Free The High Country Rancher by Jan Hambright Page B

motioned to the destroyed painting on the wall behind her couch. “Why would he do that? There’s a personal message there. Deface my art, you deface me.” A shudder vibrated through her, leaving her exhausted and confused.
    “How well do you know Ray Buckner?”
    “I’ve met him a couple of times in my travels, seemed like a nice enough guy.”
    “How old?”
    “Early twenties. You think he had something to do with this?” Baylor pulled out a chair at the dining-room table across from her and sat down.
    “I don’t know. He could be warning me to back off my investigation. I just need to talk to him.”
    “I know he’s a saddle bronc rider. The Turners said he was rodeoing. He’ll probably be back at the Salmon River Rodeo this weekend.”
    She hadn’t thought of that angle. The annual Salmon River Rodeo was coming up. Two days of saddle bronc and bareback riding, barrel racing, bull bucking, team roping and wild cow milking fun that left the town packed to the rafters with cowboys, their horses and plenty of fans.
    “Would you mind pointing him out for me?”
    “Love to.” Baylor smiled and her anxiety melted into her shoes, the ones she planned to exchange for a pair of cowboy boots come rodeo time tomorrow.

Chapter Six
    Mariah moved through the crowd of fans clogging the narrow street next to the rodeo grounds. Stadium lights situated around the area hummed and illuminated the dust in the night air being kicked up by the rodeo events transpiring in the fenced arena.
    The early evening air was crisp, and she buttoned her denim jacket, the one she’d donned along with a gray Stetson to take the coppy-looking edge off.
    After running Ray Buckner’s name through her computer, she’d discovered he had several outstanding warrants. Her gut feeling was that he’d run. Assuming she wanted to take him in on the warrants.
    Glancing into the crowd, she spotted Baylor moving at a slow pace some thirty feet from her. His height put him at an advantage, along with a cowboy hat pulled low on his head.
    A zing of desire pulsed inside of her. He was a walking distraction, and she searched for another focus, finding it in the tangy smell of barbecued ribsand onion rings that wafted from the food vendors operating along the street on the opposite side of the arena and grandstands.
    Trying to look casual, she stopped and flipped open her program, searching the list of events until she found Ray Buckner’s name in the third section of saddle bronc riders. He’d drawn a horse called Sonny, and he’d be riding it if she wasn’t hauling him into the station.
    Mariah closed the program and searched out Baylor again, spotting him near the main gate, his elbow resting on the top rail of the fence as he scanned the crowd.
    He made eye contact with her, pulled his hat off and put it back on. The signal that he’d spotted Ray somewhere in the wave of people pushing to get into the rodeo.
    Mariah’s heart rate kicked up a beat. She remained focused on Baylor as she started toward him.
    He gave three quick nods.
    She followed his line of sight, spotting Ray Buckner as he headed for the gate leading back in behind the bucking chutes and catch pens with a bronc saddle slung over his shoulder, wearing a bright orange and white striped shirt.
    She was on him in ten quick strides.
    “Ray Buckner, Detective Ellis, county sheriff’s department. I need to talk to you.”
    Before she could flash her badge, he bolted into the crowd of cowboys streaming through the narrow gate.
    Adrenaline surged through Mariah’s veins.
    She took off after him, badge in hand as she bumped and pushed her way in behind the bucking chutes.
    Getting her bearings, she saw the bobbing motion of his black hat, and raced after him, spotting him for a brief moment when he turned to see if he’d lost her.
    “Ray! Ray!” Mariah waved, shouting above the drone of excited voices, but he kept moving away from her, deeper and deeper into the area where the