Page 8 of Ranger Devotion

Tate ignored her comment. “What about in your personal life? An ex-husband? An ex-boyfriend?”

“My ex-husband lives in Switzerland, and we parted years ago. No kids. He has no reason to want to hurt me. As for the men I date, none of them would stoop to something like this. They have too much money to bother.”

He asked a few more questions, but didn’t uncover anything that could shed light on the attacker. After giving Kayla his business card, Tate reminded her once again to forward her social media manager’s information. She promised to do so before flouncing back to the group. Within seconds, Kayla was captivating her audience with news of the attack.

Annie crossed her arms. “What do you think?”

Tate didn’t answer for a long moment. “I’m not sure. As an influencer, she’s active on social media, and that can attract trouble. It’s also possible this was just a robbery.” He faced her. “The attack itself bothers me. The assailant didn’t just threaten you with the knife, he tried to use it on you. That speaks of desperation or of intent.” H studied her. “In your opinion, which was it?”

Annie forced her mind back to the attack and ran through it, this time with the dispassionate eye of a seasoned cop. A shudder rippled through her. “He never tried to grab the laptop bag. I dropped it almost immediately. It was between him and me. But he stepped over it to continue attacking me.”

Tate dipped his chin. “So the real question is, was he after you? Or Kayla?” His attention drifted to the darkness beyond the open doors. “And why?”

Annie didn’t believe the assailant was after her. “Maybe Kayla picked up a stalker. Like you said, she’s active on social media, and that can attract trouble.” Worry churned inside her. “Come on. I want to speak to my property manager, Dwayne. He may have noticed someone lurking around. If a stalker followed Kayla here, he won’t give up just because the first attack failed. He’ll try again.”

And next time, someone could end up dead.

FOUR

They found Dwayne Mercer in the stables, tending the horses. Silver-haired and broad-shouldered, calloused hands moving with practiced ease, the property manager looked like he’d stepped straight out of a Western movie. When Annie introduced them, Dwayne’s steel-blue eyes assessed Tate, and recognition flickered, but Tate was sure they’d never met before now. It made him wonder if Dwayne knew about the incident at prom. Or maybe the bonfire. Rumors spread through Oakwood faster than a dust storm, and the death of a teen on graduation night would’ve kept the locals talking for years.

Dwayne filled a bucket with feed and moved toward the stall of a quarter horse with a blaze of white down the front of its face. “If you’re here about the potential ice storm, I’ve got things in hand. The generators are gassed up and tested. Hopefully, they won’t be needed since the county was smart enough to bury our power lines a few years ago.”

“That’s not why we’re here.” Annie loosened the scarf around her neck. “Someone attacked me in the parking lot tonight.”

Dwayne’s movements stilled. Then he set the bucket down slowly. “What happened?” His voice was deceptively calm, but Tate recognized the controlled fury of a man who took threats to his people personally.

While Annie explained, Tate observed the stable. It was immaculate—tools organized, hay neatly stacked, concrete floors swept clean despite the constant battle against dirt and debris. Six horses occupied the stalls, each one looking well-cared for and content. A dog, some kind of shepherd-mix, watched them from a bed in the corner. His head rested on his paws in a relaxed posture, but his dark eyes never left Dwayne, as if waiting for a command.

“You should’ve called me the second it happened.” Dwayne’s expression darkened. “I don’t take kindly to these city folks bringing their riffraff to our town.”

Tate’s brows rose. “All the guests are originally from Oakwood.”

He grunted. “True, but most of them have been living elsewhere for a long time. I guarantee this is an outsider. People from Oakwood take care of each other.” Dwayne hooked his thumbs in his belt. “If you and Miss Brooke insist on hosting events here in the wintertime, then I think we need to invest in better security. Cameras for the parking lot and the surrounding property, as well as the main lodge. The one in the reception area isn’t enough.”

A horse hung its head over the stall door, and Annie absently stroked its muzzle. “We can discuss that after the reunion is over. In the meantime, use extra caution during your rounds and report back if you spot anything suspicious.”

Dwayne frowned. His eyes cut to Tate before returning to Annie. “You think the attacker is still lurking about?”

Annie shrugged. “Probably not, given the weather, but there’s no harm in being careful.” Then she smiled at him. “I appreciate everything you’re doing. Brooke isn’t driving you crazy, is she?”

Dwayne grunted again, dipping his bucket back into the feed. “She likes things a certain way. Ain’t nothing wrong with that.” His weathered face softened as he looked at her. Fatherly, almost. “Don’t you worry about me.”

They said their goodbyes and stepped back out into the frigid night. The stables were a good walk from the main lodge and the activity center. Both were decorated for Christmas, along with a large outdoor fir tree. Santa and his reindeer marched across the yard.

Something about the conversation with Dwayne, and the way he’d looked at him, bothered Tate. “Is Dwayne a local?”

“His maternal grandparents are from here, and Dwayne spent a lot of his childhood in Oakwood, but lived elsewhere for most of his adult life. He moved back about ten years ago, from what I understand, and managed the property before I bought it. Why?”

“Just wondering. How big is Haven Ranch?”

“A little over seventy-five acres. We’ve got ten cabins for the campers, plus the staff residence and the main lodge. We built a brand-new mess hall this fall. The kitchen in the main lodge was never big enough to accommodate our needs, but we made do. There’s also an old barn on the edge of the property, but I haven’t had the funds to renovate it yet.”

Impressive. “That’s a lot to keep up with.”

“There’s been a learning curve, I won’t lie, but Dwayne’s been a tremendous help. He managed this land back when it was a working ranch. Plus I have Brooke now. I hired her last year to handle the staff, marketing, and admin stuff. That allows me to focus on planning our summer programs.” Annie’s demeanor brightened as she spoke about her summer camp. “We offer everything from archery to river rafting. It’s a lot of work, but I really enjoy it.”

“Your website mentioned something about specialized programming?” Tate prompted, genuinely curious about her work.