out, girl.” Will slipped into the driver’s seat and started the engine. “You’ve been through a hell of a time, and you’re worn to a frazzle. You’re a strong woman—I’ve seen it and I know. But you don’t have to be strong twenty-four hours a day.”
Little by little, Lauren brought herself under control. “Thanks, Will. It’s just, seeing Sky like that, helpless and in pain . . .” She drew a long, tight breath. “Yesterday I didn’t know if I could do this. I almost left.”
“But you didn’t.”
“No, I didn’t. And today he’s doing better. But I was so scared! I never want to be that scared again!”
“Sky needs you, you know,” Will said. “He’s a tough man, and too proud for his own good, but I don’t think he could make it through this time without you.”
“I understand,” Lauren said. “But that’s not the reason I decided to stay. I stayed because I realized how much I needed him.”
“Then all I can say is, he’s a damned lucky man.”
Will lapsed into silence, thinking about Tori—all the times she’d needed him, when he hadn’t been there for her. That last time, when he’d raged at her over the phone, he’d actually been furious at himself for letting her down and leaving her open to another man’s attentions. Hell, he’d known she didn’t care about Garn Prescott. He’d known she wasn’t having an affair. But between the stress of his father’s illness and the fear of losing her, he’d just plain lost it. And that had been the end of everything.
Now there was a new man in her life—the sort of fellow who drove a sedan and wore cashmere sweaters and wingtips. Steady and stable, Drew Middleton was probably just what Tori thought she wanted. All Will’s instincts urged him to stand up and fight for her. But he had nothing left to fight with. Even without the specter of prison hanging over him, he was flat on his back financially, and on the verge of losing the ranch. He had nothing to offer any woman, let alone a classy lady like Tori.
“You know who was responsible for setting that fire, don’t you?” Lauren asked, changing the subject.
“I’ve got a pretty good idea. But no way to prove it.”
“No more than I’ve got a way to prove Stella ruined my father, or that she tried to have his car rammed, and almost killed me by mistake. She’s an evil monster, Will. There’s got to be a way to bring her down.”
She shifted in the seat, turning toward him. “I asked Sky if he’d seen Ralph inside the barn. He said no, but he’d noticed that some of the stall gates were already unbolted. People are saying Ralph was a hero. But what if he’d been paid to set the fire, and on his way out of the barn, he decided to give the horses a chance to get out—or make himself look like a hero—and then something went wrong, and he didn’t make it out?”
“It makes a good story,” Will said. “But with Ralph dead and the barn burned to ashes, we may never know for sure. For all we know, he could’ve seen the fire, run in to help, and passed out from the smoke. The coroner’s report should tell us something.”
“But you’d given the men the afternoon off. Why wasn’t he home? And what about that old truck of his? Why didn’t he drive it to the barn, unless he didn’t want to be seen? Maybe if we looked inside—”
“The truck’s gone,” Will said. “When I drove by the bungalow this morning, it wasn’t there. I’m guessing maybe the sheriff or his deputies impounded it.”
“The sheriff—that’s another thing,” Lauren persisted. “What if he’s on Stella’s payroll, or at least owes her a few favors? That could explain a lot, especially about the way he’s treated you.”
Will shook his head. “Nobody puts much stock in Abner as a sheriff. But does that mean he’s crooked? Like I say, there’s no proof. For now, all we can do is rebuild and move on.”
Lauren sighed, shifted in the seat again, and sank into silence. Will had to admit her ideas made sense. But he was already dealing with more than he could handle. Somebody else would have to play detective.
He found himself wondering if Lauren had done anything about the transfer of the canyon land. She’d mentioned that she wanted to explore it first, but she and Erin had already spent time