“Funny thing,” he continues, taking a step closer. “I had three different calls about trucks heading this direction around midnight. Kinda like y’all’s trucks, from the sound of it. Said they saw cattle on them.”
I shrug, fighting to keep my breathing even. “Sounds like a good night for whoever those cattle belonged to.”
“Mmm.” Noah’s gaze flicks to Aubree, then back to me. “You mind if I take a look around? Just to be thorough.”
Every instinct I have screams at me to say no, but that would be as good as an admission of guilt. Instead, I gesture toward the barn. “Help yourself. Though I’m not sure what you’re expecting to find.”
He starts walking through the barn, his trained eyes taking in every detail. I watch him carefully, knowing that any sign ofnervousness could give us away. Beside me, Aubree has gone perfectly still, and I can feel the tension radiating off her in waves.
Noah stops at one of the empty stalls, running his hand along the wood. “This one looks like it’s been cleaned recently.”
“We clean all the stalls regularly,” I say. “Part of running a proper operation.”
“Of course.” He continues his inspection, checking corners and shadows like he’s looking for something specific. When he reaches the far end of the barn, he pauses at the large doors that lead to the back pastures.
“Those tire tracks out there look pretty fresh,” he observes.
“Feed truck was here yesterday afternoon,” I lie smoothly. “Had to back all the way up to get the hay unloaded. When she was in town the other day”—I nod to Aubree—“she only got part of our order.”
Noah turns back to face me, and there’s something in his expression that makes my blood run cold. He knows. Maybe he can’t prove it yet, but he knows we were involved in whatever went down last night.
“You know, Jesse, I’ve been a sheriff’s deputy in this county for going on five years now. In that time, I’ve learned to trust my instincts. And right now, they’re telling me that you and your brothers might want to stay close to town for the next few days.”
The warning is clear, even if he’s couching it in friendly terms. “And why would we want to do that?”
“Oh, just in case there are questions that need answering. Questions that folks might not be prepared for if they’re caught off guard.” His smile doesn’t reach his eyes. “You understand.”
I meet his gaze steadily, calling on every ounce of control I possess. “Can’t imagine what questions those would be, Noah. We’re not hiding anything here.”
“I’m sure you’re not,” he says, but the tone suggests otherwise. “Still, might be smart to keep your schedule flexible. You never know when duty might call.”
He tips his hat again to Aubree, who has remained silent through the entire exchange. “Miss Aubree, always a pleasure. Take care of yourself.”
With that, he turns and walks back toward the front of the barn, his footsteps echoing in the sudden silence. I wait until I hear his truck start and pull away before I allow myself to breathe again.
“Fuck,” I mutter, running both hands through my hair. “That was too close.”
Aubree moves to my side, her face pale. “He knows, doesn’t he?”
“He suspects. There’s a difference, but not much of one.” I pull her against me, needing to feel her warmth to counteract the cold dread spreading through my chest. “We need to be careful. More careful than we’ve ever been.”
“What does this mean for us? For Truett?”
I wish I had a good answer for her, but the truth is, I don’t know. Noah Sanchez is like a dog with a bone when he gets his teeth into something, and he’s clearly gotten his teeth into this. The fact that he knows about Truett’s injury means someone saw something, and that’s never a good sign.
“It means we stick to our story, and we don’t give him any reason to dig deeper,” I say, trying to sound more confident than I feel. “As long as we’re smart about this, we’ll be fine.”
But even as I say the words, I’m not sure I believe them. The way Noah looked at me, the careful phrasing of his warning, it all points to trouble ahead. Big trouble.
I think about the trucks and trailers that Devlin is hopefully moving to the northeast pasture right now. About the evidence that might still be scattered around the property. About Truett,lying unconscious in the house, unable to back up whatever story we decide to tell.
“Jesse?” Aubree’s voice pulls me out of my spiraling thoughts. “You’re scaring me.”
I look down at her, at the worry written across her beautiful face, and I make a decision. Whatever happens next, I’m going to protect her, even if it means sacrificing everything else.
“Come here,” I say, pulling her fully into my arms. She melts against me, and for a moment, the fear recedes. “We’re going to get through this. All of us.”
“Promise me,” she whispers against my chest.
