Page 72 of One in a Million

Fat chance of that. “Did she say what kind of job Cruiser got paid for?” Roper asked.

“Something about fixing a car. He showed Janae the cash. Mostly hundred-dollar bills, she said.”

“Who was the man? Did she tell you?”

“No. I don’t think Janae saw him.”

“Thanks, Megan. You can go now.” As the girl hurried off, Roper replayed her words in his mind. His pulse was racing. Had he just found the answer to the question that had been tormenting him since Lila’s so-called accident? Had Cruiser been paid to sabotage the brakes on Lila’s car?

The pattern fit almost too neatly—like the way Cruiser had dropped everything and left before completing his work. Why should he bother to finish when he had a bundle of cash in his hand?

And if he’d gotten paid at the ranch, who might have been on hand to deliver the money?

Roper reined back a surge of volcanic fury. Assuming his logic was sound, not only had Cruiser sabotaged Lila’s car, almost killing her, but his careless exit from the stable had left the door open for a killer animal that had destroyed an irreplaceable mare.

The urge to hunt down the worthless little rat and beat the truth out of him was so powerful it almost drove Roper out the door. But no, he had responsibilities here. The sensible course of action would be to tell Sam. As a federal agent, Sam could arrest Cruiser, haul him to jail, and threaten him within an inch of his life. If Cruiser could be made to give up the person who’d hired him, that might give Sam a solid lead to solving his case.

Taking a deep breath, he walked back down the line of stalls to check on the mare. Lila loved Baby. She would be distraught. For her sake, he needed to be steady and supportive.

He found her where he’d left her, huddled on the stool, her hands holding her phone. “How is she?” he asked, although little could have changed in the short time he’d been gone.

“The same. No worse at least. I’ve been talking and singing to her, just to let her know somebody’s here. But Roper—” She turned to look at him. “What are you going to do about the shootout and the Run for a Million?”

Roper shrugged. “To tell you the truth, I’ve barely thought about it. With Baby’s life hanging by a thread, somehow it doesn’t seem as important as it was.”

“Listen to me. I’ve been thinking,” she said. “We can’t walk away from this chance. Your two backup horses can do the patterns and put on a good show, but we both know they don’t have the heart to win. Only one horse in this stable does.”

Roper’s breath caught. He knew what she was going to say. He had entertained the notion himself and dismissed it as too much of a gamble. But Lila’s decision was the one that counted.

“Go on, Boss,” he said. “I’m listening.”

She hesitated briefly, then spoke. “How do you feel about riding One in a Million in the shootout?”

* * *

At 5:00, the vet stopped by to check on Baby. “No change,” he told Roper and Lila. “I wish I could say it was an encouraging sign, but it’s too soon to tell. We’ll know more, one way or the other, in the morning.”

Roper stroked the mare, carefully avoiding the stitches across her shoulders. It appeared that at one point the hyena had jumped on her back and tried to sever her spine with its crushing jaws before Baby was able to throw it off.

The stitches, dressings, and supportive sling had to be misery for the mare. It would have been a kindness to put her down. But Lila was right. An animal that had fought as hard as Baby deserved a chance to live.

By this time, the hired help had left for the day. Roper and Lila were alone in the stall with the mare. “Have you given any more thought to my suggestion?” Lila asked him. “You said you need time. But the shootout is next week. Time is running out.”

“I’m aware of that,” Roper said. “One in a Million is still jumpy from what happened earlier. And hearing the uproar in Baby’s stall must have made him even more nervous. I could try him in the arena now. If he does all right, we can talk about it.”

One in a Million snorted and rolled his eyes when Roper came to lead him out of his stall. But the well-trained stallion allowed himself to be cross-tied and saddled, his lower legs securely cushioned and wrapped for protection. The strenuous moves in the arena would make heavy demands on those aging legs. That was just one of Roper’s worries.

“Let’s go, big boy.” Roper swung into the saddle, rode into the arena, and warmed the horse up with an easy lope. Then he started the more demanding work.

The patterns, spins, and slides had long since become second nature to the stallion. Once begun, the routine seemed to comfort him. With Lila watching, he executed every move with flowing precision.

“That’s perfect!” Lila exclaimed. She clapped as One in a Million slid to a stop and finished with a deft rollback.

“It was perfect for what it is.” Roper dismounted and gave the stallion a pat of approval. “But you have to understand that I wasn’t pushing him. To win in competition, the moves will have to be done a lot faster. If I can’t get him up to speed in the next few days, taking him to the shootout will be a waste of time. Do you still want me to try?”

“Yes—unless the strain becomes too much for him. You’ll have to be the judge of that.”

“You’re the boss. Get some food and some rest. I’m going to put this boy away. Then I’ll be staying here to keep an eye on Baby.”