flat earnestness. “I swear to God, I’m not lying.”
My jaw ached from strain, my eyes wildly searching his for the truth.
“I don’t want your farm put under,” he said. “I want to help.”
A bitter laugh left me, my throat burning. “Help. You think you’re so fucking smart.” I leaned into him, pressing my fists into his chest. “But if you think you can get in that easy, you’re dumber than I thought.”
He shoved me, and I let him go by choice, happy to see the creases from my grip marring the pristine cotton of his button-down.
His blue eyes were somehow both ice-cold and aflame. “If you think I’m not already halfway in, then you’re dumber than I thought. And I already thought you were pretty fucking dumb.”
I paused. “In how?”
“Ask your girlfriend. Better yet, take a look in the folder she had at the bank. That’s where she put the check I wrote her.”
A cold rush raced down my arms and legs. “Liar,” I growled, squeezing my fists at my sides so I wouldn’t hit him.
Head cocked, he assessed me. “Your farm is coming undone. You’re about to lose everything. Olivia has the good sense to see that, but I can’t say I’m surprised you don’t.”
“You did this,” I said through my teeth. “You took down our farm, hobbled us so you could acquire it. And you expect me to just roll over and let you have it? You know me better than that.”
“I’ll say it again—I didn’t have anything to do with it, Jake. I wouldn’t do that to Olivia. You? I wouldn’t think twice. But not her.”
Again, I felt that prickle in my gut that said he was telling the truth. “Then who? Because I can only think of one other person.”
A heartbeat, and Chase’s expression shifted. “You think—”
“I know. If I went out to your barns, would I find my herd? Or did you and your daddy already sell them?”
He shook his head, put a hand out. Nothing in his posture was aggressive, which pissed me off.
I wanted to hit him real bad, but I was no animal.
“How many cattle?” he asked.
“Forty heads. Three trailers’ worth.”
He scrubbed a hand over his mouth, his eyes bright with calculations. “And it started a couple weeks ago?”
“Three.” My fists loosened. I watched him.
He thought a second longer before shaking his head. “It couldn’t be. Dad wants your farm, but not like this.”
“You mean to tell me he hasn’t been using you to do his bidding like the tool you are? Olivia already told me you were working on her.”
“Sure, but I told her I wouldn’t take part in it anymore, and I haven’t. I don’t know anything about the trouble at your farm, Jake.”
My eyes narrowed in suspicion. If he knew anything about it, he’d be slithering around me just to watch me squirm. The man in front of me was shocked and concerned. And playing dumb had never been Chase Patton’s style.
“How’d he get all this past you?”
He sobered. “Dad has been nudging me in Olivia’s direction, sure. But he came to me just after your fire and … fuck. I should have known.”
“Known what?”
“Known better than to believe he actually gave a shit about your farm. He came to me, talking about how rough you were having it since Frank passed. Said he wanted to help and wanted me to figure out how. But our overseer—you know Garrett—he’s been acting funny. You know, shifty. He and Dad have been Velcro lately. I’ll catch them talking, and they shut up the second I’m in the room. And I might know something about your stock—”
I took two swift steps in his direction, arching over him. “Chase, if you know where my cattle are, you’d better fucking tell me right now.”
He squared up, but his face was more gentle warning than outright aggression. “Let me do some digging. It’s just a hunch. Let me see it through.”
I drew an inhale through my nose so hard, my nostrils flared. “I’m coming with you.”
“You come with me, and I’m not gonna find anything. In fact, if anybody sees you here, you might blow it.”
“Let me help give you a good story.”
Before he could ask what, I popped him in the eye.
He doubled over, hand to his eye. “Fuck!”
I shook out my fist. “They can’t help but believe you since I gave you a black eye.”
“You fucking asshole! Jesus, I’m trying to help you!”
“You already did,” I said with a wry smile. “Haven’t felt