Home on the Ranch: Oklahoma: Defending the Rancher's Daughter / The Rancher Bodyguard. Carla Cassidy

still burning from contact with him and her heart pounding just a bit unsteadily.

      “That boy’s nothing but raw emotion,” Gray used to say about Zack. “He just hasn’t figured out how to control it yet.”

      Of course, at the time her father had spoken of Zack, she’d had the feeling he was really trying to tell her something about herself.

      Apparently, Zack had learned control. Or maybe he’d lost his ability to have any emotions. She wasn’t sure which, but as they rode back toward the house, once again his features gave nothing away of his internal thoughts or feelings.

      “If you tell any of my men I lost it and cried, I’ll personally take my shotgun and shoot you in your cold, mean heart.”

      He gave her a wry, tight smile. “Now that’s the Katie Sampson I know and remember, always using vinegar when sugar might work as well.”

      She bit back a retort and for a few moments they rode in silence. Once again she found herself wondering what on earth had possessed her to call him of all people? He’d never pretended to like her, had always shown her nothing but disdain.

      Her father had not only loved Zack, but had admired him, had believed him to be an honorable man. That’s why she’d called him, because she knew no matter what he thought of her, he’d do what was right. He’d find Gray’s killer.

      “You’re sure of what you saw on that rock?” she asked, breaking the silence that had grown distinctly uncomfortable.

      “There’s blood on both sides, and on the underneath there’s some matted hair. That’s not consistent with a fall.” He grimaced. “I wish I’d had on gloves when I picked it up.”

      “Do you think Jim might be able to get fingerprints off it?”

      “Anything is possible. But, even if he does manage to get fingerprints off the rock, they won’t mean anything unless the perpetrator has a record with prints on file.”

      Kate frowned as they rode into the stable. At the moment everything seemed so complicated, so overwhelming. She wanted to fix the damage from the stampede, to catch her father’s killer and whoever had spooked the herd the day before, then get on with her life.

      They dismounted and she gestured to a tough-looking man who was in the process of mucking out a stable. “Brett, would you unsaddle our horses and brush them down?”

      Brett Cook tossed the shovel aside, a surly expression on his deeply tanned, scarred face. Kate tried to ignore the expression. Brett could be difficult and she should let him go, but at the moment she couldn’t afford to lose another ranch hand, even a bad one.

      As he approached them, Kate made the introductions. “Brett, this is Zack West. He’ll be working for me. Zack, Brett Cook.”

      The man thrust out a beefy hand and Zack shook it.

      “Nice to meet you,” Zack said.

      “Likewise.” Brett dropped his hand and began to unsaddle one of the horses.

      “That’s a man who looks like he’s been on the wrong side of trouble more than once,” Zack said as they left the stable. “That scar down the side of his face looks like an old knife wound.”

      “It is. He got it a year ago in a bar fight at Crazy Joe’s.”

      “He also smells like he slept in a brewery.”

      “I know. Dad fired him twice in the past year, then rehired him. He’s a quick-tempered alcoholic and I should fire him, but he’s good with the horses and I can’t afford to lose any more men right now.”

      “Why did Gray hire him back?”

      “You know Dad, he was always a sucker for a sob story. Brett apologized and told Dad he’d do better, that he needed the job to make child support payments.”

      Zack nodded. “I’ll need a list of those men who work for you now and those who left after your father’s death,” he said. “It also would help if you could give me the names of men who left Gray’s employment in the past year or so. I also think it would be better if we’d go see Jim Ramsey in person rather than talk to him on the phone.”

      “All right.” They reached the front porch. “Just let me get my purse and lock up so we can go see Sheriff Ramsey. Then we’ll come back here and get you settled in the bunkhouse.”

      Within minutes they were in Zack’s truck and headed into town.

      Cotter Creek held a charm she’d thought she’d never find anywhere else in the world. As Zack drove down Main Street toward the sheriff’s office, that charm was evident. People meandered down the sidewalks, as if they had all the time in the world to explore the various shops.

      There had been a time before her graduation from college that Kate had considered remaining in Tulsa and not returning to the small town of Cotter Creek. In the midst of college partying and new friends, Kate had thought this place provincial and dull, but as maturity had set in and she’d faced the rest of her life, she’d known this was where she belonged, this was where she wanted to live and raise a family.

      Of course, she’d barely gotten settled back into town and ranch life when she’d suddenly found herself in charge of running the ranch by herself.

      She slid a glance at Zack. “You ever think of leaving here and living someplace else?”

      Despite the morning sunshine, his hat cast shadows across his face, making it impossible for her to read his expression.

      “When I was younger I couldn’t wait to leave Cotter Creek. I wanted to move someplace where I wasn’t ‘one of those West boys.’ But for the past couple of years I’ve been doing a lot of traveling and I’ve realized this is where my roots are, where I want to be for the rest of my life. What about you?”

      “While I was in my first couple of years in college I got it into my head that I’d never go back to the ranch, that I’d stay in Tulsa and build a life there.”

      “So what happened to change your mind?”

      She leaned back in the seat and thought about her answer. “There was no real defining moment. As time went on I missed the ranch. I missed Cotter Creek and most of all I realized that I wanted the opportunity to get closer to my father.”

      Emotion once again pressed hard against her chest. She swallowed and continued. “Besides, I’d done all the city things, clubbed and danced and drank myself half silly. I’d shopped and eaten in fancy restaurants and done everything Tulsa had to offer. But I realized when the time came for me to build my life, to get married and have a family, I wanted to do it here.”

      He pulled into an empty parking place in front of the sheriff’s office, then turned to look at her. “Are you sure you’re up to this? We need to be calm and rational so Jim takes what we have to say seriously.”

      “Don’t worry about me,” she said, half irritated by his words of caution. “All I want is for Jim to take this seriously and to do whatever he can to find out who killed my father.”

      “Good, then we have a common goal.” He opened the truck door and got out. Kate hurriedly did the same.

      Before they could get into the sheriff’s office a familiar voice called Kate’s name. Sheila Wadsworth hurried down the sidewalk toward them, the smile on her face rivaling the brightness of the rhinestones that decorated her tight denim dress.

      “Zack West, I swear, honey, you get more handsome every time I see you,” she exclaimed.

      “Ah, Sheila, you’re nothing but a sweet talker,” he replied dryly.

      She giggled, an affected girlish sound Kate found particularly annoying, especially since it came from a woman well over the age of fifty. She braced herself as Sheila turned her attention in her direction.

      “Kate, darling. I just wanted to apologize for my behavior