Babe in the Woods
Rebecca Barrett had come to Mississippi to oversee the excavation of priceless artifacts at Blackthorn. But it was the search for a heard-but-never-seen baby that became the focus of her days. However, the harder Rebecca looked for answers, the more the danger increased, and she knew it was time to call in the enigmatic sheriff, Dru Colson….This wasn't the first time Dru had been called to the infamous property to investigate. But now sinister forces were determined to get Rebecca off the land and out of the state. Could Dru protect the only woman who'd ever touched his soul before the battle between good and evil came to a devastating end?
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CAROLINE BURNES
continues her life as doorman and can opener for her six cats and three dogs. E. A. Poe, the prototype cat for her Fear Familiar series, rules as king of the ranch, followed by his lieutenants, Miss Vesta, Gumbo, Chester, Maggie the Cat and Ash. The dogs, though a more lowly life form, are tolerated as foot soldiers by the cats. They are Sweetie Pie, Maybelline and Corky.
To the staff of TLC, who treat their human patients with as much tenderness as their four-legged ones. And to Corkyâirreplaceable.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER ONE
REBECCA BARRETT leaned into the whipping black mane of the stallion and gave him more rein. His pace increased, his huge hooves pounding as he raced through the dense green of an unfamiliar stretch of forest. She glanced behind her, her blood racing and her imagination running as wild as the horse. She couldnât see them, but she could hear the hooves pounding after her. The men rode spectacular horses, but none were a match for hers. Yet they were gaining on herâthe forces of evil. She alone could deliver the single message that would save the world, and her only route to safety was to ride so fast they couldnât catch her.
A small tree had fallen over the middle of the woodland road. Rebecca suspected an ambush. Lifting out of the saddle only an inch, she felt the powerful muscles bunch beneath her, and then the horse curve under her as he sailed over the tree.
The exhilaration was almost more than she could stand. Diable was the finest horse sheâd ever ridden, and sheâd had more than her share of top-dollar rides. As a teenager in Tennessee, sheâd been on the A Circuit. But this wasnât a horse for the show ring. This was a horse for adventure. This was Lightning, Fury, Trigger, Silver and the Black Stallion all rolled into one.
It was still spring in Mississippi, but the temperature was in the eighties and after a few more miles, she let Diable settle into a ground-covering trot. The exciting ride had been a terrific fantasy, but the only thing chasing her was new job duties. She had a million things to do, but one of the things sheâd promised Aurelia and Marcus McNeese was that sheâd exercise Diable, Cogar and Mariah. Who could ever imagine sheâd find the job of her dreams that also included three wonderful horses? Fate had certainly smiled down on her when sheâd applied to Blackthorn to oversee the renovation of the estate and the work on excavating an old Indian burial mound that looked as though it might become the richest source of information yet discovered into the lives of the Mound Builders.
As she and the horse drew closer to the burial mound, she slowed her pace. By the time she walked Diable from the mound to his barn, heâd be thoroughly cooled. She grinned at the thought of the barnâa magnificent structure, with an apartment for Joey Reynolds. The barn had been the first thing Marcus and Aurelia McNeese had built in their dream of making Blackthorn their home. The caretakerâs cottage was where Rebecca called home while she worked at the estate. The newlyweds had big plans, and theyâd hired Rebecca to make sure their plans were properly implemented while they took a long honeymoon in Europe. Rebecca had been left in charge of building, excavation and all other aspects of Blackthorn, including keeping an eye on Joey.
Rebecca reflected that the apartment for Joey was one of the biggest acts of kindness sheâd ever heard of. And sheâd never seen anyone love a place more than Joey loved Blackthorn. She could see him right now, weeding what had once been a formal garden. His back was soaked with sweat and the smile on his face seemed permanent. By the end of the summer, heâd have the garden back, blooming with lush beauty. Joey had a green thumb and infinite patience. Heâd also put in a small vegetable patch that seemed to grow four inches every night. Rebecca teased him that heâd gotten the seeds from a magician and soon a beanstalk would be up in the clouds.
As enjoyable as Joey was, other aspects of the job were drawbacks, and the primary one was walking right toward her. âGet down off the horse. I want to talk to you.â
Rebecca had long grown accustomed to Brett Gibsonâs imperious manner. Sheâd intended to dismount, so she did.
âI hope youâve explained to that simpleton that he canât just start digging up the ground and planting things wherever heâd like,â Brett said, using a glove to wipe the sweat from his eyes. âHeâs started a compost heap. Heâs wheeling barrows full of horse manure from the barn. I want him stopped right now.â
Rebecca glanced over to the area Brett had indicated and saw that Joey, was, indeed, making a compost heap and not all that far from the burial mound. In her opinion, it was located far enough from where Brett was excavating the mound that it wouldnât bother him. It shouldnât, but it did. But what really troubled Brett was the fact that she and Joey were on Blackthorn soil at all.
