Roping Ray Mccullen

A brick fireplace in the dining room and another one in the living room added to the homey feel.

Laughter, chatter and teasing rumbled from the table.

“I told you it was dinnertime,” Faye said. “The kids take turns helping prepare the meal and cleaning up. Their rooms are down the hall. We have a maximum of four children to a room, and in some cases only two. Boys and girls are housed on opposite sides of the main living area.”

She escorted him past the dining room to a large room equipped with several smaller tables and a computer area. “The children attend public school, and after school gather here to do their homework. We have volunteers who tutor those who need it.”

Ray nodded, trying to imagine his father in this place. “My father tutored kids?”

“No, he said schooling wasn’t his forte.”

You could say that again.

“But he helped in other ways. He organized games for the kids, like horseshoes, roping contests and, twice a month, he brought a couple of horses over to teach the children grooming skills and how to ride.”

She gestured at a back window that offered a view of the pastureland. “He planned to build a stable so we could house a few horses on-site. When the older boys discovered his son was a bull rider, they begged him to bring him here to meet them.”

Ray shifted. “That would have required him to tell us about this place.”

Faye’s eyes flickered with compassion. “I never quite understood that, but I figured it wasn’t my place to question your daddy, not when he was doing so much for us.”

Hurt swelled inside Ray. Nice that he’d been a hero for these strangers when he’d lied to his own sons.

A little boy with brown hair and big clunky glasses ran in. “Miss Faye, we’re done. Barry wants to know if we can go out and play horseshoes.”

Faye ruffled the little boy’s hair. “I’ll be right there, Corey. You guys help Miss Lois clean up now.”

Corey bobbed his head up and down, then ran back to the dining room. Ray heard him shouting that they could play once they cleaned up.

Faye squeezed Ray’s arm. “You’re welcome to stay and play a game with the children. They’d like it, especially since you’re Joe’s son.”

Ray chewed the inside of his cheek. The air was suddenly choking him. “I’m sorry, I can’t today. I have to go.”

Faye nodded as if she understood, but her smile was sad. “I don’t know what we’re going to do now without Joe.”

Ray didn’t, either. But it wasn’t his problem.

Was it?

Hell, if his father had made provisions for Scarlet and his illegitimate son Bobby, he’d probably made arrangements to take care of this place, too.

Another thing to discuss with the lawyer and his brothers.

He ignored the chatter and laughter in the dining room as he walked past it to the front door. When he made it outside, he inhaled the crisp cool air, but his stomach was churning.

He checked his phone, hoping Bush would return his call, but there were no messages. He had to find out if Bobby planned to attend the meeting and stake his claim.

Ray gritted his teeth. He’d kept the truth from his brothers long enough. They deserved a heads-up before their world fell apart.

He would tell them as soon as Maddox returned.

* * *

SCARLET TRIED TO gauge the distance between the couch and the bedroom where she kept the pistol Joe had given her.

He’d insisted she take self-defense classes and he’d taught her to shoot so she could protect herself. Unarmed, she was no match for a two-hundred-and-forty-pound angry, drunk man.

Knowing Bobby’s triggers, that he liked to bully women and that he had no tolerance for people who crossed him, she forced her tone to remain calm. “What do you want, Bobby?”

“I want what’s mine.” He glared at her, then folded his arms and planted himself in front of her, legs apart on either side of hers, trapping her.

“I understand that and you deserve it.”

Distrust radiated from his every pore. “You went to the old man’s funeral?”

A pang of grief swelled inside Scarlet. “Yes, but I just watched from the sidelines.” She lifted her chin. “I didn’t see you there.”

“Barbara talked me out of it.” He gave a sarcastic chuckle. “I belonged there more than you did. You weren’t family.”

Scarlet bit her tongue but his hate-filled words hit home, resurrecting old hurts. “I figured it wasn’t the time to introduce myself to the McCullen brothers.”

It hadn’t gone very well today, either.

Bobby removed a pack of matches from his pocket, and she barely resisted a flinch. Bobby had always liked setting things on fire.

He struck a match, lit it and held it in front of her, the orange glow flickering and throwing off heat as he moved it nearer to her face. “I should have been a McCullen,” he said, a feral gleam to his eyes. “I should have had everything they did. That big damn ranch house and horses and land and...the privileges that came with it.” The match was burning down, and he dropped it in a coffee cup on her table, then lit another and waved it in front of her eyes.

With one beefy hand, he shoved her into a chair. “Then he brought you home and treated you like you were his own kid.”

Scarlet struggled to keep her breathing steady when she wanted to make a run for it. If she could reach her car, she could escape. And do what?

Call the police. She didn’t want to, but she would if necessary to protect herself. “He felt sorry for me, that was all.”

His intense look made her pulse hammer. “He gave you more love than he did me.”

“That’s because you wouldn’t let him love you,” Scarlet said. “You were always angry, acting out.”

“I had a right to be mad. He cheated me out of his name and that ranch.” The flame flickered low, nearly burning out, and he suddenly dropped the match into her lap. Scarlet shrieked as heat seared her thigh through her skirt, and she raked the match to the floor, then stomped it out with her boot.

Bobby’s maniacal laughter echoed through the room. He grabbed her arm and hauled her to a standing position.

Scarlet sensed the situation was spiraling out of control. She had been a punching bag before and swore she would never be one again.

“Maybe he did when he was alive,” Scarlet said as she yanked her arm away. “But he didn’t forget you, Bobby. He left you something in his will.”

Bobby’s eyes widened in disbelief. “What are you talking about?”

“Didn’t you receive a notice from his lawyer?” Not that she wanted to tell Bobby about it, but she had to do something to defuse the situation.

His bloodshot eyes pierced her. “His lawyer?”

“Yes,” Scarlet said, desperate. “I received a notice to attend the reading.” She extricated herself from Bobby’s grip. “Let me get it and show it to you. He took care of you in his will, too. Maybe Barbara got the notice.”

Bobby cursed, but he allowed her to pass. She heard him in the kitchen digging through her refrigerator, and she rushed to her nightstand. She yanked out her pistol, reminding herself that she couldn’t allow him to turn it around and use it on her.

She loaded it, then held it down by her side as she slowly walked back to the den.

Bobby popped the top on a beer as he stepped into the doorway, and she raised the gun and pointed it at him. “I want you to leave.”

“You bitch.” He started toward her, one fist knotted as if he planned to slug her, but she lifted the gun toward his chest.

Bobby froze, his jaw twitching. “You were lying about the lawyer and the will.”

“No, I wasn’t. Ask Barbara. We’re all supposed to attend the reading.”

Bobby hesitated, still contemplating what she’d said as if he thought she was trying to trick him. “What is this lawyer’s name?”

“Darren Bush.” Scarlet took a step toward him, her hand steady. “I don’t want to use this, Bobby, but I will if I have to. Now, I don’t have anything you want here. No money. Nothing of Joe’s. And if you want to collect on whatever inheritance he left you, then you need to leave me alone or I’ll either shoot you or have you arrested.”

Pure rage flashed in his eyes, but he lifted the beer as if to toast her. “Shoot me and you’ll go to jail.”

“Make one more move, Bobby, and with your record, all I’ll have to do is claim self-defense.”

Bobby stared at her for a long tension-filled minute, his fury a palpable force. Then he downed the beer, crushed the can in his hand and threw the can at the fireplace. His boots pounded the floor as he strode to the door.

Her hand was shaking as he paused and turned back to face her. “You’re going to be sorry for pulling a gun on me.”

His evil laugh rent the air as he opened the door and stormed outside. As soon as the door slammed shut, her adrenaline waned, and she stumbled back to the couch.

Bobby didn’t make empty threats.

He would be back for revenge. It was just a matter of time.

* * *

RAY PLANTED HIMSELF on a barstool at The Silver Bullet and ordered a beer. Tonight the place was packed, the country music was rocking, the dance floor was crowded and the women were on the prowl.

He tipped his hat at a brunette who’d been eyeing him ever since he walked in, then dropped his gaze to his beer. He had too many problems to even think about crawling into bed with a woman tonight.

Besides, another woman’s face haunted him.

Scarlet Lovett’s. He couldn’t shake their conversation. Worse, he couldn’t erase the image of her porcelain face with those damn blue eyes that reminded him of his mother’s dolls.

Had his father seen that similarity? Was that the reason he’d been drawn to help Scarlet?

A brawny man with a beard and cowboy hat straddled the stool beside him, then angled himself toward Ray.

“You’re one of Joe’s sons, aren’t you?”

Ray swallowed hard. He’d forgotten what it was like to live in a small town where everyone knew everyone else. And Joe McCullen had been well-known around the ranching community.

“Yeah, I’m Ray.”

“Arlis Bennett,” the man said. “I’m out at the Circle T.”

Ray rubbed his chin. The owner of that ranch, Boyle Gates, had been arrested for his involvement in a cattle-rustling ring.

“I’m planning to expand,” Bennett said. “If you and your brothers decide to sell, give me a call.” He removed a business card from his pocket and laid it on the bar.

Ray slid it back toward him. “We’re not interested in selling. My brother Maddox plans to keep it a working ranch. And my brother Brett is staying to help.”

Bennett tossed back his shot of whiskey with a nod. “Well, I just thought you guys might want to move on. That it might be too hard for you to stick around without your father.”

Ray shifted, uncomfortable. “It is difficult, but the McCullens have put too much blood, sweat and tears into Horseshoe Creek to ever sell.”

“Then I guess we’ll be neighbors.” Bennett stood and extended his hand. “Nice to meet you, Ray. Again, I’m sorry about your daddy.”

Ray nodded and shook the man’s hand. But something about the dark gleam in Bennett’s eyes reminded Ray of a predator. Not that he should be surprised that someone wanted to buy the ranch.

There might be more offers down the road.

A buxom blonde brushed up against his arm, her eyes glittering with invitation. “Hey, cowboy. Are you lonesome tonight?”

Hell, yeah he was, but an image of Scarlet taunted him. He saw her beneath him in bed, naked and clutching him, that porcelain skin glowing with passion.

“Sorry, honey, I’ve got to go.” He threw some cash on the counter to pay for the beer, then strode toward the door, disgusted with himself for being attracted to the damn woman. She was going to wreck his family.

A gust of wind blasted him as he walked to his Range Rover, and he jumped inside, started the engine and drove to the ranch.

Just as he approached, he spotted smoke billowing in a cloud from the pastureland on the east side.

He cursed. Hopefully it was nothing but a little brush fire, but he accelerated, taking the curve too fast, tires screeching as he neared Horseshoe Creek.

The miles seemed to take forever, his heart racing with each one. Instead of the smoke dying down, it grew thicker, rolling across the sky, orange-and-red flames shooting upward.

He grabbed his phone and punched 911, praying the fire department could get there fast.

The winds picked up and the fire was spreading, eating up valuable pastureland and heading toward the new stables Brett had just had built.

Chapter Five

Ray jolted to a stop several hundred feet from the flames.

The fire department should be on the way, but he couldn’t wait. He had to do something. He quickly scanned the blaze. One of the five barns Brett had had built was on fire, but the others were still safe, although if they didn’t do something fast, it would spread.

The sound of horses whinnying and pounding their hoofs against the buildings echoed above the roar of the blaze.

He punched Brett’s number, running toward the burning building to make sure it was empty as the phone rang. Three rings and his brother’s voice mail kicked in. “Brett, it’s Ray. There’s a fire at the stables. I’ve called the fire department, but I need you to get over here now.”

He jammed his phone into his coat pocket and checked the doorway to the first barn. Flames shot through the interior and seeped through the openings. He darted around back to the rear door and felt it. Warm, but not too hot.

He eased it open and glanced inside, heat instantly flushing his skin with perspiration. The right side of the barn was completely engulfed in flames, patches spreading through the interior, eating the floor and hay in the stalls.

No sign of horses inside, though. Thank God.

Still, if they didn’t contain the blaze, the animals could be in danger.

He ran back outside, gulping in fresh air as he hurried to the second barn. Smoke thickened the air, the wind blowing fiery sparks into the grass by the second barn and quickly catching.

Dammit. Where was that fire engine?

Knowing he couldn’t wait, he dashed inside the barn. Three horses stamped and kicked, pawing at the stalls to escape. Smoke seeped through the open doorway, making it hard to breathe.

He jogged to the first stall, unlatched the gate and yelled at the horse to get out. “Go on, buddy! It’s all right.”

The black gelding sprinted through the barn and outside. A siren wailed, and he ran to the next stall. The big animal was pawing and kicking wildly, obviously panicked.

“Shh, buddy, I’m going to set you free.” He opened the gate, then jumped aside as the horse charged past him.

One more to go.

The siren grew louder, then the fire truck careened down the driveway and roared to a stop. Ray had reached the third stall, but the terrified horse stomped his feet. “Come on, boy, we have to get out of here.”

The horse raised its front legs as he entered, whinnying and backing against the wall. Suddenly wood cracked and popped, and flames rippled along the floor in the front.

Then the scent of gasoline hit him.

Dammit to hell, had someone intentionally set the fire?

The horse jumped, his legs clawing at the air, his fear palpable.

“It’s okay, boy,” Ray said, forcing a calm to his voice to soothe the terrified animal. “I’m here. We have to go now.”

The horse whinnied again, and Ray pulled a rope from the hook and inched his way closer, speaking softly until the horse dropped to all fours and let him approach.

He gently stroked the horse’s mane, comforting him as he lifted the rope and slipped it around his neck. He slowly led him from the stall and out the back door.

Rescue workers jumped into motion shouting orders and dragging out the hoses. Brett’s truck barreled up and screeched to a stop.

Ray patted the horse’s back and eased the rope from his neck. “Go, boy, get out of here!” He slapped the animal, sending him into a gallop across the pasture.

Ray swiped sweat and soot from his face as he hurried toward the firemen and his brother.

* * *

SCARLET WAS STILL shaking over the encounter with Bobby an hour later. She massaged her wrist where he’d grabbed her, knowing she’d have a bruise on it tomorrow. And not for the first time.

Bobby had resented her from the moment Joe McCullen had brought her home to live with Barbara.

She hadn’t understood his reaction at the time. She’d been bounced from foster home to foster home and then she’d finally moved into the group facility, so being brought into a real family had thrilled her.

Until Bobby’s resentment had festered and he’d started making her life miserable.

First it had just been ugly comments, the surly attitude at meals and school. Then the more sinister threats he’d whispered when he’d sneak up behind her in her room.

She shivered and pulled on flannel pj’s as she recalled the time she’d crawled into bed and discovered a rattlesnake under the covers. Another time she’d found her bed full of spiders.

A month later, he’d tricked her into going with him in the car one night, then he’d left her stranded in the woods alone, with no way to get home.

Worse, there was the time he’d nearly drowned her in the pond.

Each time he’d threatened to kill her if she told anyone.

And Barbara...she’d doted on Bobby. Had felt sorry for him because he’d been deprived of the McCullen name and the opportunities that had accompanied it.

Although Joe had supported Bobby and tried to bond with him, it hadn’t been enough for Barbara or her son.

She’d believed everything Bobby said and justified his bad behavior with a joke about boys being boys. She’d acted as if Bobby’s violent outbursts were normal teenage behavior. And she’d blamed Joe for not being around all the time.

Barbara’s own resentment over the fact that Joe would never marry her had blinded her to her precious son’s sadistic side.

Just as she had every night since the snake incident, Scarlet turned down the covers and examined the bed to make sure no creepy crawler was waiting for her.

She breathed out a sigh of relief that the bed was clean. But Bobby’s cold look haunted her as she closed her eyes. He wouldn’t be satisfied until he learned what Joe had left him.

Even then, would it be enough?

And what would happen when he finally came face-to-face with his half brothers?

* * *

RAY RAN TOWARD the third barn to check for more horses with Brett on his heels. The first barn was completely ablaze, as flames climbed the front of the second.

Wind hurled smoke and embers through the air, wood popping and crackling. The firefighters were blasting both buildings with water, working frantically to contain the blaze.

“What the hell happened?” Brett yelled as he yanked open the barn door. “How did this start?”

Sweat poured down Ray’s face. “I don’t know. The first barn was on fire when I arrived. I ran to the second one to save the horses.”

Together they raced inside to free the terrified animals trapped in the stalls. The horses stamped and whinnied, pawing and kicking at the wooden slats. A black quarter horse protested, but Brett had a magic touch with animals and soothed him as he led him into the fresh air.

Ray eased a rope around a palomino that was balking and slowly coaxed him through the door and outside, then away from the fire.

“Go on, boy,” Ray yelled as he removed the rope and patted the palomino’s side. The horse broke into a run, meeting up with the other animals as they galloped across the land.

Sweat trickled down Ray’s neck as he and Brett rushed inside to free the last two horses.

When they’d rescued them, he and Brett stood and watched the firefighters finish extinguishing the blaze.

“I can’t believe this,” Brett said, coughing at the smoke. “We just got these buildings finished and settled the horses in last week.”

“The insurance was taken care of, right?”

“Yeah,” Brett said with a scowl. “But this will cost us time. I was hoping to start lessons in the spring.”

And time meant money. Not that Brett didn’t have some from his rodeo winnings, but he had invested a good bit into building a home for him and Willow and their son.

“At least we didn’t lose any horses,” Brett said. “I couldn’t stand to see them get hurt or suffer.”

That would have been a huge financial loss, too.

Ray gritted his teeth. “I smelled gasoline, Brett.”

Brett’s gaze turned steely. “You mean, someone intentionally set the fire?”

“We’ll have to let the arson investigator determine that, but it looks that way.”

Brett reached for his phone. “We should call Maddox.”

Ray shook his head. “Wait. He’ll be back day after tomorrow. We can handle this until then.”

Brett winced as the roof to the first barn collapsed. “You’re right. He should enjoy his honeymoon.”

“You said you smelled gas?” the fireman said to Ray. “I called our arson investigator. As soon as the embers cool enough for him to dig around, we’ll do a thorough search.”

The blaze was beginning to die down, although the first building was a total loss. The front of the second building suffered damage, but hopefully the interior and stalls had been saved.

“I should have had an automatic sprinkler system installed,” Brett said glumly.

Ray detected an underlying note of blame in his brother’s voice. “You couldn’t have known this would happen.”

The smoke thickened as the wind picked up. “Yeah, but it did.”

“We’ll discuss installing them in the future.”

Brett gave him an odd look. “I didn’t think you were going to hang around.”

Ray hadn’t planned to. But they still had the reading of the will and the bombshell about their father’s mistress and his son to contend with.

“I’ll be here for a while, at least until things get settled.” Which would probably be longer than he’d first thought.

Another siren wailed, and an official fire department-issued SUV barreled down the road. A sheriff’s car followed. Deputy Whitefeather had probably been notified by his 911 call.

Both vehicles careened to a stop, the deputy climbing out followed by a tall, broad-shouldered man in a uniform.

Introductions were quickly made. The arson investigator’s name was Lieutenant Garret Hawk.

“What happened?” Lieutenant Hawk asked.

“When I got home, I saw smoke and found the barn on fire,” Ray explained. “I called for help, then ran in to rescue the horses. That’s when I smelled gasoline.”

Lieutenant Hawk acknowledged the other firefighters with a flick of his hand. “It looks like you lost one barn and part of another.”

Ray nodded. “Thanks to your men and their quick response, or it could have been so much worse.”

“You think someone set the fire?” Deputy Whitefeather asked.

“Our builders certainly didn’t have gasoline out here,” Brett said. “But I don’t know who would sabotage us this way.”

Ray bit the inside of his cheek. The first person that came to mind was their half brother. If Bobby was ticked off and thought he’d been left out of the inheritance, maybe he wanted revenge.

Then again, if Bobby expected to inherit a share of the ranch, why would he want to damage any part of it? Destroying buildings would only lower the value of the property. And if he was caught, he’d face charges and go to jail.

Lieutenant Hawk moved closer to the edge of the burning embers. Ashes, soot, burned wood and leather covered the ground. He knelt and used a stick to push aside some debris. A cigarette butt lay in the pile.

“Any of you smoke?”

“Not me or Brett,” Ray said.

“How about ranch hands?” Lieutenant Hawk asked.

Ray and Brett and both shrugged. “It’s possible,” Ray said. “But they know better than to smoke around the hay.”