The Horseman's Son by Delores Fossen Read Free Book Online Page B

to find her real identity if someone was seriously looking. And Rodney Harmon had been the one to try to get her out of the picture. Unfortunately, in doing so, Collena had lost the most precious thing in the world.
    Her newborn son.
    She and Dylan sat there, staring at each other. She didn’t attempt to read his expression, because she knew what he was thinking.
    “You can’t possibly be any more disgusted with me than I am with myself,” she said. “I made a horrible mistake. And I paid for it. I’m still paying for it.”
    “And now you want me to pay for it, too?” he snapped.
    She didn’t have time to answer. Two sounds happened at once. There was a knock at the door, and the fax machine began to spit out a sheet of paper.
    The door opened, and Deputy Jonah Burke stepped in. He was sporting a scowl, and there were snowflakes on his Stetson and jacket.
    “It’s Thanksgiving,” the deputy greeted. “And it’s snowing like crazy out there. How many more times am I going to have to come out to the ranch today?”
    “As many times as it takes,” Dylan informed him. He stood and went to the fax machine. “Where’s the fire chief?”
    “Busy with the investigation. He’s shorthanded because of the holiday, so he sent me over here to let you know what’s going on.”
    “And what is going on?” Collena asked when Jonah didn’t continue. “What happened to my car?”
    Jonah lifted a shoulder and couldn’t have possibly looked more disinterested. “Somebody burned it.”
    Both Collena and Dylan shot him a flat look, but it was Dylan who responded. “Obviously. But since you’re a deputy sheriff and supposedly in charge of keeping the citizens of Greer safe, I thought you might have at least a professional obligation to investigate a crime.”
    His disinterest turned to another scowl. “If there’s something to investigate, I’ll do my job, but the fire department didn’t detect accelerant, and their initial impression is that it might have been an electrical problem.”
    “The car’s engine was turned off,” Collena informed him. “Hard to have an electrical fire without the engine running.”
    Part of her wanted to believe an electrical problem was the cause. But this didn’t feel like an accident. Her cop’s instincts were telling her this was a crime, and apparently Dylan felt the same.
    “So you say the engine was off, but you see, I’m suspect of anything you tell me because I already know you’re a trespasser.” Jonah turned that scowl on Dylan. “Of course, maybe she had a good reason to trespass.”
    “You got something to say to me?” Dylan challenged, as he gathered up the pages coming from the fax. He took his attention off Jonah and stared down at the papers.
    “I made a call when I left here,” Jonah explained. “I found out that Ms. Drake here is investigating illegal adoptions. Since you adopted Adam, it’s not much of a stretch to think she’s investigating you. What’d you do, Dylan? You cut some corners?”
    Collena got to her feet and faced the deputy. “Dylan did nothing wrong. If you check the facts, the real culprit is the clinic where Adam was born.”
    “I don’t need you to defend me,” Dylan told her.
    For some reason, his cold words sliced right through her. But why wouldn’t he say something like that? He despised her, especially after she’d just confessed all to him. She and Dylan weren’t comrades. Not even close. And he had every reason to try to remove her from the picture.
    Dylan went to his computer and typed something before he continued. Collena got just a glimpse of it. It was an e-mail requesting a background check on Curtis Reese. “Tell the fire chief that I want a report of his preliminary findings,” Dylan told Jonah. “And close the door on your way out.”
    Jonah looked ready to explode over what was obviously another order—a rude one, at that—but he didn’t. However, he did mumble something profane before he exited and