In a Cowboy's Arms. Rebecca Winters

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      “I’m thankful for your understanding and help, but right now my biggest concern is Ned. He must have been following me tonight. In order for him not to find out what’s going on, I’m setting up a smoke screen. I’ll pretend Chief is favoring his hind leg.

      “After chores tomorrow I’ll put Chief in the trailer and drive him to the clinic in White Lodge. If Ned finds out I paid a visit to Sam Rafferty for an X-ray, it should throw him off the scent long enough for us to be married.”

      “That’s as good an idea as any,” his grandfather said. “We decided not to tell Connor and Avery your plans. It’s crucial they know nothing so that Ned doesn’t pick up on any change in their behavior. He’s a talker when he drinks and it could get back to Daniel.”

      Jarod nodded. “Where are they?”

      Addie smiled. “Connor’s in town with friends and Avery is spending the night with Cassie while they study for their finals. They’ll be graduating from high school in two weeks.”

      “Sadie will be getting her diploma right along with them, but by then she’ll be my wife. Here’s what I’m going to do. After I leave the vet clinic, I’ll drive up to the mountains where Sadie and I will meet. From there we’ll go to the reservation to be married and spend a couple of days with Uncle Charlo and his family. We’ll be home Sunday night in time for her to be back in school.”

      His grandfather got up from the chair and hugged him. “When you two arrive, we’ll all celebrate.”

      Jarod’s heart was full of love for his grandparents, who’d always supported him.

      “Tell me what you need me to do before I leave tomorrow afternoon and I’ll get it done.”

      “Why don’t we go over the quarterly accounts after breakfast?” Ralph suggested.

      “Sounds good.”

      He hugged his grandmother hard, then left the den and headed down the hall to the kitchen. After filling up on a couple of ham sandwiches and a quart of milk, he took the stairs two at a time to his bedroom at the top.

      His watch said twenty after ten. At this time tomorrow night he’d be with Sadie on reservation property. He knew a private spot where they wouldn’t be disturbed. They’d stay there until it was time to drive to White Lodge for their marriage license.

      You’re going to be a married man, Bannock.

      If he had one regret it was that his siblings wouldn’t be there. But when he brought Sadie home as his wife, they’d understand the measures he’d had to take to protect Sadie from her out-of-control father.

      * * *

      “SO, DR. RAFFERTY, you don’t think there’s a need to take an X-ray?” Jarod asked, walking Chief out of the trailer to the paddock behind the clinic with the vet.

      “Not that I can see,” Sam Rafferty told him.

      “His limp does seem to be a lot better. Last night I was really worried about him.”

      “Horses aren’t that different from people. Sometimes we wake up in the morning and everything hurts like hell. But the next day, we feel better.”

      “Well, I’ll take your word for it nothing serious is wrong.”

      Sam nodded. “Give him a day of rest and see how he does.”

      “Will do. How much do I owe you?”

      “Forget it. I didn’t do anything.”

      “You can’t make a living that way.” Jarod put a hundred dollar bill in the vet’s lab coat pocket. “Thanks, Doc.”

      “My pleasure.” They shook hands before he led Chief back into the trailer and shut the door.

      Jarod started the truck and drove his rig away from the clinic. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Ned’s Jeep down the street across from the supermarket. That was no coincidence—Ned must still be tailing him.

      Twenty after five. The sun would set at nine. Jarod would have driven to the mountains immediately, but he couldn’t do that with Ned watching him. It would only take a half hour to reach Sadie. He had three hours to kill. Might as well drive Ned crazy.

      After making a U turn, he parked near the supermarket and went in to buy a meal at the deli. Then he took it out to the truck and sat there to eat while he listened to music. Ned had finally disappeared, but Jarod knew he was somewhere nearby watching, hoping to see Sadie show up and join Jarod. The fool could wait till doomsday but he’d never find her here.

      The sun sank lower until it dropped below the horizon. It was time to make his move. His heart thudding in anticipation of making love to Sadie for the rest of their lives, Jarod started the truck and turned onto a road that would eventually lead to the fire road. From that crossroads you could either go to the mountains the back way or head the other way for the reservation.

      But as he reached the crossroads, from out of nowhere, something rammed him broadside. The last thing he heard was the din of twisting metal before he passed out.

      The next day he woke up in the hospital with a serious brain concussion, bruises and a nasty gash near his eye. Frantic, he tried to reach Sadie, but the report from the Hensons came back that she wasn’t at home.

      When he awoke a second time, the nurse brought him Sadie’s note and read it to him. The words ripped him to pieces.

      * * *

      JAROD LAY IN the clover remembering the pain until Volan nudged him. Feeling as if his heart weighed more than his body, he climbed on the stallion and rode home.

      Avery confronted him in the tack room after he returned. Her brunette hair and bright smile reminded him of their father Colin’s second wife, Hannah. She’d been a wonderful mother to Jarod, never pushing him. Avery was a little more aggressive in that department.

      “When you didn’t come in the ranch house with Connor, I knew you’d gone riding. Did it help?” Her hazel eyes studied him anxiously.

      She could read most of his moods, but he didn’t answer her this time. There was no help for the disease he’d contracted eight years ago.

      “Grandfather was hoping to talk to you.”

      “I know. I’ll go see him now.”

      “He’s gone to bed, but don’t worry, Connor and I told him all we could. Great Uncle Tyson came to the funeral with his family. It was so strange, all of us together on Corkin land after so many years of being warned off the property. I think it overwhelmed Sadie. She thanked us for coming, but clung to her little brother the whole time.”

      Jarod’s thoughts were black. “Did Ned behave?”

      Her mouth tightened. “Does he ever?”

      “Tell me what he did.”

      “He asked a lot of questions in such bad taste it raised the hairs on the back of my neck.”

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