Texas Free (The Tylers of Texas 5)

Rose hefted a shovelful of earth and dumped it over the rim of the pit. “This isn’t your fight, Tanner.”

“It’s become my fight. Anybody who hurts you will have to deal with me. Even if it’s Bull Tyler.”

When the pit was deep enough, Tanner dragged the dead lambs into it. Rose, who’d begun to cry again, insisted on helping cover them. When the grave was done, Tanner shoveled away the bloodstains in the lamb pen, rinsed off the tools in the creek, and put them away. It occurred to him then that he should have looked for footprints before he disturbed the ground. But it was too late for that now.

Rose had washed her face and hands in the trailer. “Let’s go find Bull,” she said.

“You’re sure you don’t want to wait?”

She shook her head.

“Fine,” Tanner said. “We’ll take my truck.”

* * *

Sitting next to Tanner in the truck, Rose was silent. She was grateful that Tanner had come back, but right now the slaughter of her lambs overshadowed everything. How could Bull have done such a terrible thing? She had come to trust him. She’d believed he was her friend.

But this was the man who’d dumped her in Mexico for twelve years and taken over her land, she reminded herself. Bull Tyler was capable of anything.

“Are you all right?” Tanner laid a light hand on her knee.

“I will be,” she said. “And thanks for being here. It would’ve been a lot harder on my own.”

“Coming from an independent little firebrand like you, that’s saying a lot,” he said. “When we get through this mess, you and I will have some serious talking to do.”

Rose didn’t reply. They were pulling into the ranch yard of the Rimrock. Bull had just come out of the house. He walked toward the truck as they drove up. Without waiting for Tanner, Rose flung herself out of the passenger side and strode up to confront him.

His friendly expression faded as he saw her face. “You look like you’re on the warpath. What’s the matter, Rose?” he asked. “What’s happened?”

“You should know!” she sputtered, almost in tears again. “I thought you were my friend. I know you hated those lambs, but how could you do this monstrous thing?”

“Do what?” He looked more angry than innocent. “For God’s sake, tell me!”

Tanner had joined her. “Somebody killed her lambs in the night, cut their throats,” he said. “She thinks it was you.”

“What?” He swore as the news sank in. “Rose, I don’t know who killed your lambs, but I swear to God it wasn’t me.”

“How do I know that?” Rose faced him toe-to-toe. “You’ve lied to me before. You lied when you took my land!”

“But I wouldn’t lie about this—not even if I’d killed those lambs. I’d tell you right up front because I’d want you to know it.”

“But you knew I had the lambs,” Rose said. “You told me to get rid of them. You even said they’d be shot if I didn’t.”

“Yes, I did. But I didn’t sneak over to your place in the night and slit their throats. Listen, Rose, my sons loved those damn fool animals. They’ve been begging to go back to your place and see them again.”

“And you wouldn’t let them.”

“They were in school,” Bull said. “I told them that if they did all their homework, they could go back and see the lambs on Saturday. Damn it, Rose, I knew those lambs would be nothing but trouble, but I wouldn’t have killed them.”

For the first time, Rose began to believe him. “But if not you, who else knew I had those lambs? I can’t believe it was Jasper.”

“Of course it wasn’t,” Bull said. “But word gets around in cattle country like this. Anybody could’ve heard about those lambs and decided to send you a message. That’s what I was trying to warn you about when I came over the other day. That’s why I even offered you a way to get rid of them. You were asking for trouble, Rose. Whoever killed those lambs, you’re damned lucky they didn’t hurt you, too.”

“I can look into it if you want,” Tanner offered. “The TSCRA is posting me in Blanco Springs for a while. Catching sheep killers isn’t in my job description, but at least I can keep my eyes and ears open.”

“It wouldn’t hurt,” Bull said. “The important thing is making sure that whoever did this doesn’t come back with more mischief in mind. Rose, you’re welcome to stay in the duplex until we know more.”

“Thanks,” Rose said, “but I don’t want to leave my property unprotected. I’ve got a gun, and I know how to use it.”