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I took a step back from her. “Hallow Ranch has cameras everywhere. Sheriff Bowen is looking for you. The whole town is looking for you. You have a choice to make. Right now.”
When I turned to head to the barn, she hissed, “He’ll never love you. Denver Langston has a heart of ice.”
“Goodbye, Cathy.”
I didn’t bother looking back as I ran down to the barn.
“Caleb!” I called, once I entered the building. The horses were gone for the day and silence filled the space. I ran upstairs to find the loft empty. I ran to the bunkhouse, fear clawing at my soul.
“Sweetheart,” I called. The small kitchen was empty, and the muffins I made last night were gone, an empty plate remained on the counter. The cowboys’ bunks lined the walls, all of them empty. I heard water running in the bathroom. Slowly, I made my way to the ajar door.
“Caleb, it’s me,” I said gently, leaning my forehead against the door.
“Go away,” he cried, his voice shaking.
Pushing the door open, I was greeted with the heartbreaking sight of the little boy sitting on the counter, holding a damp paper towel to his arm. His cheeks were red, his dark hair windblown, and his eyes were shining with tears. I took a step inside.
“Go away!”
“I can’t do that, sweetheart,” I whispered.
He shook his head. “You have to,” he cried.
“Why?”
He sniffled and looked away from me. “Because cowboys don’t bleed.”
I closed the distance between us, cupped his handsome, little face in my hands, and my thumbs wiped away his tears. “Look at me. You are so brave, do you know that?”
“She hurt me,” he whimpered, holding up his arm. “I’m trying not to cry, because Dad never cries.”
I gently lifted his arm so I could take a better look. Sure enough, his horrid mother’s nails left bloody half-moon marks on his forearm. The sight made me want to punch her again and again, but I shouldn’t have punched her, Caleb didn’t need to see that violence.
“I’m sorry she hurt you. I’m also sorry I punched her.”
“She deserved it,” he grumbled. I tilted his head up so I could look him in the eyes.
“You didn’t deserve to see that,” I declared. “I didn’t think, and that’s on me.”
He raised a dark brow. “You apologize for weird stuff.”
“Maybe,” I agreed. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”
After wrapping his arm, we walked back up to the house. Cathy’s car was gone and my mother was on the porch, dressed in overalls and a blue paisley scarf was wrapped around her head. There was a look of concern painted on her face as we approached.
“Is everything alright?”
Caleb went inside, and my eyes met Mom’s.
It was time to tell her the truth.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Denver
“Yeah,that’sgood,”Beausaid, walking away from me, taking Ranger with him.
In was the end of the day—a long day. The storm from a few weeks ago caused some damage to the secondary barn that went unnoticed until Lawson went out on a ride last night. The boys and I have been working on it since the crack of dawn, and the sun granted us no mercy.
