“You were doing forty in a thirty-five,” he says, examining my license with unnecessary thoroughness. “A little fast for these roads, especially with night coming on.”
Five miles over. He pulled me over for going five miles over the speed limit. We both know this isn’t about my driving. What a fucking asshole.
“I’ll be more careful,” I say, keeping my tone neutral. No point in antagonizing him and making more trouble for myself. I’ve never actually been pulled over before, so this makes me more nervous than I care to admit.
He hands back my license but keeps the registration. “This vehicle is registered to Devlin Nelson.”
It’s not a question, but I answer anyway. “He bought it for me after my car broke down.” That’s the simplest way to explain the situation.
“That’s mighty generous,” Noah says, something unreadable flickering across his face. “Must be nice, having someone who can afford gifts like that.”
I say nothing, waiting for him to get to the point.
“You know,” he continues, leaning down so his face is level with mine. “I’ve been looking into the Nelson brothers and their friend Truett. Interesting trio. All of them struggling with their ranches for years, barely keeping afloat. Then suddenly, they’ve got money. New equipment, repairs on both the main house, fancy cars for their girlfriends.”
This isn’t a fucking fancy car, and he knows it.
“Deputy—”
“And at the same time,” he talks over me. “We’ve had a rash of cattle rustling across three counties. Small numbers, different brands, but it adds up. Almost like someone’s been careful not to take too much from any one place.”
My mouth goes dry. Cattle rustling? “I don’t know anything about that.”
“No?” He straightens up, towering over me. “Well, maybe you should ask your boyfriend where all his sudden wealth came from. Because I’m telling you, Miss Walsh, those men areheaded for trouble, and anyone standing too close when it all comes down is going to get burned.”
I grip the steering wheel tighter, trying to keep my voice steady. I have no idea what he means by sudden wealth. All I can tell from looking around at the ranch is that it looks like they’re coming out of a bad spot. But at the same time, Devlin is ex-military, which means he’s probably getting paid by them every month, along with the money he makes at the ranch. But I don’t know, because I never asked. “Are you going to give me a ticket, Deputy? Or is this just a courtesy warning about my speed?”
His lips thin into a tight line. “Warning this time,” he says finally. “But you be careful out there, Miss Walsh. Roads like these, things can happen.”
The implied threat hangs in the air between us. He hands back my registration and takes a step back from the car.
Just as he does, another vehicle pulls up behind his patrol car, its headlights cutting through the growing darkness. Noah turns, his hand automatically going to his holster before relaxing when he recognizes the driver emerging from the pickup truck.
My blood runs cold as I recognize him too. Richard Morrison, the oldest of the Morrison brothers, whose family owns one of the bigger ranches in the county. He’s a big man with cold eyes, and he’s looking right at me before turning his attention to Noah.
“Everything all right here, Deputy?” Morrison calls out, his voice carrying on the cold air. “Saw your lights and thought I’d check.”
“Just a routine stop, Mr. Morrison,” Noah answers, his tone suddenly deferential. “All wrapped up now.”
Morrison nods, his gaze shifting back to me for a beat too long before returning to Noah. “Good to hear. Say, why don’t you stop by the ranch later? Got some concerns about trespassers I’dlike to discuss. Maybe something to do with the people who stole our cattle.”
“Will do, sir,” Noah responds.
The exchange is brief, seemingly innocent, but something about it sends a chill through me that has nothing to do with the cold. The way Morrison looked at me, like he was committing my face to memory. The way Noah’s whole demeanor changed in his presence.
I roll up my window as Noah heads back to his patrol car, not waiting for him to dismiss me. In my mirror, I watch as Morrison says something else to Noah, too low for me to hear, both of them glancing in my direction.
As soon as Noah’s lights go off, I pull back onto the road, my hands shaking slightly on the wheel. I don’t relax until both their vehicles are out of sight in my rearview mirror.
My mind is racing. Everything that just happened plays over and over again.
If what Noah is suggesting is true…if Devlin, Jesse, and Truett have been stealing cattle.
No. I can’t believe that. I won’t believe it. There has to be another explanation.
But I need to tell Devlin about this encounter. About Morrison showing up, about the way he looked at me. Whatever’s going on, I need to know that I’m not walking blindly into something that could blow up in my face.
The rest of the drive to the cabin passes in a blur of anxiety and questions. By the time I pull up at Devlin’s place, my nerves are stretched thin. I love this man, even if I haven’t said the words out loud yet, and I trust him. But that doesn’t mean I don’t deserve the truth.
