“Guess we’re on kid duty.” I shrugged.
“Fuck that,” Hazel said under her breath, setting down her beer. “I’m coming with you, Chuck!” she called after him.
“The hell you are!” he hollered back, reaching his truck.
“Do you mind taking Penn back to the house?” Reed asked me. I looked up at him. His face had grown dark, but his eyes were pleading.
I nodded. “Just go.” I pushed him away, sending him toward the trucks. “We got her. You’re wasting time now.”
His jaw ticked, and he gave me a jerky nod before turning on his heels.
Hazel was already racing over to Dad’s truck to hop in the passenger seat.
“Well, this has been eventful.” Sage sighed, swallowing the last of her champagne.
“No kidding.”
“You better be safe out there, Jude ‘The Bull’ Larsen!” Romy shouted to her fiancé, who was adjusting his hat while he hopped into his truck.
“I’ll settle up with the DJ if y’all want to take the rest of the party into the house while we wait,” I suggested.
My toes tingled in my boots, itching to run after them and join the hunt. This was my ranch, too, and I’d gladly fight anyone who was fucking with our fence and cattle. Reed gave me one last glance before he hoisted himself into his truck. The look gave me the acknowledgment I needed. As if he could read my thoughts from here, it was a look that said,You should be with us, but there is no one else I’d trust with my daughter.
Air froze in my chest.
If he trusted me with his daughter, then I knew I could trust him with my ranch.
A tiny hand wrapped around my fingers. I looked down to see Penn gazing up at me. “Do you know how to do Anna braids?”
My mouth curved in a smile. “Yeah, I do, princess. Do you want to see my Disney movie collection while we wait for your dad to get back?”
Her sweet little smile nearly took over her round cherub face.
21
reed
We were too late.
We’d missed them by the time we had reached the north pasture. As soon as we got saddled and rode out, all that was left was broken ground where they’d rustled up the cattle and drove them off. About a hundred yards of fence line was pulled down or trampled on. It was going to be a shit ton of work to fix the fence and locate the cattle.
“Ready to call the livestock commission now?” Jude asked Chuck.
“The most they can do is help us track down the missing herd. They can’t do shit about the vandals or the theft,” Chuck replied.
“You could turn the game footage in to the authorities. Maybe they can identify them,” Christian offered.
Hazel scoffed beside Chuck where she sat on top of her horse. “Hate to break it to you, Christian, but no one’s going to help us out here.” Her tone was bitter.
I didn’t know Hazel at all. This was my first time meeting her, but I’d heard stories from Chuck about Willows’ golden girl. I pictured a smiley, bubbly girl who was ready to make everyone her best friend. She definitely was not that. In fact, she remindedme a lot of Romy. Maybe a little bit more outspoken, and her blonde hair was a shade darker, but there was an edge to her that only trauma could carve. She had sharp, hazel eyes that studied our surroundings as if she were looking for something. Her mouth was set in a firm line as though biting back her thoughts.
“What is it?” Chuck asked, his gaze locked on her.
“How many riders did you see on the cam?” she probed.
“It looked like three.”
“Huh.” Hazel clicked her tongue, urging her horse toward the broken fence line.
