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  “True,” he said. And the odd note in Justin’s voice made her tilt her head, trying to read his expression.

  “Detective Decker?” They wheeled toward the wiry man standing in the doorway of the barn.

  “It’s a good thing you came when you did,” the man added, with a trace of impatience. “Your horses are saddled and waiting in the aisle. You’ll have to grab a helmet and bridle them yourselves. I’m busy cataloguing for the auction.”

  He gestured with his clipboard and they left Stormy and followed him into the barn. Some of the stalls were already empty but two horses, a chestnut and a gray, were cross-tied in the aisle.

  “Dobby and Duke,” the man said, giving a chin jab. “They’re being trailered to new owners tomorrow. Favorites like them sold quickly. By next week there won’t be many horses left.”

  Nikki walked up to the chestnut gelding standing patiently in the aisle. Dobby had huge ears and a friendly eye, and was small enough that she could see over his back. She scratched his shoulder then his jaw, and he lowered his head, groaning in pleasure. It was obvious why he was a barn favorite. Everyone appreciated a horse that responded to attention.

  “What happens to the ones that aren’t sold?” she asked.

  “They’ll go through the auction.” The man gave a pained shrug. “Who knows where they’ll end up. Hopefully not Mexico.” He was already turning away, his mind on other things. It wasn’t just the horses who were losing their jobs but humans as well.

  Nikki glanced at the empty stall that had housed Savannah’s Arabian. The door was open, the floor swept clean of shavings. Someone had snapped her horse up quickly. At least Scooter didn’t face an uncertain future. But the tragedy of it all left her thoughts heavy.

  She adjusted Dobby’s stirrups then slipped on the bridle, taking care not to bump his teeth with the snaffle bit, the movements coming naturally. She’d been so proud when Justin had let her tack up by herself, back when she’d first started working here. She felt him watching, ready to step in and help. But he just gave an approving nod and turned back to his own horse.

  She followed Justin and Duke out of the barn, leading Dobby into the sunlight, hoping he didn’t buck like Stormy. But he was far more patient than the pony had ever been, standing stock still while she checked the girth and mounted.

  She peered toward the trees, at the trail Erin had followed on the last ride of her life, and then back at Justin. He still looked good on a horse, as relaxed and capable as when he’d leaped on Diesel and galloped into the woods. Searching for Erin. Finding only Pancho. And she realized this was probably just as hard on him.

  “You obviously kept riding,” she said, turning Dobby so she could avoid looking at the trail. “Did you continue as an instructor?”

  “No. This stable was the end of my teaching days.” His voice firmed. “Tighten your helmet.”

  She grinned, despite her melancholy. He may have thought he’d stopped teaching but he’d been the one who taught her how to drive a car, shoot a gun and handle a dog. He’d always stressed safety. And she could tell by the set of his jaw that they weren’t riding out until her helmet was properly adjusted.

  No doubt the police department was responsible for her safety, considering they were here to gather evidence. Justin knew she hadn’t ridden in over a decade. If Dobby bucked, or even stumbled, there was a good chance she’d hit the ground. Naturally he was worried about liability.

  “There,” she said, after she adjusted her chinstrap. “You’re always on top of the rules. I’m surprised you didn’t make me sign a waiver.”

  He leaned over his horse’s neck and rapped his knuckles on her helmet. Hard. It didn’t hurt but it echoed uncomfortably in her ears. His reaction surprised her, especially since she’d meant the words as a compliment. “Is that a new way of checking tightness?” she asked.

  “Just trying to knock some sense into your head,” he said.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  Dobby had a smooth and steady walk, and Nikki felt secure enough to turn in the saddle and watch the barn as it disappeared behind the trees. This was the same point on the trail where Erin had turned and waved. Happy, at least for the moment.

  What had Erin been thinking? Had she been worrying about her math test or the guy in her chem lab or Robert? Or had she simply been enjoying the deep blue of the sky, the fresh pine smell and the luxury of escaping on a trail ride? Probably the latter, Nikki decided. It was impossible to stress about anything when riding. Something about a horse lulled the brain into a serene state. At least it did for her.

  But Erin had obviously been upset when Pancho wouldn’t jump the brook. She’d been angry and hurt when the boarders had deserted her, likely leading her to call Robert and ask him to pick her up by the bridge…resulting in a tragic chain of events.

  Nikki’s shoulders slumped and Dobby immediately slowed his steps. She gave his neck a pat, reassuring him that everything was okay.

  “Stirrup length all right?” Justin asked, glancing over his shoulder.

  “They’re fine,” she said. “Dobby is so used to looking after green riders, he thought I wanted to slow down.”

  “All good lesson horses are like that. But we can’t go much slower. Ready to trot a bit?”

  She nodded, noting a familiar oak tree. They’d always used the tree as a marker to show when their horses were warmed up. The trail was well groomed here with flat ground and no low branches. She squeezed Dobby into a trot, following Justin’s lead and rising in the saddle, rather reassured she hadn’t forgotten her old riding skills.

  Minutes later they veered left, following the trail toward the clearing, their horses’ hooves pounding a steady two-beat cadence. At this pace, with maybe a bit of a canter thrown in, they’d reach the clearing in another twenty minutes. It was odd to relive Erin’s last ride, but it wasn’t as disturbing as she’d anticipated.

  In fact, a grin split her face when Justin nudged his horse into a canter and Dobby eagerly followed. It felt as if she’d been riding only yesterday, her seat secure and in sync with her horse, and she wondered why she’d given up something that was so much fun.

  They reached a straight stretch where the branches formed a green canopy, shielding them from the overhead sun. She’d always loved this cooler section. She and Erin had often held their mounts back, waiting for Justin to round the corner so they had an excuse to gallop.

  “Pretend Pancho and Stormy were upset at being alone,” Erin had advised. “And that’s why we had to go so fast. Just to catch up.”

  Justin glanced over his shoulder, checking on her and Dobby, and she caught the flash of his grin. Obviously he knew what she and Erin had done, what most every kid had done here, grabbing any excuse for more speed. But now he wasn’t slowing his horse like a protective riding instructor. In fact, they were both galloping and it was every bit as exhilarating as it had been years ago.

  Too soon, he slowed to a trot and it was a bit of shock to see they were approaching the clearing. It had always seemed further away. Even during the Savannah search, this area had felt remote. And gloomy. Now the sun broke through the leaves, dappling the ground and leaving it luminous.

  Dobby arched his neck, tugging at the bridle, anticipating that they were going to jump the brook.

  “Go for it,” Justin called.

  Nikki didn’t stop to think. Her legs closed around Dobby and the horse surged across the clearing toward the brook. His head lowered, his muscles bunching then they were soaring over the water, and she couldn’t hold back her delighted squeal. The brook wasn’t nearly as wide as she remembered but it was definitely just as much fun. The best thing was she’d have to jump it again in order to rejoin Justin.

  “Please don’t critique my jumping position,” she called. But her words came out in a bubble of laughter and she couldn’t stop grinning.

  She hadn’t fallen off. Hadn’t even worried about it, even though it had been more than a decade since she’d ridden.
But her confidence was mostly because of Dobby. The lesson horses were always reliable, accustomed to jumping whether it was in the arena or on the trail. And she would definitely pick Dobby an apple, as a reward for his good behavior.

  She trotted a circle, lining him up for the return jump. But thoughts of apples made her think of Erin, and she was midair above the brook when the realization hit. The lesson horses were safe and solid jumpers… Pancho had been a lesson horse.

  She pulled Dobby to a stop as soon as they cleared the brook, her gaze clinging to Justin’s face. “Pancho was a good jumper,” she said.

  Justin nodded.

  “That means it was Erin who didn’t want to jump the brook,” Nikki said. “She was the one who wanted to dismount. To leave the other girls.”

  “Yes.” He gave another nod.

  “But that means she chose to see Robert.” Nikki’s voice trailed off, chewing over the fact. She’d blamed herself for enabling Erin to go on that trail ride, a ride that had resulted in her sister running to Robert for solace. But he lived twenty miles away; his office had been even further.

  “She must have called him,” Nikki said slowly. “It was all planned. That’s why she wanted to go for a ride. So she could meet him privately.” Nikki gripped the reins a little tighter. “The whole time I was blaming the boarders when it wasn’t their fault.”

  “No,” Justin said. “It wasn’t.”

  He didn’t repeat what he’d been saying for the past twelve years but the unspoken message hung in the air. It hadn’t been Nikki’s fault either. And the knowledge burned her eyes while at the same time a great weight lifted from her shoulders.

  “I’m going to get Dobby an apple,” she said. “And take one back to Stormy too. Is it okay? Do we have time?” The words bubbled out, so light and airy it was surprising Justin even understood them. She was grinning too much and seconds later she was crying and she had no idea why.

  But Justin understood. He dismounted and, in one fluid motion, scooped her from the saddle. “Let it go, sweetheart,” he whispered, holding both horses’ reins and tucking her into his chest. “You found her. It’s over.”

  “No wonder the detectives always thought it was a boyfriend,” she said, hiccupping into his shirt. “But I was too stubborn. Blaming it on horses. Men. Me.”

  And maybe Erin had been trying to tell her something, through Sonja, when she’d told Nikki to pick apples. To be happy. Horses had always made her happy.

  She lifted her head, not caring about the tears streaming down her cheeks. “I’m going to start riding again. And I’m going to buy Stormy. He deserves a good retirement. That will make Gunner happy too and it will be like having part of Erin close. We had so much fun here, with the kids, with the horses, with you.”

  Justin’s eyes darkened. “You always had me.”

  She shrugged. This wasn’t the best time to bring up his string of girlfriends. Or that his first love was his job. She’d be rushing out the door too, gone for days, if she had cases that actually mattered.

  “So, what do you think?” she asked. “Should I buy Stormy?”

  “Now that you’re financially independent,” Justin said, “you can buy any horse you want.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Didn’t the benefits people call you? My lawyer confirmed it. Since your dad’s death wasn’t a suicide, his insurance will kick in along with a lump sum death payment and a big bump in pension, all retroactive. I think we can push that too, since it was at the hands of another cop.”

  She gripped his arms, stunned to silence. It seemed there was no need to worry about Gunner’s vet bill after all. The knowledge was bittersweet considering how much her Mom had struggled. Sometimes people needed a little help. Unfortunately her mother had turned to the wrong person.

  Justin lifted his arm and thumbed the tears from her cheek. But he didn’t speak, ever patient. One of the horses grabbed a bite of grass and the sound of chewing was loud in the serene clearing.

  “I want to help people,” she said slowly. “People who have no one else. Like you did for me.”

  “You’ll be good at it. And now you can focus on the cases you want. Just promise me you’ll be careful, and stay safe.”

  They both knew that was a promise she couldn’t make although she certainly felt safe now, along with another sensation, the melting want she always felt whenever Justin touched her.

  But his words sounded suspiciously like a kiss-off. After all, they’d found Erin. The burden of guilt they’d carried was gone. Along with their special tie.

  “Is that why you gave me Gunner? So you wouldn’t have to look after me?” She hid her dismay behind a breezy smile but her chest felt as if it was shrinking. Life without Justin would be unimaginable. And if he returned to his parade of women, it would be devastating.

  She hadn’t regretted sleeping with him. Until now. But she didn’t want to be an anchor around his neck either, binding him to her because she had no one else.

  “I get it,” she said, her face still locked in a twisted smile. “It was a bad time and you felt obliged to help. Now that it’s over, I totally understand why you’re moving on.”

  His eyes widened. A sound escaped, a noise halfway between a grunt and a choke. Then he pulled her into his chest and she could feel the shaking of his shoulders.

  “I’m never leaving,” he said, his mouth curved against her cheek. “You must know that by now. For me, there is no moving on. Ever.”

  He said something else, something muffled, his voice no longer amused, only tender. But she didn’t need more words. Because he was holding her like he never intended to let go. And then his lips found hers in an embrace that was much more than a kiss.

  It felt like a promise.

  ***

  Author’s Note

  Thank you for taking your valuable time to read Grave Instinct! If you enjoyed this book would you help others find it as well? Lend it (this book is lending enabled so you can share it with a friend), recommend it or leave a review. If you’d like to know of special offers or when the next book is available, please sign up for my newsletter at www.BevPettersen.com My family and I appreciate you! - Bev

  OTHER BOOKS BY BEV PETTERSEN

  Jockeys and Jewels

  Color My Horse

  Fillies and Females

  Thoroughbreds and Trailer Trash

  Studs and Stilettos

  Millionaire’s Shot

  Riding For Redemption

  A Scandalous Husband

  Backstretch Baby

  Shadows of the Mountain

  Along Came A Cowboy

  A Pony For Christmas (Novella)

  About the Author

  Bev Pettersen is a three-time nominee in the National Readers Choice Award and a two-time finalist in the Romance Writers of America's Golden Heart® Contest as well as the winner of other international awards including the Reader Views Reviewer’s Choice Award, Aspen Gold Reader’s Choice Award, NEC-RWA Reader’s Choice Award, Write Touch Readers’ Award, a Kirkus Recommended Read, and a HOLT Medallion Award of Merit. She competed for five years on the Alberta Thoroughbred race circuit and is an Equestrian Canada certified coach.

  Bev lives in Nova Scotia with her family—humans and four-legged—and when she's not writing novels, she's riding. If you’d like to know about special offers or when her next book will be available, please visit her at http://www.BevPettersen.com where you can sign up for a newsletter.

  Copyright © 2020 Bev Pettersen

  Digital ISBN 978-1-987835-20-5

  This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or a portion thereof, in any form except for the use of brief quotations in articles or reviews. This book may not be resold or uploaded for distribution to others.

  This is a work of fiction. References to real people, events, establishments, organizations, or locales are intended only to provide a sense of authenticity,
and are used fictitiously. All other characters, and all incidents and dialogue, are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real.

  Editor: Pat Thomas

  Cover Art Design: Vivi Designs

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  http://www.BevPettersen.com