He pressed his hand to her chest, seeking the reassuring thrum of her strong heartbeat. Tucking his head into the crook of her neck, he inhaled a slow breath.
“I don’t know if I’m good company tonight,” he murmured.
The press of her cheek against his made him ache for the simplicity of how life was a day before, that morning, even. They were on the cusp of something wonderful, then thrown into complete chaos.
“You don’t have to be anything for me,” she whispered, pulling him off her shoulder and holding his face in her cupped hands. “Let me take care of you.”
A little nod was the best he could muster before hiding his face and surrendering to the comfort of her arms. He had work to do. Animals that needed to be cared for and watched for signs of stress. Staff members who needed to be updated on the situation and comforted. He didn’t have time to sit and cry. He barely had time to breathe or process the gravity of what had just happened. Lifting his head, he pressed a soft kiss on Colette’s lips and walked to grab a coat from the closet. He took her coat, which was draped on the sofa, and handed it to her.
“I’ve got to check on the animals and the staff and figure out what needs to be done. I’m sure everyone is worried, and wehave horses and cattle depending on us. I would feel better if I got to work.”
Colette nodded, slipping her arms in her coat. “I’ll go to my place and wait for you?” she said, following on his heels as they headed toward the door.
Marshall walked in the direction of the guest house. With a quick step, Colette was behind him, reaching for his hand.
“I’m going to make sure everyone is okay. It’s hard to know how long it will take,” he said with a frown.
They reached her little house, and she turned, eyes studying him carefully.
“Come see me when you’re done, regardless of what time it is,” she said. The step helped bring her face-to-face with Marshall, their height difference no longer as evident as when they stood on equal ground. He curled his fingers in her hair and kissed her, attempting to draw strength from whatever magic she brought to his life at such a dark time. He hardly felt worthy of the tingles, the warmth, and the trust she gave him.
He pulled away from the kiss, a chill seeping into his flesh.
What if his friend was murdered? What if it was related to all the strange occurrences happening on the ranch lately? Marshall curled his hands into a fist as he pulled them away from Colette, a fresh fear blooming in his gut.
“Lock your doors when you get in,” he said in a gruff voice, watching her confused face. Her brows knit in bewilderment.
She gave a soft chuckle. “I thought you never locked your doors around here.”
“Welcome to the future of Rosebud Ranch,” he said softly, and she shivered noticeably. “Where we lock our doors and take extra safety precautions. I want to be careful until we know what happened.”
Colette bobbed her head in agreement, her mouth tilting up on one side as she glanced at him before entering the house.
He hoped she would listen to him this time and lock her doors. Lord knew she never closed the curtains like he asked her to. The lights came on in the house and Marshall listened for the reassuringthunkof the lock in the door. When he heard it, his shoulders dropped a smidge, and he headed to the stables with a determined stride.
He wouldn’t be satisfied until he knew what was going on.
Colette needed to be kept safe, as well as everyone on Rosebud Ranch.
A possible killer was walking among them.
CHAPTER 32
Sleep was elusive as the events of the previous day replayed themselves in her mind all night. Colette’s heart raced at the implications of the words Marshall had spoken.
No one was safe until they knew this death was an accident.
Of course it was an accident or an unfortunate death of natural causes.
Murders happened in the city. From what she had gleaned from her various cop shows and movies, it was usually someone you knew who committed the crime. Turning beneath the duvet, Colette stared out the window at the early morning sky filled with stars. Anyone who knew Jack loved him. It didn’t make sense that one of the amazing people on the ranch would suddenly become a murderer. The employees at Rosebud Ranch worked hard. They helped each other and had a special camaraderie that could only be borne of working together for years.
As an outsider, Colette could immediately observe how Jack was a role model and inspiration for everyone, including Marshall. Only sweet words were spoken of his wife Edith. Through her talks with Jack, Colette discovered his wife was battling cancer and stayed close to home most of the time. Sheventured into town to visit with her friends regularly, which was when Colette had had to opportunity to meet her. Jack and Edith lived on another house on the property, the original farmhouse, which was a small two story home closer to Lost Creek Ranch, owned by Evan’s family. Their house was surrounded by mature trees and the creek that separated the two properties ran behind it.
It was hard to get the thoughts of Jack from her mind, imagining him being alone, passing without anyone knowing he was there. She wiped a few stray tears from her cheeks and rolled over on her side, resting her head in the crook of her elbow. The death affected her, even though she was still getting to know Jack after working with him for such a short time. Life was so unfair, taking a man without any warning. Reaching over to the nightstand, Colette turned on the bedside lamp and reached for her book.
She wondered what had kept Marshall from returning to her. The previous night seemed like a dream. The events of the last twenty-four hours turned their universe upside down, leaving only her uncertainty in its wake. After a few minutes of trying to focus on the story, Colette dropped her book on the bed and lifted the covers.
A glass of water might help her fall back asleep.
