Chapter 16: The Grave on the Ridge

Annie's POV

I found her truck on the ridge road at six, parked crooked at the cemetery gate with the driver's door open.

Ryan had wanted to come.

I told him that if Ray saw both of us leave, Ray would follow, and somebody had to stay between him and Abuela.

He kissed me once, hard, at the trailer door, and said, "Go."

The cemetery was a patch of grass and eleven white crosses on a hill above the ranch.

The sun was just reaching the far peaks.

Kat sat on the ground in front of the newest stone, in the green dress from last night, with her braid half undone.

I sat down beside her without saying anything.

The stone said SALAZAR, and under it, Rancher, Husband, Father.

"I came up here to ask him what to do," Kat said finally. "He didn't say anything."

"He never did, as I remember."

She laughed, wetly.

"He'd just look at you and wait until you figured it out yourself."

"What did you figure out?"

"That Ray's right." She wiped her face. "It's a fake marriage, Annie."

"Kat."

"Grandpa wanted me married because he thought I'd be alone. He didn't mean for me to hire a friend."

"Ryan isn't hired."

"He's doing me a favor, and I'm using him. He gets nothing from it."

"He gets to stop running," I said. "He told me so."

"I just made him stand up in front of the whole valley and say his father's name."

"He chose that, Kat. You gave him a place to stand."

She dropped her head onto her knees.

"I'm so tired of lying."

"I know."

"If I sign today and it falls apart, I lose the ranch anyway. If I don't sign, I lose it for sure."

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