I don’t want to discuss this at the house.”
“Very well. Thank you, Jake, for your help.”
“My pleasure,” he said as Fowler’s eyes narrowed.
“He can finish up in here,” Fowler said, taking Alanna’s arm and ushering her out.
She was turning into a paradox for him. She exuded both vulnerability and strength. But she was warming to him. Fowler’s interruption was ill timed. His gut told him she was about to say something no one in the Colton family had ever heard from her. He was sure she didn’t expose her vulnerability to any of them. That made him feel sad for her and wasn’t a good thing in his line of work. Neutrality was what he needed to maintain and he fought against with her.
There was still a wariness about her that had him wondering what it was going to take to win her over completely. Which was insanity. Because winning her over was not the objective here. Solving her problem wasn’t the goal he needed to achieve. He was here to get the dirt on her so she could either be eliminated as a suspect or she could be arrested. Once that was accomplished, he would go home and she’d either stay here or end up in jail. So there was no point in winning anything.
As soon as they were out the door Jake slipped to the opening and peered out. They were heading for the Cisco barn. Shutting off the light and closing the door, he shadowed behind them. Fowler’s voice carried on the wind.
“I’d rather wait until we got to the stable office to tell you what this is about,” he snarled.
“Why all the secrecy?”
“It involves delicate matters and should be discussed in private.”
“In other words, I’m going to argue and you don’t want everyone to hear.”
“Alanna. Wait until we get to the office.”
“Okay,” she said on a sigh. “But this would be a good time to tell you that I intend to expand the operation. Initiate and open a training center and purchase a string of broodmares and two stallions I have scouted to begin a breeding program for barrel racers.”
“For the love of...” He grabbed her arm and all but dragged her the rest of the way. Jake wanted to throttle the man for treating her so roughly, but kept at a safe distance.
Their heels made a clicking sound on the concrete aisle as they headed toward the office and the door closed with a slam behind them.
Jake noticed there was a gap in the top of the office and the beams. He was going to have to climb if he wanted to hear what they were saying. In the dim interior, he found a makeshift ladder that looked like it was used to access the skylights. He set his foot on the first rung and was up into the beams.
“...out of your mind...thinking...not going...”
He heard pieces of the conversation as he carefully made his way over to the office.
“I don’t care whether you like it or not, Fowler. I’m in charge of the stables.”
“You think you can make this end run because Daddy is absent? He wouldn’t approve this.”
“I’m sick of hearing that. My name is listed as manager of the stables. I’m the one who practically grew up on a horse’s back. They were better companions than half the people I knew. I want to do this my way.”
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