Josh's Justice, Cowboy Romance (Bad in Boots, Book 4) (4 page)

Nan nodded. “It’s in the top desk drawer. You can’t miss it. It has the Lonestar brand on the key ring.”

“Got it.” Sabrina headed for the office near the living room. Just as she pulled open the desk drawer, a knock sounded at the kitchen door.

Someone rasped through the screen. “Where’s Colt?”

Nan moved to the door. “He’s not here and won’t be back for a couple of days. What do you need, Jackson?”

Sabrina paused and listened, surprised to hear Nan sound less than friendly.

Coughing and hacking, the man said, “Tell Colt that if he can’t keep his cows off my land, they’ll become my property.”

“You should quit smoking,” Nan admonished. “Are you saying one of the fences is down?”

“Why else would I be here? Tell him to get the damned thing fixed. Now!”

Nan sighed. “Go home. We’ll get the fence fixed.”

After the man left, Sabrina grabbed the Lonestar key ring and walked into the kitchen. Nan was on the phone with someone, probably Colt’s foreman. “Yeah, he said it’s down and is being crankier than his usual self about it. Can you get it taken care of? Great. I’ll be sure to let Colt know.”

Once Nan hung up, Sabrina asked, “Who was at the door? He didn’t sound too happy.”

Nan rolled her eyes as she slid her oversized purse onto her shoulder. “That man’s never happy. He’s just an annoying neighbor.”

Sabrina lifted the key ring. “Found it.”

“Good. Well, guess I’d better get going.”

Sabrina followed Nan outside.

“I’m sure it seems quiet around here without Mace,” Nan said, glancing her way.

“Mace does have a certain addicting charm.” Sabrina smiled. “I definitely miss his banter.”

“That’s our Mace. He always knows just what to say to the ladies.”

“He’s got it down to a science,” Sabrina agreed.

Nan paused on the porch, looking reluctant to leave. “You’re welcome to come with me if you’d like.”

Sabrina patted her shoulder. “Go enjoy yourself. Don’t worry about me.”

Nan walked down the steps, then nodded toward the screen door once she reached the ground. “I left you a dinner plate in the fridge. You’ll just have to heat it up when you’re ready.”

“Thank you, Nan. Go have a blast with your sister. You only turn sixty once.”

“I’ve turned sixty for the past five years.” Nan winked, a wide grin spreading across her face. “It’s called ‘sixty and holdin’.”

Once Nan drove off, Sabrina decided she’d give Josh another half hour and sat down on the stairs once more. The wind kicked up, blowing her long hair away from her neck and giving her a break from the oppressive heat. That was another reason she was so hot. She’d left her hair unbound. She frowned at the crumpled wrinkles creasing her cream linen miniskirt and baby pink linen top.

The wind buffeted around her again, announcing evening’s arrival. Sabrina glanced up to see dark clouds rolling across the night sky. Guess she’d better eat some dinner. Just as she shut the screen door behind her, the wind howled, causing the screen door to swing wide open and slam against the door jamb. The loud sound made her heart jerk. Holding her hand over her chest, she latched the screen and decided it was probably best to close the main door too.

While the smell of fried chicken and baked beans wafted from the microwave, Sabrina watched the wind bend the trees back and forth through the kitchen window, her fingers thrumming on the counter.
Why hadn’t Josh shown or at least called?

She flipped on the TV, then sat down on the couch to eat. The television show’s noise in the background made her feel less alone. Nan was right. She did miss Mace and everyone else. The house seemed so quiet now that they were all gone. When she thought of the reason for Elise’s absence, Sabrina said a little prayer for her friend’s father before she began to eat her meal. She hoped he made it through his surgery without any complications.

A warning flashed up on the TV screen, making her turn up the volume.

Earlier today, Eddie Clayton, convicted for the murder of his longtime live-in girlfriend, escaped the bus that was transferring him from his temporary cell to his permanent twenty-year stay in the state penitentiary. If you see this man, don’t go near him, please call 911. He was last seen heading south on foot, where he disappeared into a stretch of woods off Highway 17
.

The mug shot picture that flashed up on the screen of a menacing man with long black hair, a full beard and beady black eyes made her shiver. Wasn’t Highway 17 only a few miles from the Lonestar ranch? “What part of Highway 17?” she asked the unresponsive TV. When the news flash ended, she clicked off the TV, regretting watching it. Now she’d be all jumpy, noticing every shadow.

Sabrina finished cleaning her dishes and turned off the light in the kitchen. Remembering her glass of water, she walked back into the dark room and swiped it off the counter. Something outside drew her attention. It sounded like a door had closed. She stared out the kitchen window. Then blinked when a light flashed in the darkness.

Her stomach tensing, she waited and stared in the direction where she thought she’d seen it. A light flickered again, making her heart leap. It was coming from the stables.

 Had Josh shown up late and was checking out the horses himself before coming to the door? Why didn’t he turn on the lights?

Could it be someone else? She recalled the news on the TV and a shiver of apprehension zipped along her spine. As her body tensed, it occurred to her that she had trouble with the main light switch in the stables cutting in and out while she was in there the other night. It had to be Josh!

As soon as she walked outside, Sabrina paused when she saw an oil lantern sitting on the porch railing. A piece of paper fluttered underneath it. She slipped the paper out from underneath the lantern.

Elise,

Meet me in the stables. I’ve got a couple things to go over with you.

Smiling, Sabrina set down the note and lifted the lantern, then carefully walked down the stairs in her heeled sandals. She was glad for Josh’s company. That news flash had really spooked her.

She didn’t let the buffeting wind or the rolling thunder announcing an impending storm bother her. She just wanted to see Josh again. Her steps briefly slowed.
What if he was disappointed that Elise wasn’t meeting him about the horse
? Even as the worry entered her head, her heart still raced in anticipation of seeing him again. Hopefully her appearance in the stables would make him glad he came by anyway.

The wind had apparently blown the large stable doors closed. She had to pull hard to open one of the wood panels. Once she’d opened it enough for her body to squeeze through, she slid inside.

As the door slammed closed behind her, a couple of horses neighed, drawing her attention. She tried to ignore her heels sinking into the dirt floor as she turned the lantern light in their direction and shhh’d the agitated horses. Once they calmed a little, she called out in a hushed voice, “Josh, are you there?”
Why the heck am I talking so low
?

Maybe it was because the lantern made shadows appear to move throughout the otherwise pitch-black stables, but the darkness, combined with the sound of the wind buffeting the stable walls outside, made knots form in her stomach. Not to mention, the idea of some psycho-killer running around not too far away didn’t help either.

As she walked toward the horse’s stall that was still making low agitated sounds, she realized Josh never answered her. “Josh Kelly, I’m spooked enough as it is tonight,” she hissed out in a whisper once more. “I don’t need you goofing around. You’d better show yourself or…I’m going to tell Colt what you said to me yesterday.”

When Josh didn’t acknowledge her, the knot in the pit of her stomach turned to queasiness. A cold feeling shot down her spine right before the hairs on her arms began to stand up. Something definitely didn’t feel right. Sabrina turned, intending to retrace her steps out of the stables when a man spoke from behind her in a low voice, “Two birds.”

Strange comment aside, the odd coldness in his tone made her bolt. Sabrina had only taken a couple of steps when a sharp pain lanced through the back of her skull.

Groggy, she fell to the dirt floor and thought she heard him whisper, “One stone.”

Scents of earth, hay and horseflesh filled her senses as bits of hay dug into her cheek. Pain wracked her head and she tried to speak, but her voice refused to work.

As her vision started to blur in and out, Sabrina blinked to focus, but couldn’t.

Then everything went black.

* * *

Sabrina woke feeling like someone had used her as a punching bag. She tried to turn her head in order to determine where she was, but pain ricocheted from the base of her skull, making her moan into the pillow.

She started to lift her hand to her head, but a sharp sting across the back of her hand caused her to gasp. Someone quickly leaned across her and grabbed the IV pole that had tilted with her swift movement, righting it.

“Hi there.” Josh pushed her hair back from her eyes as he looked down at her, worry and relief flickering in his gaze. Dirt and hay clung to his light blue t-shirt, and he smelled of smoke. Black smudges streaked across his face.

“You look as bad as I feel,” she croaked.

The corner of his mouth tilted and amusement crept into his eyes. “You must not be too bad off then, or do you always wake up handing out compliments?”

She managed a half-smile. “I’m not a morning person. That’s for sure. Uh, is it morning?” she asked, confused.

“No, it’s a quarter ‘til midnight. But as far as your comment on not being a morning person,” he paused and gently ran his thumb along her jaw. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

As a flush crept along her cheeks, she glanced around the sparse room for a distraction. A bed table, IV pole, gurney-style bed, and the unbecoming floral print gown wrapped around her pretty much clued her in. “Why am I in a hospital?”

Josh’s brows drew together and he reached for her hand. “You don’t remember what happened?”

Her heart thudded and her stomach tensed; how had she gotten there and why did her head hurt so damn bad? As she slowly shook her head, he cupped his fingers around hers. The gesture helped calm her frazzled nerves, sending a fuzzy feeling of comfort spreading through her.

“Why were you so late?” she asked, trying to remember when he finally showed up at Elise’s house. Staring at his tousled blond hair and the appealing five o’clock shadow on his jaw, she wondered how she could’ve forgotten him finally showing up.

“I’d say he got there just in time.” Nan’s upbeat voice came from the other side of the bed as she approached from the open door. The older woman patted her other hand, then picked it up and squeezed. “I’m so thankful you’re okay. I came back early to see Josh tugging on the stable doors. He ran in and horses scattered right before he carried you out. The chaos of smoke and fire trucks—”

“Stable? Smoke and fire trucks?” Sabrina’s voice rose and her stomach dropped, her gaze pinging to Josh’s. “What fire trucks?” A fire would definitely explain his smoky, sooted appearance.

“The stables were on fire while you were unconscious inside,” he said, eyes searching hers.

“Josh saved your life, Sabrina,” Nan said, patting her shoulder.

“Oh my God,” Sabrina raised a trembling hand to her mouth, afraid to ask, but she needed to know. “Did all the horses make it out okay?”

“They’re fine, dear. Don’t you worry about them,” Nan answered calmly.

“What
do
you remember?”

Sabrina felt the urgency in Josh’s steady gaze. She closed her eyes and tried to recall, but after a few seconds blew out her frustration, unable to fill the empty hole of time. “I waited for you to come to…tell you that Elise had to go out of town suddenly.” She rubbed her temple, hoping the action would help the rest come back to her.

Nan took her shaking hand and squeezed, concern on her lined face. “I know you’re rattled. Take your time.”

“All I remember was hearing a sound and peering outside to see what caused it. And…and…” Sabrina struggled, but it was a complete blank after that. Fear slammed into her and she started to breathe in and out in shallow breaths.

“Calm down. Deep breaths,” Josh soothed. “You don’t remember anything else?”

“I remember someone or something hitting me in the back of the head.” She winced at the memory flash of pain, then frowned. “But you said I was in the stables? I don’t remember going there. I don’t remember how it happened. I…I just don’t know.”

“Inhale, Sabrina,” he said calmly.

She inhaled to slow her breathing, then slowly shook her head. “No, I’m sorry. That’s all I remember.”

He sighed, then looked at Nan. “The doctor won’t let her talk to the police until he’s checked her out.”

“The police?”

Josh nodded. “I stopped by to apologize to Elise for missing our appointment when I smelled smoke.” He met her gaze, his expression serious. “The stables were on fire and someone had shoved a stick between the door handles, locking the building from the outside. Nan told you the rest. The doctor mentioned that you have a knot on your head—so that falls in line with what you’ve said about being hit from behind. We’re not sure yet if the fire was intentional, but whoever hit you must’ve locked you in.”

Glancing over to Nan, he said, “Would you mind getting the doc, then the police can talk to Sabrina.”

Once Nan left to get the doctor, worry tightened Sabrina’s chest. “None of this makes any sense. Why would anyone try to hurt me? No one knows me here.”

“Maybe you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.” His eyes darkened, churning with unfathomable intensity. “Don’t worry, Sabrina. I won’t let anyone harm you.”

She tilted her head and for a brief second enjoyed the feeling of being watched over. “Why can’t I remember what happened during that pocket of time, yet I clearly remember what you said to me in the stall the day before when you thought I was Elise. I guess the fire doused your plans to meet with her.” When she realized how that must’ve sounded, she quickly added, “About the horse, I mean.”
Well, crap! Why does it bother me so much that he cares about Elise? I just met the man for Pete’s sake!