AllFreeNovel
Share Us
PICKETTSWUNGHISpickup into the Stafford Ranch yard and, leaving it running, jumped out. He ran up the ramp to the door and didn’t bother knocking. No one locked their doors in this county, especially ranchers who lived a good mile off the county road.
Bursting through the door, he called CJ’s name. He was almost all the way through the living room before he saw the little weasel.
“Someone call the sheriff’s office,” CJ began yelling at the top of his lungs. He’d come partway down the hallway, but now was trying to get turned around in his wheelchair as if to make his escape.
Pickett charged down the hall, grabbed the wheelchair handles and spun him around to face him. “Where are they drilling in the morning?”
“None of your damned business,” CJ snapped. “You’re trespassing. If I could get to my gun—”
“What is going on?” a woman screamed behind him.
He turned to see Charlotte Stafford. “Oakley is in trouble. I need to know where the gas company is drilling on your ranch in the morning. I suspect it’s near the creek. I need to know exactly where now.”
“Drilling in the morning near the creek?” She shook her head. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. Now, get out of my house before I call the law and have you arrested.”
Pickett heard the creak of the wheelchair and turned to see CJ again taking off down the hall. He went after him, spun the wheelchair around and rolled him back into the living room. “Your son is going to tell me, one way or the other,” he said to Charlotte.
“Don’t hurt him,” she cried. “He’s already injured.”
“Is he? Why don’t we find out?” He started to tilt the wheelchair forward to dump CJ out, but the cowboy hung on. “Because if I have to, I will beat the truth out of him.”
She fumbled her phone from her pocket, but Pickett didn’t try to stop her from calling for help.
“He lays a hand on me and after he gets out of jail, I’ll sue him for every penny he’s worth and as it turns out, he’s worth a lot, aren’t you, ranch hand?” CJ said, baring his teeth.
Pickett moved around to the front and pulled back his fist, ready to knock those teeth down his throat. Charlotte grabbed his arm and CJ tried to get away, as Pickett’s cell rang. He shook off Charlotte’s grasp and, keeping a hold on the wheelchair, picked up, seeing it was Duffy. “Have you found her?”
“I can see the gas rig in the distance,” Duffy said. “It’s just as I thought. By the creek where we used to swim with Oakley.”
Pickett knew the spot only too well. “I’m on my way,” he said. “As soon as I finish up here.”
“CJ, tell him where they’re drilling,” his mother cried.
“Over my dead body,” CJ said, daring him to touch him.
Pickett fought the urge to do just that. Instead, he turned to Charlotte. “The drilling rig is at your favorite spot on the creek. Unless I miss my guess, Oakley is there trying to stop the drilling from happening in the morning.”
“I would never drill there,” Charlotte said. “You’re mistaken.”
She shot a look at her son. “Youwouldn’t drill there.”
“I’ll drill anywhere I please on my ranch,” her son blustered, but cringed as Pickett made a move toward him.
“I’ve called the sheriff’s department,” Charlotte said. “They’re on their way.”
“Good, tell them to meet us at the drilling site because that was Duffy on the phone. He told me where it was. He said he was looking at the drilling rig sitting right by the creek. If I’m right and Oakley is there, I know what she’s about to do.” He turned to CJ. “If I find out that you set her up...”
The cowboy came out of the chair and rushed him. Pickett had been expecting it. He caught CJ with a right hook that sent him sprawling onto the floor. But CJ was quickly up again, charging Pickett, who wouldn’t have expected anything less.
Unfortunately, he didn’t have time to finish this. He had to get to Oakley. He hit him a little harder this time. CJ hit the floor, but Pickett could tell that he wasn’t done. “You get up again and it will be your last time. If anything happens to Oakley, I will be back for you and no one will be able to save you. Not even your mother.” With that, he stormed out.
CHARLOTTESTUMBLEDTOa chair and dropped into it. She was shaking so hard that her teeth clattered. CJ had deceived her. He could walk and yet when she opened her mouth it was to say, “You wouldn’t drill there.”
CJ didn’t meet her gaze. “I do what I think is right for this ranch. We can’t afford sentiment. I know what you did at that spot along the river. I know that you met him there, let him use you, let him throw you away. You should be happy that the drilling will destroy it. This should have been done a long time ago.” He started to turn to head back to his room.
She was on her feet so quickly that it startled him. She grabbed his arm and spun him toward her. “Make the call.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said, not quite as cocky as he had been just moments before.
