CountryCore Series: The Ranch Hand (WLW)

Chapter Nine

"I told you to check on the crops first. What the hell--"

"Mike was with me." He told her as he rubbed his hand up and down her arm. It appeared to be more soothing for him than Sav and Hayley found herself softly smiling at the endearing gesture, despite the ache in her heart. Sav's face softened and she never stopped gazing into his eyes. "He took Heath and Lee. We were all in a meetin' 'bout... Well, a meetin' 'bout those damn hogs, actually."

"Ironic..." Sav commented and peered over at Hayley.

"More like coincidence." She replied and took a step forward. "You said... You said Lee, Mike and Heath... That was all who were in the meeting?"

"Uh, yes'm." Dan tapped his hat on his knee and looked around like he was trying to hide something.

"Why wasn't..." She abandoned her resistance and plunged forward. She needed to know where Chris was. Suddenly hearing she wasn't with them made her worry as Chris always took Thomas out on Sunday evenings, most evenings for that matter. There was a slim possibility that...that she... "Where was Chris?"

"She... She, uh, she wasn't with us." Dan rubbed his mustache and glanced over at Sav then back at her. "We seen how tired she's been lately, so we decided to take care o' the hogs ourselves. Surprise her, ya know? But..."

"But?" Anxiety took over and Hayley cleared the space between them. She held onto his arm and stared at him as he squirmed a bit, staring back with wide eyes. "But what, Dan?"

"Sh-She...was out for a ride." He put his hand atop Hayley's and gave it a few pats. "In...the direction the hogs came from..."

She didn't need to hear more. Hayley grabbed one of the flashlights that hung on the wall and bolted out of the door, ignoring the cries from Dan and Sav to go back inside. She couldn't go back. Her mind filled with Chris' name and images of her working, holding her...smiling. She had a one track mind and no one could convince her to stay put.

"Miss, Hayley! Those yearlin's in the herd are dangerous! They got fresh tusks!" Dan paused, but Hayley still ignored him and rounded the corner of the house as she heard him shout, "Get back 'ere!"

She pulled out the keys to her car and hopped in, thankful she'd decided to just go on and park it next to The Barracks. It hadn't rained much since she arrived, maybe once or twice, and not ever hard or long enough to cause her sedan to become stuck in the dirt. Now, she had what she needed to get to Chris without heaving over from a long run, and it would have been a run. Only the revving engine of her car could carry her along the gravel road and forward.

She drove at lightning fast speed until she spotted Chris' cottage lit up only by her car's brights. When she parked the car and got out, she scanned the house and saw no sign of life from the outside. It was only eight-forty-three, so there was no way Chris was already in bed. She always stayed out with Thomas well past dark on Sundays. They always went to... The creek!

Hayley turned and a harsh twinge of agony rocked through her body at seeing the dark silhouette of Thomas resting in his stable. He didn't even look up at her as she ran to him, spotting that he still wore his saddle with the aid of her flashlight. Chris would never have left him in his stable with the saddle still on his back. She would have taken it off of him and given him a soothing brush down, then possibly stayed up longer chatting with him for a bit. She'd seen Chris do it a couple of times when she was still recovering in her bed and the twinge in her chest became a stab that throbbed throughout her entirety.

She left Thomas in his stable, closing the door, and turned for the hills toward the back of the property where that forbidden creek lay. If Chris got mad at her again for being there without permission, then sobeit. She had to make sure she was alright, breathing and unhurt, and a sickening feeling in her belly pushed her onward.