“It’s your word against his, Cheyenne. You have no solid evidence of this interaction either. I talked to Bill Coates. He lost a horse in the fire, and I know how much those horses mean to him.”

Tears filled my eyes. “If he cared so much for his horses, he wouldn’t be abusing them or neglecting them.”

“That’s not the case we are talking about here,” Robert said flippantly. “The investigation is being closed from the lack of leads. There’s nothing more that I can do, Cheyenne. I’m sorry about the barn, but it sounds like the insurance company will be able to rebuild for you.”

I opened my mouth to reply, but it was a strong and sturdy hand on my shoulder that stopped me. I looked up at Colt as he positioned himself between me and Robert.

“Thank you, Robert. If we hear anything, we will let you know right away.”

I waited until Robert’s truck was down the driveway before I whirled on Colt, who looked even more exhausted than before.

“This isn’t right,” I cried, fists clenched at my side. “I know who the arsonist is. Why doesn’t anyone else believe me?”

“We do believe you,” Tiffany said. “Trust me. A lot of people believe that it was Bill Coates who started the fire, but it’s like what Robert said. There isn’t any evidence to tie him to the crime that night.”

“He threatened that it wasn’t over though when I refused to give the stallion back.”

“That’s our point,” Colt interjected, his fingers squeezing my shoulder tightly. “If Bill did do this, then you need to be careful, Cheyenne. He won’t do anything while you’re here at my ranch, but if he got away with this the first time, then he could get away with it again.”

Tiffany looked up at me imploringly. “Listen to what Colt is saying. You aren’t going to help your case if you are running around accusing Bill of the fire. It’s just going to make him more furious.”

Even though I didn’t want to admit it, they both had a good point. I had done enough to get underneath the man’s skin, and if he was capable of setting a barn on fire, then he was capable of other things. I could see the concern in Colt’s eyes as he looked down at me.

“I’ll be fine,” I said. “You’re right. I need to back off.”

“Just for now,” Colt said, sighing. “I’m in your corner, Cheyenne. I hate the man, but I know that his own head is starting to wage wars on him. He’s been showing up to the Iron Stallion every single night drunk.”

“Saying what?” I asked.

Colt made it a point to avoid my question by searching his pocket for his truck keys. “Just his usual bullshit. I have to get going to the restaurant. The two of you take it easy. Especially you, Tif.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Tiffany said. She waved a hand airily. “It’s not like I can really move around here, Colt. Stop fretting over me.”

“And you try to relax a bit,” Colt said, fixing me with a long look. “Try not to let your head get all riled up while I’m gone. I don’t know if I can run after you into another fire.”

I sat down on the couch next to Tiffany. Neither one of us said a word until we heard Colt’s truck drive down the road before Tiffany turned to look at me with a frown.

“Is there something going on between the two of you that I need to know about?”

“No,” I said, avoiding her gaze by adjusting the blanket about her legs. “Nothing is going on between us. Why do you ask?”

“Because Colt is looking at you in a weird way.”

“He is not. That’s how he looks at me all the time.”

“Nope.” Tiffany shook her head. “He doesn’t look at anyone the way he looks at you. That makes me believe that neither one of you are being honest with me or with yourselves.”

“Don’t push it, Tif. I can break bones easily.”

“Fine. I won’t push it.” Tiffany gave me a long and hard glance. “Do you understand what Colt and I are trying to say to you about the fire? There’s no doubt in our heads that he had something to do with it, but running around the way you have been is going to put you right back in his line of revenge. We won’t be able to protect you when you go back to your own ranch.”

“I know. I understand what you’re saying.” I wrapped my arms around Tiffany’s strong shoulders. “Thank you for being such a good friend. The both of you. I really appreciate it.”

“Of course. You’re a good person, Cheyenne. We really like having you around. I think Colt likes it more than me, though.”

I rolled my eyes at the sly comment. Rising from the couch, I double checked that Tiffany had everything she needed before venturing outside to get the horses fresh water and some oats. Two weeks was how long it’d take to get the barn rebuilt and painted from what the insurance adjuster told me. They had a construction crew they called upon in cases like barn fires.

And while I felt happy about going back to my own personal space, I felt a tinge of fear building in me. I didn’t know who to trust besides for a handful of people. After Tiffany and Colt’s valid points, I knew that I needed to keep an eye peeled over my shoulder at all times once I stepped off the Smith property. They provided shelter and protection. Even the horses loved it here, but I had accepted the insurance check to rebuild the barn. I had no other choice besides going back to my place.

Tags: Claire Adams Romance
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