Page 16 of Montana Mystery

Kate didn’t smile. She wasn’t even looking at me, instead focusing on the ground right in front of my feet. Okay, different approach. “You know, it’s dark, but it’s still nice. Do you want a tour? I could show you a little more of what you were poking around the first time you were here.”

Animals helped. They helped loosen tongues and made people feel safe. I knew more than anyone the power of companion healing. Maybe they could help her right now too.

“Sure.” The word was quiet, but she fell into step behind me as we walked in the direction of the stables.

“Will you be cold?”

“I’m fine.”

Maybe physically. Mentally, she was a million miles away. Up close, she was pale. Her skin nearly matched the extraordinary blond of her hair. Something had happened, and she didn’t know what to do.

Well, Noah, treat her like anyone else who’s coming here for the first time.

“I know you’re a little familiar with us because Brandon came, but Resting Warrior is a place that’s meant for healing. We use animals to treat trauma and face down things like PTSD—no matter the source. We also train therapy animals. Some of the animals come with a history of abuse, which, if they can overcome it, makes them uniquely suited to be a therapeutic companion.

“But some animals aren’t meant for that. So the ones that don’t take to the training are adopted out through a network of local shelters.” It was something I was responsible for. Originally, we’d tried to find the homes ourselves, but as we grew, it became impossible. Now the animals went to happy homes found by volunteers who knew exactly what to look for.

“Mostly dogs and horses. We have some alpacas, and I’m currently fostering a pair of kittens. They’re wild.”

That got me the tiniest twitch of a smile from her.

The stables were quiet when I opened the door, but a few horses whuffed in response. “Someone’s awake.” I led Kate over to one of the stalls where the horse had his head over the door already, waiting to be petted. “This is Penny. When he arrived, he was so wild that no one could get through to him. Until our friend Evelyn figured out that he was afraid of men. We worked with him on the fear, and now he loves pretty much everyone.”

Kate reached out a hand and Penny lifted his nose up into it. It startled her, but she recovered quickly, stroking down his nose.

“Do you like animals?”

“I honestly haven’t been around them much. We never had pets, and I’m not exactly a rancher. But... I think I like them, yeah.”

The easing of tension in her body was clear, and that was enough for me.

She petted Penny for a few minutes, and I stepped away to give the other horses some attention. Kate seemed more than content to stay with him.

“Would you like to see the dogs? I can also show you the cabins where our clients stay.”

“Have you heard anything more about that group you mentioned?” she asked. “The dog-fighting one.”

She was still stroking Penny’s nose. Too focused on it. The tension was back in her body. “No. They’re slippery right now. All we have is whispers. This might be a group that is running drugs or weapons, but no hard proof.”

Anger surged in me, and I had to steady my breath.

The fact that we knew so little was beginning to get under my skin. I hated it. Someone making animals fight for entertainment at all was horrifying. But it was more than that for me.

“The one concrete thing that came to our attention is the possibility that one of the dogs we trained here landed with the group. The sheriff got an anonymous tip, and he checked with animal control. But by all accounts the dog is fine.”

Kate was quiet, but for the first time since she’d arrived, she looked at me. I’d forgotten how powerful her gaze was. Those eyes punched me in the gut, and they made me want to promise her everything.

“If someone is torturing an animal that I trained? That I helped to heal and feel safe? Then we are going to bring those fuckers down, no matter how long it takes. And if these assholes have anything to do with your brother and it will help you both? So much the better.”

“Thank you.” Another pause.

It felt like she had something to say, so I waited, but she stayed silent. “There are hot drinks in the lodge if you want something.”

No answer yes or no, but she fell in beside me again as I shut the barn door. We didn’t make it all the way to the stairs of the lodge. She veered toward her car. “I should go.”

“Wait.” I reached out to catch her by the arm but stopped myself at the last second. She hadn’t given me permission to touch her. “Are you going back to the hospital?”

“Yeah.” The answer was too quick and too flat. “Brandon is awake now. So I should get back there.”

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