“What kind of fertilizer?”
I didn’t see why it mattered what kind of fertilizer, but I didn’t have a problem sharing the information I knew. All I wanted was to get Scamp back up to the house so I could check him over. “It’s nitrogen based. Dusty usually injects it into the soil before planting, then follows up again with another treatment. We use it mainly for the wheat and barley. It’s cost effective and works well, but it’s a pain to handle.”
“I think we might have just figured out why the Savage Bones have taken a special interest in your ranch.” Thunder snapped his knife closed and stood.
“I don’t get it. What are you talking about?” I sank my hand into Scamp’s thick fur at the back of his neck. The more I tried to distract myself from thinking about the Savage Bones, the more the images of Ellie played through my head. My stomach rolled as I remembered stepping out onto the porch and seeing what they’d done to her.
“They’re making meth. If they want to be able to produce any kind of quantity, they’re going to need supplies.”
I put my hand to my forehead, suddenly feeling a little claustrophobic in the shed. “The fertilizer. That’s what they were after. But why kill Ellie if they got what they wanted?”
“That’s what we’re going to find out.” Thunder led me back into the sunlight, and I gulped in a breath of fresh air. “Let’s take the dog back to the house and get Dusty on the phone. I think he knows more than he’s been letting on.”
CHAPTER5
THUNDER
“That went about as wellas trying to start a fire during a thunderstorm.” I shook my head as I pulled into a spot in front of the café. Ashley and I had spent a half hour trying to get some information out of Dusty, but as much as we pressed, he didn’t give us anything useful except to say he’d already done the first application of fertilizer and was waiting for another shipment to be delivered.
“He told us everything he knows.” She pushed the passenger door open before I brought the truck to a full stop, obviously eager to get as far away from me as quickly as possible.
I rounded the front of the truck and met her on the sidewalk. “He’s holding something back. I can tell.”
“What reason would he have to lie?” She looked up at me with dark circles under her eyes. The stress was getting to her, and I wasn’t any closer to making things better.
I didn’t have an answer to her question, but something didn’t sit right with me about the ranch hand. His concern for Ashley and her grandmother seemed genuine enough, and he’d promised to get the dog over to the vet clinic so Everly could remove the rest of that damn tape and make sure we hadn’t overlooked any injuries. Still, he knew more than he was letting on. I’d bet my championship rings on it.
“I’m already late for my shift. I need to get going.” Ashley turned toward the door.
I reached it first and held it open for her. “Figure I may as well grab a bite to eat and some fresh coffee, since I’ll be sticking around town for a bit.”
“Don’t you think you should get some rest?” Her eyes softened. “You won’t be able to save Mustang Mountain if you can’t keep your eyes open.”
“I can sleep when I’m dead.” And that moment would be coming sooner rather than later if we didn’t get a handle on the havoc Savage Bones members were wreaking all over town.
“Sit anywhere. I’ll bring you some coffee once I lock up my purse and clock in.” Ashley made a beeline toward the back.
I watched her go and cursed myself for not being able to tear my gaze away from the sway of her wide hips until she disappeared from sight. Sliding onto a bench seat at a table in front of the windows, I let out a long breath. I was too damn old for her and needed to stop torturing myself by wishing for things that weren’t meant to be mine.
When she’d wrapped her arm around my neck and pressed her curves against me this morning, I would have given anything to be the kind of man who could have taken her up on her offer. But a quick roll on the kitchen counter wasn’t what I wanted from Ashley. I wanted more from her than I deserved, and a hell of a lot more than she would ever be willing to give an old man like me.
The café was busy. I nodded at a few familiar faces while I waited for my coffee. A server walked by with a tray full of food for the table next to mine. The scent of bacon and biscuits made my stomach grumble.
“Here you go.” Ashley slid a mug full of steaming black coffee onto the table in front of me. “What can I bring you for breakfast? Special of the day is a Denver omelet with hash browns and a huckleberry jam biscuit on the side.”
“Sounds delicious.” I leaned against the back of the booth and picked up my mug.
“You’re easy this morning.” Her gaze shot up to briefly meet mine. “I mean easy about making a decision on breakfast. Can I bring you anything else?”
“That’s probably the first time anyone’s ever referred to me as being easy about anything,” I teased.
She offered a tentative smile in return. “I’ll put this in right away. Just holler if you need more coffee.”
I’d be needing a lot more coffee if I planned to stay awake for the next several hours. While I waited for my breakfast, I scanned the faces inside the café, constantly on the alert for anyone or anything that looked out of place.
Orville, the town mayor, sat a few tables over. He always preferred holding open office hours over breakfast at his favorite table at the café. I didn’t recognize two of the men with him, but the third was one of the old-time ranchers who had a couple hundred acres west of town.
The crowd this morning was a mix of older folks meeting up for their daily dose of gossip and younger folks trying to fit in a quick breakfast before dropping kids off at school and heading into work. I waved back to Sage and his son as they passed by on their way to the front door.
