14. Distracted #2
“Hello? Sage, you will not believe this news. Oh—hi, Carter.” She entered the kitchen, looked me over and smiled knowingly at Sage, setting an enormous package of brown eggs down on the counter.
I waved, the need to explain hitting me. “I just stopped in to see Sage early this morning before work.”
“Hm-hmm. Lucky for you she’d just opened and happened to have two rolls warming.” She bit her lips, not believing us one bit.
“What’s the news?” Sage diverted her attention. She removed the rolls, setting them both on a plate and handing it to me with a wink and an apple for later. After a night with her in bed, my stomach needed nourishment, replenishing fuel so I’d have enough to get me through the morning.
“Well, it’s about my sheriff’s cold case, you know, the one involving the murder of his father.” Her eyes flitted to me, then back at her with some secret language only they spoke.
“Carter’s new here. You can trust him. He won’t say a word to anyone about what he hears,” she assured.
“My lips are sealed, except to devour these rolls. Just let me sit here a minute and I’ll be out of your way, ladies.”
Harper continued anyway. In the short time I’d been anywhere near the Copper Cup, it always seemed to me she was in the middle of any kind of gossip in town.
“Sheriff Patrick got a court order and raided Red Amos’s property last night,” she blurted.
My stomach dropped to my knees.
Sage’s eyes widened. “They found something?”
Harper shook her head. “Nothing out of the ordinary. No evidence linking him to anything shady. The sheriff’s frustrated as hell.
Although he mentioned something about uncovering a stolen red Ferrari on the property.
Red claimed it wasn’t his, and he knew nothing about it.
Can you imagine anyone driving a machine like that around these parts? ”
I almost gagged on the bite I was chewing. Shit.
“Carter? Are you okay?” Sage glanced at me, concern flickering across her face.
“Yeah. Fine.” I forced a smile.
Nothing shady at Red’s? I stood there, heart hammering, and knew exactly why they had found nothing there.
That underground cave and casino Red had taken me to, the one hidden in the rock with the neon lights and all the high-rollers playing illegal games, was hidden in plain sight.
Only someone who’d been there would know where to look.
Trouble was… could I remember how to get there? It was dark, and these roads were unfamiliar. Could I retrace my steps of that awful night when my poor judgement almost cost me my life?
“This Red character is bad news?” I asked.
“The Amos family has been among the worst of its kind around here. Maybe even worse than the Trumbell family and that whole Heaven’s Door religious cult they had around here years ago…” Harper kept talking, but my mind was spinning.
I knew nothing about cults or Trumbells, but I’d seen plenty the night I played poker in the cave, from the people at the card table to the congressman’s arrival. If I told the sheriff what I knew, it could help. I’d love to bring Red and his biker band down.
What if he found out I was the whistleblower? The man had already threatened me once if I didn’t leave town. What would he do if he thought I’d ratted him out?
Tears ran down Harper’s cheeks, shaking me out of my thoughts.
“Oh, Sage, my husband has to solve this case. The turmoil it gives him is too much. Between my ex’s involvement in gambling and now this?
I need life to settle down for my daughter’s sake.
Avery deserves a normal family for once.
” She left us and rushed to the bathroom.
I forced a hand slowly through my hair, blowing out air. “That was a lot.”
I’d never been the type to rat on anyone, not even the bullies at prep school, because I’d always dealt with things myself. But someone needed to stop Red Amos. People were getting hurt. Good people. I was one of them. But this whole situation was bigger than me.
Sage touched my arm gently. “Are you sure you’re alright?”
I nodded, leaning down to kiss her forehead. “I should go. Thanks for breakfast. I’ll see you later this week. Promise,” The word felt heavier with every second ticking by. Soon, I wouldn’t be able to keep my promises to her.
I left the kitchen, mind racing. On my way past the register, I spotted the small notepad Sage usually used to note people’s orders, and stopped. I grabbed the pen beside it and scribbled quickly.
Vera —
Can’t wait until the next time…
Your cowboy.
I smiled as I walked out, wondering if Sage would get the reference—Vera, the Latin name for lavender. And whether she’d smile when she realized that right now, if I was anyone at all, I was hers.
Her cowboy.
Even if it was only temporary.
All the way to the ranch, I avoided thinking of Red, as if I had an out-of-body experience, living in a dream world.
I could see myself driving along this mountain road, singing sappy country songs, drumming on the steering wheel, happy and living a life that I had worked hard for.
Being the good guy, the hero, with Sage right beside me.
A short time later, I pulled up to the bunkhouse, and my focus returned, slamming me in the forehead. A green SUV with the county sheriff’s emblem had parked there. Over by the office door, the sheriff stood, talking with Ash.
Shit. It was over. They found the Ferrari and must have been able to trace it to me by now.
An interrogation was probably forthcoming.
I’d be forced to tell them everything I knew about Red Amos.
And if Chris found out I’d caused any trouble, he’d promised to send me packing back to New York.
But I had done nothing wrong other than make the stupid-ass decision to leave the barn dance that fateful first night.
I had under two weeks left to go. My inheritance was so close; I could almost feel the money in my hands and visualize my bank account, except when my head filled with visions of Sage naked in bed.
I prayed nothing would ruin things for me.
“Man up, cowboy,” I warned and got out of the truck.
Ash immediately called me, waving me over.
I tossed the keys to Jake, who stood by the bunkhouse door with Trig, Pete, and Eldon.
“What’d you do, Carter? Rob a bank?” Trig, of course, had to chide me about it.
“Need help?” Jake was at least trying to be a friend, with his face concerned.
“I’m sure it’s nothing. But thanks.” I rushed away toward whatever my fate might be.