deceiving.”
“Tell me about it.” He studied her quietly at her front door, his head tilted to one side, his eyes hidden under the wide brim of his hat. “This was fun.”
“It really was,” she agreed. She was hurting rather badly, but she didn’t show it. She didn’t want pity from this man. “Thanks.”
He shrugged. “We might do it again one day.”
That was disappointing, because he sounded as if he was putting her off. She just smiled. She had cold feet, too. “That would be nice.”
“Well,” he said, not moving closer. “Good night. I’ll let you get back to your pain medication. I expect you’re hurting.”
She swallowed. “Quite a lot, I’m afraid. It was worth the pain. I loved dancing in the surf,” she added softly.
“I enjoyed it all.”
She smiled up at him. “Then good night.”
She hesitated for just a second, but he didn’t come a step closer. She unlocked her door and went inside.
He stood on her porch, his emotions in turmoil, his mind whirling. He’d wanted to kiss her good-night. So why hadn’t he?
Because he didn’t trust her. She could be the reticent woman he’d squired around tonight, or she could be putting on an act. Had her husband really been brutal to her, or was she not telling the truth about him? Suppose she’d fallen accidentally, as her ex-husband had claimed, and she’d had him sent to jail out of spite, or distaste, or for some other reason?
He didn’t know her. She seemed to be a lot of things that appealed to him, but he was wary of traps. He’d had his adventures with women who seemed like one thing and were actually something much worse.
He turned and went back to the waiting limousine. Maybe he’d take her out again one day. Or maybe he wouldn’t. Just as he got into the car, he noticed her new foreman loping up onto the front porch and knocking on the door.
He saw Ida smile at the man as she opened it and let him in. It closed behind them.
Jake told the driver to go on. He felt angry. She was having a visitor at this hour, behind closed doors. The man, her so-called bodyguard, was handsome and well built. She’d welcomed him, although supposedly in great pain with her hip.
He laughed coldly to himself. He was certain that he never wanted to see Ida again.
CHAPTER SIX
“WHAT’S GOING ON?” Ida asked Laredo as she closed the front door behind him.
“We’ve had a break-in,” he told her quietly. “Somebody got past the security cameras and beat one of the horses. He’s got deep cuts on his flanks, just like Gold.”
“Again?” she exclaimed. “Which horse?” she added in horror.
“The one you call Rory,” he replied. “The saddle horse.”
She was sorry about Rory, but she was fondest of Gold and Silver, and she felt guilty at being relieved that it wasn’t Silver.
“What have you done about it?” she asked.
“Had the vet come out,” he said. “I figured that’s what you’d want me to do.”
“Of course,” she said. She bit her lower lip. “Did you call Sheriff Banks?” she added.
He looked faintly irritated. “No.”
“Well, do it,” she said angrily. “Bailey isn’t getting away with this! If there’s evidence that points to him, the sheriff is the obvious one to look for it. He has an investigator. Ask him to bring the man with him.”
“I’ll do that,” he said.
“Two horses with injuries within a month,” she said, her eyes blazing with anger. “I want security cameras everywhere. I don’t care what it costs! Get some of those trail cameras that hunters use. They’re Wi-Fi capable and they record everything. Make sure they have Wi-Fi and color and night vision.”
“Okay,” he said.
“Damn,” she bit off. “Any man who’d hurt a helpless animal should be put on the rack!”
“Wrong century,” he pointed out.
She glared at him. “Jail, then, and for years.”
He shrugged. “Some men don’t like animals.”
“Yes, but on this ranch, nobody is going to injure one. Get busy.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said in his lazy drawl. “I’ll get right on it.”
He went out the door and Ida cursed until she ran out of bad words. It wasn’t until she’d gone to bed that she realized Jake had still been sitting in the yard in his limousine when she let Laredo into the house.
She groaned inwardly. That was going to look bad. The bodyguard was well built and handsome, and Jake already didn’t quite trust her. What had he thought? If he thought Ida had something going with Laredo,