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CHAPTER 1

The sun burned blood red through a lingering haze of dust As it sank behind the buttes and turrets of the Caprock Escarp across the heat-seared landscape With each rewfor him in the dark

Jasper Platt, the Ri When he didn’t show up for supper, Sky Fletcher and Beau Tyler had saddled their horses and set out looking for hihts, they rode out across the flat toward the dry alkali lake where the old man liked to shoot quail and wild turkey

“I don’t like this” Beau scanned the horizon with his binoculars “The oldthat ATV God knohere, lers who’ve been leaving tracks all over the place We need to make some rules and insist that he follow them”

“And how do you think Jasper would take to your rules?” Sky spoke softly, sharp ears alert for any unfamiliar sound “He may be old, but that’s no reason to treat him like a child After all, he practically raised you and Will after your mother died”

Beau exhaled a tension-charged breath “Somebody had to do the job Our dad sure as hell didn’t have the patience Jasper was more of a father to Will and me than Bull Tyler ever was I just hope we find him safe”

Sky let the words pass It was no secret that Beau Tyler and his do father, Bull, had clashed bitterly at every turn After their last quarrel, Beau had left for the army and stayed away eleven years

Sky, however, had nothing but respect for the hard-driving rancher who’d taken in a starving half-Coiven him a job In the fourteen years Sky had worked for the Rimrock, he’d learned that Bull could be harsh but never unfair The enuine loss Sky was still reeling froacy Bull had left him in his will—the deed to 100 acres of pri of real value he’d ever owned

“Maybe we should’ve brought the dog” Beau’s words broke into Sky’s thoughts Tag, the black and white Border Collie, was about Jasper’s age in dog years The tere close companions

“I didn’t see Tag at the house,” Sky said “Jasperhappened to Jasper, that dog would stay right with hi”

Both ht deepened Sky’s ears sifted through the night sounds—the drone of flying insects, the faraail of a coyote, the rhyth te, the land was drier than he’d ever seen it The drought was a constant, gnaorry But right now theJasper

“Listen!” Beau hissed “Do you hear that?”

“Sounds like a dog!” Sky had caught it, too Urging their horses to a gallop, the two men thundered toward the sound

Minutes later they found the ATV The open vehicle had careened and landed on its side in a hollohere a round Protected by the roll bar, Jasper was sprawled belly down, one side of his face pressed in the water-slickedat their approach

“Get the dog out of the way” Cursing, Beau dropped to a crouch beside the old man, as as much a part of the Rimrock Ranch as the land itself

Gripped by dread, Sky held the dog’s collar, stroking and soothing the agitated animal while Beau, who’d had sons

“Is he alive?” Sky asked, steeling hiainst the answer