The Lone Rancher - By Carol Finch Page 0,82
K. What are your feelings for Quin?”
“Oh, by the way,” Adrianna said, avoiding the topic and the direct stare, “Hiram and Beatrice plan to marry. I’m letting them use my house. I wonder if I might take your offer to camp out in your apartment until I can build a home for myself.”
“You and Elda?” she questioned curiously.
“Elda delights in working for Cahill. He’s in love with her gourmet cooking.” But not with me, she tacked on silently.
“You can use the apartment as much as you want because I’ve been closing up early and riding home before dark,” Rosa informed her. “Besides, we should be in our new house soon.”
“Thanks, Cuz, now that we have the robberies and fires under control, perhaps I’ll have more free time to visit you and Lucas. Also, I’d like to purchase some of his colts.”
“I’m sure he’s agreeable. We’ll schedule an evening visit next week…and you can bring Quin.”
“I don’t need a matchmaker,” she complained as Rosa toted the bolt of fabric to the workroom.
“Luckily, you get a matchmaker and dress designer all rolled into one,” she said cheerily, then winked. “Have a nice day, Addie K.”
Chapter Fourteen
After concluding business in town, Adrianna headed home. She had several duties to tend to before she circled back to the 4C to meet Cahill. He had taken Rocky with him to recover the cattle Ezra and Chester had stashed in the ravine to the north. They planned to check for other livestock that might have been penned up by the thieves.
She nudged Buckshot into a faster clip and her thoughts drifted back to the two traitorous cowboys undermining both ranches. Something sinister was going on here, she mused. Talk of robbery and involuntary manslaughter in Ruby and Earl’s wagon wreck disturbed her. Setting Cahill up for murder annoyed her. She wanted answers but none were forthcoming.
According to Ezra and Chester—if they were to be believed, and how much was a thief’s word worth?—they weren’t involved in the Phantom Springs murder and the wagon wreck. What the blazes was going on and who was responsible? Were there two gangs of criminals lurking about, taking advantage of each other’s illegal activities?
Her curiosity was aroused and Quin was in turmoil. She wanted to do all within her power to make his life easier by solving the mystery—quickly.
Her thoughts scattered when she reached home to see Butler standing on the porch, staring into the distance. She frowned warily as she dismounted. “Is there a problem?”
“No more than usual,” he replied with a shrug. “I was just thinking about the two men you and Cahill put in jail. I remembered seeing the saddle horse you described. That Ezra character has been here several times this month. I guess I was too busy settling in to realize the man didn’t belong here.”
“Not your fault.” She entered the house that still held the faint scent of smoke. “Those hooligans were operating in the area before we arrived. We were fortunate to make the connection.”
“You wouldn’t have if you hadn’t sneaked out to follow Cahill after you were ordered to stay home under guard,” he said darkly.
She flashed an undaunted grin. “I was lucky to see the two horses outside the bunkhouse and to realize there were four men conspiring to extort money from Cahill.”
He followed her into the office, grumbling. “Still, you could have been hurt.”
She shrugged off his concern as she squatted down to open the safe. “Everything turned out fine, except for the stitches in Cahill’s head.”
“And don’t forget his stint in jail,” Butler didn’t fail to point out.
Adrianna wrinkled her nose at the reminder. “Dealing with that by-the-book marshal didn’t help. At least he didn’t put up a fuss when we brought in Ezra and Chester. But I don’t think he likes me much.”
Butler smirked behind her. “He might be nicer to you if he knew exactly how much money you’re worth. Most men are.”
He was right, she mused as she grabbed several stacks of banknotes. “After I pay the men’s wages, I’m taking Elda back to Cahill’s. That’s where she wants to be. I’ll be home later tonight. But I plan to stay at Rosa’s apartment in town tomorrow. You and Bea can have this place to yourselves.”
“You’re too good to us,” Butler murmured, then got all choked up. “For what it’s worth, I tried to convince your father that he could never mold you into the genteel, soft-spoken woman your mother was. But he was determined to create