Page 36 of Taking Charge (Lone Star Burn 4)
The woman nodded. “You probably don’t remember, but I used to stalk the two of you. It drove Nikki crazy. We’re close now, but she said I was awful when we were little.”
“I remember. You’ll have to tell her I said hello.”
Kelly nodded and glanced around to make sure no one was listening, then said, “We had some men in suits come in last year—I can’t imagine who would care that I told you—then a lawyer. Ted York was in here one day. Oh yes, and some of the families just before they sold to Mr. York and moved away. This job is usually boring, but I’m loving it this year.” She stepped back from the counter so Lucy could see her dress. “I may have even met someone. Who knew coming to work would be where I’d start meeting men? He came in last week. Gorgeous and single. He wanted a list of all the properties that have sold in town in the last two years. I told him I’d have to research it. He promised to come back for it.” She smiled. “I bought five new dresses.” Kelly laughed.
Lucy smiled even though her mind was racing. “I’d be surprised if he can remember what he came in for when he sees you.”
Kelly blushed. “Thanks.” She nodded toward the table. “Did you find what you were looking for?”
Lucy rolled the paper back up and handed it to her. “I did. Is there any chance I could get a copy of that list of sales?”
With a shrug, Kelly said, “It’s all public knowledge, so I see no reason why not. I’ll make you a copy. Hang on, I’ll be right back.” Then she returned and handed Lucy the list.
“Thanks, Kelly. And good luck.”
She left and tucked the list into the visor on the passenger side of her truck.
She didn’t know how she felt about David going to town hall. She didn’t want to believe that something was going on, and he wasn’t being honest with her. She had more questions than she had answers, making her drive back to the ranch a very long one.
David started his day inside Lucy’s house, making phone calls. He wasn’t happy with the lack of progress with the mare, and it was weighing on him. He contacted the family who owned the horse and asked them where they’d gotten her.
They countered by asking when they’d get their horse back and how much all that training was going to cost them. David hated having to explain to them that the horse would never be suitable for a family. He offered to keep her.
They quoted a ridiculous price for a horse that would likely kill them if he sent it home to them now. He offered them a trade instead. He had an older mare who was as gentle as they came. It took a little convincing, but when he explained that this horse could be ridden bareback around their yard, they agreed.
David said he’d ship the horse to them at no cost, and the deal was set. All that was important to him, he stressed, was helping the mare they’d sent him. They had to know something.
It was only then that they opened up and admitted how little they’d paid for the mare. They said they’d gotten her at an auction. They’d thought they were saving her from slaughter, but she’d never been right, and the more they handled her, the worse she’d gotten.
“Do you know anything about where she came from before that?”
They didn’t, but they gave him some information about where they’d bought her. David contacted the man who’d run the auction. And he gave David the name of who’d provided the horse.
Before David hung up, he said, “Did you know how dangerous she was when you sold her to a family with a child?”
The man didn’t sound repentant. “I put the horse through as is. If you buy a horse dirt cheap, you know it has problems.”
David could have said more, but wasting his breath on those who had no intention of changing had never been his style. Instead, he called the number the auctioneer had given him.
The woman who answered was curt at first until David explained that his intention was only to find out whatever he could to help the mare.
“She was a good horse,” the woman said sadly. “I raised her from a foal. She wasn’t mean at all.”
“What happened?” David held his breath and waited.
“I told my husband we needed to replace that old barbed wire. He said it was good enough when his daddy had horses here, and it would work for us. Tia, that’s what we called the mare you have, she got caught in it out in the far field. Got her neck tangled up in it real good.” The woman paused, and her voice filled with emotion. “You probably think I didn’t care about Tia, but I loved her. I used our savings on vet bills to heal her up. She was never right again, though. Her mane grew over the scars and made her pretty on the outside, but something changed in her. She’d turn on us when we were doing nothing but leading her to her field. She nearly killed my husband. He wanted to shoot her, but I convinced him to give her a chance. No one would take her but the auction.” In a whisper, she said, “Tell me she didn’t kill anyone.”
“No, ma’am, she didn’t, but she’s still dangerous.”
“Who’d you say you were? David Harmon?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“The one from the commercials who works with Tony Carlton?”
“That’s me.”
The woman let out a light sob. “You don’t know how much I needed this call. I hated sending Tia to the auction, but things work out the way they’re supposed to, don’t they? She found you.”
David’s face flushed. “I haven’t reached her yet.”
“You will. I have to believe that.”
David’s throat was tight with emotion. “If I can’t, I’ll have to put her down.”
“I understand,” the woman said. “If you can’t help her, I don’t believe anyone can.”
David paced the living room of Lucy’s home long after hanging up with Tia’s old owner. He hadn’t noticed scarring on the horse, but there was a chance the mane had indeed hidden it. If that wound was where the horse’s halter was, there was a chance that pressure on the halter hurt the horse. If Tia began to associate being handled with pain, that might explain why she lashed out.
Maybe.
He rubbed his hands over his face in frustration. He’d woken up in Lucy’s arms, feeling like he could conquer the world, but when it was important, was he actually making a difference at all?
He’d found next to nothing that could help Lucy. When it came to York, the town was tight-lipped. Wyatt thought something bad was brewing, but he didn’t have the details that would allow David to do anything. It was all rumors and gut feelings at this point. York hadn’t done anything illegal or anything that would justify David going after him.
Threatening him was tempting, but that would help York. Right now, David had the advantage of York not knowing he was on to him. David was hoping that would leave York overconfident.
A knock on the front door was followed by Wyatt calling out, “David, you in there?”
David strode over and opened the door. “What do you need?”
“There’s something in the barn you need to see.”
David grabbed his hat and followed him. Seated on a wooden chair and holding a bloody towel to his head was a man David didn’t recognize. “What the hell happened?” Two of the ranch hands were standing on either side of him like sentries.
“This here is Ron. First, before you attempt to talk to him, he’s drunk. Second, he got it in his damn-fool head to try to take that mare of yours. She taught him a lesson he won’t soon forget. I called the sheriff. He’s on his way.”
Even though his head was lolling to one side, he slurred, “I was trying to save the damn horse. It was too close to the barn, and I couldn’t let it burn—I should have let it die.”
David strode closer and stood over him. “What do you mean you should have let her die? What did you come here to do?”
The man’s eyes couldn’t focus on David’s face, but he snarled, “People like you need to be run out of town. You
and that whore of yours.”
Despite the condition of the man, David lifted him up by the neck of his shirt. “Say one more word about Lucy, and I will kill you with my bare hands.”
Wyatt, at David’s side, said softly, “Put him down, son. The best thing you can do is let the fool speak. He won’t remember much of this later, but his tongue is mighty loose right now.”
David dropped the man back onto the chair. The man groaned and looked like he was about to pass out. “Why would you want to hurt Lucy?” David demanded.
With his eyes still closed, the man mumbled, “My wife threw me out because of her. She brought the devil into our house and turned Michelle against me. Evil takes root and poisons everything.”
“The devil?” David looked to Wyatt for what that could mean, but Wyatt shrugged helplessly. “What are you talking about?”
Ron shook his head and groaned from the pain of it. “Women like Lucy don’t belong in our town, and you don’t either. Mustang lover. If you get your way, none of us will be using the public lands, will we? You plan to give it all to those fucking horses.” Ron slurred on, “Mr. York will stop you. He’s buying up enough grazing land that those who are loyal to him won’t need to lease public land. We’ll be fine.”
Wyatt made at face at Ron. “You think York gives a shit about your drunk ass? You’re drinking the Kool-Aid, Ron.”
Ron’s eyes flew open. “My wife would rather fuck an Easter egg than me.” He pointed at David wildly. “Your girlfriend told her it was better than a man. Watch out, or you’ll be replaced by the blender.”
Wyatt gave David a sidelong look, then bent until he was face-to-face with Ron. “Son, the only thing ruining your marriage is the bottle. Michelle is a saint. If she threw you out, it’s because you were drinking again.”
Ron covered his bloody face with one hand and started sobbing. “Wan’ her back. Wanna be there with her and my babies.”
