Page 30 of Fool's Gold

Sarah glared at the two of them. They were like a couple of little boys squabbling over the same toy, and she wasn't going to play anymore.

"State your business and get out of here," Rafe said tightly.

"I've decided to be magnanimous and up my offer on the Double-H." Blackthorn grinned. "I figured you could use the money to pay your fine."

"Screw you, Blackthorn," Rafe growled. He put the truck in gear and swung out of his parking space. He looked out the side mirror as Blackthorn jumped out of the way.

Rafe's dry chuckle set her teeth on edge. How could he be laughing? The events of the evening were nothing to laugh about. She glared at him. He drove in silence down the dark streets. A nerve ticked in his tight jaw, and his mouth was rigid.

She was still sickened by the memory of those gruesome pictures. Who could have done it? There'd been no talk of wolves around the ranch, no reports of calves lost.

She interrupted the silence. "Well, what are you going to do about it?"

His glance was defiant, but there was something else there, as well. She almost thought it was fear. But what did he have to be afraid of anyway?

His gaze returned to the road. "Sarah, I don't have anything more to say on the subject tonight. I said it all at the meeting."

She was stung by his brusque words. "I know you didn't do it."

His hands tightened on the steering wheel as he drove toward the ranch. "Could've fooled me a minute ago."

"But the pictures." She knew in her heart Rafe was not responsible, but couldn't help recalling the horrifying slides.

Blackthorn was at Daley's Camera Shop to pick up some slides today. Were they the ones used tonight? The answer seemed obvious.

"From your point of view, pictures don't lie." Rafe's tone was bitter.

She recalled Blackthorn's mocking smirk up on the platform. Was he behind the shooting? "I wonder what Blackthorn's involvement is?" she said softly.

Rafe sighed. "Don't worry about it, Sarah. It's not your problem."

Chapter Six

Sarah buttoned up her white camp shirt and gave her sweptback hair a distracted glance in the mirror.

She'd decided something during the long, lonely night. Rafe didn't believe she trusted him, but that didn't matter in the end. If she could help prove him innocent, she would do it. Her observational skills were sharper than most. Maybe she could pick up on some clue in the backcountry of the Double-H that Bob Wilson's in his rush to judgment. If Rafe could go into the meeting Monday with conflicting evidence, it might make all the difference.

She walked out of the bedroom and down the hall to the kitchen. She had no intention of sharing her plans with Rafe. In his surly mood, he'd shoot them down for sure.

Rose was dishing up a plateful of breakfast sausages. She looked up as Sarah entered the room, a frown darkening her usually cheerful face.

"Good morning, Rose," Sarah said.

Rose put a serving fork on the platter and grimaced. "You wouldn't say it was a good morning if you'd seen the boss's face this morning."

Sarah sympathized. She'd gotten the cold shoulder from Rafe all night. "Rafe wasn't too cheerful this morning, huh?"

Rose rolled her eyes. "He was black as a thundercloud, and cross as a bear with a thorn in its paw. What in the heck did you do to him?"

Sarah sighed as she picked up the heavy coffee urn. They both headed toward the dining hall. "It wasn't me. It was Nevell Blackthorn. At the meeting last night, Rafe was accused of shooting some wolves on the Double-H. Good heavens, Rose, it's a federal offense. He could be looking at some substantial fines, not to mention jail time."

Rose set down the platter of sausages she was carrying and gasped. "Lord o' mercy, no wonder he's in such a mood this morning. But that's crazy, Rafe's not stupid enough to do something like that. Besides, we haven't had any losses from the wolves as far as I know."

Sarah placed the coffee urn by the head of the table and shrugged. "I don't believe it, either. Rafe's just not capable of doing such a cowardly thing."

Rose smiled. "I hope you told him that, dear. It would do him a world of good."

Sarah sighed and glanced away from Rose's sympathetic gaze. "I tried, but he didn't believe me. They showed some slides at the meeting last night, and I'm afraid my reaction made quite an impression on Rafe."

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