“Yeah, for all the good it did. He said there wasn’t anything he could do. Evidence of arson from the match on the ground that was charred, but nothing could be done because I didn’t see the bastard’s face. Can you believe that?”
“Well, the sheriff is bound by the limits of the law. If he doesn’t have a way to ID someone, what more can he do?” Michael asked.
“I don’t know! I thought that was his damn job!”
I slammed my bar towel down onto the bar and began to scrub and polish. I needed to get my mind off of this horrible day. I’d called Cheyenne at her sanctuary twice today, but no one picked up. She was obviously making phone calls if she’d called Michael, so that told me she was at least making calls, but not necessarily accepting them.
“What the hell is happening around here?” Michael asked.
“Any more issues with your chickens?”
“Nah. Nothing lately. Now, what does the barn shit have to do with Cheyenne?” he asked.
“She thinks someone targeted our barn because we were helping her out,” I said. “How stupid does that sound?”
“Actually, not too stupid at all,” Michael said. “She pissed off a lot of people in town, some of them with a great deal of influence.”
“Then don’t abuse your animals! Christ, how hard is that to do?”
I was infuriated with the whole situation. I knew Cheyenne was a target for caring about the horses she took in, and I knew people in this town were mad at her, especially for calling PETA, who could be really extreme. But, if they didn’t want her sticking her nose in their business, then don’t abuse your animals then abandon them with Jacob. It was that simple!
Now, at this very moment, Cheyenne was a moving target back at her ranch, where she had already been attacked. Meanwhile, she was seeking homes or sanctuaries for the horses and making strides to leave this place altogether!
I wasn’t going to let the bullheaded people of this town run her out of it. She was the only bright spot some days, and I wasn’t going to lose that without a fight.
“Now, if you could get evidence together for the sheriff, he’d be able to do something about it,” Michael said.
“That’s why I’m having security cameras installed around my place. The house and the barns, at least. I’m catching this fucker on camera.”
“And, in my experience, suing someone is usually easier than getting a criminal investigation open. If you can get any decent evidence to identify them, you could take it to a lawyer and serve them with a lawsuit. I’ve seen those things change people’s tune on a nickel.”
“That’s actually not a bad idea, Michael. Thanks,” I said.
“Now, the real question is this how is Cheyenne going to get the money to rebuild everything? I know her insurance will probably cover the barn, but it won’t cover things like feed, tack, and the other equipment and supplies she lost.”
“Well, we were going to hold a fundraiser, Tiffany had it all arranged. But Cheyenne told me to cancel it.”
“Why?” Michael asked.
“She’s running. She does that when she feels like she’s been backed into a corner she can’t get out of.”
“I don’t blame her for feeling that way,” Michael said. “Where is she now?”
“At her sanctuary trying to rehome her horses. It’s probably why you got the phone call from her today,” I said.
“Jesus, so she’s serious,” Michael said. “What are you going do about the fundraiser?”
“Well, I was thinking maybe I’d have it anyway. I tried calling her a couple times today, and she didn’t pick up, so I figure I could throw it before she can get her horses rehomed to show her the support she still has around here.”
“You think that’ll convince her to stay? I hope she does. That woman is a legend with horses around here,” Michael said. “At least to horse lovers.”
“I know. It would be bad for everyone if she left.”
Michael and I continued to talk about the fundraiser for a bit, and he said he’d help in any way he could. I told him I needed someone who could spread the word about it without passing it on to people he knew were pissed at Cheyenne, and he said he could see what kind of support he could drum up before we started finalizing plans. I knew if I could throw this fundraiser and show her the emotional and monetary support people around here could give, it would help my argument in getting her to stay.
She was jumping the gun and defaulting to a state of mind that made her feel more comfortable, and I’d devoted too much time and energy into her to just let her run off into the sunset after abandoning what I knew she truly loved. I cared for her too much to sit back and watch that happen.
“You and Tiffany gonna throw it?” he asked.