Page 23 of A Midlife Vanishing Trick

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Maybe talking with Penny hadn’t been such a great idea, Allison thought as she drove back to the ranch. She’d barely gotten anything to drink, and by the time she and the barmaid were done talking, she’d all but lost her thirst. A good thing since she still had to drive back home. It was not so good because her thoughts were still racing.

She rounded a bend and flashed back to what Penny had said about her lover, who’d also disappeared.

The thought kept prodding her:What if he never really meant to leave?

Allison had already been considering the possibility, but what Penny told her made her wonder even more. What if she’d been wrong this whole time, and he really was telling the truth about this Frost Mountain business?

I’d be more than grateful to have him back, the barmaid had said.

Allison wasn’t exactly ungrateful. In a way, despite all the pain and memories that had accompanied his return, it was great to have Stanley back, to know that he was around. And that was exactly why it was such an issue. She still cared, no matter how much she wished she didn’t. And that made her more susceptible to being hurt by him again.

She was halfway down the dirt path that led to the ranch house when she sensed that something wasn’t quite right. The cowhands weren’t at work. A few of them stood by the barns, looking tense. They glanced at her as she drove by, but none of them even waved in greeting. Allison frowned. What the heck was going on?

She continued toward the house. Allison spotted two figures in front. Julian was there, and sitting on the porch steps, bare-chested and mouthwatering as usual, was her husband.

Her stomach clenched. What was he doing back at the house? And why did everyone look so worried? She pulled up and climbed out of the truck.

“What’s going on?” she wanted to know.

Julian started toward her, looking like he’d rather not be the bearer of bad news. “Boss, something’s happened.”

“Yeah, I can see that,” Allison replied impatiently, looking to him for an explanation. “What happened?”

“Three of our cows were slaughtered.”

She blinked at him. “I don’t understand.”

“Someone killed them earlier today on the field. I found them less than an hour ago with slashes and claw marks on their necks.”

“Claw marks?”

He nodded. “It’s almost like some wild animal did it, or ...”

He didn’t have to complete his sentence. Allison knew what he was about to say. Her heart sank into the pit of her stomach. Her animals had been slaughtered. That was the last thing she’d been expecting to hear upon returning to the ranch.

She glanced over his shoulder at Stanley. He sat motionless, his elbows on his knees, his brows knit together. He was still shirtless, a fact she could never not notice. His gaze was trained on the ground. Suddenly, he looked up, and their eyes met. His were filled with an emotion she hadn’t seen since his return.

He’s furious. And he looks like he knows something.

“Thanks, Julian,” she said. “Give me a moment with my husband, will you?”

The cowhand looked at her funny but nodded and walked away. She faced Stanley just as he rose to his feet.

“You’re right to give us privacy,” he said. “We need to talk.”

“About what?” she wondered.

“I know exactly who slaughtered those cows.” His jaw clenched. “The bastard is after me, and now he knows where I live.”

Chapter Eight

Stories and Scars

“Okay,” Allison said, her fingers interlacing protectively around her mug, “I know I probably shouldn’t believe a word that comes out of your mouth, and Celine’s going to lose her mind when she finds out I agreed to talk to you, but I want to hear it.”

Facing her across the kitchen table from her, Stanley lifted an eyebrow. “What exactly do you want me to tell you?”

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