Save a Horse...

By GA Hauser

When Sheriff Sky Hayden gets word of human remains behind the Indigo Diamond Ranch, he not only has to deal with the possibility of a murderer in their small town, but is haunted by a handsome cowboy. One he can’t seem to get out of his mind.
Cole Diamond, his father, and his two brothers work a horse ranch in a dying town in Montana. The downturn in the economy, the businesses leaving, has decimated the remaining town’s folk and the last thing they need for their livelihood is the publicity of a murder.
With everyone under suspicion, Sky has to bear the brunt of the investigation as the State patrol begins to dig deep into the lives of the people who have lived quietly off the radar.
And Sky and Cole are forced to face each other, something they had managed to avoid doing for years.
As the pressure builds and accusations are made, Sky and Cole end up together once more, forming a united front against outsiders trying to destroy their small hometown.
But soon the men realize the suspicion falls on them, but not for homicide...for something that is perceived as a worse crime.
Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy was just a silly expression to sell on souvenir T-shirts. Until the sheriff figures out ‘riding a cowboy’ may be just what he needs to keep sane.
Someone is going to get strung up in that town for crimes they didn’t commit. The two men hope like hell, it’s not going to be them.

• Language: English
• Publisher: GA Hauser
• Release date: Mar 24, 2015
• ISBN: 9781311902054

GA Hauser

About the AuthorAuthor G.A. Hauser is from Fair Lawn, New Jersey, USA. She attended university at The Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC, and has a BA in Fine Art from William Paterson College in Wayne NJ where she graduated Cum Laude. As well as degrees in art, G.A. is a Graduate Gemologist from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). In 1994 G.A. graduated the Washington State Police academy as a Peace Officer for the Seattle Police Department in Washington where she worked on the patrol division. She was awarded Officer of the Month in February 2000 for her work with recovering stolen vehicles and fingerprint matches to auto-theft and bank robbery suspects. After working for the Seattle Police, G.A. moved to Hertfordshire, England where she began to write full length gay romance novels. Now a full-time writer, G.A. has penned over 200 novels and short stories. Breaking into independent film, G. A. was the executive producer for her first feature film, CAPITAL GAMES which included TV star Shane Keough in its cast. CAPITAL GAMES had its Film Festival Premiere at Philly's Qfest, and its television premiere on OutTV. G.A. is the director and executive producer for her second film NAKED DRAGON, which is an interracial gay police/FBI drama filmed in Los Angeles with the outstanding cinematographer, Pete Borosh. (also the Cinematographer for Capital Games)The cover photographs of G.A.'s novels have been selected from talented and prolific photographers such as Dennis Dean, Dan Skinner, Michael Stokes, Tuta Veloso, Hans Withoos, and CJC Photography, as well as graphic comic artist, Arlen Schumer. Her cover designs have featured actors Chris Salvatore, Jeffery Patrick Olson, Tom Wolfe, and models Brian James Bradley, Bryan Feiss, Jimmy Thomas, Andre Flagger, among many others.Her advertisements have been printed in Attitude Magazine, LA Frontier, and Gay Times.G. A. has won awards from All Romance eBooks for Best Author 2009, Best Novel 2008, Mile High, Best Author 2008, Best Novel 2007, Secrets and Misdemeanors, and Best Author 2007.G.A. was the guest speaker at the SLA conference in San Diego, in 2013, where she discussed women writing gay erotica and has attended numerous writers’ conventions across the country.

Book preview

SAVE A HORSE…

By

G.A.HAUSER

Smashwords Edition

Copyright © G.A. Hauser, 2015

SAVE A HORSE…

Copyright © G.A. Hauser, 2015

Cover photographer: Dennis Dean

ISBN Trade paperback: 978-1508649618

© The G.A. Hauser Collection LLC

This is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or business establishments, events or locales is coincidental.

All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

WARNING

This book contains material that maybe offensive to some: graphic language, homosexual relations, adult situations. Please store your books carefully where they cannot be accessed by underage readers.

First The G.A. Hauser Collection LLC publication:

April 2015

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About the photographer:

Dennis Dean Images

Dennis Dean continues to make his mark as an internationally known photographer. He is credited for his creative abilities, strong composition, and dramatic lighting. Dennis’s work has earned numerous awards and has been featured in several gay magazines and in a plethora of art publications, including G. A. Hauser erotic novels, as well as countless exhibitions, including two in London at the Adonis Art Gallery.

Also, look for his work of eye-catching images with the apparel brand, Ruff Riders www.theruffrider.com.

See more of his work at www.dennisdean.com.

Chapter 1

Sarge?

Sergeant Sky Hayden looked up from his computer at his desk.

Some tourist says she found bones out by the Crow Reservation…I think she means where the Diamond Ranch meets the creek…

Bones? Sky stopped typing on the keyboard. What kind of bones?

Sheriff/Deputy Marlon shrugged. She thinks they’re human. We’d better check it out.

Sky put his beige hat on and stood up, nudging out his chair. You call Buddy?

I didn’t want to call our coroner until we looked for ourselves.

Okay. Sky left the small sheriff’s office and got into his Chevy Caprice; a newer model police vehicle, white with a blue stripe down the side, which included an American flag.

Driving behind Marlon, Sky followed his deputy off the main streets and outside the tiny town center. This is where he grew up…a small town in Montana with just under two thousand residents. They didn’t get many homicides. Everyone knew their neighbors, including most of their neighbor’s gossip.

Although the population had nearly vanished during the worst of the economic downturn, a few hardy landowners had withstood it, and slowly the tourists were returning. They didn’t need bad press, like a dead body, turning up.

On the rutty road, Sky drove into the wide open parking area of the Indigo Diamond Horse Ranch. The Diamond family owned the land and ranch for generations. Sky had even graduated high-school with one of the men running the ranch. Cole Diamond; youngest of three boys.

Three brothers and their dad; Cole, Leo, and Rocky, and tough ole Horace, left a widower young, he brought up the three boys himself.

The terrain became too much for the patrol cars, so Sky parked as did his deputy. The young man waved Sky on, and they walked a horse trail to a stream which had dried substantially in the warm summer.

Sky expected to see someone waiting at the spot where these suspected bones were found, but no one was there.

Marlon appeared to know the way, so Sky followed him, his cowboy boots kicking up dry dust and stepping on dead weeds.

There. Marlon paused and pointed.

Sky moved closer and had a look. Something was sticking out from the dry dirt. He crouched down, put on a pair of gloves, and brushed the flaky dirt away from what was certainly some kind of bone. When he noticed material, like clothing, he stopped and stood up. Shit.

Damn. Then it’s not an animal?

Not unless it’s an animal that wears pants.

You gotta be kiddin’ me, Sarge.

Don’t I wish I was. Sky walked around the area which he could see had been disturbed, as if the coyotes had dug it up, or some other animal had sniffed out the meal weeks ago. Or maybe the winter water had washed the body downstream. He wasn’t a forensic scientist. He had no idea what he was dealing with.

He crouched where he suspected a head should be and used his pocket knife to lightly remove the dirt. Sure enough, a skull appeared. It’s human. Let me call Buddy.

Damn.

Sky took his phone out of his pocket and tried to see if he had any reception. He didn’t. He blew out a breath in frustration and walked back out of the trail to his car. When Marlon followed, Sky stopped him. Go and get the tape and make a circle around it. I don’t want anyone missing it or stepping on it.

Marlon lowered his head and walked to the trunk of his patrol car.

Sky sat in his driver’s seat and picked up the dispatch radio since his phone was useless out here in nowhere land.

Radio, this is Sgt Hayden, can you handle relaying for me that we have a ten-seventy-nine…I can’t make the call since my phone is no good here. I’ll type you the coordinates on the computer.

Ten-four.

Sky put the radio mike down and tapped keys, sending the dispatcher for the county his location and how to find him. Once he did he returned to where Marlon was taping the scene to preserve it.

Marlon, do we still have contact with that witness who found this body?

She was riding one of Diamond’s horses. Don’t know whether she’s waiting there. I got her name.

Give me her name. I’ll head out to the ranch. Meanwhile, you wait here for Buddy. He should be on his way once dispatch lets him know.

Can we get someone from the local highway patrol to help out? We don’t do much with dead bodies, Sarge.

I know. I’ll see if they can spare a detective. Otherwise, we’re on our own.

Marlon nodded, looking grim.

After getting into his car, Sky took off his hat and backed up, turning around on the dirt trail and heading to the ranch.

The worst crime they had in this small town was good ole boys getting drunk. It was the kind of place where no one even locked their doors. Neighbors knew each other.

As he drew closer to the Diamond Ranch, Sky checked his phone. The reception was better once he left the wilderness of the wide open field. Before he drove around the ranch’s main house, he pulled over and called his captain.

Captain Archer?

What’s up, Hayden?

Sir, we got a body buried over by the Crow Reservation. Not on it, but near the creek just on Diamond’s land.

A body?

Yes, sir. It’s just bones, but…

You sure it’s human?

Sky removed his sunglasses and sighed. Unfortunately.

How do you feel about investigating it?

I can. I just wanted to clear it by you. You know, if you wanted State involved.

Did you call Buddy?

Yes, sir. He’s on his way.

Wait to see if he can ID the individual. Then, we’ll have a chat and figure out what we need to do.

Since it’s behind Diamond’s ranch, I was going to ask them if they’d seen anything. And the person who found it, well, she was riding one of their horses up the trails.

Good. It’s a place to start.

Thanks, Captain.

No problem. Call me if you need me to respond.

Right. Sky disconnected the phone and put his sunglasses back on, driving to the ranch house.

~

Cole Diamond dragged bales of hay out of the back of his pickup truck. When he spotted a patrol car making its way down the long dusty drive, he wiped his forehead with his arm, tipping his cowboy hat back as he did.

Cole glanced at the ranch house as his brothers, Leo and Rocky, brought the fresh hay into the barn.

His hands on his hips, Cole walked away from his truck to meet the police car, wondering why it had come.

The dust settling as the car stopped, Cole watched Sky Hayden step out of his car, putting his hat on his head and making his way towards him wearing that beige uniform shirt and brown pants, and cowboy boots, along with his .357 SIG Saur gun in his holster.

They hadn’t kept in touch much since high-school and now that Hayden was part of the town’s small sheriff’s department, Cole didn’t know how to feel about his old chum.

Sky didn’t smile and stood nose to nose with Cole.

Well…Sheriff Hayden. To what do we owe the honor?

I need to speak to you privately. Sky glanced behind Cole.

Cole spotted his brothers approaching, curiosity written on their faces.

I got it. Go feed the horses. Cole waved them off.

Both his brothers gave Sky a suspicious glare and grabbed the last bale of hay, heading to the barn in the midday heat.

Cole brushed off his shirt and blue jeans, which were covered in hay and dirt. He took off his gloves and tried to see Sky’s eyes behind the reflective sunglasses. He knew they were hazel, green with a golden ring around the irises.

I’d invite you in for lemonade, but you know my dad isn’t too fond of anyone in a uniform.

Look, Cole… Sky seemed oddly serious, which made Cole nervous. We found something at the edge of your property. Over by the creek.

Something. Cole adjusted his hat to block the hot sun’s glare. Like what? Gold? Oil?

No. Sky looked down at his boots and Cole got a quick memory flash of them jerking each other off in the high-school locker room…sixteen years old, and sexually pent up.

Ya gonna tell me, Hayden? Or is this some kind of stupid police guessing game?

It’s a body.

Cole reacted and crossed his arms. A body of what?

A human. A corpse. I got Buddy on the way to take a look.

You found a body on the edge of my ranch?

Yeah. Sky looked around, as if he was checking out the barn or house.

Who is it? Cole asked.

Don’t know. It’s too far gone to even guess male or female. Once Buddy has it, he’ll figure it out.

So…why are you coming here?

One of your hack riders found it and called us. She was on your horse.

So? I still don’t know why you need to come here.

Sky took off his sunglasses and gave Cole an annoyed glare. What’s with the attitude?

You tell me. I have no idea why you’d come here to my family’s ranch if you found a dead corpse. We have nothing to do with it.

Did I say you did?

Hayden… Cole smiled. You pulled into my driveway and just announced you found a dead body. What do you want from me?

Did you or your brothers hear or see anything?

If they did, don’t you think I’d know? Or I’d call you?

Sky looked frustrated and rested his hand on the butt of his gun in the holster.

Cole gestured to the barn. Go on. Look around. Maybe you’ll find a clue.

Don’t get cute.

No? I thought you liked…cute.

Sky said, Now I remember why I never come by here. You’re an ass.

Before Sky turned to walk away, Cole grabbed him by his shirt and almost got a violent reaction from Sky. He said, You used to be after my ass, Hayden.

Sky shoved Cole’s hand off his uniform and put his sunglasses back on.

Cole gazed at Sky’s tight backside in his masculine uniform as he walked away and sat in his patrol car. He waited as the car backed up, turned around, and left the property.

Cole walked into the barn and could see his brothers feeding the horses the fresh hay.

Leo called out, What the hell did he want?

Cole walked closer to Leo. One of our trail riders found something in the field. Cole looked for Rocky.

What? Found what? Who did?

A body. Cole cupped his hands around his mouth and called out, Rocky!

What? his brother yelled from a stall.

You know anything about a rider finding a dead body out on the trail today?

She said somethin’. I told her to call 911. I don’t know what the hell it has to do with us.

Leo and Cole exchanged looks. Cole called to Rocky, Ya could’ve told someone!

When Rocky didn’t answer, Leo blew out a breath and shook his head.

Cole held up his hand and said, Don’t even think it.

Leo lowered his voice and said, He fucking gets drunk up at the tavern. I swear, Cole, he—

Cole snarled. Shut up, Leo. Don’t even bring that shit onto this family. We’ve been screwed enough.

Cole.

Cole turned on his heels and left the barn, pausing to look at the long winding drive that led to the main street. He thought about how hot Sky looked in that fucking uniform. He’d craved that fucker for ten years. Maybe he thought once they had grown up…

But Sky never did come around. He also never married.

Only Cole’s brother Leo had…and sweet Ria was a godsend. She helped cook, clean, do the laundry…

Cole knew once their dad died, it would be up to him and Leo to either sell or keep the ranch running. Rocky was slightly off in the head, and all he could do was follow direction.

Cole looked back at the barn and then walked into the house to let his father know what was going on.

~

Sky spotted Buddy’s van as he returned to the site where the bones were. The van was unmarked except for exempt license plates. Sky knew most of the time Buddy was just removing bodies that had died from natural causes. He’d do a quick onceover and then take the remains to the funeral home, since he also handled the burials as well. Buddy was no youngster, and Sky hoped his skills in this kind of investigation were sound. Otherwise Sky had no choice but to call for the State Police to help out. And he wasn’t so sure he wanted State made aware. If they knew, most likely the media would. And their little town had been through enough drama. The locals here didn’t need another reason for the tourists to not show up.

Sky ran his hand over his hair, feeling tired. Twelve hours shifts, working with a skeleton crew of four, and that included the captain, he had no idea why he stayed here. Why anyone did.

An image of Cole’s blue eyes and handsome face flashed through Sky’s mind’s eye. That couldn’t be the reason Sky remained in this tiny town, could it?

He parked behind the van and met Buddy as they walked to where Marlon was waiting, the yellow tape appearing odd since they rarely used it.

Buddy handed