invitation, not mine. And I couldn’t think of a polite way to refuse, since I had initiated the request in the first place.
“Fine,” I agreed lamely, and Cass slammed the door behind her as she went in.
Harper mounted the steps and stood next to me on the porch. He wore a denim Western-style work shirt that had once been deep indigo and was now soft and faded into a pastel blue. It made his eyes even bluer and showed off the tanned column of his throat. A huge oval buckle gleamed on his belt, heavy silver embossed with a gold shield and letters. I couldn’t read it because I didn’t want to be rude or obvious, but I recalled his mention of competing in rodeos the night before and wondered if the buckle was a trophy. Cass wore a similar one.
“After breakfast?” he repeated. “Or have you got something else planned?”
“I said it was fine.” I thrust the vest at him. “Here. I forgot to give it back to you last night.”
He took it. “So you did.”
I stuffed my hands into tight jean pockets and lifted my chin to challenge him. “What will you tell Nathan about my cabin being searched? Or will you tell him?”
He smiled briefly and opened the screen door for me. “I told him your lock got broken. ”
“You lied to him?” Somehow it incriminated him further.
He shrugged and followed me in. “I took a crowbar to it a couple of minutes ago.”
“Harper!”
He nearly tripped over me as I stopped dead. “I just made sure the catch doesn’t work,” he explained dryly. “So now we need a locksmith out to replace the whole shebang. I thought it was easier than concocting a story.” He started to walk around me.
I stared at him consideringly. “Somehow,” I began finally, “I think if you really wanted to get into my cabin, a new lock would never stop you.”
“You’re absolutely right.” He tipped his hat dismissively and went ahead of me into the dining room.
After breakfast I met Harper down by the tack room. He handed me the reins to a saddled palomino mare and told me to mount. “Her name’s Hornet. Mostly she’s got a good walk.”
I smiled at him. “I have ridden before. Alone, in a saddle. And at a faster pace.”
He sighed and resettled his hat. “That wasn’t what I meant. Quit putting words in my mouth. You’ll see what I’m talking about when you ride her.”
“Then let’s go.”
He shook his head and turned away, untying Sunny from the hitching rail. As he turned the horse I saw a rifle in its scabbard hanging from the saddle.
He was right about Hornet. I saw instantly why people treasured a good walking horse. Harper hadn’t concluded I couldn’t ride; he had meant me to have a horse who could stretch out and cover the miles effortlessly, comfortably. I very nearly apologized.
He took me up into the trees, following a twisting trail full of switchbacks. Patches of snow lay under clustered branches, melting into the trail and forming tiny streamlets. I found myself lulled into a sense of well-being as we climbed higher into the Peaks, and hardly thought about the consequences of my questions. I was just making conversation.
“Why did you buy into the ranch?”
Harper, ahead of me on the trail, stiffened perceptibly. Then he twisted in the saddle to scowl at me. “Are we back to that?”
I shrugged. “You must have been a good cowboy if you nearly won the-what was it?—All-Around title?” I saw the nod. “Did your injuries force you to give up the rodeo for Smoketree? You don’t really seem the type to enjoy hustling dudes.”
His back was to me again. After a long moment he said something, but he said it to Sunny’s ears and I couldn’t hear anything except a muttered comment. I reminded him I was behind him, not ahead of him, and he twisted around once again. There was color in his lean face. “It’s my business.”
“And it all sounds very suspicious.” I smiled at him. “Look out for that branch.”
He swung around just in time to have the branch swipe the hat right off his head. Cursing softly, Harper pulled up and started to step off Sunny. The hat rolled down to Hornet, who instantly stopped and dropped her head to inspect it.
I dismounted, captured the wayward hat and walked up the trail with Hornet following.
Harper accepted it and carefully brushed away the dirt and pine needles. I grinned up