*
An hour later, done with the wildlife drive, Anton parked his car in the office parking lot. He was now going to begin his further exploration of the ranch. Anton was ambling up the red brick sidewalk, one of the last people to leave, and he spotted Shiloh. His heart beat swiftly in his chest as he saw her entering the main office of the ranch. She was in a pair of jeans and cowboy boots, wearing a dark blue nylon jacket, her hair loose and shining across her shoulders. He forced himself to keep shuffling up the sloping brick walk. He couldn’t help but feel a rush of excitement. The asphalt lot where he’d parked his car was to the right of that office, along with everyone else’s vehicles. He didn’t want to be seen by her, although he doubted she’d recognize him.
As Anton crossed the street toward the parking lot, he saw Shiloh pop out of the office, take the steps, papers in hand. She moved quickly next door to the medical office and disappeared inside it. Smiling, he wondered where she was living.
Once seated in his rented car, a silver SUV, Anton waited, hoping to see Shiloh again. The windows were darkly tinted and he knew no one could identify him. He removed his jacket and sat watching the office area. Dividing his attention between that and the brochures he placed up on the dashboard, Anton felt low-key excitement. This was exactly like stalking a buck. A number of wranglers on horseback rode by, lariats in their gloved hands. There was no question this was a busy, working ranch. The largest in the valley.
Twenty minutes later, Shiloh left the first aid office, taking the wooden steps to the red brick sidewalk. Anton remained quiet, watching her. She quickly climbed the steps to the main office, disappearing inside. But she wasn’t carrying the papers she had in her hand before. Was she working in the office? If so, WHERE was she staying on the ranch? He’d noticed a KEEP OUT sign as he’d walked with the group down the red brick sidewalk. A sign read: EMPLOYEE HOUSING. And it had a large white picket fence around the entire area, along with the big red KEEP OUT sign. He had also seen six large wood cabins beyond the main ranch building area. It appeared that tourists stayed in them.
Picking up the brochure, he read that the Wind River Ranch offered six cabins to tourists who wanted to stay on the ranch. The prices were in line with what a motel might charge. In another brochure was an illustrated map of the hundred-thousand-acre ranch. There were plenty of roads in and around the main area. He saw Pine Grove and the wide, flat dirt road that led between and around it. Anton wondered if Shiloh ever rode out in the area of Pine Grove. He could set up a hide, like a sniper, and lie in wait for her to appear. Of course, getting onto the ranch property wouldn’t be easy, but not impossible. Anton saw another dirt road a mile from the main road into the area that led around and to the pine grove area, as well.
He saw most of the vehicles were gone, and decided he’d best be leaving too. He didn’t want to draw any interest as to why he was sitting in the parking lot alone. Reluctantly, Anton slowly drove out of the lot and onto the main asphalt two-lane road that would lead to the entrance of the ranch. Smiling to himself, he felt his chest swell with pride. He’d hit pay dirt.
*
“I had the weirdest feeling this morning,” Shiloh confided to Roan after dinner. They sat at the dinner table after finishing their dessert. She frowned and rubbed the nape of her neck.
Roan frowned. He saw anxiety in Shiloh’s green eyes. It had been a while since he’d seen her like this. “Did something spook you?” he wondered.
Shrugging, Shiloh muttered, “I have no idea what happened. I was walking from the accounting office back to the main office when this horrible feeling came over me.”
His mouth thinned as he heard the worry in her tone. “What triggered it?”
Frustrated, Shiloh said, “That’s the problem. I don’t know.” She looked around the quiet house, the slats of the western sun flooding the living room area. “It really caught me off guard because I felt this same way when my stalker was standing outside my apartment door and waiting. . . .” Setting the coffee cup aside, Shiloh gave Roan a distressed look. “I am so happy here.... I’ve finally settled in and I’m relaxed. I don’t worry about my stalker.”
“And then this overwhelming feeling of threat hit you this morning?”
“Yes.” Rubbing her brow, she shook her head. “It was stupid.”
“Did you look around? See who was in the vicinity?”
“Yes, a quick glance. There were a couple of cars in the parking lot, some cowboys riding past on their horses, but nothing else. I mean, nothing out of the ordinary. That’s what has me so flummoxed, Roan.”