he began, but Dadâs stern voice cut him off.
ââAfternoon, Linc. You mighta noticed we have company.â Dad nodded at Mikki and Gina. âFor their sake, Iâll thank you to get a grip on your temper.â
Linc respected Dad, and it showed in his sudden embarrassment.
âPardon me,â Linc said.
But Dad wasnât done with him. âIâll be real curious to hear you explain yourself to Sheriff Ballard, too,â Dad said. Behind him, Dallas crossed his arms, seconding Dadâs statement.
Sam felt sick. She wanted to disappear. Dad, Gram, and Brynna were standing up for her, and though Linc wasnât exactly right, he wasnât completely wrong.
Mikki chewed the cuticle on her thumbnail while Gina picked at a thread on the seam of her jeans. Their tension said this wasnât what theyâd expected at a sleepy Nevada ranch.
Sam felt blame gathering on her shoulders.
âHello, folks.â Sheriff Ballardâs easy greeting didnât match the cold eyes that seemed to touch them allâDad and Brynna first, then Dallas and Gram, the HARP girls, Jen, and, it really seemed like he looked at her last, Sam thoughtâbefore he faced Linc Slocum.
âGo ahead,â the sheriff said then, and Sam hoped it was good news that Sheriff Ballardâs voice was filled with forced patience.
Maybe, because Linc Slocum had been in so much trouble before, the sheriff wouldnât listen to what he said.
But behind the sheriff, outside the half circle of people facing the sheriff and Linc, was Karl Mannix.
Samâs pulse stampeded when he looked directly at her and nodded without smiling.
He couldnât have seen her clearly as he went driving by on the highway, could he? Oh, why had Ryan waved at him?
Even though Mannix stood behind Sheriff Ballard, Sam felt certain the sheriff knew Mannix was there.
âRyan was supposed to load up my Appy mare in the horse van and take her back over to Sterling Stables today,â Linc explained. âI told him to leave that half-breed colt behind to wean himself.â
Sam listened to each syllable Linc uttered. So far, his story matched Ryanâs, but he hadnât yet admitted he wanted to destroy the colt.
âWhen I got home from Winnemucca, the mare and colt were gone, and the Cherokee is still there. What do you make of that?â Linc demanded.
âRyan was here with the colt,â Gram said, âand it was plain to see heâs fond of that young horse, so theyâre probably together.â
On either side of Sam, Brynna and Dad pulled away slightly. She could almost hear them wondering what Ryan and Shy Boots had been doing here, but they didnât ask.
âHave you spoken to Ryan?â Gram asked Linc.
Sam held her breath.
âNot before he left,â Linc said, then shrugged. âBut thatâs not the point.â
Linc kept talking, but his words no longer sunk into Samâs whirling mind.
Jen had grabbed her hand and was squeezing it, hard.
Sam wet her lips and found she was able to pronounce one word. âLeft?â
âDonât pretend you donât know,â Linc said. âOr you either,â he added, turning on Jen.
âYou mean Ryanâs gone now?â Sam asked. âWhere?â
âYou know darned well where. Shopping and whatnot with his twin and their mother, who just flew in from London.â
Sam shook her head. This couldnât be happening. She glanced at Jen. If sheâd knownâ¦But her bestfriendâs hand covered her lips and her eyes were wide and blinking behind the lenses of her glasses.
âMaybe you could just ask himââ Sam began.
âHe left an hour agoâ¦â
Ryan had been afraid his father would do something to Shy Boots if he wasnât around to protect the colt, but he hadnât said he was leaving today.
ââ¦motherâs private plane landed at the ranch and took them off to
ââAfternoon, Linc. You mighta noticed we have company.â Dad nodded at Mikki and Gina. âFor their sake, Iâll thank you to get a grip on your temper.â
Linc respected Dad, and it showed in his sudden embarrassment.
âPardon me,â Linc said.
But Dad wasnât done with him. âIâll be real curious to hear you explain yourself to Sheriff Ballard, too,â Dad said. Behind him, Dallas crossed his arms, seconding Dadâs statement.
Sam felt sick. She wanted to disappear. Dad, Gram, and Brynna were standing up for her, and though Linc wasnât exactly right, he wasnât completely wrong.
Mikki chewed the cuticle on her thumbnail while Gina picked at a thread on the seam of her jeans. Their tension said this wasnât what theyâd expected at a sleepy Nevada ranch.
Sam felt blame gathering on her shoulders.
âHello, folks.â Sheriff Ballardâs easy greeting didnât match the cold eyes that seemed to touch them allâDad and Brynna first, then Dallas and Gram, the HARP girls, Jen, and, it really seemed like he looked at her last, Sam thoughtâbefore he faced Linc Slocum.
âGo ahead,â the sheriff said then, and Sam hoped it was good news that Sheriff Ballardâs voice was filled with forced patience.
Maybe, because Linc Slocum had been in so much trouble before, the sheriff wouldnât listen to what he said.
But behind the sheriff, outside the half circle of people facing the sheriff and Linc, was Karl Mannix.
Samâs pulse stampeded when he looked directly at her and nodded without smiling.
He couldnât have seen her clearly as he went driving by on the highway, could he? Oh, why had Ryan waved at him?
Even though Mannix stood behind Sheriff Ballard, Sam felt certain the sheriff knew Mannix was there.
âRyan was supposed to load up my Appy mare in the horse van and take her back over to Sterling Stables today,â Linc explained. âI told him to leave that half-breed colt behind to wean himself.â
Sam listened to each syllable Linc uttered. So far, his story matched Ryanâs, but he hadnât yet admitted he wanted to destroy the colt.
âWhen I got home from Winnemucca, the mare and colt were gone, and the Cherokee is still there. What do you make of that?â Linc demanded.
âRyan was here with the colt,â Gram said, âand it was plain to see heâs fond of that young horse, so theyâre probably together.â
On either side of Sam, Brynna and Dad pulled away slightly. She could almost hear them wondering what Ryan and Shy Boots had been doing here, but they didnât ask.
âHave you spoken to Ryan?â Gram asked Linc.
Sam held her breath.
âNot before he left,â Linc said, then shrugged. âBut thatâs not the point.â
Linc kept talking, but his words no longer sunk into Samâs whirling mind.
Jen had grabbed her hand and was squeezing it, hard.
Sam wet her lips and found she was able to pronounce one word. âLeft?â
âDonât pretend you donât know,â Linc said. âOr you either,â he added, turning on Jen.
âYou mean Ryanâs gone now?â Sam asked. âWhere?â
âYou know darned well where. Shopping and whatnot with his twin and their mother, who just flew in from London.â
Sam shook her head. This couldnât be happening. She glanced at Jen. If sheâd knownâ¦But her bestfriendâs hand covered her lips and her eyes were wide and blinking behind the lenses of her glasses.
âMaybe you could just ask himââ Sam began.
âHe left an hour agoâ¦â
Ryan had been afraid his father would do something to Shy Boots if he wasnât around to protect the colt, but he hadnât said he was leaving today.
ââ¦motherâs private plane landed at the ranch and took them off to
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