Page 116 of A Rancher's Vow

Charity followed hard on Caleb’s heels.

“Kelli. Call Luke and let him know Dustin is missing.”

“Already called, and he’s on his way. He’ll grab an ATV and gear and join us.” Kelli was tightening the clinch on Caleb’s horse. “Lacey is nearly ready.”

“I want to come with you.” Charity spoke loudly to get their attention, her heart pounding in her throat.

Two worried glances darted her way then back to their tasks.

Caleb shook his head. “I have to ride fast, Tee. Dustin won’t thank me if you get hurt.”

“Kelli can ride with me, then. Beach is ready to go,” Charity added. “Please. I need to be there. Just in case.”

The look he gave her was full of understanding, his face still stern. Just when she had given up, he nodded briskly, motioning for Kelli to join them. “Don’t fall off, or Dustin will kill me.”

Charity couldn’t speak past the knot in her throat.

They were up in the saddle, Caleb already whirling toward the trail. Kelli patted Charity’s fingers reassuringly. “Hold on tight, darling. We’re going to fly.”

Slowly at first—slowly enough Charity wanted to kick her heels into Beach’s flanks and get him moving. But Kelli was smart, increasing speed one notch at a time until they were all but flying up and past the edge of Big Sky lake. Out to the east where the rolling hills slowly flattened to the grazing fields. Patchwork Annie raced beside them, a bundle of muscles and blur of fur as she too flew.

The bright blue sky was wrong. The fresh scent of summer an insult considering the fear pounding in Charity’s chest.

She knew the trip had to have taken at least thirty minutes, but when they arrived, she’d barely had time to catch her breath.

Spotting Dustin’s horse grazing outside the small shelter raised her hopes. Caleb shot ahead of them. He dismounted and darted into the wooden shelter, stepping back into the sunlight before Kelli had pulled Beach to a standstill.

“He’s not here,” Caleb snapped. “What the hell is going on?”

Kelli had her phone out again, even as she and Charity dismounted. “Shim? Check the monitor. Is Dustin still in one spot? Yeah? Okay, tell me when I’m near the marker. Hot if I’m headed the right direction, cold if I’m farther away.”

After that ride, her legs were rubbery, but Charity somehow kept her balance and paced forward, Patchwork Annie by her side. They crossed into the shelter and Annie yipped, frantically digging in the hay.

“Nearly there? Damn, that means his phone is here, even though he isn’t,” Kelli said right as Annie barked, pawing at the ground.

Charity knelt and picked up the phone Annie had uncovered. “Dustin’s.” She glanced up at Caleb’s stricken face. “We’re not done yet.”

“This is a dead end, Tee. The tracker app is set to our phones,” Caleb reminded her softly, anguish in his voice.

“I know. Butshe’stuned in directly to Dustin.” Charity knelt and called Patchwork Annie over. She held out the phone and let the dog sniff it, praying the order Dustin had given to guard could be reset. “Where’s Dustin? Where is he?” She pulled the phone away then presented it to her again. “Where’s Dustin?”

Annie whimpered, backing out of the shelter.

By the time Charity got to her feet, Patchwork Annie was sniffing the ground in ever widening circles.

“Come on,” Kelli called, swinging herself back into the saddle. “Mount up, because if this works, we’ll need to stay close.”

One quick step forward, and Caleb was beside her. He leaned over, hands clasped into a loop for Charity to step into. With more grace than she felt, she was up behind Kelli a moment later, whistling for Annie.

The dog pulled up sharply and looked at her intently.

“Find Dustin,” Charity ordered.

Annie raced ahead, and Kelli urged Beach after her. Thankfully, the dog constantly looked back to make sure Charity remained in sight. Caleb rode beside them, his gaze darting over the land as if hoping to spot Dustin out for a casual stroll.

They were on a part of the ranch Charity had never been to before. “Do you know where we are?” she shouted in Kelli’s ear. “What’s nearby?”

“We’ll eventually hit the highway, but there are some landmarks coming up.” Kelli leaned forward, urging Beach to go faster.