Page 18 of Stormy Ride

“Dark blue truck and horse trailer. Two redneck guys with their asses full of buckshot. Six quarter horses being sold on the sly. That should be enough to keep you going for today.”

“I’ve got it. See what I can find out, Sheriff.”

“Thanks, Kirby.”

“Glad you’re back, Sheriff. Not that I’m glad Billy got hurt or nothing like that, but it’s nice to see you coming around again.”

“Thanks. Ted around?”

“Out on a call.”

“I’ll catch up with him later.”

I had lots of questions for Kirby about his boss, but I had to ease into it and not arouse suspicion. I had to sneak up on my prey and not scare it away.

Cut Bank Hospital.

I spent the next hour sitting next to Billy’s hospital bed telling him about the murder. We chewed the whole thing over and he came up with one thing I didn’t think of.

“Ask Marilyn Pellegrino about the horse trailer. She might have crossed paths with a truck and trailer like that buying or selling her quarter horses.”

“Damned good idea. I’ll drive to her ranch later.”

“I didn’t know Randy Quade personally, but I heard he was a nice guy,” said Billy. “My dad might’ve known him. Same age group. I’ll mention it to him.”

“Treated me well. He was a friend of my Uncle Carson, and he gave me a good deal on Outlaw. I owe him for that.”

Coyote Creek Inn.

On the way back from Cut Bank, I called Marilyn Pellegrino, and she had time to see me around three o’clock. I was starving and stopped into the Inn to see if Olivia would feed me.

She wasn’t behind the registration desk in the fancy lobby of the inn, so I walked into the dining room to see if she was in there with a customer. I saw her sitting at a table with Miller Ravary and I experienced a completely unexpected reaction to seeing them sitting at the same table.

Jealousy—green and venomous—flared through my bloodstream hot as lava, and the adrenaline rush made my heart beat triple time. Sucking in enough oxygen to turn a grown man dizzy, I turned for the door and was on my way out when I heard Olivia call my name.

“Travis, wait.”

I turned and she pointed to the door that led into her private quarters. “Don’t leave. Miller stopped in for lunch and he just wanted to talk to me about something.”

As soon as I was in her private space, I shut the door and locked it behind me. I took Olivia in my arms and kissed her with all the emotion that was thundering through my body. Pent up feelings for Olivia that I didn’t even know I possessed.

Pushing her against the wall and breathing into her neck, I whispered, “I have to have you right now.” I lifted her dress, pulled off her panties and took her up against the wall in the hallway. The sex was rough and not too refined, but I was in dire need of her at that moment. She was responsive to my demands and gave me everything I needed without a sound of protest.

When I was exhausted, I calmed down a little and just held her close to me breathing in her scent. When I was able to speak, I whispered, “I came for lunch.”

She laughed. “If that was lunch, I wish you’d come every day.” She picked up her underwear and pointed at the kitchen table. “Sit there and as soon as I make a trip to the bathroom, I’ll get you a beer and the lunch special.”

“I didn’t hurt you, did I? Seeing you with Ravary set me off and made me pretty aggressive.”

“At least you’re honest about your emotions, Travis. I appreciate that in a man.”

“What else do you appreciate, Olivia? I’ll see if I’ve got any of it.”

She smiled as she hurried to the bathroom to pull herself together and fix her hair. Customers were waiting in the dining room, and she was in here screwing around with me. Not the best for business.

Before she left to go to the kitchen for my food, she leaned down and kissed me. “A wonderful surprise, Travis. Something I won’t easily forget.”

“Sorry if I was rough. Didn’t mean to be.”

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