And that actually didn’t sound like a bad idea.
“I’ll be back in fifteen,” I said.
“Make it twenty, and put your feet up for a bit. Seriously, I know everyone around here is wound tight, but this is just an animal looking to stay warm.”
“We’ll call it a cool seventeen and make it even,” I said with a wink.
“You drive a hard bargain, ma’am.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Colt
When my eyes opened, I saw Cheyenne sleeping next to me. Having her there felt so good and so right. Despite never having gone out on any dates, we’d been sleeping together for a week now, though neither of us had mentioned it to Tiffany yet. If she knew, she’d surely kick up some sort of fuss that would cause Cheyenne to backtrack, and neither of us wanted that to happen. Plus, with everything that had been going on, it had been nice holding on to each other at night.
It made me smile that she felt safe with me, and I’d do whatever it took to preserve that feeling within her.
I bent over to give Cheyenne a kiss on the cheek, then slipped out of bed. It was almost time for me to get up anyway. I was going to feed the horses this morning before I headed into the Iron Stallion so Cheyenne could get some sleep. Plus, Tiffany had been riding my ass on not doing much around here anyway. The farm was never something I’d wanted to be responsible for. It made me feel chained to a place I didn’t want to be. I’d always been used to owning the things around me, but instead, I felt that this farm owned me.
My life.
My aspirations.
But Cheyenne had changed a bit of that. I watched how carefree and beautiful she was with her horses. I saw how much she loved them and what she would sacrifice for their safety. She owned this town and everything she did within it, and in some ways, I envied her for that. I felt that powerful at the restaurant, but I felt helpless and chained at this farm.
I knew Cheyenne could use the sleep, especially with all she’d been through. When I f
ound my way into the kitchen to get a drink of water, I decided to brew a pot of coffee. I was more tired than I thought I’d be, and Cheyenne would want some whenever she got up. I’m sure she’d be upset at first that I didn’t wake her so she could keep her routine, but I had ways of making it up to her.
I walked over to the window while the coffee brewed in the background, and I looked out at the barn. The sun hadn’t quite started to rise just yet, and everything was still blanketed in a settled darkness. The horses weren’t whinnying, and the grass wasn’t blowing with any excess wind. The stars were just now closing their eyes for the day, and the moon was slowly beginning to fade. For me, it was the most peaceful part of the day. The earth was vulnerable, the ground was still, and everything that surrounded the people who still slept was anxiously awaiting their presence.
I looked out at the stables and finished my water, the smell of coffee filling my nostrils. I was just about to turn and go grab a cup, but a movement out of the corner of my eye caught my attention. I focused on it—on the corner of the barn—and then the dark movement fluttered again.
Except it was running towards the barn.
I ran to the hallway closet and grabbed my robe. I threw it over my shoulders, dug out my shotgun, and ran out onto the porch. If I shot the gun, I’d wake Cheyenne and startle the horses, so I settled for yelling out first.
“Hey! Who the hell is on my property?”
I watched while the sun slowly began to peek its first eye open for the day, but nothing looked like it moved. I reached inside the house and flipped on the floodlights. I wanted to know who the hell was poking their nose around my fucking stable.
“I know you’re there!” I called out. The floodlights illuminated the driveway in a fluorescent light. I stepped out onto the driveway when I didn’t hear Cheyenne come down the stairs, and I cocked my gun just in case someone—or something—came running out at me.
I made my way slowly towards my stable, and that’s when I heard it. The horses started nickering before I heard a couple stomp their feet. Even with the sun slowly rising, it was still a bit early for any of them to be causing a fuss, and I knew what I’d seen. I felt the hair on my arms stand on end as I slowly approached the fence, knowing I was feet away from catching the son of a bitch who was meddling in our farms.
“It’s done! I know you’re in there! Now, come on out!” I exclaimed.
I saw a shape dart from the main door of the barn, and for a split second I watched the figure raise its head. I wasn’t close enough to see their eyes or read the expression on their face, but I knew it was human. I knew, deep down, that it was the person who was causing all the trouble.
And the figure looked nothing like Bill Coates.
I raised my gun to my shoulder, and the figure stood completely still. If I needed to, I had the perfect shot. I could take down this son of a bitch, and this would all be over. For all of us.
But then, the figure turned to run.
“Stop, or I’ll shoot!” I roared. I hopped the fence and aimed my sights down the barrel of the shotgun, but a part of me hesitated. I was concerned about the nagging sensation in the back of my head that told me it was just some asshole kid playing a prank. If it was a kid, I didn’t want to shoot them. I just wanted to scare them.
One thing was for sure: it wasn’t Bill Coates.