“What else have you got?” she asked, shoving the disagreeable thoughts to the back of her mind.
“Let me see.” Stephanie shuffled some papers in the background. “I can delay a tack order, struggle through with our existing jumps. Man, I hate to do that. But the horses have to eat, the employees need paychecks, and we don’t dare cut back on the competition schedule.”
Royce’s deep voice broke in from behind Amber. “I see you’ve changed your mind.”
She jerked around to face him in his Western shirt and faded jeans. A flush heated her face. Yes, she’d changed her mind. She’d changed her mind the second he left her bedroom last night.
But he was staring at the puppy in her lap, and she realized he was referring to a completely different subject.
“Royce is here,” she said into the mouthpiece.
“Tell him I’ll be down there before dinner.”
“Sure.” She signed off and hung up the phone, adjusting Gopher’s little body when she realized her arm was beginning to tingle from lack of circulation. “He’s very friendly,” she told Royce.
“Are you taking him home?”
“Have you ever heard of a company called Sagittarius Eclipse?” she countered, not wanting to open the subject of her going home. She’d pretend she didn’t notice he was anxious for her to leave.
“Never,” he answered, watching her closely, the distance and detachment still there in his expression and stance.
She debated her next move, unable to shake the instinct that told her the payments were suspicious.
“Why do you ask?” he prompted.
“The ranch is making payments to them.”
“For what?”
“That’s just it. I can’t tell.”
“Tools? Supplies? Insurance?”
“Insurance, maybe.” She hadn’t thought of that. “The entries only say ‘services.’” She reached behind her for the report, and Gopher wriggled in her lap.
“Better put him back outside,” Royce suggested.
Amber moved to the screen door, deposited the puppy on the deck and returned to point out the entries to Royce.
“I searched for the company on the Internet,” she offered while he glanced through the pages she’d noted. “I can’t find anything on them, not domestically, not offshore.”
He raised a questioning brow.
“I learned corporate research at U of C.”
Royce’s jaw tightened, and she could feel the wheels turning inside his head.
She dared voice the suspicion that was planted inside her brain. “Do you think McQuestin could be-”
“No.”
“His niece?”
“Not a chance. Not for these amounts.”
“McQuestin had to know, right?” The man worked with the business accounts on a daily basis. Whatever was going on with Sagittarius Eclipse, McQuestin had to be aware.
“It’s legit,” Royce said out loud, but his spine was stiff, and he was frowning.
“What do you want to do?” she asked. Maybe this was the tip of the iceberg. Maybe Sagittarius Eclipse would help them solve some kind of embezzlement scheme. Maybe she could even help alleviate the company’s cash flow problems.
He reached into the breast pocket of his blue-and-gray plaid shirt, retrieving his cell phone and searching for a number. His hair was damp with sweat, face streaked with dust, sleeves rolled up to reveal his tanned, muscular forearms. Amber’s gaze went on a wayward tour down his body, her hormones reaching with predictability to his sex appeal.
He pressed a button on the phone, and the ringing tone became audible through the small speaker.
Amber pointed to the screen door. “Do you want me to-”
Royce shook his head. “You’re the one that found it. Let’s hear what McQuestin has to say.”
A woman’s voice bid them hello.
“Maddy? It’s Royce.”
“Oh, hey, Royce. He’s doing okay today. They think they got the last of the bone fragments, and the infection’s calming down.”
“Good to hear,” said Royce. “Can I talk to him for a minute?”
Maddy hesitated. “He’s pretty doped up. Can I help with something?”
“It’s important,” said Royce, an apology in his voice.
“Well. Okay.” The sounds went muffled for a few moments.
“Yeah?” came a gravelly voice.
“It’s Royce, Mac. How’re you feeling?”
“Like the bronc won,” McQuestin grumbled.
Amber couldn’t help but smile.
“You married yet?” McQuestin’s voice was slightly slurred.
“That was Jared,” Royce corrected.
“Mighty pretty girl,” McQuestin mused. “Should have married her yourself.”
“Jared might have had an objection to that.”
“He’s too busy…Hey! Did you wash the ears?”
Royce and Amber glanced at each other in amusement.
“Mac,” Royce tried.
“What now?” MacQuestin grumbled.
“You know anything about Sagittarius Eclipse?”
There was a silence, during which their amusement turned to concern.
“I paid ’em,” said McQuestin, obviously angry. “What else would a man do?”
“What exactly did you pay them for?”
McQuestin snorted. “You tell Benteen…” Then his voice turned to a growl. “Somebody should have shot the damn dog yesterday.”
Maddy’s voice came back. “Can this wait, Royce? You’re really upsetting him.”
“I’m sorry, Maddy. Of course it can wait. Keep me posted, okay?”
“Will do.” McQuestin’s voice still ebbed and flowed in the background. “Better go.”
Royce signed off.
“Who’s Benteen?” asked Amber.
Royce’s voice was thoughtful, and he placed the phone back in his pocket. “My grandfather. He died earlier this year. You think you could dig a little deeper into this?”
Amber nodded. Her curiosity was piqued. She’d like nothing better than to sleuth around Sagittarius Eclipse and figure out its relationship to the Ryder Ranch.
Seven
“Royce?”
Royce’s body reacted to the sound of Amber’s voice. He hefted a hay bale onto the stack, positioning it correctly before acknowledging her presence.
“Yeah?” He didn’t turn to look at her. It was easier for him to cope if only one of his senses was engaged with her at a time. He only hoped she’d keep her sweet scent on the far side of the barn.
Her footsteps echoed. So much for that plan.
“I didn’t find any more information,” she said. “I’m going to have to try again tomorrow.”
He nodded, moving to the truckload of hay bales, keeping his gaze fixed on his objective.
