“I’m whatever I need tobe.”
“You’ve done this beforethen?”
“Before Hope Ranch? No, never spent much time indoors.” Ryder grabbed a handful of silverware from the bottom and placed it on the dishtowel stretched out on the counter next to thesink.
“So why now? You can do twice the amount of work in half the amount of time than most men I’ve seen working the ranch.” Cord stared at the last two pieces of bacon on his plate, wishing they’d somehow multiply intofour.
“I’ve got nothing to prove, and Samantha couldn’t do what she does without me helping out indoors.” Ryder shrugged, pulled the drain from the sink and turned to face Cord, propping his palms on the counter at hissides.
Cord shoved one of the remaining pieces of bacon in his mouth and chewed, savoring the flavor as his mind processed Ryder’s confession. “How long you beenhere?”
Ryder grabbed the dishtowel hanging from the cabinet knob and dried his hands. “Long enough to know that Samantha Bishop is a lonely woman. She pours everything she’s got into helping, but she’s hiding from something.” Ryder paused. “Orsomeone.”
“Her ex-boyfriend. Brad. I had Fury Security check on his whereabouts yesterday. All his latest credit card transactions haven’t occurred more than five miles outside of the Atlanta radius.” Cord shoved a forkful of fluffy eggs into his mouth and chewed. He hadn’t made up his mind yet on whether or not he was surprised about Clint’s findings. If Brad had any common sense, he’d use cash so he’d be harder totrack.
He’d asked Fury to notify Cord as soon as they found the bastard. He wanted to know where he was at all times. And even if he wasn’t currently stalking Samantha, the fact that he’d dared to hit her meant Cord would be paying him a visitsoon.
“Makes sense. She doesn’t talk to anyone outside of this ranch. No girlfriends. No family. If she’s hiding from an abusive ex, she’s come to the right place. Only the rejects and the desperate end up in West Texas.” Ryder dropped his towel onto the counter. “She’s definitely not areject.”
Cord cleaned the rest of his plate and then stood, taking his dirty dishes to the sink. Ryder offered to take them from him, but Cord shook his head. He washed and dried them himself. “No she’s not. But she is an innocent. Are we agreed onthat?”
After putting his dishes away, he turned to face Ryder, ready for ananswer.
Ryder tipped his head. “We are agreed onthat.”
“You didn’t talk much yesterday about the other men who work here. Tell me what you know about them.” Cord wanted to know if Ryder suspected Thad like hedid.
Pinning all the blame on Samantha’s ex-boyfriend would be the easiest and most logical route, but it seemed logical one of the many ranch hands would’ve noticed a stranger in theirmidst.
Which meant the perpetrator might not be a stranger atall.
Ryder glanced up at the old clock on the wall, tucked his black hair behind his ear and said, “If you come with me now, you can find out as much as you want to know about all ofthem.”
