Deadly Fires by Margaret Daley

Author:Margaret Daley
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: romantic suspense, mystery, danger, detective, rodeo, cowboys, second chances
Publisher: Margaret Daley

* * *

After lunch, Cole left the house for the main barn so that he could talk with Hank. He and Charlie were trustworthy and had been at the Flying Red Ranch the longest. He wanted Hank’s take on what happened on the road. He was even more attuned to the people who worked here than Charlie.

He scanned the landscape with a range of mountains to the west. A gentle wind carried the scents of cattle, horses, and grass. The smells and sights surrounding him brought back good memories of his time here. He’d felt a part of the family even before he and Alexia had married. Cole’s dad had died when he was young, but Red had become a surrogate father, showing him how to break a bronco, ride a bull, and many other things to run a ranch. When he’d completed his service in the U.S. Army, he and Alexia had planned to return to Montana and buy a ranch nearby. He’d already had several places in mind.

But their plans changed with Daniel’s death.

No, that wasn’t totally true. He’d changed before that. The carefree and open person he’d used to be died on the battlefield. He was working to get back to that guy, but he would never totally be like that again. Alexia had fallen in love with that man—not the one he was now.

Cole paused at the entrance into the barn and took one last look before stepping back into the place where he’d spent much of his past life—when he was young and innocent.

Hank came out of the tack room and headed in his direction. “It sure took you a long time to return here.” Alexia’s uncle shook Cole’s hand then hugged him, slapping him on the back several times. He stepped back. “You’re looking good. I’m glad you’re helping Red.”

“And that’s why I’m here, to talk to you about what’s been going on while I was gone.”

“You mean who has a grudge against Red and his company?”

“Yep. Charlie told me about Malcom Snyder, Don Chambers, and Buddy Wills. I thought I might see Wills in Moose Creek at the rodeo, but he wasn’t there.”

“I heard he’s moved to Nevada, and although Red fired him, he wasn’t too upset about it. He’d been talking about moving to Las Vegas for a while. I saw his mom in town a few weeks ago, and she said he’s happy there. The other two men could have let Bulldog out or stolen the petty cash. But hurt someone? I don’t see it.”

“Bitterness can infect anyone and change them.”

Hank cocked his head and stared at Cole. “Are you talking about yourself?”

Stunned by the question, he sank down onto the edge of the desk. Was he?

“You lost your son. You might not know that I had a daughter, who if she were alive, would be about your age.”

“I didn’t know.”

“Not surprising. I don’t talk about her. That’s how I dealt with her death for years. She died from meningitis when she was three.

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