My Favorite Cowboy

by Donna Grant

  Audrey wasn’t sure what to think when Danny Oldman got out. Was he here to arrest her? She got even more confused when the passenger door opened, and Clayton stepped out.

  “Mornin’,” Danny said as he shut the door and walked to her.

  She gave both men a nod. “What brings you two out here so early?”

  “Why don’t we go in and sit down?” Clayton suggested.

  Audrey shook her head and threw out her coffee. “I’d rather not.”

  Danny drew in a deep breath and blew it out as he rested his hand on the butt of his gun. “Robert Bremer’s wife said that he was upset with you last week. That the two of you were yelling on the phone.”

  Audrey’s eyebrows shot up. “If we were on the phone, how would she know if I was yelling or not? Besides, anyone who knows Robert knows that he yells at everyone for anything.”

  “That’s what I said,” Clayton added.

  Audrey glanced at him before returning her attention to Danny. “Robert wasn’t happy that I missed a few days at his stables. My attention was on the poisoned horses at the auction house. Once I got them sorted, I called both Robert and Ted and took a week off.”

  “Why?” Danny pressed.

  Audrey blinked, taken aback by his question. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because I never take time off? I’m a workaholic. Ask anyone. But what happened at the auction house made me reevaluate things, and I realized I needed a vacation of sorts.”

  “The timing of all of this doesn’t look good.” Danny shook his head as he briefly looked at the ground. “Not good at all.”

  “What doesn’t?” Audrey asked. “Someone says I poisoned a horse at the Hopkins’ stables. It’s a lie. I told you where I’ve been for the last two weeks at any given hour.”

  Clayton looked away, but it was the concern on his face that worried Audrey.

  That’s when she remembered that the poison was slow-acting. The sinking feeling in her stomach intensified when she realized that she had gone to Ted’s to check on the horses once before taking time off.

  “You think I did it,” she said to the men. “You think I went to the stables and injected that poor horse with poison before I took my days off. That way, I could say that I didn’t know it was sick so I couldn’t treat it. Since I was the only vet treating those at David’s, no one else would know what to look for.”

  “No one is saying you did it,” Clayton replied.

  But Danny didn’t utter a word.

  Audrey looked skyward and tried to control her rising anger and fear. “Why would I do this? I love horses. They’re my life.”

  Danny shrugged. “The why is what I can’t figure out.”

  “Because I didn’t do it,” she stated. “Check what’s left of my clinic for evidence of the poison. Check my SUV. And if I had harmed the horses, don’t you think I would have turned the blame on anyone but myself? Right now, based on what you’ve told me, everything points to me and only me.”

  “Someone else said the same thing to me just a few hours ago. I believed them then, but now.…”

  Audrey frowned when Danny trailed off. “What changed?”

  “Robert Bremer is dead. His wife found him in the stables with a needle sticking out of his neck. It was full of the poison.”

  “I was here. All night,” Audrey stated, her stomach churning at the surrealness of it all. “Ask Maddy.”

  She didn’t wait for them to agree. Audrey spun and rushed into the house and straight to her sister’s bedroom. As she threw open the door, Audrey’s gaze landed on the empty bed.

  Without a word, she pushed past Clayton and Danny in the narrow hall and ran outside to see Maddy’s car in the driveway beside her SUV.

  Audrey’s head swiveled in the direction of the clinic. She jogged to the door and went inside. Every bit of glass and all the broken objects were gone. But there was no sign of Maddy. Audrey then went to the back room, where she found her sister tying off a garbage bag with her head bobbing to music through her one earbud.

  For just a moment, Audrey allowed a sense of relief to pour through her. Then she called her sister’s name.

  Maddy spun around, yanking the earbud out of her ear.

  Maddy’s gaze moved past her shoulder. Audrey didn’t need to turn around to know that the men had followed her inside the clinic.

  “What’s going on?” Maddy asked.

  Audrey’s heart thumped in her chest. “Robert is dead. Killed with the same poison as the horses. They think I did it, but I told the sheriff that I was here all night. And that you can verify that.”

  “Yep. I can,” Maddy nodded as she looked at Danny. “She was here.”

  “And you were with her?” Danny questioned.

  Maddy nodded again.

  Audrey slowly turned to the men. She wasn’t stupid. She knew what the next question would be, and there was no way she could outrun the answer.

  “If you were with Audrey all night, why didn’t she know you were in here?” Danny asked.

  Maddy started to answer, then paused and looked at Audrey. “I went to bed shortly after my sister, but I couldn’t sleep. I didn’t want to clean the inside of the house and wake her, so I came out here, thinking I could get this place squared away for her.”

  Danny sighed. “You’ve been out here all night?”

  “I have.”

  “With your music on?”

  Maddy pressed her lips together. “Yes.”

  And just like that, Audrey’s alibi went up in smoke. It was her word against whoever was framing her.

  “Which means, Audrey could have left, and you wouldn’t have known,” Danny said.

  “How long has Robert been dead?” Audrey asked.

  Danny shrugged. “The coroner hasn’t given me that information yet.”

  Audrey might not know much about the law, but she wasn’t going down without a fight. And if she had to use every last bit of information she’d gleaned from the crime shows she watched, then that’s what she would do.

  She faced Danny, her gaze including Clayton. “I don’t know how much poison was given to the horses. What we do know is that it takes a couple of days before symptoms begin showing up in them. Horses weigh significantly more than humans, so, depending on the dose given to Robert, it could have affected him immediately.”

  “Someone else pointed that out,” Clayton said, a slight smile upon his lips.

  Audrey grew more confident. “Which means, if he died before midnight, then my sister can account for my whereabouts, which was inside my house, where I’ve been since Maddy drove me home from the East Ranch yesterday afternoon. And if you need additional information, talk to the pizza delivery guy who arrived last night at eight thirty. I paid him.”

  “Ha,” Maddy said and crossed her arms over her chest as she raised her chin confidently. “Take that, lawman.”

  Danny raised a brow at Maddy. “I’m not out to get your sister, Ms. Martinez. I’m simply after the truth. I have to follow where the evidence leads.”

  “I’ll do whatever it takes to prove I’m innocent,” Audrey told him. “Whatever you want of me.”

  The sheriff’s lips twisted. “I wish I could say that would be enough, but I’ve seen myself that sometimes the evidence outweighs everything.”

  “Then we need to make sure that doesn’t happen,” Maddy stated.

  Clayton looked at Danny. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to have a talk with the sisters, please.”

  “Sure,” Danny said. He tipped his hat at them and left the building.

  Audrey was so nervous, it felt as if someone had poured ice water in her veins. Her hands shook, and she couldn’t seem to catch her breath.

  “All Audrey has done was work. She’s worked her ass off,” Maddy stated angrily. “And now, someone is doing their best to make sure the life my sister built for herself is ripped away, piece by piece.”

  Clayton caught Maddy’s gaze. “I’m here to make sure that doesn’t happen. You have fri
ends, Audrey. Remember that. We’re all doing what we can for you.”

  “And I appreciate that,” Audrey told him. She swallowed then as she realized just how much the evidence was stacked against her. “You and your family are respected in the community. Perhaps you should rethink your association to me.”

  “Audrey,” Maddy said with a gasp.

  Clayton stared at her for a long time. “You’ve not been a friend to the Easts and Harpers long, so you wouldn’t know that we don’t scare easily. We stand together when things get tough. And we’re standing with you.”

  Audrey had to look away as tears filled her eyes. “Thank you,” she mumbled.

  Maddy wrapped an arm around her and squeezed. There were no words needed. She and her sister had been through their mother’s death and their father’s disappearance. It might have torn some families apart, but they had grown closer.

  Because they only had each other.

  “Audrey,” Clayton said.

  She composed herself enough to look at him. His light green eyes were filled with determination.

  Clayton shot her a quick smile. “It’s going to be all right. You’re going to have to trust me on this.”

  “It was luck that brought our families together. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to repay the kindness you’ve shown me or Maddy.”

  Clayton chuckled softly and shook his head. “You earned our friendship. Never forget that.”

  “What about the sheriff?” Maddy asked. “You’re friends with him. Can’t you do something?”

  Audrey glared at her sister. “Forget she said that, Clayton.”

  Clayton walked to the door and stopped before exiting. He shifted to the side to look at them. “Danny is one of the most honest and honorable men you’ll meet. He does everything by the book. He allowed me to come because we’re friends, but the only thing that will convince him of anything is the evidence.”

  “Then we have work to do,” Audrey said.

  Clayton nodded. “Yes, ma’am, we certainly do.”

  Chapter 34

  Caleb lay on his stomach and looked through the scope of his rifle to where Audrey and Maddy walked Clayton back to the patrol car and Danny. He’d heard the entire conversation between them thanks to being on the phone with his brother-in-law.

  All Caleb wanted to do was go into the clinic and pull Audrey into his arms. He’d heard the apprehension in her words, but when her voice broke, it nearly did him in.

  “Did you get all you needed, Caleb?” Clayton asked over the phone speaker once he was inside the car.

  Caleb shifted so that the microphone on the earbuds he wore was unblocked. “Yeah. She didn’t sound good.”

  “She didn’t look good either.” Clayton fastened his seatbelt. As Danny started the engine, Clayton asked, “Are you sure about this, Caleb?”

  “He better be,” Danny said.

  Caleb watched the sheriff as he drove off. “Don’t worry, Danny. I’ve got this.”

  Clayton snorted. “I still think you should’ve told Brice what was going on.”

  “No,” Caleb stated. “He and Naomi need some time alone.”

  “I’ll check in later. Oh, and just so you know, you’re not out there alone.”

  Clayton hung up before Caleb could figure out what his brother-in-law meant. A heartbeat later, his cell phone buzzed. Caleb pulled it from his pocket and read the text from Cooper that said, DON’T SHOOT ME.

  Caleb lifted his head and looked around. A moment later, he heard something behind him and glanced over his shoulder to find Cooper making his way toward him.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” Caleb asked.

  Cooper shot him a flat stare as he lay on his stomach beside Caleb. “I’ll overlook the fact you didn’t call me or Jace to help you out this time. Next time, I’m going to kick your ass.”

  “Seriously. What are you doing here?”

  “I can’t believe you even have to ask that.”

  Caleb stared into Cooper’s green eyes for a long moment. Then he blew out a breath. “Thanks, man.”

  “After all the shit we’ve been through, you and Brice still try to do things on your own.”

  “Habit.”

  “It’s a good thing Abby called us,” Cooper said. “Otherwise, your ass might be out here on your own. Jace is at the front near the entrance to the drive. He’ll alert us if anyone comes.”

  Caleb blinked away the sweat that trickled into his eye. “That’s if they come by vehicle.”

  “I can set up to the west. There’s a section of the drive that will be out of sight for both of us, though.”

  “It’ll have to be enough.”

  Cooper shifted so that he squatted next to Caleb. “You think they’ll come for her? Danny only has circumstantial evidence.”

  “I’m not leaving anything to chance. Whoever is after Audrey just might get cocky enough to show their face now that they think she’s been backed into a corner.”

  “That would make things easy for us. I’ll be ready regardless.”

  Caleb gave Cooper a nod before his friend disappeared into the brush. With his eye once more looking through his scope, Caleb searched for any sign of Audrey. He caught movement through a window of the house, but he wasn’t sure if it was her or Maddy.

  The hours stretched on as the sun climbed, and the heat became oppressive. Caleb didn’t move. Not even when a rattlesnake slithered five feet in front of him. As he scanned the area for any movement, his mind went over and over everything in his head.

  Time and again, his gut kept bringing him back to the auction house. After he and Clayton had met David there the day before, he’d tried to find something that would lead him to the men responsible for the poisoning. Because if he found them, then he could discover if they’d done this on their own or if someone hired them.

  But no matter how hard he looked, Caleb didn’t find anything. Once Danny was done, Caleb had questioned David for hours, to no avail. It wasn’t until he, David, and Clayton were sitting around drinking beer that David had let something slip about how there had been a vet who offered their services to him a month before the horses got sick.

  It was just something David said in passing, but Caleb knew immediately how important the information was—and he pounced on it. Within minutes, he not only knew who the vet was, but he’d also discovered their connection to Audrey.

  Near three that afternoon, his phone vibrated. Caleb put the earpiece in his ear and answered the call when he saw that it was Clayton. “Well?”

  “You were right. Unfortunately, it’s taken Danny all day to track down your hunch. Patty Duncan did visit the Hopkins’ ranch. Apparently, she and Robert Bremer were having an affair. Phone records show her texts, threatening to tell Bremer’s wife about them if he didn’t hire her on as the vet.”

  “Patty believed the reason she didn’t get the job was Audrey,” Caleb said.

  “Pretty much. Also, the guy Brice shot at the auction house was taken to the hospital because his wound became infected. He told Danny everything. Including how he got the poison from Patty. Danny and his men are on their way to Patty’s house to arrest her now. They’ve already arrested the other two men involved.”

  Caleb frowned when a text came through. He stilled as he read it. “Clayton, I don’t think Danny is going to find Patty. She’s pulling up to Audrey’s now.”

  “Shit. I’ll let Danny know.”

  Caleb hung up and jumped to his feet. He grabbed his rifle and called Jace. As soon as his friend answered, Caleb said, “It’s Patty. She’s the one Danny is after. Get to the house.”

  He hung up without waiting for a reply, but Caleb knew that Jace would call Cooper and fill him in. Caleb ran as fast as he could to the back of the house. He needed to get there before Patty because he wasn’t sure if she realized that the police were on to her.

  Or what she might do.

  Caleb reached the back of the house at the same time he heard Audrey’s
voice call out Patty’s name. He hadn’t made it in time. Fuck. He got to the back door and slung the strap of his rifle over his shoulder. Then he slowly turned the knob. The door opened with barely a creak.

  Once inside, Caleb flattened himself against the wall. He heard Maddy grumbling to herself in the kitchen at the sink. Caleb leaned around the doorway and whistled softly.

  Maddy’s head swung around. As soon as she saw him, her eyes widened. Then she looked over her shoulder to the front door. Caleb put his finger to his lips to keep Maddy quiet.

  She wiped off her hands and came toward him. “It’s Patty, isn’t it?”

  He nodded.

  “I knew it. I never liked that bitch,” Maddy said, more to herself than to him.

  Caleb caught her gaze, thankful that she seemed calm and determined. “I don’t know what she’s capable of. Can you get out the back? Jace and Cooper will find you and stay until the sheriff arrives. Don’t worry. I’ve got Audrey.”

  Maddy gave him a quick nod and left out the back.

  Caleb slowed his breathing as Audrey and Patty walked into the house.

  * * *

  Audrey didn’t know if it was the tight smile on Patty’s face or the fact that she suspected Patty might be the one doing all of this that instantly put her on edge the moment she realized who had arrived.

  “I’m surprised you’re here,” Audrey said as they entered the house and she looked for her sister.

  “Why do you say that?”

  Audrey heard the higher-than-normal pitch in Patty’s voice. The woman was usually calm, but she seemed wound tight and teetering on the edge of losing it.

  Audrey wasn’t a suspicious person by nature, but it didn’t look good that Patty was there. Was that why she suddenly noticed these things?

  Audrey really didn’t know what to think. She needed to feel Patty out more. Though Maddy wouldn’t be happy to learn that Patty was there.

  “Um,” Audrey said when she realized that she hadn’t replied to Patty. She was stunned to find Maddy gone. Most likely, her sister was hiding out in her room. Audrey faced Patty and motioned to the breakfast table. “Sorry. It’s been a weird day. Have a seat. Would you like some coffee?”