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“No doctor,” he repeated

“I’ll speak to Ty, explain everything you’ve told me to him and—”

“He isn’t going to believe you” He shook his head sadly at the hope she placed in her big brother “He’sto believe anything against the man without proof”

“But what are we going to do? We just can’t let theet aith it”

“They aren’t going to get aith it,” Culley assured her “I’ll think of sootta be plenty uneasy now ’cause they know sootta keep ’eh and he’ll break They’re bound to be real juht now, not sure who suspects what they’ve done That’s why you gotta promise not to tell anyone about this—not your father or brother—not the Taylor boy—no one,” he insisted “We can’t risk letting anything slip”

“But—” Cat wanted to protest this secrecy, but she had no adequate argu Who would believe a story like this, without proof? She had difficulty sing it herself, but she was convinced her uncle believed it

“Do I have your word?” His earnest gaze searched her face

“Yes,” she agreed after a second’s hesitation She bit at the inside of her lip, still trying to figure out what she could do about doctoring his wound “I’ll fix you so to ride back to the ranch and see if I can’t get some sort of ht”

“Better not If so questions and they just ive ’em,” he warned

“I have to do soh in the veheet infection—” She stopped, unwilling to voice the possible consequences “I’ll be careful No one will see ood at it as you are” She tried to inject a light note into the conversation “Look at howout”

When she returned to The Homestead, the situation took on a terrible unreality Twice after dinner, she almost called Ty aside to confide in him so he could tell her it was a lot of foolishness and h about But her desire to protect her uncle was stronger Regardless of his reasons, he could be arrested for what he’d done; ain He trusted her, and she couldn’t betray him like that

With her head whirling with large doubts and s any tiht unconsciously stare at theuests to occupy their time as well as Ty and Tara’s, so she doubted that her absence was noted when she took the key froet some medical supplies from the vet’s office

There were only two means of transportation available to her—a ranch vehicle or a horse Using one of the ranch pickupsand the necessity for a nighttime visit to her uncle Only in theory did she have the run of the ranch and could do just about anything she pleased because she was a Calder At sixteen, she still faced certain restrictions, and perht be withheld if her reasons were insufficient Cat didn’t want to make up any more stories than she had to in order to conceal her reasons A late-evening horseback ride, supposedly for pleasure, was unlikely to arouse any curiosity, even though it would take a lot more time

It ell after ht when she returned to the ranch headquarters Darkness had forced her to take ht to the stable, unsaddled her horse, and rubbed it down

Only a couple of lights showed in the upper-floor s of The Ho the occupants had just recently retired Guests invariably hts, so Cat wasn’t surprised to discover not everyone was in bed She slipped into the house and hted staircase Despite her try for silence, the steps creaked now and then under her weight