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“I know it’s me, damn you,” she snarled. “You don’t get to throw that at me like it’s going to hurt.”
He shook his head. “What you said last night—I’m not the one who misunderstood it. You are.”
“I know what I meant!”
“Do you? Because you said you were ready to stop running. Ready to stop living like you didn’t have anything valuable to lose.”
“I’m not running,” she snapped.
“And not losing anything either, I suppose?”
She raised her chin and stared him down. He held her gaze, trying to force her to show him something. Anything. But her eyes were black and depthless.
New pain bloomed in his body, and it had nothing to do with his leg. “Okay, then. I guess you were right. You’d better go on and build something real somewhere, because you sure as hell haven’t pulled it off here.”
Thunder rumbled from the east as he turned and stalked away. She didn’t stop him. She didn’t even make a sound.
Something valuable. Right. That wasn’t him. It hadn’t been him when he was young and whole, and it sure as hell wasn’t him as a broken-down cowboy. She’d made that clear from the start. She was right. He was the one who’d misunderstood.
Jesus. He hadn’t learned a damn thing.
He stalked past the boy with the clipboard, ignoring his outstretched hand.
“Mr. Rawlins!”
“It’s Cole,” he barked, still moving toward the big house. He was done with this shit. Done with Easy and his sadistic manipulation. Either Cole was good enough to run this place or he wasn’t. Either he was a man and a cowboy and a boss, or he wasn’t.
“Mr. Cole!”
“Christ.” He paused on the front porch, one hand on the door. “What the hell is it? Somebody in urgent need of a lasso demonstration? Or can I offer to walk you to the bathroom trailer and wipe your ass for you?”
The kid blinked, his eyes huge in his face.
Cole sighed. “I’m sorry. What is it?”
“Ms. Beckingham! She was supposed to be back an hour ago and she’s still gone.”
Great. Just what he needed. A stubborn director lost on an adventure. “I’m sure she and Jeremy lost track of time. You can’t reach her on the phone?” But he already knew the answer. If you could get a signal up here, it dropped off as soon as you got into the trees.
“Let’s give it another fifteen minutes—” Thunder fell in from the east again, rumbling and rolling like stones. Cole looked up to see a bolt of lightning light up the next hill. Not good. It looked like dusk out there and it was only 3:00 p.m. “Maybe you should let her security detail know.”
“I already did. They took a truck in the direction she went, but it ends in a trail.”
“Okay, I’ll talk to—”
This time it wasn’t rolling thunder that cut him off but the gunshot crack of lightning close by. Several of the crew members shrieked, and everybody sprang into action to gather up equipment or cover their work with tarps. The wind shifted and suddenly went cold.
Cole rushed through the big house and found Easy in his office. “Have you seen any of the guys around?”
“Most of the men are doing a pasture move today.”
“All right.” He rushed out and checked the barn just to be sure, then grabbed his saddle and chaps. The kid with the clipboard followed behind him.
“You’re sure?” Cole asked. “They’re that late?”
“Yes. She was supposed to be back at two o’clock. We’re going to the river one last time. Ms. Beckingham’s plane is chartered to leave at five-thirty.”
“Okay. I’m heading up to look for them.” Lightning flashed over their heads. A deafening crack followed. He tried to remember when he’d first heard the thunder, even if he hadn’t registered it. But he had no idea. He’d been distracted. And heck, half the sky was still blue. Unfortunately, it was the wrong half. The clouds moving from the east were nearly black.
