Mountain Heiress: Mountain Midwife (15 page)

Zach revised his earlier list of two suspects. Sarah Bentley had more to gain than anyone else if Gabby and Daniel decided to sell the Roost.

Chapter Sixteen

Gabby had reason to dislike this woman, but decided to give her the benefit of the doubt. Michelle must have seen something good in Sarah Bentley. And Gabby would try her hardest to look for the positive, in spite of Sarah’s pea-green peasant shirt, which did absolutely nothing for her long strawberry-blond hair. Her sandals were those heavy, ugly, easy-to-walk-in things that looked like Dutch clogs with a couple of pieces cut out. Gabby had always thought that if you wanted your feet to look that big, you might as well go for clown shoes. The platform sandals she was wearing were a thousand times more attractive.

“When you’ve finished your business here,” Gabby said, “I’d like to talk.”

“I’m done,” Sarah said quickly as she shook hands with the men. “I’ve already checked the references for the stock contractor, and he appears to be satisfactory. Besides, Zach says he’s reputable, and I trust Zach’s opinion.”

As he shook her hand, Zach said, “I didn’t know my recommendation carried so much weight.”

“It’s because of Michelle,” she said. “She told me that you bought several horses that had been abused in rodeos.”

“Yep.”

“I appreciate a man who takes action.”

Was she flirting with Zach? Gabby’s fingers drew into a fist. Sarah was making herself more unlikable by the minute. With a toss of her head, she pivoted and headed toward the bleachers circling the ring. “Are you coming, Gabby?”

Through tight lips, she responded, “Why not?”

As they walked side by side, Gabby took her measure. In a physical sense, they were evenly matched. Gabby stood a couple of inches taller in her platform heels, but Sarah was probably in better shape from hiking and doing mountain exercise things. Not that Gabby was planning to get into a fight with this woman.

“Zach is really good-looking,” Sarah said.

You should see him naked.
“We’re dating.”

“That’s quick work. You only got here a few days ago. You’re from Brooklyn, right?”

“You seem to know a lot about me, but I know nothing about you, other than you formed a bond with my great-aunt.”

“Michelle and I shared a passion for taking care of the forests. With the oil companies moving in, it’s important to safeguard this beautiful land. When I have the money from the sale of the Roost, I can pay for the legal battles that are surely coming.”

Gabby climbed onto the bleachers and sat. “Did Michelle visit you at the Preservation Society?”

“When we first met, she wasn’t aware of the FPS. She’d booked a room at the bed-and-breakfast I run. There was only one other guest, and we had time to chat. I watched her while she painted outdoors.”

“Was she doing landscapes?”

Sarah nodded. “She saw things differently. She told me that she always looked through open eyes.”

Gabby remembered the notation on the bottom of the landscape sketch they’d found last night. Watching Sarah’s reaction, she repeated those words. “‘Open eyes, open heart, wide horizon.’”

“Is that a poem?” Sarah didn’t sit beside her in the grandstand. Instead, she paced back and forth in her clumsy sandals as though she had somewhere else to be.

“It’s something Michelle thought was important.”
Too important to share with you.

“What is it, Gabby? Is there something you want to say to me?”

“I hate to disappoint you, but I’m not planning to sell the Roost. I’m going to live there.”

“That’s not what Mr. Fox told me.”

“It’s not his decision,” Gabby said. “I think there’s a smaller stipend earmarked for the FPS.”

“Thanks for telling me where I stand.” She turned on her heel and walked away. “See you at the rodeo.”

Gabby waved at her retreating form. “Nice to meet you.”

It would have been even nicer to never see Sarah Bentley again, but Gabby didn’t kid herself. The terms of the will tied them together. Until it was settled, they’d have to deal with each other.

She rejoined Zach in the arena as he was finishing his business with the other two men. With Sarah out of the picture, her mood immediately brightened. She couldn’t help noticing that both of the other men were wearing Western shirts.

“Gentlemen, do you mind if I ask you a fashion question?”

They exchanged a glance and shrugged.

“Would you be interested in a custom embroidered Western shirt? You could choose your own design or even make up something totally original.”

“Like a tattoo,” said the stock contractor, a man who was burly enough to handle bulls. “My nickname is Rooster. I believe I would appreciate a shirt with chickens running across the back.”

The other man nodded. “I’d look at custom embroidery.”

She smiled at them both. “Thanks for your opinions.”

Back in the truck, Zach rolled his eyes. “There’s no stopping you now.”

“I’m on my way to being an embroidery mogul.” She mentally reviewed her list of things to do. “Our next stop should either be the rare books collector or a place where I can buy boots.”

He didn’t want to get roped into a shopping expedition. “What kind of boots?”

“Don’t worry. This isn’t about style. It’s purely practical. If I’m going to spend my days running round at the ranch, I might as well have the appropriate footwear.”

“Good way to avoid a broken leg.”

“Your opinion is duly noted.”

During their first stop at the insanely cluttered house of the rare books collector, Zach heard more than he ever wanted to know about the wonders of preserving old paper. As it turned out, Gabby had been on the right track with her hair spray. The collector sold them a specially formulated spray and advised sealing each sheet in a plastic baggie. The process sounded boring as hell to Zach, but he wasn’t the one who was going to be spraying and sealing.

Their next stop was problematic. Zach explained, “To get to the market and shoe stores, we’ll be going past the mechanic’s place where we left your car. Should I drop you off to get your car and meet up with you at home?”

“How far out of the way is it?”

“Not far,” he said, “eight or nine miles.”

She widened her eyes, pleading with him. “I’d really like for you to come with me. You can show me which market is the best, and which shoe store.”

“If you’re looking to me for shopping advice, you’re in serious trouble.” His job was to take the detailed list of supplies that Rhoda gave him and fill the order. He didn’t go from place to place looking for bargains. “One stop at one market, that’s my rule.”

Gabby wasn’t listening. With a graceful flip of her wrist that was both charming and annoying, she suggested, “Maybe we could get lunch.”

He drove to the intersection for Highway 82 and took a left. “What did you and Sarah talk about?”

“She thinks you’re hot. I told her that if she ever mentioned your hotness again I’d rip her face off. Not really, but I thought about it.”

“Good restraint.”

“Fox told her that I was definitely moving out, and she was already figuring out how to spend money she doesn’t have. I don’t know why Michelle liked this woman. She’s a grumpy, environmental witch.”

“Who thinks I’m hot,” he reminded her. “Did she seem threatening?”

“Really? Threatening, as in staging break-ins to convince me to move?”

“That’s what I’m asking.”

She thought for a moment and then shook her head. “I don’t know. She seems to be absolutely politically correct, but if she thought it would serve the greater good to get me out of the way, who knows what she might do.”

By the time they’d completed their errands and had lunch, it was almost three o’clock. He was itching to get back to the ranch. In addition to the regular work and riding lessons, he needed to work with his team on their trick riding exhibition before the rodeo.

After she picked up her car from the mechanic and paid with a credit card, he asked, “Do you want to follow me home?”

“You don’t have to show the way. I have my GPS routing. I’ll probably get there before you do.”

“I’ll stop at the Roost first and drop off your groceries.”

Her goodbye kiss lasted long enough to spark memories of last night. If he had gone through all this running around with anyone else, Zach would have been snarling. Gabby made the errands seem like an adventure. As he watched her sashay over to her car, he regretted that she wouldn’t be wearing her platform sandals as much. The boots she’d purchased were practical. But the ridiculous shoes suited her.

* * *

G
ABBY
HAD
BEEN
joking about beating Zach back to the Roost, but that was what happened. Her little hatchback had regained its pep after the tune-up and zipped along the mountain roads. She parked in front and went to open the door. She’d be ready for Zach when he showed up with the groceries.

Standing on the porch, she took the key from her pocket and aimed it toward the lock, but the door was already open. She pushed the opening wider and peeked inside. “Charlotte? Are you here? Daniel?”

No need to panic. There could be a simple explanation, like they’d gone to Zach’s or had accidentally left the door open. She didn’t want to be scared, but the adrenaline was already flooding her system. If anything had happened to Charlotte or her brother, she couldn’t stand it.
Please, let them be all right.
The Universe wouldn’t be so cruel. If they were hurt, it would take more than a pair of Louboutins to make it better.

Daphne raced around the edge of the house. Her loud, frantic bark was a clear warning. Something was wrong, terribly wrong.

Should she go inside? She hadn’t brought the Glock with her while they were doing errands, hadn’t thought she needed her own protection while Zach was with her. All she had was her tiny canister of pepper spray that had proved to be ineffective with Charlotte, who was basically harmless. Against an intruder, the pepper spray was a bad joke.

Daphne continued to bark, and Gabby went down the steps toward her. If only the dog could talk and tell her what happened.

When she saw Zach’s truck coming down the road, she started waving her arms over her head as though signaling an airplane to land. “Hurry, Zach. I need you.”

He must have gotten the message because the truck sped up. When he pulled up to the house, a plume of dust followed in his wake. He leaped from the truck.

As soon as his boots hit the ground, she was in his face, talking fast. “I came home and found the door open. When I yelled for Charlotte or Daniel, nobody answered.”

Beside her, Daphne continued to bark.

If they’d been in the city, this is when they would have called 911, and a police car would pull up with sirens blaring. That wasn’t going to happen here.

Zach got back into his truck, dug into the glove compartment and took out a handgun. “I want you to get in your car, take Daphne and drive to my place. Send Toby and the other men over here.”

“I’m not leaving.”

“There’s no time to argue.”

“Agreed,” she said as firmly as she could without being able to breathe. “I’m coming inside with you. That’s final.”

“Then stay back. Don’t get in the way.”

He ran onto the porch, holding the gun in both hands. She followed Zach inside, staying as close as a shadow. Daphne went as far as the door, but then dropped out. Her barks came less frequently.

Zach checked out the front room and dining room. He went into the kitchen. “Damn it.”

She peeked around his arm and saw Daniel lying on his belly near the sink. His head was bloody. He wasn’t moving.

Gabby rushed to his side and knelt beside him. Her heart felt like it was jumping out of her chest, but she had to be calm and help her brother. Her fingers pressed against his throat, and she easily found the carotid artery. The rhythm of his pulse was strong and steady.

His dark hair was matted around the wound on the back of his skull, but there wasn’t much blood.

“Daniel,” she said, “Daniel, wake up. We’re here now. You’re going to be all right.”

Zach had left her to check out the rest of the house. He returned with his gun still in his hand. “There’s a window broken at the front of the house. That’s how he got in.”

“He has a pulse, but he’s not moving.” She bent down close to his ear. “Daniel, can you hear me?”

He groaned. It was the most beautiful sound she’d ever heard. Then his arm moved and he rolled onto his side. “What the hell happened?”

When she hugged him, he winced, but she was glad for any sign of life. Her brother was going to live. All was right in the Universe.

Chapter Seventeen

At the urgent care clinic, Daniel was being his usual rebellious self. The doctor had told him that he had a concussion and should go to the hospital in Aspen or Glenwood to stay overnight for observation. Daniel wouldn’t cooperate. With his head wound bandaged, he sat on the examination table, fully clothed and refusing to change into a gown.

Gabby stood beside him, fuming.

“I’m ready to go home,” Daniel said. “I’m fine.”

“Is that your studied medical opinion?”

“This is nothing but a whack on the head. They took X-rays. My skull isn’t cracked. I don’t have amnesia.”

The story he’d told them on the frantic drive to the clinic had been simple. He’d been in his bedroom taking a nap when he’d heard a noise from downstairs that sounded like a window breaking. He’d gone to investigate, and someone had hit him from behind. He hadn’t seen the person who attacked him.

“If we were in the city where medical care is easily available,” Gabby said, “I might be more inclined to take you home and watch you myself tonight. But we’re isolated out here. I don’t know how to take care of you if something goes really wrong.”

“Like what?”

“Like you could have a seizure or go into a coma.” The very nice doctor had explained all this. “A concussion means the wiring in your brain is messed up. Anything could happen.”

“And if it does, you bring me back here.”

“It took us half an hour driving like maniacs to bring you to this urgent care facility. It’s another half hour to get to a fully staffed hospital where you can check in overnight. And that’s where you need to be.”

“I can’t pay for it, Gabby. I don’t have insurance.”

She was well aware of his uninsured status. When she checked him in, they required payment, and she’d drained the last few bucks left from her credit card to pay for his X-rays and the bandages. “We’ll find a way to cover the cost.”

“Fine,” he said petulantly. “If you get the money, I’ll go to the hospital.”

Why was his health care her responsibility? She had insurance for herself, even though it was expensive and she would have preferred spending her hard-earned cash on something more important, like shoes. But she’d done the necessary thing and gotten herself signed up. Daniel should have done the same.

She left him in the tiny examination room and went out to the waiting area. Zach wasn’t sitting where she’d left him twenty minutes ago after she’d reported that Daniel was doing well. She looked through the window and saw him pacing back and forth on the sidewalk with his cell phone to his ear.

She could ask Zach to loan her the money, but it wasn’t right for him to shoulder that burden. She didn’t want him to think she was using him. They’d barely started their relationship. How could she ask him for money? She couldn’t. Daniel was her problem, not his.

Since she wasn’t employed, she couldn’t arrange for an advance on her salary. But there was the promise of income in her future. Fox had said that she’d receive a stipend for staying at the Roost. She could call the lawyer. After all, he’d paid for Daniel’s plane ticket, which showed he was willing to invest in the estate.

But Zach hated Fox and suspected him of being behind the break-ins. Asking him for a loan was like making a deal with the Devil. She’d have to be careful and smart.
Smarter than a sly attorney?

As soon as she stepped outside, Zach ended his phone call and came toward her. “Is he okay?”

“He’s peachy. He thinks he should go home.”

“And you don’t agree.”

“Whoever said ‘he ain’t heavy, he’s my brother’ didn’t know Daniel.” She slipped her arm through his, needing to draw on his strength to get through this. “Holding a family together is really hard work.”

“Which is one of the reasons I don’t have one,” he said. “What did the doctor say?”

“A concussion can lead to all kinds of other problems—seizures, strokes, comas, aneurisms or all of the above. The doc advised that Daniel check into a hospital for overnight observation.”

“But Daniel doesn’t think that’s necessary.”

“We’re going to do this my way.” Her brother might be a gambler, but she wasn’t. Risking his life based on nothing more than a hope that he’d be okay wasn’t an option. She had to call Fox. There wasn’t a choice.

“That means the hospital,” he said. “Right?”

“Right. I wish I had my car,” she said. “There’s no reason for you to drive all the way to Aspen and wait with me at the hospital.”

“Already taken care of,” he said. “Charlotte and Toby are driving here in your car as we speak.”

“You’re a genius.”

“A hot genius,” he reminded her.

“I need to make a few phone calls, to arrange the hospital.”

Her cell phone weighed heavy in her hand. Contacting Fox would be one of the most difficult steps she’d ever taken, perhaps one of the most foolish. Seeking privacy for her desperate act, she returned to the clinic and punched in the lawyer’s phone number.

* * *

M
AKING
A
DEAL
with the devil had its rewards. After Gabby explained the situation to Fox, he promised to take care of everything, and he did. The hospital admission process was smooth sailing. Instead of being dismissed as an uninsured indigent creep, Daniel was met by a nurse with a wheelchair and taken to a private room where two different doctors paid him a visit.

His attitude had taken a dramatic shift. No longer uncooperative, he reveled in the attention. Sitting up in his bed and wearing his hospital gown, he held out his hand to her. When she grasped it, he pulled her onto the edge of his bed. “Thanks, Gabby. I forgot what it was like to have somebody care about me.”

His sentiment touched her. When they were kids, she and Daniel had been close. “I think this is what families are supposed to do.”

“I care about you, too.”

His X-rays had been taken again, and he was scheduled for a CT brain scan. As the hospital staff ran a series of other tests, Gabby could almost hear a cash register in the background, ringing up one charge after another.

Her brother was worth it.

Later that evening, one of the doctors came to his room to talk with them. “The good news is that we aren’t expecting a negative outcome from the brain trauma. We’ll know more tomorrow.”

“What’s the bad news?” Daniel asked.

“You’re suffering from an upper respiratory infection and exhaustion. The primary treatment for all these conditions is rest. We have you checked in for tonight, but I’d suggest at least one more night in the hospital.”

Gabby felt the blood drain from her face as though she was being suctioned by a vampire vacuum. Her brother’s stay in the hospital was going to cost a small fortune. Somehow, she’d have to find a way to pay Fox back that didn’t mean losing the Roost.

Leaving Daniel to get the rest he needed, she went downstairs to the cafeteria for coffee. The steaming mug sat in front of her on the table, but she couldn’t summon the energy to lift it to her lips. Only a few short hours ago, her future had been rosy. So quickly, everything had changed. The little family she’d been putting together had fallen apart. She’d found her brother on the floor in the kitchen, half-dead. And his life-threatening injury revealed an illness he hadn’t even been aware of. Nothing felt set and orderly. She’d lost control and had willingly given Fox an opportunity to take advantage of her.

Most of all, she worried about Zach. He’d be furious that she’d made contact with Fox and had accepted his help. If he found out that she’d taken a loan from Fox, he’d be angry. From the moment he met the attorney, Zach had been convinced that Fox was bad news. It might be better not to tell him, to keep this loan a secret.

She wasn’t actually lying to Zach. She just wasn’t telling him everything. That rationalization would have to stand. There hadn’t been a choice.

* * *

T
OO
TIRED
TO
drive home from the hospital, she’d spent the night sleeping in uncomfortable chairs in waiting rooms. One of the staff doctors would be seeing Daniel at ten in the morning when he’d give her the word about whether or not he could be released. She left the elevator and strolled down the pale blue corridor leading to her brother’s private room. At the door, she saw Daniel propped up in bed talking to a red-haired man in a suit—Fox. She stepped back and eavesdropped on their conversation. The constant hum of hospital noise made it difficult to hear clearly, but she caught the gist of what they were saying. Fox subtly advised Daniel to sell the Roost, and her brother agreed. They both thought her attitude was an obstacle to an otherwise smooth transaction. She heard Fox say, “Gabby means well.” And Daniel kicked in with, “She doesn’t really understand business.”

She clenched her jaw. She hated being patronized and told to step aside. If it was the last thing she ever did, she would show these two jerks that she understood exactly what she was doing.

After loudly clearing her throat, she walked into the room and went directly to Fox. “Thank you for stopping by.”

“I think of you both as family.”

Did foxes eat their young?
“How kind you are.”

“Michelle was very special to me,” he said. “I want the best outcome for both of you.”

“And for yourself,” she said.

For a moment, the veneer of civility peeled back to show what he was really thinking. Fox radiated a powerful avarice. He’d do just about anything for money. Gabby despised him.

They smiled pleasantly at each other as the doctor came into the room and warmly shook hands with Fox, who was obviously a big deal at this facility. It came as no surprise when the doctor consulted his charts and advised that Daniel stay for another day so they could continue to monitor his brain activity.

Gabby bit her lower lip to keep from blurting out a comment about how Daniel’s brain hadn’t been active in years.

After the doctor left, she leaned across the bed to kiss her brother’s forehead. “I need to get back to the Roost. I’ll check in from time to time. Give me a call when you’re ready to be released.”

She was halfway down the corridor when Fox caught up to her. The first time she’d met him, she hadn’t noticed that he was a few inches shorter than she was in her platform sandals. She stretched her neck to make herself even taller.

There was something she needed to say, even though she didn’t want to. Her words came through gritted teeth. “Thank you for helping us out with a loan. You made it possible for Daniel to get the very best care.”

“You’re a polite young woman, well brought up.”

“And I’m as stubborn as Michelle. I should tell you that I intend to fulfill the terms of the will and live at the Roost for three years.”

His blue eyes were almost colorless. “I’m sure we can come to a different understanding, and I will forgive your loan.”

“I’ll find a way to pay you back.”

She lengthened her stride and walked away from him, aware that she was only avoiding trouble, not escaping it.

* * *

H
E
WAS
DONE
with watching the Roost. Gabby’s idiot brother had almost caught him planting another bugging device in the living room. It was a close call, too close.

When he’d knocked the brother out, he’d hit him too hard. For a couple of minutes, he’d thought the guy was dead. Law enforcement didn’t pay much attention to break-ins, but homicide was something else.

He was glad to leave the Roost in his rearview mirror. Keeping watch had gotten too complicated. All night long, the cowboy security guards were on patrol. Too many people were running in and out during the daylight hours. It was like breaking into Grand Central Station.

He’d have to find another way to deal with Gabby.