Riding for Love (A Western Romance) (15 page)

Tom frowned and lowered the gun. “He’s not out here with you? I told him I would give him a ride into town. He said ‘sure’. I went into the tack room to get my keys and when I came out, he was gone. I assumed he was out here harassing you some more.”

“Where did he go?”

He shook his head. “Damned if I know.”

Eve’s chest tightened. “We need to find him. I don’t want him hiding in the barn or any other building and sneaking into the house.”

“Stay here.” Tom ran back into the barn.

Keeping her back to the barn, she trained her eyes on the other buildings in the yard hoping to catch something of the man, a flash of his white shirt or maybe his red baseball cap. Nothing. “Where the hell did you go?” She jumped when a hand touched her shoulder.

“I don’t see him in the barn,” Tom said.

She pointed to his rifle. “Do you have any other guns?”

“Yes, but they’re at my house, locked in the gun safe.”

“Good. I can’t remember if he can use a gun, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. I didn’t see him while you were in the barn, but he has to be around here somewhere.” She paused, wrestling with her next thought. Finally she gave a curt nod.

“I’ll ask Dent to help. Three pairs of eyes are better than two.”

Chapter 13

With shaking hands, Eve knocked on Denton’s cabin door. “I need your help,” she said through rapid breaths when he opened the door.

His greeting smile slipped. “Shit, Eve. You’re white as a sheet. What’s wrong?”

She avoided his hands as he tried to pull her into the room. “My father was here.”

He frowned and looked past her into the yard. “When? Where is he?”

“That’s just it. We don’t know.” She clasped her hands together to keep them from shaking. “He came when I was in the barn. To make a long story short, I told him he couldn’t stay here. I left the barn and when Tom went to get his keys to take him into town, Ed was gone.”

Denton stepped from the cabin and yanked the door shut, making sure it locked behind him. “What can I do?”

“We need to find him before he does something stupid like steal from a cabin or get into my house.”

They stopped in front of Tom.

“Do you think we should get some help from the staff?” Denton asked.

Tom shook his head. “We can tell them to keep an eye out for him, but let’s just keep the search down to the three of us. If we have a bunch of people roaming around, looking for him, I’m afraid the guests might get nervous.”

“I agree,” Eve said, keeping her eyes moving to the land around the barn. “I don’t think he will hurt anyone, but I want him out of here.” Her voice shook. “Where should we start?”

“Do you keep your doors locked?” Denton asked, moving toward the house.

“The front and side ones are always locked. I’ve been outside since he disappeared and would have seen him if he went in through the porch door.”

“Just in case, let’s do a quick sweep of the inside.” Denton took her hand.

“I’ll search around the barn and up the trail, and when you two are done inside, look around the cabins and along the driveway.” He took a step from them and turned back. “And make sure your porch door is locked when you’re done.”

A frustrating hour later, Eve swiped the curry brush over Tilly’s neck then patted her tenderly. The horse nudged Eve and nickered. “I’m sorry it took so long, girl.” She went back to her brushing. “How on earth did he vanish like that, Tom?”

Tom picked out the hoof Eve hadn’t done and gently dropped it to the stall floor. “Damned if I know. It was like he snapped his fingers and,
poof
, he was gone.”

“Well, it’s bugging me knowing he was able to get into and out of the barn without anyone seeing him.” She moved to the other side of the mare’s head.

“I did find the trail leading from the door that used to go to the milk house, but I’ve seen Dennis and some of the other kids using it to go to the pasture.” He wiped the pick on a cloth from his back pocket. “I hate to say it, but from now on we’re going to have to be a lot more careful with securing things around here.”

“We’ve never had to worry about locking doors before. Besides, there are no locks on the barn and sheds.”

Tom patted Tilly’s back as he stepped around the horse and left the stall. Eve followed and latched the stall door, went into the tack room, hung up the curry brush, and sat on a metal folding chair.

“Why did he come back here? Why couldn’t he have gone somewhere else? Why now, when all these things are happening?” Her head snapped up. “Do you think he’s behind the vandalism?”

Tom sat on a chair across from her and leaned his elbows on his knees. “The idea crossed my mind, but I think his release came after the first incidents.”

“I wonder when he got out? He says a week ago, but it may have been before then. What if he told someone what to do from prison?”

“Something to think about. I’ve often thought more than one person is involved, someone who’s familiar with the ranch, like Snook or Ed.”

Eve stood and brushed off her pants. “We’ll need to check it out. Until then we have to keep our eyes open.”

With creaking knees, Tom rose. “I think we should put motion lights on some of the buildings.”

“Another expense I can’t afford, but a good idea. But how do we keep customers from setting them off?”

Tom shuffled his boots through the loose hay on the floor. “Hadn’t thought of that. Short of hiring a guard, I’m not sure what to do. Hell, I don’t even get why this is all happening now.”

“Could be Ed’s way of trying to get the place back? What stake does Snook have? I’ll ask Denton if he has any ideas.” Eve stood by the window. “Where is he anyway?”

“Denton said he wanted to keep searching. He noticed some trails going into the woods.”

“I wish he hadn’t gone alone. I don’t trust either Snook or Ed.”

“You sound like you’re worried about him,” Tom said, speculation shining in his eyes.

“Well, of course I’m worried about him, just as I’m worried about you or anyone else who might encounter my father. The guy’s crazy, and Snook’s not much better.”

Tom smiled. “Anyone, eh? Don’t you think it’s time you were honest with yourself and admit you’re still in love with Denton?”

“For the record,” Eve said, crossing her arms under her breasts, “I’m not in love with Denton. But I would like to ask you something.”

“Ah, trying to change the subject.” Tom shrugged and sighed. “All right, ask away. Doesn’t mean I’ll answer.”

“Very funny, Tom.” Eve chuckled, then turned serious. “I need to know about what Ed said today.”

“Which part? He said an awful lot of shit today. Most of which isn’t true.”

Eve drew a piece of hay from a bale. “The part about you being in love with Mom and . . .” She kept her eyes on the hay she twisted between her fingers.

“I figured you’d ask about that.” Tom shoved his hands in his pockets. “Sure, I loved your mother, but so did a lot of people. She was a sweet, sweet, lady.”

“My father didn’t love her.”

“I think at one point in time, he did. But the only person Ed truly loved was Ed. He cared only about playing football and his image on campus. With your mother’s beauty, she was the candy on his arm. He loved knowing other guys envied him having her as his girlfriend.”

“What happened?”

“About the time he blew out his knee, she found out she was pregnant with you.”

“I’ve lived with the shame all my life.”

“You had no reason to be ashamed, Eve.”

“I know that now, but, as a kid, he told me nearly every day it was my fault he had to marry Mom.”

Tom shook his head. “He never let her forget, either. He acted like he had no part of creating you.”

“What about you and Mom?”

“What about us?”

“You said everyone loved her, but you stuck around all those years and now you’ve been helping me. Seems you gave up an awful lot in your life for me. Why?”

Tom gave Eve an intent look. “I suppose you’re talking about what Ed said about your mother and me?”

At Eve’s nod, he continued. “I would have given anything to be with her, but she only had eyes for Ed. I’d get so angry at the way he treated her. He wasn’t good enough to breathe the same air as her.” He slapped his hat back on his head.

“Why didn’t you try and win her over?”

“At first I did, but after a while it became obvious I had no hope of being her boyfriend, so I decided to be friends.” His smile barely reached his eyes. “And, contrary to what Ed says, nothing happened between us.”

“I didn’t think so, but I had to ask. My father is an expert at making things sound real and, of course, not his fault.” Eve reached across the space between her and Tom and squeezed his hand. “The way he treated Mom, I wouldn’t have blamed her for going to someone else for happiness. But for you to stick around all those years . . .”

Tom returned her gesture and stood and gazed out the window facing the woods. “I guess if I couldn’t have all of her, I would be satisfied with only a part. When you were born, and they asked me to be your godfather, well, that sealed the deal. One look at you and I was a goner. I decided I would do what I could to protect you.” He put his hands in his front pockets and eyed Eve over his shoulder. “See where it got you—your mother dead, your father in prison, and who knows where he is now, the ranch’s problems . . .”

“Oh, Tom, you had a life of your own. You couldn’t be here all the time. My father acted differently during your visits. Maybe he wanted to be like you, or want you to think he was a better man than you. Either way, it was a nice reprieve for Mom and me.” She paused and considered her friend. “Anyway, I’m glad you came to stay after the accident and trial. I couldn’t have done this without you.”

Tom shook his head. “Don’t sell yourself so short. You would have been okay on your own.”

She stepped to Tom and rested her head on his shoulder. “I’m glad you stayed. I love you.”

“Hey, what did the man say to the horse in the bar?”

Eve and Tom jumped at Denton’s voice and turned in his direction.

“Why the long face?”

Eve giggled and rolled her eyes. Tom dropped his chin to his chest and chortled.

“That’s so old, it’s rotten,” Tom said.

“Well, at least it got the two of you to smile. You’re so serious I’m surprised your faces haven’t shriveled. What’s going on?”

Eve shook her head. “Just junk from the past and Ed. Speaking of which, did you find anything?”

“Nothing, except for what seems like a trail going through the tall grass behind the machine shed.” Denton removed a sweat-stained towel from his pocket of his shorts and wiped his forehead. “I followed for a while, but then it disappeared. I also found places where it looked like someone dug holes and then tried to cover them up.”

“Who and why would anyone be digging holes on my property?”

“Well, it can’t be Ed. He’s been lazy as long as I’ve known him, and I doubt he’s changed.” Tom picked up a fallen brush and hung it back on a hook. “I don’t see him exerting himself like that.”

“Do you think he’s moving around the ranch as we search?” Eve asked, glancing around the room as if he would suddenly pop up behind a bale of hay. After all, that was pretty much how he’d shown up the first time.

“Maybe,” Denton said, pushing away from the doorframe.

“He needs to eat and sleep, and he wouldn’t bunk down in the barn or one of the sheds, so he went somewhere. We’ll tell the staff to keep an eye out for him.”

“Ah, excuse me, Tom, Eve.” Joe, one of the staff members, poked his head into the tack room. “Did you guys hire someone new?”

“No, why?” Eve asked.

“’Cause an old dude came into the mess hall a while ago and grabbed some snacks.”

Eve grabbed his forearm. “What did he look like? “Where’d he go? What did he say?”

The young man put his hand up to stop the rush of questions. “Wait, wait,” he shouted. He nodded toward Tom. “White hair, blue eyes, new jeans, white shirt, and red baseball hat. He didn’t say anything except that Eve gave him permission to take some food, which I thought was strange since it’s not time for chow. Then he walked down the driveway and disappeared, which is weird for an employee, which is why I came to tell you guys. Something wrong?”

“We’ve been looking for him. I told Dennis to tell you about him. Didn’t he?”

“I haven’t talked to Dennis since I got here a while ago.”

“That man is my father, and he is not welcome here.”

“How long ago did he leave?” Denton asked.

Joe glanced at his watch. “Maybe fifteen minutes. After I thought about it some, I realized it didn’t seem right, so I came over here to tell you guys.”

Tom slapped the young man on the shoulder. “Good job. Now see if you can round up some of the others to search the woods along the driveway and to the road. We need to find out where the son-of-a-bitch went.”

“If I recall, his sentence stated he’s not to come near me once released,” Eve said. “If we can’t find him, I’m calling the sheriff.”