Best Friend's Ex Box Set

I couldn’t bear the thought of Cheyenne out there in the storm with a spooked horse, but I had no idea if the person who had lit the firework was a harmless prankster or something different. I didn’t want to risk it either way.

“Whoever lit the firework might be out there,” I said. “I don’t know if it was a harmless prank, or if they had other intentions, but I don’t want you going out there alone.”

“I have to agree with Colt on this,” Tiffany added, frowning. “Whoever put the firework in there probably put the black widows in there too. Even the exterminator was confused by the amount of spiders you all found.”

“Which is why I need to find the horse,” Cheyenne argued hotly. Her cheeks were red with distress as she looked up at me pleadingly. “Please, Colt. Whoever is doing this is trying to hurt my horses because they know it’ll hurt me.”

I opened my mouth to reply but felt my cell phone buzz from inside the pocket of my flannel shirt. I pulled it out to look down, expecting Rick’s number, but it was Michael’s landline.

“Is it Rick?” Cheyenne asked anxiously. “Please tell me it’s him, and that he found the horse.”

“It’s Michael,” I said. “He might be calling for something important, so let me grab this real quick.”

I stepped outside to face the chilly and wet afternoon. I huddled underneath the lip of the roof for protection against the cold rain as I answered.

“There’s a horse in my pasture,” Michael said. “The storm must’ve spooked it over here to my property. It doesn’t look like one of your horses though, Colt. That’s why I am calling.”

Relief surged through me.

“It’s Cheyenne’s rescue,” I said, leaning up against the side of the house with a sigh. “She has been keeping the horses here while her barn is being rebuilt. I’m glad it wandered onto your property—not Bill’s.”

“Bill would’ve shot it in a heartbeat,” Michael said grimly. “I never liked how he treated his horses, so tell Cheyenne that I have the horse in my barn for safekeeping. I managed to get it in the barn. It’s a bit spooked and anxious.”

I rubbed my face in aggravation. I didn’t want to get into the details of what was happening around my ranch, but if there was a prankster running around with fireworks, then Michael had a right to know. He treated all his horses and livestock with compassion and tender care.

“I’m not sure if there is a prankster running about,” I started, “but someone opened the barn doors here. They also lit a firework in the barn with the horses.”

“A firework in the barn?” Michael repeated skeptically. “Are you sure it was a firework, Colt?”

“I found the leftovers of the firework on the ground.”

“Well, shit. No wonder the poor horse is spooked out of his mind. The damn kids around Green Point these days keep getting into trouble.”

“What sort of trouble?” I asked.

“Anything you can imagine. They were on my property a few weeks ago shooting at my chickens for fun. An unruly group of spoiled little brats.”

“Let me guess,” I said darkly. “The sheriff hasn’t been able to find this group of pranksters.”

Michael laughed humorlessly into the phone. “Oh, your friend Peter has found them. I forgot to mention that one of the teenagers is Bill Coates’s nephew.”

“Peter’s hands are tied because Robert is his boss,” I remarked, staring across the wet pasture. Anger brewed inside of me. “This town has gone crooked, Michael. First Cheyenne’s barn, and now I’m dealing with kids spooking the horses with pranks. What else will happen?”

“I don’t know,” Michael said. “This town has been crooked for a while. I’d have that ranch hand of yours keep an eye out over your barn. Who knows what else could happen.”

“Thanks, Michael. We will be down there with a horse trailer.”

“I’ll keep the gate unlocked.”

Cheyenne rushed up to me the second that I stepped into the kitchen. She grasped the sleeve of my shirt tightly. Her eyes were wet with tears.

“Please tell me that you know where my horse is,” she said, voice quivering with emotion.

“He wandered over to Michael’s property,” I said.

A relieved breath escaped Cheyenne’s lips as she turned to look at Tiffany sitting on the edge of the couch. “He went to Michael’s property. Is he okay? Was Michael able to get close enough to look at him?”

“He managed to get him into the barn safely. That’s where he is right now. Michael’s leaving the gate open for us to bring the trailer.”