LITMIR.BIZ

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Creek, the ranch was probably safer than keeping her here. The ranch had a security gate, so someone couldn’t just come driving through. Of course, there were fences that could be scaled, which meant Griff would need to alert the hands to keep an eye out for anyone suspicious.

      Rachel huffed and then finally nodded. “The ranch. It’ll give me a chance to catch up on some paperwork that I’m sure has been piling up since I’ve been gone.”

      It had been, because Griff had heard Warren, Court and Egan complaining about it. Normally, Warren and his sons handled the livestock supply, but Rachel managed the ranch’s finances and day-to-day operation. The McCall Ranch was big so it was a full-time job. With Warren recovering from the shooting and Rachel’s mom in the hospital, the business side of things had been neglected during Rachel’s absence, and it was costing the McCalls business.

      “Does this mean you’re moving back?” Court asked.

      “No.” Rachel didn’t hesitate, either. “But I’ll try to organize the paperwork so that whoever Dad hires to take my place will have an easier transition.” She paused. “I don’t want the ranch to lose business, for Egan’s and your sakes. It’s your home.”

      Court went to her, brushed a kiss on her forehead. “It’s your home, too. And you don’t have to stay under Dad’s roof. You can do what I did and build a place of your own on the ranch grounds.”

      She gave no indication whatsoever that she would consider that, but she did give her brother’s arm a gentle squeeze. Maybe Court would be able to help mend the fences between Warren and Rachel. Of course, there was a lot of mending to be done, and now that had to include a good explanation of why Warren had been in Silver Creek tonight.

      “Rachel, I can drive you out to the ranch,” Brad volunteered. “That way, Griff could stay here and work the investigation. I’m sure he has plenty to do.”

      Griff did have plenty, but he could do it at the ranch. He also didn’t like the way Brad was pushing this.

      “We don’t need Griff here,” Court argued. Griff really needed to buy Court a drink for that. “And I’d rather Rachel be with a lawman. No offense, but if the shooter comes back, a Texas Ranger would be better able to protect her than a DA.”

      Brad’s mouth went tight again, and he looked at Rachel, no doubt hoping that she would choose him over Griff for protective custody.

      Rachel glanced at both of them and took a deep breath before she answered. “I’ll go with Griff. But I’ll be at the ranch just for tonight. I’ll make other arrangements tomorrow.”

      It didn’t sound as if she wanted Griff in on those arrangements, but there was no way Egan and Court would just let their kid sister go someplace that wasn’t safe. Well, as safe as they could make it, anyway.

      “We can use the cruisers out front,” Court suggested, and he turned to Griff. “I can have someone bring your truck to you.”

      Griff thanked him, and after Rachel said a quick goodbye to Egan, she followed Court and Griff to the front. Court went out first, glancing around to make sure no one was out there. Once Court had given him the all clear, Griff got Rachel moving as fast as he could. Brad was right behind them, and for a moment Griff thought the man might try to get into the cruiser with them, but he stopped at the passenger door. He kept his attention nailed to Rachel as if he hoped she would change her mind.

      She didn’t.

      Rachel looked everywhere but at Brad as Griff drove away. He spared the DA just a glance, to make sure he stayed put, but Griff was more interested in making sure Court was right behind them and that no one else pulled out to follow them. He didn’t see another vehicle other than Court’s cruiser and hoped it stayed that way.

      “Sorry about this,” Griff said. “I know you don’t want to be with me—”

      “I don’t.” Then she paused. “But I don’t want to die. Nor do I want to tie up Egan and Court to babysit me.”

      She probably had meant that to be a dig, and Griff didn’t mind if it was. He didn’t want to tie up her brothers, either. He needed them to focus on catching whoever was behind the attack. Griff would help with that, too, but the sheriff’s office wasn’t his jurisdiction, and he could work the case from his laptop.

      “This doesn’t mean things are good between us.” Rachel tacked that onto her comment.

      He nodded. “It won’t make sense to you, but I don’t want things to be good between us. I screwed up, and I don’t expect you to ever forgive me for it.”

      Her expression let him know that she wasn’t buying that he was being genuine about that. Well, she should. Because it was true. If it’d been just keeping Warren’s secret, then in time she might have relented. But Griff had slept with her, and he didn’t see a way past that.

      Since their relationship was a touchy subject, Griff moved on to something else. Something that could end up being touchy, too, but he was getting a bad feeling in his gut about the DA.

      “Is it my imagination or is Brad...clinging more than usual when it comes to you?” Griff asked.

      She shot him a look as if that was something she might not want to discuss with him before she sighed. “He’s clingy,” she confirmed. “Before things fell apart at home, Brad had been pressuring me to go out with him again. And you should know that my father was encouraging it.”

      That didn’t surprise Griff, but it still stung. It was also a reminder that as much as he loved Warren, Warren had never felt Griff was worthy of Rachel. And he wasn’t. But it bothered Griff that Warren thought Brad was the right man for his daughter. Brad wasn’t anywhere near good enough for her, but then Griff admitted that he was biased about that.

      “I think Dad was starting to believe I’d become an old maid,” she added in a grumble.

      Nowhere close to that. Rachel was only thirty-one. Since Griff was five years older, that’d been another reason Warren had wanted him to keep his distance from Rachel. It had been a big deal when she was just sixteen, but no longer seemed an obstacle. However, there were other obstacles now, including the fact that Rachel might never trust him again.

      Griff continued to look around. So did Rachel, and because she was so quiet he heard the rhythm of her breathing change. For one heart-stopping moment, he thought it was because she’d seen someone lying in wait for them, but he soon figured out it was because the ranch had come into view.

      He hated that this place was no longer a sanctuary for her. No longer a home. And he wondered if it ever would be again. Her mother would be getting out of the mental hospital soon, and it was entirely possible that Helen would file for a divorce. No one would fault her if she did. But that meant one of Rachel’s parents would almost certainly move.

      Griff turned onto the ranch road and immediately spotted several hands near the gate. They opened it for him, and he drove through. As planned, Court turned around and headed back toward town. Griff kept watch in the rearview mirror to make sure the hands closed the gate behind them. They did.

      Rachel eyed the main house and then Court’s place, which was just up the road. “Is Rayna living there now?” she asked.

      Rayna Travers was Court’s girlfriend and likely soon to be his fiancée. “No. Not yet. She’s still living at her place.” A small horse ranch not far from there.

      Rachel’s eyes widened. “She’s not alone, is she? Because the shooter could go there.”

      He quickly shook his head. “She’s at a horse show in Dallas. I’m sure Court has someone watching out for her.”

      In fact, there was no doubt in Griff’s mind about that. Court was clearly in love with Rayna and would take plenty of precautions to make sure she was safe. Ditto for taking those precautions for his sister. Both Court and Egan would work this case to make sure the danger ended fast. Griff just hoped it was fast enough that there wouldn’t be

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