“That was some crazy shit last night,” Colt said.
I cleared my throat, shifting in my seat. “Yeah.” I still couldn’t wrap my head around it. “I was actually coming here to talk to you about that.”
His brows furrowed, head cocking to the side. “What about it?”
“I think that all of this is connected: the tack room getting trashed and then a week later our biggest sponsor pulls out.” I felt a little stupid for saying it out loud, especially with the confused look on Colt’s face. But I couldn’t be the only one who found it suspicious. “Doesn’t that seem a little odd to you?”
He ran a hand over his mouth, staring down at his desk. “I mean, yeah, it’s strange timing, but I wouldn’t say that it’s connected.”
“And Delilah got a call from an old coworker saying that someone had called asking about her. Apparently, the dude wouldn’t leave his name.”
His eyes flicked to mine. “How do you know that?”
My stomach hollowed out at the suspicion in his tone. I schooled my voice and pretended like it wasn’t anything serious and that Delilah hadn’t sobbed in my lap, not once but twice, yesterday. “She told me.”
Colt’s head reared back like I’d sprouted a second head. “Since when do you twotalk?”
Heat prickled at the back of my neck. I shrugged a shoulder. “Since always?”
He leaned forward, interlocking his hands in front of him with a glint in his eyes that made me fight the urge to fidget. “Last I checked, you could barely stand her. And then last night, you lost it on Claire over her. What’s up with that?” He seemed more interested in us than in the fact that something weird as fuck was going on.
Maybe that was because, to an outsider, the concept of Delilah and mewasthe weird as fuck thing.
“There’s nothingupwith that. And I didn’t lose it over her. Claire was being an asshole, and you know it.”
“Right,” he scoffed, leaning back in his chair. “Just like youdidn’tget all pissy when Calvin hit on her at Luke’s party.”
I couldn’t look at him. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” The only good thing that came out of that day was the sex. Before I could stop myself, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and sent Delilah a text, asking what she was doing later.
Colt just laughed, and it filled me with dread. He had me by the balls, and I was screwed if he told Brittany. I didn’t exactly care if he knew about us, but I had a feeling Delilah would; she’d want to tell my sisters first before anyone else. And since thiswassupposedto be casual, that wouldn’t be happening anytime soon, if ever.
I slid my phone back in my pocket. “I didn’t come here for the interrogation,” I said, straightening in my chair.
“Then what did you come here for?”
I picked at the hem of my shirt. “Just wanted to know if you’d want to kind of…I don’t know…legally stalk Ethan Carmichael with me? See if he’s doing anything weird?”
I peered up at him without lifting my head. Colt’s mouth was wide open. If my mother were alive, she’d say he was trying to catch flies. “You did not just ask me that.” He glanced over my shoulder at the door before leaning in closer. “There isn’t a way tolegallystalk someone. Are you insane?” he hissed under his breath.
“I know it’s connected,” I said. “I feel it in my gut. I’m gonna do it with or without you. Just figured it’d be better to have the sheriff on my side.”
He eyed me warily, thinking. “Fine. I’lltrailhim with you.” He stopped me mid-smile. “One time.” He emphasized the words with a pointed finger and a stern look that wouldn’t even scare his five-month-old niece, Hattie. “If we don’t find anything, then you have to drop this.”
I arched a brow, unable to stop my smirk. “Well, that didn’t take much. Should I tell theWhispersour town’s sheriff is corrupt?” The last thing our ranch needed was another scandal with one of the owners, but the idea of threatening Colt with the local gossip column was too good to pass up.
“Fuck you,” he laughed. “Get out of here.”
I laughed along with him. “I’ll text you,” I said as I left the station. And when I checked my phone in the parking lot, my face flushed with heat.
Lilah:was planning to go for a ride later
Lilah: think your bed frame can handle it?
I braceda hand on the hood of my truck, grinning like a fool. Pretty sure the explosive, light feeling in my chest was giddiness.
God, that girl was gonna be the death of me.
13
