Leaving Liberty, a Western Romance (Book 5) (Texas Hearts) by Lisa Mondello Read Free Book Online Page A

love. I love this ranch.”
    “Have you even looked into getting help?”
    “I haven’t had time since Cole left. It’s going to be hard to replace Cole. He did the work of five men, I swear.”
    “Then I have a lot to live up to.”
    * * *
    Jackson had spent the rest of the day helping Libby get caught up on some much-needed work on the ranch. Most of the day they worked independently. Jackson had checked the fences on the far side of the property where the cattle were somehow getting out. He’d been gone for hours, taking Spirit with him.
    She had a mixed sense of envy that Spirit would enjoy the afternoon’s ride with someone else, and pride that Jackson would see all the hard work she’d put into training Spirit. Not all horses took to strangers well. But of all the horses on the Bucking Hills Ranch, Spirit had the sweetest temperament and would not give Jackson any trouble.
    Libby actually felt guilty for sitting down on the porch with a glass of iced tea during the time Jackson had been gone. He’d been right about her. Her body wasn’t as strong as it used to be. But it had nothing to do with her grief over losing her father. She had to be easy with her body if she expected it to heal well.
    It had her thinking about what Jackson said about finding someone to replace Cole. Part of her hoped that the investigation would be over so Cole could come home. If he did, there would be no need for her to hire another ranch hand. But Jackson would have to leave Liberty for that to happen.
    She decided her break was over when she’d drained the last of her iced tea. If Jackson was out fixing her fences, then she couldn’t very well rest all afternoon. There was plenty of work to be done in the barn.
    She was just finishing up spreading fresh hay in one of the stalls when Jackson came trotting in with Spirit.
    She greeted him with a smile, but it quickly faded when she saw the scowl on his face.
    “Why haven’t you reported the breaks in your fencing to the sheriff?” he asked, climbing down from the saddle.
    “Animals break through fences all the time. Neither the sheriff or Dane has time to deal with that sort of thing.”
    “Animals break out from inside. This break was made from the outside, Libby. Your father and Cole had to know that. There were three sections that were broken into. Someone was doing this on purpose.”
    She shifted uncomfortably. “We live close to the Mexican border. Someone might have wandered over.”
    “Might have? Do you know who this is?”
    It took her a few seconds to weigh how much to tell Jackson. “My father spotted some teenagers on the property during a ride. They might have been a little older.”
    “When?”
    “A few days before he died.”
    “Is that why he was carrying two rifles with him?”
    “He wasn’t. Cole was using the other one.” She swallowed hard, fearing she’d just gone too far.
    The look of surprise on his face made her turn cold. “Why didn’t you tell me Cole was with him?”
    “Because he wasn’t with him. He found him.”
    Jackson shook his head. “You’re not making any sense.”
    “Because it doesn’t make any sense.”
    Her outburst boomed inside the confines of the barn, spooking the big gray quarter horse they called Skittish. It hadn’t always been his name. But as he grew and it became clear he was easily startled, he grew into it. “Cole was riding Skittish,” she said calmly, stroking the horse’s nose and face. Skittish quickly recovered from Libby’s outburst. “Skittish threw Cole off the saddle and took off on a run when he heard something in the mesquite bushes. Cole went to check it out, but didn’t find anything. Then went to look for Skittish. That’s when he found my father.”
    “Was he dead when he got there?”
    She shook her head. “Cole saw it from the distance. Skittish was still spooked when he ran into my father. He reared up again. Cole didn’t see the rifle fall from the saddle, but he heard the shot.