I’ll swing by sometime tomorrow for your statement. For now, try to get some rest.”

  “Thank you, Sheriff.”

  Finn took Jessie’s hand and led her from Ben’s office to his truck, parked just outside the door.

  Once inside, he cranked up the heat before starting along the main street.

  “That had to be scary.”

  “Yes.” Her voice was soft in the darkness.

  “Did the smoke alarm wake you?”

  “I guess. No. Wait. Maybe it was somebody pounding on my door.” She took in a breath, as though it was too much effort to speak. “I’m not sure. One minute I was asleep, and the next I was awake and smelling smoke and seeing flames shooting through the ceiling. When I ran outside, my rental car was on fire. I’ll have to call the rental agency in the morning.”

  “The most important thing is that you’re okay.” He reached over and put a hand on hers.

  Very deliberately she pulled her hand away and clutched her hands together in her lap. In a very small voice she said, “This was no accident.”

  He looked over. “You’re suggesting that someone would risk the lives of everyone in that motel just to scare you?”

  “Maybe he doesn’t want me scared. Maybe he wants me…dead, and doesn’t care how many others are hurt along the way.”

  Finn thought about that and drove the rest of the way in silence, his eyes narrowed on the almost deserted highway.

  Now that Jessie had said aloud what she was thinking, he couldn’t dismiss it out of hand. A missing aunt who had always loved her ranch. A savvy private detective now dead. And a motel fire that almost killed many, including the frightened young woman who insisted that all of it was the result of foul play.

  When they arrived at the ranch, Finn helped Jessie out of the truck while she clutched her purse, the only personal item left to her, like a lifeline.

  Inside, though it was barely past dawn, the household was bustling with activity. Penny and Mary Pat were already cooking breakfast while the men were about to head toward the barn for morning chores.

  When Finn and Jessie stepped into the kitchen, all conversation came to a screeching halt. All heads turned toward them.

  Finn kept a hand on Jessie’s arm. “Everybody, this is Jessica Blair. Jessie, this is my family. My father, Mac; my brother Sam; his wife, Penny; Mary Pat Healy; Zachariah York; Roscoe Flute; and Otis Green.”

  “Your…family?”

  Sam, the family tease, was grinning. “Careful. There will be a test to see how many names you remember.”

  While the others chuckled, she managed a weak smile.

  “I’m afraid Jessie’s been through an…incident that left her pretty shaken.”

  As Finn explained about the motel fire, the two women gathered around her.

  “Are you hurt?” Mary Pat asked gently.

  “No, I’m fine.”

  “Thank heavens you were able to make it out safely. And with your things,” Penny added.

  Jessie glanced down at herself. “These aren’t mine. Mrs. Gaddy from the Haller Creek Aid Society brought a box of clothes. I escaped in…” She paused, clearly embarrassed. “What I’d worn to bed.”

  “Oh, you poor thing.” Penny turned to Mary Pat. “Why don’t we take her up to the guest room and help her settle in?”

  As they started away, Zachariah hurried to the stove and began stirring something so it wouldn’t burn. One by one, the men made their way to the mudroom and pulled on old boots and jackets before heading out for barn chores.

  When they’d gone, Zachariah poured a mug of coffee and handed it to Finn. “So this is your new client. I can see why you were dazzled, Finnian.”

  “I think she’s feeling overwhelmed right now. I wasn’t sure what to do, so I brought her here. I’m glad Penny and Mary Pat were here to lend a hand.”

  “It’s always helpful to have a woman’s touch in a crisis.”

  Finn stood, holding the cup but not drinking.

  “What is it, Finnian?”

  He seemed to shake himself out of a mood before looking over. “On the way here, Jessie said she believes the fire was intentional. And that she was the target.”

  “What do you think?”

  Finn shrugged. “I guess we’ll know soon enough. The fire department will ask an inspector to determine whether it was deliberate or accidental.”

  “That isn’t what I asked. What do you think, Finnian?”

  He took a long sip of coffee before saying, “I realize lightning can strike twice. Twice can be coincidental. But I don’t like the odds of there being this many accidents happening to one person, unless it’s by design.”

  Penny and Mary Pat led Jessie upstairs to the guest room.

  Jessie stood in the doorway. “Whose room is this?”

  “I used to be in here, before Sam and I married.” Penny gazed fondly around at the big bed with a white down comforter and a salmon-colored throw at the foot, and the pretty rug in tones of pink and aqua. “I loved this big old room when I came here. I loved looking out that window at the hills filled with cattle.” She held out a hand to Jessie. “The best thing about this room is that it has its own bathroom through that door.”

  Jessie brightened. “I could use a sh
ower. I reek of smoke.”

  “Of course. You’ll find everything you need in there. And in here…” Penny crossed the room and opened a closet door. Inside it was filled with feminine clothes. “Take whatever fits you.”

  “I couldn’t…”

  Penny caught her hand. “Sam and I have the room down the hall while we’re having our new house built. I store all my clothes in here, and I can’t possibly wear all of them. Please, I insist, take whatever fits you.”

  Jessie’s eyes filled and she blinked hard. “Thank you.” She turned to include Mary Pat. “Thank you both.”

  As the two women stepped from the room, Mary Pat called, “When you’ve showered and dressed, come downstairs to the kitchen. As soon as the men finish their morning chores, we’ll have breakfast.”

  Jessie managed a smile. “Thank you.”

  As soon as the door closed, she walked into the bathroom and shed her borrowed clothes before stepping into the shower.

  She didn’t know how long she stood under the warm spray, using soap and shampoo to wash away the acrid stench of smoke and fire.

  Afterward she rummaged through Penny’s closet and helped herself to a T-shirt and denims.

  Finn’s sister-in-law was close enough in size that Jessie was able to easily wear her clothes by rolling up the jeans to her ankles.

  Feeling almost human, she stepped out of the bedroom and made her way down the stairs to the kitchen, where the wonderful fragrance of freshly ground coffee lifted her spirits even more.

  Chapter Four

  Jessie stood in the doorway, watching as Mary Pat and Penny filled platters with ham, eggs, and fried potatoes. Zachariah fed bread to a toaster until a basket was filled with toast.

  Finn, freshly showered and dressed for a day at the office, was removing little pots of jam from the counter and setting them in the middle of the table.

  It was a scene that brought a lump to her throat as she thought of the similar breakfasts at her aunt’s ranch, except that it had always been just the two of them.

  Oh, Aunt Nola. Where are you? What’s happened to you? Are you safe? Hurt? Are you…?

  She took in a breath, pushed aside her troubling thoughts, and started forward. “Let me help.”

  She lifted a pitcher of freshly squeezed orange juice and began filling tumblers before placing them on a tray.

  “Thanks, Jessie.”

  At Mary Pat’s words she looked over with a smile. “The juice was always my job at my aunt Nola’s ranch. I’d bought her an electric juicer and she thought that was the greatest invention. Before that, she’d used one of those glass…” Her words died when she spotted the aged glass juice squeezer on a counter. “Oh, you have one just like Aunt Nola’s.”

  The three women shared a laugh while Penny explained, “I found it in a cupboard, and Mac said it belonged to his mother. I’ve been using it ever since he insisted he wanted everything of hers to be enjoyed.”

  “That’s sweet.” Jessie circled the table and set a glass of orange juice in front of each setting.

  When she paused beside Finn, he accepted a glass and gave her a smile. “Isn’t it amazing what a shower and a change of clothes can do?”

  “Yeah.” She returned his smile. “I’m feeling almost human again.”

  “Well, you look great.”

  “Thanks.” Jessie found herself stumbling over the word, which wasn’t at all like her. But seeing Finn with his family, and glimpsing the warmth and humor and love among them, had just added a dimension to Finn she hadn’t expected. She was glad to hear the bustle of the arriving family in the mudroom, giving her a chance to turn away, effectively hiding the heat that stole over her cheeks.

  The men washed up at the big sink, then circled the table while Zachariah filled coffee mugs and the others carried platters of steaming food to the table. When all was ready, they took their places around the table and paused to join hands.

  Jessie’s hand was engulfed in Finn’s and she glanced over in surprise.

  He nodded toward Mary Pat, who said, “Bless this food and all who are gathered here, before we once more travel our many roads.”

  For some strange reason her words brought a lump to Jessie’s throat and she ducked her head.

  Beside her Finn said softly, “You okay?”

  “Yeah. Fine.” She turned away to accept a platter of scrambled eggs and was grateful to allow the conversation to flow around her.

  Midway through breakfast Finn stepped away to take a call on his cell phone.

  “Yeah, Basil. What do you have for me?”

  “Sorry, Finn. After a thorough check of the county records, nobody by the name of Wayne Stone has a record of working any of the ranches in or near Haller Creek. Want me to move to neighboring counties?”

  “No. Not yet. Maybe she got the name wrong. I’ll see if my client has a photo of him.”

  “All right. I’ll be glad to follow up on any further leads you get.”

  “Thanks, Basil.” At a sudden thought Finn asked, “Did you happen to know a retired FBI agent named Matthew Carver, who was a private investigator in Arvid?”

  “I didn’t know him personally, but I knew of him. I heard he lost his life in an accident recently.”

  “Any chance it wasn’t an accident?”

  After a brief pause Basil said, “Not that I’ve heard, but I’ll ask around.”

  “Thanks. I’ll be in touch.” Finn disconnected and returned to the kitchen in time to hear Sam agreeing to ride to the south pasture with Mac.

  Mac turned to Finn. “As soon as Sam and I have a chance to investigate whether or not any of our cattle have strayed onto the property, you can send off a response to that letter from the county.”

  Finn nodded. “I’ll take care of it, Dad. But I can’t see the harm in a few cattle straying onto land that hasn’t once been used for rangeland in all the years I’ve been here.”

  Mac shrugged. “Maybe there’s a county employee who gets paid to travel around and watch for strays encroaching on county property.”

  Finn’s recent court battle against the county had opened his eyes to just how far public officials would go to retain the status quo. His voice rang with indignation. “Even so, this doesn’t belong to the county. That southern land is privately owned by Ellen’s widower.”

  “By a man nobody has ever seen,” Sam added.

  “Still.” Mac’s eyes took on a faraway stare. “It was my mother’s wish that the land be set aside for any of Ellen’s heirs.”

  In an aside, Finn said to Jessie, “Family business. I’ll explain later.”

  She merely nodded.

  Sam was the first to push away from the table. “Great breakfast, Money.” He kissed his wife’s cheek.

  Jessie turned to Finn. “Money?”

  “Penny’s name before she married Sam was Penny Cash. The minute they met, he started calling her Money.”

  Jessie was smiling at the look of love that passed between Sam and Penny.

  Sam started out the door. “Okay, Dad. Time to roll. Will we drive a truck, or take horses?”

  Mac pulled himself back from his thoughts to say, “Let’s ride. It’s been years since I’ve been on that southern strip of our old ranch. I’d like to see it close up.”

  “Horses it is.” Sam started toward the mudroom. “I’ll saddle them. You take your time.”

  Mac trailed behind. “I’m capable of saddling my own horse, son.” He turned at the door. “I’ll see you all at supper.” His gaze settled on Mary Pat. “Will you be here?”

  She nodded. “I won’t be on the road for another day or two. I promised Penny I’d help with dinner again tonight.”

  “Good. Tonight, then.” His smile bloomed as he turned away.

  Finn suddenly turned to Jessie. “Do you have a photo of Wayne Stone?”

  She shook her head. “No. I never had the chance to even meet him.”

  “Do you think your aunt would have any at her ranch?” />
  “She may. I couldn’t say.”

  “How would you like to drive over there?”

  “Today?”

  He smiled. “Now. It shouldn’t take us more than a couple of hours to drive over and back.”

  She got to her feet. “I’ll get my purse.”

  When Jessie started toward the door, Finn turned to Mary Pat and Penny. “We’ll still make it home in time for that special supper you’re planning.”

  Penny looked up from the stove, where she’d retrieved the coffeepot. “Who says it’s going to be special?”

  “If you and Mary Pat are cooking, it’s bound to be special.”

  She crossed the room and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “That just made you my favorite brother-in-law for the day.”

  He laughed as Mary Pat hurried over to give him a hug before saying, “You do know how to charm.”

  “I’m not the only one.”

  At her arched brow he leaned close to add in a stage whisper, “Don’t think I haven’t noticed the way Dad lights up whenever you’re around.”

  “Does he now?” The older woman patted his cheek. “That just might earn you an extra dessert tonight.”

  Zachariah, Roscoe, and Otis, still seated at the table, burst into laughter.

  It was Otis who said, “Leave it to the youngest to figure out the easiest way to get what he wants.”

  “I had very good teachers.”

  The three were still laughing as he walked from the kitchen.

  A short time later he returned with his attaché case. Jessie followed, purse in hand, ready for a road trip.

  As Finn drove, he picked up the thread of conversation left unexplained at the breakfast table.

  “The family business I mentioned concerned my father’s sister, Ellen. She was sixteen when she ran off with a wrangler on the family ranch. Her parents went through a range of emotions when their only daughter left without a word. They expected her to return any day, but when she didn’t, her father disowned her. After he died, Mac’s mother changed her will, deeding the southern portion of the ranch to her daughter or, in the event of her death, any heirs. Shortly after her death, a notice arrived from the county, advising that Shepherd Strump, Ellen’s widower, was claiming the land and ordering Mac and his family to steer clear of it. And to this day, though nobody has ever showed up to work the land, Dad has abided by the county’s order.”