Page 96 of Dusty Spur Ranch Cowboys

Any one of those things could’ve been explained away on its own, but together they leave my stomach tied in knots.

Whoever stood out here came to watch Dusty Spur.

A branch snaps behind me.

I spin around so fast my heart slams against my ribs, but the trees stretch away in every direction without giving up a single answer. I stay where I am long enough to listen, then slide my phone back into my pocket and head toward the ranch, picking up my pace as the porch light appears through the pines.

Shit.

What the hell is going on here?

CHAPTER TWENTY

Red

I spot her as she bursts out of the pines, running hard enough that my stomach knots before my brain catches up.

Her hat is gone, pine needles cling to her tangled copper hair, and one sleeve hangs ripped where the branches caught her. She keeps glancing over her shoulder while she races across the pasture, breathing hard enough that I drop the fencing pliers into the dirt and stride toward her without thinking.

“Arizona.”

She finally slows when she reaches me, bending over with her hands on her knees as she fights to catch her breath. She looks back toward the trees before meeting my eyes, excitement shining through the exhaustion.

“I saw someone.”

Every muscle in my body tightens. “Who?”

“A man watching the ranch.”

My hands are on her shoulders before I realize I’ve reached for her. “Did he hurt you?”

She blinks, surprised by the question, then shakes her head. “No. He was standing right at the tree line watching the house.”

Relief crashes through me so fast it almost buckles my knees. “What happened?”

A grin spreads across her face, proud of herself. “I nearly caught him.”

My relief evaporates. “You what?”

“He took off as soon as he saw me, so I chased him.”

I stare at her, waiting for the punchline that never comes. “You chased him?”

“I wasn’t about to let him disappear.”

“You followed a stranger into those woods by yourself?”

“I almost caught him.” She shrugs like that explains everything. “I found boot prints, and there was a cigarette butt where he disappeared over the rocks. I just lost him after that.”

I drop my hands from her shoulders and rake one across my beard before I say something I’ll regret. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Her smile fades. “What?”

“You ran after a man we know nothing about.”

“He was spying on the ranch.”

“And you figured chasing him alone was a good idea?”