“And reporters. They’re swarming the house.”
I scramble out of bed. My legs are shaky, but adrenaline spikes through me, giving me strength.
I grab a pair of jeans from my bag. I pull them on, then grab a flannel shirt. I don’t bother with makeup. I don’t bother brushing my hair. I just need to see what’s happening.
“Let’s go.”
We slip out the door of the bunkhouse. The morning air is cool, but the atmosphere is charged. I see the white tents of the CDC shaking in the wind. I see the orange tape fluttering.
And I see the crowd.
At the entrance to the ranch, a gaggle of news vans is parked. Reporters in bright jackets stand with microphones, shouting over each other. Cameras flash like strobe lights.
In the middle of the yard, Mayor Ruth Holloway is standing with her hands raised, trying to calm them down. She’s wearing a suit that costs more than my car, her silver hair pinned back tight.
“Please!” she shouts. “This is a quarantine zone! You cannot be here! This is private property!”
The reporters ignore her. They push forward.
“The public has a right to know!” one man yells. “Is it true the cattle are dying?”
“Is it a bio-weapon?” another screams.
I walk closer, staying behind the barn. Clara grips my arm.
“We shouldn’t be out here,” she whispers.
“I need to see.”
I scan the crowd. I see Seth standing by the porch, his arms crossed, looking furious. Jasper is hovering behind him, looking like he wants to bolt.
Tex is near the gate, trying to wrestle a camera away from a reporter.
And then I see him.
He’s standing by the truck, a duffel bag thrown over his shoulder. He’s wearing a denim jacket and a black cowboy hat pulled low.
My breath hitches.
It’s Joey.
The missing brother. The bull rider.
He looks harder than I remember. His jaw is sharper. His shoulders are broader. He looks like he’s been fighting the world.
And he looks angry.
He pushes past a reporter, ignoring the flashing lights. He walks straight toward Seth.
“When did you get back?” Seth asks, his voice tight.
“Just now,” Joey snaps. “Drove through the back gate. What the hell is going on? Why are there cameras on our lawn?”
“It’s the quarantine,” Seth says. “It’s a mess.”
Joey looks around. His eyes sweep over the CDC tents, the orange tape, the chaos.
“Where’s Billy?” Joey asks.
