Page 1 of Hit the Ground
Chapter One
Caleb
Midmorning,andthesunwas already high, beating down on the back of my neck like it was trying to teach me a lesson. Taking the bandanna out of my back pocket, I swiped my forehead and scraped back the loose strands that had escaped my hair tie, reminding me it was past time for a haircut.
I’d get to it eventually.
I scanned the horizon for my crew. A few were scattered close enough, making repairs on a section of fence in the distance. I swiveled my head, surveying the cattle nearby. A gust of icy wind struck my face, blasting the last of the sun’s sweat clean off.
Spring came late to this corner of Wyoming, and it never came soft. The last patches of melting snow left soggy ground and slick rock, and the wind hadn’t stopped blowing since February. After a lifetime here, the change in seasons didn’t slow me down. Rain, snow, or shine, my responsibilities on the ranch were here, so I was too. Being put off by temperature was a waste of time. It was what it was, and we rolled with it.
I was out on the western ridge checking fences. This part of the ranch went on as far as the eye could see, made up of raw,open country scarred with granite and sage, the land more bone than skin. More cattle moved like shadows in the distance, dark specks grazing between patches of cheatgrass and sagebrush. A hawk circled overhead, across the wide blue sky.
The radio on my hip crackled to life, and Bill’s voice came through.
“Caleb, think you’d better come back to the stables. Shelby’s here. Says she needs to talk to you.”
I frowned. Bill Eddings had been a hand on the ranch longer than I’d been alive. Not only did he know every corner of this land, he knewme—including my history with Shelby.
“What’s she need?”
“Won’t say. Seems real antsy,” he replied.
“Ask her if it’s about Jesse.”
“Hang on.”
My heart worked its way up my throat as I beelined to my vehicle.
The UTV started on the second try, engine reluctantly sputtering like it didn’t want to make the trip either. I turned toward the heart of the ranch, tires grinding over loose stone and tufts of golden grass stubborn enough to grow in this unforgiving dirt.
Shelby showing up at the ranch couldn’t have spelled anything good. As far as I remembered, it wasn’t something she’d ever done. Hell, we might’ve shared a kid, but now that Jesse was thirteen, his mom and I only really saw each other in passing. Not much to discuss about a self-sufficient kid smarter than the both of us combined.
Just last week, he’d shown me a math problem with the same excitement I’d once gotten when I’d land a touchdown. The kid was teaching himself calculus from a book he’d checked out at the library. I didn’t understand a word of it, yet I hung on everysyllable. He never failed to fascinate me with the way his mind worked.
Bill’s voice came through again. “Caleb, she says it’s about Jesse, but it’s not an emergency. She just needs to talk.”
In the background, I heard Shelby say, “Tell him it’s urgent.”
I chuffed, annoyed at the interruption to my day, but relieved it wasn’t an emergency. “I’m on my way.”
“Got it.”
I gripped the wheel tighter. The vehicle jolted over a rut, jarring my spine, but I didn’t slow down. I had a lot to get done today. This would set me back who knew how long, so I intended to get it over with as quickly as possible.
Ten minutes later, the stables came into view. Long and low against the base of a hill, sunlight flared off the metal roof. Bill appeared first, coming toward me as I killed the engine and stepped out into the swirling dust.
He tipped his hat. “Sorry, Cay. I tried to tell her to call you, but she wouldn’t hear it.”
I shoved more of my hair back from my face. “Not your fault, Bill. You’re not my social secretary, and she knows damn well she can call.” I clapped his shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. I appreciate you trying to run interference, but I’ll take care of it.”
He tipped his chin toward a row of SUVs and trucks. “She’s waiting by her car. You shoulda seen her face when she walked into the stables. Girl acted like she’s never been around a horse.”
Laughing, I shook my head and moved toward Shelby’s dusty silver SUV. As I approached, she climbed out and leaned against the door. Sunglasses on, she crossed her arms and tapped her foot like she had to display her impatience.
At least I knew what I was about to deal with.
“What’s going on, Shel?” I asked as soon as I was within shouting distance.
