When Love's Gone Country (Sequel two of the Embracing Love Trilogy) Read online

  “I’ve always denied it. If he asked me, I’d deny it again. It wouldn’t do ‘em any good to ask me.”

  “What about other ranch hands?” Alex asked.

  “Red keeps to himself a lot. Well, except for Bart. Those two are like peas in a pod. You don’t think they’re in this together, do you?”

  “Four eyes are better than two,” Court said.

  “There’s one way to find out for sure,” Purity said. “Meg made up a story about an underground cave in the river. If we can somehow tell that same story to Red, he might go there. We could catch him looking for it.”

  “Frank can’t just bring it up in conversation now after he’s denied it for so long,” Brad said. “It would need to be someone else, someone Red or Bart would never expect to have any information about the hot springs.”

  They all looked around the room. One by one their eyes fell on Jeremy.

  “Why ya’ll lookin’ at me?” Jeremy asked.

  “How’d you like to be in on a secret mission?” Bobby asked.

  “Sign me up!”

  Everyone laughed.

  “We have to make sure there’s no danger. I’m not letting Jeremy do anything that might put him in harm’s way,” Meg said.

  “That’s a given,” Bobby said. “We can have Jeremy leak the information while we’re all in a public setting with lots of people around. He only has to give enough information for Red to be able to find the fake location.”

  “We should have a trap waiting for him,” Jeremy said. “Like one of those nets that swoops you up into the air and hangs you upside down.”

  “That’s not a bad idea,” Brad said. “It’d be damn hard to explain you were just passin’ by if you got caught in a trap.”

  “I think it’ll be enough to catch him searchin’ the property. It’ll be enough for me anyway,” Frank said.

  “How do the ranch hands pick which one of us they’re going to work with?” Meg asked.

  “I tell ‘em,” Frank said.

  “So you could tell Red he’ll be working with Jeremy and Bobby?”

  “Yeah.”

  “What chore would lend itself best to the two of them having a conversation?”

  “Well,” Frank thought for a moment. “We want a lot of people around, but they also need to be able to talk while they’re workin’. Feedin’ chickens would work. Jeremy would just need to say he wanted to team up with Red.”

  “I could say it’s ‘cuz he knows so much about the ranch,” Jeremy said.

  “I think that’d do it.”

  “So, Jeremy tells him that the healing well is located where the river makes the double y and that there’s a secret cave underwater.” Purity said.

  “To find out, Red would have to dive underwater and find the cave.” Frank said.

  Pure nodded.

  “That sounds like some pretty good evidence to me. No other reason to go divin’ in that part of the river as the current is too swift. It’s great for white water rafting, but not for swimmin’. I think we got ourselves a plan.”

  Emma and Frank thanked the group for meeting with them and apologized for all the inconvenience.

  When they were back at the ranch hand quarters, Bobby and Meg helped Jeremy practice what he would say.

  “It has to sound casual, like you didn’t plan it,” Bob said.

  “What if he don’t bring it up?”

  “He won’t bring it up, you’ll have to,” Meg said. “You could say something about how sore everybody was, until they went swimming in the river.”

  “Then ya’ll got better, fast.”

  “Exactly.”

  “I could say it was some kind of miracle or something.”

  “That would be excellent. Just remember not to talk about it too much. Let him ask you questions,” Bob said.

  “And remember to keep talking about the ranch and the animals, so he doesn’t get suspicious,” Meg added.

  “That’s a lot to remember.”

  “It sure is. Honey, if it’s too much, just forget about it and have fun, okay. We don’t want this to become some kind of burden for you,” Meg said.

  “I can do it, Mom. It’s always fun to outsmart grown-ups!”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  When it came time to divvy up the chores, Red pointed to Bobby and Jeremy. “You’re with me. We’re headin’ to the chicken coop for feedin’ time.”

  “I love the chickens!” Jeremy said with excitement. “I thought they might peck at me that first day. ‘Cuz I’m puttin’ my hand on their behind and all, but they didn’t seem to mind.”

  Red chuckled. “Yeah, I guess they’re pretty used to it by now.”

  “Want me to fill the water trough?” Bobby asked.

  “Three-fourths of the way would be good.”

  Bobby headed far enough way that Jeremy and Red could talk without being overhead, but stayed close enough that if something went wrong, he could come to Jeremy’s aid quickly.

  “Small handfuls spread evenly,” Red instructed.

  “I like pickin’ eggs better’n feedin’ chickens.”

  “How come?”

  “I like seein’ the different sizes and colors of the eggs.”

  “That’s one thing about a ranch, there’s always somethin’ interestin’ to see and do.”

  “Some things make your muscles hurt, though. Like that first day we was here. Everybody was hurtin’ by nightfall.”

  “The first few days at the Double Y are hard on city folk. There’s a lot of muscles they ain’t never used before. It’s good for ya, though.”

  “The hot water helps. Everybody felt better after they sat in the hot water for a while.”

  “You mean the bathtub?”

  “No. The hot water. There was some name they called it.” He shrugged his shoulders. “I forget. But they sure felt better when they came back from the river.”

  “There’s no hot water at the river. I think you’re confused.”

  Jeremy shook his head. “The hot water ain’t in the river, but you got to go in the river to find the hot water.”

  “That don’t make sense.”

  “There’s a cave or somethin’, but it’s under the water. You know where the river makes the double y?”

  “Yeah.”

  “That’s where they said the cave was. You swim down to it and then go into it and you come out on the other side in this hot water. I don’t really understand it, but they said it was awesome. They’re gonna take me in a couple days. I’ll tell you all about it then.”

  “I’ll look forward to hearin’ about it.”

  “Do you think all rivers have secret caves?”

  “I’ve never heard of even one river having one.”

  “How come roosters crow when the sun rises?”

  Red was lost in thought and didn’t hear the question.

  “Red?”

  “What’s that?”

  “I asked how come roosters crow when the sun rises?”

  “I’m gonna be right back, Jeremy. I need to tend to somethin’ right quick.”

  “Okay.” Jeremy tossed more feed toward the waiting chickens.

  Bobby joined him. “How’d it go?”

  “I should get an Oscar.”

  Bobby chuckled and tousled Jeremy’s hair. “Maybe you’ve found your calling.”

  “You can lie for a living?”

  “Sure. Politicians do it all the time.”

  “He said he had to tend to something.”

  Bobby looked around to find Red and Bart with their heads together. “I think he’s filling Bart in on what you told him. We should know soon if they took the bait.”

  “What if they don’t?”

  Bobby shrugged. “Guess we’ll have to wait and see.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Bart and Red had several short conversations during the next hour and a half. When the chickens had been fed and all the eggs had been gathered, there was nothing left for Bobby and
Jeremy to do, but leave the chicken coop.

  “Now what?” Jeremy asked.

  “Second shift.”

  “Huh?”

  “We leave, so as not to arouse suspicion and we get two more people to watch Red and Bart.”

  “Oh, I see. Who should be next?”

  “Whoever is finished with their chores.”

  When they reached the ranch hand quarters, Brad and Courtney were sitting on the leather sofa, Brad was massaging Court’s feet.

  “You need to rest some more or can you go back out?” Bob asked.

  “What happened?” Courtney asked.

  “Red and Bart talked a lot, but they never left the chicken coop area.”

  “So, we failed,” Court said.

  “Not necessarily. They could just be biding their time. It would look funny if they just up and left in the middle of chores.”

  “You think we should sashay our cute behinds toward the coop?” Court asked.

  “If you’re game.”

  Courtney looked at Brad. “I am if you are.”

  “Put your shoes on and let’s go.”

  “What about breakfast?”

  “We’ll save some for you,” Jeremy said.

  “Somehow I feel like we’re getting the short end of the stick.”

  “Stop your belly aching. We’ll be back before you know it.”

  “Said the man who ate two apples while we were in the orchard this morning.”

  “It’s not my fault you didn’t seize the opportunity.”

  Courtney elbowed Brad as they headed through the doorway. “We’ll be back.” She threw the words over her shoulder.

  “Don’t be too obvious,” Bobby said.

  “Hey, look! They’ve got chocolate covered doughnuts. Can I have one?” Jeremy asked.

  “Sure.” Bob could hear Meg’s voice telling him that letting the kids load up on sugar was a bad idea, but since she wasn’t here… “Hand one to me, too.”

  Jeremy obliged gladly.

  Meanwhile, Courtney and Brad held hands as they traveled the familiar path toward the chicken coop. When they came within spitting distance, they surveyed the area.

  “No one’s here,” Brad said.

  “Should we head toward the river?”

  “Do you know where it makes a double y?”

  “No. Do you?”

  “No. I figured I’d follow them and they’d show us the way.”

  “That’s what I thought, too. I feel pretty stupid about now.”

  “Me, too.”

  “We could ask Frank.”

  “That’s a good idea. Where do you suppose we might find him?”

  “Could be anywhere. Let’s start looking. Should we split up?”

  “We’d cover twice as much ground.”

  “We just came from the orchard not more than half an hour ago and he wasn’t there.”

  “We know he’s not at the chicken coop.”

  “What’s that leave?”

  “More than three-quarters of the ranch. He could be riding fences or roping wayward cattle.”

  They stared at each other, wondering how none of them had even considered the fact that they didn’t know where the double y in the river was.

  “Meet back here in an hour,” Brad said, glancing at his watch.

  Court did the same. “Okay.” They shared a quick kiss, then went their separate ways.

  Courtney headed toward the sheep paddock and Brad headed toward the fire pit, the last place he’d seen Frank that day.

  Brad ran into Alex and Purity as they were making their way back from chores.

  “Have you seen Frank or Emma?” Brad asked.

  “Nope. Did Red take the bait?” Alex asked.

  “We’re not sure. No one can find him.”

  “I thought Bob and Jeremy were watching him.”

  “They were, until the chores were done. They couldn’t hardly stick around and watch, not when we’ve all been chomping at the bit to go eat breakfast after chores.”

  “We can help look. You think Red headed for the river?” Purity asked.

  “That’d be my guess. Do you know where the river is?”

  “Hmm. No. We never asked. Is that why you were looking for Frank or Emma?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I know someone who’d know,” Alex said. “Charlie said he was in charge of the clean-up after the hoedown. I’ll give you odds he’s at the big, red barn. He knew about the hot springs and I’m sure he’d know where the double y in the river is.”

  “What are we waiting for?” Pure asked.

  They all began heading toward the big, red barn. Halfway there, a golf cart came whizzing by. It only came to a stop when the driver veered off the path and ran into the fence.

  “Courtney! Are you okay?” Purity said when she realized the driver was her friend.

  “Stupid cart! How hard can it be to press on the brake?”

  “Here, let me help you,” Brad said, helping her disentangle her body from the passenger’s side where it had been thrown.

  “They’re on their way to the river and I know how to get there. Hop in.”

  “Why don’t you let me drive,” Brad said.

  “Nonsense! I’m gettin’ the hang of it now.”

  “Court, let Brad drive. We want to get there in one piece.”

  “I’d argue, but we’re wastin’ time. Bart and Red are on their way to the river.”

  “How do you know?” Alex said as he and Purity got in the back seat and Brad maneuvered the cart back onto the path.

  “I ran into Charlie Mankins. He’s such a nice guy. Did you know he’s engaged to Sam? They met right here on the ranch.”

  “We know. Focus,” Purity said.

  “Oh, yeah, well, Charlie said he saw Bart and Red headed toward the wheat field.”

  “That’s not unusual,” Brad said.

  “Charlie said that’s the way to the river. You go past the wheat field, follow the road to where the two big ol’ oak trees flank another path. You follow that one through the woods and on the other side is the river.”

  “And the double y?” Pure asked.

  “Yes. And, the waterfall.”

  “Sounds like it’s a pretty good distance,” Alex said. “Were Bart and Red on foot?”

  “I didn’t ask, but I got that impression.”

  “Better slow up a bit then, Brad. We don’t want to get too close.”

  “I’ll keep an eye out.”

  When Brad came to the end of the wheat field and was about to turn right, Courtney said, “Watch that brake. It’s tricky.”

  Brad rested his foot on the brake pedal and turned the corner.

  “What the hell?” Brad felt the cart tilt to the right and the wheel underneath him become airborne.

  “Hang on!” Courtney yelled.

  Purity and Alex grabbed the poles on either side of the open exit doors.

  “What happened to the brakes?” Alex yelled.

  “I don’t think we have any.” The cart resumed its normal position with all four wheels touching the ground.

  “You thought I was just a bad driver, but it really wasn’t me, it’s the cart, I tell ya!” Court said.

  “You’re right. I’m going to go slower. I don’t want a repeat of that again.”

  “Probably a good idea anyway, Red and Bart can’t have had that much of a lead on us.”

  “When we get to the oak trees, maybe we should ditch the cart,” Court said.

  They all agreed.

  Brad pulled as far off the dirt road as he could get and let the cart roll to a stop.

  “Is that them?” Court asked, ducking down below the dashboard.

  “Where?”

  “By the edge of the forest.” She peered over the steering wheel. “Just to the right a bit.”

  “I see something,” Purity said.

  “Isn’t this enough evidence?” Brad asked. “They’re obviously headed toward the river. There’s nothi
ng else over here.”

  “Purity, you stay here and try and get Frank or Emma on your cell and tell them we’ve spotted Red and Bart. We’ll follow them.”

  “Okay.” Purity retrieved her cell phone and began making the call to the Double Y Ranch number.

  “I don’t see them anymore, they’re undercover of the woods,” Brad said.

  “Good. We’re far enough behind them that we don’t have to be too quiet,” Alex said.

  “Good thing. Quiet isn’t my specialty,” Courtney said.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  The path through the forest was easy to traverse. Courtney imagined kids with flashlights following the trail to go skinny dipping in the river late at night. It’d be fun to grow up in the country.

  She could see Brad sitting on the porch sipping sweet iced tea at the end of a long, hot summer day. The screen door would bang every time someone came through the door. Their home would be a haven for friends and family, and anyone who needed a safe place to sleep for the night.

  “What are you smiling about?” Brad asked, as they walked toward a bend in the path.

  “Just thinking what it would be like if you and I lived in the country.”

  “I’d love it. So would Diego.”

  “He’d definitely love it, except for the heat. He’d probably shed—”

  “Sh.” Alex put his hand up.

  The snap of a twig nearby made them all look toward the sound. Nobody moved. They didn’t realize they were all holding their breath as they strained to hear the slightest sound.

  Courtney pointed to an area off the path to the left. They could barely see a few leaves moving. It could have been the breeze, but none of them believed it was.

  “You’re hearin’ things,” Bart said. “There ain’t nobody followin’ us.”

  “I was sure I heard voices.”

  “It was probably just the river.”

  “Maybe.” Red made one more look around the area, then they headed back toward the path.

  “Hang back,” Alex said. “Let’s give ‘em some room.”

  “Mums the word from here on out,” Brad said.

  They all nodded in agreement.

  When five minutes had passed, Alex started walking around the bend in the path again. When the turn was complete, he could see several more twists ahead. “We need to keep our eyes open. If they stop and hide out of sight like last time, we might not see them before they see us.”