Evidence of Trust Page 7

  “He couldn’t make it…” He trailed off as he caught sight of Brittany standing dead center of the fenced circle. Now that he was closer, he could hear snippets of her soft voice carried on the wind.

  Without warning, the dark bay horse charged straight at her. Mark and Casey tensed, but neither made a move to help her as she stood frozen, like a deer in the headlights. Joel’s stomach dropped, and he rushed to climb the fence, then vaulted over the top board even though he knew he’d never reach her in time.

  He raised his arms and yelled, hoping to distract the animal before it trampled her into the dirt. At the very last second, the horse swept past her, within mere inches. He had no chance to be relieved over her safety as the muscled bullet angled his way.

  “Get out of here,” he hollered at Brittany.

  “Don’t move,” she countered, her voice sharp like when she commanded her stallion.

  He froze, mentally judging the distance to the fence, weighing his chances while unfamiliar feelings of protectiveness for the woman twenty yards away warred with the natural instinct to run. As the mare bore down on him, he took a backward step.

  “Hold.”

  The mare swerved past him and circled toward Brittany again. The foolish woman held her ground and the mare galloped past, finally returning to the far side of the arena. Brittany had pivoted, keeping her full attention on the horse. Without moving from where she stood, she called out to her boss that she’d meet them in the office.

  Mark instructed Casey to stay with her, but now with the excitement apparently over, Joel’s temper surfaced in full force. What the hell were they thinking letting her do something so dangerous?

  “Come on inside, we’ve got fresh coffee in the pot,” Mark offered.

  “Not until she comes in.” He leaned against the inside of the fence, making it clear he had no intention of moving. From the corner of his eye, he saw Casey open his mouth to protest, but Mark silenced him with a jerk of his head.

  “We’ll meet you inside then.”

  Joel didn’t take his eyes off Brittany still talking to the horse. Why did he let her get under his skin? He shouldn’t care one bit about the risks she took, and yet the thought of her getting hurt bothered him at a level he didn’t quite understand—and definitely didn’t welcome.

  After a few minutes, she raised a hand to brush her wind-blown curls from her face and turned toward the gate. Her step faltered the instant she spotted him. Then she squared her shoulders and started forward.

  God, she really was something. He just wasn’t entirely sure how to handle that something. His gaze swept past the defiant tilt of her chin, those lips that he couldn’t seem to keep from kissing, and screeched to a halt on the bruise that darkened the left side of her face.

  Instead of marching by as he expected, she stopped in front of him. “What do you want?”

  “I have a meeting with your boss.” He shifted his gaze to her cheek. “That was a pretty stupid thing you did.”

  “Yeah, but it worked.”

  The concession surprised him; the haughty confidence did not. He reached out and took hold of her chin, tilting her face for a better look at the reddish-blue bruise. “It was a reckless plan. This could’ve been a lot worse.”

  Confusion clouded her eyes before she pulled free. “What do you care?”

  “I don’t like to see anyone get hurt,” he said as she opened the gate and waited for him to step through. While she closed it again, he added a note of warning to his voice. “Or take needless risks.”

  “Well, this is my turf. You’ve got no say here.”

  She stalked ahead of him into the barn, leaving him to follow with a grim smile. He was really going to enjoy these next few minutes. Then he noticed a slight tremble in her hand as she reached for the door of what looked to be their tack room. She wasn’t as unaffected as she’d have everyone believe. So what the hell was she trying to prove?

  Inside the stable office, he accepted the coffee cup Mark offered. After stirring in a little cream and sugar, he leaned against the wall by the window. Much as he wanted to tear someone a new one over what’d just happened outside, he reminded himself he was here for the investigation, nothing more.

  “I assume Ryan briefed you on the reason I was brought to Colorado?”

  “He did, even though I’d already heard the rumors.”

  “Yeah…I love that about this town.” A twitch of Mark’s lips was the only response to his sarcasm. “Ryan wanted me to review the ranch’s contract, but I’m also going to need to talk to your staff. In particular, whoever typically guides your overnights into the park.”

  “That’d be Casey, Britt and Mitch.”

  He still had his reservations about Casey, but hadn’t met the other guy yet. Brittany was a contradiction he didn’t want to think about. “Can I trust each one of them?”

  “Explicitly.”

  Joel nodded, and Mark called the others in to join them. The only one who offered a somewhat congenial greeting was Mitch as he took a seat on the couch against the wall. Casey sat on the opposite side of his co-worker, his demeanor cool and reserved. Despite plenty of room, Brittany remained standing, her resentment tangible.

  He kept the meeting short, only giving them a very brief overview of the most general details of his investigation while stressing everything remain confidential. The main thing he needed was for them to watch for anything unusual on their trail rides—one in particular.

  “I want to know immediately if anyone local books the Wildlife Ride, or if you notice any repeat riders, even from the past couple years. Highlands is the only stable allowed into that particular area, and all of the hiking trails near there have been closed. So, besides the rangers, you guys are the only ones with access. How often is the ride scheduled?”

  “Once a week on Thursdays,” Mark answered. “It depends on the guests. We have to be assured they have the riding ability to handle the rough trail.”

  “There are other areas in the park where the bighorn graze for the summer,” Brittany pointed out.

  Joel zeroed in on her. “Yes, and those areas have been sealed off and will be patrolled on a regular basis. But your trail leaves a main area open to the public. It may be regulated through your ranch, but it’s still open.”

  “Then why are you allowing us access?”

  “If it was solely up to me, we wouldn’t even be having this discussion. The whole area would be closed to everyone.”

  “So it’s not your decision?”

  The challenging lift of her eyebrows questioned his authority in front of everyone and poked his ego—exactly as he was sure she intended.

  He locked his gaze with hers. “For now, I have decided not to question Ryan’s judgment. However, at any time I feel the need to restrict your access, I won’t hesitate to do so.”

  His slight emphasis on your had her pressing her lips together as if trying to hold back a retort. Go on, say it, he urged silently. He’d love any reason to shut them down right now.

  “We understand,” Mark said, his warning tone unmistakable in the silence. “We want whoever is doing this caught as much as you do. Whatever we can do to help, we’ll do it.”

  “Good. Then we’re on the same page.” He didn’t shift his gaze away from Brittany’s. “Another thing I want to be clear on, no going into the park alone.”

  Renewed resentment filled her expression. “You can’t dictate—”

  “I can, and I am. This guy murders animals for money, and based on what I’ve seen, my gut says he’s moving beyond financial gain. What you were afraid I might do up there,” he pointed out the window toward Long’s Peak, “this guy won’t think twice about if he catches you alone.”

  Color bloomed in her cheeks at the reminder of their first meeting.

  “Joel’s right, Britt.”

  The firm reinforcement came from Casey. Joel cast him a quick glance, and noted the gravity in the brown gaze that met his. A brief nod told him Ful
ler was one hundred percent on his side in the matter. Surprising, yet good to know.

  “I agree,” Mark added in a voice that said the discussion was closed.

  Mitch was the only one who didn’t chime in. The dark-haired wrangler’s silent observation of the entire meeting, including speculative glances between him and Brittany, did not escape Joel’s notice. Nor did the fact that Brittany wasn’t prepared to take his order sitting down.

  “Does this rule of yours apply only to me?”

  Joel wished he could say yes, just to piss her off in the face of her defiant sarcasm. But there were still too many unknown variables to consider, and safety came first. “No. Buddy system for everyone, and keep your batteries fresh in your radios. You see anything at all suspicious, call it in immediately.”

  * * *

  Joel strode into the ranger station Friday morning despite Ryan’s suggestion he take some time off after working straight through since arriving in Colorado a couple weeks ago. His dad had called yesterday about driving down from Montana for a visit after he finished the investigation, he’d take a day or two then.

  For now, he just needed to focus on the job, and this morning, he planned to review the background checks he’d ordered for Highlands’ employees.

  Cal Rogers, the overweight, balding ranger who manned the front desk covered the mouthpiece of the phone with his free hand. “Morning, Joel.”

  He nodded while pouring a cup of coffee, then grabbed the patrol reports the night-shift rangers had turned in. Nothing unusual stood out with his first scan, so he tucked them under his arm to read more thoroughly at his desk. Sipping from the steaming cup, he ambled over to check out the camper registration map on the wall.

  A green pin was stuck in the map near Storm Peak. Once he realized it was the restricted area where Highlands guided their Wildlife Ride, irritation sparked that they hadn’t notified him personally with a list of registered guests for his review.

  As soon as Cal hung up the phone, Joel indicated the pin. “This Highlands Ranch?”

  “Yeah. Britt and Mitch are scouting the trail before the season starts. They wanted us to be aware of the campfire in case there were any patrols tonight.”

  “Got it. Thanks.”

  He headed into his office with a scowl and slapped the reports on the desk. Damn it, he didn’t care if the two of them were spending the night up there together. Didn’t care that Mitch had danced with her at the Kick-off party, nor did he care that the guy had shown undue interest in their exchange the other day at the meeting.

  He located the envelope with the background files Randy Gifford had left on his desk and broke the seal. Brittany’s was the top one. After a moment of temptation, he set it aside.

  Next he found Casey Fuller’s and was surprised to discover he had a Bachelor’s degree in National Resource Management. In addition, the wrangler had completed the Seasonal Law Enforcement Training Program required to become a law enforcement ranger. So why the hell was he working at Highlands? Looked like he and Fuller would have to have a more in-depth conversation.

  His gaze drifted to Brittany’s pages more times than he wanted to admit, so finally he just read the damn report. He committed the information to memory, but didn’t give himself a chance to process before moving on to Mitch Levins’ file.

  That’s when he discovered just how much he did care who Brittany spent her time with. He grabbed his cell phone and truck keys, and called Mark Jennings on his way out the door.

  Chapter 12

  Britt stewed in the saddle as her stallion picked his way along the trail. Mark had called a half-hour ago, claiming he needed Mitch back at the ranch. He hadn’t given a specific reason, and the moment she’d heard Joel was riding in to be her new safety buddy, she figured there was more going on than he would say.

  Or could say.

  Mitch’s initial frown had morphed into an emotionless mask, so different from his usual carefree attitude. He hadn’t questioned the request, or even commented when she tried to speculate about the change of plans. With a grim “Good luck,” he’d turned his mount back toward the trailhead and left her wondering what the heck was going on.

  She’d slowed Paelo’s stride, but sure as hell wasn't going to stop and twiddle her thumbs while waiting for Mr. Power-trip Ranger to catch up. She was tired of him issuing orders and ruining her day every time she turned around.

  With the sun warming her back, she tried to enjoy the scenery while she could. Lord knew once he appeared she wouldn’t have a moment’s peace for the rest of the trip. In the past week, the new leaves on the trees had darkened to a deeper shade of green, their thick foliage shading the trail so much in places the snow from a week ago still hadn’t completely melted. She knew the terrain well, had each landmark etched in her mind. The hands of time and Mother Nature changed something about them every year and she looked forward to cataloguing the alterations each spring.

  Her gaze scanned the trail ahead and the sight of hoof prints in the snow made her draw back on the reins. The tracks didn’t appear fresh, maybe a few days old judging by how they disappeared wherever the sun had melted the snow. She dismounted and gave Paelo a soft command.

  Inspecting the bare ground, she saw no sign of passage in the moist soil, not even a slight indent. She’d guess the rider had come through sometime after the storm a week ago because there hadn’t been any precipitation since then.

  This guy won’t think twice if he catches you alone.

  Joel’s ominous warning from the meeting sent a tingle of uneasiness along her spine. She rose to her feet, shifting her gaze from tree to tree, studying the shadows as she imagined someone out there, watching her.

  A sudden rustle from behind made her jump and spin around. Paelo stared back at her as he chewed a small branch loaded with green leaves. The pounding of her heart eased.

  “Oh, this is ridiculous,” she muttered. The tracks were obviously old, and whoever it had been was long gone by now.

  Still, she decided it might not be a bad idea to wait after all. She backed Paelo up so they wouldn’t disturb any more of the tracks and found a large boulder alongside the trail where she could sit.

  Quite a bit later than she expected, Joel rode up, his face cast in shadow from the low-sitting brim of his Stetson. She stood as he dismounted before facing her with a scowl.

  “I specifically instructed you to wait.”

  Irritation flared even as she wondered how he knew she hadn’t. Then it dawned on her, Paelo had left behind his own set of single tracks. Shrugging, she retorted, “You caught up, didn’t you?”

  His jaw tightened and his fists clenched at his sides. Britt stood her ground despite the fact her stomach was doing that damn little flippy thing it did whenever he was near. She moistened suddenly dry lips, and his attention flicked down.

  Heat flared at the memory of his mouth on hers. She’d re-imagined both kisses way too many times over the past couple days.

  “I—” Her voice broke. She cleared her throat and tried again. “I found some tracks.”

  He finally took a small step back and she moved past to direct him to the spot. As he squatted for a better look, a reassuring thought occurred to her. “They’re probably from a ranger, but I figured you’d want to look at them.”

  He rose back to his full height. “Stay here. I’m going to see if I can pick up the trail further on.”

  She automatically took a step after him, and he whirled so fast she gasped.

  Taking hold of her shoulders, he backed her up until the heels of her boots came up against the boulder she’d been sitting on. “Damn it, Brittany, I said stay here.”

  “I was just going to—”

  With a low growl, he pressed her shoulders until she sat. She leaned back as he planted a hand on either side of her. “This is precisely why I told you to wait. Any evidence up to this point you’ve trampled, now let me see what I can salvage of the rest of it without you getting in the way. Move off thi
s rock and I’m going to take you straight back down this mountain—trail be damned.”

  She crossed her arms over her chest, meeting him stare for stare as her stomach muscles quivered from the extended backward lean. When he straightened and walked away, she fantasized about throwing something at his head, then got up and went to stand by her horse.

  Guilt began to creep in and she tried to rationalize it away. If anything, he ought to be grateful she’d even noticed the tracks for him. If she and Mitch had still been riding, they might have missed them all together.

  Joel returned after a few minutes. His gaze narrowed at the sight of her next to Paelo, but he didn’t say a word as he stuck a foot in the stirrup and swung astride his horse. She mounted up as well.

  “Where’d they go?”

  “Nowhere. This was it. “

  He touched his heel to his bay’s side, and as they moved forward, she urged Paelo to follow. “Was it a ranger?”

  “Can’t tell that from a set of prints.”

  His sarcasm only made her feel worse about potentially destroying evidence. “I meant were there any patrols over here after the storm?”

  “No.”

  She gave the silence a few minutes, then asked, “You going to explain why Mitch had to go back?”

  “No.”

  “Why not?” When he didn’t reply, she asked, “Don’t you trust him?”

  “I don’t know him.”

  “You don’t really know me, yet I’m still here.”

  “You didn’t have anything pop up in your background check.”

  Her mouth dropped open in surprise. “You ran a background check on me?”

  “I ran one on everyone at the ranch.”

  She’d deal with that later. “So, what was in Mitch’s?”

  He cast a quick glance back over his shoulder, then faced forward again.

  When he didn’t offer more, she huffed out a breath of annoyance. “Really? That’s it?”

  “I’ve got a valid reason for pulling Levins back that is none of your business, so just leave it alone.”

  Her annoyed glower was useless pointed toward his back. “I work with the guy, Joel. We take guests on overnight camping trips into the remote wilderness. I feel like I do know him and trust him, but clearly you’ve found something out, so it’d be nice to know if I have anything to be concerned about.”