After several minutes of everyone expressing their relief at her return and then saying good evening, Jolie and Cade were on their way home.
She didn’t miss Mr. Bennett eying them from the stable door as they left, or Hannah coming to his side and taking his hand. Surely Hannah wouldn’t be . . .No. Jolie shook her head. The entire thing was so preposterous she almost didn’t believe it herself.
But the evidence said otherwise.
“Are you going to tell me what all of those theatrics were about?” Cade said as soon as they’d put some distance between themselves and the Sawyer ranch.
Jolie cringed at his description even as she reveled in the fact that he’d not only worried about her when she couldn’t be found, but that he’d also decided to speak to her again.
She turned until she was facing him. His dark hair, trapped by his hat, brushed against his temples when the wind blew, and he held his strong jaw tightly closed. He was so unabashedly handsome that just looking at him made her mouth go dry.
But she had to set those thoughts aside for now, along with the ones that feared he might never forgive her. There was something of the utmost importance that she had to tell him.
“I need you to listen to all that I have to say,” she started.
He sliced a gaze toward her before turning his attention back to the dark road. “When do I not?”
“Rather frequently, I think. You have a terrible habit of interrupting me when I speak if it’s something you prefer not to hear.”
His jaw went tighter at that, but he didn’t deny it. Instead, he nodded quickly and said, “Go ahead.”
“The last time we visited Mr. Sawyer’s ranch, I found a handkerchief on a shelf in the kitchen.” Jolie gripped the edges of the bench seat, trying to convey the seriousness of her findings through the tone of her voice. “I didn’t tell you this, because I thought it meant nothing at the time, but I found a man’s handkerchief by the creek behind our property. It had the same pattern embroidered as the one at Mr. Sawyer’s. I mentioned the fine work of the embroidery to Mrs. Bennett, and she said she’d made it herself for her husband.” Jolie paused and a took a breath before continuing.
“I figured one of the men had lost it while working one day, and it had blown down to the creek. But then tonight, I saw a long black coat hanging by the back door. The man I saw the other night—and the one who was on horseback a while ago—both wore a black coat.”
Cade fixed her with a look of steel. “Are you accusing Sawyer of sneaking about our property?”
“I’m not, and if you’ll let me continue, I’ll reveal the rest of my thoughts,” she said with a sharp edge.
“All right. Continue.” The irritation hadn’t disappeared from his voice, but she refused to be cowed. Not this time. He would hear this whether he wanted to or not.
“When I saw that coat, I knew I needed to go to the stable. And that’s where you found me. But not before I discovered one very important fact.” She paused to ensure he was listening. “There is a white horse in Mr. Sawyer’s stable.”
“No,” Cade said immediately, shaking his head. “I refuse to believe that you’re saying Sawyer—a neighbor who has been nothing but kind to us—is behind Lucas’s death. Because thatiswhat you’re saying, right?”
“I don’t know,” she said. “But if he is, I don’t think he was the one who was responsible for the act.”
“Then who are you accusing?” Cade caught her eyes with his, demanding an answer.
“Mr. Bennett.”
The name hung in the air, and then Cade laughed.
Jolie frowned. “I don’t understand what’s so funny.”
“Bennett? The man barely speaks, and you’re thinking he killed my brother in cold blood?”
Jolie pressed her lips together, her annoyance building inside. “Yes, I am. I didn’t know for certain until I saw his face tonight. The man I saw the other evening had a dark beard. Mr. Bennett has nearly black hair, and he’d recently shaved. I could tell from the cuts on his chin. He’s the one who’s been lurking around our home. It was his handkerchief, his white horse, and he killed Lucas.”
She spoke with such certainty that she knew there was no way Cade could deny her reasoning.
He was quiet for a moment, and she thought that perhaps she’d finally convinced him. He would agree, get the sheriff, and Mr. Bennett would be arrested and tried for Lucas’s murder. Cade’s brother would finally receive justice, and that would help Cade move through his grief.
But instead of agreeing with her or suggesting they go for the sheriff immediately, he stopped the horse right in front of their house. “Why?”
“What do you mean?”
“Whywould Bennett kill my brother? He must have had a reason, right?”
