Point Blank Protector

“I don’t have a choice. I quit my job in Atlanta and sold everything I owned except my Jeep and the belongings I could stuff into it so that I’d have funds to get the Silver Spurs up and running again.”

“Surely you’re not planning to do that by yourself?”

Her eyebrows arched. “You think I can’t because I’m a woman?”

A loaded question that called for an evasive answer. “I just wondered if… I wondered if you were married.” A blatant lie, but better than getting her riled.

“I’m not married, but I’m not some helpless Southern belle, either. I’m used to taking care of myself.”

In town, maybe, but out here? He had his doubts. “Ranching is a competitive business these days. If you’re set on trying it, I’d suggest you hire someone who knows cattle. My brothers Bart and Matt might have some recommendations for a foreman. You should check with them.”

“I’ll keep that in mind, but my first priority will be making the house livable. I was pleasantly surprised when the sheriff gave me permission to return to the ranch today.”

“Ed Guerra might talk like an unsophisticated cowboy sheriff, but he knows his stuff.”

“I guess. It’s just that…”

Her words ran out and vulnerability seeped into the depths of her caramel-colored eyes. Zach shifted his weight to the other foot and hoped she didn’t go all emotional on him.

“The body was right there,” Kali said, pointing to the bloodstain near the front door. “It was as if the killer had just dragged her inside to shoot her.”

Or that she was trying to escape and he stopped her. “Did you hear shots?”

“If I had, I would have thought it was thunder. The storm had turned violent at that point.”

“Were there any signs that the killer and victim might have been camping out in the house?”

“The sheriff asked that same question, but I really don’t think anyone had been staying here. There was no food in the cabinets and no sheets on the beds. And the electricity had been off until I had it turned on last week.”

“What about the water from the faucet? Was it clear or did it have that rusty look from sitting in the pipes too long?”

“I’m not sure. The sheriff rushed me out before I had a chance to try it.” She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “I’m sorry, Zach, but I really don’t want to talk about the murder anymore today. I’ve already gone over every detail with the sheriff.”

Reluctantly, Zach changed the subject. He walked to the window and looked out at the high grass and the overgrown weeds. “You could use a bush hog.”

“I’m not planning to raise any kind of hogs.”

“You don’t raise a bush hog. It’s a rotary cutter that can take care of the low brush, weeds and grass in no time. I’m sure your grandfather had one. It’s likely in the metal storage building, but you’ll need someone to operate it for you.”

“I’ll check it out once I get the house and stables in order. I’m hoping to bring in the first horses by the end of the month and be open for business by the first of April.”

“Business?”

“Right. The Silver Spurs Riding Stables and Horseman Training Center. It has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?”

“Is that because your grandfather raised a few horses?”

“No, it’s because it’s what I choose to do.”

She turned her back on him, picked up a broom that had been leaning against the hearth and started knocking spiderwebs from the ceiling. Her hair fell down her back, the multiple layers of auburn locks swishing back and forth with the motion of her body. Even her hair was different from the wild red tangles he remembered. It was a gorgeous auburn color now and smelled of spring flowers.

None of which meant she knew a thing about horses. “What qualifies you to teach horsemanship?”

“I’ve taught at a private stable just outside Atlanta for the past four years.” Her tone registered her irritation with his question.

“Teaching at some fancy city stable is a lot different than running a ranch operation.”

She set the broom back on the floor, but held on to it. “I appreciate your coming by to check on me, Zach, but I really don’t have time for your negativism and I do have to get back to work. Let yourself out, will you?”

Before he could reply, she walked away and left him standing in the middle of the den floor. He had a feeling her irritation had as much to do with the situation as with him, though he could have been a bit more tactful.

He started to leave, then remembered the rest of the reason he’d been sent to visit Kali. He wandered to the back of the house and found her in the kitchen pouring liquid detergent into a large bucket.

“Mom asked me to invite you to dinner tonight,” he said.

She dipped a rag into the soap mixture, then wrung it dry. “Tell your mother I appreciate the invitation, but that I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night. I plan to go to bed early tonight.”

“I’ll tell her, but she doesn’t give up that easily. If you don’t go to dinner, she’ll likely bring dinner to you.”

Kali straightened and turned to face him, her enticing breasts pushing against the fabric of her hot-pink T-shirt. “Was it your mother’s idea for you to come over and check on me, Zach?”

“Actually it was the sheriff’s idea. He thought you might still be upset over finding the body last night.”

“Of course I’m upset. Any sane person would be, but I’m not going to fall apart if that’s what you think.”

“I don’t, but…”

“But what?”

But now that he was thinking about it again, it didn’t seem safe for her to stay here alone. “You might sleep better if you stay at our place tonight. There’s plenty of room.”

“Was that the sheriff’s idea, too?”

“No, that one was all mine.”

“Thanks,” she said, sounding as if she meant it. “But the sheriff says he’s going to have a deputy keep an eye on my place tonight. And I have the shotgun. Besides, I have to stay alone sooner or later. If you fall off a horse, you get right back on.”

“We’re not talking horses.”

“It’s the same principle. I’ll be okay, Zach. Tell your mother I’ll take her up on the dinner invitation soon. And she doesn’t need to worry about me starving tonight. I stopped at Thompson’s Grocery this morning and stocked up on food.”

“Sounds as if you’re all set.” He smiled, tipped his hat and took the back door out of the house. No use to chance putting his foot in his mouth again and wearing out his welcome on his first visit.

His thoughts zeroed in on the murder as he left. He couldn’t see a man driving all the way from Houston to the Silver Spurs in a storm just to shoot a woman.

And what rotten timing for Kali. She’d moved to one of the most crime-free idyllic areas in the state only to step right into the path of a killer.

He was glad his mother had insisted he check on her. Kali wasn’t the svelte, sophisticated model-type beauty he usually dated, but she had that healthy girl-next-door-thing going on.