Free Caleb by Cindy Stark Page B

across the face. He halted all movement, shock registering on his features.
    Her breaths came fast as adrenaline rushed through her veins. She took a step away from him and then another. “I want you to get the fuck out of here, Bill. Gather what’s yours, leave, and never come back to Blackwater.”
    She didn’t wait for a response, but turned and ran from the garage instead.
    Outside, she wiped the back of her hand across her mouth and fought to keep her tears in check. “Bastard,” she whispered as she hurried away from a man she’d thought she could trust. It broke her heart to know their relationship had come to this. Why did death have to bring out the worst in people?

Chapter Ten
     
    “Everything okay?” Caleb asked Rachel as he held the reins while she mounted her horse.
    “Fine.” Rachel had returned solemn and subdued after her talk with Bill, but Caleb didn’t want to press her for information. At best, she’d had an uncomfortable conversation.
    The day had warmed considerably by the time Caleb mounted the impressive black stallion just outside the barn. Bastian stood a good eighteen hands high with powerful thighs and a wide girth.
    The buckskin stallion Rachel sat astride wasn’t as tall as Bastian, but its buckskin coat and black mane were striking.
    “What’s her name?” he asked Rachel, referring to her horse.
    “ His name. Gemini.” She clicked her tongue, setting her horse in motion, not looking to see if he’d follow. Apparently, she needed a little time before he started with friendly conversation.
    Rachel led the way toward the west, more mountainous side of her property. Over the past few days, Caleb had more or less gotten the lay of the land, but she’d know the intricacies far better than he would. He’d ridden out on horse a couple of times, though Mickey hadn’t offered him a beauty like Bastian. Caleb had also spent time researching the area online. Still, nothing beat a firsthand trail guide when it came to new places. “How many horses do you keep on the ranch?”
    “Cattle are our main focus at Blackwater, but we do breed a few horses. Last fall, we had twenty, but we lost one to the wolves.” She met his gaze with cautious eyes.
    “You want to know if I share Bill’s beliefs on killing the wolves.” He could see it in her face.
    “Do you?” She shifted in her saddle, and he couldn’t help appreciate the ease with which she rode. Her brown hoodie embellished with the gold University of Wyoming logo hid his favorite curves, but the cut of her jeans and tall boots looked damn good on her. She wore her hair down today, and the sun kissed her dark hair bringing out glints of red.
    He’d held her not long ago, and he’d been hard pressed to let her go after Bill had rudely interrupted. He made it a rule not to become personally involved with clients, which was sometimes hard when he shared their daily lives. But something about Rachel dragged him right over the lines he’d drawn. He’d tasted the sweet fire burning inside her, and he couldn’t help wonder how far things might have gone if Bill hadn’t barged in.
    “I’m all about obeying the laws, and I can certainly see where you wouldn’t want to incur hefty fines or jail time because you’d authorized their killing.”
    She blinked a few times, scrutinizing him with an intense gaze. “That didn’t exactly answer my question.”
    “It’s not really my question to answer, is it? You’re the one with everything at stake, and I wouldn’t want to influence you one way or the other.”
    She snorted. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed or not, but I’m not easily influenced.”
    He laughed then, appreciating the feisty flash in her eye. “Oh, I’ve noticed.”
    “Does that bother you? Are you a man like Bill who likes to be in charge and has a hard time taking direction from a woman?”
    She was beautiful when her spirit wasn’t hidden by sadness or fear. Before he left, he’d make sure both of