Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 80940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
“Hey, how are you feeling?”
I smiled. “I’m okay. How are things going there?”
“Vet just got the foal out, looks like they’re both going to be okay. It was touch and go there for a bit.”
“You’ve got to be so tired, it’s nearly one in the morning.”
“I am tired. Did anyone tell you what was going on?”
“Chad did. He feels so guilty, and I tried to tell him it wasn’t his fault.”
“I’m sure he’s in a bit of shock as well. Jonathon and he were really good friends.”
“Have you heard anything? Does anyone know where he is?”
“Randy called me about an hour ago. No sign of Jonathon, but they found out he bought three-hundred acres of land about seven years ago. He never told anyone, and it was under a corporate name.”
My hand came to my mouth. “Are they going to search it?”
“Yeah. I told him I wanted to be there, but he said it wouldn’t be a good idea. Plus, they didn’t want to risk the case with me there. Someone could say I planted something.”
“That makes sense. When are you coming home?”
“I’ll be home in a little bit. There is a cop stationed at the gate, so that at least makes me feel somewhat better. But this ranch is huge. If anyone wanted to get on it, they could.”
An uneasiness crept into my body, and I shivered from an unexpected rush of cold air.
“Well, be careful coming back and…”
A loud boom came from outside, and I jumped, letting out a scream. Howdy and Jimmy both jumped up, and Jimmy pulled out a gun. My mouth fell open. Where had he kept that?
“What was that?” Liam asked.
“Fire!” Jimmy yelled.
“Fire? Did someone just yell fire?” Liam shouted.
Chad and Billy both came running down the steps, both of them were still dressed.
“It’s a trap,” Billy said.
“Bubba is in the barn!” Howdy cried out in horror.
“Mallory!” Liam screamed. “What is going on?”
I looked around the room and out the living room window at the glow of red. “There was a loud bang, and now there is fire coming from the barn. Bubba was in the barn.”
“Is he okay? Stay in the house, don’t you leave.”
“I…I won’t.”
“Bubba is calling me, sweetheart.”
The line went dead, and I rushed into the living room. “Bubba just called Liam.”
Billy turned to me. “Do you know how to shoot a gun?”
My eyes went wide. “No!”
“I do!” Krista stated as she came down the steps. She had her pants on and my T-shirt. “I grew up shooting all kinds of different guns; my father was a police officer.”
Billy ran into the kitchen and down the hall. I wasn’t sure where he was going, to the office or bedroom. He suddenly appeared with a few rifles and gave a handgun to Jimmy.
“It’s loaded and ready to go. Just take off the safety,” Chad said as he took a gun from Billy and gave it to his wife.
His pregnant wife.
Krista put the butt of the gun up to her shoulder and looked through it, then nodded. “Got it.”
I was positive my mouth was on the floor. “You’re pregnant, Krista!”
She winked at me. “Makes no difference. Just now I have more to fight for. Besides, I can still kick ass.”
Yeah, my mouth was definitely on the ground.
Then MaryAnne appeared. She held a handgun in her hand and started to motion for us to get out of the living room. “Too many open windows, let’s get into the pantry.”
Krista grabbed my hand and started toward the kitchen. I looked back at the four men ready to leave the house and head into danger. They were going to leave us alone in the house.
“Wait! We’ll be alone if they all leave. You don’t think that is what they want?”
“We don’t know what they want right now. The best thing for us is to get in the pantry and wait.”
I nodded and followed both women into the large room. MaryAnne shut the door and looked around. “I don’t know what we can use to wedge the door shut.”
Krista and I both started to look around and found nothing.
“We’ll just have to hope we won’t need to keep the door locked,” I said with a shrug.
We waited for a few minutes in silence before I said, “Billy said it was a trap. If it was, why did they all rush out there?”
MaryAnne was pacing as she replied, “Most likely to stop the barn from burning.”
“Mallory!”
The sound of Liam’s voice caused me to fly up and run out to the kitchen. “Liam!”
I ran to him and threw my body into his. “Is everyone okay? Is the barn okay?”
“The fire was outside the barn, and Bubba got it put out.”
“What happened? Did someone set it?” MaryAnne asked, relieved to see Billy and the others walk through the front door. Krista rushed to Chad and hugged him.