3. Indy

Chapter 3

Indy

“Indy, this here is Jeff Ryan. He’s just signed on at the Blackstone Ranch.”

I smile at the man standing beside Cooper and Carson Wells. “Hey Jeff,” I murmur, with a friendly smile on my face. He’s tall and good-looking, with dark brown hair and matching eyes. He’s built like a man who has earned his muscles the hard way, working until he was worn and tired out in the hot sun. I look at him briefly, taking in his features. There’s a scar on his chest. It seems deeper, but most of it hides within a smattering of chest hair before completely disappearing under his white, black, and red checkered shirt. I can’t be sure, but it looks like a stab wound. Of course, if he’s working for Carson Wells, that stands to reason.

“Hey, Ms. Shelton.”

“Just Indy, please. Ms. Shelton was my mother, and I’d rather not be compared to her at all,” I respond with a wink, trying to lighten up the obvious stress he seems to be under. “Hey Carson, how have you been?” I’ve met this man a few times. I go out to the ranch for house calls regularly. Despite being guns for hire, Carson and his two brothers own a vast ranch. Cooper says that’s the majority of their focus these days and that they're retiring from the business, except for cases they feel action is justified and needed. I don’t ask questions. I respect them for what they do. I know it’s illegal, but I trust and know that Cooper is a good man. The less I know, the better I figure.

“Doing good. I’m going to need you to come out to the ranch as soon as you can. My new foal is acting funny. I’d hate to lose her.”

“How about tomorrow morning while Tinny is in school? Probably around nine thirty? You don’t want me before then. I have to have my coffee and wake up,” I explain. I know he is taking it as if I’m joking, but I’m not. I can’t deal with people without caffeine. It’s impossible.

“Sounds good. I’ll tell the boys at the gate to be expecting you.”

“Has Coop shown you around, Jeff?”

“Yeah, it’s a nice setup you have here, Indy. I’ve worked on a ranch since I was old enough to walk, so if you need help, you can count on me.”

“Thanks, Jeff, I appreciate that. I’ve been meaning to hire someone, but I’m just now getting my business built up enough to survive,” I laugh slightly. That’s kind of understating the struggle I’ve been having. I love this place and Bryson City is gorgeous. The truth is, however, in a small town, everyone knows one another. When it comes to vets, they tend to want to stick to people who have grown up here. I’ve had to severely undercut their prices just to start building a clientele. I’m making a profit, but it’s not what it should be—that’s for sure.

“You’re welcome. I figure I might as well be useful since you’re stuck with me.”

“I’m the one who should thank you. I’m sure babysitting a single mother, and her six-year-old inquisitive daughter isn’t what you’d choose willingly.”

“I’m good,” he says. I study him for a second while he talks with Cooper. I can see sadness in his eyes. There’s pain inside of him—a lot of it. I can tell because I’ve been there myself. I shake my thoughts away. My past still haunts me. I hope Jeff finds a way to escape his.

“Jeff, let me show you to the room you’ll be staying in,” I finally say.

“I can just stay out in the tack room or your office. I don’t need much,” he responds, sounding very uncomfortable.

“Nonsense. You’re here to protect us. You can’t do that in another building. Besides, there’s no one in this big old farmhouse except me and my daughter. There are plenty of bedrooms. I fixed one up last night beside my other guest. I figured that’d be easiest.”

“Actually, for at least the next couple of days, I’d rather be in the room with him. That way, I can make sure you and your daughter are safest. Once we establish that he’s not a threat, I’ll move into the other room. I can stay until he’s ready to move on.”

“I’m going to get his fingerprints, Indy. I’d feel better with a background check. If he’s in the system, I can get a name, date of birth and such.”

“I’m okay with that. He’s trying to wake up, though. I’ve started slowing down on the sedation meds. I was giving him some stuff to keep him from moving a lot and let his body heal. I’ve slacked off after he showed signs of coming around. So, if you’re going to do it, you better do it while you can. He may not be willing to give you permission otherwise.”

“Lead the way, Doc,” Carson says. I grin, shaking my head. I don’t exactly like having strangers in my house. There’s something about Jeff, however, that puts me at ease. I don’t know what he’s been through, but apparently pain recognizes pain, because I can tell just from the shadows in his gaze that he’s hurting as bad as I am—in places we never want others to see.

I head toward the house, wishing Breaker—or whatever his real name is—would wake up and go back to where he came from. I need my quiet life back.