The Lawman's Family by Cathy McDavid

Author:Cathy McDavid
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2022-05-14T20:54:18+00:00

* * *

Aaron was halfway out of the SUV when Mel reached him. Her riotously pounding heart made speaking difficult, and she needed a moment to recover.

“Wh-what are you doing here?” she managed.

“I went with the Game and Fish rangers to retrieve the horses. They’re considered live evidence and will be held in a secure facility until the trial is finished, if there is a trial.”

“Did the thieves confess?”

“No. I wouldn’t be surprised if they eventually accepted a plea agreement. Gail’s statement is pretty damning.”

“Will she get in trouble?” Mel was thinking of the feed store owner.

“Her confession and willingness to testify will go a long way in reducing her charges.”

“I still can’t believe she was involved.”

“According to her, she wasn’t in on it from the beginning. She genuinely believed Monty Schartz—he’s one of the two perpetrators—was romantically interested in her and that his questions about her job and the goings-on in town were because he cared.”

In her early forties, living alone, divorced for over fifteen years, no children. It was easy for Mel to see how Gail might have been taken advantage of by a man pretending to like her.

“Eventually,” Aaron said, “she figured out what was going on.”

“Why didn’t she turn this Monty and his partner in?”

“She claimed by then she was afraid of him and what he might do to her.”

“Poor Gail. She must have felt vulnerable and in over her head.”

Aaron had been in deputy mode since arriving. Now, his expression softened around the edges as he met her gaze. “I can’t say much more. This is a pending investigation.”

“I understand.” Throwing caution to the wind, she touched his arm. “You must be exhausted.”

Lines of tension marred his handsome face, and weariness showed in his eyes when he removed his aviators.

For a long minute, they simply stood there. Mel willed him to say the words she yearned to hear. The ones that would erase all her doubts and allow her to reveal what was in her heart.

“Mel. I—”

He was cut off when one of the ranch hands lowered the rear gate on the trailer with a metallic bang. Inside the trailer, the restless horses stomped and shifted and kicked. The nearest one lifted her head high and whinnied shrilly. In the enclosed space, the sound was deafening.

Samantha hopped onto the trailer’s running board and peeked inside. Ignoring their father’s warning to be careful, she reached her arm through the opening and petted one of the mares.

“I’d better help with the unloading,” Mel said.

“Right.” Aaron put on his sunglasses and returned to his SUV. Standing by the open driver’s door, he spoke into his radio.

Mel sighed, wishing she knew what he’d been about to say to her.

The first mare backed out of the large trailer and down the ramp, spinning around the instant her hooves made contact with the ground. A ranch hand grabbed hold of her lead rope before she could get away.

Mel quickly assessed the mare. She wasn’t Cracker Jack’s dam. And other than a few nicks and cuts and a thick layer of dirt, she appeared to be in good shape.

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