Page 32 of Dangerous Secrets
A blue jay called from its perch on atree branch, an answering cry coming from the far side of theorchard.The tranquil setting seemed incongruous given the violentassault to an innocent creature.Cattle were butchered for beefevery day, but having an animal, and specifically a baby animal,slaughtered for no reason other than possibly to intimidate orthreaten her or Walker, was more than troubling.
Walker got to the shovel first and dugat the hole she’d started under a ponderosa pine.She used thesteel rake to gather the remains until Walker took over the job,raking the body parts into the hole.
She shoveled dirt into the pit untilit was full and tamped down the soil.They drove back to the cabinwhere Walker let Bud out and he raced to theside-by-side.
Delaney leaned down and scooped thelittle dog onto her lap to pet him as he licked her chin.Walkerstood with his arms crossed over his chest, a frown lowering hisbrows over his eyes.
“What?Why are youglowering at me?”
“Because you’re not goingto like what I’m about to say.”
“That’s probably true mostof the time, so what’s new?”
“I don’t want you workingalone.”
“That’s ludicrous.I workalone all the time.”
“You’re vulnerable alone.I want you to take Oscar with you when you’re working away from thehouse.”
She laughed at hishigh-handedness.
Oscar was a trusted and valuableemployee, too valuable to have him working as a bodyguard.“Notgoing to happen.If I have Oscar with me all the time, then he’snot doing his work.Too much needs to get done before we open forthe season, and it won’t get done if we don’t each do what we dobest.”
Walker didn’t share her humor.Infact, his expression only got darker.“This isn’t a joke, Delaney.Whoever killed that calf committed a violent act.It’s not much ofa jump to commit violence against a woman.”
“Or a man.Will you havesomeone withyouall the time?”she asked sweetly.
“That’s hardly thesame.”
“You were the one who wasshot at, not me.”
He rubbed a hand over his jaw.“I’mwatching my back.I’m more worried about you.”
She shook her head.“I’ve got to getto work.You be careful, Walker.”
He gave her a half smile.“Maybe Ilike you worrying about me.It shows you care.”
The flippant response on the tip ofher tongue died.She couldn’t stop herself from being honest.“You’re right, I do care.I can’t seem to help myself.
“Just don’t read anythinginto it.”
***
Mid-morning the following day, Delaneywas still feeling out of sorts, and it wasn’t only because of thedead calf.She was unsettled.She hadn’t seen Walker since afterburying the calf, but she still pinned most of the blame for howshe felt on him.No one could unsettle her the way Walker McGrathcould.
Why did he have to kiss her on thatdirt road?
She’d been able to convince herselfher reaction to those kisses at Easy Money was momentary insanity,and locked the feelings he’d pulled from her into a corner of herbrain where they wouldn’t distract her.
Then he’d gone and blasted that lockaway.
On top of that, there was the issue ofthe calf.Shane had confirmed he’d lost a one-month-old calf fromhis west pasture the night before it’d been found dead.He hadn’theard or seen anything unusual, but he’d be taking extra care toprotect his livestock.
The only thing Delaney could do was tocontinue her work and keep her guard up.
She sat in the side-by-side and tappedthe irrigation app on her iPad.Boysenberries were beginning toplump and with temps in the eighties in the coming days, the waterflow needed adjusting.Plenty of water meant fatberries.
Initially she’d thought to plantraspberries but had decided on the more heat-tolerantboysenberries.
