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“How in hell would your thingajigger get in my shed?” she asked, voice shrill. “I like you, Wally, but I don’t want you rummaging through my stuff.”

“I understand, but maybe we could just glance at the roof and make sure nothing broke through?” he asked, removing his hat to roll it in his hands.

Sadie considered him. “I’ll take a peek for you if you wash up for lunch.”

“Look, I wish I could, but my boss is expecting me back soon.” Wally thought of Nicole and what she’d said when something occurred to him. They didn’t think he was the saboteur, did they? If he didn’t bring back the cloak, would he be on the short list? He would suspect himself if he was in charge.

Sadie leaned against the doorjamb and crossed her arms. Doyle heaved a sigh. This woman shifted between pointing a shotgun at men double her size to crying her heart out in his arms like it was nothing. If that wasn’t bravery, he didn’t know what was. To be a single mother in 1888 and keep an entire ranch running, yet waste her time feeding and helping a stranger who all but trespassed on her land when she warned him not to…

Doyle licked his lips and wiped the dirt and sweat from his forehead again. Maybe he could trust her as much as she’d trusted him.

“Sadie, the truth is I might be in big trouble.”

The minute the words were out of his mouth, a weight lifted from his shoulders. The people back on the TCR were his contemporaries, but Sadie might be able to see things from his perspective. Maybe he couldn’t tell her everything, but a little couldn’t hurt. Right?

“What sort of trouble?” Sadie asked, standing up straight. “Come on in out of the sun. It’s nearing noon, and you’re gonna boil to death. Your face and chest are already as red as a ripe chili pepper. Being from Washington, you probably aren’t used to late summer in Devil’s Creek.”

She ushered Doyle into the house and only then did he realize his shirt was still wide open. Good thing his face was already burned because it wouldn’t be obvious he was remembering each button popping off as Sadie ripped it open.

He caught sight of Teddy peering around the corner from the main room of the house, but the boy ducked back inside as soon as they made eye contact.

“So? Tell me why you’re so worried.” Sadie grabbed a tin cup from the cupboard and filled it with water from a ladle resting in a bucket near the back door. “Here. Drink up.”

With a grateful smile, Doyle took the water and guzzled it down as he thought through what to say. Sadie watched him, her eyes the color of caramel with specks of forest green.

“If I don’t find that missing device, my superiors might think I purposely took it.”

Sadie deflated in front of him as she slapped a hand over her mouth.

Doyle puzzled on this for a full minute, trying to understand why that affected her so deeply when she barely knew him. But when she spoke, he understood.

“I know where your thingamabob is.”