Page 18 of Cowboy Peril

“I threw it in the garbage. Do you want it?” She poured coffee into a cup. Her hands shook hard enough to spill some on the counter, and she reached for a paper towel.

“Let me. Sit down before you fall down.” Colt lowered her into a chair and took over pouring them coffee and cleaning the spill before sitting across from her. “Have you received anything else like this?”

“No. I’d have told you if I did.” Her eyes burned as she lifted her gaze to his. “You’re the only one I trust to help me.”

“Sheriff Westbrook can help more than I can.”

“He doesn’t live two doors down.” She sniffed and wiped away the tears that had escaped despite her resolve not to cryin front of him. “I’m scared. This man is close. Real close. He could’ve easily left this note onmyporch. Been outsidemyfront door.”

He paled. “I’ll contact my boss, then set up a schedule to have the ranch hands patrol the perimeter. The next time this person tries to leave you a message, we’ll catch him.” He put a hand over hers. “I promise.”

She relished the warmth of his hand over hers. “That’s a promise you might not be able to keep.”

“I always keep my promises, remember?” The corner of his mouth twitched.

She took a deep, shuddering breath. “I’m counting on it.” Her coffee untouched, she pushed to her feet. “I’ll go call the sheriff.”

“Let me know when he arrives if you don’t want to speak to him alone.” He returned the card to her.

“I’m not afraid of the man.” She chuckled. “Westbrook’s the stern type, but I guess that comes with the job. He seems fair.”

“He is.”

“Thank you.” Parker headed home to where she’d left her cell phone and dialed the sheriff’s department. The receptionist promised he’d be at the ranch within the hour. Rather than wait and dwell on her “gift,” she went to the kitchen to help with breakfast.

The sheriff arrived during the meal.

Parker shoved her half-eaten plate of scrambled eggs aside and joined him outside. Colt followed a second later.

After explaining about the gift, she handed the sheriff the note. “The rose is in the garbage, but I can get it if you want.”

“I’ll take a photo of it. That’ll be fine. How many have touched this?” He dropped the card into a small evidence bag.

“Four counting you and whoever left it. Me, Colt, Mrs. White…oh, five.” She sagged against the railing. “He was righthere.” She stared at the boards under her feet. Where would he go next? Her house? Catch her alone in the barn or on a walk? Stop her on her way into town?

The construction workers started arriving, putting a halt to the conversation. Colt left to go over the day’s priorities while Parker led the sheriff to the rose.

He took a photo. “I’ll be in touch.”

“You don’t expect to find out anything, do you?” She crossed her arms and tilted her head.

“Unless this man’s prints are on the card and in the system, no. I’m sorry. Don’t go anywhere alone, Miss Wells.”

~

Mark suppressed the desire to laugh out loud as he strolled past the big front porch with the other men. Parker had called the sheriff. He couldn’t wait to send her another gift, and another, until she longed to come face-to-face with him and end the terror. He eyed her house as he passed. Next time, he’d leave the gift there. There was no need to wait until nightfall. He could find time during the day, drop it in a place where she’d see it, but nobody else could. Oh, the fun!

Having this much fun dispelled some of the urgency of killing her. That would come. For now, he’d enjoy the fear that radiated off her. He hadn’t been able to experience that thrill with her parents.

He got in line with a few of the men to lift one wall of studs into place for the barn. Progress moved a lot faster than he wanted it to. Once the barn was finished, he’d have no reason to be on the ranch unless they were hiring ranch hands, which he doubted.

Maybe he needed to sabotage the progress on the barn—start things over at some point. Anything to keep him coming to the ranch until he accomplished his mission.

For right now, he’d wait until Parker saw the gift that would be arriving that afternoon.

~

Colt couldn’t concentrate on the emails on the laptop. His mind kept going back to the threatening note Parker received. He was foreman of the ranch—the man in charge until Dylan came home, but he hadn’t been able to prevent a killer from stepping foot on the front porch.

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