Page 35 of The Cowboy's Justice

“Not yet, but we were just talking about that.”

“What a mess. Please stay put and don’t go off anywhere by yourself. Do you need anything?”

“No, dad, I’m fine. Devlin has been amazing, especially considering I hit his truck. I’m guessing he’ll be taking it in to get fixed sometime this week. I’m not sure, we haven’t talked about it.”

“Stay in touch, and if I hear anything about William I’ll let you know.”

“Thanks, dad. Bye for now.”

Ending the call, Portia let out a happy sigh. Since the crazy afternoon on the freeway her life had taken a wild turn, one she never could have imagined. Though it had been a wild ride, she had Devlin, and it was worth every moment.

“Hey, what’s goin’ on?” Devlin asked, poking his head in the door.

“Dad called. William has disappeared.”

“Damn. We’d better keep our eyes open, there’s no tellin’ what that joker might be up to. Get dressed and come back to the barn with me. It’s time to bring the horses in, give them their buckets and blanket them for the night. I’ll show you how we do that.”

* * *

The sun was setting and there was a slight chill to the air. Dressed in slacks, hiking shoes, a thick polo shirt and awindbreaker, William moved through the back gate and started up the hill. He had a small, powerful pair of binoculars, two pairs of handcuffs, a flashlight, and a revolver. With his long legs he had no problem climbing the hill. It was a dry, easy trail, but when the path turned to the left he paused to catch his breath.

He didn’t know how long it would take to reach the area above Devlin Hatfield’s ranch, and he didn’t care. He wouldn’t be making his move until it appeared the ranch had settled for the night. Depending on the circumstances he might even wait for another evening. He needed to be alone with Devlin and Portia, and when it mattered, William could be a very patient man.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

After Devlin and Sammy had brought the horses in from the paddocks, Sammy began distributing the buckets while Devlin showed Portia how to put on the blankets. Once the horses were fed, blanketed and settled, Portia stood by Marge’s stall while Devlin talked with Sammy before he left for the day.

“Any questions?” Devlin asked walking up and standing next to her.

“I can’t think of any. I really like just watching them. It’s oddly comforting.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean,” he said with a sigh, placing his arm around her shoulders. “It will start gettin’ chilly soon. The temps dip overnight at this time of year. We should get back to the house. Huh…where have those dogs gone?”

“I don’t know, I haven’t seen them.”

As they stepped outside, Devlin whistled. Within seconds they could hear the dogs barking, and moments later they saw Jethro and Jezebel racing towards them.

“They’re coming from Smoky Hill,” Devlin muttered. “They’re not supposed to go up there without me.”

“Apparently they don’t know that.”

“Oh, they know,” he declared as the dogs reached them. “What do you think you were doin’?” he scolded, staring down at them. “No goin’ up that hill without me.”

Though the dogs looked sheepish for a moment, they spun around and ran up to the house.

“Why don’t you want them up there without you?”

“Wolves and other wildlife,” Devlin said solemnly. “We haven’t had any trouble, and I want to keep it that way.”

“Wolves?” Portia repeated. “That sounds scary.”

“We’ve lived side by side for years, but I still don’t want those two up there without me.”

By the time they reached the house the dogs were waiting impatiently on the porch, and hurried inside the moment Devlin opened the door.

“So, if they’re not allowed, why do you think they went up?”

“I’m wonderin’ that myself,” he replied with a frown as they entered the kitchen “I guess there must have been a scent too temptin’ to ignore.”

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