Taking Charge (Lone Star Burn #4)(59)

The woman shuffled through some piles, then brought out a rolled plot map. “Sure, I even had your handsome boyfriend in here a few weeks ago. He said he was looking up something for you.” She held out the roll to Lucy and let out a dreamy sigh. “What town did you find him in? Are there more like him? I’d move in a heartbeat.”

Lucy took the roll. Why would David want to see the land plots? “Sorry, he’s one of a kind.” And he’s mine.

“Oh well, I guess that’s for the best, anyway.”

Lucy laid out the paper on the large desk in the office. She didn’t know what she was looking for, but she was hoping something would jump out at her. “Who else requested to see this map?”

The young woman seemed to question if she was sharing too much. “That’s not confidential information, right? I’m alone today, or I’d ask.”

Lucy shrugged. “It’s not important. I was just curious.” She dug through her memories for a name that would help her. “Hey, are you Nikki’s little sister, Kelly?”

The woman nodded. “You probably don’t remember, but I used to stalk the two of you. It drove Nikki crazy. We’re close now, but she said I was awful when we were little.”

“I remember. You’ll have to tell her I said hello.”

Kelly nodded and glanced around to make sure no one was listening, then said, “We had some men in suits come in last year—I can’t imagine who would care that I told you—then a lawyer. Ted York was in here one day. Oh yes, and some of the families just before they sold to Mr. York and moved away. This job is usually boring, but I’m loving it this year.” She stepped back from the counter so Lucy could see her dress. “I may have even met someone. Who knew coming to work would be where I’d start meeting men? He came in last week. Gorgeous and single. He wanted a list of all the properties that have sold in town in the last two years. I told him I’d have to research it. He promised to come back for it.” She smiled. “I bought five new dresses.” Kelly laughed.

Lucy smiled even though her mind was racing. “I’d be surprised if he can remember what he came in for when he sees you.”

Kelly blushed. “Thanks.” She nodded toward the table. “Did you find what you were looking for?”

Lucy rolled the paper back up and handed it to her. “I did. Is there any chance I could get a copy of that list of sales?”

With a shrug, Kelly said, “It’s all public knowledge, so I see no reason why not. I’ll make you a copy. Hang on, I’ll be right back.” Then she returned and handed Lucy the list.

“Thanks, Kelly. And good luck.”

She left and tucked the list into the visor on the passenger side of her truck.

She didn’t know how she felt about David going to town hall. She didn’t want to believe that something was going on, and he wasn’t being honest with her. She had more questions than she had answers, making her drive back to the ranch a very long one.



David started his day inside Lucy’s house, making phone calls. He wasn’t happy with the lack of progress with the mare, and it was weighing on him. He contacted the family who owned the horse and asked them where they’d gotten her.

They countered by asking when they’d get their horse back and how much all that training was going to cost them. David hated having to explain to them that the horse would never be suitable for a family. He offered to keep her.

They quoted a ridiculous price for a horse that would likely kill them if he sent it home to them now. He offered them a trade instead. He had an older mare who was as gentle as they came. It took a little convincing, but when he explained that this horse could be ridden bareback around their yard, they agreed.

David said he’d ship the horse to them at no cost, and the deal was set. All that was important to him, he stressed, was helping the mare they’d sent him. They had to know something.

It was only then that they opened up and admitted how little they’d paid for the mare. They said they’d gotten her at an auction. They’d thought they were saving her from slaughter, but she’d never been right, and the more they handled her, the worse she’d gotten.

“Do you know anything about where she came from before that?”

They didn’t, but they gave him some information about where they’d bought her. David contacted the man who’d run the auction. And he gave David the name of who’d provided the horse.

Before David hung up, he said, “Did you know how dangerous she was when you sold her to a family with a child?”

The man didn’t sound repentant. “I put the horse through as is. If you buy a horse dirt cheap, you know it has problems.”

David could have said more, but wasting his breath on those who had no intention of changing had never been his style. Instead, he called the number the auctioneer had given him.

The woman who answered was curt at first until David explained that his intention was only to find out whatever he could to help the mare.

“She was a good horse,” the woman said sadly. “I raised her from a foal. She wasn’t mean at all.”

“What happened?” David held his breath and waited.

“I told my husband we needed to replace that old barbed wire. He said it was good enough when his daddy had horses here, and it would work for us. Tia, that’s what we called the mare you have, she got caught in it out in the far field. Got her neck tangled up in it real good.” The woman paused, and her voice filled with emotion. “You probably think I didn’t care about Tia, but I loved her. I used our savings on vet bills to heal her up. She was never right again, though. Her mane grew over the scars and made her pretty on the outside, but something changed in her. She’d turn on us when we were doing nothing but leading her to her field. She nearly killed my husband. He wanted to shoot her, but I convinced him to give her a chance. No one would take her but the auction.” In a whisper, she said, “Tell me she didn’t kill anyone.”