Hot On His Trail

He’d dreamed of it ever since he was fifteen years old, lying under the stars on his first cattle drive. Some cowboys liked the nomad life, but Matt needed roots to feel whole. Roots that had been ripped away when he was twelve years old and never replanted.

Now he was so close to his dream, he couldn’t resist the offer Rufus dangled before him. Hell, why should he resist it? Rufus wouldn’t miss the money. It was a stupid, meaningless bet, but if Matt didn’t take the job, Rufus would find someone else to do it.

“Don’t worry,” Matt said, moving toward the door. “I’ll win your bet. And I don’t intend to let Lester Hobbs or anyone else stop me.”

CHAPTER THREE

THE NEXT MORNING, Matt led his bay gelding, Jericho, out of the stable, then mounted his horse and joined his crew by the corral. He’d carefully selected them, wranglers he’d known for years whom he could trust to work hard and keep the cattle moving. He looked at them now in the predawn shadows and knew he’d chosen the best.

Cliff Donovan was his oldest friend and a cowboy with a wry sense of humor. But Cliff took his job seriously, especially now that he had a growing family to support. He was not only book smart, but cow smart, and knew how to keep a large herd under control.

Davis and Deb Gunn were a husband and wife team who could ride and rope with the best of them. They were saving money to start a dude ranch on the Wind River Range in Wyoming, where Deb had grown up. She was one of the few women he knew who looked more comfortable in a saddle than in a dress.

Arnie Schott was pushing sixty and fighting arthritis in his knees, but he still loved riding the range. The old cowboy also had good instincts when it came to river crossings and rounding up strays. He had more years of experience driving cattle than the rest of them combined.

Bud Lanigan rounded out the crew. Matt had talked him out of retirement to drive the chuck wagon and prepare the meals. Bud had grumbled about the long days ahead, but Matt could see his excitement in the avid attention he paid to the smallest details of the journey. He might not be the best cook in the country, but he’d keep them well fed over the next few weeks.

Then there was Boyd.

Matt had dragged the wiry nineteen-year-old out of bed this morning and he still looked half-asleep on top of his horse. Despite the addition of an extra hand on the drive, Matt sensed the kid would be more of a hindrance than a help.

“You awake, Tupper?” he called out.

Boyd opened his eyes. “What time is it?”

“Time to get moving.” Then his gaze scanned the rest of the crew. “We’ve got three hundred rough miles ahead of us, but the forecast looks clear today. We’ll be following the Pecos River south for the first leg of the trip. I’ve already gotten permission from all the landowners along the route, so we shouldn’t have to worry about trespassing problems. When we reach Portales in a few days, one of us will ride into town and fetch the veterinarian. He’ll check out the herd so we can cross the state line into Texas. Any questions?”

Boyd emitted a loud yawn. “I’ve got a question. When’s breakfast?”

“You missed it,” Matt replied briskly.

Bud held up a brown paper sack. “I’ve bagged peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch if you want to eat early.”

The teenager wrinkled his nose. “I hate peanut butter.”

Matt swore under his breath. They hadn’t even gone a mile yet, and the kid was already complaining. “Nobody here will stop you from going back to bed.”

Boyd scowled, but to Matt’s disappointment didn’t make a move toward the bunkhouse.

The herd of one hundred Texas longhorns penned inside the corral lowed in restless anticipation, as if they sensed today was no ordinary day.

Matt looked over at Cliff, who had rounded up the lead steers and moved them to the gate. “Ready?”

“Ready,” Cliff replied, then called over to Bud, who was seated on the buckboard of the chuck wagon. “Hey, save Boyd’s sandwich for me. I love peanut butter.”

At Matt’s signal, Davis hopped off his horse and unhitched the latch. The gate swung open wide and the steers began to lumber out of the corral.

Matt raised one hand in the air, then swung it forward. “Let’s ride out.”

Then he took the first step toward his dream.

* * *

CALLEY STOOD in line at the Department of Motor Vehicles in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Her only lead was the phone call from White Rock. Now she just had to hope Radcliffe lived somewhere in the area, or had left a paper trail she could follow. Not that she could even be sure he was still in New Mexico. Or that he’d obtained his driver’s license in this state. But she had to start somewhere.

At last she moved to the front of the line. “I’d like to know if you have any records for a Matthew C. Radcliffe. His last name is spelled R-A-D—”

“I have it,” the clerk interjected, pulling a file folder out of a wire basket. “Must be a popular guy. Another man was in here just an hour ago asking for the same information.”

Her heart lurched. Simms. Carolyn Mulholland had told her the name of her rival. Somehow he’d gotten a step ahead of her. She inwardly chastised herself for taking time to walk her daily five miles on the treadmill in the motel’s exercise room this morning. It had cost her precious time she couldn’t afford, but old habits were hard to break.

Her cardiologist had stressed the importance of exercise from the first day of her diagnosis, ranking it only second to faithfully taking her medication. Which reminded her of another problem. She only had a few pills left in the bottle. Once she tracked down Matt Radcliffe, she’d have to find a pharmacy to refill her prescription. Something her mother had taken care of for as long as she could remember.

“Next,” the clerk called out, breaking into Calley’s thoughts. She shifted over to one side and opened the folder. Inside was a copy of Matt Radcliffe’s driver’s license. Her breath hitched when she saw his picture. She’d never been particularly attracted to cowboys before, but this particular cowboy could make any woman’s heart beat faster. Her heart was skittering so fast in her chest, she feared it might be due to more than simple animal attraction.

Calley took a few deep breaths, then found an empty chair. She relaxed as her heart resumed its normal pace, then she took a closer look at her prey.

He had short, jet-black hair that looked like it would curl at the ends if he ever let it grow past his shirt collar. His tan complexion gave witness to long hours spent in the sun. The combination of a solid, square chin, chiseled jaw, and well-defined cheekbones made him the perfect candidate to model in GQ magazine. But the slight crook in his aquiline nose told her he’d probably punch any man who would suggest such an occupation.

But it was his eyes that really fascinated her.

Deep, dark-brown eyes, like chocolate melted under the warm sun. They pierced right through her and made her shift restlessly in her chair. Eyes that held his secrets and seemed to hold the power to discover hers, as well.

Not that she’d ever give him the opportunity.

Still, if he could look this good in a driver’s license photograph, she didn’t want to think about the effect he might have in person.

She tore her gaze from his picture and studied the statistical data. Matt Radcliffe was thirty-two years old, according to the date of birth recorded on the license. He was six feet tall and two hundred pounds, and judging by his photograph, all of it muscle. The faded chambray shirt he wore stretched taut across his broad shoulders.

Calley pulled a notepad out of her bag and jotted down the address listed on his license, 5521 Alameda Street. She handed the file back to the clerk, then hurried out the door toward her car. Finally she had a solid lead. But then, so did Bill Simms. No doubt he was well on his way to finding Matt Radcliffe while she’d been wasting time drooling over his picture.

Thirty minutes later, she was knocking on the door of 5521 Alameda Street, hoping against hope that Simms hadn’t already been here. Or worse, that he and Radcliffe hadn’t already left for Texas.

At last the door opened and a little girl with brown eyes blinked up at her. “Hello.”

“Hi there.” Calley knelt down so she would be at the little girl’s eye level. The child looked to be about four or five years old, with red hair cut in a pixie style. “What’s your name?”

“Bianca.”

“Hello, Bianca. My name is Calley.”

“You’re pretty,” Bianca said.

Calley smiled. “Thank you. You’re very pretty, too.” She wondered if this was Matt Radcliffe’s child. “Is your daddy here?”

Bianca shook her head. “He’s working.”

“Is your name Bianca Radcliffe?” Calley asked, not able to contain her curiosity any longer.

“I’m not allowed to tell my name to strangers,” Bianca replied very solemnly.

“That’s right,” Calley said reassuringly. “You’re a very smart little girl, Bianca.”

The child nodded. “I didn’t tell the other man my name either.”

Calley had no doubt that the other man was Bill Simms, which meant he was still one step ahead of her.

A moment later, a young blond woman, obviously pregnant, appeared at the door. “Can I help you?”

Calley straightened. “Hello, my name is Calley Graham. I’m looking for Matt Radcliffe.”

“He’s not here,” the woman said, her expression slightly guarded.

“But he does live here?”

The woman hesitated, her hand on the door as if she might slam it shut at any moment. “Why are you looking for Matt?”

“It’s…something I’m not really at liberty to discuss.”

“There was a man here an hour ago looking for him, too. I don’t give out personal information to strangers.”

“Actually, I’m a private detective.” Calley experienced an unexpected thrill at saying those words aloud. “I’ve been hired to find Mr. Radcliffe.”

Bianca looked up at her mother. “Is Uncle Matt lost?”

Uncle Matt. If the little girl called him that, chances were good that he wasn’t her father, although he could still be responsible for the child the woman was carrying. Calley briefly wondered why it mattered to her.

“No, honey,” the woman said to Bianca. “He’s not lost.” Then she lifted her gaze back to Calley. “Matt’s been good to us. I don’t want to cause him any trouble.”

Instinctively, Calley knew she wouldn’t get anywhere with this woman unless she told her the truth. “The reason I’m looking for Mr. Radcliffe is because he’s a beneficiary in a will. The sooner I find him, the sooner he can claim his inheritance.”

“Oh, well that’s different,” the woman said with a small smile of relief. “Matt’s out on a drive.”

So he did live here. Calley ignored the twinge of disappointment deep inside her. “Do you mind if I wait here until he returns?”

The woman laughed. “No, I mean he’s out on a cattle drive. He’ll be gone for at least a month. Maybe even longer.” She placed a hand on her swollen belly. “Hopefully, it will be over before I have to make a trip to the maternity ward.”

“Is there any way you can contact him?” Calley asked.

“No. Although I might be able to reach my husband.”

“Your husband?” Calley echoed, thoroughly confused. “Isn’t Matt your husband?”

The woman laughed. “No. Matt’s terminally single. Cliff Donovan is my husband. He works for Matt, although they’re more like brothers than boss and employee. Matt was the best man at our wedding. He sublet his place to us a year ago. But he still uses it as his official address for mail and stuff.”

A sizzle of excitement shot through Calley’s veins. So Matt Radcliffe wasn’t responsible for this woman’s child. Her determination to find him became stronger than ever. “Tell me about this cattle drive.”

* * *

MATT KNEW it was a bad sign when his horse threw a shoe before they even made it past the boundaries of the Tupper ranch. Not that he believed in all the old cowboy superstitions. But he did have a healthy respect for omens, and this one made him uneasy. Especially on the heels of Marla’s curse.

At least he knew better than to relay his misgivings to the crew. Except Cliff, who had questioned the wisdom of working for a man like Tupper. In fact, Cliff had been the last one to sign on, reluctant to leave his pregnant wife and his tiny heartbreaker of a daughter. Matt regretted taking the man away from his family, but he also knew how much the Donovans could use the money. In the end, he’d left the choice up to Cliff, who had wrangled over the decision before finally agreeing to join the drive.

Fortunately, Arnie was a farrier who’d spent many years shoeing horses on the range, so the delay hadn’t cost too much time. Matt easily caught up with the herd, which was moving well along the stretch of grass that paralleled Highway 20.

Bringing up the rear was Bud, driving the chuck wagon. Two extra horses were tied to the back of the wagon in case one of the working horses turned up lame. The terms of the bet made it clear that this was to be an authentic, old-fashioned cattle drive. No motor vehicles, no cellular phones or any other modern conveniences of the twentieth century. The only exception to that rule was allowing them to stock up on supplies at towns along the route.

Each cowboy carried a bedroll on the back of his saddle. Their saddlebags contained rain gear, extra clothes and personal toiletries. Pup tents were packed in the chuck wagon in case of inclement weather, along with a first-aid kit, matches, blankets, towels, soap and plenty of nonperishable food and other supplies.

Five hours after leaving the Tupper ranch near Fort Sumner, they reached the first watering hole—a small cove branching off the Pecos River. The cattle moved eagerly toward the water, some walking right into it up to their bellies.

Matt took off his cowboy hat and wiped his damp brow with his bandanna. It was going to be hot again today, which meant he’d have to slow down the drive so he didn’t lose any cattle to the heat.

He looked up to see Arnie hailing him. Reining his horse around, Matt rode over to him.

“We’ve got a problem,” Arnie said without preamble.

“What now?” Matt asked, dread churning in his stomach. “Stray cattle? A lame horse?”

“Worse,” Arnie replied. “A woman.”

CHAPTER FOUR

CALLEY COULDN’T believe her good luck. She’d found him. After following Katie Donovan’s directions to the Tupper ranch outside of Fort Sumner, she’d simply followed the trail of cow pies until she’d caught up with the cattle drive. Not exactly the latest in high-tech tracking techniques, but it had worked.

As she slowly approached the herd in her old ‘82 Cadillac, she saw four men on horses turn to stare at her. Not wanting to spook either the cattle or the cowboys, she stopped her car and got out to walk the rest of the way.

A man on horseback met her halfway. Her breathing hitched when she recognized him as Matt Radcliffe. Those dark eyes were even more powerful in person than they had been in his driver’s license photo.

He climbed down from his horse and walked toward her, a fantasy in faded blue denim. His square jaw was shaded with dark whiskers and his mouth was set in a firm line. When he finally reached her, he took off his cowboy hat. A gesture she found endearingly old-fashioned.

“Are you lost, ma’am?” His deep voice slid over her like smooth whiskey.

She swallowed. “Not if you’re Matt Radcliffe.”

His eyes narrowed slightly. “I am.”

She smiled. “Then today is your lucky day. My name is Calley Graham and I’m a private inves-tigator with Finders Keepers out of Trueblood, Texas. You’ve been named as a beneficiary in Violet Mitchum’s will.”

Something flickered in his deep-brown eyes. Surprise? Pleasure? Pain? Calley couldn’t begin to fathom the emotions swirling in those chocolate depths.

At last he said, “I think there must be some mistake.”

She heard the edge in his tone but barreled ahead anyway. “I assure you there’s no mistake. You’re to receive one of Violet’s rings and a letter she wrote to you shortly before her death.”

“I’m not interested in anything Violet Mitchum had to say,” he said brusquely. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to get back to work.”

Her jaw dropped as he turned around and headed back toward his horse. The man was walking away from a bequest. Possibly a very generous bequest, considering the size of the Mitchum estate.

“Wait a minute,” Calley called, hurrying after him. “I don’t think you understand.”

Matt had already mounted his horse, his cowboy hat now shading his eyes from her. “I understand perfectly, Miss Graham. It is Miss, isn’t it?”

Calley nodded. “Yes. I’ve never been married.” She wanted to kick herself as soon as the words were out of her mouth. He didn’t care about her personal life, he just wanted to know how to address her. At least she’d refrained from divulging the fact that she had only dated three men in her entire life.

And that she was still a virgin.

“Well, Miss Graham, I’m in the middle of a cattle drive at the moment. But even if I was free to take a trip to Pinto, I have absolutely no desire to go there. Or to take anything from the Mitchums.”

“But what about your inheritance? It could be worth a considerable amount of money.”

He hesitated for only a moment. “You can give my inheritance to a local charity or to the dog pound for all I care.” He tipped his hat to her. “Good day, Miss Graham.”

He rode off toward the herd, leaving her staring after him. She’d successfully tracked the man down, only to have him balk at the easy part of the job—bringing him back to Texas. Calley considered her options. She could return to Finders Keepers and inform Dylan and Lily that she’d failed. Or she could keep trying to convince Matt Radcliffe to change his mind.

It was the easiest decision she’d made in a very long time.

* * *

“THAT WOMAN IS still following us,” Arnie said, riding up beside Matt.

He turned around to see Calley Graham’s beat-up yellow Cadillac bouncing in the distance, easily visible by the plume of dust it left in its wake. At least she had the good sense to stay far enough behind them to keep from spooking the herd. Still, it was one more irritation in a day filled with irritations. They hadn’t even come close to reaching their daily mile quota. At this rate, he’d never make it to the Lazy R in four weeks.

With a muttered curse, Matt spurred his horse forward. “Ignore her,” he called back to Arnie. “She’ll get bored before too long and go away.”

Four hours later, Matt was still waiting for Calley to disappear. It surprised him that a woman with her delicate beauty had such tenacity. Just as it had surprised him when she’d announced her occupation. A model or a ballerina he could have believed. But a private investigator? Somehow it just didn’t fit.

Just like Violet Mitchum naming him in her will didn’t fit. He feared it was more out of spite than generosity. Especially when he considered his bequest. One of Violet’s rings. He knew exactly what ring it was, and how little she’d valued it.

His mind drifted back to a day twenty-two years ago, when he’d found Violet weeping after her neighbor had stopped by to show off her new mother’s ring. Violet and Charles had been unable to have children of their own, and that neighbor’s visit had been like vinegar poured on an open wound. So Matt, just ten years old, had hurried up to his bedroom and retrieved his latest prize from a gumball machine: a cheap, adjustable ring with shiny fake gems glued on top. He’d solemnly presented it to Violet, telling her she could pretend to be his mother. And she’d worn it every day.

Until the fire.

He closed his eyes, still able to smell the acrid odor of charred wood. The fire had been his fault. He’d hidden in a linen closet that day to sneak a smoke of one of Charles Mitchum’s big cigars. When one of the maids discovered him there, he’d made a run for it, leaving the smoldering cigar behind.

Later that night, a hysterical Violet had jerked the ring off her finger and thrown it at him, shrieking that she wasn’t his mother. Violet Mitchum had made her feelings for him perfectly clear that day, and he didn’t have any reason to believe those feelings had changed.

“Hey, Matt!”

He opened his eyes to see Cliff galloping toward him. The expression on his face didn’t bode well.

“What’s the problem?” Matt asked as Cliff reined his horse to a stop.

“It’s Bud.” Cliff tipped up his hat and wiped the sweat off his brow. “The chuck wagon lost a wheel about a mile back. Bud busted his wrist trying to repair it.”

“Damn.” Matt wheeled his horse around and rode toward the back of the herd. When he finally reached the lopsided chuck wagon, he saw the old cowboy seated on the ground, holding a wet cloth on his arm.

“What the hell happened?” Matt asked as he dismounted.

“Freak accident.” Bud winced as he lifted his forearm. “I guess my reflexes ain’t as good as they used to be. The axle on the wagon split as I was mounting a new wheel. Heard the bone crack and now it’s swelling up something awful.”

Matt nodded toward the half-empty whiskey bottle at Bud’s side. “I see you’ve been taking something for the pain.”

“There won’t be any supper for you boys tonight.” Bud lifted the bottle with his good hand and took a deep swig. “You’ll have to make do with the beef jerky and dried apples I’ve got stored in the trunk.”

“Don’t worry about us.” Matt walked to the back of the wagon, then knelt down to look at the broken axle. What he saw made his gut tighten. A neatly sawed fissure right above the splintered wooden beam. This hadn’t been any accident. Someone had deliberately sabotaged the chuck wagon.

“Have you met up with anyone unusual today?” Matt asked.

Bud shook his head, then leaned against the wagon. “Just that lady who’s been trailing us. But she’s kept her distance.”

Matt turned and looked at the Cadillac, now stopped about five hundred feet behind them. Calley Graham stepped out of the vehicle and began walking toward the chuck wagon. His gut told him she didn’t have anything to do with this mess. Not only would a woman of her stature have difficulty sawing her way through solid walnut, but she’d never had the opportunity. The chuck wagon had been closed up in one of the storage sheds on Tupper’s place until this morning. And Tupper was fanatical about keeping strangers out. He even had a twenty-four-hour guard at the front gate of his ranch.

So who did that leave? Marla had cursed him and the cattle drive only last night. Had she cajoled one of Tupper’s ranch hands into doing the dirty deed? Or had one of Hobbs’s men found a way to sabotage the chuck wagon without anyone noticing?

Matt still hadn’t figured out the answer by the time the Graham woman approached him.

“What happened?” she asked, looking first at the lopsided wagon, then at Bud.

“That’s just what I wanted to ask you, Miss Graham.”

“Please call me Calley,” she replied.

“Okay, Calley.” He removed his cowboy hat. “Since you’ve been stalking us for the last several hours, I was wondering if you happened to see anyone hovering around the back of the wagon.”

She shook her head. “It stopped three or four times, but the only person I saw was him.” She pointed to Bud, who was now sucking the last drops of whiskey out of the bottle.

“Are you sure about…” His voice trailed off as the sound of an automobile engine caught his attention. A pickup truck roared toward them, kicking dust and gravel behind its tires. Several grazing steers tensed, then turned as one and bolted.

Matt swore as he jumped on his horse, hollering to the cowboys ahead of him. Fortunately, they’d seen the commotion and had positioned themselves to prevent a stampede. When Matt was certain that a catastrophe had been avoided, he wheeled his horse around and rode up to the pickup truck.