“Before you say anything,” Cheyenne said, “we’ve got it all on camera.”

“When did you get cameras installed?” Rick asked.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” I asked.

I couldn’t believe that we had missed it. All the signs were there, but I was so focused on placing the blame on Bill that I had completely missed even thinking of Rick as a suspect. He was never around when things were going down, and he had no idea I had cameras installed. When I thought about it, I didn’t remember seeing him around the day we had cameras installed. I cursed myself for missing such huge signs.

“Who is it?” Tiffany called from the porch.

“Rick!” Cheyenne shouted out.

“What?”

“Why, Rick?” I asked. “What in the world were you thinking?”

“I’m so sorry,” he said as he panned his gaze to Cheyenne. “I never meant for any of your horses to die.”

“You only meant to burn down my barn?” she asked.

“So, this is our guy, huh?” one of the deputies asked.

“Yep,” I said. I tossed him into the hands of the man who was handcuffing him, and I heard his rights being read to him as I turned my back. I’d trusted Rick for years at this place, and to think he could turn his back on everything and hurt us the way he did was throwing me for a loop. I felt Cheyenne thread her arm around me before she tossed my arm over her shoulders, and the two of us started for Tiffany who was standing on the porch with tears in her eyes.

“It’s Rick?” she asked softly.

“Come on, you guys. It’s over,” Cheyenne said. “Let’s get some coffee, or maybe a glass of wine to help us settle down.”

“It’s over,” I said.

“Yes. It’s finally over.”

I looked down at Cheyenne while Tiffany hobbled inside, and the sparkle in her eyes slowly brought me back to why I’d done this in the first place. A glass of wine didn’t sound half bad after what we had just experienced, and while the three of us were shocked, betrayed, and hurt, we were also relieved it was finally over.

“Does this mean you’ll stay?” I asked. “Now that your barn is no longer under siege?”

“I suppose I could stay a little while longer,” she said cheekily.

“White or red?” Tiffany called out.

“Whatever is stronger!” Cheyenne yelled.

“That’s my girl,” I said.

“I’m hardly your girl,” she said with a smirk.

“Oh, really? So exactly what are you, then?” I asked.

“I’m the brain to your brawn.”

“Did you just call me dumb?” I asked.

“Oh no, Colt. I would never do that,” she said.

“You’ll pay for that, you know,” I said with a grin.

“I’m counting on it,” she said.

Chapter Thirty-One

Tags: Claire Adams Romance
Source: readsnovelonline.net