Coming down in the elevator this morning, Cheyenne had been excited about the day ahead. Now it was as if a bank of storm clouds had rumbled across the sky, blotting out the sunlight.
Fixing a smile on her face, she strode forward to meet Hayden.
CHAPTERFIVE
Sheltered by the patio umbrella, Lila sat in her favorite chair beside the pool. One hand cradled her phone as she waited for the ring and the one voice that would give her comfort.
Burying Millie that morning had left her drained. As the dirt clods fell from the backhoe onto that lifeless body, she’d felt as if they were crushing her heart. But she’d stayed until the backhoe had finished the grave and been driven off to the shed. Then she’d arranged a few wildflowers in a heart shape on the fresh earth, whispered a word of farewell, and allowed her daughter to escort her back to the house.
Gemma had never been fond of horses—or any other kind of animal. She had tolerated her mother’s grief but not really understood it. However, she was competent and caring with people, qualities that would make her an excellent nurse when she graduated from the program at TCU.
Gemma had seated Lila on the patio, checked the dressing on her arm, and brought out her customary glass of iced tea. Then she’d disappeared inside the house to do herschoolwork. Lila sipped the tea. It was too sweet, not the way she liked it, but at least it was cold.
The mid-August day was already getting hot. The late-morning sun cast glints of gold on the surface of the pool. Hummingbirds buzzed among the honeysuckle blossoms where the vine grew over the wrought-iron fence. After a sleepless night and emotional morning, Lila was tired, but she wanted to take Roper’s call outside, where it was peaceful and private.
Mariah, who had returned unexpectedly last night, had begun rattling pans in the kitchen. Lila had given her time off to visit her sister, but evidently the two of them had quarreled, and now Mariah was back home. The longtime Culhane cook was none too pleased that Gemma had moved things around in her kitchen. The banging and clanging of pans was her way of showing displeasure.
Once Lila would have been glad for Mariah’s return. But now that she’d learned the woman was acting as a spy for Darrin and Simone, all trust was gone. No place in the house was safe from Mariah’s sharp eyes and ears.
Lila was getting drowsy when the phone jangled. Checking the caller ID, she felt her pulse quicken.
“How are you doing, Boss?” The undercurrent of tension in Roper’s voice told Lila that things weren’t going well for him.
“The burial’s done,” she said. “I know that death is part of having animals, but I loved that sweet girl. I’m sad, but I’ll be all right.”
“I know you loved her. So did I. Lila—”
“How are things with you?” She cut him off. When he called her by her name, it tended to be when he had something serious to say. She wasn’t sure she was ready to hear it. “How are the stallions?” she asked. “Are they settling down?”
“One in a Million’s coming around, though I haven’t tried to saddle him yet. I’m most worried about Fire Dance. No one can get near him, not even Hayden. He could have an injury that’s giving him pain, but the vet’s not seeing anything from outside the stall. It sucks that I’ll probably miss the Shootout. I might have to miss the big event as well. But that can’t be helped. It’s the horses that matter.”
“I’m sorry.” Lila ached for him. “Hopefully, this is the worst of it. I’ll see you tomorrow when our flight gets in. Things are bound to be looking up by then.”
“That’s what I’m trying to tell you, Lila,” he said. “You mustn’t come. It’s not a good idea anymore.”
“What?” Lila gripped the phone, which she’d nearly dropped. “Of course, I’m coming. We’ve got the plane tickets and the hotel reservations. We talked about this.”
“I know we did. But you’re barely out of the hospital. You need to rest.”
“I can rest in the hotel. I’ll have two full days and most of Saturday to take it easy before the Run for a Million. And Gemma will be with me.”
“Yes, but there’s more. That so-called accident on the freeway was probably meant for you. If someone wants to kill you, you’ll be setting yourself up as a target here. And think about this. What if I don’t have a horse I can show? You’ll have made the trip for nothing.”
“What if you do have a horse? What if you win, and I’m not there to see you? I’m willing to take that chance, Roper. You can expect me Thursday evening. I’ll call you when we’re checked in.”
Before Roper could argue, Lila ended the call. With a sigh, she laid the phone on the side table. Roper was too stubborn to call her back. And even if he did, she wouldn’tanswer. She could be stubborn, too, and her mind was made up.
But Lila knew the man she loved. And she understood the real reason Roper was telling her to stay away. Sam Rafferty had followed him to Las Vegas. If Sam decided that the evidence was sufficient to make an arrest, Roper could be led away from the arena in handcuffs.
That sight was one that Roper wouldn’t want her to see. But for Lila, it was one more compelling reason for her to be there. If the worst happened, she would start the legal fight for his innocence that very day—that very hour, if she could.
For that fight, she would need her strength.
“Are you ready to go in, Mom?” Gemma had come outside. She was tall, thin, and pale, like Lila’s grandmother, her light brown hair trimmed to a manageable pixie cut. Dressed in khaki slacks and a pale green blouse, she was as plainspoken and sensible as she looked.
Lila rose without help and walked across the patio, ignoring her daughter’s proffered hand. She’d been babied long enough.
“Mariah said to tell you that lunch will be served at twelve thirty,” Gemma said. “I offered to help, but she shooed me out of the kitchen as if I had the plague. I don’t remember her being so grouchy before. When I lived here, growing up, she seemed quite nice.”