9781631053566SpringsDelightBallNC (16 page)

Spring put on her blank,
emotionless mask. She tightened her lips to keep from screaming at the nosey
old bat. Standing, she whisked Beverly’s coffee cup away and headed into the
kitchen. She put the cup in the sink and slowly turned around. “It was so nice
to meet you, Mrs. Rain.” She went to the door and held it open.

“It’s Miss not Mrs.,” Beverly
replied in a huff as she walked toward the door.

“What a surprise. You have
yourself a great day, and bless your heart.”

Beverly walked out the door
and hesitated on the doorstep. She appeared a bit perplexed, and
Spring
wanted to laugh, but she shut the door instead.

Now if Beverly had been from
Texas, she’d know what ‘bless your heart’ really meant, and she’d know what
Spring
really wanted to tell her.

Colt barged into the house his
face full of worry that quickly changed into relief. “You’re laughing? Beverly
has been known to make people cry.”

“Believe me she tried. That
queen of society won’t be inviting me to any socials.”

Colt groaned. “What did you
do?”

“I told her I don’t discuss my
employers and when she gave me a lecture about being nice to Peggy Jo and
family being important I took her coffee away and held the door open. I even
said bless your heart. See, I was nice.”

A deep laugh echoed throughout
the house. “Caleb had told me about you sassy Texans and your heart blessing.
Now I know why you’re laughing. It’s nice to hear you laugh, you don’t do it
often enough.”

“Neither do you.” They stared
into each other’s eyes and fell quiet for a time.

“I want to kiss you,
Spring
.” His voice had turned husky.

“Will it mean something this
time?”

“This
time?
Oh, the kiss in the barn. That was a mere peck. I’m
talking about a real kiss.”

“I thought—”

“Don’t think. It gets us in
trouble when we think. I just end up putting my foot in my mouth and making you
mad.”

“Who said I was mad?”

“It’s not easy to tell what
you feel half the time.”

“Well, it was a necessity when
I was young. You know how they say in prison, ‘you should keep your head down,
eyes open and mind you own business? It’s the same principle really.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry, it’s done,
and I made it out of there. Most end up on drugs or dead. I do have to thank
Billy that I’m still sane. Sometimes I don’t know how to feel or act, but I’m
learning.”

Colt nodded. “You’ll be fine.
You’re a survivor and a fighter.” He put his hat back on and walked to the
door. He grabbed the knob and turned back giving her one of his killer smiles.
“I still want to kiss you.”

Before she could answer, he
was out the door. She was half-afraid if she wanted him, he’d be taken away,
just like a toy. It was best not to hope too much. In the end, it hurt less.

As for that Beverly woman, it
stung that she’d prejudged
Spring
before meeting her.
How dare she act so high and mighty, especially where Peggy Jo was concerned?
Damn, Peggy Jo must be putting on some act and raising sympathy from the town.

Her thoughts kept whirling,
wondering why Peggy Jo had really come to Carlston. Going stir crazy, she
walked outside and headed for the barn. She entered the barn, and there was
Bibbs sporting a big old smile.
“Hi, Bibbs.”

“Hey,
darlin’.
What’s up?”

Had he gotten his hair cut and
his beard shaped? He didn’t seem so Grizzly Adams now. “I thought I’d get to
know the horses a bit. I never was around many animals before, and Colt just
loves horses.” She trailed off not knowing what else to say.

“Let me give you the grand
tour,” Bibbs offered.

Nodding, she drew closer to
him. “Where does the tour start?”

“I’ll introduce you to the
horses.”

“The
rescue horses?”

“Aww, some of those poor souls
might scare you.” Bibbs frowned.

“I’d really like to see the
rescue horses and learn what a horse rescue really means.”

He studied her for a moment
then nodded. “Follow me.”

They stopped in front of the
closest stall.
“Now, most of the time we don’t know the horse’s
name.
It depends on how we obtain them. Mostly we do everything we can
to get them well and out of abusive situations.” He nodded toward the horse in
the stall. “This is Railroad, we bought him at auction.”

“Oh wow, he’s a bag of bones.
Auction?”

“Most likely whoever bought
him would just sell him over the border for slaughter. We keep our eyes out for
these sad beings. There’s a list on the internet we check daily for horses
being sold for little to no money.”

“Why would an owner sell for
such low prices?”

“I figure they don’t want to
pay to feed the animals and don’t want to have to dispose of a dead body so
they practically give them away to avoid the cost.”

She gasped. “It doesn’t make
sense to me. I don’t get it. So Railroad was being starved?”

Bibbs stroked his gray beard.
“Looks that way.
On the bright side, he’s here now and Colt
will do his best to get him healthy and into a forever home. Colt and Caleb
started this project years ago and boy, they had no idea how many horses needed
their help. Jonas Barnes takes in the worst cases, he does what he can but most
don’t make it. I couldn’t do what he does, watch horses die, but he says he
wants the horses to know all people aren’t cruel before they go. Stone McCoy
takes in the overflow, and now we have Holden. He’s a vet and donates his time
and medicine.”

“It must be expensive for
everyone involved.”

“That’s why we run cattle. It
pays for the expenses.”

“Railroad,” she called softly.

The horse looked her straight
in the eye then turned away.

“I can see his ribs.”

Bibbs nodded. “He’s eating
though, and that’s a good sign.”

“What’s a ‘forever home’?”

“You know how people adopt
cats and dogs? It’s the same thing. Colt does a background check and goes out
to see where the horse will live. He’s very particular and does his best by
these horses.”

“He’s a good man.”

“That he is, aren’t you,
Boss?”

Spring spun around, and there
was Colt leaning against a stall not far away. “I try.” He smiled at her, and
her heart flipped in her chest.

“Did you want to go riding
again today?” Colt asked with laughter in his voice.

She would have bristled at his
poking fun, but her legs and rear end hurt too much to indulge his challenge.
“Thanks for asking but there are parts of me that are still sore from our last
ride.”

Bibbs winked at her and left
the barn.

“Oh?” Colt slowly edged toward
her. “And what parts might those be?”

It was an electrical charge
emanating from him, and if he came any closer, she’d be done for. “Did Bibbs
get a haircut? His beard isn’t as ragged either.”

Colt chuckled. “He thinks he’s
courting your—I mean Peggy Jo.”

The playful atmosphere
disappeared. “I was afraid of that. He’s going to end up hurt.”

“I talked to him, and it’s
what he wants to do.” He shrugged. “He’s old enough to know his own mind.”

“You really do great work with
the horses. I never knew there were so many.”

“I just wish there were more
owner-surrenders instead of us having to go in and take the abused horse.”

“How did you get started?”

He rubbed the back of his neck
and stared at Railroad. The silence lengthened between them. “My dad almost
beat a horse to death. I went to the police but at the time, it wasn’t against
the law. The horse was his property. I snuck old Gumbo over to Jonas’ place. We
were both in high school at the time, and his dad was kind enough to let me
keep Gumbo there. I went over every day and made sure Gumbo ate and his wounds
were tended. Jonas was a big help too. My dad punched me in the face when he
heard about it. It was that moment I decided I was not going to allow horses to
be abused.” He glanced at her. “I had no idea how much need there was for
rescues.”

“I admire what you do.”

“I have to tell you, I’ll
never be a rich man. Most of my money goes to the horses.”

“You are rich; you have an
abundance of caring. You’re gentle and honest and the fact you don’t expect to
be repaid amazes me.”

“I do sell the horses to their
new owners, but I don’t charge much. It doesn’t even cover expenses. I just
want them to have a good home.”

Wistfulness invaded her. “Why
don’t they have rescues for people? What about the children in the system who
never really have a chance?”

“I wish I had an answer for
you,
Spring
.”

Chapter Eleven

It was going to be an
extremely hard day, and Colt hoped he could make it through without breaking
down. It was Caleb’s birthday, and the pain that never left magnified. A trip
to the cemetery was in order, and he dreaded it. There were times he just
pretended Caleb was away at college, and he’d still be coming home. Then there
were the days he woke up, and the first thought in his head was his brother was
dead. It was as though a part of him was missing, and he didn’t know how to
adjust.

It had been a few months now.
He should be over it and moving on. That’s how it was portrayed on television.
Hell, according to some stuff he’d watched, he should have gone on with his
life, feeling happy by now. Everyone goes through it at some point, and they
all seemed fine. What was wrong with him?

Feeling weary and old, he got
out of bed and dressed. Caleb wouldn’t mind if he didn’t shave. He almost
smiled thinking about it. He taught Caleb to shave. That pain in his chest only
grew. He’d taught Caleb just about everything except for knowing when not to be
a hero. Maybe Caleb wouldn’t have gone searching for Snoopy if he hadn’t
instilled in him the importance of being kind to animals.

Spring stared at the kitchen
table looking fresh and young. He walked closer, wondering if he ever looked as
young anymore.

“Good morning.” She jumped up
and poured his coffee. “I’ll have breakfast ready in a snap.”

“I’m not hungry this morning, honey.
Coffee will do it.”

She gave him a long accessing
look. “Out with it, what happened? Was it Peggy Jo?”

Colt sat and stared at his
cup. Finally, he sighed. “No, it’s Caleb’s birthday today. He would have been
twenty- two and finishing up college this year.”

Her hand flew to her mouth
then she slowly approached him and dropped her hand on his shoulder. “I’m so
sorry, Colt.”

He turned his head and gazed
at her. “You’ll be fine?”

“Will I live? Yes. Will I be
fine? No. There is so much of Caleb in everything on this ranch. I think about
him every day, and I mourn him. However, I’m so grateful to have known him. If
not for him, I’d probably be lying in a hospital by now, if I were still alive.
I suppose it was the same caring heart that sent me here and went out into the
storm to find a little girl’s dog.”

“Maybe I shouldn’t have
allowed him to care so much. There must have been something I could have done.”
He shrugged her hand off his shoulder and gazed into her blue eyes. The concern
he glimpsed in them touched him. For someone who never showed her feelings
before, she was transparent now. “I’m going to the cemetery, would you join
me?”

“I’d be honored to go with
you.”

“Good, meet me at the truck in
fifteen?”

Spring nodded, and he headed
outside to the barn. There was a horseshoe in the tack room Caleb had hung
years ago claiming it would bring them luck. He planned to leave it at Caleb’s
grave. Maybe it wasn’t so lucky after all, but Caleb had proudly nailed it up
above the doorframe. It was better than flowers. Caleb was not a flower person.
He’d like the horseshoe though.

Spring was leaning against the
truck when he left the barn. He liked people who were punctual. Opening the
truck door for her, he caught her scent of flower blossoms, nice and sweet like
her. He wondered how mad she’d get if he called her sweet, and it was enough to
make him smile momentarily.

The drive was quiet, all of
his thoughts on missing Caleb. His heart twisted as they got closer, and by the
time he parked, he was in agony. If there was a heaven then Caleb was certainly
there, hopefully happy. Agony was for the living, the ones left behind.

They got out of the truck, and
a gentle wind brushed past. The sun was shining, and the grass at the cemetery
was a nice shade of green. He remembered picking out the plot. There had been
so many details; he thought he’d lose his mind. Looking at the beautiful view
of the mountains, he knew he’d made the right choice. “It’s this way.”

Spring followed silently,
looking lost in thought.

“He’s right here.” Colt
stopped in front of the granite grave marker. “I liked this spot because the
statue of Jesus was close by. This is the first time I’ve been back here.”

“It certainly is a beautiful
spot. He would have liked it. I’m going to walk around and give you time alone
with your brother.”

“Thanks.” He wasn’t sure he
wanted to be alone, but before he knew it, she was gone.

Grief he couldn’t push back
down welled up inside him.
“Happy Birthday, Caleb.
I
miss you, a lot, more than I ever thought possible. It’s been hard to go on
without you, but thank you for sending
Spring
to me.
Somehow, she makes the days bearable. I’m finally getting back into a routine.
There have been many horses that have needed my help lately. I’d give anything
to have you back, but life doesn’t work that way, and we both know it.” He
knelt down on one knee, removed his hat and placed the horseshoe on Caleb’s
grave. “I figured you’d rather have this than some flowers.
Happy
Birthday, buddy.”

He stood back up and watched
Spring
walk toward him. He really would have lost his sanity
if not for her.

“I have something I want to
leave for Caleb.” She pulled a light green marbled rock out of her pocket. “He
gave this to me one day. I kept it in my work locker. I didn’t want to take a
chance Billy would take it away.” She held the rock for him to examine. “It
says Joy on it. When he sent me here, he gave me real joy. Your ranch is
beautiful, and I love working there.”

She knelt in front of Caleb’s
grave and placed the rock on the grave marker. “Thank you, Caleb and happy
birthday my friend.”

Colt reached out his hand to
help her up, and it felt so right to have her hand in his. Her blue eyes
mirrored his sorrow, and it gave him comfort to know he wasn’t alone.

* * * *

Three days later
Spring
was on her way out to the barn. She went there every
day now to see the horses. A car sped up the driveway, and as it got closer, it
surprised her it was a police car. Hopefully, more horses weren’t in trouble.

The sheriff jumped out of the
car and came barreling toward her. His piercing eyes were frightening. “I’m
Sheriff Brown, and I need you to come with me.”

Her eyes widened, and her jaw
dropped. “What? Why would you need me to go with you?”

“Peggy Jo is pressing assault
charges against you. I need to take you to the station, and you can call a
lawyer from there.”

“I’ve only seen Peggy Jo
twice, when she first came to town and that is all!”

He smirked at her. “See, you
didn’t deny the assault charges, and if you were innocent you would have done
that first. You don’t fool me, sweetheart. Colt might be a sucker for a pretty
face but I knew you were bad news when Beverly told me about her visit to you.”

He grabbed her shoulder, and
she jerked away, ready to run. Unfortunately, she hesitated and before she knew
it, he’d slapped handcuffs on her.
“Colt!”

Before she could call out
again, Sheriff Brown pushed her into the back seat and slammed the door shut.
The pounding of her heart was her only tell, otherwise her façade was blank.
The only way to get through this was to remain calm.

Damn Peggy Jo
! What was she after and who beat her
up? It wasn’t the first time Peggy Jo’s face was black and blue. Her mouth
never stopped, and she’d made more than one crazy man furious enough to hit
her.

“You seem awfully calm back
there, missy. Jail is not a fun place you know.”

Spring could see his taunting
eyes in the rear view mirror. What was this guy’s game? Assault charges were no
big deal, comparatively. What was Beverly’s take in all this?
Nosy old bat.

Her heart began to slow to a
normal rate. She knew they had nothing on her; hopefully, she’d be home by
dinner.

He pulled into a small parking
lot. She didn’t remember seeing a jail when she was in town looking for a job.
She recognized the animal clinic nearby and wondered if Mindy Sue might look
outside to see her. The back door jerked open, and the sheriff pulled her, none
too gently, out of the car.

He grabbed her arm and led her
into the back of the community center, an interesting combo. She peacefully
walked where he wanted. The first thing she saw in the small police station was
Peggy Jo crying into a tissue with Beverly Rain comforting her. The urge to
roll her eyes was overwhelming but she put on an expression of concern.

“Peggy Jo, that looks awful.
Have you gone to the doctor or the hospital?”

Both Peggy Jo and Beverly
glared at her. Peggy Jo sniffed. “Like you care, you horrible child.”

Both the sheriff and Beverly
nodded in agreement, and
Spring
felt her first glimmer
of fear. She was pushed into an interrogation room and told to sit down.

“Could you take the handcuffs
off? They hurt.”

He took a key out of his pants
pocket and unlocked one hand, then the other.

“I’d like to make a phone
call.” She stared him down.

“I haven’t arrested you, so no
phone call. You’re here to be interrogated.”

“About?”

“You are a cold one, Spring
Reed. Smacking someone around like that, even your mother, is a crime.” His
voice became louder with each word.

“In that case, I’d like a
lawyer please.” She took a deep breath and tried to keep the calm serene
expression on her face.

“A
lawyer?
You’ve been in trouble with the law before haven’t
you? You think you know the ins and outs? You have no idea of my reach in the
law enforcement community. I’m well known. If I want to throw you in jail and
throw away the key I can.”

“Well, can I talk to a lawyer
first? I’d hate for you to break the law.”

His face grew red. “I’ll have
to see if there is one available, might take some time.” He opened the metal
door and slammed it behind him.

Jackass
.
He
was full of himself, and his reach in the law enforcement community. Feeling a
smile coming on, she pressed her lips together and stared right into the
two-way mirror. How many people were watching her? Peggy Jo, Beverly perhaps?

It didn’t matter, it was a
waiting game now, and if they thought they scared her, they were mistaken. She’d
grown up in hell and sitting here was nothing compared to that.

* * * *

No lunch? Colt’s eyebrows
furrowed as he wondered where
Spring
was. He’d already
looked around the house, and he’d just come from the barn. She probably went on
one of her walks or something. He pulled all the fixings for sandwiches out of
the refrigerator. They’d just make their own sandwiches, no big deal.

The door opened and Shady and
Bibbs walked in. “Is Spring sick?” Shady asked, eyeing the old sandwich
fixin’s
.

Colt shrugged his shoulders.
“No, she was fine this morning. I don’t know where she is now though.”

“It is a nice day out,” Shady
commented with a shrug.

Bibbs turned white. “I had to
throw Peggy Jo out of our place yesterday after work. She was always drunk, but
yesterday she had drugs on her so I kicked her out. Do you think something
happened to her and
Spring
had to go?”

“I doubt it Bibbs. Spring has
no way to get anywhere and plus she would have asked one of us to drive her.
Make a sandwich, she’ll be back soon.”

Colt was not concerned about
Spring
until he came home for dinner, and she still was
gone. He flagged Shady and Bibbs down before they left.

“What’s up, Boss?” Shady
asked.

“Spring is still missing. Do
you think you can take the ATV and look around the property? Bibbs, where was
Peggy Jo hanging out?”

“The bar at Frank’s Place
mostly. Want me to check it out?”

“I’d appreciate it, thanks
guys. I’m going to drive to town and glance around. Keep in touch and Shady, be
careful.”

Shady gave him a lopsided
grin.
“Of course.”

So sure of himself, just like
Caleb. Colt sighed and headed toward his truck. Where could she have gone?
Maybe Peggy Jo overdosed or something. He quickly dismissed that idea, someone
would have called him. At least she hadn’t packed her things. What if he was
wrong to look in town? Maybe she took a walk and was lost or hurt. If so, Shady
would find her, he told himself. It was his job to check town. He gunned the
engine and drove faster.