Claimed by the Lawman (Lawmen of Wyoming Book 4) Read online

  RHONDA LEE CARVER

  Claimed by the Lawman

  (#4, Lawmen of Wyoming)

  2018 Rhonda Lee Carver

  Copyright 2018 Rhonda Lee Carver

  All rights reserved

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. NO part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without permission from the author, Rhonda Lee Carver—except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages written in a review. For information, please contact Rhonda Lee Carver @ [email protected].

  This work is fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue in this work are from the author’s imagination and creation. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, dead or alive, is completely coincidental.

  This book is for your personal pleasure. Ebooks are not transferrable. They cannot be sold, shared or given away as it is an infringement on the copyright of this work. If you have enjoyed this book and wish to share with another reader(s) please purchase another copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, purchase a copy. Thank you for appreciating the hard work the author invested into this book.

  This book contains material that isn’t suitable for anyone under the age of 17.

  To read more books by Rhonda Lee Carver check out the list of her books at the end of this book.

  Blurb:

  He won’t stop until he claims what is his…

  Years have passed since Tyler Posey last saw Kace Cade. Fifteen years ago, he was a relationship-shy boy with deep dimples who stole her heart right out of her chest. When an opportunity came knocking she went in search of her dreams, but destiny brought her back home to Bohannan, Wyoming—and to Kace who is no longer shy or a boy. In fact, he turned into quite the man.

  Being Sheriff had its ups and downs, but Kace liked the challenge. Although he considered his life on track, there was something missing—and her name was Tyler. Not a day had gone by that he hadn’t thought about her, wondered if he’d made the right choice in letting her go.

  Now that he had a second chance at loving Tyler, he had to make things right by helping her find closure in her sister’s death. Ruled a suicide, Tyler never believed that could be possible, and neither did Kace, not after new clues came to light.

  When secrets and truth start to unfold, and Tyler’s safety is in danger, Kace will need to find the answers before trouble finds Tyler.

  The biggest question, who is branding people like they’re cattle? And why? The answers could be where they least expect them…

  Table of Contents

  Front Matter

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Epilogue

  Back Matter

  Bonus – SEAL by Fate (Chapter 1)

  Chapter 1

  “THE CATTLE MOSEYED right onto my land. Possession’s nine-tenths of the law.”

  “They’re my cattle, Bane. I don’t plan to leave here today without my beef,” Johnny Posey said as the handful of his hands standing behind him lifted their shotguns just a smidgeon. His son Rogue took a step outside of the circle. The temperature seemed to increase by at least ten degrees. The wind whistled across the field as if carrying a daunting message of history when cowboys took care of problems with brawn…and sometimes a bullet.

  “What the hell’s going on here, boys?” Kace pushed his way through the bulk of the cowboys and stood between Johnny and Bane. He could practically feel the heat rolling off the two fifty-something, stubborn neighbors. “Please tell me this is not another one of those crazy disputes. I have better things to do, fellows.”

  “The cattle are on my land, Sheriff.” Bane pushed out his chest. His crew of five men were standing in a semi-circle, whiskered jaws tight, shotguns in hand as they blocked their boss’ property and the Black Angus that had no idea they were the cause of a lot of trouble.

  This could have gotten out of hand rather quickly with each side packing heat and being so trigger-happy, but Kace couldn’t let the men believe that they had control—guns or no guns.

  “The cattle don’t have a GPS, Bane. They don’t know the difference between your land and mine.” Johnny exhaled loudly. His agitation showed in his beady eyes.

  “That’s why there’s a thing called fencing. To keep them in.” Bane laughed and looked back at his foreman who gave a thumb’s up approval.

  “There was a barbed wire fence up here a week ago,” Rogue interjected. Once upon a time he was a hot-head, but since he’d aged and matured some, he was spending less time with a bottle and more time on the ranch. “Know anything about its sudden removal, Bane?”

  “Good question. What happened to the fence?” Kace asked. Having only been sheriff for a year, he’d already been called out five times to break up arguments between the neighbors. He and Johnny went way back, but it was important to keep things unbiased.

  Bane’s ranch was about the size of Rhode Island after he’d been buying up neighboring property right and left. He’d been putting the pressure on Johnny to sell so he could expand even more, but Johnny refused, even though he’d been offered seven figures, double what it was worth. Kace had a feeling things were going to get worse before they got better. Greediness for land in the untouched Wyoming mountains made men act like children—and criminals. Coming to the small, quiet town of Bohannan, Kace had no idea that he’d have to babysit the neighbors to keep them from killing one another.

  “Now, Sheriff. What makes you think I’d know anything about some barbed wire fence?” Bane smugly adjusted his collar. He had the arrogance of a man who always got his way. “Posey here thinks he can prove these are his cattle, but my boys and I looked and didn’t see one brand.”

  “Johnny, is your cattle tagged?” Kace asked, looking at the man in question.

  The man’s agitated expression answered the question.

  “Everyone needs to clear out,” Kace ordered.

  He gritted his teeth at Bane’s satisfied grin.

  “Those are my cattle, son,” Johnny said through pinched lips.

  Kace resituated his Stetson. “I believe they are, Johnny, but this is a civil matter. There’s nothing I can do without proof. Why the hell didn’t you tag them?”

  “We’re a little short of hands right now.”

  “Big mistake.”

  “And we’re just going to let that bastard steal cattle?”

  “I’m not letting him do anything. Now everyone move on or I’m going to take you all in for disturbing the peace!” My peace.

  Bane’s men laughed and muttered under their breath as they gathered back into their trucks, some onto the saddled horses to corral the cattle.

  The Posey hands reluctantly climbed back into their trucks.

  Johnny looked like he could chew through nails.

  Kace shifted in his dusty boots, feeling a stab of guilt, but he had to follow the law and his hands were tied. Johnny was a good, hardworking man who didn’t need all the added stress in his life.

  The trucks kicked up dust and dirt as they spun their tires and Kace and Johnny stood asi
de, watching the Bane hands round up the beef.

  “This ain’t fair, you know,” Johnny mumbled and spit onto the ground. “Back in the day men got shot for less.”

  “That’s what I’m afraid of. You and Bane are acting like fools and this is going to escalate.”

  “The man’s a thief.”

  “Think about it. If the cattle aren’t tagged, how do either of you know who the owner is? They just happen to be on his land. Make sure your beef are tagged, my friend.” Kace shook his head. “Build the fence back up and keep a man on the line twenty-four seven. If Bane steps onto your property, then give me a call.”

  “You know he’s willing to do anything to get my land. He had his men take the fence down. Plain and simple. He’s also the one who’s slaughtered a few of my livestock.”

  Going back to his truck, Kace leaned against the hood. He understood the man’s agitation and wanted to help. “You think he’d waste his time?”

  “I think he enjoys toying with people. A cat playing with its prey. Since that man came to Bohannan he’s done nothing but crush people.” Johnny looked into the distance, watching the cattle in a cloud of dust.

  Crossing his ankles and tucking his thumbs into his front pockets, Kace sighed. “Stand your ground, Johnny, but we both know you and Bane can’t keep going at each other like rams, waving your shotguns around. Someone’s bound to get hurt. It’s not worth it.”

  “The hell it ain’t. That bastard, Bane, is taking over everything.” With a shrug, Johnny dragged his worn hat off. He was a large man, strong as an ox too, but here lately he was showing his age in the deep wrinkles in his tanned skin. “I’m sure by now you heard Tyler’s back. Even more reason to keep the ranch in the Posey hands. My hope is she’ll take her place next to Rogue.”

  Kace looked at the bright blue sky wondering if all hell was going to break loose. “I heard. She staying over at the Posey ranch?”

  “Nah.” The corners of Johnny’s mouth dipped. “She still refuses to talk to me more than a few sentences. Stubborn as her momma, that’s for danged sure.”

  “Looked in a mirror lately?”

  “Hmph. I’ve got a few stubborn streaks, but my girl owns the corner lot. She blames me for her sister’s death.”

  Even now, after fifteen years, the mention of Tyler made Kace’s heart hitch and his stomach twist. “Blames you for Susannah taking her own life?”

  Johnny swiped the toe of his boot through the dirt. “You know how it was. There at the end Susy wasn’t herself. I couldn’t trust her not to steal me blind to pay for her fix. I loved her, but I had to stay firm. It wasn’t easy, and I had no clue…” He looked away and Kace saw the man’s shoulders lift and drop as if he carried the weight of the world.

  Kace pushed off the truck. “You did what you thought was right. Sometimes we can’t control the decisions others make.” He knew that firsthand.

  “I’ve screwed up with my kids, Cade. They needed their mother, but I wasn’t enough to keep her here in Bohannan” There was a new strain to his voice, proving he was becoming softer hearted with age.

  “You didn’t screw up. They’ve made a few bad decisions, but look at how far Rogue has come for instance? And Tyler, well, she’s independent. Smart. Beautiful. Can shoot a shotgun better than most men I know and catch fish big enough to make a grown man cry.” Realizing where this was headed, Kace cleared his throat and adjusted his hat.

  Johnny’s eyes lit. “Maybe you can check in on her. She’s staying at the Belleview Street rental.”

  Making sure he didn’t show his emotions through his expression, Kace said, “Sir, with all due respect, I think it’s best your daughter and I steer clear of each other.”

  “Ah, come now, son. You and my girl…you could always seem to reach her when no one else could. I know that she’s been hurting since Susy’s death. I’m afraid with her being back here she’ll feel an overload of emotions and take off again. She has a place on the ranch, along with Rogue. This is her home.”

  Giving the other man a long look, Kace shrugged. “She has friends here. They’ll help her.” Since he’d rather not talk about the girl who’d broken his heart, he headed for the truck, climbed in and closed the door. “How’s everything else? Still seeing that heart specialist in Cheyenne?,” he asked through the rolled down window.

  “I’m surviving, but the kick isn’t as high as it used to be.” He chuckled, but it fizzled. “As far as that nutjob in the white coat, he wants me to cut back on red meat and potatoes. Said it’ll be the death of me. Hell, if I eat all those green, orange, and purple vegetables, I’ll die from starvation. An old man can’t win, I tell ya.”

  “That’s a fact for most of us, pal.” Kace turned the key and the engine roared alive. “If you need me, you know where to find me. Keep the guns at home.” He gave the older man one last wave and headed back toward town.

  He had work to do, but his mind wandered down a path where it didn’t belong. Tyler Posey. He’d heard a few days ago that she was back, even received a few calls from her, but he had no clue how long she’d stay. In the meantime, he’d steer clear of her.

  ~~~**~~~

  Ordering a drink so she didn’t look conspicuous, Tyler took her bottle to the end of the highly-polished bar at Lolli’s Honky Tonk and slid onto the torn vinyl stool, settling her gaze on the front door with the flashing neon sign. It was more than the bright red light that kept her attention. Her best friend, Isla, had said that Sheriff Cade came into the bar and grill most evenings to grab takeout, and because he refused to return any of her calls, she had no other choice but to ambush him at his favorite go-to. She’d thought about going to the Sheriff’s station, but their first meeting—after fifteen years—should be casual. If she planned to ask him for a favor she had to be careful how she approached him. Tyler already guessed he’d be stand-offish.

  Two beers, a handful of sad songs about cheating and heartbreak, and watching a dozen or so patrons come and go and still no Kace Cade, she was starting to believe he’d gotten the lowdown that she was here and was dodging her. He couldn’t hide forever. Eventually, their paths would cross.

  “Want another?” the bartender, Mandy, asked.

  “No thanks.” Her stomach was already turning from nerves.

  “You’re not from around here, are you, darlin’?”

  At the sound of the deep, male voice, she lifted her chin and followed the fancy pearl-buttoned shirt all the way to the man’s smile. “And what gives you that impression?”

  He tipped his hat and slid onto the barstool next to her. “Oh, I’d remember if I saw you before. Can I buy you a drink?”

  “I already have one.” She chipped at the corner of the label on the beer she’d been nursing for the last hour. The door opened and she darted a glance that direction, disappointment making her shoulders slump. It wasn’t the cowboy she was waiting for. She took a long sip from the bottle and winced. It had long grown warm.

  “Looks like you’ve been stood up, ma’am.”

  “Looks about like that.” Although technically she wasn’t, she certainly felt let down. She’d told herself over and over that she needed to see Kace to convince him to reopen the case of her sister’s death, but another part of her, a bigger part, was interested in seeing him after all these years. The memory she had of him in her mind closely resembled that of a superhero. It wasn’t possible. No man was a superhero. She knew because she’d dated some real zeroes over the years. Tyler accepted that when she did see Kace again, he will have aged. Maybe have a large belly, missing teeth, unsightly warts all over his face. Then she might finally put the image of the Greek God Cade out of her mind.

  “I wouldn’t stand up a purdy thing like you, but today’s your lucky day. I’m here. The name’s Tim.” He winked.

  “My lucky day, huh?”

  “I’m a free man and nowhere to be but here. Tell me, what’s a classy lady like you doing in Bohannan?”

  She gave him a half-smile. “
As they say, “home sweet home’.”

  “Ah, so you are from around these parts. What made you come back, sweetheart? Let me guess…an old flame? High school reunion? Your ten year? Am I close?”

  “Do you think you’re close?”

  “I’m hoping I’m getting warmer.” A sloppy smile carved his clean-cut face and he leaned closer, picking up a tendril of her hair and wrapping it around his knuckle.

  “My turn.” She winked. “You’re in construction. Bruised knuckles, leather skin and dusty work boots give it away. I’m also going to guess that you’re contracted in, maybe to work with a local construction company?”

  He swiped a hand down his jaw, looking a little pale around the edges. “You’re pretty good. How about we grab a six pack and take this somewhere else? I have a room over at the Inn.” He jutted a chin toward the door.

  “Let’s see if I’m on a roll. When you said you were a “free man” , you must have been talking free-spirited because your wagon is hitched. A wife, two and a half kids and picket fence around that place you call home. I’m curious though, does the wife know you like to use the tool after working hours?”

  He frowned and shot down his tequila. “A man deserves to have a bit of fun, little lady.”

  “Sure he does as long as it’s not the ‘lying and cheating’ kind of fun.”

  “I made a mistake.” He grunted. “I like my women warm.” He slammed the shot glass to the bar a little too loud which grabbed the bartender’s attention. Mandy and Tyler went way back and there was question in the woman’s gaze. No doubt she had a shotgun hiding behind the bar and wasn’t afraid to use it if needed.

  Tyler leaned closer. “And I’m not into men who shame a woman’s intelligence by sliding off the wedding band and slipping it into his front pocket thinking she won’t see the tan line.” She stood and laid a five-dollar bill on the bar. “Growing up with a daddy who owns Posey Construction, I got used to the shenanigans that happen after the machinery is put away for the day. My daddy certainly warned me enough about the likes of men who worked all day and played all night.”