AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He was staying at Dan’s place for the day. Dan was a good buddy of mine who lived just down the road from the ranch. He wasn’t a rancher, but he had a nice piece of land with a pond stocked with fish. He also was the father of Caleb’s best friend, Adam. I called Dan this morning, when Diana—my lawyer—was here, to tell him about Moonie.
I didn’t want Caleb around this shit.
I felt bad since he just got back from his mom’s, but he was excited to see his little buddy. Dan, being the good man he was, welcomed my son with open arms.
After yesterday, after that woman—I didn’t even know her name—left, I finished my work with the second half of the herd and went up to the house to research Moonie Pipelines.
Needless to say, I didnotlike what I found.
This was a nasty company, run by slippery, greedy men—who took from the land, instead of nourishing it. All for money.That womandown there, was one of the foot soldiers.
“Bye, Dad!” he called. I made my way to the door and down the front steps quickly so I could pull him in for a hug.
“Have fun, be safe, don’t do no stupid shit,” I said into his hair.
“I won’t!” he said, turning and running to Dan’s Dodge. He lifted his hand, and I lifted mine as Caleb clamored into the back seat with his little buddy. After watching them drive away, I turned toward the barn. Moonie’s soldier was sitting on the hood of that stupid rental, reading something on her tablet, waiting for me.
Might as well get this shit over with.Apparently, making her cry wasn’t the way to go.
Once I was only a few feet from her, she looked up from that stupid tablet. Probably looking at other ranches to take, food supplies to cut down, souls to fucking reap. All in the name of money—so she could go buy a new pair of shoes and a purse.
The woman—beautiful as ever—smiled at me, a smile so fuckingbreathtakingthat I had to suppress a growl.Fucking woman.The little minx. My eyes wanted to trail down that tight dress of hers and see if her curves were as luscious as they seem. Her boss probably told her to step it up today.
Anything for money, right?
She didn’t have any respect for herself, that much was clear.
“Good morning, Mr. Lang—”
“Get the fuck off my property,” I snapped at her as I headed into the barn.
I saddled Ranger and walked him out. Usually, one of the boys would saddle my horse for me, but lately, I didn’t mind the extra work, the familiar process. It calmed me in a way. Plus, I got to spend time with Ranger.
When we came out of the barn, his hoofs clacking against the wood panels on the pathway, she was still sitting there, her eyes on me. I hated how much I wanted to like that.
My jaw tightened, and I ripped my eyes from her. She didn’t know how to listen.
Ignoring her, I mounted Ranger, and we headed out. We were putting up new fencing in pasture four today. Whatever spooked that momma cow the other day came back. There was a struggle, and one of the posts was damaged.
Mags and I discussed it and we decided to replace the whole side—a mile of fencing.The twins had gotten out there early, needing to clear their minds from the other night.
It wasn’t every day that the sheriff came to Hallow Ranch for something other than a decent game of poker. He showed up in jeans and a plain shirt, his badge on his hip. When he came for poker, he never brought his badge. When the badge came out, that meant trouble.
He never wore his full uniform to Hallow Ranch.
The sheriffs before him didn’t either.
There was a problem in our town, a toxic, sinister problem—nothing like the one currently perched on the hood of her rental car.
No, this problem was a man, one who thinks he can take want he wants.
Not in my god damn town.
Sheriff Bowen came to my house to make sure justice would be served, that the problem would cease. He knew that a man like me had no issues with blood. He also knew my cowboys didn’t either.
He would also look the other way.
It was an unspoken agreement.
