Saddled With Trouble by Michele Scott Read Free Book Online

that.”
    Michaela choked back the grief tightening her chest. Ethan put a hand on her shoulder. For the first time since she’d arrived back at her place, she really looked at him. Green eyes, sun-kissed, sculpted cheekbones, a crooked nose— due to a kick from an angry horse— faced her.
    “ What is it, Mick? What’s wrong?”
    She covered her eyes. Her body started that uncontrollable shaking again.
    “ Mick, you’re scaring me. What the hell is it? Is it your dad?” She shook her head. “Brad? Is he giving you grief again? I can talk to him and make him leave you alone. Believe me , I’d get some pleasure out of doing that.”
    “ Lou was . . . murdered this morning!” She blurted it out and as she did, the impact of the reality hit her hard. Her knees buckled.
    Ethan held onto her. “Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Mick, no, no . . . Jesus, how, who . . . what in the hell?”
    Sobs wracked her body as she shook in his arms, unable to speak. When she finally did she could only tell him what little facts she knew.
    “ You found him?” he asked, stunned.
    She nodded.
    “ Ah, Mick. God, I wish I could do something. I’m sorry. I’m really sorry. I don’t know what to say. Is there anything I can do?”
    “ No.” She pulled away from him. “There’s not.”
    “ I can’t believe it. Oh, man.” He shook his head. “I was by there yesterday to talk to him.”
    “ You were? Why?”
    “ I needed to talk to him about something.”
    Tears running down her face, she crossed her arms. “Ethan, why did you go on the rafting trip without saying anything to me? Why did you leave Lou’s ranch? Did he kick you off?”
    Ethan sighed. “Let’s not go into this now. You need me, I’m here, and learning this is like getting sucker-punched.”
    She saw his eyes water. He turned away. “I’m sorry. The last thing I want to know is that you two had a fight, but you have to tell me. What was going on between you and my uncle? I asked him after you left and he wouldn’t tell me either. When I spoke with him last night, something seemed to be troubling him, and now, knowing you went there, I have to wonder if it was you on his mind, and if so, why.”
    “ Wait a minute, you think I could have something to do with this? With Lou being killed?”
    “ Of . . . course not.”
    “ Why the interrogation, then? I didn’t hurt Lou. He treated me like a son and I loved him.” Emotion caught in his throat. “I would’ve never hurt that man, and just because we had differences between us doesn’t mean a damn thing.” His voice rose. “It’s true we’ve been best friends since we were kids, Michaela, but I don’t tell you everything. What Lou and I had between us needs to be kept there for now. Leave it alone and trust me. I wouldn’t hurt him or you. For God’s sake, don’t you know me better than that?”
    Michaela took another step back. She thought she knew him, but there was a rage combined now with a pain in his eyes she’d never seen before. Her body ached. She closed her eyes. He pulled her into him again. “Trust me, please. I can’t tell you what happened. Not yet. When I can, I will.”
    She shrugged him off. “Fine.”
    Ethan’s pager beeped. He read the number. “It’s the hospital.” He went to his truck and called in. A minute later he came back. “I’ve gotta head over there. I did emergency surgery on a mare this morning and now there’s a problem. I’ll be back to check on Leo . . . and you. ”
    “ We’ll be fine.”
    Michaela went back into Leo’s stall and stayed with him long after she’d heard Ethan drive away. She wondered where he was staying these days.
    She finally made it inside the house. Camden wasn’t home. No telling when she’d left or where she’d gone. Probably a spa day or shopping spree. In a way it was good she wasn’t around. Michaela wanted some solitude. When Camden did show up, she knew she’d have to relay the horrific events all over