Page 16 of Wrangled and Tangled (Raven Peak Ranch #1)

L ucy’s wailing at Heath who's standing at the door like a deer caught in headlights.

“You fuckin’ killed him!” She shouts and writhes in my arms. His eyes bounce to mine, and I’m just as shocked as he is. I have no idea what she’s talking about. All I know is Levi’s dead, and whoever called Lucy told her it wasn’t an accident.

“You bastard!” She launches herself outta my arms toward him. Slapping his chest and hollering more things we can’t understand.

Mawmaw hushes her, while Heath gently but firmly holds her wrists. He hasn’t said a word, and honestly, I’m not sure what he could say. Lucy’s shouts have reduced to giant hiccuping sobs, and her face is pressed into Heath’s chest.

I’m not sure she knows which way’s up at the moment, what I do know is his eyes are pinned on me with a pleading sincerity that threatens to crack my resolve.

“Lucy,” I try, keeping my voice low so I don’t add to the already stressful situation. “You’re not makin’ any sense.”

“Levi’s dead. They found him in a dumpster outside of the arena,” as she talks, her hiccups break up her words. When she looks up and realizes she’s been cuddling into Heath's chest, she pushes off of him with a growl that I don’t think I’ve ever heard from her.

Eddie sticks his head through the door, paler than before, “Uhm, Spencer, your daughter’s askin’ a lot of questions, and I’m not sure what to do.”

If I weren’t in the middle of coddling my sister, I’d laugh. “Don’t let her come through the door,” I offer instead.

Mawmaw heads out that way, and a breath of relief escapes my lips as I fold Lucy into my arms.

“Who called you?” I murmur in her ear after she sinks to the floor. The weight of grief and surprise clearly took her knees out from under her.

“The police, they spoke to someone at the rodeo who told them I’m his emergency contact,” her breaths come in long drawls as she works to settle herself. I know she’s self-regulating. I’ve seen her do it more times than I can count growing up. “They said I need to identify his body.”

Her tears flow once again, this time with less frustration and more agony.

“So they didn’t say he was murdered?” I ask.

She pauses for a moment, hangs her head, and shakes it.

Heath pulls his phone from his pocket, and his face pales. With a look tossed my way, he turns on his boot and walks out the swinging door. I can’t focus on him, not with my sister torn up in my arms.

“I’ll go with you. Mawmaw can keep Briar,” running my hands up and down her arms. She shivers, and I internally steel myself for what we’re about to do. She nods, and I stand, gently easing her back against one of the storage shelves. “I’ll be right back.”

Mawmaw’s got Briar wrapped in one of her shawls back at the booth we previously occupied.

Stares and whispers hit my ears as people wonder aloud what the hell’s going on.

Briar looks up as I get closer to the table.

Her eyes are wide and worried, and I immediately swap places with Mawmaw to hold my girl.

She’s not used to anyone losing their shit like Lucy did, so I can only imagine how she’s feeling right now.

Rubbing her back, looking at Mawmaw, I nod back toward the kitchen and then back to Briar in silent question.

Mawmaw nods and gets back to work, reassuring the people in the diner that everything's alright.

For the most part, everyone seems alright.

“What happened?” Briar whispers, barely catching my attention.

“It’s…” I want so badly to say complicated, but knowing Briar, that won’t be enough, and she’ll call out the bullshit without thinking of where we are. “She’s in shock and a lot of emotional distress, and I imagine it will remain that way for a while.”

“I heard her screaming about Levi. What happened to him?” She blinks her green eyes up at me. It’s hard to remember that even though she’s mature, there are some things a Dad has to protect his child from.

Knocking her chin with my knuckles, I give her the only truth I can, “I’m not sure, Flower.”

She nods, looking down at the fingers she’s twisted into a knot. “It’s bad, isn’t it?”

“It’s not great,” I admit. “I need to do a few things with your aunt before bringing her home.”

She sits up straighter and wipes under her eyes, “I’ll help Mawmaw here, but when I get home, I want to know what’s going on.”

“I promise when I get home, I’ll explain more,” with a wink, she smiles, and I know she’ll be alright. My little girl doesn’t like to see anyone she loves hurting.

Sliding out of the booth, she follows and walks with me to the back where Lucy’s staring at her phone. She doesn’t move as Briar bends down and places a kiss on her cheek, nor does she budge when I place my hand on her shoulder to let her know it’s time to go.

Briar looks at Mawmaw as I pull my sister up and into my arms. “Take her to your house or mine after you close up here, I’ll send Colt up to walk you to the truck.”

“I don’t need a bodyguard,” Mawmaw scoffs, waving her hand toward the door. “Especially not that clumsy boy.”

“Humor me, alright, Mawmaw?” I swear the woman thinks she’s invincible.

If Levi was murdered, I don’t want to take any chances. Goldspur Ridge has never had a gruesome act like murder stain its soil, and I’ll be damned if I let anything happen to the women in my life.