Chapter One
Saturday morning, Brenna Lawrence walked into the house, feeling the warmer air and letting out a sigh.
"Mom? Dad?" she called out.
"In here, honey," came her father's response from the living room where he was watching TV in his recliner. Brenna sat on the sofa.
"Where's Mom?"
"At your grandmother's."
"Is everything alright?"
"Yeah, your grandmother needed some yarn, so your mom went to get her some then took it to her."
"Oh, okay. I think I'll go for a ride," she told him.
"Alright, just have one of the guys saddle your horse," he said.
"Dad, I can do it myself."
"I know you can, but that's what they're paid for," he replied.
"I'll be fine," she insisted.
"Alright, but if any of them are in the barn, let them do it for you."
"If it makes you happy, then sure," she agreed with a smile.
Her father grinned back at her. She got up and kissed his cheek before making her way to the kitchen.
After putting on her jacket and beanie to protect against the chilly weather, she stepped outside onto the porch, taking in a deep breath of the crisp fall air, one of her favorite things about this time of year.
She jogged down the steps and crossed the yard to enter the barn. Not seeing anyone else around, she headed toward the tack room. However, before she could reach it, she saw a cowboy walking toward her from the opposite end. She couldn't make out who he was, but she didn't think he was one of the ranch hands. She hesitated as he strode toward her.
"Brenna?" asked a deep voice.
Brenna mustered up the courage to look at him and was surprised when she recognized him.
"Beau?" she exclaimed.
"What are you doing here?" he replied in surprise.
"This is my parents' place. Are you here about the stolen horse?" she asked since he was wearing a protective vest with livestock agent embroidered on it under his coat.
"Yes ma'am," he confirmed. "Your dad phoned the department."
"I knew he called about it, but he didn't tell me someone was coming out. Have you found anything?"
"I just got here. I was on my way to the house."
"I didn't see a vehicle."
"It's out at this end." He pointed his thumb over his shoulder.
"I see. Well, if you'll excuse me, I'm going for a ride."
He touched the brim of his hat. "Yes, ma'am. Enjoy your ride."
She rolled her eyes and shook her head playfully.
"Beau, we've known each other for years, you don't have to call me ma'am."
He chuckled and apologized for the habit.
"How are you?" he asked her.
"I'm fine. You?" she replied.
"Same."
"I remember you saying you didn't work weekends."
"I don't, but since I finished a case yesterday, my boss told me about this one. I wanted to get started on it right away. Officially, I'm not on duty," he said with a grin.
"I see."
Silence filled the air, and she struggled to think of something to say. It had been two long years since their spouses had an affair, leading to their respective divorces. Beau had always been kind in her eyes, and his handsome looks were just a bonus. Standing tall with his dark hair peeking out from under his hat, he was truly a good man. Unlike Eric Phillips. She cleared her throat before speaking again.
"Well, it was nice seeing you. I'm going to head out."
"Enjoy your day," he said.
"I'm hoping to." She smiled and headed toward the stall her horse was in.
"Are you living here now?" Beau asked, stopping her in her tracks. She turned to look at him.
"Yes and no. I live in the apartment above the third barn. I love my parents, but I don't want to live with them." She grinned. "Sometimes, the barn even seems too close."
Beau huffed out a laugh. "I understand that. According to the file, your dad sold a good bit of his land recently. Do you know who he sold it to?"
"John Callaway. Supposedly, he wanted more, but dad wouldn't sell any more. He didn't like the fact that Callaway wanted to develop the land, so he kept a hundred acres so no one could build close to the ranch. I know that Callaway also purchased land from the Palmer ranch, since it butts up to ours."
"Yeah, I'm familiar with Callaway. Okay. I'm going to speak with your father. You have a safe ride."
"I will. Have a good day."
"I'll try," he replied with a smirk.
She smiled at him before walking toward the tack room. She couldn't help but glance back at his figure, admiring his long stride. As she looked down at his long legs, her grin widened when she noticed his well-worn cowboy boots. He may be a livestock agent, but he was a cowboy at heart.
However, her smile quickly faded as she thought back to the day, she discovered Eric's affair with Beau's wife and her best friend, Liz. The memory was forever burned into her mind…
"Brenna, we need to talk," Eric had said when he entered the house, and she knew by the look on his face that it wasn't going to be a pleasant conversation.
"What about?" Her heart sank as she saw him avoiding eye contact.
"I... I've been having an affair." Brenna gasped in shock, and he held up his hand. "It didn't mean anything. It's over. I'm sorry."
"Sorry? You're sorry ? You should be more than sorry. How could you do this to me? Who is she?" she demanded. When he didn't answer, she shouted , "Who in the hell is she?"
Eric shook his head. "Liz," he murmured.
"Liz? My best friend, Liz McCallister?"
"Yes."
"Get out and never speak to me again. My lawyer will be contacting you," Brenna yelled, feeling a sharp pain in her heart.
"Brenna, we can work through this—" Eric stopped when Brenna slapped him across the face.
"No, we can't. I want nothing to do with you from now on," she stated firmly, holding back tears as she headed for the bathroom. She refused to let him see her cry. But he showed his true self when he told her she was the one who had to leave. The house belonged to him before they married, and her name wasn't on the deed.
Returning to the present, she inhaled deeply and slowly exhaled. Not only had he lied about ending the affair, but the two cheaters were now living together. She couldn't help but hope that Karma would one day come back to bite them both in the ass. She moved out of the house a few days later, and he had Liz move in with him. To say she'd been destroyed would be a huge understatement.
She and Eric had been best friends with Liz and Beau for years. They did everything together, dinners, movies, and date nights. The betrayal from Eric and Liz had left her devastated, and she knew it affected Beau just as much. Liz and Beau had been married for ten years while she and Eric had been married for five. Even now, she couldn't help but wonder if he had cheated on her before Liz.
Shaking her head, she prepared her horse and rode out of the barn toward the north pasture. It just didn't matter anymore.
The cool autumn breeze was a sign that winter was on its way. Despite it being late September, the lack of snow indicated that they were in for a difficult winter.
****
Beau strode toward the house, shaking his head. Who knew he'd run into Brenna after all this time? She was still as beautiful as ever. He'd always thought so. Her long blonde hair flowed softly around her shoulders and her ice blue eyes always seemed to sparkle with mischief.
He knew she'd been devastated by their spouse's affair, just as he had. It pissed him off that ten years were all for nothing. He was now glad that Liz wasn't able to have children. It would have been a lot messier divorce. As it was, they had to go to court. Liz wanted half of everything, but his lawyer made sure that didn't happen. If he ever got married again, he would have the woman sign a prenup. If she wasn't willing to do it, then he'd move on.
There was no way he'd let anyone take half of what he built so hard to have. Liz probably thought he'd be more than happy to give her half. Nothing was further from the truth.
He sighed thinking about seeing Brenna. She seemed happy, but he was sure it still haunted her as it did him. He couldn't help but think, was it his fault? Did he stay away from home too much? It was his job. He worked for the Montana Department of Livestock, and sometimes he had to travel for a case. She knew that going into the marriage. He also raised and sold Appaloosa horses, so he worked a good bit. But Liz knew all of that. She sure loved the money he made by doing both.
Shaking his head, he walked up the steps, knocked on the door, and waited. When it opened, he grinned when he saw Mr. Lawrence.
Beau removed his hat and greeted him.
"Mr. Lawrence? I'm Agent Beau McCallister with the Montana Department of Livestock."
"Call me Greg. Come on inside," the man replied, pulling the door open wider for him.
Beau followed him into the kitchen. As he hung his hat on a nearby peg, he looked at the man.
"Thanks."
"Would you like a cup of coffee?"
"If it's not too much trouble."
"Not at all. Have a seat, this won't take long."
"Thanks." Beau pulled out a chair from the table and sat down. "I didn't know Brenna was your daughter."
"You know Brenna?" Greg asked with surprise.
Beau smirked. "Yes, I've known her for years."
"I see," Greg said, but Beau could see a frown forming on his forehead.
"Can I ask you something personal?"
"Sure. If it's too personal, I'll just tell you to mind your own business."
Beau laughed. He had no doubt that the man would do just that if needed. He came across as a no-nonsense type of man.
"Do you know why Brenna and... Eric got divorced?" Saying that name always caused an ache in Beau's gut. Eric had betrayed their friendship by getting involved with Beau's wife.
"She told me he cheated on her. Why do you ask?"
"It was with my wife."
Greg turned to face him, clearly taken aback. "Your wife was the one Eric cheated with?"
"Yes, sir. We used to hang out together. The four of us were pretty close." Beau shook his head sadly. "I'm sure it devastated Brenna just as much as it did me."
Greg placed a cup of coffee in front of Beau and made himself one before sitting down at the table with a heavy sigh.
"She was destroyed by his betrayal," he said. "I wanted to knock him on his ass. Hell, I still might if I ever see him again. I'm sorry that you both had to go through that."
"I appreciate that. It was tough for a while, but I'm fine now. Brenna seems to be doing well."
"She finally moved on. It took her a while to get over it, though. She even took her maiden name back. And when she moved out of the house, he wasted no time in getting that woman to move in with him." Greg shook his head in disapproval. "But I can guarantee it won't last. They'll end up cheating on each other."
"I wonder if that was the first time she cheated. I wasn't around much."
"That's no excuse. You made a vow; for better or for worse. Did she know what you did before she married you?"
"Yes, sir."
"Then she can't put it on you. That's just her excuse."
"Yeah, you're right. It doesn't matter now anyway." Beau let out a defeated sigh. "So, tell me about the horse. When did you last see it?"
They chatted for a while before Beau stood up and went to rinse his cup in the sink. He turned back to look at Greg.
"I'll ask around. It's odd that they only took one horse when the others were left untouched."
"Yes, four of them were in the west pasture, but only the one was taken. We had to round the others up. Since the fence was down, they wandered out of the pasture."
"That doesn't make sense to only take one. Rustlers usually take all the livestock they can find." Beau frowned in confusion. "Unless something spooked them, and they had to leave quickly. I'll see what I can dig up and report back to you. Is it alright if I go out there and check for tracks?"
"Son, do whatever you have to do to find that horse."
"Yes, sir." Beau grabbed his hat from its peg, opened the door, and glanced back at Greg. "I'll be in touch."
"Thanks, Agent. Have a good day. It's going to start getting colder soon, so I want my wife's mare back home."
"I'll do my best."
"I have no doubt about that, son. Just keep me updated."
"Yes, sir. Oh, is the horse microchipped?"
"Yes. All of my livestock are."
"What color is the horse?"
"She's pure white."
"Alright. I'll be in touch."
Beau walked out the door and closed it behind him. He put his hat on as he made his way to the barn and then headed out to his truck. After starting it, he drove through the open gate and headed toward the west pasture.
****
Brenna rode her horse through the pasture. The cool air nipped at her cheeks, but the warm rays of sunlight streaming down on her made it a perfect day. It had been two years since they had both gone through the heart-wrenching pain of discovering their spouses were cheating with each other.
Memories of their time together flooded back as she shook her head, wondering how long the affair had been going on before Beau caught them. Eric had never given her a straight answer. But at that moment, none of it mattered anymore. She never wanted to see Eric or Liz again in this lifetime.
As she rode along, she heard the distant rumble of an approaching vehicle and turned in the saddle to see a pickup truck heading toward her. Her heart skipped a beat as she waited for it to reach her. She was sure it was Beau.
The truck pulled up beside her and the window lowered to reveal his handsome face. Brenna couldn't help but smile.
"Are you following me?" she asked playfully.
"Would it be a problem if I were?" Beau replied with a smirk.
Brenna tilted her head and frowned, then laughed.
"Not really," she said, feeling a sense of ease and comfort around him.
"Can you show me where the horses were?" he asked.
"Sure, follow me. Just try to keep up," Brenna said with a grin as she nudged her horse forward.
She led him through the vast pasture. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw him behind her but not too close, giving her space as she led him toward the area where the horse had been stolen.
When they arrived, Brenna dismounted and watched as Beau pulled his truck to a stop and stepped out. She couldn't help but run her eyes down his body and felt a sudden rush of awareness. She had always thought him attractive, but looking at him now as a woman looks at a man instead of just a friend, she was acutely aware of how incredibly good-looking he truly was.
As he approached her, she couldn't help but take notice of how well his jeans fit him. She raised her eyes to meet his and felt her heart skip a beat. Why now? They had known each other for a long time, but she had never paid him much attention because she was happily married and so was he. She couldn't deny that he was good-looking, but that was as far as it went. Yet now she found herself unable to stop looking at him and feeling an inexplicable attraction toward him.
"I'm going to search the area," he informed her once he reached her side.
"One of my dad's men said they didn't spot any tire tracks."
"Okay, I'll see if I can find anything." He headed toward the fence, then turned back to face her. "You don't have to stay here. Go enjoy your ride."
"Thanks, Beau. Have a good day."
"You do the same."
She nodded but remained rooted in place as she watched him crouch down and shine a flashlight on the ground. He pulled out his phone from his pocket and took some photos.
"Did you find something?" she asked.
He seemed surprised that she was still there but nodded.
"No tire tracks, but I did find hoofprints," he confirmed with a shake of his head before looking back at the fence.
"So, they led the horse out?"
"That's what it looks like. Probably because this area is close to the road. Either they got scared and ran off with just the one horse or they were specifically after that horse." He turned to look at her. "Do you know anyone who might have wanted to buy the horse? Maybe your dad refused to sell?"
Brenna shrugged her shoulders in response. "No, she's almost twenty years old," she stated. "My dad got her for my mom when the horse was only five years old."
"I imagine something spooked them, but I think they were after that particular horse. They didn't even drive a trailer into the field." He shrugged. "I'll keep following these tracks for as long as possible. Hopefully, they'll lead me to some tire tracks, and I can take it from there." He climbed through the fence before walking away, eyes focused on the ground.
With a sigh, Brenna mounted her horse and turned it around, riding through the pasture. She hoped Beau would be able to find out something about who had stolen her mother's horse. It held sentimental value for her dad, which is why he was so desperate to get it back. He had bought the horse for her mother on their anniversary one year, and her mother loved that horse. Brenna nudged her horse and rode through the pasture.
****
Beau followed the prints until he came out to the road. He saw mud from truck tires turning right, but that was all. No trailer tracks. What the hell? He glanced up and down the road but saw nothing else.
As he turned to head back, he stopped, looked across the road, and frowned. Were there other tracks over there? Checking for traffic, he crossed the road, and saw more tire tracks along with trailer tracks, but heading in the opposite direction of the other tracks, which made him believe there was more than one person involved in the theft, and they planned to take more than just the mare because, by the length of distance between the front and back tires of the trailer, it was big one. Too much for just one horse. Unless they stopped at other ranches or were going to take more from the Lawrence ranch.
He would check into the tracks once he got back to the office. Taking a deep breath, he headed back across the road, then walked to his truck. Brenna was nowhere to be seen. He wondered how she was doing, really. It had taken a long time for him to get past the hurt their spouses had caused, and he was sure it had been for her too.
When he arrived back at the ranch, he stopped the truck beside the porch, stepped out, and made his way to the door. He knocked and it opened.
"Come in," Greg said. "Did you find anything?"
"Hoofprints that led to the road. There were three sets of tire tracks. Two trucks, and one trailer. The tracks of the trailer and one truck were on the opposite side of the road. I'm thinking it was they were either hitting other ranches to take one or two animals, or they planned to take more of yours, but were scared off."
"It's strange though. If they wanted more than one horse from here, why not drive to the fence with the trailer. That's a little strange, isn't it?"
"You make a good point, but honestly, when it comes to rustlers, nothing surprises me, but it would be easier to take livestock from one ranch." Beau frowned. "Who knows?"
"That mare belongs to my wife, and we want it back."
"I understand. I'll do all I can. I'm going to head to the office and see if anyone else is missing just one horse, or whatever. I'll be in touch in a few days."
"I appreciate it."
"Yes, sir." Beau opened the door, stepped onto the porch, and saw Brenna riding into the yard, then she entered the barn.
He trotted down the steps and strode across the yard, then entered the barn. He saw her cooling the horse, so he strolled toward her.
"Brenna?"
"Yes?" She smiled at him.
Beau folded his arms across his chest and stared at her. He didn't know where to begin.
"Uh, how are you really doing?" he asked and watched her sigh.
"I'm fine. Now. It took a while."
"I know. I'm sorry—"
"What do you have to be sorry about, Beau? You didn't do anything."
He shook his head. "Maybe if I'd been home more."
"No. I don't believe that. They're the ones who did wrong. Not us. I was faithful."
"So was I."
"I had a feeling you were."
"I believe in those vows."
She nodded but didn't say anything more as she walked the horse along the barn's aisle.
"Would you like to get coffee sometime?" he asked then almost kicked himself for doing so when she turned to face him with a frown on her face.
"Coffee?"
"Yeah, surely you know what coffee is." He grinned when her eyes narrowed.
"I never realized you were a smartass, Beau McCallister."
He chuckled. "Sure, you did. It's just coffee. I'd love to catch up on what you've been doing for the past two years."
As she nibbled on her bottom lip, he did all he could not to groan. She was a beautiful woman and since neither of them were involved with anyone—
"Unless you're involved with someone?"
"No. I've stayed away from relationships. I don't need another broken heart."
"I sure as hell don't either. So… coffee?"
She hesitated, then nodded. "Sounds good."
"Great. How about we meet tomorrow around eleven at the diner? We could have lunch too."
"Okay. I'll see you tomorrow then."
"Yes, ma'am. I'll see you then."
Beau grinned as he walked back toward his truck. He was glad he'd asked.
After climbing back into his truck, he drove to the office. He entered the department, removed his hat, and hung it on the coatrack then sat at his desk.
"Hey, Beau."
He glanced up to see Eli Hawkins.
"Eli. How's it going?"
"Good. What are you working on?" Eli sat in the chair across the desk from him.
"Someone stole a horse from the Lawrence ranch."
"Just one?"
"Yeah, it's weird, but that's all. From that ranch anyway."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm trying to see if it's happened at other ranches lately. The only thing I can think is they got close to being caught so they had to take off with just the one horse, but then I get wondering if they planned it that way to throw us off."
"Like stealing an animal from another ranch?"
"Something like that. Those are the only two explanations I can come up with."
Eli nodded. "I wouldn't put anything past those thieves. Remember my case with Joey Callaway. Those kids stole five horses from the Palmer ranch just for the hell of it. Well, let me know if you need any help. I'm between cases since I just finished one. That's why I'm here on a Saturday. What's your excuse?"
"Same as yours. I finished the Carpenter case yesterday, and Dave gave me this one. I wanted to get started on it. It's not like I have a reason to stay home. Callaway's name came up. It seems he wanted to buy some of the Lawrence property."
"He's been trying to buy a lot of land, but I doubt he had anything to do with it." Eli shook his head. "Well, give me a call if you need help."
"Thanks, Eli. I appreciate that. I'll let you know."
"Sounds good. I'm heading home." Eli stood, walked to his desk, picked up his hat, then left the office.
Beau looked through files but didn't see any other thefts of just one animal. The only explanation could be that they only wanted the one horse, but why? Was the horse just closer to the fence or they specifically wanted that horse?
Greg Lawrence was lucky his other horses were rounded up because they'd be chasing them all over the place.
****
The following day, Brenna entered the diner and saw Beau at the counter. He stood when he saw her. He grinned, and her heart fluttered.
"Would you like to get a booth?"
"Sure," she said, then weaved her way through the tables to a booth. She slid onto the bench and watched as Beau removed his hat, hung it on the peg attached to the back of the booth seat, and raked his fingers through his thick hair. His dark brown eyes were beautiful.
"Hey, you two."
"Hi, Connie. How are you?" Beau asked.
"I'm wonderful. Are you ready to order?"
"Brenna?" Beau said.
"I'll have my usual, please, Connie."
"Same for me, please."
"All right. I'll be back with those in a few minutes. I'll get your drinks for you."
"Yes, ma'am." Beau said and Connie walked to the pass-through window, pinned their orders to the metal wheel and spun it around for her husband, Owen, to get.
"I bet she's surprised to see us together," Brenna said with a smile.
"No doubt there. I'm sure a lot of people in here are."
Connie returned with their drinks, then walked off to wait on another patron. Brenna picked up her cup and sipped her coffee. She glanced around the restaurant, but no one seemed to be paying them any mind.
"Have you heard from either of them?" Beau asked her.
"No. I hope I never do. You know, I wonder how long it had been going on before you caught them."
"I've wondered that myself. Of course, Liz blamed me."
"Why?"
"She said she was alone all the time." He shook his head. "I said, apparently not if she was screwing Eric. When I think of how we all spent time together, and I didn't see it, pisses me off. I'm usually more observant than that."
"You didn't want to see it, Beau. We both missed it. Right under our noses." She shook her head. "Did you hear from either of them?"
"Liz called me when I sent her the divorce papers, but I've never heard from Eric and I hope to God, I never see him again, or I'll do what I wanted to do when I caught them."
"And what was that?"
"Beat the hell out of him. I trusted him, damn it. He was my best friend."
"I know. Liz was mine. I hope I never see her either."
"So, what have you been up to?" Beau picked up his water and took a drink.
"I'm still teaching. I love my students." She grinned.
"You always did."
"First grade is fun. They're so adorable at that age."
"Why didn't you have kids? I mean, you love them."
"Eric kept putting it off." She shrugged.
"I'm glad Liz couldn't have kids now. I'd hate to put them through a divorce."
"I see it happen at school. Kids take it hard when their parents get a divorce."
"I'm sure no one likes it when their parents' divorce, no matter what age."
"That's true. So, I know you're still a livestock agent, but other than that, how have you really been?"
Beau sighed. "Honestly, I'm fine now, but it was a long time coming. I thought we had a good marriage. I guess I should quit thinking."
"I hated them both for a long time, then I realized I was wasting my time on them. After what they did, they didn't deserve a second thought."
"Have you been seeing anyone at all?"
"I've dated, but it never went anywhere. I'm too scared, Beau. I'm so afraid of being ripped apart again."
"I completely understand."
A few minutes later, Connie set their lunches on the table, winked, and headed back to the kitchen. Brenna toyed with her cup as she tried to think of something to say. They'd been friends for a long time, but their spouses decided to cheat, and she would never forgive either one of them. Not in this lifetime. She knew Beau had to feel the same way.
As they ate their lunches, conversation finally began to flow and soon they were laughing about times they shared. Brenna relaxed and enjoyed her lunch with him.
Once they finished, they walked to the counter, and Beau paid Connie. They walked outside to see it flurrying.
"Well, that's unexpected," Brenna said.
"Come on, Brenna. This is Clifton." Beau grinned.
She laughed. "Yeah, what was I thinking?"
Beau chuckled. "I had a good time."
"Me too."
"How about we do it again? No pressure."
She nodded. "I'd like that."
"Good. So would I. Can I get your number and I'll call or text you and we can set up a time and place?"
"Sounds good, Beau." She gave him her number and he put it into his phone.
"I'll talk with you soon, Brenna. Have a good day." He touched the brim of his hat, then strode across the street. She couldn't take her eyes off his long stride as he headed toward the MDOL offices.