Page 5 of Saddled in Secrets (Cloverleaf Meadows #2)

Present day…

I ’m not sure where to begin, but my current pickle of a predicament seems adequate. My morning started off with a ransom call. And for the record, receiving threats of bodily harm before sunrise is a rude awakening.

Do what we say and nobody gets hurt.

The cagey voice haunts me as I blindly follow the directions.

If your dad and brother show up, the mare pays the price.

A shudder racks my limbs and I grip the steering wheel tighter.

As it turns out, Uncle Jimmy decided to steal my late mother’s favorite horse to pay off a debt to this shady crew of cowboy criminals.

I’m not sure how he got onto our property and snatched Echo without anyone noticing, but the fact that he’s my dad’s brother must’ve lent a hand.

Maybe Colton will get fired. The thought almost makes me smile until the GPS tells me to turn right.

All these people want from me in exchange is a conversation. Or so they claim. That’s how I find myself pulling up to what appears to be an abandoned building on the outskirts of town.

Paisley is practically trembling in the passenger seat as I shift the truck into park. My best friend is the only person these crooks approved to join me on this rescue mission. Based on the ashen hue to her complexion, I should’ve left her sleeping in my brother’s bed.

But it’s too late now.

I cut the engine when an older man appears in front of the steel structure.

From the corner of my eye, I notice Paisley typing on her phone.

She’s more than likely texting Brody, choosing to ignore my warning.

The instructions I received were very specific about not telling anybody else or they’d hurt Echo.

That means I better haul ass before reinforcements arrive.

Hinges creak when I open the door and jump out. My bestie follows my lead, sticking to me like glue while we approach the guy shrouded in shadows. I ignore the tension knotting my stomach into a tighter tangle with each step.

“You made the right choice, Bianca Benson.”

My heart lurches even though it’s not surprising he knows my full name.

Uncle Jimmy obviously gave this man every bit of information he needed to contact me.

What’s shocking is the guy’s appearance.

I’m instantly creeped out when his dead eyes settle on me, shivering from the impact.

My body naturally sways closer to Paisley for moral support.

“Where’s Echo?” It’s a small victory that my voice doesn’t shake.

He lifts his chin to where some goon is loading the buckskin mare into my trailer. “This won’t take long. I just needed to get your attention.”

“By stealing my horse?”

His shrug indicates he couldn’t care less. “Jimmy owed me money. I have something we need to discuss. The opportunity fell into my lap.”

“Okay, so…?” I roll my wrist to move this along, emboldened by his nonchalance.

He stays silent while keeping that flat stare fixed on me. I get the hint that this portion of the program doesn’t require an audience. With a beaming grin that belongs in a beauty pageant, I turn to my friend and try to remain calm.

“Will you go check on Echo while I finish this… friendly chat?”

Paisley remains rooted to the spot. “Are you sure?”

My nod is automatic. “I’m fine. Echo needs you more than me.”

After a parting glance at the scary dude, and against her better judgment, she does as requested.

The stranger’s emotionless gaze watches her walk away, allowing me to openly study him.

He looks like a moldy sack of expired produce.

There might be muscles underneath his Western shirt, but what remains of his bulk can’t hide the rot taking over.

I swallow when bile tries to climb up my throat.

His disturbing eyes return to me. “Do you know who I am, Bianca?”

My hip cocks to the side, feigning nonchalance. There’s no reason to expose the tremble in my fingers.

“Other than the guy who accepts stolen horses as payment?” I glance at the sky, avoiding his creepy focus. “Not a clue.”

The man’s flat expression remains devoid of any feeling. “I can see why he likes you.”

It’s obvious he expects a response from me. Too bad my stubborn streak is longer than the Kentucky Derby. I lift my brows, unwilling to eagerly grab for the carrot.

“Gonna need a favor,” he states.

“And I’m gonna need to get gone before you ask.” I kick it in reverse, keeping him in my sights.

A muscle jumps in his clenched jaw. “I’d wait if I were you.”

My boots pause in the gravel. “And why is that?”

“I’d hate to make your life difficult.”

“More threats? How innovative.” Not sure where this death-defying attitude is coming from, but I hope it sticks around.

“Just need you to pass along a message. That’s all,” he states.

“Why don’t you do it yourself?”

“He won’t listen to me, but I have a feeling you’ll get a different result.”

“Not sure how that’s possible.” Any acquaintance of this man’s is now an enemy of mine.

“My son is quite taken with you,” he mutters.

“I also find that extremely hard to believe.”

Something unsettling glints in his eyes. “Colton hasn’t mentioned me?”

That blow almost tips me sideways. “Colton is your son?”

“Indeed. We’re estranged, but I’m hoping to fix that. With your help.” That last part isn’t a request.

“What do you want him to know?” I hate that my voice shakes.

“The family business needs him. Daddy wants him to come home.”

My lips part on a traumatized breath. But then, by some miracle, a loud commotion distracts me from the disturbing news he just threw at me. I whip around to my trailer before he can land another blow.

“This conversation isn’t over,” he bellows.

I don’t spare him a backward glance. “It is for me.”

“He’s worse than I thought,” I mutter to myself while making a hasty retreat from the front yard.

Paisley and Brody probably want answers, but I’m not ready to go there yet.

They don’t have much room to argue either.

My best friend married my brother strictly for his convenience.

It’s a bizarre twist of fate I’m still wrapping my head around.

But that’s a puzzle I’ll attempt to solve a different day.

Right now, I need to figure out what to do about my so-called bodyguard and the truth bomb that his father just dropped on me. Maybe I’ll get to fire him myself.

“Can’t freaking believe it.” Grass is crushed under my boots as I stomp across the lawn to the beat of my frustration.

I didn’t plan on speaking to Colton Keller ever again after the disaster in Germany.

That assumption has turned out to be foolish, much like his offenses against me.

The worst of his crimes wasn’t even revealed until we got home a few weeks ago.

The phone he took—but had me believing was stolen—is tucked safely in my back pocket.

After my brother and his fake-but-now-real wife made nice, my former jailer was permitted to return my precious device.

As a shock to nobody, he swept his behavior under the just did what I was told rug.

I called him a twat waffle and we’ve barely spoken since.

He’s crossed more lines than a dark romance that’s heavy on the trigger warnings.

I’m pissed at Brody too. He put the deception into motion, but Colton was the one to drive the damn bus over me.

Besides, Paisley already gave my brother hell for the whole ordeal.

She’s dealing with him accordingly. That makes Colton my problem, but I want nothing to do with him.

Unfortunately for me, after the events from this morning, he seems to be an unavoidable issue.

A sweet crispness drifts on the autumn breeze and I inhale slowly.

I need to decompress before doing anything else.

My mind isn’t quite right after the stress from this morning.

At least those cowboy criminals kept their word and let me bring Echo home.

A shudder ripples through me while I recall my conversation with the leader. It’s not one I’ll ever forget.

Here’s to hoping my current crochet project and a cooking show will distract me for a bit.

Just as I’m about to hang a hard left into the house, I spot Dad in his favorite Adirondack chair. The one beside him is empty. That was where Mom used to sit. Gosh, I miss her something fierce. A pang ricochets through my heart and I change course, striding over to him.

“Hey, Dad. Want some company?”

His unfocused stare is wandering across the sprawling acres of Benson Farmstead. I follow his gaze to appreciate the view.

White fencing leads to our three main barns.

Horses roam in the pasture closest to us.

The cattle are corralled on the opposite side.

Numerous storage buildings are visible in the distance.

Apple orchards and organic produce fields are planted beyond that.

There’s plenty more where all that came from around the compound.

It’s paradise. Plain and simple. This property has been in our family for generations. That’s why I’ll never choose to live elsewhere, even though most would’ve already fled the nest by twenty-three.

Dad blinks from wherever his thoughts had wandered and offers me a weak smile.

“You’ve had quite the start to your day, kiddo. Take a load off.”

I plop down when he pats the space next to him. My mom’s presence instantly wraps around me like a warm hug. Her memory is here with us, which takes a bit of the edge off. It allows me to relax in the chair, breathing deeply for the first time since I received that phone call.

My palm pats his. “How are you holding up?”

“Me?” He scoffs. “I’m not the one who had to rescue our missing horse. When your brother called to tell me, I couldn’t believe it.”

“That was an unexpected twist.”

“Jimmy really buried himself in the shit this time.” He scrubs a hand along his weathered face.

“Any idea where he went?”