Page 10 of Not This Time

At the very least, it was worth a shot.

Besides, her irritation was beginning to lower her inhibitions. "Why don't we put it to the test? A race. You and me, right now."

Jeb scoffed, amusement sparking in his eyes. "You sure you want to embarrass yourself like that?"

Rachel ignored his taunts. She drew a slow, steadying breath and continued outlining the terms.

"From here to the old oak tree at the end of the road and back," she proposed, pointing towards the distant landmark. "If you win, I'll turn around and leave right now. No more questions about your land or your business. But if I win, you let us onto the crime scene. Deal?"

Ethan was watching her closely, looking surprised. She ignored her partner.

Jeb eyed her warily, clearly taken aback by her boldness. In the silence that followed, Rachel could practically feel the weight of Ethan's gaze on her, his unspoken concern for what she'd just wagered. But in every hunt, there was a moment when the trigger was pulled.

When all lots were cast, and it came down to the skill of the hunter.

"You're not scared, are you?" she said, her tone even.

Before she'd even finished, he jammed his chin at her like a pointing figure.

"Deal," Jeb finally agreed. "Samuel, you mind if she rides Coal?"

Samuel narrowed his eyes, looking irritated by the notion of a state agent riding his horse. But another part of him also seemed interested in watching her humbled by his brother. He shrugged and nodded once.

As they mounted their horses, Rachel's mind calmed.

The horse responded to her touch, allowing her purchase in the saddle. She adjusted the stirrups. But then reached up, removing the saddle completely.

Jeb watched out of the corner of his eye.

"You sure there, girlie?"

She shrugged. She'd grown up riding bareback. It gave her more knowledge of how the animal was feeling. She could sense the tense muscles, the way it wanted to surge forward.

"Ready?" Jeb called out, his voice filled with confidence. Rachel met his gaze.

"Ready."

The evening light illuminated the shadows of the cracked ground, and Rachel's heart pounded as she prepared for the race, her thoughts an amalgam of anticipation, determination, and fear. She could feel the eyes of the rancher's family upon her from the house at the edge of the oak tree, their suspicion evident even without words.

"Alright," said Jeb's brother, Samuel, a tall, lean man with a weathered face and gray eyes that seemed to calculate Rachel's every move. "We'll let you have your race. But if you lose, you keep your word. You leave."

"Fair enough," Rachel replied, her voice steady despite the rapid rhythm of her heartbeat.

As Jeb readied his horse, murmurs spread among the small group by the house, who'd stepped onto the porch - the ranch hands, the younger members of the Clark clan.

"Y'all should know," one of the ranch hands drawled, spitting tobacco into the dirt, "Jeb, here's the best rider this side of the Rio Grande. Gonna be a real shame when you lose."

She didn't reply. Talk was cheap. Her fingers tightened around the reins as she glanced at Ethan. He offered her a small nod of encouragement, his eyes filled with concern.

"Enough talk," Jeb growled, mounting his powerful, well-groomed stallion. The animal snorted impatiently, sensing its master's eagerness for the race to begin. "Let's get this over with."

Rachel took a deep breath, feeling the heat radiating from her own horse beneath her.

"Remember," Jeb's brother called out as he raised a handkerchief above his head, poised to signal the start of the race, "first one to that oak tree and back wins."

"Good luck," Ethan whispered, his words barely audible over the sound of pounding hooves and the gathering crowd's excited chatter, as a few more figures emerged from the barn. Two more women joined the ranch hands on the porch of the cabin.

The handkerchief dropped, and Rachel's heart raced in time with her horse's hooves as she urged it forward. Jeb charged ahead on his stallion, a practiced ease hinting at the countless hours he'd spent riding.

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