Page 69 of River Justice

Birdie breathed a sigh of relief before going upstairs to her room, showering, changing and heading across to the Wild Horse Bar. A half-dozen regulars were already sitting on stools at the bar, even though it was early in the day.

She spotted Elmer and motioned him over to the table where she took a seat. The elderly retired ranch hand hesitated before sliding off his stool. His buddies were joking about her being too young for him. He looked a little flushed as he approached. She motioned to a chair, and he sat, looking like he might bolt at any moment.

“You’re going to get me in trouble,” he said.

She suspected a part of him enjoyed the attention. “I need a little more of your help.” He was the only person who had told her about Charlotte Stafford getting a call and going over to the McKenna Ranch. “Who could have called Charlotte that night?” He shook his head. Maybe he didn’t know. “Someone must have either overheard the call or saw her leave late that night after my father had been gone for a while, presumably having gone to the McKenna Ranch. How would she know that he went there?”

Elmer shrugged, but she could see this time he knew something. He’d put his hands on the table and was fidgeting.

“That you know this means someone told you,” she pointed out. “Elmer.” She laid a hand on one of his. “Please.”

He glanced around, acting almost scared. “I shouldn’t,” he said, lowering his voice. “You need to talk to Boyle Wilson, Charlotte Stafford’s ranch manager. He’s a son of a biscuit-eating cactus. Don’t tell him I told you.” She nodded. “Best watch yourself around him, you hear?”

“Is he the one who told you?”

Elmer scoffed. “He doesn’t talk to the likes of me. I worked under him for a while at one of the first ranches he managed. Meaner than a kicked rattler.”

“Then who?”

He leaned closer and whispered, “Boyle brags a lot that he knows everything that goes on out there on the spread. Get him drunk enough and he really shoots off his mouth. Truth is, he’s had his eye on Charlotte for years. Seems to think that someday he’ll own that ranch because he knows so many of her secrets. Said she’d been out in the stables, got a call, said something about Dixon and the McKenna Ranch. Then she took off late that night in her rig. Didn’t say it, but it would have been just like him to follow her.”

Birdie’s heart began to pound harder, stealing her breath. If any of this was true, Boyle Wilson might have seen her father’s murder—and his murderer.

*

CHARLOTTEHADN’TGONEback to the hospital or tried to see Holden again after that first time. All that mattered, she told herself, was that he was going to live. She hadn’t lost him from this earth. She could live with that. She had to, since that was all she was going to get.

She’d been so relieved when she’d heard that Holly Jo was safe—and so was Brand. That Brand and Birdie Malone had saved Holly Jo and had barely gotten out of that burning house still made her weak. She could have lost her son—if she hadn’t already, she told herself.

Her first impulse had been to rush to the hospital to see him, but she’d talked herself into checking on his condition instead. Brand was being released this morning. Ryder had said he would pick him up, and Charlotte had thanked him.

She had something else to do that she told herself was more helpful than racing to Billings and showing up in his hospital room. It would take a lot more than that to heal the distance between her and her son.

Pulling out her phone, she made the call. “Elaine, where are you right now?”

“I’m at the ranch. I brought Holly Jo from the hospital. She needed to see her horse and go for a ride. Pickett is back. That definitely made her day. I’m sure he’ll start the trick-riding lessons again.”

“The house? I heard it was a total loss.”

“It is, but you know Holden. He plans to build something bigger and better once he’s released from the hospital.”

“When is that going to be?” Charlotte asked.

“Not for a while yet. How are you doing?”

It was so like Elaine to think of her and ask. “I have an idea I want to run by you.” She glanced around her living room, feeling the silence like an accusation. She’d pushed everyone she cared about away. “I have this huge house over here that’s pretty much empty. I’d like to offer it to you and Holly Jo and Holden and anyone else who needs a place to stay.”

Charlotte took a breath. “It would be a lot handier for all of you than going back and forth from town. I would imagine you’d been planning to stay in the hotel,” she said, rushing on before Elaine could stop her. “I was thinking I could use some time away, so the place would be all yours. Ryder and Brand have their own wing and are always off working on the ranch and never around anyway. You’ll love my kitchen. Please, before you say no—”

“That is so generous, Charlotte.”

“I really would love it if you would take me up on my offer. You can all stay as long as you want. It would be closer to the McKenna Ranch while the new house is being built. You’d have the place to yourselves. But Ryder and Brand would be around if you needed anything.” At least, she hoped Brand planned to stay on the ranch. “It would give Holden a chance to get to know his son.”

Silence. Then Elaine said, “Let me talk to Holden about it. I think it’s a lovely idea. But where are you planning on going?”

“I haven’t decided yet.”

More silence. “I’ll let you know.”

---