Dante grabbed his cowboy hat from the coat tree in the hallway. We have to find whoever did this. The prairie and canyons are dangerous enough without people shooting at one of us.
Who would want to hurt Roxanne? Tuck handed the baby to Julia, who nestled Lily into the crook of her arm, a frown marring her brow.
I dont know, but we sure as hell are going to find out. Pierce clamped his hat on his head, grabbed a box of bullets from the gun cabinet and headed for his fathers office. For what it was worth, he placed a call to the sheriffs department. When the dispatcher came on, Pierce explained the situation and the approximate location.
The dispatcher promised the sheriffs department would be out to investigate as soon as they had a deputy available. Pierce hung up, shrugging. Hed done the right thing by reporting the incident, but he didnt have a whole lot of faith or respect for the local sheriff. The man still stood by the theory that Pierces father had fallen from his horse and died of head injuries. Pierce and his brothers disagreed. No way their father had fallen from his horse. The man could ride before he learned to walk. But the sheriff refused to put in the effort to find the truth. And Pierce refused to let Roxannes safety depend on that kind of man. Whether she liked it or not, he still considered her his responsibility. He wouldnt let her down, not this time. Not again.
Pierce grabbed a couple of walkie-talkies from a shelf and emerged from his fathers office.
At the same time Amelia Thunder Horse reentered the living room, carrying a large tray filled with thermoses of coffee, and plastic bags filled with sandwiches and trail mix. She eyed the box of bullets but didnt say anything about them. No ones leaving without food. You never know whats going to happen out there on the plains or in the canyons. They didnt name it the badlands for nothing.
Pierce tossed a walkie-talkie to Maddox, grabbed a plastic bag of trail mix and one with a sandwich from the tray, snagged a thermos, kissed his mothers cheek and headed for the door. Thanks, Mother.
She called out after him, Wakan Tanka kici un. May the Great Spirit bless you.
He smiled, a tug of nostalgia tightening his chest. His mother didnt often use the Lakota language his father had taught her and all of his sons. Only when a greater need arose.
In the barn, Pierce removed the saddle from Bear, rubbed him down and settled him in a stall with feed. He led his own stallion, Cetan, out of his stall, threw a saddle over his back and cinched it. Pierce was guiding the horse out into the barnyard when a voice called out.
Im going with you.
Pierce turned toward the sound, his pulse quickening, his jaw growing rigid.
Roxanne stood with her feet planted wide, hands fisted on her jean-clad hipsmore beautiful than he remembered and just as stubbornly determined.
We dont need your help. Pierce turned his back on the woman and led the horse away from the barn door. Besides, isnt the doctor on his way to check out your noggin?
Roxanne strode for the barn. Ive been falling off horses since I was five years oldDocs not going to tell me anything about concussions that I dont already know. But dont forget, I wasnt the only one injured. While you boys play detective, someone needs to check on Sweet Jessie, and her foal. Im the local contact for the Bureau of Land Management when it comes to those horses. Its my
Responsibility. Pierce turned back. And its my responsibility to catch that madman with a gun before he gets a chance to come after you again. Youre staying.
Im not your responsibility, and you dont get to decide where I go. Maddox said I could ride Sassy. She marched into the barn and grabbed a bridle from a nail on the wall.
Did the fact escape you that you were the target of a shooter?
No, it did not. She squared her shoulders, standing taller. I wasnt prepared before. Im aware now and will take precautions.
And how will you do that? His gaze panned her lithe form. You arent carrying any kind of protection, are you? Wheres your rifle?
I dont carry one. Besides, you have one. She frowned. Look, Pierce, Im being sensible. I could have snuck off on my own once you were gone, but instead Im going with you. Im willing to be careful, Im willing to take precautions, but Im not willing to sit around and do nothing when theres so much that needs to be done. Accept that Im going and stop wasting precious time by arguing. Itll be dark soon.
She held his gaze a moment longer, then disappeared into a stall and emerged leading Sassy, the sorrel mare.
Pierce didnt wait around to bicker with the confounded woman. He didnt want to see Roxanne; he wanted the hell away from her, especially when fire blazed in her beautiful eyes and she stood so defiantly.
Planting his foot in the stirrup, he swung up into his saddle and yanked the stallion around to the north. Named after the Lakota word for hawk, Cetan could outrun even the swiftest of the wild horses in the canyon. He could easily outdistance any of the other horses in the barn, if Pierce chose to let him have his head.
But it would be foolish to expend the horses energy when they had a long ride ahead of them. Instead of galloping off into the distance, Pierce nudged the stallion into a canter. That way, Roxanne wouldnt have any trouble catching up with him. He still didnt like the idea of her riding out while the gunman was still at large, but the idea of her sticking close and letting him protect her was a hell of a lot better than having her ride out alone.
In the short time theyd been in the ranch house, dark clouds had rolled in. The weather in North Dakota could change at the drop of a hat. Thunder rumbled long and low in the west. Wakan Tanka grew angry. Perhaps the Great Spirit reached out to punish those who brought violence to the people and the creatures of the plains.
The approaching storm reflected Pierces mood. He growled under his breath. Sure, hed expected to see Roxanne as part of the wedding party. She and Tuck were the same age and had been friends throughout high school. They had been like brother and sister.
Despite the differences between Pierce and Roxanne, Pierce couldnt deny Tucks request to have Roxanne as one of Julias bridesmaids.
Hed told himself that hed be fine seeing her again, but hed been wrong. Time hadnt healed old wounds, as his mother always liked to say. Nothing could cure death. Roxanne had made it clear that when her brother had died, she wanted nothing more to do with Pierce. No wedding, no futurenothing. Even though he knew it was no more than he deserved, it still made his gut twist just to think about it.
All the old feelings hed had for her hadnt waned one bit. No amount of dating or bedding other women would wipe Roxanne from his mind. Hed barely even tried, the wounds to his heart still too fresh. He told himself he preferred to be alone. No, he deserved to be alone.
Truth was, no woman measured up to Roxanne and hed failed her so completely, the damage could never be healed.
At the approaching thunder of hooves, Cetan pranced to the side.
Pierce pulled back on the reins, but the stallion would have none of it. His competitive spirit wouldnt let another horse catch up or move ahead of him. He arched his back, kicked his hind legs into the air and would have thrown a less experienced rider.