by Alicia Rae
This was our second consecutive morning run-in on the porch.
“Oh, nothing.” I smiled faintly, tucking away my emotions. “Just thought I’d catch another sunrise before my day starts.”
He shuffled his feet into his boots, keeping his eyes on me. “That’s what you said yesterday…and the day before that.” He raised an inquisitive brow at me. “What gives, young lady?”
Since returning to my mom and dad’s home, I hadn’t explained much of why I wasn’t staying at Colton’s place any longer. I could see their patience in trying to respect my privacy, but like everyone, they had a limit.
I let out a deep breath while choosing my words. “I’m just having a rough morning, Dad,” I answered softly so that my voice wouldn’t crack and give me away.
“Ah, I see.” Dad nodded, appearing thoughtful. “Everyone has bumps in the road, Paige. Don’t let that deter you from being happy.”
My eyes fell to the floorboards of the patio as my mind deliberated over the wisdom he’d shared. He’d told me that expression many times over the years, but my relationship with Colton never seemed to be that easy.
“I’m not sure bump describes my life at the moment,” I confided in my dad.
He always rooted for my childhood romance with Colton to make it for the long haul.
He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his thighs. “No?” he pried.
“No.” The acknowledgment stung, but I dug for a better way to describe my emotions. “My relationship with him feels more along the lines of being in the ocean during rough seas. The waves just keep coming from every direction, each one stronger than the last. The hits are so hard and powerful that every time he and I try to stand up, we get knocked back down again.”
My bottom lip quivered as I looked over at him and finished, “Somewhere along the way, we lost our hold on one another.” In the heat of my emotions, I swallowed thickly, unsure if my explanation even made sense.
My dad’s face stayed impassive, but his eyes said it all. They always did. He knew Colton and I’d had disagreements over the years, as all relationships did, but nothing like this.
My heart was bleeding, and it wasn’t easy to hide my devastation and hurt when the wound was so fresh.
He outstretched his hand and set it on my good knee. “Paige, we all get lost now and then, but our family and friends bring us back to who we are. They ground us.”
I wasn’t sure loving Colton would be enough to bring him back to me. “Maybe,” I replied as a few tears spilled over on my cheeks. “Colton’s grieving, and I am heartbroken for what he has suffered.”
I remembered his detached voice that day he’d told me to leave. “But something snapped inside of him the morning after the fire, something I’ve never seen before. He’s lost so much. I’m scared he won’t find his way back to himself or to me.”
Dad briefly lifted both hands and ran them down his face before meeting my stare. “While I don’t agree with Colton inflicting such sadness in my daughter’s eyes, I have high hopes that the boy has good motives for his actions.” He sighed, sounding worried. “I’m sure my response isn’t what you hoped for, but try to understand that he has endured something unimaginable to most people. His anger and loss aren’t just going to vanish overnight, especially since the fire was arson.”
My breath caught in my lungs. “So, has it been confirmed that it was arson?” I blinked rapidly, not wanting to believe that it was true even though it was what everyone had suspected. It was just difficult to accept that someone had deliberately set out to hurt Colton in such a manner.
“Yes, I saw Deputy Quinn in town just yesterday. The fellow said substantial evidence proves someone intentionally set fire to Colton’s property. Tire tracks and empty gasoline containers were found in the thick brush outlining Colton’s pasture behind the equipment building.”
“Did he say if they have a suspect?” I inquired without delay, needing to know everything my father knew. Maybe I could be of some help to Colton.
“I’m afraid not.” Dad’s eyes appeared perplexed. “When I asked Deputy Quinn if he had any other information pertaining to the case, he told me that he isn’t in charge of the case anymore and that my good friend Sheriff Reynolds took over.” He blew out a long breath, exasperated. “Well, until yesterday, that is.”
My head was spinning over processing this new information.
I recalled that Deputy Quinn had originally been in charge of the investigation with the tampered water spigot that had broken in Colton’s horse barn weeks before the fire incident. Sheriff Reynolds had assumed control of the case, and to this day, no answers as to what had actually happened had been given.
“Hold on, Dad. I’m lost.” I tried to gather my scattered wits, so I could understand. “Why was Sheriff Reynolds taken off the case?”
“Since arson is suspected, the state fire marshal is now in charge of the investigation.”
“Oh.”
Dad gradually stood to his feet. “Well, your old man had better get to work. A rancher’s day always starts early.”
“Okay.” I smiled up at him.
Pondering, I crossed my legs at my ankles. Something felt amiss. I didn’t understand why Colton’s misfortunes were being bounced around, leaving him with no concrete answers. I wished I were privy to more information. I hated being left in the dark.
“And, Paige?” Dad redirected my attention back to him.
“Yes?”
“Have faith in that man of yours. I know he seems a bit off-kilter at the moment, but given the circumstances, I can’t blame him for wanting to keep you safe and out of this mess.” He bent over at the waist and kissed my forehead. “Love you, kid,” he said before walking off toward the barn.
“Love you, too, Dad,” I murmured after him.
As I sat back in my rocking chair once again, I couldn’t help but feel anxious of what might happen to Colton and me, fearing what lay ahead for us. My life was anything but simple these days.
But as the time passed, my father’s words about family and friends replayed in my mind. I couldn’t give up on Colton when he needed me the most.
What I’d learned about the fire at Colton’s house left me in the dark. It was tough to accept my father had known more about the fire than I had, and it made me feel helpless.
But no more.
There had to be some kind of evidence to link the person responsible for setting Colton’s barn on fire, and I had a pretty good hunch who it was. If Colton wouldn’t let me help by standing proudly at his side, then I would just have to do a little detective work of my own.
MY FLASHLIGHT SHOOK WITHIN MY HANDS as I neared Hank Ulrich’s private estate. I was not someone who normally snooped around, but the thought of someone hurting Colton had given me the courage I needed to keep moving forward.
At the end of the cobblestone driveway, there was a gate with a lamppost beaming over the entrance. Hank’s house was a good distance back from the road with pastures lining either side.
I pursed my lips in contemplation. Surely, I couldn’t just stroll up the driveway in the open where someone might see me, so I glanced to the right pasture that appeared to be less visible to the light. No horses were in sight, so I anticipated they were stalled in the evening hours.
I made my way over to a tall row of trees and the fence line. Three wires ran perpendicular to metal posts. The lowest one had approximately a foot-and-a-half gap below it.
I scanned the area once more. If I were to walk around the pasture and find another way to enter the premises, it would be a long detour. Cutting under the fence would be the easiest and fastest way to reach my destination.
I scrunched up my nose. As long as my body didn’t touch one of the hot wires, I would be as good as gold. If I did bump into one, I’d be yelping in pain when I connected with the five thousand volts of electricity.
I cringed. When I was a kid, I’d had the honors of brushing along one of those bad boys on ac
cident, and it was a shock to the body that I’d never forget.
Letting out a long breath, I made sure my small camera was secure in my jeans. I’d planned ahead, knowing I’d need to capture any evidence I might find to link Hank to the arson on Colton’s property. Then, I lowered on my haunches and pulled the extra material of my hoodie snug around my stomach, so no excess material would be at my back. I flattened myself against the grass. Tightly grasping my flashlight in my right hand, I began crawling toward the fence in an unhurried, measured pace.
Out of nowhere, a hand clasped around my left ankle and tugged me backward. The surprise knocked the wind right from my lungs. Before I could do more than yelp, I found myself flipped over on my back, locking eyes with my sexy cowboy. My heart rate spiked uncontrollably at the mere sight of Colton kneeling beside me, his large frame looming over me. It was dark, but I could see the outline of his handsome face, the one I craved and missed oh-so much.
“Hi,” I whispered breathlessly. All my anger at him for leaving me alone these past couple of days diminished into thin air.
He set his hand on my side as his eyes raked over my face with a slow, deliberate movement that had my lips parting to draw more air into my starved lungs. It had only been days since I last saw him, yet the look on his face appeared as though he hadn’t seen me in years, and he was reveling in the sight of me.
“What are you doing here?” he finally asked in a gruff voice, breaking the silence.
Crap.
I fumbled for a good excuse while trying to play it cool. “That’s a tough question to answer.” I blushed at being caught red-handed. “I’m…visiting?”
He raised a brow at me, clearly not buying my fib. “You’re visiting the one person I consider an enemy?”
My jaw dropped, and I quietly gasped, “No!”
“So then, you’re trespassing?” he drawled, letting his Southern accent roll off his tongue.
The sound sent butterflies soaring in my belly. “Not exactly.” I preferred my term—snooping.
Colton lifted his free hand, flipped it over, and trailed his knuckles down the length of my cheek. The corner of his lips lifted into a small grin. “You’re a terrible liar.”
A second wave of quietness fell over us as we stared at one another.
Gosh, it isn’t fair to miss someone so deeply.
“Paige?” Colton said in a worried low voice.
“Yes?”
“You don’t belong here.”
I parted my lips to retort a comeback, but he placed a finger over my mouth.
“It’s not safe. You need to go back home.”
I slightly narrowed my eyes at him, angered because he didn’t want me to be here with him. “I’m not leaving you.” I set my hand on his chest and pushed him back, so I could sit up. It was too hard to think straight with him touching me. “I’m here for the same reason as you, Colton, and I’m staying until I have evidence to put Hank behind bars.”
“You’ll be behind bars, too, if we get caught.” He clenched his jaw. “And I won’t let that happen, Paige.” He gestured toward the road. “So, I want you to go.”
“No.”
We gave each other a rather heated stare down.
Seconds ticked by until Colton finally sighed. “You are so damn stubborn.”
It was my turn to lift a brow at him. “Same could be said about you.”
Colton briefly lifted his hand to rub the bridge of his nose before glancing back at me. He unleashed a short laugh. “Fine. You can come with me.” His expression went stern. “But at the first sign of danger, you’d better run for the road and not look back. Got it?”
There was no chance I would leave Colton behind if something went wrong, but I kept that thought to myself.
“Okay,” I agreed, turning onto my stomach, preparing to cross underneath the wires.
Colton’s hand came down on my leg again. “Wait.”
I whipped my head over to face him. “What?”
“Are you sure you want to go under this hot-wired fence?”
I could see the wheels turning in his head.
“Haven’t you been zapped by one of these before?” he asked.
“This is the best route up to Hank’s storage barn,” I protested. The latter part of his speech sank in, and I couldn’t stop myself from cringing. “And, yes, I’ve been shocked before. Thanks for reminding me.” My right hand automatically folded at the elbow to rub my shoulder. “I have no desire to feel five thousand volts of electricity pumping through me, so let’s hope history won’t repeat itself.”
“I don’t either, so how about we find another way inside?” Colton gazed ahead of us, assessing the perimeter, and he motioned to the trees behind us. “This could work,” he murmured more to himself than me.
My heart skipped an uneven beat as my eyes darted to the trees, stopping at the one closest to the fence. “Uh…I’m having a hard time following you.”
He tilted his head to look at me. “We could climb up a few limbs, crawl over to the ones extending into the pasture, and then jump down on the other side.” Colton must have read my panic because he added, “Don’t worry. I’ll catch you.”
On the verge of hyperventilating, I countered, “Are you crazy? I have zero acrobatic skills, so I’m going to take my chances with the fence.” I faced forward again, deciding to stick to my original plan of doing the Army crawl on the ground.
“Wait.” Colton seized me again.
“What now?” I snipped.
“You’re not going first. It’s too risky,” he demanded. His tone left no room for argument. “Scoot over.”
I glared at him while shifting to the left side.
Colton flattened himself to the ground, lying on his stomach. Just as I thought he was about to pass underneath, he glanced at me. “If I get zapped by this fence, it’s all your fault.”
I laughed, picturing the thin wire connecting with Colton’s toned ass. It would be an intense little zing he’d never forget, nor would I. Of course, I’d be more than happy to caress the pain away with a soothing massage.
I sighed and heavenly purred, “That would be the highlight of my evening, cowboy.”
Colton gave me a funny look, and I was glad he couldn’t read my thoughts.
Wasting no more time, he passed under the wire without any trouble, and I clicked my flashlight off and followed right behind him. A huge sense of relief hit me once we were in the clearing. Though, I did feel a pang of regret, knowing I wouldn’t be copping a feel of his ass in my immediate future.
Colton rose to his feet and lent me a helping hand. I stood up and then dusted the dirt off my hoodie and jeans.
I tilted my head up at him. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He smiled tenderly before tipping his head toward the buildings. “Come on. Let’s make this quick.”
Colton and I continuously perused the open acreage as we crossed the field. Besides the crickets chirping, everything was fairly quiet. My head rotated to follow the sound of trickling water coming from Hank’s driveway, which made a wide loop in front of his home. Directly in the center of it, I saw an extravagant stone fountain. Hidden in the flowerbeds lining the lawn, spotlights pointed directly up at the two-story house, illuminating the earthy-toned brick siding.
Luckily, in front of the three buildings we were seeking out, there was only one lamppost by each entrance, so hopefully, the dim lighting would work to our advantage.
“Wow.” I whistled gently, doing another once-over of the estate. “This guy lives like a king.”
“Too bad his money can’t buy him some manners,” Colton barked loud enough for me to hear.
I frowned. It wasn’t like Colton to sound effected by another person, especially in a negative way. He was normally so strong and could let anything roll off his back. But losing part of his home had changed something inside of him, as I was sure it would do to anyone.
Reaching the other end of the pasture, we c
ame up to a double-wide metal gate. Colton climbed over it and then rotated to help me. I wasn’t sure why, but every time he turned around to assist me or make sure that I was okay, another wave of butterflies would emerge in my stomach. His thoughtfulness made me believe that, even though he’d broken things off between us, he still cared about me.
Exhilaration bloomed within me at the idea of bringing Hank to justice. “Where to first?” I eagerly asked.
Colton gestured to the building at the end of the gravel road. “We’ll start there and work our way around the grounds.”
“Sounds like a plan,” I answered as we started moving.
Once inside, Colton reached into his pocket and pulled out a flashlight. He clicked it on and aimed it straight ahead of us, so I did the same with mine. Between both of our lights, it was bright enough to see the vastly extravagant building.
Parked in front of the three garage doors were massive yellow Cub Cadet tractors, looking shiny and brand-new.
“Jeez…do you think he’d mind if we borrowed one?” I joked, giving it my best to make light of our stressful situation.
Colton must not have shared in my humor. The light illuminated his face just enough for me to see his deadpan expression. “Funny.” He waved his hand at me. “Come on. Let’s see what we can find.”
“I think it’s only fair, considering he made your tractor inoperable.” I shrugged as I followed him.
Once we made it past the heavy machinery, a Bobcat, a skid-steer loader, and multiple utility vehicles came into view. To the right, four trailers were stacked with hay bales reaching at least ten feet high. Extra bales were piled on wooden crates along part of the wall.
After counting inwardly, I pondered aloud, “Wow, he must have a lot of horses to need all this hay.”
“Agreed,” Colton drawled.
He began walking the wall while following the end of his light to inspect a shelving unit. I stayed on his heels. Appearing to have finished his assessment, Colton pivoted to face me, and at the same time, something crawled over my foot.
Panicked beyond reason, I squealed, “Mouse,” as I launched my body forward, only to smack square into Colton’s firm chest. The impact had me stumbling to regain my balance.