Dark Horse

“I hate to get your hopes up as well, but I can promise you that I will do everything I can to find out the truth. I’d like to take a look around the house and the ranch,” Nikki said, getting to her feet. “But first if someone can show me to my room. I’m afraid my car and luggage are still in town.”

“Not a problem. I’ll have someone pick it up for you,” he said as he rose from behind his desk.

There was a tap at the door before it swung in. She turned to see Cull silhouetted in the doorway. He stepped forward, holding out a glass of water and two aspirin. She took them as she listened to Travers asking his son to see that Nikki’s car was brought out to the ranch.

“But first if you wouldn’t mind showing her to the guest room,” the older man finished.

“I’ll show her to her room,” came a voice from the open doorway. It was the teenager who’d accosted her earlier on the porch steps. It was clear that Kitten had been close by, eavesdropping.

The insincere smile had an almost demented quality to it. Nikki wondered again about Patricia’s daughter, the mystery child she’d brought back to the ranch years ago.

“Kitten, this is Nikki St. James,” Travers said, introducing them. “She will be staying with us while she works on a book about the kidnapping.”

The girl raised one brow. “Fascinating.” She sounded like her mother, the word just snide enough.

“I want you to be nice to her,” he said.

“Of course, Daddy,” Kitten said, almost purring. “Later, can I borrow your car to go into town? I’m meeting some friends.”

“You just got your license. I’m not sure that’s a good idea. What did your mother say?”

“She said she didn’t care if I went after dinner, but...” She mugged a face. “She’s afraid I’m going to wreck her precious car.”

“You can take mine,” he said, sounding tired. “Just promise me that you’ll be careful and come home whatever time your mother tells you.”

The teen rushed to him and kissed his cheek. “Thank you, Daddy.” As she turned, she mugged a face at Nikki.

Travers turned to Nikki. “Leave me your keys. Cull will see that everything is taken care of.”

She thanked him as she handed them over, only to find Cull standing behind her. He scooped the keys up from the desk and pocketed them, then left without a word. She figured he’d been too surprised earlier to voice his displeasure, but his swearing had given her a clue as to how he felt about her being here.

“We can talk after dinner, Ms. St. James,” Travers said as she and Kitten started out of the room.

“Nikki, please,” she said, stopping in the doorway.

He smiled. “I can’t tell you how glad I am that you’re here, Nikki. Dinner is at six. It’s informal.”

She nodded and followed Kitten out the door. “Can you point out the wing where the twins’ nursery was?” Nikki asked the girl.

Kitten smiled. “Of course.”

They’d barely left the room before Patricia, who’d clearly been waiting only yards away, rushed into her husband’s office, slamming the door behind her. Nikki could hear her raised voice as Kitten led her up the wide stairway.

* * *

CULL COULD HAVE handed off the job of retrieving Nikki St. James’s car and luggage from town to a couple of the hired hands. After all, he was as unhappy about this turn of events as his stepmother. He was also anxious to talk to his father.

But right now Patricia was chewing Travers’s ear, and the best place to be was far from the house until some of the dust settled.

Also, he wanted to know more about Nikki St. James before he confronted his father.

“I could use your help,” he said when he found his younger brother in the barn. “Can you drive me into town?”

“Can’t Boone do it?” Ledger asked as he rubbed a hand down the long neck of the newest horse.

“He’s gone to pick up that stallion Dad bought last week.”

Ledger sighed. “Fine. What’s going on in the house, or do I even have to guess?” he asked as they walked along the path next to the house.

Even from here, Cull could hear Patricia’s voice raised in fury. He and his brother usually escaped to the horse barns when their father and Patricia were arguing. That’s how he’d known where he would find Ledger, especially today after the newspaper article.

“We have a surprise guest.”

Ledger blinked. “Guest?” He perked up so much that Cull realized for some unknown reason his brother had hoped it was Abby Pierce, the waitress at the Whitehorse Café and his brother’s former love. For some reason, Ledger thought that Abby was going to come back to him.

“Dad has hired a crime writer to do a book on the kidnapping,” he said before Ledger’s unrealistic hopes could be raised further.

“What?”

“I’ll tell you all about it on the way into town.”

True to his word, he told his brother everything he knew, which wasn’t that much.

“Dad has lost his mind,” Ledger said when he’d finished.

“Seems that way. She’s going to be staying at the house. That’s why I need to pick up her car for her. According to what it says on the key, it’s a blue compact with Billings plates. We should find it parked near the café where I found you this morning.”

“Wait, how did she get to the ranch?”

“I drove her. It’s a long story. But suffice it to say, we’re apparently stuck with her for a while,” Cull said.

“So what does she look like?” his brother asked, turning toward him as they reached town.

He hesitated a little too long.

Ledger laughed. “I’ve never seen you at a loss for words when it comes to describing a woman.”

“It’s not like that with this one. She’s all right to look at, but I don’t trust her.”

“Well, once she realizes there is nothing new to write about, she’ll leave.”

“Let’s hope so. I’m just worried about how much damage she’ll do before that. Dad—”

“He looks bad, doesn’t he?”

Cull nodded around the sudden lump in his throat as he pulled up behind the rental car parked on the main drag of Whitehorse. “I’m going to do what I have to to protect him. Starting by finding out everything I can about Nikki St. James.”

* * *