Sky plunged forward. “Look, I understand that you care about me and don’t want anything to happen to me. I appreciate that. Yet the fact is, something did happen to me. It’s still happening to me. I want it to stop. Not only for my sake, but for Sam’s sake as well. I might have just met him a couple weeks ago, but that really doesn’t matter to me. Counting days means nothing when you spend all of your time with this one person who can’t get a moment’s peace because he’s so worried about you.”
Tears pooled in her eyes. She angrily whisked them away. She wasn’t trying to tug heartstrings. She wanted to make a point. The fat drops kept rolling down her cheeks anyway.
Sky said, “I made a mistake trusting Mac. I’ve made a couple other mistakes in my life. This time around, I got it right. With Sam. And I can’t live another day, sitting idly by, while he’s so tormented. I need your help,” she pleaded again.
“Go back to the ranch.” The sheriff put his foot down. “We’ll handle it from here, Sky. I’ll call you this afternoon.”
Her jaw clenched. She knew him well enough to know that he wouldn’t budge once he said no.
“I’ll walk you to your vehicle,” Ryan said. “Then you’ll go straight to the Painted Horse.”
“We’re doing everything we can, Sky. Working with the authorities in Fredericksburg, and Deputy Baker is out on patrol, searching for Willet’s car. Ryan was just heading out as well. We’ll be in touch.”
Sky was certain the sidewinder was still in Wilder—and prayed someone from the sheriff’s office bagged him soon. Because her hands were clearly tied.
Chapter Eleven
Sky needed something to distract herself so she returned to the ranch and found Dalton and Sam in the stable. “I’d like to try the bridle again.”
“Wouldn’t hurt anything,” Sam said.
“It’d be nice to get Midnight out of this stall,” Dalton added. “He’s got to be ready for a different view and more exercise than pacing in here.”
He retrieved the hackamore while Sky collected the brush and opened the stallion’s gate. The horse’s head bobbed and he neighed softly.
She ran her hand along his nose. Holding up the brush, she asked, “What do you say? My ninth or tenth time might be the charm?”
He didn’t back away. Taking that as a good sign, Sky slowly tended to his neck and Midnight let her.
From behind her, Dalton said, “Well, lookey there. A breakthrough.”
Midnight allowed her to do a thorough job, then she held the bridle in her hands for him to see and sniff at. He turned his head away.
“Rome wasn’t built in a day,” she muttered.
“But we are seeing progress, so that’s something to be pleased about.”
“You’re right,” she concurred in a more optimistic tone.
She turned to leave, but the horse nudged her shoulder with his nose.
Sky smiled as she faced him. “You trying to tell me not to give up on you so easily?”
She held up the bridle again and this time Midnight didn’t shy away. So she slipped it on him. No one said a word as the horse moved about his stall with the hackamore on, as though testing his thoughts and feelings about wearing it. Then he returned to where Sky stood and he let out a soft neigh.
Sky’s chest pulled tight with emotion as she stroked his neck. “You just made my whole month,” she told the horse. “You trust me now, don’t you? You know I’ll never hurt you.”
“Maybe he’s more ready for a walk then we’d suspected,” Dalton said.
“I’ll go with you,” Sam told her. “Hold the reins loosely and walk alongside him, not leading him or tugging on him.”
The men stepped out of the stall and Sky did as Sam instructed. To her delight, the horse moved with her, in no particular hurry, but at least he was comfortable with her. Feeling safe, even.
She took him to the trail that wound through the trees and down to the lake. Sam strode casually beside her, his hands in the front pockets of his jeans.
“Where’d you go so early this morning?” he asked in a low tone. “And without me.”