Cowboy Mine (3B Ranch Series) Book 1

11

**** Beau put his phone back in the belt holster slowly, all the while looking at Lynden, who was becoming more uncomfortable by the minute.

"What is it, son?" Yancy asked quietly.

Beau looked at the men in the room. Few of them had ever seen their boss so angry. When he locked eyes again with Lynden, the man visibly blanched.

"When we talked outside the gate your first day here, I warned you. There would be no violence or mistreatment toward any individual or animal."

Lynden puffed up and became belligerent, "I don't know what you're talking about! I haven't mistreated anything!"

"Ah," Sherlock said quietly. "So nearly riding a horse to death and leavin' it lathered up, and exhausted isn't mistreatment?"

The sweat was beginning to gather on Lynden's forehead and upper lip. He tried to sluff it off. "I knew Jade would take care of it. It's one of the things she does. It's what she's supposed to do."

The room became quiet again. "One of the things she was supposed to do?" Yancy asked, "says, Who exactly?"

"That's the way it's always been, and she knows it!" He answered angrily. He was feeling increasingly intimidated and was not accustomed to the feeling.

"And what happens when she doesn't?" Sherlock asked, feeling sick. He knew all too well what the answer was.

"Do you not remember what I said about mistreating anyone or anything on this ranch?" Beau asked again.

"I've not done anything, and you can't prove I did!" The sparkily dressed man sneared. Beau looked at Sherlock and nodded toward the monitor. The security chief pulled up a video from the stable, showing Lynden racing his horse into the stable, jumping off the animal, and running out of the building.

"You didn't even take a moment to care for that animal after riding it hard like that." Yancy accused.

Defensive now, "It's only a horse, and I knew..."

"Yes," Beau interrupted, "You knew your sister would clean up your mess. How many other messes has been she expected to clean up for you?"

"I don't have to answer that!" Lynden sneared. "You're not my boss. You don't have any authority over me, I can do what I want to with anything or anybody! It's my right!"

"As owner and operator of the 3B Ranch, I am the boss. If you remember, a specific portion of the registration to the camp was in regards to this. Each vacationer is to sign and acknowledge that and agree to comply with the ranch rules."

Just then, red and blue swirling lights roared up the lane to stop in front of the house. The sweat really began gathering on Lynden's face, which was turning red and pallid by turn.

"What is this?" He yelled, looking around for an exit as Sheriff Koni and a deputy walked in.

"Thank you for coming out on such an awful night, Sheriff." Topper said, shaking hands with the Sheriff and her Deputy, a huge Native American man.

"That's all right," Koni stated, "I take it. This is the culprit?" She asked, looking toward a now chalk faced young man.

Sherlock replayed the video of Lyndon riding his horse into the stable as breakneck speed and leaving it sides heaving.

"You know how much we all hate the mistreatment of animals, I doubt the judge will do much more than slap him on the wrist for that and order that a large fine be paid."

Lynden straightened and began to smile.

"Yeah, we know, but I don't think he'll let this go so easily." Beau said and pulled up the pictures on his phone, sent to him by Micah, before and after Rowdy had treated Jade's injuries. Sheriff Koni looked at each photo and passed the phone to her deputy, who looked darker with each picture.