“Nice to meet you too,” Gage said, not even a hint of a smile on his face, arms crossed. “Didn’t get your name.”
“Shepherd Daley,” he said. “But you knew that already.”
Gage stayed stone-faced. Unreadable.
I hoped I was doing the same.
“Didn’t have to bring your boys out,” Gage said. “Something the matter? If you’re worried about Stetson, he just brings folks out here to hunt—getting the property ready?—”
“No, it’s one of—” Daley stopped. “It’s my wife, Willa. Brown hair, blue eyes. She wandered off a few days back and we’re worried about her.”
The rage burned so hot in my chest that I could barely breathe.Wandered off…saying she wandered off when she’d run through the night, barefoot, just to get away.
“Haven’t seen her,” Gage said.
“You sure about that?”
“I’m sure about what happens on my property,” Gage said. “Me and my brothers and cousins have a damn good lay of the land,Shep.”
Daley’s brow furrowed.
“She’s not well,” he said. “Gets confused. Needs looking after.”
Gage nodded slowly, like he was actually considering Daley’s argument. “Well…if I come across a grown woman out here, I’ll let her know you’re looking.”
Daley’s jaw tensed.
“She’s my wife,” he said. “Under God. Not just some woman.”
“Mm,” Gage hummed.
Stetson’s hand was on his rifle. My nervous system was buzzing, ready for a fight.
Daley finally stepped back.
“Well…thanks for keepin’ an eye out,” he said. “God bless.”
Then the man touched his hat, tilted his head, and got back in his truck.
We watched both trucks turn around and drive through the trees along a dirt road, kicking up a cloud of dust. We stayed there until they were out of sight, until there wasn’t even a speck of dust leftover.
Stetson spat in the dirt.
“Under God,” I muttered. “Fucking hell.”
“Yep,” Stetson said.
Gage mounted his horse and picked up the reins. “Neto’s putting a camera on the east road today, motion activated.” He looked at me. “You tell her they were here?”
“I told her someone was here,” I replied. “She doesn’t knowhewas here.”
He nodded. “She okay?”
“I left Nickel there with her,” I said. “Looked scared…scared enough I want to get back. If she ran?—”
I stopped myself. If she’d run, I wasn’t going to stop her; she didn’t belong to me, wasn’t mine to protect. But…I wanted to help her, to keep her safe.
Even in those few short days of quiet puttering around, I’d gotten attached.
