AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Dax pulled into the full parking lot and groaned. Tonight was busier than it had been when they’d last come. Great. That meant he’d have to be more vigilant, and that was if he could locate Sarah and Brielle to begin with.
He climbed out of his truck and slammed the door shut. Shoving his keys into his pockets, he headed for the entrance. Right as he climbed the first step, a young man came out and headed down the steps. He made eye contact with Dax for just a moment before brushing past him.
Dax turned and watched the kid go. The stranger from the AA meeting. He nearly called out to the kid, but he had more important places to be. He had to find the girls and let them know what was going on.
He hurried inside, hit by muggy warm air from too many bodies. A country song played over the speakers and throngs of people danced, filling up the entire area. Usually, he could manage to get to the other side of the dance floor without being bumped into, but not tonight.
The nice thing about Shane Owen’s country club was that the lighting allowed the visitors to see one another better. Dax scanned the crowd, his gaze landing on several men who could easily fit the bill. But no Sarah or Brielle.
He darted through the crowd, squeezing between large groups who were chatting and laughing. Someone laughed obnoxiously loud and backed into him. She spun around and her margarita splashed all over his sleeve.
Dax stared down at the mess with disdain.
“Oh, my gosh! I’m so sorry.” The young woman brushed at his shirt with the small square napkin that she’d gotten from the bar.
He took a step back, muttering, “It’s fine.” He could smell the alcohol on her breath and had to shut his eyes briefly to focus before memories from his more regrettable stage of life assaulted him.
Some people shouldn’t be allowed to drink. Drinking, in general, wasn’t a necessity. In his experience, those who partook in the vice had a tendency to share the uglier parts of their personalities.
The girl continued to attempt to dab at his shirt, but he turned and headed toward the other side of the room. While the room was overly crowded, he still couldn’t find Sarah. He dodged more people, and his eye finally caught Brielle as she danced with a cowboy who was definitely too old for her.
Her gaze met his and she smiled brightly. “Dax! What are you doing here?”
“Where is Sarah?” he called over the music.
She pulled away from the cowboy, her brows creasing. “She was just here a moment ago. Maybe she went outside with that guy.”
His blood ran cold. “What guy?”
She nudged him with her elbow. “You’re not jealous, are you?”
He hated admitting to such a thing, but yes. Everything in his body wanted to scream that she belonged to him. But that was bordering on obsessive. Dax swallowed hard. “No. I’m here because her uncle wanted me to keep an eye on you guys.”
Again, Brielle looked confused. “Uncle?” Her eyes widened. “Oh, the sheriff.”
Her reaction was strange enough as it was. But there was a more pressing matter—whoever she’d gone outside with could be the guy the sheriff was worried about. He spun on his heel, ignoring Brielle’s calls for him to slow down.
25
Sarah
Sarah smiled at the cowboy who stood beside her. They leaned against the railing, looking out at the pastures. “It’s pretty amazing, don’t you think? I didn’t even know that horses could be used for therapeutic services.”
James nodded, flashing her a wide grin. “When I decided to become a vet, I nearly changed my degree to equine therapy. It’s fascinating how animals can even change the chemical makeup of humans just by spending time with them.”
“Why didn’t you change your major?”
James shrugged. Turning, he rested his elbows on the rail. “I wanted to stay local, and there weren’t any businesses that offered that sort of thing here. This place was still barely a pinprick on the map.”
She let her gaze travel over the property. “When did Shane open this up?”
“About a year or two ago, I think. But we all thought he was going to build a golf course—it’s what all the rich people want, right?” He chuckled, but his words had a different effect on her. She frowned, not meeting his gaze.
“Just because someone is wealthy doesn’t mean they’re going to do something selfish with their money. I know a lot of selfish people who don’t have a lot of money and some wealthy people who would give away every single penny if it meant helping their loved ones.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she could see him shifting. Her face flushed. If she had the choice of what to do with her money, she probably would help Dax start up a ranch. He would be so good at training horses for the area.
But that wasn’t going to happen. She had to head home, take her job with a smile, and give a large chunk of her money to Kenneth so she could contribute to one more selfish human being in the world. Sarah let out a sigh and finally snuck a glance at James. “So, is anyone else in your family a vet?”
