Page 54 of Rancher's Strength

“What’s wrong?” Ryder asked as he rode back into camp and saw Kipp and I saddling our horses.

“Ruby and Sawyer. They’re gone.” I looked up at him and watched his face morph from worried to terrified.

Kipp, go wake up the others. Someone needs to stay here with the other kids, but we need to fan out.” He threw his leg over the saddle and hopped off his horse. Ryder grabbed me and held me tightly as I cried into his chest. “We’ll find them.”

His words should have calmed me, but they didn’t. How did we even start looking for them in this huge area? They could be anywhere. “I can’t lose them Ry.”

“I know, sweetheart, we’ll find them.”

Kipp came back with Nash, Griff, and Linc all in various states of undress, but they went straight to their horses and got ready to ride. “Elle will stay behind with the kids,” Griff said as he looked over his shoulder at his pregnant wife. It was probably smarter for her to stay rather than ride into god knows what. Even though she was great on a horse, this might end up too dangerous.

“We’re ready,” Nora and Fallon said as they put their hats on their heads and mounted their horses that the guys had gotten ready.

“Stay with Elle. Fire two shots if they come back, so we know to turn around. The sound will echo through this valley, and we’ll hear it,” Ryder said as he cupped my face between his hands.

“No, I want to come with you.”

“I need you here in case they just wander back, and Elle needs someone with her.” I glanced over at the woman who’d become one of my best friends and nodded.

“I love you,” I said quietly.

“God, sweetheart, your timing could have been better with that one. I love you with all my heart.” He leaned down and kissed me. It was far too quick and felt like hours all at the same time.

“Bring our kids home.”

“I will.” He took one last, slow, lingering kiss before mounting his horse again, and the eight of them rode away. I stood there watching them until they were mere specks on the horizon, wrapping my arms around myself.

“Come on, all we can do is wait. Do you know that they had to find Parker when he was taken?” I turned to Elle and shook my head.

“Want to know why the Hays brothers aren’t a problem around town anymore?” She smirked, and I nodded. That family had caused my father more grey hair over the years, with people wanting to press charges and then retracting them. They hadn’t been missed, and in all actuality, I’d almost forgotten about them. Arm in arm, we walked back to the fire and sat down in the camping chairs we’d brought along.

Elle chatted away about how Griff had found Parker, and she had no doubt the crew would find wherever Ruby and Sawyer had wandered off to. A branch cracked behind me, and I turned and peered into the bush, but I couldn’t see anything, so I returned my attention to Elle.

“How did you justify what The Five did while being a lawyer?” Elle asked as she handed me a cup of coffee.

“Mostly, I tried not to think about it. It helped that I wasn’t in criminal law, even though I would have been the first one to step up to defend them.” Letting my head lull against the back of thechair, I looked over at the woman who had accepted me without hesitation. “They never went after good people, so I told myself one more scumbag gone didn’t matter. Saying it out loud now, it sounds like a pretty weak excuse—but at the time, it’s how I justified looking the other way”

“Were you ever scared?”

“Only every time they went out for a job.” I took a sip of coffee and thought back to all the times Ryder left a note on the pillow or woke me up with a kiss to say he was leaving. During our first marriage, we spent so much time apart. Now I found myself wondering how it would work with him home all the time. “Ryder was good at checking in with me, so I didn’t worry as much. It’s funny, but I think I worried less about him when he was out doing the security stuff than him being up in the mountains checking cattle.

“I call it super spy shit.” Elle laughed, and I joined in. “Griff wound up in my bedroom without me even hearing him when we first got together. Scared the crap out of me.” She shook her head and took a drink of coffee.

“That’s a good name for it,” I agreed.

“Too bad you two cackling hens didn’t pay more attention to those men of yours.” A man’s voice spoke up from behind me. Launching myself out of my chair, the chair toppled over, and immediately, Elle stood by my side.

“I’m sure the Montana State Bar will be more than delighted to hear you allowed your husband to conduct illegal activity. Or I guess I should say your fake husband since your marriage is a sham.”

“What’s he talking about, Lexie?” Elle whispered, and I shook my head. Now was not the time to get into it.

“Nothing about my marriage is a lie. Ryder and I are happily married.” My voice didn’t waver, and while we might have gotten married to satisfy Hank and Anita’s will, it was just the push weneeded to get back together. I think Anita knew we were both too stubborn to admit we’d made a mistake and forced us to see it.

“That’s not what I overheard you tell the boss man earlier. And it’s not what those kids said when we asked them.” My blood ran cold at the mention of the kids.

“Where are they?”

“On their way back to the woman who should rightfully have them. Anita’s sweet mother will pick them up shortly.” He glanced at his watch, and I saw something move in the bushes this time. Ruby’s pink hoodie. They weren’t gone. I needed to get word to the five, but how could I do that?

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