Honoring Freedom (Cowboys of Sagebrush Rose #3)

Chapter Sixteen

Keller dragged off his dirty T-shirt, tossed it onto the desk, and pulled the clean, new button down off the hanger. At least he’d be somewhat presentable for Sam’s birthday party.

He wasn’t much into parties, but everyone on the ranch was expected to show up for the celebration. Hell, Keller liked the old man and had always thought he was a straight shooter. No one had to wonder where they stood with Sam, but Keller never had been into social gatherings. He liked to keep to himself for the most part.

He’d be a liar if he denied that he wanted to see Freedom. She’d been a bit preoccupied for a few days and he couldn’t tell if she was avoiding him or in typical Freedom fasion, she needed space to figure things out.

Glancing at the clock, he winced. He was running late. He’d been stuck on the ranch all day and had barely enough time to take a piss.

He’d just buttoned the last button on his shirt when his cell phone rang. He grabbed it and read the familiar number. The lab .

“Hi, Rita. It’s Keller. You have the results back?”

“I know it’s late, but I wanted to call you just as soon as I got the findings back on the horses. How did they get into such a high concentration of yew?”

Keller gripped the phone tighter. “Yew?” The ornamental evergreen plant was highly toxic to animals, even horses. Over the years he’d seen horses keel over with the red berries still in their mouths.

“Yew,” she repeated. “Both horses tested positive for high traces of yew toxin residues in the blood sample. The amount Requiem digested wasn’t enough to kill him right away, but if he’d have been ridden or had excessive activity after feeding he’d have experienced cardiac and respiratory failure. Midnight had remnants of the plant in his fecal content.”

Keller paced the floor of his office. “This is what I suspected, but we don’t have any toxic plants on the land. And you’re sure it was yew?”

“With one-hundred-percent certainty.” Her sigh vibrated the line. “You did the right thing by decontaminating with charcoal. That’s what helped save Requiem’s life.”

“Thanks, Rita.” He clicked off and tossed his phone onto the desk. Now he knew without a doubt that the horses were intentionally poisoned. There was no conceivable way they could have found yew when there was none in the pasture.

Picking up his phone, he dialed Freedom’s number. When she answered, he said, “Meet me at the quarantine barn. Yes, it’s very important.” He clicked off.

He hated to disturb the party, but she asked to be kept in the loop of any new developments. She’d want to hear what Midnight and Requiem had been poisoned with.

He took off for the stables and beat Freedom there. By the time she strolled in he’d already started his examination of Requiem who was eating and drinking all on his own now. “You’re a tough fellow, aren’t you?” Keller ran his hand down the horse’s sleek back.

“This better be good, Keller.”

He swiveled to say something to Freedom, but his words were caught somewhere between shock and excitement. The red dress she wore hugged her body in ways that should be illegal. The plunged neckline showed little of her breasts, but he knew every feminine dip of them and how he’d enjoyed licking them, especially her plump perky nipples. Jarring himself out of those thoughts, he remembered why he’d called her down to the barn.

“The party can go on without you for a bit,” he said grumpily.

She awkwardly walked over to him, struggling a bit with her heels. “Is it Requiem? Is he okay?” She visually inspected the horse.

"No, he's improving, but I wanted to let you know that I got the blood test results."

Her brows lifted. “It’s not good, is it?”

“’Fraid not. You want the good news or the bad news first?”

“Let’s start with the good.”

“Requiem will recover.”

Her shoulders slumped. “Thank goodness, but I thought we already established that.” When Requiem nudged her with his nose she nuzzled his head.

“Bad news, the test results showed that he and Midnight were poisoned with yew. Are you familiar with it?” he asked.

She squinted. “It’s highly poisonous to horses. Where would they get to the plant? We know there’s none on the property.”

“Good question. If I had to guess, someone tossed dried berries into the feed, which can easily be overlooked. The sires were fed a different grain and supplement than the other horses.”

She crossed her arms over her waist. “What do we do?” She stayed quiet long enough he wasn’t sure she’d continue. “Midnight and Requiem were worth millions. Keller, this is a tragedy for Requiem’s future. He is no longer a viable sire, at least not an iota of what he was worth.”

He could see the sheen in her eyes. This was not only a hit to Sagebrush Rose, but a direct one to Freedom.

“This will disqualify him for breeding.” He hated seeing the sadness that crawled across her features. He understood all too well how much time, energy and money breeders invested in sires. “He’s still a good horse.”

“Yes…of course, but…” her words faded.

“I think it’s time you brought Sam in on this.”

She nodded. “Agreed. It’s also time we take a closer look at anyone who would have access to the horses. I’d bet everything I have that Kent Downs had something to do with this indirectly, even if he denies it.”

“What do you mean, even if he denies it?” Keller inquired.

Wrinkles formed around her eyes. “I went to see him.”

Keller narrowed his eyes at her. “You went to see him? Why the hell would you do that?”

“I was angry.”

“Not only is that dangerous, but what if he did play a role in poisoning the horses? This gave him ample time to cover his tracks and get rid of any evidence.”

She rubbed her temples. “I get it, but that man infuriates me. He’s the only one who has anything to gain by doing this.”

“If your instincts are right, this makes him even more dangerous.”

“Especially if he’s got one of the crew here handling his dirty work.”

“Any of the workers could have gotten to the horses.” Since that night at the bar when he punched Downs, Keller had been digging into the guy’s background. Turns out, the man started from nothing and made a fortune in real estate and development, nearly matching the wealth of the Rose family. He wasn’t well liked in Sagebrush Pine—hell, all of Wyoming. Downs made landowners rich though. Keller had overheard the town's most influential residents mention that Downs had been eyeing Sam Rose's land for years. “We can’t just accuse Downs. We need proof.”

She looked a bit sick. She turned and headed for the open barn doors.

“Where are you going?”

“Go and speak to Daddy and explain the situation. I have something I need to do,” she said over her shoulder.

“Freedom, tell me you’re not doing what I think you’re doing,” Keller called after her, but she kept on walking.

*****

“Sorry to interrupt your dinner but seeing as how you killed my horse and poisoned another I think I deserve the opportunity to intrude.” Freedom hated the man sitting at the sophisticated dinner table eating his fancy seven course meal off elegant bone china.

“Sorry, boss. She slipped through the kitchen,” Tribe said as he clamped his beefy fingers around her elbow and pulled her toward the doorway.

“Let go of me!” She jerked her arm, but he held it tightly.

“It’s okay, Tribe. Let the little lady say her peace.” Kent licked his fingers like a lion licking the blood of his prey off his talons. He even had the dark eyes.

“Yes, boss.” Tribe stepped near the door to loom.

“Leave us. I’m sure I’ll be safe.” Kent chuckled.

Freedom didn’t wait before she stepped over to the table and leaned her hands on the edge. “You have a lot of nerve.”

“Are you still spewing this gibberish?” He drank thirstily from his wine glass.

“Let’s stop pretending. You poisoned my horses.” The scent of his raw steak mingled with the scent of the fresh flowers sitting in the center of the table causing her stomach to roil.

“Freedom, you can’t waltz in here like a rampaging spitfire and accuse a man of such terrible indictments.”

“I’m only speaking the truth.”

“Do you have proof of these accusations yet?”

She grabbed the plastic bag from the pocket of her dress and threw it at him.

“Please, don’t throw your panties again.” He narrowed his gaze. “What’s this?”

“Yew.”

He chucked the plastic bag onto the table. “And? Is that supposed to mean something to me?”

She stood upright with her arms crossed, prepared to confront the man she could hardly tolerate being near. “That plant killed my horse and made Requiem ill. You've always resented that I got the horses instead of you.”

“Still, I fail to see the connection.”

“How odd it is that you have an entire row of these plants along your fence. And how interesting it is that one plant has no berries left, as if someone came along and picked every single one. Someone who wasn’t knowledgeable enough to realize that an entire sprig of berries isn’t needed to kill a horse, or even two horses.”

Something flashed across his features, surprise maybe. “What is this supposed to indicate? That I hired a landscaper who planted a poisonous plant or two?”

“It might not be solid evidence, but I think it would make a whole lot of people sit up and pay attention. I wonder if the Sheriff could look back on the footage of that camera that faces the front of your lawn and see who it was that picked the berries?”

“How do I know you didn’t pick all the berries off the plant yourself?”

“And what did I do with them? Eat them?” She snorted. “Have your sidekick go out and investigate. Better yet, look at your camera footage. If Tribe, that is his name, right? If Tribe hadn’t been a bit preoccupied with your cook, he might have been aware that I was on your property taking pictures and retrieving a few berries for my own personal use.” She grabbed the bag and put it back into her pocket.

“Shall I make a plate of food for Sheriff Dussan? Since he and I are good friends we can review the camera footage together.”

She snorted. “I already knew that you and the Sheriff are buddies. That’s why on my way here I called the mayor. She and I are buddies. She’s extremely interested in what I told her.”

He wiped his mouth on a cloth napkin and dropped it onto the table, then stood, walking toward her. “Can I get you something to drink? A woman wearing a dress like that should have a drink in her hand.” Something changed in him. He wasn’t as cocky as her words sank in.

“Take your words and shove them up your—”

"There's no need to be rude," he said calmly.

“You’ll never get your greasy hands on Sagebrush Rose. This stunt of yours has failed so whomever you have on your payroll on our crew, you should warn him that his days are numbered.”

“Nostalgia won’t pay the bills, my dear. Ranching is a dying profession. Imagine the tourists a golf course, casino, or a spa would bring to the area? People need entertainment. Imagine a condominium with the mountains as a backdrop. Your wistfulness won’t stop progress. Eventually Sagebrush Rose, and all other surrounding land, will be paved and full of people.” He almost drooled over his own words.

“Do you not have any sense of ethics at all? Any care for the beauty of untouched land? All you see is dollar signs instead of trees.”

“Come now,” he popped the lid off a decanter and poured scotch into a glass. “I’m not wanting the entire Rose ranch. Your father could sell me a hundred acres and still have many more to cultivate.”

“Again, you’re not hearing what I’m putting down. The land isn’t for sale.”

Their eyes locked. A battle of wills taking place across the elegant dining room.

“Everything is for sale, eventually.” He rubbed his jaw. “Your boyfriend has a strong fist, Freedom. I admire your spunk too. How many women would be brave enough to come into a man’s home, not once, but twice, and accuse him of being an accomplice to a hideous crime.”

“Is that what this is about? A blow to your ego.”

“You must take me as a prideful man.” He laughed. “I assure you, pride doesn’t get a man very far. Not like logic. So logically speaking, why would I bother with poisoning a horse?”

“Stay away from me. Stay away from my family. And stay away from Sagebrush Rose. By the time I’m done with you you’ll be on a train heading out of town.”

He crossed the short distance, and she didn’t dare flinch or blink. She wouldn’t cower under him.

“Your sister doesn’t have the same problem as you, obviously.” he said dryly.

His words caught her off guard, but she erased any expression that would tip him off to her surprise. “None of my sisters would give you the time of day.”

“Really?” He smoothed his manicured fingers down his jawline. “I’m afraid you’re wrong on that note.”

“Tribe, let’s enlighten the lady.” By that time Kent had polished off one glass of scotch and poured another. Tribe strolled into the room carrying a folder. He handed it to Kent, who took out the contents. “I think you should be aware of something, sweetheart.” He laid the stack of photos on the end of the table.

Freedom grabbed them and started to toss them at his head, but the top picture startled her enough that she paused, staring in disbelief.

Kent’s chuckle echoed through the room. “So, you see, at least one of your sisters has good taste in men.”

With each picture Freedom saw the sicker she became.

How could this be true?

She would have never believed it if she wasn’t seeing the proof herself.

Freedom stayed quiet.

“How about we make a deal?” he said in that usual cocky tone. “You stay quiet about what you think you know, and I’ll return the favor. I’m sure if something like this ended up in your father’s ear, he might not survive a second heart attack.”

She was so disgusted that she trembled.

“Just remember what I said. Stay away from us.” She backed up a few paces then turned, but before she left, she said to him from the threshold. “Good luck in your miserable existence.”