a trail along the creek that’s perfect.” She eyed his brawny physique. “Between Dad and Matthew, we should be able to outfit you. Since you’re too stubborn to bring your things out here and stay in your room.”
He leaned back in the chair. “This may come as a shock to your delicate system, but not every person is born with a silver saddle in the stable, so to speak. I’ve never ridden a horse in my life.”
Heat slid up her neck. Her face grew hot. “That was terribly rude of me,” she apologized. “I did assume… Wouldn’t you like to learn?”
“I see no reason for it.”
“So we can share all the things we like,” she said, taking her most reasonable tone with him. “I want to show you all my favorite places, the hideaways where Victoria and I played—”
“Hideaways? Where?” he interrupted.
“Along the creek. There’s a bluff where there’s an overhang. We used to pretend we were Indians and try to track animals through the woods. Cruz was really good at it. He could follow deer and rabbits fairly easily. Once he led us to a bobcat. My brother Dallas and my cousin Logan were with us. You should have seen us scatter when the cat snarled.”
“Interesting.” Dev picked up the list of suspects, or whatever he called it, and made some notes. “Was he ever jealous of your brothers?”
“Cruz? Why should he be?”
“He’s the son of a hired hand. Your brothers were the landed gentry. It would be a natural thing, especially since he seems drawn to the land.”
“He wants a spread of his own, but it costs a lot to buy land and start an operation from scratch. He loves working with the horses, and he’s the best cutting horse trainer we’ve ever had. His mother, Rosita, tells him all things will come in good time, but he’s impatient.”
“Now that’s a trait your family should recognize,” Dev murmured.
She wrinkled her nose at him, then continued with her analysis. “Lately, Cruz has been moody. I think Dallas offered him the money to buy a small place near here to start a champion rodeo line, but Cruz got all steamed about it. He seems to have a chip on his shoulder, but I don’t know why.”
Dev gave a scornful snort.
“Cruz isn’t the sort to carry a grudge,” she assured him. She saw the doubt in his eyes. “You don’t suspect…surely you don’t think Cruz…he wouldn’t hurt us,” she ended vehemently, indignant for her childhood companion and friend.
“He had opportunity. He may have motive. That only leaves one thing.”
“What?”
“The drive.”
“Sophia has all three.”
“Your stepmother?”
“Don’t call her that,” Vanessa ordered sharply. “She was no mother to any of us. Aunt Mary Ellen and Rosita filled that gap after my mother died.”
“All right. Give me a motive.”
“She hates us.”
“She stands to gain more from the divorce settlement than from a kidnapping. Why would she jeopardize a sure thing for fifty million in ransom that might also land her in jail?”
Vanessa considered the situation. “You’re right. Sophia isn’t stupid, only greedy. Father has vowed she won’t get more than the Austin town house and the allowance he already gives her. Which is more than enough for ten families to live on.”
“But is it enough for her?”
“Well, I used to hear them quarrel about it when I lived at home full-time. She says she won’t settle for less than half his holdings.”
“A cool billion and a half.”
“Not really. Grandfather set up a trust for all the grandkids. Dad controls everything, though. I haven’t paid much attention to the legalities of it, so I’m not sure how it’s all divided.”
“Hmm,” he said.
She thought she heard condemnation in the word. “What does that mean?” she demanded defensively.
“It means money has never been a problem to you, so you’ve never had to think much about it.”
The truth in his statement hit home. “It means, I would never think of kidnapping to get it. But others would.”
“Exactly.”
“Cruz needs money to follow his dream. I suppose you think everyone who works for us is a suspect.”
“If the boot fits…” he said.
“You’ll find the one who wears it,” she concluded. She smiled beatifically at him. “I know you will.”
“Your faith is touching,” he mocked.
She shook her head and gave him a slow, deliberate grin. “Not faith, my love. You have more than luck on your side. You have me.”
“God help us,” he murmured.
Three
“You’re looking good,” Vanessa said.
“Huh.”
She hid a grin. Dev had arrived at the ranch dressed in jeans, obviously new cowboy boots—the correct kind, not the ones drugstore cowboys wore—and proper headgear, which for summer was a white straw hat. It had a blue band and no eagle feathers, thank goodness.
He was a natural athlete and had adapted his movements to those of his horse, Rusty, quicker than most city slickers. He looked great on the big roan gelding, which was her favorite mount because of his smooth gait. She was riding a gray gelding who was alert and good-natured.
After a weekend of easy riding and some practice at jumping in the ring, on Monday she declared him ready for the trail along the creek up to her secret cave. As usual, that morning he had talked privately with her father, then questioned several ranch hands before telling her he was ready for their ride. If he was saddle sore, he didn’t complain, but rode with the stoic nature she had learned to expect from him.
She sighed. Those first moments of meeting, the attraction that had nearly ended in a compassionate kiss between them, might never have been. He kept his distance. She felt thwarted and discouraged on all fronts.
Turning her thoughts to the task at hand, she led the way through the stand of oaks and around the alders that lined the small, rushing creek. Instead of soothing her as a ride usually did, she became nostalgic.
“My twin and I hid out here overnight one time. Dad was going to belt us for riding a half-broke stallion that Dallas said we were too chicken to ride. But Cruz said it was safe, so we did it.”
“You trusted him?”
