Page 33 of 15 Summers Later

Without further ado, he led them around the barn to a large pen where around a hundred ewe-lamb pairs milled.

She loved seeing the lambs, so gangly and adorable.

With the herders and Paul’s help, over the next hour, they were able to separate the lambs and drive them through a chute to where Luke could quickly check them each out for disease or injury, vaccinate them, then return them to the pen where the ewes bleated in confusion and concern.

Madi’s job was mainly to hand him the next vaccine and discard the used one. Nothing too demanding, which gave her time to watch Luke’s gentle competence with the animals as well as the drama playing out as the lambs were returned to the pen.

She was invariably amazed at how the ewes were able to effortlessly find their own lambs in the crowded pen. She saw a few stray lambs who weren’t immediately reunited with their mothers, but things were soon sorted.

Paul Lancaster joined them as Luke was putting away his medical bag and removing his surgical gloves.

“There you go. That should cover you for now.”

“Thanks.”

They chatted about the herd’s upcoming trip to the mountains as Paul walked them back to Luke’s truck.

Only when they reached the pickup did the old farmer turn to Madi.

“I hear your sister is back in town,” he said bluntly, without a segue, as if he had been stockpiling the topic and now realized he had almost missed his chance to bring it up.

Madi could feel herself tense. “Yes. That’s right.”

“That book of hers. Why’d she have to go and stir up all that ugliness again? She ought to have let sleeping dogs lie.”

Madi couldn’t disagree with the man, though she knew they had very different reasons. It must be hitting very close to home for him, she suddenly realized, annoyed with herself for not connecting the dots earlier.

His daughter Mariah and her husband, Benjamin Woodley, had been active members of the Ghost Lake Survival Coalition fifteen years ago. For all she knew, Paul had as well. She knew there were other followers of the Boyle brothers who had never been caught, others who had bought into their combination of conspiracy theories wrapped up in mystical prophecies and pure hogwash.

Both of the Woodleys had served prison time, though they had cooperated with authorities and testified against the leaders of the group. Last she heard, they had moved to Nevada somewhere.

She was able to give them more grace than some who had been there, as Mariah Woodley had always been kind to her and Ava and used to sneak them food when she could. Madi had the impression Mariah and her husband had been trying to extricate themselves from the group prior to the events of that summer.

“I d-don’t know why Ava wrote the book now. That’s a g-good question. One you’ll have to ask her. I can’t answer for my sister.”

“When you see her, tell her she should have left well enough alone. Nothing good comes from raking up the past, digging up old bones,” he muttered.

Madi found herself in the uncomfortable position of feeling as if she had to defend her sister against something she agreed with one hundred percent.

Before she could find the words, Luke spoke up.

“Ava has every right to publish her story.”

While his words were said in an even tone, Madi could see heat kindle in his eyes.

“Not when it doesn’t only affect her. There are people involved like my daughter and son-in-law who have paid their debts to society, changed their ways. They don’t need everybody pointing fingers at them and whispering. My son-in-law is worried about losing his job. How’s he supposed to support his family if that happens?”

Maybe he should have thought of that before becoming tangled up with men who twisted logic and reason into something hideous and evil, she thought.

“I’m sorry that’s happening to Benjamin,” Luke said, his voice careful and without expression. “That’s nothing to do with Ava or her book.”

“He and Mariah have spent years trying to put everything behind them only to have that woman go and dredge it all up again.”

“That womanwas a child when she and her sister were dragged into a situation they didn’t choose. When they refused to go along with abhorrent plans for them conceived by twisted, evil men, they were locked up, tortured, starved. When theseyoung girlsfinally found the courage to escape, they were pursued by heavily armed men with vicious dogs. I’m sorry your son-in-law and daughter are upset about the book. But Ava had every right to tell her story, to let people know about what happened in the mountains near here while others did nothing to help them.”

Madi caught her breath at his vehemence, the harsh tone she never heard from Luke.

Paul said nothing, his features dark with anger. When he spoke, his voice was low. “I’m sorry to hear you say that. I hear there’s a new vet up Hailey way. I always liked and respected your father and was sorry as could be that he was killed. But maybe it’s time I look elsewhere for my next round of vaccines.”

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