The Lone Rancher - By Carol Finch Page 0,65

out the rustlers, arsonists and murderers.

“Where ya headed, Miz McKnight?”

Speak of the devil, Adrianna thought when she heard Rocky’s drawling voice behind her. She pasted on a pleasant smile, then pivoted to face the blond-haired, blue-eyed foreman. “I’m going to ride out and check the herds.”

“Want some company?”

“Thanks for the offer, but I’ll be fine.” She tossed him a casual smile that concealed her wary suspicion.

“Sure was a good party you hosted for Rosa and Lucas.” He glanced toward the charred remains of her new house addition. “Too bad that fire spoiled the evening.”

Adrianna tried to recall if she had seen Rocky in town before he had showed up to help douse the fire. To be honest, she had been so busy with party arrangements and meeting new acquaintances that she couldn’t recall seeing Rocky or any other cowhands from her ranch. She didn’t know who’d had the night off and who had remained behind.

She wondered if she was suffering paranoia, wondered if she could trust anyone but Cahill and her adopted family. With all that was going on, she was mistrustful of everyone because she didn’t know who was out to get her and Cahill—and why.

Adrianna rode off to see if other cattle had been corralled in the box canyon where she and Rock had found part of the stolen herd.

Several hours later, Adrianna returned to 4C, disappointed that her extended ride had turned up nothing. She still didn’t know who on her ranch favored the horse she had commandeered from Quin’s bunkhouse. But she was going to keep a watchful eye, she vowed. That horse had been out of place. Rocky could have ridden over to visit his former coworkers at 4C, she supposed, but she wasn’t going to fire out questions to make hired hands cautious until she acquired more facts.

Nevertheless, she had the niggling feeling something was going on behind the scenes at both ranches. She would be discreet, but she was going to track down the rustlers, arsonists and murderers—somehow or other.

Leaving Buckshot for Skeeter Gregory, Quin’s right-hand man, to unsaddle, she headed for the house. The scent of Elda’s delicious meal met her at the front door, reminding her that she had skipped lunch. She was on her way to the kitchen when Butler flagged her down and directed her into Quin’s office.

“Is he back yet?” she asked hopefully. He hadn’t been gone a full day and she missed him terribly.

Butler shook his head. “No, but Marshal Hobbs was here earlier. He wanted to see the note Quin received from the supposed informant.”

“Did Hobbs take it with him as evidence?”

“No, because I didn’t give it to him.” Butler pulled the missive from the pocket of his vest.

Adrianna frowned, bemused. “Why not?”

“Because this is the only conclusive evidence we have that Cahill was lured to Phantom Springs,” he replied. “We are keeping it, in case we have to consult a lawyer to defend Cahill in court.”

Adrianna walked over to give Butler a hug. “You are brilliant, Hiram. Thank you.”

He hugged her back. “You do not pay me to be stupid…but I have to ask if you’d prefer to be rid of Cahill.”

She reared back in his arms to meet his searching hazel-eyed gaze. She had the inescapable feeling Butler knew she had become intimate with Cahill. He was asking the silent question about whether Quin was like the annoying, unwanted suitors from her past.

Feeling awkward and embarrassed, she stared at the air over his left shoulder. “I like Cahill the way you like Beatrice,” she admitted quietly.

Butler nodded somberly. “I thought so. But you should know that if he hurts you, he will pay dearly.”

She chuckled. “Elda will poison his food?”

Butler grinned. “For starters. Then Bea will wallop him a few times with her broom and dustpan and I will doctor his financial ledgers to make him look corrupt. The scandal circulating now will be child’s play in comparison.”

“If he isn’t home by bedtime I’m barnstorming the marshal’s office first thing in the morning,” she insisted on the way to the dining room. “I’m taking that note as evidence but I won’t turn it over to Hobbs. Smoking gun aside, Cahill wouldn’t shoot a man in the back and I know it. I suspect one of the three men at the springs set him up. I will refuse to leave the office until Hobbs agrees with my conclusions.”

Butler snickered. “I pity the marshal. He’ll likely release Cahill, if only to get you out of his