Page 70 of River Strong

“No, but I was planning to tell you everything then.”

Oakley nodded. He could see how hurt she was and hated himself for not telling her long before this moment. “I thought I knew you.”

“You do know me. I’m Pickett Hanson. Nothing has changed.” He could see that it had changed for her. “Oakley, please.” He started to get out of his truck, but she pushed the door shut, shaking her head.

“Save it for Saturday. Maybe by then I’ll want to hear it.” With that, she walked away, leaving him desperately wanting to go after her, but she didn’t give him a chance as she got into her truck and took off in the direction of the Stafford Ranch.

He slammed his hand down on his steering wheel. He could do nothing but watch her leave. All he could hope was that by Saturday night she’d be willing to listen to what he had to say. If she still wanted to go out with him.

OAKLEYCOULDN’TBELIEVEhow much time the gas company employees were taking to unload their equipment. She concentrated on that rather than think about the fear she’d seen on Pickett’s face. Archibald the fourth’s face, she corrected and swore. She would always think of him as Pickett.

It was getting darker. She raised the binoculars to her eyes again. The men were almost finished. Only three men. She didn’t see Frankie or his brother Norman. That was a good sign, right?

She felt guilty letting Duffy think they would meet here at midnight. By then, it would be all over. She didn’t want him involved, Pickett either. Knowing her brother, the drilling could start as early as tomorrow morning. This was her only chance.

The night was quiet, the last snowfall a cushion for sound. A sliver of moon hung over the tops of the bare cottonwoods. She could see her breath. Another cold night after those days and nights that had teased of spring.

She hadn’t realized how much she would miss Duffy and Pickett. It surprised her how a couple of kisses and one big lie could change everything. They’d been a trio, best friends, partners in crime. But now she had fallen for Pickett, hurt Duffy and ruined their friendship and probably ruined Duffy and Pickett’s friendship as well, and she wasn’t sure how much of it had been a lie.

The worst part was that it had been her brother who told her about Pickett lying to her. CJ had enjoyed telling her too much. Just as he had acted quickly to get this drilling done. Her brother’s actions felt desperate. You would think this was his money he was making from the gas company. Maybe it was. Maybe their mother had offered him part of the proceeds for being in charge of this. It wouldn’t have surprised Oakley. How could her mother be so blind when it came to him?

Oakley watched from a safe distance as the last of the drilling equipment was locked up and the men finished up. She hadn’t been surprised to discover that the well would again be drilled near McKenna Ranch property.

Once she’d thought about what CJ would do to show their mother, she’d known he would put the well close to their mother’s favorite spot next to the creek. Oakley had always suspected that this was where Charlotte used to meet her teenage lover, Holden. Surely, she hadn’t chosen this spot. This had to be CJ’s doing—not her mother’s. At least she hoped that was true. Who knew what the well would do to other McKenna Ranch wells, not to mention the creek? Were her mother and CJ that determined to put Holden out of business?

Oakley didn’t want to believe it. Her mother was capable of shame. CJ wasn’t. When news had gotten out about the last methane well drilled on Stafford Ranch destroying the McKenna’s artesian well, there’d been an uproar around the river basin. Her mother hadn’t been completely immune to the adverse public opinion.

For a moment Oakley thought about going to her mother and trying to reason with her—rather than taking the drastic step she was about to take. If her mother didn’t know what CJ was doing...

The thought swept on past. Her mother would stand with CJ—even if she hadn’t known; even if this wasn’t what she’d wanted. CJ had been trying to take over the ranch for years. Oakley feared that was exactly what he was doing now from his wheelchair.

She thought about exposing him. But not even that might sway her mother. No, there was only one way to stop this well being drilled, she thought as she watched the gas company employees drive away together in one of the pickups.

Had they really all left? Or was it a trap? She didn’t think anyone had seen her back here in the trees. But CJ would be expecting her to try to stop this once she found out, which meant so would the gas company employees. She hadn’t seen the Lees brothers. They were probably coming back when it was full dark. The other vandalisms had happened around midnight. They would be expecting her to hit then, she hoped.

Oakley took a breath and let it out. Was she doing this knowing how dangerous it was? Vandalism hadn’t worked. The equipment had been too easily repaired. She knew that it was going to take something dramatic to stop her mother and CJ. She hoped this might also send a message to the gas company and area ranchers.

She was doing this, she told herself as she swung up onto her horse. The sled with her supplies dragged behind her horse as she rode slowly toward the dark outline of the massive drilling rig etched against the deepening darkness.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

PICKETTNOTICEDTHATOakley’s truck wasn’t parked outside her apartment. She’d gotten supplies to take to the ranch, he’d assumed. Maybe she wasn’t coming back to the apartment. Immediately, he felt his stomach churn at the thought of her being out there with CJ in that house. Pickett would have loved to have gotten his hands on her brother. He feared Oakley probably felt the same way.

He’d tried to call, but her phone had gone straight to voice mail. He was anxious to talk to her. It couldn’t wait until Saturday. He had to explain. He just hoped she could forgive him. He also wanted to tell her about what he’d discovered. But more than anything he wanted to make sure she was safe.

He climbed the stairs to the second-floor apartment and knocked. Tilly’s pickup had been parked where she usually left it, he thought with a frown. Was Oakley with her sister?

He knocked again. No answer. He tried Oakley’s number again. It went straight to voice mail again. He left a message, “At your apartment. Need to see you.” He waited. No answer. He knocked one more time.

Back down the stairs, he decided to wait outside for a little longer in case she came home. Pushing open the door, he saw an older waitress he knew taking a smoke break. “Neither of them is home,” she said. “Tilly left with her fiancé. Came in late last night after visiting the sheriff at the hospital in Billings but you know all about that since you were here.”

“Wait, the sheriff is in the hospital?” he asked in surprise. He hadn’t hung around long enough last night to hear anything about this.

“You live under a rock?” She laughed at her own joke and took another drag on her cigarette. “That nurse, Creed, I think her name was. She tried to kill him with a knife. He shot her. She’s dead, he was rushed to Billings to the hospital. Last I heard he’s going to make it.”

“I guess I do live under a rock,” Pickett said. “I saw Oakley earlier. She was heading toward the ranch. I was hoping she might have come back?”

“Not that I know of.” She finished her cigarette and stubbed it out under her shoe. “Suppose you can’t go out to the ranch to see her, huh.”

---