The Crown Ranch 3: Missing Evidence
Autore
Valerie J. Clarizio
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Garrett Crown returns to his family's ranch after twelve years, seeking solace and a fresh start. But his homecoming is anything but peaceful when he meets Skeeter, a mysterious woman with a troubled past and a dangerous enemy. As Garrett and Skeeter's lives intertwine, they uncover dark secrets and face threats that test their courage and bond. Together, they must navigate a web of deceit and danger to find justice and healing.
Chapter One
Book 3: Missing Evidence
Garrett Crown backed up his truck and small moving trailer to the front door of his fatherās large, two-story house. The very house heād called home for his first twenty-four years of life. For the past twelve years, heād lived in Washington, DC, working as a software engineer for a firm that contracted with both large corporations and the military. His specialty was on the military side, and he loved it.
He climbed out of the truck, slid open the back door, and eyed his belongings. What he loved even more about his job was the fact heād cut a deal to work from home, and home was now once again the Crown Ranch that had been in his family for generations.
At the age of thirty-six, heād never imagined heād be returning home, but here he stood, breathing in the fresh, spring Kentucky air. Clean, small-town air. Nice.
Part of him would miss the hustle and bustle of the city, no doubt. With his very next thought, his chest tightened and his heart seized. He perspired and fought for a breath. Kari. What he wouldnāt miss about the city was the crime and the reminders of the loss of his good friend whoād been murdered. He tamped down the obstruction in his throat and swallowed hard. If only heād tried harder to help her, sheād still be alive.
He closed his eyes and drew in a long breath of the calming, fresh spring Kentucky country air and let it out. With all that had gone on, it was good to be home. The safe, secure, quiet confines of home were exactly what he desired at this stage in his life. Through the years, heād visited plenty of times, but now heād be staying.
āYouāre here! Finally!ā
He spun to face his sister. She practically leaped off the porch and threw her arms around him, pulling him into a bear hug.
āJeez, Peyton, I was just home in December.ā
She backed off and swiped tears from her cheeks. āI know, but now you are staying.ā Her gaze floated to her swollen belly, and she placed her palm on it. āMy little sweet pea here will get to see his uncle all the time.ā
Garrett smiled. He was excited about that. His older brother Blaine and Blaineās wife, Ashley, had a little girl, but they lived in Texas, and he got to see them only twice a yearāevery Christmas and every Kentucky Derby, an event his entire family never missed.
He swung his gaze around until it landed on the large wooden double doors leading into the home. It looked and sounded quiet.
āWhere is everyone?ā he asked. He had phoned Peyton with his estimated arrival time, so heād expected them to greet him.
Peyton smiled warmly. āStorm and Coach are in the ranch office, and Dad is in Lexington for the day.ā
She pointed to his brother Coachās new home across the driveway. āMeredith is in her office working.ā
Really? Theyād all known he would arrive at this time today, and only Peyton could see her way to greet him. She had a job, too, yet sheād made the effort. Admittedly, he was sad about this. And who the heck would help him move the heavy stuff out of the trailer? His very pregnant sister? Though she was probably stubborn enough to think she could help.
āAw, are you sad we didnāt throw you a big welcome-home party?ā
Sarcasm dripped from her tone. Thatās the sister he knew.
Yes, but he wouldnāt admit that to her. Were his dad, siblings, and their spouses not as excited as he was about his return home?
āWell, at least your old room is ready for you. The girls have finished moving their stuff into their new home. So, you have that going for you,ā Peyton said.
Heād lost his room to Meredithās nieces for the past couple of years. Coach and Meredith had married a year ago, a year after her sister was murdered, and sheād inherited her nieces, Frannie, now six, and Iris, now fifteen. An unnerving quiver raked through Garrettās body as he thought about the horrible tragedy of the poor girls witnessing their father killing their mother.
Seeing as Coach ran the daily operations of the Crown Ranch, theyād all lived in the homestead until theyād built their own home on the property. Garrett glanced at the new home across the way. It resembled his fatherās home but was smaller. Just like his dadās, Coach and Meredithās home was two stories, painted white, and had grand windows. Two little cupolas rested on the roof.
āWait until you see the inside. Itās beautiful. Meredith has stunning taste. In fact, letās go say hi to her. Sheās been working so much latelyāweāll give her a break, and you can check it out.ā
He shrugged and followed his sister. Without knocking, she pushed her way through the large entry door.
āMeredith?ā Peyton called out.
āIām in the kitchen.ā
He followed his sister as he swung his gaze from side to side, noticing the massive stone fireplace and oversized leather furniture in the living room and then the office on the opposite side of the long hall that ran the length of the house to the back door.
āSurprise!ā
His heart slammed in his chest, and his pulse ratcheted up a notch with a jolt of shock.
He smiled, excited to see his beaming family gathered around the kitchen island: his dad, Coach, Meredith, and Peytonās husband, Storm. Iris and Frannie werenāt there, but he understood as it was a school day.
Meredith rose from her stool and welcomed him with open arms. Coach and Storm did the obligatory nod, and his dad shook his hand and gave him one of those half hugs that guys did.
āWelcome home, son.ā
His gaze floated to a large sheet cake in the center of the island next to a colorful balloon bouquet.
āSorry, you canāt have any yet,ā Meredith said.
He looked at the tall, slim woman. Her dark eyes zoned in on him. From what his brother had told him, and from his limited time spent with her, he knew she was a woman not to be messed with. But he was starving and wanted some of that cake.
Purposefully, he narrowed his eyes. āI think itās my cake.ā He pointed to it. āIt says Welcome Home, Garrett. I should be able to have some of my cake, donāt you think?ā
A hint of a smile rose from her lips. āItās a good argument, but I promised the girls we wouldnāt tap into it until they were home.ā She glanced at her watch, then back to him. āThey should be home any minute. They are excited to see you and hoped you would not get here before they got home. They wanted to be part of the surprise party.ā
His heart warmed at the thought of how much heād grown to love those girls. Meredith and Coach were an unlikely match, yet they appeared so much in love. Coach had gotten an instant family and had told him frequently that he couldnāt be happier.
āI could drive away and come back after they get off the bus,ā he offered, willing to do anything to make the girls happy.
āToo late!ā Iris said from the archway, drawing his attention.
Frannie ran toward him with her arms in the air. He yanked her from the floor, hugged her, and then spun her around. The little girlās sweet giggle was music to his ears.
He set her down and then returned his gaze to Meredith. āSo, we can have cake now?ā
āYay,ā Frannie exclaimed and clapped. Her big brown eyes fixed on him as if heād just granted her biggest wish.
Chuckles filled the room.
āI guess,ā Meredith conceded.
After he wolfed down his cake, he zoned in on Coach and Storm. āWell, that trailer isnāt going to empty itself.ā
āTrue,ā Coach replied. āAnd make sure youāre done by six so you donāt hold up dinner.ā
Storm laughed. āYeah.ā
āIām making your favorite, so you wonāt want to dillydally,ā Peyton added.
Usually, he could garner support from her, but it appeared she was not on his side this time.
āSeriously?ā
Frannie tugged on his shirt. āIāll help you, Uncle Garrett.ā
Chuckles filled the room.
The six-year-old was the only one willing to help.
Storm rose, yanked Frannie from the floor, and placed her on his shoulders. āSince Frannieās helping, Iāll help, too.ā
āFine, Iām in,ā Coach said as he rose from his seat. āLetās get this done, and then we can have a couple of beers.ā
āSuper, but first I just want to take a minute to check on Pegasus.ā
He, Coach, and Storm headed to the horse barn. Once they entered the building, his brother and brother-in-law peeled off to their office, and he continued on to Pegasusā stall. Heād missed his horse as much as heād missed his family.
Pegasus was not only an enormous horse, but he was big-spirited, and it had taken a while for him and the horse to mesh, but once they had, the bond was unbreakable.
He flung open the stall gate. No horse. Glancing over his shoulder, he could see Gunnerās head over his gate. Moving his gaze to the left, he could see Handsome Jack in his pen. Where was Pegasus?
Pegasusā distressed neigh bellowed from down the corridor. Garrett ran in that direction. He hadnāt taken six steps outside when he glimpsed a tiny woman struggling to climb up into the tall horseās saddle. The spirited horse was not about to have it.
Garrettās pulse pounded, and he ran in that direction. The horse bucked, but the small-framed woman held on. But for how long? What had provoked Pegasus to behave this way? Yes, he was spirited, but Garrett rode him with no issue. Coach did as well. Who in the hell was this stranger on his horse?
The last thing he needed was for this woman to get tossed off the excited horse. Even though he was unsure how he would get her off the horse safely, he still approached.
āPegasus,ā he called out, keeping his voice steady, though his nerves rattled.
The horseās head snapped in his direction, and he stilled for a moment as his big brown eyes studied him. Slowly, Garrett reached for the reins as he used his relaxed tone to calm the horse.
He could feel the womanās penetrating gaze on him, but he refused to break eye contact with Pegasus until he could get her to safety.
āI got this,ā the rider said. Her sharp tone caused Pegasus to flinch and try to tug away from him, but he held firm, even though the horse nearly lifted him completely off the ground.
āItās okay, Pegasus. And, lady, no, you donāt.ā Garrettās words were sharp, but he kept his voice neutral so as not to upset the horse any further.
The woman huffed, and Pegasus reacted with a quick twist of his body, tossing the rider off. She screamed and slammed into his torso with full force. Instinctively, he wrapped his arms around her. Pegasus ran off to the corner of the fenced-in area and paced nervously.
āLet me go!ā the rider yelled and pushed at him with her tiny hands as if her life depended on getting away from him.
āWhatās going on?ā Coach asked.
Garrett released the woman and fixed his gaze on his approaching brother and Storm.
āThisā¦person was trying to ride Pegasus. She got bucked off, right into me.ā
āI would have been fine if you hadnāt interfered,ā she snapped.
He narrowed his gaze on her. āNo, you wouldnāt have. And what were you doing on my horse?ā
āYour horse? This is a Crown horse.ā
āThatās right, Iām Garrett Crown, and you should really get permission to ride someone elseās horseāespecially a spirited horse like Pegasus. He requires an experienced rider.ā
She planted her hands on her narrow hips. āI am an experienced rider.ā
From what heād seen of her in that saddle, she sure hadnāt looked skilled.
Her haughty attitude irritated him and caused him to react similarly.
āReally. How long have you been riding?ā he asked with an arch of his brow.
Her gaze landed on Coach and Storm, who stood only a few feet away. Coachās mouth opened as if he was going to answer the question. It surprised Garrett when his brother closed his mouth. Coach usually played a mediator role, hence the nickname heād garnered while in the military. Jeremiah was his brotherās real name, but nobody called him that anymore.
The tiny woman ground the tip of her cowboy boot into the soil. āA couple of months.ā
Garrett crossed his arms over his chest. āAnd that makes you experienced?ā
Her jaw knotted. āIāve been riding Sassy Girl ever since I got here.ā
āFor Chrissake, Sassy Girl is over twenty-five years old, and sheās the furthest thing from sassy. Sheās the most docile horse Iāve ever ridden, and sheās the go-to for new riders.ā
The second those words escaped his mouth, the woman shot her angry gaze to Coach and Storm. The two decorated Army heroes flinched at the intensity of it. Theyād been busted. This mystery woman had had no clue theyād been using Sassy Girl on her for some reason. If horses were counselors, Sassy Girl would be the best of the best.
āSkeeter,ā Coach said softly.
The woman kicked the dirt, spun, and huffed off.
āSkeeter?ā Garrett repeated. Interesting nickname.
āItās a long story,ā his brother replied.
āI have time,ā Garrett offered, wanting to know more about the feisty redhead whoād stormed off.
āWell, itās her story to tell. But for the safety of the family, weāll give you some details once youāre settled in.ā
āSafety?ā
āUnfortunately, yes. But letās get out of her sight for now to let her calm down. Come on, weāll get your trailer unloaded,ā his brother said as he motioned for Garrett to follow him and Storm.
His feet moved in the direction they should, but his head spun to catch another glimpse of the flaming-haired beauty.
