“Of course, you are, if that’s what you want,” he insisted.
“I can’t afford to replace that bull.”
“Insurance will cover the cost.”
She shook her head. “I had to let it lapse.”
“Then I’ll bring over a couple of my bulls, or Frank Davis can bring over one of his. Cole will insist on it.”
“I don’t want Cassie dragging Cole or her father-in-law into this. And I don’t want to rely on you any more than I have already.”
“This is an emergency, and folks around here help each other out. You know that. You’d do the same for a neighbor if he needed help.”
“Yes, of course, but—”
“No buts,” he said. “Now I would suggest you cut the sheriff a piece of that apple pie you baked yesterday, but I’m not sure you ought to be handling a knife at the moment.”
“Very amusing,” she said, already reaching for a plate and a knife.
She managed that task with no further disasters, probably because she was going about it in slow motion just to prove Grady wrong. She put the pie in front of Michael, then began pacing.
“Sit down,” the sheriff suggested.
“I can’t. I’m too jumpy.”
“Okay, then, why don’t you begin at the beginning and tell me what’s been going on out here.”
Karen gave him the short version, leaving out all of her suspicions about the neighbors. Grady, unfortunately, wasn’t so reticent. He laid out every piece of information they’d discussed about old grudges and recent jealousy. Michael nodded when he was finished.
“Okay, then, I’ll see what I can find out.” He regarded Grady with a pointed look. “You stay out of it. This is an official investigation now. I don’t want a couple of amateurs nosing around.”
“Whatever you say,” Grady agreed.
Karen kept her mouth clamped shut, since she didn’t want to lie straight to the sheriff’s face. There was no way she was going to stay out of this. That was her bull lying dead out there, her ranch that was under attack.
“I didn’t hear any agreement from you,” Michael said, his gaze leveled on her.
“I understand what you’re saying,” she said.
Michael’s gaze narrowed. “That’s not quite the same thing as saying you’ll leave this investigation to me, now, is it?”
“Not quite,” she said cheerfully. “How clever of you to see that.” Actually, she was surprised that he’d caught the subtle distinction.
“Karen, I’m warning you,” he said, his expression grim. “Stay out of it.”
“I hear you,” she said again.
He sighed heavily, then turned to Grady. “Keep her from meddling in this. If she starts asking a lot of questions, whoever’s behind this just might decide that she’s a threat.”
Grady nodded. “I’ll do what I can. I won’t let her out of my sight for a minute.”
Michael seemed to conclude that that was the most satisfying answer he was likely to get. “I’ll be in touch,” he said.
The minute he was gone, Karen reached for her jacket.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Grady demanded. “You heard what the sheriff said.”
“And you heard what I said—or, rather, what I didn’t say. I’m going to see Maggie Fletcher. And once I’ve had a chat with her, then I’m going to see the Oldhams, just the way we planned. Are you coming with me or not?”
“Is there any way I can talk you out of this?” Grady asked.
He reached out and caressed her cheek, his gaze intent. “Maybe persuade you to rethink your plan?”
His touch raised goose bumps, but she managed to shake her head. “No,” she said flatly. “There’s nothing you can say or do to stop me.”
With a resigned sigh, he reached for his coat. “Let’s go, then. I just hope we don’t bump straight into the sheriff ten minutes after he warned us both to stay out of his way.”
“He’ll be going to the Oldhams. They’re closest. That’s why we’re going to see Maggie.”
“And you don’t think we’ll cross paths on the highway?”
“As long as we’re on the highway and not in her driveway, he won’t be able to prove a thing,” she said airily.
Grady chuckled. “You have a much more devious mind than I’d ever imagined. I like it.”
For the first time all morning, a grin tugged at her lips. “I knew there was some reason you were sticking around.”
“Oh, believe me, darlin’, there are a lot of reasons I’m here,” he said, his gaze locked with hers. “That’s not even close to the top of the list.”
Karen swallowed hard at that. She wanted desperately to ask about that list, but now wasn’t the time. Later, though, she intended to find out what—besides her land—would keep a man like Grady interested in her.
* * *
Maggie Fletcher looked exhausted. Her normally ruddy complexion had a gray cast to it. Her short hair was mussed, as if she’d been running her fingers through it in a nervous gesture for hours, if not days. Her eyes, which Grady recalled as a vibrant, glowing amber color, were listless, though they sparked a bit brighter when she spotted Karen emerging from Grady’s truck.
“What are you doing here?” she demanded ungraciously, ignoring Grady completely to focus on Karen.
“We need to talk,” Karen said.
“Why?” Maggie asked, not bothering to hide her hostility.
“Because of Caleb.”
Unmistakable pain darkened Maggie’s eyes before the sparks came back livelier than ever. “I will not discuss Caleb with you. It’s because of you he’s dead.”
Karen winced, but she didn’t back down. “I’m sorry you feel that way.”
“It’s the truth,” Maggie said.
Grady saw Karen’s shoulders sag at Maggie’s refusal to back down from the accusation, but again she stood her ground.
“I know you cared for him,” she said gently.
“I loved him,” Maggie said fiercely. “He and I would have been perfect for each other. That was the way it was meant to be.” Years of bitterness came boiling out as she hurled hateful comment after hateful comment at Karen. “You killed him. Instead of helping
