* * *

  OAKLEY WAS ON her way into town, still upset about what CJ had told her about Pickett, when she passed the drilling rigs. She pulled over to let them pass and called Pickett out of habit. Fortunately, his phone went straight to voice mail. She didn’t leave a message. She felt confused, angry, hurt and worried. What else didn’t she know about the man?

  Her phone rang. Pickett? It was Duffy.

  “I just saw drilling equipment headed for your ranch,” he said without preamble.

  “I saw it, too,” she said.

  “Guess that means we go to work tonight. Midnight again? You know where they’re drilling?” he asked, sounding excited.

  “Not yet.” She was thinking about her date with Pickett Saturday night, hoping she wasn’t in jail by then, because she really needed answers. While she didn’t trust CJ, she trusted that he hadn’t lied.

  “You’ll let me know as soon as you have a location?” Duffy said.

  “Yep.” She disconnected, hating that she was lying to her friend. She was doing this alone. The plan had been cooking for a while now. It was dangerous. Another reason she couldn’t bear Duffy or Pickett or whatever his name was now getting caught up in it.

  Her fingers trembled as she pocketed her phone. Just the thought of Pickett’s kisses and lovemaking, not to mention their intimate phone call last night warmed her in a way she didn’t think she’d ever felt. Why hadn’t he told her last night on the phone that his name wasn’t really Pickett Hanson? Was he ever going to tell her now?

  She pushed the thought away. She had to stop the drilling on the ranch. She couldn’t sit back and let her mother and CJ do this without a fight. Now more than ever she wanted to stop her brother. She headed into town to get the supplies she needed, assuring herself that she could pull this off.

  Fortunately, she’d grown up on a ranch so she knew exactly what she needed and how to use it. If she planned this right, she’d get away with it as she had the other times.

  And if things didn’t go as planned... Well, at least Duffy would know where she’d gone. Except she wouldn’t be meeting him at midnight. She planned to hit much earlier. It was a message to CJ and her mother.

  But first, she needed to know where the gas company employees were headed with the drilling equipment. CJ would know. He, too, was trying to make a statement, she thought. And that was when she knew. Where was the one spot on the ranch that would make the most impact?

  She knew her brother so well that she could predict exactly where the equipment was headed, she realized. A plan materialized as she drove. It was risky, but being in the same house with CJ was already dangerous and she feared it would get worse. She had to take a stand. Stopping the drilling was only the beginning if her mother and CJ didn’t get the message.

  With the sheriff in the hospital she needed to be extra careful, because she feared her brother would take Stuart’s absence as a get-out-of-jail-free card. It was hard to say what he would do if he knew what she was up to. Or worse, that she’d remembered the day he shot her.

  That was why she had to hit long before midnight—before CJ expected it. And without Duffy or Pickett. This time she was going it alone.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  PICKETT DROVE TOWARD the small acreage in the badlands that Treyton had purchased. The price for the land had been low because of the mostly unusable property. It was questionable even if the area was viable for methane wells.

  So why would Treyton buy it? It made no sense. Or maybe it did. Suspicious, Pickett had put the coordinates into his pickup’s navigation system. He hadn’t gone far when he’d spotted Treyton driving out of town—not in a McKenna Ranch pickup with the logo on the side—but his own truck. He had no choice but to follow him since he had a feeling they were going to the same place. He became even more convinced when he spotted a tarp covering a load of something in the bed of the pickup.

  Tailing someone in this part of the country wasn’t easy, though. There was little to no traffic on a normal day on the main two-lane. So Pickett stayed back. He wasn’t worried. According to his navigation system, he and Treyton definitely appeared to be headed for the same place. They had gone quite a few miles when in the far distance ahead, he saw Treyton turn off onto a dirt road heading deeper into the badlands.

  Pickett backed way off, catching only glimpses of Treyton’s truck ahead of him. As suspicious as he was, he felt uncomfortable following the oldest McKenna. Holden wouldn’t like it. Worse, Pickett should be at work right now. He’d hardly worked at all since returning from New York.

  Worse, he was losing daylight. He caught brake lights flash on the back of Treyton’s pickup in the distance. Almost there, he thought as he checked his nav system and Treyton’s truck disappeared over a rise.

  Pickett slowed. He let the truck coast, the growing darkness forming shadows in the rough terrain. This area was rocky, harsh, but beautiful in its own way.

  Before the top of the rise, he rolled to a stop, put the pickup into Park and got out quietly. He wasn’t sure how far Treyton had gone past the hill in front of him as he walked toward the crest and peered over.

  Treyton had stopped down in the bottom next to a couple of old buildings that looked like mining shacks. He had begun unloading what looked like equipment and supplies into one of the larger shacks. Pickett couldn’t tell exactly what the supplies were from this distance. Maybe Treyton was planning to mine. Maybe Pickett was all wrong about what the oldest McKenna was up to.

  It was too dark to take a photo with his phone. Not that it mattered. He had a pretty good idea what was going on.

  He walked back to his pickup, debating what to do. Calling the sheriff might have been at the top of his list if Stuart wasn’t in the hospital in Billings. But there was also the fact that unless the supplies incriminated Treyton, Pickett had no proof of anything. There was also the fact that Treyton was Holden McKenna’s son, and Pickett worked for the family. Until he had proof of his suspicions, he had to keep this under his hat.

  Climbing into his truck, he started to call Duffy when he remembered that he’d turned his phone off. He turned it back on. No messages from either Duffy or Oakley. He decided he’d rather tell them in person, especially Oakley since they had several things to talk about.

  He pocketed his phone, and backing down to the main road, headed into town, hoping she would be at the apartment.

  * * *

  DUFFY HAD BEEN mentally kicking himself all day. He’d hidden it well from Pickett, but earlier he’d overheard that damned Rusty Malone saying he’d seen Pickett go into Oakley’s apartment. He hadn’t come out until hours later—in the middle of the night.

  Any questions Duffy had about what was going on with his two best friends were quickly answered. He wanted to fire Rusty. Instead, he told him to get his ass out on that fence that needed to be mended. By the time he saw Pickett, he’d calmed down and hadn’t said anything.

  But it was like a burr under his saddle all day. Pickett and Oakley. It would ruin their friendship. It would leave him out in the cold. He felt betrayed. True, it wasn’t like after one kiss he and Oakley... Hell, clearly, the kiss they’d shared hadn’t meant anything to her. She’d thought he was just goofing around.

  He thought about earlier. Oakley had said she would call as soon as she knew the location of the well to be drilled as early as in the morning. It was starting to get dark. Why hadn’t he heard from her? Maybe she didn’t know. Maybe she was leaving him out of it. Maybe it was just going to be her and Pickett.

  Like hell, he told himself.

  He’d find the drilling spot. But he knew he’d better find it before it got too dark. He headed for the stables to saddle up.

  Something else was bothering him, he realized as he swung up into the saddle. Earlier at dinner, his father had asked Holly Jo how things were with her. “Everything all right at school?”

  She’d looked up as if she, too, had been as deep in thought as he’d been, then quickly dropped her eyes to her plate. “Fine.”

  Something was wrong, Duffy had thought. He’d promised himself that he’d get her alone and find out if that boy Gus was still bothering her. If so, he’d take care of it.

  * * *

  PICKETT WAS DRIVING through Powder Crossing when he saw Oakley loading something into the back of her pickup. He swung in next to her truck. “Hey,” he said as he put down his window.

  He couldn’t believe how glad he was to see her. Not that this was anything new. She was like sunshine for him, always brightening any day he was around her.

  She looked surprised to see him, then her face clouded over as she shut the tailgate on her pickup and walked over to his driver’s side window.

  “Archibald, right?”

  His heart dropped. “Who—”

  “CJ with that stupid smirk on his face.”

  “I tried to tell you last night.”

  “Not hard enough,” she said. “What else haven’t you told me?”

  “Let me explain—”

  She stepped back. “Was this the surprise you had for me Saturday night?”

  “No, but I was planning to tell you everything then.”

  Oakley nodded. He could see how hurt she was and hated himself for not telling her long before this moment. “I thought I knew you.”

  “You do know me. I’m Pickett Hanson. Nothing has changed.” He could see that it had changed for her. “Oakley, please.” He started to get out of his truck, but she pushed the door shut, shaking her head.

  “Save it for Saturday. Maybe by then I’ll want to hear it.” With that, she walked away, leaving him desperately wanting to go after her, but she didn’t give him a chance as she got into her truck and took off in the direction of the Stafford Ranch.

  He slammed his hand down on his steering wheel. He could do nothing but watch her leave. All he could hope was that by Saturday night she’d be willing to listen to what he had to say. If she still wanted to go out with him.

  * * *

  OAKLEY COULDN’T BELIEVE how much time the gas company employees were taking to unload their equipment. She concentrated on that rather than think about the fear she’d seen on Pickett’s face. Archibald the fourth’s face, she corrected and swore. She would always think of him as Pickett.

  It was getting darker. She raised the binoculars to her eyes again. The men were almost finished. Only three men. She didn’t see Frankie or his brother Norman. That was a good sign, right?

  She felt guilty letting Duffy think they would meet here at midnight. By then, it would be all over. She didn’t want him involved, Pickett either. Knowing her brother, the drilling could start as early as tomorrow morning. This was her only chance.

  The night was quiet, the last snowfall a cushion for sound. A sliver of moon hung over the tops of the bare cottonwoods. She could see her breath. Another cold night after those days and nights that had teased of spring.

  She hadn’t realized how much she would miss Duffy and Pickett. It surprised her how a couple of kisses and one big lie could change everything. They’d been a trio, best friends, partners in crime. But now she had fallen for Pickett, hurt Duffy and ruined their friendship and probably ruined Duffy and Pickett’s friendship as well, and she wasn’t sure how much of it had been a lie.

  The worst part was that it had been her brother who told her about Pickett lying to her. CJ had enjoyed telling her too much. Just as he had acted quickly to get this drilling done. Her brother’s actions felt desperate. You would think this was his money he was making from the gas company. Maybe it was. Maybe their mother had offered him part of the proceeds for being in charge of this. It wouldn’t have surprised Oakley. How could her mother be so blind when it came to him?

  Oakley watched from a safe distance as the last of the drilling equipment was locked up and the men finished up. She hadn’t been surprised to discover that the well would again be drilled near McKenna Ranch property.

  Once she’d thought about what CJ would do to show their mother, she’d known he would put the well close to their mother’s favorite spot next to the creek. Oakley had always suspected that this was where Charlotte used to meet her teenage lover, Holden. Surely, she hadn’t chosen this spot. This had to be CJ’s doing—not her mother’s. At least she hoped that was true. Who knew what the well would do to other McKenna Ranch wells, not to mention the creek? Were her mother and CJ that determined to put Holden out of business?

  Oakley didn’t want to believe it. Her mother was capable of shame. CJ wasn’t. When news had gotten out about the last methane well drilled on Stafford Ranch destroying the McKenna’s artesian well, there’d been an uproar around the river basin. Her mother hadn’t been completely immune to the adverse public opinion.

  For a moment Oakley thought about going to her mother and trying to reason with her—rather than taking the drastic step she was about to take. If her mother didn’t know what CJ was doing...

  The thought swept on past. Her mother would stand with CJ—even if she hadn’t known; even if this wasn’t what she’d wanted. CJ had been trying to take over the ranch for years. Oakley feared that was exactly what he was doing now from his wheelchair.

  She thought about exposing him. But not even that might sway her mother. No, there was only one way to stop this well being drilled, she thought as she watched the gas company employees drive away together in one of the pickups.

  Had they really all left? Or was it a trap? She didn’t think anyone had seen her back here in the trees. But CJ would be expecting her to try to stop this once she found out, which meant so would the gas company employees. She hadn’t seen the Lees brothers. They were probably coming back when it was full dark. The other vandalisms had happened around midnight. They would be expecting her to hit then, she hoped.

  Oakley took a breath and let it out. Was she doing this knowing how dangerous it was? Vandalism hadn’t worked. The equipment had been too easily repaired. She knew that it was going to take something dramatic to stop her mother and CJ. She hoped this might also send a message to the gas company and area ranchers.

  She was doing this, she told herself as she swung up onto her horse. The sled with her supplies dragged behind her horse as she rode slowly toward the dark outline of the massive drilling rig etched against the deepening darkness.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  PICKETT NOTICED THAT Oakley’s truck wasn’t parked outside her apartment. She’d gotten supplies to take to the ranch, he’d assumed. Maybe she wasn’t coming back to the apartment. Immediately, he felt his stomach churn at the thought of her being out there with CJ in that house. Pickett would have loved to have gotten his hands on her brother. He feared Oakley probably felt the same way.

  He’d tried to call, but her phone had gone straight to voice mail. He was anxious to talk to her. It couldn’t wait until Saturday. He had to explain. He just hoped she could forgive him. He also wanted to tell her about what he’d discovered. But more than anything he wanted to make sure she was safe.

  He climbed the stairs to the second-floor apartment and knocked. Tilly’s pickup had been parked where she usually left it, he thought with a frown. Was Oakley with her sister?

  He knocked again. No answer. He tried Oakley’s number again. It went straight to voice mail again. He left a message, “At your apartment. Need to see you.” He waited. No answer. He knocked one more time.

  Back down the stairs, he decided to wait outside for a little longer in case she came home. Pushing open the door, he saw an older waitress he knew taking a smoke break. “Neither of them is home,” she said. “Tilly left with her fiancé. Came in late last night after visiting the sheriff at the hospital in Billings but you know all about that since you were here.”

  “Wait, the sheriff is in the hospital?” he asked in surprise. He hadn’t hung around long enough last night to hear anything about this.

  “You live under a rock?” She laughed at her own joke and took another drag on her cigarette. “That nurse, Creed, I think her name was. She tried to kill him with a knife. He shot her. She’s dead, he was rushed to Billings to the hospital. Last I heard he’s going to make it.”

  “I guess I do live under a rock,” Pickett said. “I saw Oakley earlier. She was heading toward the ranch. I was hoping she might have come back?”

  “Not that I know of.” She finished her cigarette and stubbed it out under her shoe. “Suppose you can’t go out to the ranch to see her, huh.”

  “You are well informed,” he noted.

  “The girls know I worry about them, so they keep me in the loop. Oakley had been at the general store before that. Looked like she bought a bunch of supplies. Want me to give her a message?”

  He shook his head, thinking that when he’d seen Oakley she’d been loading supplies into the back of her truck. He’d assumed they were for the ranch since Tilly used to do a lot of that before she was banned from the ranch. He hoped that was all it was, but even as he thought it, he had his doubts. After what CJ had told her about him...

  He walked down to the general store before it closed, unable to shake the bad feeling that had settled in his gut. “I’m just checking to see if I need to pick up more supplies for Oakley Stafford. Did she get everything she needed earlier?”

  The man behind the counter replied, “Doubt she’ll need more dynamite. She got enough to blow up a half dozen stumps out on the ranch.”

  Dynamite? She’d been headed for the ranch with a whole lot of dynamite? The one thing she wasn’t blowing up was stumps, he thought as he left the store and almost ran into Tick Whitaker as he came out of the hotel bar.

  “Just the man I wanted to see,” Pickett said, trying to keep the anxiety out of his voice. “Heard your company is doing some drilling out on the Stafford Ranch. They need any extra hands? I could use some extra money, you know...off the books.”