“Zach Collingsworth,” he said. “I’m a neighbour, and I’d feel a bit more welcome if you’d aim that gun in another direction.”

“You’re Zach?” she said, sounding a bit shocked. Guess he’d changed in fifteen years, as well. Unfortunately, the gun was still aimed right between his eyes.

“I heard you had some trouble last night. I came over to see if I can help.”

“That’s nice of you, but everything’s under control.”

“Not if you plan on shooting everyone who stops by.”

“Not everyone,” she said, “just the ones who look like trouble.”

But his new voluptuous neighbour had finally lowered the gun. He took that for an invitation, so he grinned and headed for her porch. Suddenly renewing old friendships and offering comfort didn’t seem such a bad idea after all.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Kali Cooper – She’s just inherited the Silver Spurs Ranch and trying desperately to keep it.

Zach Collingsworth – The youngest of the four Collingsworth brothers.

Langston, Matt and Bart Collingsworth – Zach’s three brothers.

Lenora Collingsworth – Zach’s mother and acting CEO of Collingsworth Enterprises.

Jeremiah Collingsworth – Zach’s grandfather who is recovering from a stroke.

Randolph Collingsworth – Lenora’s beloved husband who has been dead for over twenty years.

Aidan Jefferies – Houston homicide detective and good friend to Langston Collingsworth.

Billy Mack – Neighbouring rancher.

Ed Guerra – Local sheriff.

Gordon Cooper – Kali’s late grandfather and previous owner of the Silver Spurs Ranch.

Tony Pinter – Foreman of Silver Spurs Ranch when Gordon Cooper was alive.

Gerald Pinter – Tony Pinter’s son.

Hade Carpenter – Gordon Cooper’s stepson, and second in line to inherit the Silver Spurs Ranch.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Joanna Wayne was born and raised in Shreveport, Louisiana, and received her undergraduate and graduate degrees from LSU-Shreveport. She moved to New Orleans in 1984, and it was there that she attended her first writing class and joined her first professional writing organisation. Her first novel, Deep in the Bayou, was published in 1994.

Now, dozens of published books later, Joanna has made a name for herself as being on the cutting edge of romantic suspense in both series and single-title novels. She has been on the Waldenbooks bestsellers list for romance and has won many industry awards. She is a popular speaker at writing organisations and local community functions and has taught creative writing at the University of New Orleans Metropolitan College.

She currently resides in a small community forty miles north of Houston, Texas, with her husband. Though she still has family and emotional ties to Louisiana, she loves living in the Lone Star state. You may write to Joanna at PO Box 265, Montgomery, Texas 77356, USA.

Point Blank Protector

Joanna Wayne

www.millsandboon.co.uk

This book is for all my Texas friends who have taught me about the ranching lifestyle and to every woman who enjoys reading about cowboy heroes. And a kiss to my hubby for not complaining when I became so engrossed in writing the book that I forgot to cook dinner.

Prologue

The night was pitch-black when Kali Cooper stepped out of her mud-encrusted Jeep to open the gate to the Silver Spurs Ranch. Her ranch.

She still hadn’t quite gotten her mind around the fact that she was the actual owner of the spread she’d loved since her first and only visit fifteen years ago. But after months of court battles with the son of her late grandfather’s third wife, it was official.

Grandfather Gordy’s will had been clear and absolutely legal. As long as she lived on the land for a year, it was hers. She planned to live here forever.

The wind cut through her denim jacket and she could smell the approaching rain. She picked up her pace as lightning cut a jagged scar across the night sky followed by a loud clap of thunder.

The weather channel had predicted a line of moderate to severe storms followed by an arctic cold front that was dipping all the way to the Gulf of Mexico and bringing with it temperatures near the freezing mark. Even for mid-February, that was cold for the Houston area.

Wings fluttered above her and something rustled the grass as the gate swung open and clanked against the metal post. An eerie uneasiness crept along her nerve endings along with the awareness of just how alone she really was. According to her research, the closest ranch was Jack’s Bluff, owned by the very wealthy Collingsworth family, and even as the crow flies, that was over a mile away.

She hurried back to the Jeep, drove across the cattle gap then jumped out to close and latch the heavy metal gate. Five minutes later, she pulled up in front of the old homestead.

Caught in the ghostly glow of her headlights, the one-story structure seemed to crawl out at odd angles from the front porch. It was smaller than she remembered it, but then thanks to the feud between her father and grandfather, she hadn’t been here since she was eleven.

That was the summer she’d experienced her first case of serious puppy love. The object of her affections had been Zach Collingsworth, and she’d fawned and drooled over him like the naive kid she’d been. Here’s hoping he wouldn’t remember her. With luck, he’d also be paunchy and balding, with a wife and several kids.

She reached for her flashlight and was about to kill the engine and cut off the lights when she saw what appeared to be a person running from the house. Panic shot through her, but when another streak of lightning made the scene as bright as day, all she saw were tree branches swaying in the wind.

She really was letting the isolation get to her. The house was empty and had been for months. The livestock had been sold and the help let go when her grandfather had died.

She stepped from the car just as lightning struck again, this time a dazzling needle of electricity that followed a direct path from sky to ground and seemed to strike mere yards away. The thunder that followed was deafening.

The first drops of rain pricked Kali’s face as she made a wild dash for the covered porch. She was stamping the mud from her boots when her gaze caught and held. She stared, at first not willing to believe her eyes, but the stream of crimson spilling out the door was all too vivid.

Her heart slammed against her chest, and this time she didn’t try to convince herself she was imagining things. She started to run and was almost to her car before her powers of reason pushed through the adrenaline rush.

Paint—not blood. That was it, of course. She sucked in a huge gulp of damp air as the picture became crystal-clear. Hade Carpenter only lost the ranch to her if she lived here for a full year. He probably planned to make sure she didn’t last a night, so he’d come out here with his Halloweenish tricks to frighten her away. Nice try, but it wouldn’t work.

Bracing herself for what she’d find inside, she marched back to the porch and turned the doorknob. The door was unlocked and it creaked and whined open at her touch.

One look inside and she knew the blood was real.

Chapter One

Lenora Collingsworth loved frigid Saturday mornings when her family gathered around the huge stone fireplace in the family den instead of all going their separate ways. Not that she didn’t love spring and fall. Even hot south Texas summers had their high points, but still there was something special about having all your children warmed by the same crackling blaze.

Her twin grandsons were missing for the moment, having donned their jackets and escaped out the back door to toss around a football and have a good excuse to tackle and scuffle. David and Derrick were seven years old and a joy to have around.

Still it broke Lenora’s heart that her oldest daughter was separated from their father. The boys needed him. So did Becky for that matter. The problem was she’d married a man as stubborn as she was.

So Becky and the boys were back on Jack’s Bluff Ranch with the rest of the Collingsworth clan. Well, technically, Langston didn’t live at the ranch. He and his wife Trish and their teenage daughter Gina lived in Houston during the week. His duties as president of Collingsworth Oil pretty much demanded it, but they spent most weekends at the ranch.

And much to Lenora’s delight, Trish was pregnant. She couldn’t wait to cuddle a grandchild in her arms again. She’d already pulled the antique cradle that all her children had slept in from storage. Their neighbor Billy Mack was restoring it.

She was lucky her children were tied to the land and family but still independent with minds of their own and clear goals for their lives. At least most of them were. At twenty-six, Zach and Jaime didn’t seem tied to anything but having a good time.

Jaime was a free spirit. Zach was her jet-setter. Except for a couple of brief stints working for Collingsworth Oil, Zach had spent the two years since graduating from the University of Texas roaming Europe. Getting the feel for the foreign business relations he’d majored in, he claimed.

As far as she could tell, most of the relations he’d explored had been with beautiful young females and the business had been that of enjoying himself immensely. But even with the extensive travels, he’d retained his cowboy charm. Jack’s Bluff definitely got into a person’s blood.

Nonetheless, the bottom line was that it was past time for Jaime and Zach to get their acts together.

She’d love to see them settle in the way Bart and Matt had. Both worked full time running the ranch and had built homes right here at Jack’s Bluff. Bart lived with his new wife Jaclyn on Scuttle Creek. Jaclyn was a dear and the perfect mate for Bart.

Matt lived alone in a rambling structure built on the edge of the woods and overlooking a waterhole favored by the many deer in the area. She had high hopes he’d find his soul mate soon, but for now he seemed perfectly happy without one.

Lenora went to the kitchen for a refill on hot chocolate and brought the pot back to the den with her. “More cocoa, anyone?”

“Thanks, Grandma. I’d love more,” Gina said, lifting her blue pottery mug and then groaning as Jaime placed the letters Z, A and X on the Scrabble board.

“You better watch Jaime,” Zach said. “I hate to say it but I’m certain my twin sister cheats. That’s the only way she could ever have beaten me at anything.”

“It’s called division of the genes,” Jaime scoffed. “You got the brawn. I got the brains—and the good looks.”

“In your dreams.”

The doorbell rang. They all looked up, though no one made a move toward the door.

“Is anyone expecting company?” Lenora asked.

No one was. Langston folded the section of the Houston Chronicle he’d been reading, stood and started to the door. “It’s probably just Billy Mack.”

Lenora thought he was likely right. Their neighbor had taken to coming around a lot more often of late. Living alone had to be tough on him. Not that he’d ever admit it.

But the booming voice she heard next didn’t belong to Billy Mack. A few seconds later Langston ushered Sheriff Ed Guerra into the den.

“I hate to bust in on you like this,” Ed said, “but there’s a problem over at the Silver Spurs Ranch. I thought you should be alerted.”

“What kind of problem?” Langston asked.

“Guess you know that Gordon Cooper’s granddaughter inherited his spread.”

“We heard that months ago,” Lenora said, “but apparently there were some kinks in the will that had to be ironed out.”

“She got here last night,” the sheriff said, “and her welcome to Colts Run Cross wasn’t the most hospitable.”

Bart stepped over to where Langston and the sheriff were standing. “How inhospitable are we talking?”

“As in there was a body with a couple of bullet holes in it waiting for her just inside the door.”

Lenora’s chest tightened, and her gaze went immediately to Gina. She wasn’t sure her teenage granddaughter needed to hear Ed’s uncensored version of this. Trish had obviously decided the same thing. She was already doing the boot-scoot routine with Gina to get her through the doorway that led to the kitchen.

“Gina and I will make coffee,” Trish said.

Ed gave her an understanding nod. “Best idea I heard today.” He waited until she and Gina were out of sight. “The rest of you females might want to join them. This ain’t a pretty story.”

“Can’t be worse than the nightly news,” Jaime said. “Besides, if there’s a murderer in our midst, we’re going to hear about it soon enough.”

“You can be sure of that. But you folks being the closest neighbors, I thought I should tell you about it first. Thought maybe you could check in on Kali Cooper, too. She’s pretty shaken up by this—not that I blame her none. Poor lady’s single and staying out there by herself.”

“Why don’t you take a seat and start at the beginning?” Matt said.

Ed dropped to the corner of the couch, took off his worn black Western hat and held it in his lap, fingering the brim as he talked. “I got a call from the 911 operator about midnight, right in the thick of the storm. She said she had a frantic caller on the phone claiming she was standing over a murder victim.”

Lenora was sucked into the dread as she listened to the rest of the story. How frightening for a young woman to walk into what she thought was an empty house and find that macabre scene waiting for her. “How old is Kali Cooper?”

“Twenty-six,” Ed said. “The victim looks to be even younger. She might even be a teenager.”

Maybe as young as her granddaughter Gina. A bone-chilling shiver climbed Lenora’s spine. “Do you know the identity of the victim?”

“Not yet, but we do know that no one’s been reported missing from our immediate area.”

“How long had she been dead?” Matt asked.

“Best estimate is that she was shot within an hour of the time Kali arrived on the scene. Kali was damned lucky she didn’t walk in on the killing. If she had we’d likely be investigating two murders today.”

Becky walked to the window and looked out. Lenora knew she was assuring herself the boys were fine.

“Kali must be horrified.” Jaime said.

“Yeah, but that girl’s got grit. She stayed at the motel in town last night. I didn’t want her living in the crime scene until we had a chance to comb it thoroughly. But I gave her clearance to return an hour ago, and she’s already back on the premises.”

“Zach can go check on her,” Lenora said.

“I knew I could count on you folks for that,” Ed said. “And until we get a handle on things, it wouldn’t hurt to be careful, especially you women. No tellin’ where the killer is now.”

Lenora stayed back as her three oldest sons walked to the front door with the sheriff, Matt still asking questions.

Zach propped a booted foot on the hearth. “How did I get elected to go check on the new neighbor?”

“You and Kali are the same age and you played together when you were children.”

“That was fifteen years ago.”

“See, you remember her, and I’m sure she’ll remember you. Having a friend show up after last night will be more reassuring than having a stranger show up at her door.”

“I remember her because she was as annoying as a burr in a sock and kept following me around.”

“You’re exaggerating.”

“He’s shaking in his boots,” Jaime teased. “Want me to tag along and protect you?”

“Scared has nothing to do with it. I just don’t like calming hysterical women. What if she starts crying?”

“Hand her a tissue,” Lenora said. “And don’t come on to her. This isn’t the time for that.”

“Give me a little credit.” Zach left through the kitchen door, but returned a second later wearing a black leather jacket and holding his Stetson.

“That was quick,” Jaime said. “I think your complaints were camouflage. Looks to me like you’re eager to hook up with this old flame.”

“I’m just going to get my neighborly duties over with before Mom hands me a basket of goodies to deliver.”

“Great idea,” Lenora said. “Juanita baked yesterday and there should be plenty of the lemon tea cakes left.”

Zach groaned. “This isn’t a tea party.”

“You win, Zach. I’ll give her the cookies later, but I want you to insist she join us for dinner tonight. If she’s afraid to stay on the ranch alone, just bring her back with you now.”

“Okay, but if she’s as weird as she was as a kid and starts stalking me, it’s on your conscience.”

“I’ll live with it,” Lenora said, smiling. “But be careful, Zach, and I don’t mean of Kali.”

“If you’re worried, you can send Matt. He’s older and—well, he’s older.”

“You’ll do fine. Just be careful.”

But he was already heading for the back door, his cocky swagger a discomforting reminder that he wasn’t afraid of anything and that being wary would never cross his mind. Maybe sending him to see Kali wasn’t the best idea after all.

“Relax, Mom,” Jaime said, no doubt reading her concern. “I’m sure the killer is long gone. If he wasn’t, Sheriff Guerra would already have him in custody.”

“That makes sense,” Lenora said. Still she worried. It was her job. She was a mother.

ZACH WAS not looking forward to playing comforter to Kali Cooper, but he’d love to go toe to toe with the cowardly skunk who’d murdered a young woman. He hadn’t wanted to belabor the point with his mother or Jaime, but what kind of deranged pervert got his rocks off like that?

Zach kept his eyes peeled for anything suspicious as he made the short drive to the Silver Spurs Ranch. He’d taken Bart’s pickup truck instead of his own new Jaguar. The main roads at Jack’s Bluff were graded regularly and kept in excellent condition, but the ones at the Silver Spurs were another story.

He slowed as he turned right on Cooper’s Road. That wasn’t the official name of the blacktop that dead ended at the front entrance to the Silver Spurs Ranch, but that was the only thing Zach or probably anyone else around here had ever heard it called. And there was no road sign to suggest they were wrong.

The fence posts along the edge of the road were leaning and there were several breaks in the strings of barbed wire. Old man Cooper had kept the place in top-notch shape when he was able, but it had fallen into disrepair when his health had started to fail, and it had gone downhill even faster during the months since his death.

That might explain why a killer had found his way to the spot. He could have gotten lost and wound up on the dead-end road. One look and he’d have figured that the ranch was deserted.

The gate was open and banging in the wind when Zach reached it. He drove through, then got out of his truck and closed and latched it. Not that there were any livestock to worry about or that closing it would deter a killer, but latching gates was a habit everyone growing up on a ranch learned early in life.

As he’d suspected, the ranch road was a muddy slush and he dodged potholes and trenches where the squad cars had slewed around them. He wondered as he did what a city girl was going to do in a place like this. He could imagine her now, traipsing through the mud in fancy, high-heeled boots with her skinny arms swinging at her side and her red hair flying about like a horse’s mane.

Probably more of a pain now than she’d been that long-ago summer when she’d followed him around like a sick calf. Still, he felt bad that she’d arrived to a bloody welcome.

He pulled up in front of the house and was about to step out of the pickup when the front door of the house flew open. A young woman stepped onto the porch with a shotgun in hand. If the woman was Kali, she looked a lot different all grown up.

He climbed from behind the wheel and waved a greeting. “Zach Collingsworth,” he said. “I’m a neighbor, and I’d feel a bit more welcome if you’d aim that gun in another direction.”

“You’re Zach?” she said, sounding a bit shocked. Guess he’d changed in fifteen years as well. Unfortunately, the gun was still aimed at his eyeballs.

“I heard you had some trouble last night. I came over to see if I can help.”

“That’s nice of you, but everything’s under control.”

“Not if you plan on shooting everyone who stops by.”

“Not everyone,” she said, “just the ones who look like trouble.”

But his new voluptuous neighbor had finally lowered the gun. He took that for an invitation, so he grinned and headed for her porch. Suddenly renewing old friendships and offering comfort didn’t seem like such a bad idea after all.

Chapter Two

“I really am okay,” Kali said, when Zach joined her on the porch.

“I believe you, but since I’m here you might as well invite me in.”

“The house isn’t exactly ready for guests.”

“That’s okay, as long as you don’t expect me to grab a mop.”

“I make no promises, but if you’re not afraid of dirt and bugs, come on in.”

The front door opened directly into a large dark-paneled room with a brick fireplace. The heavy oak tables, two brown tweed sofas and a couple of rocking chairs were covered in a thick layer of Texas dust and a substance Zach guessed to be fingerprint powder.

The windows were so streaked with grime that the bright rays of late-morning sunshine could barely fight their way through. Worse, every nook and cranny sported a filigreed network of spiderwebs.

“I see what you mean,” he said. “No offense but the place looks like a haunted house at an amusement park.”

Only this time the dead body had been real. And Kali had walked in on the scene late at night and in the middle of a thunderstorm. He’d have expected her to be speeding down the Interstate by now heading back to wherever it was she’d come from. Instead she was swatting at a wasp that had just dive-bombed her.

Zach picked up one of the stained towels she’d obviously been using for cleaning and slammed it and the wasp against the wall. When the struggling insect fell to the floor, he squashed it under the toe of his boot. “Save you from having to waste a shotgun shell on him,” he teased.

“Not funny.”

She was right, he decided as he eyed the bloodstain on the floor. “Your arrival last night must have been a shocker.”

“To say the least.”

“Yet you came back out here today. That takes guts.”

“I don’t have a choice. I quit my job in Atlanta and sold everything I owned except my Jeep and the belongings I could stuff into it so that I’d have funds to get the Silver Spurs up and running again.”

“Surely you’re not planning to do that by yourself?”

Her eyebrows arched. “You think I can’t because I’m a woman?”

A loaded question that called for an evasive answer. “I just wondered if… I wondered if you were married.” A blatant lie, but better than getting her riled.

“I’m not married, but I’m not some helpless Southern belle, either. I’m used to taking care of myself.”

In town, maybe, but out here? He had his doubts. “Ranching is a competitive business these days. If you’re set on trying it, I’d suggest you hire someone who knows cattle. My brothers Bart and Matt might have some recommendations for a foreman. You should check with them.”

“I’ll keep that in mind, but my first priority will be making the house livable. I was pleasantly surprised when the sheriff gave me permission to return to the ranch today.”

“Ed Guerra might talk like an unsophisticated cowboy sheriff, but he knows his stuff.”

“I guess. It’s just that…”

Her words ran out and vulnerability seeped into the depths of her caramel-colored eyes. Zach shifted his weight to the other foot and hoped she didn’t go all emotional on him.

“The body was right there,” Kali said, pointing to the bloodstain near the front door. “It was as if the killer had just dragged her inside to shoot her.”

Or that she was trying to escape and he stopped her. “Did you hear shots?”

“If I had, I would have thought it was thunder. The storm had turned violent at that point.”

“Were there any signs that the killer and victim might have been camping out in the house?”

“The sheriff asked that same question, but I really don’t think anyone had been staying here. There was no food in the cabinets and no sheets on the beds. And the electricity had been off until I had it turned on last week.”

“What about the water from the faucet? Was it clear or did it have that rusty look from sitting in the pipes too long?”

“I’m not sure. The sheriff rushed me out before I had a chance to try it.” She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “I’m sorry, Zach, but I really don’t want to talk about the murder anymore today. I’ve already gone over every detail with the sheriff.”

Reluctantly, Zach changed the subject. He walked to the window and looked out at the high grass and the overgrown weeds. “You could use a bush hog.”

“I’m not planning to raise any kind of hogs.”

“You don’t raise a bush hog. It’s a rotary cutter that can take care of the low brush, weeds and grass in no time. I’m sure your grandfather had one. It’s likely in the metal storage building, but you’ll need someone to operate it for you.”

“I’ll check it out once I get the house and stables in order. I’m hoping to bring in the first horses by the end of the month and be open for business by the first of April.”

“Business?”

“Right. The Silver Spurs Riding Stables and Horseman Training Center. It has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?”

“Is that because your grandfather raised a few horses?”

“No, it’s because it’s what I choose to do.”

She turned her back on him, picked up a broom that had been leaning against the hearth and started knocking spiderwebs from the ceiling. Her hair fell down her back, the multiple layers of auburn locks swishing back and forth with the motion of her body. Even her hair was different from the wild red tangles he remembered. It was a gorgeous auburn color now and smelled of spring flowers.

None of which meant she knew a thing about horses. “What qualifies you to teach horsemanship?”

“I’ve taught at a private stable just outside Atlanta for the past four years.” Her tone registered her irritation with his question.

“Teaching at some fancy city stable is a lot different than running a ranch operation.”

She set the broom back on the floor, but held on to it. “I appreciate your coming by to check on me, Zach, but I really don’t have time for your negativism and I do have to get back to work. Let yourself out, will you?”

Before he could reply, she walked away and left him standing in the middle of the den floor. He had a feeling her irritation had as much to do with the situation as with him, though he could have been a bit more tactful.

He started to leave, then remembered the rest of the reason he’d been sent to visit Kali. He wandered to the back of the house and found her in the kitchen pouring liquid detergent into a large bucket.

“Mom asked me to invite you to dinner tonight,” he said.

She dipped a rag into the soap mixture, then wrung it dry. “Tell your mother I appreciate the invitation, but that I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night. I plan to go to bed early tonight.”

“I’ll tell her, but she doesn’t give up that easily. If you don’t go to dinner, she’ll likely bring dinner to you.”

Kali straightened and turned to face him, her enticing breasts pushing against the fabric of her hot-pink T-shirt. “Was it your mother’s idea for you to come over and check on me, Zach?”

“Actually it was the sheriff’s idea. He thought you might still be upset over finding the body last night.”

“Of course I’m upset. Any sane person would be, but I’m not going to fall apart if that’s what you think.”

“I don’t, but…”

“But what?”

But now that he was thinking about it again, it didn’t seem safe for her to stay here alone. “You might sleep better if you stay at our place tonight. There’s plenty of room.”

“Was that the sheriff’s idea, too?”

“No, that one was all mine.”

“Thanks,” she said, sounding as if she meant it. “But the sheriff says he’s going to have a deputy keep an eye on my place tonight. And I have the shotgun. Besides, I have to stay alone sooner or later. If you fall off a horse, you get right back on.”

“We’re not talking horses.”

“It’s the same principle. I’ll be okay, Zach. Tell your mother I’ll take her up on the dinner invitation soon. And she doesn’t need to worry about me starving tonight. I stopped at Thompson’s Grocery this morning and stocked up on food.”

“Sounds as if you’re all set.” He smiled, tipped his hat and took the back door out of the house. No use to chance putting his foot in his mouth again and wearing out his welcome on his first visit.

His thoughts zeroed in on the murder as he left. He couldn’t see a man driving all the way from Houston to the Silver Spurs in a storm just to shoot a woman.

And what rotten timing for Kali. She’d moved to one of the most crime-free idyllic areas in the state only to step right into the path of a killer.

He was glad his mother had insisted he check on her. Kali wasn’t the svelte, sophisticated model-type beauty he usually dated, but she had that healthy girl-next-door-thing going on.

He might consider coming over here and actually doing a little physical labor himself except that he’d just taken a position at Collingsworth Oil that required his presence at the Houston office Monday through Friday. Not that she’d miss him. There would be plenty of eager cowboys to take his place.

He still thought his offer of her spending the night at Jack’s Bluff made sense, but admittedly there was no real reason to think the killer would return unless…

Unless the killer actually was a deranged pervert and knew Kali was living alone on the isolated ranch. That thought continued to haunt him as he drove the few miles back to Jack’s Bluff.

WORK MADE the day pass all too quickly and it was dusk before Kali took her first break. She poured herself a cup of tea and collapsed onto the wooden rocker that she’d polished to a glossy shine.

The room looked a hundred percent better than it had this morning. The sofas’ worn upholstery was shampooed, and the ragged, dust-infused cotton throw rugs were resting in the bottom of the trash. A bedroom and the house’s one bathroom were just as clean. She’d tackle the kitchen tomorrow.

The floorboards creaked beneath the movement of the rocker. She shifted and her gaze fell on the spot where she’d scrubbed the blood from the floorboards. The stain had almost completely disappeared, yet the scene she’d walked in on materialized vividly in her mind, sending a foreboding chill through her bloodstream.

Kali took a deep breath that did little to settle her nerves, then grabbed her jacket and walked onto the porch for a bracing breath of cold air. She’d managed to keep the disturbing thoughts and fearsome questions at bay while she was struggling with the cleaning chores. Now they were claiming her mind and tightening her sore, aching muscles.

She closed the door behind her and leaned against the porch railing, staring at the dirt drive that led away from the house and meandered its lonely way to the highway. The isolation closed in on her, attacking her self confidence. Perhaps she’d been too hasty in turning down Zach’s offer to spend the night with his family at Jack’s Bluff.

Zach Collingsworth. His name played in her mind, then slipped from her lips with the frosty vapors of her breath. She’d wondered what it would be like to see him again, had thought she might not even recognize him. Mainly she’d hoped that the childish crush would seem stupid and something to laugh about now that they were both in their mid twenties.

She should have been so lucky.

At eleven he’d been cute. Now he was—in a word—gorgeous. Thick, dark hair, cut stylishly short, but long enough that a woman could sink her fingers into it. Lean, not too tall, but tall enough. He looked like a model, yet with that cowboy edge that made him reek of sensuality.

And here she went, falling into the same Zach trap that she had years ago. But she couldn’t give in to the mind-numbing attraction this time. She needed all her wits about her. She had one year to make a go of the riding stables and training center before she ran out of money. One short year to make her dream a reality—or see it die.

Pulling her jacket around her, she gave a last look into the growing darkness, then turned and went back inside. The piercing jangle of her cell phone startled her and sent her rushing to the kitchen to find it amidst the cleaning supplies.

“Hello.”

“Howdy.”

Kali recognized the deep, slightly crusty voice even before the sheriff finished identifying himself.

“How are things going out at the Silver Spurs?”

“Fine, so far.”

“That’s good to hear.”

“Do you have any leads on a suspect?” she asked, hoping that was why he’d called.

“No, but I thought you might like to know that we’ve identified the body. The woman’s name is Louisa Kellogg.”

“Is she from Colts Run Cross?”

“No. She was a student at the University of Houston. That’s about all I know for now, but I’m hoping we have some of the killer’s DNA on her somewhere. If not, there’s a good chance we have fingerprints from your door or the light switch, maybe even from the walls.”

“Have you questioned anyone about her?”

“Not yet, but don’t you worry. We’ll catch the killer. Right now I just want to make sure you’re doing okay.”

Apprehension shook her resolve. “Why? Have you changed your mind about it being safe for me to stay here?”

“Not at all. The killer’s likely from Houston just like his victim. He’ll probably stay way the hell away from the scene of the crime—pardon my French. In case he doesn’t, one of my best-trained deputies is keeping an eye on your place tonight.”

“I appreciate that.”

“Just don’t shoot him if he shines a light around the house to check things out. He ain’t much to look at, but his wife still likes having him around.”

She smiled at the sheriff’s humor in spite of the fear that pummeled her nerves. Once she’d said goodbye and broken the connection, she struggled to push the situation to the back corners of her mind.

She should fix something to eat and have a glass of wine, but first she needed a bath. The layers of dust and grime she’d cleaned from the house seemed embedded in her skin.

She walked to the bathroom, turned on the faucet and stripped off her jeans, T-shirt and undies. Ex-hausted, she stepped into the claw-footed tub and sank into the hot water. By the time she’d lathered every inch of her body, she was so weary she could barely think.

She’d forgotten to unpack the towels she’d brought with her so she padded to the bedroom for her old yellow fleece robe, dripping as she went. She snuggled into the robe and fell across the bed.

The wind picked up, rattling the windows and pushing cold drafts around the sills. She closed her eyes, half expecting images of Louisa Kellogg’s body to creep into her mind.

Instead it was Zach Collingsworth’s face that pushed through the fog of fatigue. As far as her heart was concerned, he might be the most dangerous dream of all.

THE COLLINGSWORTH Sunday brunch had its roots more in a bribe than a treat for the taste buds. Lenora’s faith was all-important to her and when she’d first married Randolph she’d wanted him to share it. She’d promised to cook anything and everything he wanted if he’d go to church with her.

Reluctantly, he’d agreed, but he’d put her to the test week after week, requesting one gourmet entree after another. The bribe had been a success on several levels. Randolph had eventually embraced her faith in God, her cooking skills had improved dramatically and the Collingsworth family brunch had become entrenched in their routine.

A few years back, Lenora’s children had persuaded her to hire a cook so that she could have more time for herself. Now Sunday was the only day Lenora took over her kitchen. She made the most of it by planning ahead and delegating duties so that in under an hour after returning from early services at their church, the family was gathered at the table. She always served up old favorites and a couple of surprises. Today the surprises were crab bisque and raspberry scones topped with Chantilly cream.

The doorbell rang just as her father-in-law Jeremiah finished saying grace, his voice growing so steady of late that at times he sounded almost like the pre-stroke Jeremiah.

“That’s probably Melvin,” Langston said. “He was supposed to get back from a business trip to Dubai last night, and he said he was hungry for Texas cooking.”

Lenora started to go for another plate, but her daughter Becky beat her to the task. Billy Mack, a brunch regular, scooted over a bit and made room for the extra chair Bart was already sliding into place.

Melvin was Langston’s right-hand man at Collingsworth Oil. Jeremiah had hired him without consulting Langston, but Melvin had immediately proved his worth by suggesting changes that had increased their profits on a drilling project in the Gulf of Mexico by twenty percent.

But that was business. It was his ready smile and terrific sense of humor that had let him work his way into the family circle.

Jeremiah reached for the plate of scrambled eggs that was just out of his reach. “You guys gonna pass food or just play musical chairs?”

“Yeah,” Derrick said. “I’m starved.”

“You are always starved,” Bart said, teasing his young nephew. “You can tell you’re kin to your uncle Matt.”

“Ranchers need stamina,” Matt said, spooning gravy onto his biscuits.

“So do football players,” David said, reaching across his twin brother to grab a scone. “Like my Dad. He can really eat, can’t he, Grandma?”

“He can indeed.”

Langston finally returned, but he ushered in two guests instead of one. Lenora was surprised to see Aidan Jefferies with Melvin.

“Hey, just in time to dig in,” Melvin said. “How’s that for timing?”

Aidan smiled and planted a kiss on Lenora’s cheek. “Hope I’m not intruding. I can wait in the living room until you’ve finished your meal.”

“Nonsense,” Lenora answered quickly. “Not only do you have to eat, you have to tell me how delicious everything is.”

“Several times,” Zach said. “Those who fail to praise excessively never get invited back.”

Aidan grinned. “I’m sure I’ll love every bite.”

Lenora pushed away from the table. “I’ll get another plate.”

“Keep your seat, Mom,” Langston said. “I’m already up.”

Melvin tousled the boys’ hair and waved to the rest of the family, then grabbed another chair and slid it next to Jaime’s.

“Did you two come out together?” Bart asked.

“No,” Aidan said. “We just happened to turn in your gate at the same time.”

Aidan gave no indication that this was anything other than a chance visit, but Lenora doubted that to be the case. He and Langston were the best of friends and had been for years, but the busy Houston homicide detective seldom showed up unannounced.

Whatever Aidan’s reason for coming, he managed to join in the jocular mood of the group as the food disappeared. Melvin kept the conversation interesting by sharing some of the more fascinating accounts of his recent trip. Her granddaughter Gina added excitement when she described her winning performance in the barrel-racing competition at the local rodeo the night before. Fortunately, Lenora had been there to see the feat firsthand.

Thankfully, no one brought up Kali or Louisa Kellogg during the meal. Nonetheless, the situation monopolized Lenora’s thoughts. She was almost certain that Aidan had come to talk to them about a development in the murder case and that the news would not be good.

Chapter Three

As soon as the meal was finished, Zach grabbed a cup of coffee and followed Aidan and Langston out to the screened porch that served as a family room much of the year. It was protected from the wind and most winter days that was enough to leave it comfortable.

Today it was downright chilly, but if Aidan had any news about Louisa Kellogg, Zach wanted to hear it firsthand. Thoughts of the homicide had lingered in his mind long after he should have been asleep last night.

“I guess you heard about the murder we had at the Silver Spurs Ranch,” Zach said even before Aidan had settled in one of the wooden rockers.

“Yeah. Actually, that’s why I’m out this way. I’m going to team up with your local sheriff’s department on the investigation.”

“Is that standard procedure when the victim’s from your jurisdiction?”

“How did you learn the victim was from Houston? The identification of the body is barely official.”

Zach perched on the arm of the sofa. “Ed Guerra called late last night and said the body had been identified as Louisa Kellogg and that she was a student at the University of Houston.”

“That’s accurate. She was a sophomore communications major,” Aidan said. “Her parents live in Arizona. They’re on their way to Texas now. She was an only child, so I suspect this is going to go down hard with them.”

“It would kill me if something like that happened to Gina,” Langston said.

Zach was still trying to get a handle on the details. “The Silver Spurs is a long way from Houston. How did Louisa and her killer end up out here?”

“That’s one of the unanswered questions. She left the local coffee shop where she worked just after ten o’clock Friday night. That only leaves about two hours between the time she was last seen and the time Kali found the body.”

“Did you get the case with the luck of the draw?” Zach asked.

“No. It’s possible her murder might be connected to an ongoing case I’ve been working on.”

“Another murder?” Langston asked.

“Not confirmed. Sue Ann Griffin disappeared approximately five months ago from the same area. She hasn’t been seen or heard from since.”

“And you think the man who killed Louisa Kellogg might have killed the Griffin woman, as well,” Zach said.

“It’s just a possibility at this point, but that’s why I asked to be in on this investigation. I spent a couple of hours with Ed Guerra getting his take on what he found at the Silver Spurs Friday night. Now I plan to make a call on Kali Cooper and see if she’ll let me look around.”

“Do you think Ed’s team missed something?” Langston asked. “They may not be up to Houston standards, but they have one of the most respected Criminal Investigations Divisions in the state.”

“It sounds as if they covered all the bases, but I get a better feel for a case when I’ve visited the crime scene myself. Naturally, I would have liked to be there the night Kali found the body, but this will have to do.”

Zach sipped his coffee. “Are you looking for anything in particular at the Silver Spurs?”

“No, but I’m hoping it will hit me if I find it. With luck we’ll have fingerprints and DNA on this one. If not, this could be a long, drawn-out process.”

“It seems odd that the killer brought his victim all the way out here just to shoot her inside the front door of a deserted ranch house,” Zach said. “He could have just dumped her in the woods.”

“That’s what puzzles me the most,” Aidan admitted. “The only thing I can figure at this point is that he chose that particular spot because he knew the ranch was deserted.”

Zach didn’t buy it. “That’s still a long way to drive to put a couple of bullets in a woman’s head.”

“He likely intended to do more than kill her. There were no signs of sexual or physical abuse, but that could be because he was interrupted.”

“By Kali’s arrival,” Zach said.

“It’s all speculation.”

“If the killer knew the place was deserted, he must have ties to this area.” Langston said. “He could be someone we know.”

That was a possibility Zach had already considered, yet it ground in his stomach all the same. “Mind if I tag along when you go to the Silver Spurs?” he asked, surprising himself with the request.

“Any particular reason?”

“I made a neighborly call on Kali Cooper yesterday at Mother’s insistence, just to make sure she was all right. She’s jumpy and running on nerves. At least, that was my take. She might be more comfortable with having you look around if you show up with someone she knows.”

Aidan smiled for the first time since they’d started talking about the murder. “That wouldn’t have anything to do with the fact that she’s a very attractive woman now, would it?”

“Who said she’s attractive?”

“Ed Guerra. He may be old and married, but he’s not dead.”

“Kali’s looks have nothing to do with my offer,” Zach said, stretching the truth a little. “I’m just trying to help.”

“In that case, come along. You might just stumble onto the definitive clue.”

Doubtful, and Zach had planned on driving into Houston this afternoon to attend a special showing of a new lady friend’s work at one of the local galleries— a very beautiful and available lady friend. So why had he just volunteered to go to the Silver Spurs to visit a woman who had thrown him out yesterday?

He let the question ride, mainly because he had no idea how to answer it.

KALI’S MUSCLES tightened and she jerked to attention at the sound of the approaching vehicle. Sheriff Ed Guerra had alerted her that a Houston homicide detective named Aidan Jefferies who was assisting with the case would be paying her a visit. She assumed this was him, but ran for the shotgun anyway.

She was taking no chances. Not that she’d ever fired a shotgun before or even knew for certain this one was loaded correctly. She’d bought it at a pawn shop in Atlanta because one of her friends had convinced her she couldn’t live on a ranch without a gun.

Who’d have guessed she would need it so quickly or for such a frightening purpose?

A groan slipped from her lips when she glanced through the open window and saw Zach Collingsworth step from the passenger side of the black sedan. He looked great, of course. But then he hadn’t been mopping floors or scrubbing layers of caked dirt from baseboards and window facings.

The rubber gloves came off with a quick jerk. Her hair did not cooperate so well. She didn’t recognize the man with Zach. He could be one of Zach’s brothers. Might even be the Houston detective Sheriff Guerra had mentioned, though she didn’t know why a Houston detective on official duty would be traveling with Zach.

She leaned the shotgun against the front door and stepped onto the porch empty-handed to greet them like a sane person instead of the nervous Nellie she’d become.

“Detective Aidan Jefferies,” the man said, speaking first. “I’m with the Houston Police Department. Sheriff Ed Guerra was supposed to call you and tell you I’d be stopping by.”

“He did.”

“I hate to bother you on a Sunday, but I wanted to take a look around the crime scene as soon as possible. They tend to deteriorate fast.”

“I’m afraid this one already has. The sheriff said I was free to clean up the blood and fingerprint powder. But he took multiple pictures before the body was taken to the morgue.”

“I saw them, and he was very thorough. I’m probably wasting your time, but I’d still like to ask a few questions and look around.”

“Fine by me. Whatever it takes to apprehend the killer.”

Zach stamped the mud from his boots, tipped his black Stetson and smiled. Her heart betrayed her, quickening her pulse and skipping a couple of beats.

“We missed you at dinner last night,” he said, stepping closer. “Mom said to extend a rain check, valid any night.”

“Thanks. I’ll use it soon.” She opened the door and the two men followed her inside. “It’s a bit chilly in here,” she apologized, “but I had to raise a couple of windows to let the strong odors of the cleaning solutions escape.”

“No problem,” Aidan said, shedding his coat, his gaze already focused on the spot inside the door where she’d found the body.

She stepped back as the gory image reclaimed her mind.

Aidan examined the lock on the front door. “It doesn’t look as if it were jimmied.”

“No. The attorney gave me keys, but the door was unlocked when I arrived. I don’t think my grandfather ever locked it when he was alive. I know he didn’t the summer I visited.”

“That’s not unusual out here,” Zach said.

Aidan nodded. “I hope you’re keeping it locked now.”

“I am, but Sheriff Guerra said the killer would have no reason to return.”

“I suspect he’s right,” Aidan said, “but keeping your doors locked is a good idea in general.”

Aidan stepped away from the door. “Can you describe exactly what you heard and saw when you arrived at the Silver Spurs Ranch Friday night?”

“I gave a full statement to Sheriff Guerra. Didn’t he show it to you?”

“I read it, but I always like to hear the story from the witness. You may remember something more now that the horror isn’t so fresh in your mind.”

“I doubt that,” she said. “There’s nothing to remember. I just walked in, saw the body and let out a scream that probably frightened wildlife for miles.”

“A natural reaction,” Aidan said. He pulled a pen and small black notebook from his pocket. “Shall we sit?”

“Certainly. Would you like something to drink? I have sodas, and I can make coffee.”

“Perhaps later,” Aidan said.

She felt the intensity of his stare biting into her. She shifted nervously and dropped to the sofa. Zach sat down beside her, a little too close. The air in the room thickened like clotted cream.

“Just say any and everything that pops into your mind,” the detective said, “even if you think it’s unimportant. And start at the beginning.”

“I saw the rivulets of blood spilling out the door. At first I thought it was paint. Then I opened the door and there was the body.” She hesitated as the frightening memories seemed to swell in her mind and press against her temples.

“Before that,” Aidan said. “Go back to the point where you first pulled into the gate at the Silver Spurs. Did you see or hear anything that struck you as unusual.”

“No…except that when I got out of my Jeep to open the gate, I kind of freaked out for no apparent reason. I attributed it to the isolation. I still think that’s what it was, since there was no one around.”

“Was it raining at that point?”

“No, but the storm was rolling in and the lightning and thunder had become almost constant. Once I closed the gate and got back in the car, all I thought about was trying to make it to the house before the monsoons started.”

“So there was no sign of any other vehicle once you entered the gate?”

“No. I know the sheriff thinks the victim hadn’t been dead long, but the killer must have been off the property before I arrived.”

“Not necessarily,” Zach said. “The main gate is not the only entry.”

“It’s the only one I know about,” Kali said.

“And the only one the sheriff mentioned,” Aidan said.

Zach leaned forward. “There’s an old logging road that leads to a back gate off Mullins Road. There’s no sign on that gate, and the road’s not used very often, but it’s there. I was on it a couple of years ago when I helped Kali’s grandfather haul a load of hay over to Billy Mack’s. He was short of hands that summer.”

“Interesting,” Aidan said as he scribbled notes in the notebook.

“If the killer knew about the back road, he’d have to have some connection with the ranch,” Kali said.

“It’s a possibility,” Aidan agreed, but failed to elaborate on the point. “Were there any lights on inside the house when you drove up?”

“No. The house was pitch-dark except when—” Her breath caught at the frightening flashback.

“Go ahead,” Aidan said.

“It was dark except when the lightning lit up the sky. When I drove up, I thought I saw someone run from the house and into the trees.”

Zach turned to face her. “I can’t believe you got out of the car when you thought someone might be hiding in the trees.”

“I didn’t see the shadow again so I thought I was overreacting. But now I realize it could have been the killer. I may have frightened him off. If I’d arrived a few minutes earlier, Louisa Kellogg might still be alive.”

“Or the sonofabitch could have killed you, too,” Zach said.

“But he didn’t,” Aidan said. “Let’s just deal with what we have.”

Kali tried to fight the apprehension that was taking hold again. What they had was a killer who may have seen her. He could have heard her scream, might have sensed her terror. Might know she lived here alone.

“Do you know how to use that shotgun by the door?” Aidan asked, as if reading her fear.

She took a deep breath. “No.”

“It’s a good time to learn—not only how to shoot a shotgun, but also a pistol, as well.”

“I don’t own a pistol.”

“I have one I can give her,” Zach said. “And I can teach her how to use both of them.”

“Good idea,” Aidan said.

Kali hugged her arms around her chest. “And I thought my problems were over when the judge finally gave me clearance to move out here and take over the ranch.”

“Well, I hope we’ll make a quick arrest,” Aidan said, standing. “In the meantime, Sheriff Guerra will be your go-to man. Now I’d like to take a look around outside.”

“Look all you want.” She stood and walked to open the front door for him.

“I appreciate that. If I have any other questions, I’ll get back to you. And if you think of anything else, call me.” He took a business card from his wallet and handed it to her.

Unfortunately Zach didn’t exit the house with Aidan. He walked over to join her at the door and placed his hands on her shoulders, massaging her tense muscles. She melted at his touch before abruptly pulling away. She had enough problems without feeding an unreasonable lust for him.

“Sorry,” Zach said. “I wasn’t trying to get fresh. You just looked stressed to the point of collapse.”

“I admit I’m a little frazzled. I wasn’t prepared for all of this.”

“Then we should go shooting when Aidan finishes up here. Nothing like firing a few rounds to loosen you up.”

She was definitely in Texas. “You don’t have to teach me to shoot, Zach. I know you’re busy, and I’m sure I can hire someone to—”

He put up a hand to stop her refusal. “You can’t hire better than me. I’ll show Aidan around and then I can take you back to Jack’s Bluff for a lesson.”

“Can’t we just practice here?”

“We could, but Jack’s Bluff has a shooting range already set up. And I have the perfect pistol for you. Lightweight. Easy to use. My sister Jaime has one just like it. She killed a striking copperhead with it last summer when she was horseback-riding with my niece Gina.”

Snakes. Killers. Time spent with Zach Collingsworth. Kali didn’t even want to think of what other dangers were waiting for her now that she’d moved to the ranch.

“It will give my Mom a chance to say hello, too. You may not remember her after not seeing her for fifteen years, but it’s good to know your neighbors out here.”

“Then I guess I’ll have my lesson at Jack’s Bluff.”

She watched Zach head outside and then rushed to shower and change clothes. She refused to entertain romantic notions about her and Zach Collingsworth, but there was no way she was going to climb in the car with him smelling like bleach.

And if she wore the gorgeous teal sweater she’d splurged on just before leaving Atlanta, well, it just made good sense that she’d want to make a good impression on her first visit to a neighboring ranch.

Chapter Four

Learning to fire a pistol was not the way Kali had envisioned spending her first weekend in Texas. In fact, the horrors that had greeted her arrival seemed to be dictating every aspect of her life. The peaceful, pastoral existence she’d dreamed of seemed to be balanced on a bed of hot coals with every step she made holding the potential for disaster.

Sitting in the front seat of a pickup truck and bumping and grinding down a maze of ranch roads with Zach Collingsworth merely switched the danger from an unknown killer to risks of heartache. There was simply no way to be around him and not pick up on his sensual, sexy vibes.

Their eyes met as they turned toward each other at the exact same moment. Kali struggled to breathe as if oxygen were in short supply. She turned away quickly, but couldn’t shake the vision of his dark hair spilling from under his Stetson and falling across his forehead, highlighting his chocolate-brown eyes.

Get a grip, girl.

It was a warning she had to heed. She hadn’t given up her job and apartment in Atlanta and withdrawn every cent of her savings to get buried in an old schoolgirl crush.

“I enjoyed seeing your mother and sisters again,” she said, choosing what should be a safe topic. “I remember Jaime a lot better than I remember Becky, but I don’t think I would have recognized either of them. Your Mom looks much the same, though, still as nice and attractive as ever.”

“Mom liked you, too. She’s never that talkative with people she doesn’t like.”

“Where was the rest of your family?”

“Probably up at Langston’s weekend cabin.”

“Oooh. Look. What was that?” Kali asked, as a large olive-and-brown bird that looked as if it was having a bad-hair day raced across the road in front of them and then disappeared into the brush.

Zach laughed at her enthusiasm. “Nothing but your common every-day roadrunner.”

“I thought they were just cartoon characters.”

“No, they’re for real.”

“Texas is different from Atlanta in more ways than one.”

“Surely you have birds in Atlanta?”

“None that looked like that, at least not in my neighborhood.”

“Did you live right in the city?”

“In the suburbs, but there were no wooded roads like this one, not even at the riding stables. Our trails meandered along a scenic creek at the edge of a park, but there was a shopping center just across the water that spoiled the effect.”

“Sounds far too confining for my tastes, not that I don’t like the excitement of city life on occasion. But you must have gotten out of town sometimes.”

“Not nearly often enough. Mom worked two jobs for most of my life to make ends meet. But somehow she always found the money for my riding lessons. She was pretty terrific.”

“I know all about terrific moms. Mine was always there when we needed her. She still is, but she’s taken on a whole new persona these days.”

“How’s that?”

“My grandfather had a stroke las summer and we found out he’d named her as acting CEO of Collingsworth Enterprises should he become unable to fulfill his duties for any reason. It blew our minds, but she jumped right into career mode. She’s doing a bang-up job of it—when she’s not driving Langston nuts. She loves to focus on what she calls the humanitarian side of the company.”

“I would guess that just from talking to her today. She’s involved in lots of charities and community events.”

“I’m sure she’ll do her best to enlist you in some of them.”

“I’d like that after I get settled in. So what exactly is Collingsworth Enterprises?”

“The whole kit and caboodle, to put it in our neighbor Billy Mack’s vernacular. It includes Jack’s Bluff Ranch, Collingsworth Oil and several production-related subsidiaries.”

“Sounds impressive.”

“That’s why I throw it around,” he teased. “How is your mom these days?”

Kali was hit by the familiar ache, but she tried to keep it from seeping into her voice. “Mom died of cancer last year.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Thanks,” she said. “It was a tough loss.” Kali dropped the subject and hoped Zach would, too. The painful loss made her feel vulnerable and the events of Friday night had already left her feeling defenseless enough.

Zach stopped the car on a gentle incline at a spot where the dirt road disappeared into a sea of yellowed grass and scrubby brush. “Is this the shooting range?” she asked, not sure what she expected, but sure it was more than what looked to be just another pasture—albeit without cows.

“The range is off to your left,” Zach said, “just past that cluster of water oaks and sweet gum trees.”

She craned her neck for a better view. There was a mound of high grass that rose at least twenty feet, topped by a flat expanse that gave it the appearance of a plateau. In front of that was a cable with hooks. A bull’s-eye-type target hung from one of the hooks about midway down the cable. Not as sophisticated as she’d expected on what Sheriff Guerra had mentioned was the second-largest ranch in the state. No one could accuse the Collingsworths of being pretentious.

“The hill stops the bullets?”

“Right,” Zach said, shifting into Park, and killing the engine. “That’s the backstop to make sure that bullets that are shot here stay here, though there’s nothing beyond it but about forty acres of woods.”

“I’m guessing someone had to construct the mound since most of the terrain is relatively flat.”

“My dad built it years ago so that he could teach his kids to shoot in a safe environment. Unfortunately, he died before I was old enough to handle a gun.”

He climbed out of the truck and Kali followed suit, walking to the front fender to get a better look. “Do you always hit the bull’s-eye?”

“Not always, but I’m never far from it.”

“Well, don’t expect that from me,” she said. “I can barely see the target much less find it with a bullet.”

“I’ll pull it closer. That’s what the cable’s for. Accuracy at close range is what you’re looking for anyway—until you take up hunting.”

Which would be never.

Zach walked to the back of the truck and opened the large metal toolbox. “Aidan left some police targets here last time we had a little competition going. They should be perfect for our purposes.”

He held up his find, and a hard knot settled in her stomach. The targets were tri-folded cardboard cutouts of a man’s body with markings for the brain and the heart. Hit the mark, take out a life.

She backed against the truck. “I’m not sure I’m ready for this, Zach.”

“You need to be able to protect yourself if you’re going to live out here.”

“It seems so…so deadly.”

“That’s the point.” Zach shrugged. “But it’s up to you.”

Up to her, and she’d never had any desire to pull a trigger. Yet she’d gone for that shotgun quickly enough when she’d feared the killer might have returned to the scene of his brutal crime. And what if he had? Or if he hadn’t run the other night? Suppose he’d been waiting when she opened the door?

A gust of wind tousled her hair and blew it into her face. She raked the wild strands back and tucked them behind her ears. “Don’t guns make you even a little nervous?”

“Only if one’s pointed at me. I grew up with firearms. It’s just the way it is out here. Not that we have much crime, but a well-placed bullet can stop a copperhead in its tracks or protect a young calf from a predator.”

Copperheads and predators. She was definitely starting a new life. This was no time for her to wimp out.

“Okay, Zach. I’ll give it a try.”

He nodded. “We’ll start slow, let you get used to the gun in your hand. Then we’ll cover safety and get in a little target practice. Don’t expect to master this in one day. You’ll need practice to become accurate.”

“I hope I’ll never have to depend on my shooting ability to protect myself.”

“Speaking of protection…”

He hesitated, and her nerves grew taut. “Yeah, go on.”

He propped a booted foot on the truck’s front bumper. “I’m going to say this straight out, Kali, not to frighten you, but just because it’s how I feel about it. I don’t think you should stay alone on the Silver Spurs until the man who abducted and killed Louisa Kellogg is arrested.”

“The sheriff said there’s no reason to think he’ll come back to the ranch.”

“That’s a nice, sensible assumption. I wouldn’t stake my life on it.”

Zach left it at that and walked over to attach the target to the cable. The heels of his boots crushed the dry leaves and rustled the grass. His head was high, and he looked as if he owned the world. He did own his world.

She was the imposter here—a rancher wannabe. But her dream of raising horses had miraculously fallen into her hands when her grandfather had left her the Silver Spurs, and she’d do whatever it took to survive and prosper—even if it meant learning to shoot.

And she’d do it without falling again for Zach Collingsworth— or for any other sexy cowboy who waited in the wings. Ranch first. Romance a distant second.

ZACH SHOULD BE getting ready for a night spent seducing a gorgeous artist. Instead, for some reason he hadn’t quite figured out yet, he was sitting on the hood of his truck drinking a beer with Kali and watching the water in the creek pummel the rocks that blocked its path.

“Look at that unusual squirrel,” she said. “He’s watching us.”

“That squirrel is a weasel.”

“It’s adorable.”

“From a distance. Don’t try to pet or pick one up. They’re not nearly as friendly as they seem once they sense they’re cornered or captured.”

“He’s still cute.”

“Didn’t you see weasels when you visited your grandfather?”

“Not that I remember.”

“How come you never came back after that one summer?”

“My dad and my grandfather had a serious falling out right after that. I don’t think they ever spoke to each other again. I’m not sure about that, though, since my parents divorced when I was in eighth grade. Dad got transferred to the West Coast and started a new life. I didn’t see him much after that.”

But still her grandfather had left her the ranch. There had to be more to that story than she’d said.

“There’s a deer,” Kali said, pointing to a small white-tailed doe that had stepped into the clearing and was staring at them through soft brown eyes. “She’s absolutely regal.”

Zach swallowed hard, moved more than he wanted to admit by Kali’s reverence for the animal in its unspoiled habitat. She reminded him a bit of the deer. Cautious. Curious. Vulnerable. Sexy—well not the doe, but Kali.

He was definitely attracted to her, but he had the feeling that getting involved with her would lead to complications. He never liked complications or longevity in romantic relationships.

“I can’t wait to explore the Silver Spurs on horseback,” she said. “I hope I have lots of deer.”

“You will.” He swatted at a persistent horsefly that had taken a liking to his neck. “Did you know ahead of time that your grandfather was leaving you the ranch?”

“No, I was stunned at the news, but he didn’t actually leave it to me outright. The Silver Spurs only becomes fully mine if I live there for a year,” she explained. “Otherwise it goes to Hade Carpenter. He’s the son of Grandpa Gordy’s third wife. I never met her, but her son is an arrogant clod. He’s fought my taking possession of the ranch with months of legal haranguing.”

“I’ve run into Hade a time or two over the years,” Zach said. “Once when he was in Cutter’s Bar trying to pick up one of the local women. Your description of him is a lot more suitable for mixed company than mine would be.”

“Another beer or two and I’d tell you what I really think about him,” she said. “But not today. It’s getting late, and I still have cleaning to do.”

Zach shifted for a better look at Kali as he took another swig of his beer. “You don’t seem the type,” he said, voicing the thought as it popped into his head.

Her eyebrows arched. “The type to drink a beer outside in freezing weather?”

“It’s not freezing. The low tonight is only going to be in the low forties. And there’s never a bad time for a cold beer.”

“Is that why you keep them in a cooler in the back of your truck?”

“Always be prepared.”

“A Boy Scout, too.”

“Not me. Little League was the extent of my organized participation.” He reached over and knocked away a small black bug that had landed in her flyaway auburn hair. The strands felt as soft and silky as they looked. “You don’t seem the type to move out to a ranch by yourself,” he said, going back to his original statement.

She stretched and leaned back on her elbows, her gaze fixed on the clouds that floated above them. “What type do I seem?”

“The type who’d hook up with a guy right out of college and have a couple of kids, a dog and two hamsters in the suburbs.”

“An interesting pigeonhole. But not for this pigeon.”

“Horses are your thing, huh?”

“Yeah. Horses. I fell in love with them on my first visit to the Silver Spurs and they’ve never let me down. They’re far easier to bond with than any man I know. They’re honest and readable—most of the time.”

“You’re not one of those weird horse whisperers, are you?”

“I don’t whisper,” she said, her voice not only rising, but also taking on a defensive edge. “I relate. If that makes me weird, then I’m one of those.”

“Don’t get bent out of shape. I’m just asking. Jaime dated a guy who claimed to be a whisperer once. The only thing he was whispering that worked was sweet nothings in Jaime’s ear. She finally saw through him just about the time I was ready to knock out his lights.”

“Zach, the protector. You don’t seem the type.”

“I have my moments. Which brings me back to a statement I made earlier. I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to stay at the Silver Spurs by yourself.”

“So what is it you think I should do, go find any old college grad to hook up with?”

“That’s one option. Another might be to hire a wrangler and let him live in the bunkhouse.”

“I don’t have any livestock to wrangle.”

“But you’ll be buying horses soon. Just put him on the payroll a few weeks before you actually need him.”

She sat up and finished her beer. “This may come as a shock to you, Zach, but not everyone has unlimited funds to work with. I can’t afford to hire a cowboy just for his company.”

“Then take one of our wranglers for a while. We’re not particularly busy on the ranch right now. I’ve got just the man for you.”

“Now you sound like my friend Ellen back in Atlanta. She’s always got just the man for me.”

“I can beat any offer Ellen can make. Take Jim Bob Harvey, expert wrangler, easygoing and according to my niece Gina, he does a dynamite Britney Spears imitation.”

“Now, that’s a selling point.”

“He can be temporarily yours for the asking.”

“I can’t just borrow a cowboy like a cup of sugar, Zach.”

“Sure you can. He’s visiting his brother up in Waco for the weekend, but he’ll come roaring in by bedtime. I’ll leave word with Bart to send him over to your place in the morning. I’d bring him and introduce him in person, but I have to go in to Collingsworth Oil early tomorrow. I’m in meetings all day.”

A nine-to-five job. Hell of a predicament he’d gotten himself into.

“I’m serious, Zach. I can’t just take one of your wranglers and even if I could, the bunkhouse isn’t ready for occupancy.”

“There you go. You’ve already got a job for him.”

“I’m not a charity case.”

“Give it a break, Kali. It’s the good-neighbor policy, not welfare. It’s expected when you live in Colts Run Cross, especially among the ranchers.” He jumped down from the hood of his brother Matt’s truck and extended a hand to her. She ignored it.

“I can take care of myself,” she insisted again as she slid off the hood on her own.

But her tone had lost some of its conviction. He’d send Jim Bob over to meet her. He’d win her over in no time flat. She might even fall for him. Plenty of the ladies in town had. Jim Bob just never fell back.

Only, something told him Jim Bob might fall for Kali Cooper. That thought settled in Zach’s mind like a three-aspirin headache. Maybe Jim Bob wasn’t the right man for the job after all. Not that Zach had any sights set on Kali. But there was no use messing up the mind of a good wrangler for a woman Zach had serious doubts would ever stay in Texas.

IT WAS twenty after ten on Sunday evening and Aidan was still at his desk in police headquarters, currently studying copies of the pictures from the Louisa Kellogg crime scene. The earliest he could expect an autopsy report would be late tomorrow, but he was pretty sure from the photographs that the M.E. wouldn’t find that Louisa had been brutalized in any way.

So why abduct an attractive young coed just to drive her sixty miles to an isolated ranch house and put two bullets in her head? It didn’t add up. Unless she’d been seeing the man and they’d gone there to make out and then gotten into a fight.

Only her roommate was adamant that Louisa never cheated and her steady boyfriend had an airtight alibi. He’d been with his team, playing varsity basketball at the University of Oklahoma.

Which meant this might well have been a random abduction. If that was the case, there was a strong possibility that Louisa’s murder was connected to his original unsolved case. Both victims were students at the University of Houston. Both were attractive. Both had disappeared from the same area. Both of their cars had been found parked and locked at their places of employment.

Not that Louisa and Sue Ann were the only young women who’d gone missing from the Houston area. With a population of over two million within the city limits alone, there were always a number of women who disappeared without a trace. But it was Sue Ann Griffin’s disappearance that haunted him the most.

He stared at his hands, half expecting to see traces of her blood glaring back at him. But all he saw was blurred ink blotches from a leaky ballpoint pen and a smear of chocolate from the candy bar he’d eaten an hour or two ago, washing it down with a diet orange drink out of the machine down the hall.

Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

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