Page 44 of Dark Side of the River

TILLYFELTAchill as she looked in her rearview mirror as they drove away. There were no vehicle lights behind them. The people who’d been outside had apparently gone back inside the barn. “I don’t think the meeting was over. Did you hear what that one man asked about doing something rather than just talking? Ralph waved him off, but I have a feeling that the ones who are still there are now talking about taking some kind of action right now.”

“I caught that too,” Cooper said as he looked into his rearview mirror. “I think the geologist’s talk tonight was for our benefit. All the information Phil gave us is online. Anyone could access it on one of the many sites about the pros and cons of methane drilling. Plus, I really doubt anyone at that meeting didn’t already know all of that.”

“Other than trying to get ranchers not to lease their property to the gas company, how do you think they’re planning to stop the drilling other than lining up on the county line with guns?”

“Seems several of the drilling rigs have been vandalized. If your sister was involved in that aspect of Dirty Business—”

“I’ve been thinking about that. I still think we need to check out that ravine Oakley came riding out of according to the pilot and Tick,” she said.

“There’s nothing over the mountains but the old Smith homestead, and nothing left of it but a few buildings. We aren’t running any cattle in that area because of the drought—”

“And the methane well that we drilled on our land close by,” she said. “Do you think she was back in there trying to sabotage the gas well? Why else would she have been on your property, unless...?” She seemed to hesitate before she said, “You sure they aren’t drilling on your land back in there?”

“There isn’t any drilling going on on McKenna property.”

“Are you sure about that?” she asked. “Isn’t that area a long way from anything on your ranch? Rugged country, rich with coal back in there, right? Only one road in.”

She could see him considering it when a set of high-beam headlights flashed on behind them.

“Whoever it is, he came out of nowhere,” Cooper said as he kept going but pulled over some to let the rig pass.

“Cooper?” Tilly said when she checked her side mirror and saw the lights growing brighter as the vehicle raced toward them. The driver, though, wasn’t moving over to pass. “Cooper!”

“Hang on—it looks like he plans to ram us,” he said, and hit the gas. They roared down the dirt road, bouncing over bumps, sending them lifting off their seats even strapped in with seat belts.

The truck chasing them stayed right with them, even though Cooper managed to stay ahead of the vehicle, outmaneuvering the other driver. But ahead in the headlights, Tilly saw the curve coming up where one of the ranch roads connected next to a stand of cottonwoods. Her blood pounded in her ears. If they lost control there—

The flashing lights of a patrol SUV came on from the side road, startling her. As they roared past, the sheriff’s department SUV fell in behind what she could now see was a truck tailing them. She heard the siren, could make out the lights through the dust boiling up in the glow of their taillights.

The lights of the truck behind them dimmed as the driver slowed, then pulled over. To her surprise, whoever was driving the patrol SUV didn’t stop. Instead, it sped after her and Cooper.

“Cooper?” she said again, anxiety rising. She’d been relieved to be rid of the driver of the truck who’d been chasing them. But now she wasn’t sure they still weren’t in trouble if the man behind the wheel of that patrol SUV was who she thought it was.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

COOPERSWOREUNDERhis breath as the driver of the patrol SUV roared up behind them, siren blaring, lights flashing. He pulled off into a wide spot, driving under the limb of a large cottonwood that blocked out the stars.

He put down his window as the sheriff pulled in next to them.

Tilly swallowed, heart hammering. It couldn’t be a coincidence that Stuart had been waiting down that road. Which meant he’d known about the meeting. He’d known that she and Cooper would go to it. He’d been waiting for them. Because he knew there would be trouble? She felt as if they’d been set up. But by whom?

Stuart turned off his lights and siren as he put down his passenger-side window and leaned toward them to call across. “You two done for the night? Because I’m ready to call it a day,” he said. She looked past Cooper and nodded, her heart in her throat. “Then good night.” He hit the gas and roared off toward town.

They didn’t move. Cooper still had the pickup in Park. He was staring after the sheriff. “He didn’t even stop the driver who was chasing us,” Tilly said as the dust settled. She couldn’t tell if he was as shaken as she was. At one point, he had started to unbuckle his seat belt as if planning to get out and talk to the sheriff. But he’d apparently changed his mind.

She’d unbuckled hers, thinking she needed to get out, walk around in the fresh night air and calm down.

Cooper looked over at her. “You okay?”

She shook her head and felt tears burn her eyes. Cooper unbuckled his seat belt and reached for her, pulling her across the bench seat and into his arms. She fell into his warm, strong body as if she’d been headed there her whole life. When she looked into his blue eyes, she felt herself smile. She hadn’t been wrong. There was something simmering between them that was about to boil over.

He drew her closer and kissed her. She melted against him, her mouth opening to a kiss that felt long overdue. In his arms, she could finally admit how badly she had wanted this. They were both breathing hard when the kiss ended.

Cooper drew back. She looked into his blue eyes and worried he was already having second thoughts. Tilly shook her head. “Don’t you dare, Cooper McKenna. If you say you shouldn’t have done that, so help me, I will—”

He pulled her to him and silenced her with a kiss, deepening it and seeming to make no excuses for the passion in it. “Tilly,” he whispered against her lips. “Damn, Tilly.” His hand went to her breast, where her aching nipple pressed hard against his hand through her blouse and bra.

She had no doubt about what would have happened next if a string of headlights hadn’t appeared down the road behind them, faintly illuminating the inside of the cab. The meeting had ended.

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