Page 23 of Silent Deception
“But ithurts.”
It certainly wasn’t going to be a fun trip home for him, even with his horse on autopilot. By the time they reached home each little cactus spine would have inflamed the skin around it, making the removal with tweezers even more painful.
“I know it hurts, sweetie. Here let me help you stand up.” Hooking the joint of her elbow under his other arm, she hoisted him to his feet. “Now, let me—”
At a movement along the cedar-crested ridge to the west she fell silent, her pulse tripping. There shouldn’t be any large predators out here—nothing more than coyotes—but she’d glimpsed something larger. A horse?
“What’s wrong, Mom? What do you see?” His voice tinged with panic, Cody grabbed her arm with his good hand.
A second later she breathed a sigh of relief as a horse and rider emerged from the trees far beyond the Four Aces fence line. “Just someone else out riding.”
He looked up at her with damp eyes. “Maybe he has tweezers.”
The broad-shouldered rider started down the long hill toward them. “I sort of doubt it, Cody.”
“But you’ll ask, right? Please?”
They were probably close to the Four Aces buildings, but a lone woman and child could still be at risk in an isolated place. The guy heading their way could be anyone.
“I’ll ask. But first, let’s get you up on your horse.”
He gingerly grabbed for the horn with his good hand as she gave him a leg up into the saddle, then she remounted Boots. By the time she’d reached over to knot the ends of Rebel’s reins for Cody, so they couldn’t fall to the ground, the other rider had loped to the fence line.
At first glance, she thought it was Ryan, with those blue eyes and wavy black hair, but where Ryan was toned and muscular, this man was thickset and developing a belly that hung over the trophy buckle on his belt. Trevor, she figured, though she’d only met him briefly many years before.
“Howdy, ma’am.” He touched the brim of his hat. “Trevor Gallagher. And you must be Miz Cantrell. I’ve seen you and the boy at school.”
“Just Kristin is fine. This is my son, Cody. We moved into the place next door.”
“Everthin’ goin’ all right? Did the boy get hurt?”
“That’s Hayden’s dad,” Cody stage-whispered. “I see him at football practice all the time.”
“Just a little tumble into some cactus...and an unhappy boy,” she called to him. “No broken bones, but thanks for asking.”
He smiled at them. “Come on over here and let me take a look.”
Kristin and Cody rode alongside the fence, and Cody held out his hand.
“Whoo-eee, I bet that stings.” Trevor gave him a man-to-man appraisal. “You’re one tough cowboy, let me tell you.” He paused, considering, then reached for the cell phone clipped to his belt. “My wife Valentina is good at taking those out, but our house is on the other side of the Four Aces. The home place is closer. She could meet us there if you want to take care of this before you go home. She’s a whiz with tweezers...though I’m sure your mom is, too.”
Kristin bit her lower lip. “But our horses—how far is it?”
He pointed to the south. “There’s a gate down in that next draw—we can get you through there. If we need to, we can trailer your horses home. It’ll be dark before you know it.”
Remembering Clint’s harsh last words at the clinic, she hesitated. Alone, she wouldn’t care, but there was no way she wanted to risk Cody witnessing his wrath. He’d seen entirely too much of that from his own father. “Are you sure this will be okay...with Mr. Gallagher?”
Trevor shrugged. “Why not? He’s holed up in his office anyway. He almost never comes out to the barn.”
She would’ve done anything to take back her sharp words that made Cody lose his balance. She’d gladly have taken those cactus spines in her own hand instead of his. But therewasa silver lining. While they were at the Four Aces, she could ask a few questions.
She owed her dad that much.
* * * *
THE THREE OF THEM TIEDtheir horses to the hitching rail in front of a long, low horse barn, and Trevor escorted them inside to an office, where Cody could rinse his hands in the adjoining bathroom.
Trevor’s wife walked in minutes later, her long black ponytail brushing the waistband of her jeans.
