Page 32 of Fool's Gold

"I suppose not." Sarah watched Rose go out the door, then busied herself by rinsing dishes and stacking them in the dishwasher.

She glanced impatiently at the clock, wishing Rose would hurry up. The door opened and Rose reentered the room, followed by a scowling Zeke.

Rose grinned and reached back to pull Zeke up beside her. "I found a guide for you, dear."

Sarah gritted her teeth. Zeke would just as soon let her get lost in the woods as guide her. "Him?"

Zeke snorted and glared between Sarah and Rose. "I told you it was a fool idea, woman. Me and Sarah don't cotton to each other."

Rose wheeled around to face him. "Now you hold on there, old man. Sarah is Rafe's wife, so you'd better keep a respectful tongue in your head. I don't want to hear any more sass from you. And take your hat off. Can't you see there are ladies present?"

Zeke snatched the battered old Stetson from his balding head. She couldn't help smiling at his sheepish expression as Rose railed at him. Evidently, they were old adversaries.

Rose finished chewing Zeke out and turned back to Sarah. "And as for you, missy, you aren’t no better. Zeke knows this land like the back of his hand. If anybody can lead you to thespot, it's him. And we all want what's best for the boss, don't we?"

Sarah had to admit, Rose was right. She glanced at his sullen expression. "How about it, Zeke?"

He looked down and turned the hat around in his hands by the brim. "I'm game if you are. But I don't think Rafe's going to be too happy about it."

Sarah was relieved. Hopefully, they could check things out and be home before Rafe missed them. She smiled at Zeke. "I think you're right. Rafe's going to hate the idea. But don't worry about it, he won't fire you. Why, you're practically a family heirloom around here."

He cracked a tiny smile.

"Anyway, I'll take the heat when it comes down."

He looked up at her, and she thought she caught a grudging grain of respect in his eyes.

But then he frowned and resumed turning the hat again. "Rafe didn't tell me much about it, but my guess is that Blackthorn has something to do with this business."

Sarah nodded and stepped forward. "I saw him in town at Daley's Photo Shop yesterday. He was picking up some slides, probably the ones Wilson showed last night. Blackthorn was practically gloating when the news came down."

Zeke slapped his hat back on his head, while casting a wary eye Rose's way. "So where do we find this evidence that Rose was carrying on about?"

"The photographs were taken near a bluff that I'd say is on the east side of the ranch. The wolves were found by a lot of scrubby pines."

He frowned. "I bet the pictures were pretty gory, huh?"

She nodded, her stomach clenching in remembrance. "I'm afraid I reacted before thinking."

He scowled at her. "So that's why Rafe is so ornery today. I knew it would take a heap more than some false allegations to get his back up that bad."

She held his accusatory gaze. "Whether Rafe and I get along isn't important. What is important is clearing Rafe's name. Are you going to help me or not?"

He huffed out a breath. "I know the area you're talking about. It's pretty far out."

Shoot. This might screw up her plans to get back before Rafe noticed she was gone. Oh well, so what if he got mad. She couldn't let it stop her. "I was afraid of that."

Zeke cocked his head, watching her carefully. "We're going to have to ride. And I know how you feel about riding. Want to call it off?"

Ride. She hadn't even considered the possibility. But she couldn't back down now.

Zeke's doubtful expression said he clearly expected her to cry off.

"Not on your life. I'll get on a horse if it kills me. Besides, you're forgetting I had a riding lesson from Rafe."

He grinned and let out a snort. "Yeah, on Bay Rum. I'll tell you what. You can ride Bay Rum and I'll lead the way on Buttermilk. She's nice and slow so you'll be able to keep up. I'll go get them ready. Meet me in the stable in ten minutes."

"I'll be there," she told him with more confidence than she felt.

---