Colton
Folks by his Momma’s house? Shots fired? What the fuck was going on?
Instinctively, Colton glanced at Zach, which was the wrong thing to do. Fear and concern were written on his face. No doubt Zach thought it was his asshole bandmates coming for him. He might be right too, even if it was damn near impossible they could’ve found Momma’s house.
“Sheriff?” He tried not to call attention to himself. “My gear is back at the house. We walked here.”
“Go get a set from Greg and meet me out front,” Ted said.
Greg headed for the back door, and Colton followed him to the bunkhouse. “Something’s got Dad rattled.”
His cousin should’ve figured it out. Or maybe Colton was being too protective of Zach. “Bet it’s them roadkill assholes from the fair. They already killed one person; no reason to think they won’t try to get Zach.”
“Or us.” Greg pushed open the door and made for the small guest room that no one ever guested in. “The better question is how did they find us?”
Colton wondered the same thing, it didn’t add up. “Finding the ranch isn’t hard. It’s no secret where we live. But how did they know Zach was at Momma’s and not here?”
“Do they? Know he’s there I mean. Maybe they saw that first. They didn’t come this way, so they must have hiked around the pond. Dang fools should know better to try and sneak onto a ranch. We have a small army ready to defend what’s ours.”
There was truth in Greg’s words. They probablyhadfound the house by mistake, but he didn’t like the coincidence. “I’m going to run out to Momma’s and see what’s what. You willing to stay back and watch Zach?”
“Fuck no. Let the old man do it. I’m bored. Let’s go now before Dad stops us.”
Oh, for fuck’s sake. Greg wasn’t a bit different now than when he’d convinced Colton to go truck surfing on the highway. It always ended up with him getting in trouble.
It was fun, though.
“Well, I?—”
“Well you what?” Ted’s voice was all sheriff.
Oh shit. He peeked at Greg, who grinned.
“We’re heading down to check the house. Can you watch Zach and the kids?” Lord, butter wouldn’t melt in Greg’s mouth. Asshole man.
Uncle Ted’s eyebrow climbed up into his hat. “Little shit. You just want an excuse to shoot something, and I know it. Get the girls in the house. Zach too, I reckon.”
“Dad!”
“Shut up, boy. This isn’t a fucking game. A man died, and the killers might be on our land.” Ted’s voice brooked zero argument, and Greg’s eyes dropped.
“Yes, Sir.”
Ted nodded once. “Make sure you keep everyone safe here. I’m counting on you. Your grandfather is here to help.”
It took more self-control than Colton knew he had not to smirk at Greg’s grimace. That last bit wasn’t just an add-on. Uncle Ted knew the score. Grandpa hadn’t been sheriff in ten years, but he still barked orders like he was the main man.
It didn’t upend Colton’s world like it did Greg’s. He was better at managing people, especially his grandfather, than his cousin. All you had to do was show him the right amount of respect by asking ifhethought it would be a good idea if you did something. Telling him your opinion never worked, but Greg hadn’t caught on to the trick.
By the time they’d made it to the front of the house, half a dozen ranch hands were waiting for them. Ted separated them, keeping the ones who got on better with Jerry at the house and taking the other three with them.
The five climbed into the department SUV, and Ted lit it up out of habit as he tore off for Momma’s house. Colton had wanted to go back and reassure Zach, but this wasn’t dick-thinking time. Like his uncle said, it was possible the ones who killed Stephen Ulmstead were wandering nearby. Lack of focus got men killed.
“Tell Colton what you saw,” Ted said. “He got a better look at those boys when he rescued Zach.”
“Can’t say I got a great look at them,” Vernon said. The old hand had been around since Ted was a teenager. “There were at least four, but Radley said he thought he saw another around the wood line. They were about your age, Colt, maybe a bit younger. One was noticeably taller than the others when they ran off.”
If that didn’t sound like Ulmstead’s boys, Colton didn’t know what would. “What made them run?”
