Home For a Cowboy Christmas(60)

“Smart thinking. That way, you could stop them before they got to her.”

“That was the plan.” Dalton shrugged. “I staked out Roma’s place, watching everyone come and go. I knew the moment I saw Orso that he was the man going after Emmy. He was so intent on finding my trail that he never thought to see if anyone followed him. I was able to stay with him all this time without him knowing I was there.”

Dwight was winded from his wound and trudging through the snow. “He’s used to being the hunter, not the hunted. That gave you an advantage.”

“That it did. He underestimated me.”

“So that’s how you knew to warn me that someone was close.”

Dalton glanced at him and nodded. “Orso called in some help. He had several couples working for him, going from ranch to ranch, asking questions.”

“I knew those people weren’t legit.”

“Others not trained like us wouldn’t, though.”

Dwight paused and looked around. “Did you see which way they went?”

“Back the way you came.”

Dwight fisted his hands, trying to get feeling back into his fingers. “Why didn’t Orso kill Emmy when he found her?”

“I don’t know, but it’s buying us some time. I never thought Orso would come out in this storm, but the minute I saw him gathering supplies earlier, I set things into motion myself.”

Dwight looked at his friend. “He cut my fence, didn’t he?”

“Yeah,” Dalton said with a nod as they began walking again. “He also caught the cow and got her tangled in the wire, just to make sure you’d come out here.”

“Orso may know the way back to the ranch, but I don’t think Emmy does. Did you see who was driving?”

Dalton shook his head. “I was too far away. For an older guy, Orso moves quicker in the snow than I do. I lost track of him for a short period. That was enough time for him to shoot you and take Emmy.”

“Don’t beat yourself up about it. You were ahead of the game with him, giving us time to prepare for an attack.”

“We’re losing the tracks,” Dalton said.

Dwight jerked his chin to Sam. “But we’ve got my dog.”

Dalton chuckled softly. There was a brief stretch of silence before he said, “If we don’t get to them soon, Emmy–”

“Don’t say it,” Dwight ordered, more harshly than intended.

Dalton’s brown eyes met his. “You’re in love with her.”

“I am.”

“I guess I should’ve seen that coming.”

Dwight picked up the pace. He was out of breath, wounded, and scared that he might lose the woman he loved. If he found Emmy dead, he would tear Orso limb from limb. He would want justice immediately, and he’d deliver it to the assassin himself. There wouldn’t be a lengthy trial or a jury that could be bought and swayed.

“I won’t stop you,” Dalton said suddenly.

Dwight glanced at his friend and frowned. “What?”

“I see that look on your face. I won’t stop you from going after Orso. In fact, I’ll be right beside you.”

They walked for what felt like hours. The truck, even if driven as slowly as Dwight had when they’d headed out to the heifer, was still making better time than they were. He couldn’t even be sure of the time that had passed since they left, and Dalton had found him. For all Dwight knew, Emmy and Orso had already made it back to the house.

But there was also a chance they were lost.

“There is no road to travel on,” Dwight told Dalton. “It would be easy to get lost or turned around.”

Dalton nodded, his breathing ragged. “I thought of that.”

“That could give us time to find them.”

“Possibly. It could also frustrate Orso, making him kill her right then before disappearing.”

Dwight shook his head. “That bastard isn’t leaving this ranch alive.”

“Even if he does, I’ll have evidence to convict him.”

“How so?”

Dalton’s eyes crinkled at the corners. “A buddy owed me a favor. A rather high-up-in-the-food-chain buddy who got me a warrant to bug Orso’s phone. We’re recording everything he says.”

“Will that be enough for Roma’s trial?”

“Everything helps at this point.”

Dwight blinked the snow from his lashes. Sam halted, his body stiffening. Then he took off running. Without hesitation, Dwight followed the dog. He ignored the pain of his wound and tried to keep Sam in sight, but the dog was fast. Luckily, his prints were easy to follow for the moment. The rapid snowfall would eventually erase them, but for now, they could track Sam.

The instant Dwight saw the tree, he knew what was up ahead. Then he heard Sam’s barking. Dwight ran faster, getting ahead of Dalton. They came to a halt when they spotted Sam at the edge of the ravine, barking incessantly.

“No,” Dwight said as he rushed to the edge. As he looked over the side, he spotted his truck upside down in the water. “I’ve got to get down there.”

“You’re wounded.”

Dwight glared at his friend. “I’m going down.”

Dalton nodded and dropped his backpack to the ground. He opened it and pulled out some climbing rope. Dalton wrapped the rope around the tree and threw both ends over the edge of the twenty-foot ravine. Dwight gathered the two pieces of rope and stepped between them before wrapping them around his waist and then between his legs as a makeshift harness. As Dwight backed up to the edge, Dalton came to stand beside him.