Home on the Ranch: Oklahoma: Defending the Rancher's Daughter / The Rancher Bodyguard

“Nice to meet you,” Zack said.

“Likewise.” Brett dropped his hand and began to unsaddle one of the horses.

“That’s a man who looks like he’s been on the wrong side of trouble more than once,” Zack said as they left the stable. “That scar down the side of his face looks like an old knife wound.”

“It is. He got it a year ago in a bar fight at Crazy Joe’s.”

“He also smells like he slept in a brewery.”

“I know. Dad fired him twice in the past year, then rehired him. He’s a quick-tempered alcoholic and I should fire him, but he’s good with the horses and I can’t afford to lose any more men right now.”

“Why did Gray hire him back?”

“You know Dad, he was always a sucker for a sob story. Brett apologized and told Dad he’d do better, that he needed the job to make child support payments.”

Zack nodded. “I’ll need a list of those men who work for you now and those who left after your father’s death,” he said. “It also would help if you could give me the names of men who left Gray’s employment in the past year or so. I also think it would be better if we’d go see Jim Ramsey in person rather than talk to him on the phone.”

“All right.” They reached the front porch. “Just let me get my purse and lock up so we can go see Sheriff Ramsey. Then we’ll come back here and get you settled in the bunkhouse.”

Within minutes they were in Zack’s truck and headed into town.

Cotter Creek held a charm she’d thought she’d never find anywhere else in the world. As Zack drove down Main Street toward the sheriff’s office, that charm was evident. People meandered down the sidewalks, as if they had all the time in the world to explore the various shops.

There had been a time before her graduation from college that Kate had considered remaining in Tulsa and not returning to the small town of Cotter Creek. In the midst of college partying and new friends, Kate had thought this place provincial and dull, but as maturity had set in and she’d faced the rest of her life, she’d known this was where she belonged, this was where she wanted to live and raise a family.

Of course, she’d barely gotten settled back into town and ranch life when she’d suddenly found herself in charge of running the ranch by herself.

She slid a glance at Zack. “You ever think of leaving here and living someplace else?”

Despite the morning sunshine, his hat cast shadows across his face, making it impossible for her to read his expression.

“When I was younger I couldn’t wait to leave Cotter Creek. I wanted to move someplace where I wasn’t ‘one of those West boys.’ But for the past couple of years I’ve been doing a lot of traveling and I’ve realized this is where my roots are, where I want to be for the rest of my life. What about you?”

“While I was in my first couple of years in college I got it into my head that I’d never go back to the ranch, that I’d stay in Tulsa and build a life there.”

“So what happened to change your mind?”

She leaned back in the seat and thought about her answer. “There was no real defining moment. As time went on I missed the ranch. I missed Cotter Creek and most of all I realized that I wanted the opportunity to get closer to my father.”

Emotion once again pressed hard against her chest. She swallowed and continued. “Besides, I’d done all the city things, clubbed and danced and drank myself half silly. I’d shopped and eaten in fancy restaurants and done everything Tulsa had to offer. But I realized when the time came for me to build my life, to get married and have a family, I wanted to do it here.”

He pulled into an empty parking place in front of the sheriff’s office, then turned to look at her. “Are you sure you’re up to this? We need to be calm and rational so Jim takes what we have to say seriously.”

“Don’t worry about me,” she said, half irritated by his words of caution. “All I want is for Jim to take this seriously and to do whatever he can to find out who killed my father.”

“Good, then we have a common goal.” He opened the truck door and got out. Kate hurriedly did the same.

Before they could get into the sheriff’s office a familiar voice called Kate’s name. Sheila Wadsworth hurried down the sidewalk toward them, the smile on her face rivaling the brightness of the rhinestones that decorated her tight denim dress.

“Zack West, I swear, honey, you get more handsome every time I see you,” she exclaimed.

“Ah, Sheila, you’re nothing but a sweet talker,” he replied dryly.

She giggled, an affected girlish sound Kate found particularly annoying, especially since it came from a woman well over the age of fifty. She braced herself as Sheila turned her attention in her direction.

“Kate, darling. I just wanted to apologize for my behavior after your daddy’s funeral,” Sheila said. “I should have given you more time to mourn before approaching you.” Her expression was properly contrite. “But now that you’ve had some time to think, are you still planning on keeping the ranch?”

“Sheila, read my lips. I’m not selling…ever.”

“You have a buyer lined up?” Zack asked.

Sheila’s plump shoulders moved up and down with a shrug. “Nobody in particular. I just know it would sell quickly and make Kate a wealthy woman. She could make enough money to live anywhere she wanted to.”

“I want to live where I’m living right now,” Kate replied evenly.

“Well, dear, if you change your mind you know where I am.” She wiggled two fingers, then turned and marched back up the sidewalk from where she’d come.

“That woman is quickly becoming the bane of my existence,” Kate said.

“Forget her. She’s always been a pushy opportunist. We’ve got more important things to take care of.” Zack paused on the sidewalk just outside the office and turned to look at her once again. “Let’s not complicate the issue by mentioning your suspicions about the stampede.”

Her first impulse was to buck and kick. Dammit, somebody had spooked her herd on purpose yesterday and she’d nearly been killed.

But reluctantly she recognized the wisdom of Zack’s words. She also suspected Zack didn’t believe her about the intentional stampede, but she knew better than to push that particular issue with him at the moment.

There was no concrete evidence of what had happened in the pasture the day before. Right now the important thing was to get Jim Ramsey investigating her father’s death. As much as she hated to admit it, Zack was right. There was no point in confusing things.

She nodded and together they entered the office. A woman seated at a desk manned the reception area. “Morning, Kate, Zack.” Sarah Lutten smiled, the gesture pulling all her wrinkles upward.

“Good morning, Sarah. Sheriff in?” Zack asked.

“He’s in. Let me just check to make sure he’s available.” She got up from the desk and disappeared through a door that Kate knew led back to the sheriff’s personal office and the jail cells.

As they waited for Sarah to return, Kate thought of those moments when Zack had held her while she’d cried. His arms had been so strong around her and for a brief moment she wished she were back in those arms once again.

She straightened her spine. She had to get hold of herself. She needed Zack for his investigative skills, for the resources he and his family business could bring to the table. But the last thing she needed was to become emotionally dependent on him in any way.

“You can go on back,” Sarah said as she reentered the room.

They entered the small inner office and Sheriff Jim Ramsey rose to greet them.

“Katie, Zack, what brings you two to see me on such a fine morning?” He gestured them to the two chairs in front of his desk then sank into his big leather chair.

“Murder.” The word escaped from Kate before she could stop herself.

Zack shot her a look of warning and she sat back in the chair and bit her bottom lip to keep anything else from escaping her mouth.

It was probably just as well she sit back and let Zack handle things. Sheriff Ramsey had always been one of those men who listened to men better than he listened to “the little ladies” in town.