.

he would have hit his head.

      “Yes, sir.” He didn’t want to hear another warning to stay away.

      The old cowboy found a couple more potholes to hit. They finally made it to the gate. Reid knew he had some new bruises. Bobby winked at him.

      As they pulled in behind the old bunkhouse, Danica and Dr. Ortiz were waiting for them. He greeted the doctor as he got out of the truck. A few others joined them. “Reid, this is Stephanie Lee, Linda Edward’s niece. She’s on the board. She has been an advocate for the dream her aunt had for the ranch. Stephanie, this is Reid McAllister. He saved the day with his degree in animal husbandry. Best of all, he has experience with big animals and wild horses.”

      “Welcome aboard.” In high heels and with perfect hair, she looked more prepared for a day in the courtroom than one spent hanging out with wild animals. Her red lips stretched into a tight smile as she looked him up and down.

      Reid tried not to be oversensitive and stood still. He learned fast to always appear confident, even when he didn’t feel that way. She reminded him of the court-appointed lawyer who threw him to the wolves and walked away without a care.

      Stephanie was a trusted member of Danica’s circle, and he wasn’t. So he smiled and offered his hand. Yeah, she wasn’t happy about touching him.

      Danica, who had been speaking with Dr. Ortiz, waved them over. “Dr. Ortiz examined our new cat. The jaguar is in general good health, but the back leg is permanently damaged. We’ll release him into the north cat area.” She looked at Dr. Ortiz, then at Reid. “Are we ready to move him?”

      The wheeled crate was four feet tall and six feet long. Reid could hear the black cat pacing. Working as a team, they loaded him into the back of a trailer and slowly drove out to the cat area in the far back part of the ranch. It took some maneuvering, but they got the crate placed inside a double-fenced area that was free of trees.

      By the time they rolled the crate up against the second gate, the sun was high, and the Texas heat had stopped being friendly. Danica had everyone clear the area and stand outside the enclosure. She and Reid were the only people inside, ready to let the cat into his new home. Dr. Ortiz stood next to the tall fence with a tranquilizer if they needed it.

      Danica jumped on top of the crate. She looked like an Amazon queen, surveying her land. She was born to do this. Twisting around, she looked at Reid. “I’m going to lift the front panel. He’ll either dart out and run, or hide in there. We’ll have to wait for him to enter his new world.” Easing down, she laid her body flat on the top of the crate and peered into the openings. In a low, soothing voice, she started talking to the animal.

      “What do you need me to do?” Reid kept his voice steady and calm as he checked on the black jaguar from the side panel.

      “Stay to the back of the crate until he moves out the front. As soon as he leaves, I need you to slide and secure the gate so he can’t come back into this area. I’ll roll it out of the way.”

      She sprang to her feet. “By nature, they want to avoid humans, so he should run for the trees. Okay, here we go.” Giving Reid a nod, she got in position.

      Poised for action, he kept his full attention on her. It would be safer for her on the outside fence area with the others, but he knew better than to suggest it.

      Danica pulled the panel up. Nothing happened. Reid pressed his face against the top slot to see inside. The cat had his nose in the air and took one cautious step toward the opening. Then he stopped and just stared out.

      Slowly slipping down to the ground, Danica stood next to him. He was tall, and her lips were close to his ear when she leaned in. “All he’s known is captivity, his whole life. The open space probably scares him.”

      “Freedom can be overwhelming.” He had only been locked up six years and was surprised how hard it was to adjust. Facing freedom after a whole life of being in a cage had to be paralyzing.

      She nodded. With the palm of her hand, she wiped at her face. Reid pretended not to notice. Her warrior face was back, as she focused on the jaguar.

      The cat eased closer to the opening and once again sat and put his nose in the air. He turned around and went to the back of his shelter again.

      “No. Go. Run,” Danica whispered. “There are rocky cliffs and trees for you to climb and explore. You’re safe here.”

      The cat paced again and stopped at the door. His ears twitched. Reid stopped breathing for a few seconds as he waited for the cat to claim his freedom.

      Danica slid her hand into his. Reid heard her praying under her breath. She was so focused on the jag he doubted she even noticed. He resisted the urge to squeeze, hoping she would stay. If this caged and abused wild animal could make it, maybe he had a chance, too.

      It took almost an hour for the cat to get his whole body out of the crate. Suddenly he stood straight. With a flip of his tail, he lifted his head high, and his nostrils flared. He looked over his shoulder, then back again. With a lunge, he ran for the tree line.

      Danica pulled the crate back. “Lock the gate.”

      He had gotten so caught up holding her hand and watching the cat, he almost forgot his job. The small group behind them started applauding. The black cat reappeared and darted across the open grass, running straight back into the fence. Panting, he stopped and went flat. Danica held her hand up, and everyone went silent.

      Reid hated seeing the big cat in distress. “Should we let him back in the crate? He doesn’t feel safe in the open space.”

      With narrowed eyes, she kept her focus on the cat. “He’s okay. Let’s give him a bit more time.” The animal’s golden eyes scanned the land. Lying flat on his stomach, he crept back to the tree line.

      One swish of his tail and he turned back to the trees. One leap and he climbed onto the low branch of a giant oak. Danica looked at him with a huge smile. “I think he’s going to adjust fast.” Hands on the crate, she unlocked the brakes and started rolling it toward the volunteers. They rushed forward to help her.

      “That was so exciting, Ms. Bergmann. Will he be able to find the water and his food?”

      “I think so. We’ll keep an eye on him to make sure he does. The more he does on his own, the better.” Danica gave the small crew directions. Dr. Ortiz hugged her, then got in her fancy vet truck and left.

      Reid stood back. They all laughed and talked about the excitement of setting the cat free. Everyone had a job and knew what to do. A touch on his left shoulder caused him to spin with his fists up for a split second before he saw it was Danica. “Sorry.” He stuffed his hands in his back pockets. “I didn’t know you were behind me.” He hated the pity that clouded her eyes.

      “I didn’t even think about how—”

      “I’m fine. What do you need me to do?” Relaxing his jaw, he focused on his breathing. Once back to normal, he looked down at the beautiful woman who had looked at him with love a lifetime ago. The tender gaze was gone—now it shifted from suspicion to pity. She had a don’t-get-close look he’d never seen before.

      Even though he was free now, he felt as if he’d suffered a lifetime conviction. Ray said it was a self-induced sentence, which God had released him from. Now that he had his physical freedom, all the guilt and stress were back. He didn’t feel free anymore.

      “Reid?” Her bright green eyes searched his face. He forced himself to be still, to meet her gaze. She gave him a sad smile and nodded as if they had agreed to something he wasn’t aware of. “Are you ready to move the baby cub to the enclosure? I don’t want a crowd for that.”

      Right now, he would love to get away from this group of young, energetic college students. It seemed a lifetime ago that he had been a part of that life. If he heard the words awesome or amazing one more time, he was going to beat his head against the side of the truck.

      Then there was Bobby. The old man eyed Reid with a