Five years ago, her sister disappeared…
Now someone is coming for her.
Who would believe that Mara Castillo's sister—missing and presumed dead—suddenly sent a one-word text? Now Mara wants answers, even if it means stepping into a killer's sights with her brother's best friend, rancher Levi Duke, as her only protection. But with someone who has everything to lose after her, uncovering a long-buried secret could save her life…or claim it.
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Levi Duke let the engine idle and rubbed his temple.
Another headache, courtesy of the wreck. The headaches were probably temporary,
the doctors said. He sighed. Yes, the car accident four months before had left
him with a scar, but worse yet, his hospital time made him miss out on a
perfect horse to add to his herd. That was the real pain of it.
“Not this time,” he said. “We’re gonna have ourselves a
new mare, ’Jo.”
Banjo, the sizable mutt with a chunk missing from one
ear, sprawled in his passenger seat and licked the knee of Levi’s jeans. The
dog slithered his way under Levi’s palm until he got the ear rub he was looking
for. Mission accomplished, he flopped over and presented his belly, long legs
taking up more than his fair share of the room. His fleas and the mud were gone
now, thanks to a bath that had been a struggle of epic proportions, his leg
wound treated, too. His ribs were not quite as prominent as the day Levi had
found him panting and half-dead in a dry creek bed. The dog had introduced
himself with eyes desperate for help and the faintest of tail wags. Who could
say no to that?
The cell phone chimed.
“We’re just driving past the Funeral Mountains.” Mara’s
voice was cool, in spite of the faint Southern drawl. Never could hide her
feelings. She was upset with him for inviting her brother, Seth, to partner
with him in purchasing the Rocking Horse Ranch. Maybe she had a right to be. A
busted-up old ranch just outside Death Valley National Park, a place so hot it
was nearly uninhabitable four months of the year? Not exactly a surefire
moneymaker. But it wasn’t really about the money—not for him, anyway. He was
surprised Mara had even agreed to accompany Seth to meet the mare. Maybe Mara
was softening to the idea? Not likely.
“Be careful,” he said. “Road’s steep. I’ll meet you at
the farm and introduce you to Cookie. She’s a sweetheart.” Offered for sale by
a local, the mare would be a perfect fit for their current herd of eleven if
co-owner Seth approved. They needed more horses pronto to meet the tourist
demands for the November Camp Town Days Festival the following week.
There was a pause. “All right.”
He forced cheer into his voice to counteract her lack of
enthusiasm. “Laney and Beckett are having a barbecue at the Hotsprings. They
asked me to invite you both.” His cousin Beckett’s hotel was making a slow
recovery after the set of killings that had resulted in Beckett’s false
imprisonment and a threat to Laney’s life. It was easier to forget those days
now, as the couple prepared for the spring birth of their first child.
Mara queried her brother and returned her attention to
the phone. “Seth says he’d love to go, but I have some business to work on.”
Business? Mara helped run her parents’ furniture store in
Henderson, Nevada, some two hundred miles away. Odd that she’d have business
here in podunk Furnace Falls. It wasn’t his nature to pry. Then again, she
might just be making an excuse to stay far away from him. He blew out a silent
breath. Horses were so much easier to read than people, especially women, most
especially Mara Castillo.
About the Author
Dana Mentink is a national bestselling author. She has been honored to win two Carol Awards, a Holt Medallion, and a Reviewer's Choice award. She's authored more than thirty novels to date for Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense and Harlequin Heartwarming. Dana loves feedback from her readers. Contact her at www.danamentink.com
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