Page 27 of One Heated Summer

Finn almost lost control as he turned onto the highway leading to Lannigan. He planted his foot, reaching over one hundred miles an hour, terrifying me. His eyes were wild, scanning the horizon, and he mumbled incoherently about how he had been cheated, stolen from, and betrayed. I didn’t have a clue what he was talking about.

"Time to pay," he hissed, as if speaking to an invisible audience, his voice trembling with rage and despair.

Each turn on the winding road was sharper than the last, making the vehicle sway dangerously from side to side. I gripped the seat, my heart pounding with fear. My foot throbbed with pain and I hoped someone—anyone—would soon realize the peril I was in.

Chapter Thirteen

Jensen

“Things have been going well with you and Harlyn helping out at both ranches,” Cash said matter-of-factly while we hoisted another cow out of the bog. We were using chains attached to one of the tractors.

Once she was on dry land, we dropped the chains and I checked her over for injuries. Finding none, I patted her on the rump and she trotted away to join the others that had been freed.

“Yours or ours?” Cash asked.

“Being honest…I didn’t think to look. We can sort out where they belong once they’re all safe and the fences are back in place.”

“Sounds good to me, they don’t have access to the rest of our herds in this pasture so it won’t be hard to cut them.”

We readied for the next rescue when the sound of gunshot pierced through the noise of the cow’s bellowing and tractor motors. Or at least I thought I’d heard a shot.

Cash’s eyes snapped to mine, he’d also heard the familiar sound of a gun.

“Was that…?

Before Cash could finish what he was saying, another gunshot sounded. I put fingers to my mouth and blew an ear-piercing whistle that had most of the men stopping what they were doing and turning in my direction. Elijah and Briggs jogged over while the other men continued with their rescues.

“What’s going on?” Elijah, standing beside Briggs, asked.

“Cash and I heard gunshots, we need to go up to the ranch house and check it out. Keep going with the rescue. Send Max to grab some extra temporary fencing from Carters. Get Tru and Sunny to secure the area around the dam while Virginia, Penn, and Ward sort the cattle and repair the boundary fence. We’ll be back to help as soon as we can.”

Cash and I jumped in my pickup and I bounced the vehicle over the ground, anxious to reach Harlyn and ensure she was safe. Fingers of dread clawed at my chest making it hard to breathe.

Stop! Everything is probably fine so stop thinking the worst.Gunshots on a ranch weren’t unusual so why did I feel like I was on the verge of panic?

I slid the truck to a stop at the stables knowing Harlyn was starting her chores there. Cash and I jumped out and hurried inside.

“Harlyn!” I shouted as I burst through the opening.

Nothing.

“Check the stalls,” I called to Cash but he was already working his way down the building.

“Jensen!” When he yelled my name, I raced to where I found him crouched down, examining the straw.

I dropped to my haunches alongside him and looked to where Cash pointed.

“Blood,” I murmured, my stomach churning.

Cash rubbed his fingers over the straw and they came away red, confirming it was blood. “I don’t like this, we need to find Harlyn.”

I nodded.Calm down, it could be animal blood.“Maybe she’s up at the house? Maybe she cut herself on a sharp piece of straw, it wouldn’t be the first time.”

“I don’t mean to be the voice of doom but it seems coincidental…We hear gunshots and find blood,” Cash said what I didn’t want to hear.

We took off running toward the house. I burst inside and ran around like a crazy person, screaming Harlyn’s name, getting louder and louder as the panic took hold.

“Jensen!” Cash yelled from the living room and I was there in record time.

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