Rangers: Silver-Star Seductions: A Two-Book Box Set Read Online Free PDF Page A

way. Zeb had left Calder County the first chance he got. He’d said goodbye. In a fashion. He and Ethan went out drinking and the next morning she found them both passed out in the barn. Zeb had gotten up, asked the time and then told Ethan he was taking off.
    Willa had watched, hoping he would say something to her. When he didn’t, she stayed silent, witnessing him and Ethan saying goodbye, and then followed them out of the barn to where Zeb’s old truck was parked.
    He and Ethan embraced in that manly sort of way, hands pounding at one another’s backs.  When they parted, Zeb opened the door to his truck. Willa felt tears threaten. He wasn’t even going to say goodbye.
    Then he paused and turned to look at her. “You take care, pretty Willa.”
    All she could do was nod, and then sob as she watched him drive away.
    She hadn’t laid eyes on him since then until he showed up at her door this past week. She still didn’t know why he was back, but was willing to bet it wouldn’t be permanent if he had anything to say about it
    If she were smart, she’d put Zeb Childress out of her mind – or at least accept that those long ago spoken words were never going to become true. He was never going to be her ‘ever after’.
    Right now that wasn’t the most pressing thing on her plate. She had to do something about what she’d seen. The Ellis clan was a scary bunch, for sure, but her parents had raised her to do the right thing. She couldn’t keep silent no matter what the consequences.
    Ronnie was just coming out of the barn when she arrived. “Hey, you’re back.  Would you mind cooling Jet down and watering him?” she asked as she dismounted.
    “Sure. How’d he do?” Ronnie took the reins.
    “Got spooked by a rattler and ran flat out damn near a mile.” Willa gave Jet a rub on the neck and face.
    Ronnie whistled. “Boy has stamina.”
    “That he does. But he’s gonna take a bit of extra work. I gotta go make a call. Thanks Ronnie.”
    “You bet.”
    Willa hurried inside and went straight for the old-fashioned phone mounted on the kitchen wall. She told the Deputy she spoke with, Gil Perkins what she’d seen. He said he would write it up and tell the Sheriff and they’d probably send someone out to take her statement.
    She thanked him and hung up the phone. Now it would be what it would be. She’d done the right thing and she had to trust that the law would take care of Clancy Ellis and his bunch. If not?  Well, if not, she’d walk that path when she had to.
    Until then, she had work to do and she had to focus on that. The money she made training horses was all that was keeping them afloat right now, until the next auction when she could sell off half her herd of cattle and hopefully three of the horses she’d trained for roping. Things were going to be tight.
    Willa shook off thoughts of her meager funds and the real threat that she might not last the year without having to sell off part of the ranch. She had to believe that things would turn around. Otherwise…well she couldn’t even let herself go there.

Chapter Four
     
     
    Willa fixed herself a glass of hard cider on ice and wandered out onto the front porch. It was hot tonight but that wasn’t uncommon in July in this part of the state. At least there was a breeze, although it was the kind of breeze that heralded the coming of a thunderstorm.
    That didn’t bother her. They could use the rain. She took a seat on the porch swing, had a long drink of the cider and set the glass on the porch rail. With her hair wet from the shower and dressed in a pair of old cut-off off jeans that seen better days and a tank top, it was tolerable.
    Car lights coming up the driveway had her stopping the rocking motion of the swing and standing. The cruiser stopped and its lights went out. Still she recognized the figure of the man who stepped out of the vehicle. She tried to stem the rise of excitement.
    “What’re you doing here, Zeb?”
    He waited until he