Rachel ignored the gesture. “I have every right to be here,” she said. “My son will be riding tonight. He invited me to come and watch him.”
“I know,” Lila said. “He’ll be riding my stallion. So we’ll both be pulling for them to win, won’t we?”
Rachel’s only reply was the raising of an eyebrow. A heavy silence descended between the two women. The two daughters exchanged sympathetic glances. This wasn’t their fight.
“I’ll get right to the point, Mrs. McKenna,” Rachel said. “I don’t like you. And I don’t approve of the way you’re influencing my son.”
“Roper’s a grown man,” Lila said. “I couldn’t influence him if I wanted to. If we have a relationship, it’s as much by his choice as by mine.”
Rachel’s eyes narrowed. “I know you think you’re too good for our kind. But the McKennas are a God-fearing family. You’re a woman of the world. Even if you wanted to, you could never be one of us.”
“That was never my intention, Mrs. McKenna. I respect your ways. But I have my own ways, my own morals and values. They’re as good as yours. But they aren’t the same.”
“See?” Rachel hissed. “By your own admission, you’re a sinner, a Jezebel. And you’re dragging my son down with you. There’s a lovely young woman who goes to my church—sweet, modest, and pure as an angel. She’d be a perfect wife for Roper. But he won’t even agree to meet her. You’ve corrupted his soul—led him down the path of sin and sensuality.”
“I think you’ve said enough.” Lila’s voice was cold. “We both know where we stand. Go now. Enjoy the competition. We’re done here.”
With a nod to her daughter, Lila turned to walk away.But Rachel wasn’t finished. She flung the words at her enemy’s retreating back.
“No thanks to you, Roper’s about to be arrested for murder. I’m his mother. I know he’s innocent, I can prove it, and I’ll do anything to save him. Can you say the same?”
Gripping Cheyenne’s arm, she stalked away, headed for the concourse, where Stetson had gone. Lila caught Sam’s eye. He made his way to her side. She was trembling. The ever-vigilant Gemma appeared at her side with a small, opened bottle of water. Lila drained it in a few gulps.
“You heard that?” Lila asked Sam.
“I did.”
“I knew Roper’s mother didn’t like me,” she said, “but I’ve never felt such hatred.”
“My guess is that she’s scared,” Sam said. “One way or another, she’s losing her son.”
“I’m scared, too,” Lila said. “And having her attack me like that doesn’t help.”
“This is an emotional time for everyone connected with Roper,” Sam said. “Save yourself some grief and cut the poor woman some slack.”
“That’s easy for you to say. You’re the one playing God with people’s lives. How does it feel?” Lila demanded.
The words stung more deeply than Sam had expected. “It’s like being an ordinary man with human feelings, trying to do the right thing,” he said. “I respect Roper. I don’t want to find him guilty. But the final decision has to depend solely on the evidence. That’s what I’m waiting for.”
As he spoke, his phone began to vibrate. Lila stared at him as he lifted it out of his pocket.
“Go on inside,” he ordered her, turning away. “I’ve got to take this in private.”
CHAPTERFIFTEEN
The call was from the sheriff in Wichita Falls. Sam stepped into a nearby meeting room to take it. “Sorry for not getting back to you sooner, Agent Rafferty,” the sheriff said. “Things have been crazier than fire ants on a mule around here.”
“What about Hayden? Has he come home?”
“His horse did. One of his buddies brought it back. He said Hayden wanted to stay in Vegas for the Run for a Million—maybe do some business for the ranch. We could do the funeral when he got home. Mighty strange behavior for a son, I’d say. Has he showed up on your end?”
“Not that I know of,” Sam said. “I’m at the arena now. I’ll be watching for him. Do you want me to call you if I see him?”
“Yes, if you don’t mind. We need to talk to him.”
“Is there anything else I need to know?”
There was a pause. “I guess its okay to tell you, your being FBI and all. The part-time girl who cleans the ranch house claims that a couple of days before Hayden left for Vegas, she heard an awful hullabaloo of a fight between him and Chet.”