Page 28 of Wrangled and Tangled (Raven Peak Ranch #1)

F ollie did call in the county deputies and a homicide detective, it seems. He’s standing in front of me, asking a lot of questions, and I try to answer them as fully as I can.

Ultimately I think they’ve ruled Heath out since this other body was in a state of decomp, which puts the time of death at the same time we were having that first dinner at Mawmaw’s.

He was with my whole damn family, so there’s no way he could have attacked that person and hidden them under his trailer. Not to mention that would be the most absurd place to hide a body if he’d actually done it.

Heath’s standing outside of my truck, leaning against the passenger door, worrying his bottom lip.

“Looks like a storm’s comin’ in,” Follie says, looking up at the darkening blue sky. “I don’t think your cowboy likes it too much.”

My gaze travels to Heath, his head’s tilted toward the sky, lips in a thin line. He’s not my cowboy, but when he looks like that, all unsure and sweet, I really wish things were different.

“Guess I’d better get, then,” shaking his hand one more time, I walk over to Heath just as rolling thunder reverberates through the town.

I love the way it sounds. It reminds me of long summer nights spent under a warm Tennessee sky as a teenager, my whole life spread wide before me.

Things have changed since then, but I think the two of us could use a little teenage stupidity.

“Come on,” I smirk, opening the door behind him. “I’ve got something to show you.”

He looks skeptical, and I admit I’ve given him every reason to be wary of my intentions. But I’m betting he’s never seen a heat-lightning storm like this before. It’s one of the most beautiful moments out here in Goldspur Ridge.

“I hope whatever it is, it’s inside,” he swallows and hops in. I have to hold in my laughter until the doors shut, and I’m rounding the hood of the truck, jumping in.

“You’ll see, Cowboy,” I wink, starting the engine and heading back home. Thankfully I already locked up the garage, so I don’t have to go back.

The sky’s darkening, turning a midnight blue faster than usual with the cloud coverage. The air’s thick with humidity. As I roll down my window, Heath’s eyes grow larger.

Turning into the driveway we share with The Raven, passing by the house, I chuckle at Heath’s wide-eyed expression.

“Spencer,” he says, low and concerned.

“Trust me,” I say, patting his leg and giving it a squeeze.

He doesn’t respond, only swallows and sits up, looking out of the window. Lightning flashes, and he sits back so fast I can’t help but let out a chuckle. Thunder rumbles in the distance and I’ve not heard a sweeter sound in a long time.

Driving carefully out into the wide pasture, I park the truck and hop out. Opening the back door and hauling blankets out.

“Come on, Cowboy,” I laugh, nodding toward the bed for the truck before slamming the door shut and unlatching the tailgate.

Throwing the heavy quilt out onto the bed of the truck, Heath slowly steps out, warily looking at the sky.

“Are you crazy?” He asks, eyeing the quilts I’ve laid out in a pallet on the hard metal bed.

“There’s nothin’ better than a heat lightin’ storm,” I tell him, cupping his chin and tilting my head. “You wanted a date, here it is.”

“This is not my idea of a date,” he mutters looking up into my face. “I was thinkin’ somethin’ a little more… inside.”

“Scared of nature now?” I tease, resting my head against his. His intake of breath at the proximity makes me smile. “I know I’ve been pushin’ you away, and I’ve got my reasons but dammit, it’s exhausting.”

“So you’re what? Willin’ to give us a shot?” He asks, moving closer to my lips.

“If you still want that, and against my better judgement, yes.” I offer, “but you have to promise to be patient with me. It’s been a long time for me, and I have Briar to think about–”

His lips brush just beside mine, cutting off my words. A hint of a kiss. It’s a small token of affection, something that tells me without words that he understands.

Stepping back, I watch him climb into the truck, his ass is up in the air, and with a look over his shoulder, his eyebrow pops up, and he smirks.

“Go on, before I swat your ass and this turns into somethin’ else,” I rumble.

He gets settled as I climb up and rest my arms behind my head, kicking off my boots and crossing my ankles. He scoots closer, almost but not quite touching.

“Is now the time to ask all my burnin’ questions?” He asks before a great boom echoes across the ridge, and his shoulders scrunch.

“Ask away,” I breathe into the dark sky.

“Where’s Briar’s mother?” His first question’s a biggie.

When we found out Pearl was pregnant, I proposed immediately.

I knew it wasn’t what either of us had planned on, but after losing my dad I was damn well gonna do right by my kid.

I’ve never wished anything was different either, I loved Pearl till the day I lost her.

I’ll always love her.

“She was out riding one afternoon after I got back from the ranch,” I start, hating to relive the moment in my head.

“It’s okay, you know, if it’s too personal, you don’t need to tell me.” His cheeks tinge pink, and it’s cute.

“It’s not a memory I love relivin’,” I answer honestly, “but it’s important if you’re tryin’ to get to know me, I guess.”

Pearl’s death changed our lives. Briar was only five, so she didn’t understand. She still has questions I don’t know how to answer.

“Pearl had a brain aneurysm, and it burst while she was out riding,” I have to force the words out, even after ten years, it stings.

Rolling my head to look at him, I continue, “The doctors say she likely never even knew it was there, and it happened so quick she never felt a thing. But she was alone, and I’ll never forgive myself for it. ”

He scoots closer so his arm brushes mine, “It doesn’t sound like somethin’ you could have stopped.”

Shaking my head, blinking away the tears that threaten to fall, I look back up into the sky. Stars peek out behind the thinner clouds, as lightning races across the sky.

“That’s what they say,” I whisper, “I only wish I’d agreed to go out there with her, but Briar was runnin’ a fever that day, and Mawmaw wasn’t gonna be back for hours. I knew Pearl could use some alone time, so I encouraged her to go on her own.”

I take a deep breath in and let the rest out, the part that makes me hate myself. “I only called the police after her mare showed back up at the ranch. I was too busy with Briar to notice how long it’d been. She was out there for hours. Alone.”

“I can’t imagine how that felt,” he says, leaning up on one elbow to look down at me. “But you have to know there wasn’t anything you could’ve done, and hey,” he elbows me in the ribs to get my attention, “Your daughter’s kind of wonderful despite losin’ her mama so young.”

That gets a smile out of me, Briar is a fantastic kid. Even when she’s being a pain in my ass.

“I’m lucky enough to have an amazin’ family that stepped up when we needed it most,” I can’t take all the credit. Lucy, Mawmaw, Uncle Scott, and LuAnna all helped me raise Briar in the wake of losing Pearl.

“My mama died when I was Briar’s age, and not long after that, my Dad died too,” Heath’s voice is soft. Low, and his eyes drop to my mouth and back up. “He died of a broken heart, though that’s not what the official report says.”

“I’m sorry.” My heart squeezes in my chest as he lowers back down beside me.

“It’s part’a life, right?” He says, lifting his shoulders and throwing up his hands. “It sucks, but we keep on livin’. It’s how I found the rodeo, Eddie’s parents took me in after Dad died. They took me to my first rodeo and I guess the rest is history.”

A bolt of lightning strikes in the sky, sparkling in jagged arcs.