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 We are. Jake nodded toward the tumultuous clouds.  We have repairs to make all
over the ranch, at least before the next storm hits which should be late tonight or early
tomorrow morning.
 How s Mrs. Shiller s house? Sophie asked Quinn.
Quinn shrugged.  I went by this morning and met with the fire marshal. The damage
isn t as extensive as we thought last night. The living room and stairwell sustained both
fire and smoke damage, the kitchen just some smoke. We haven t been able to track
down Mrs. Shiller or Lily Roundtree yet, but they ll check in with Lily s niece one of these
days. We have repairmen there already.
 Any news on the notes? she asked and Jake stiffened.
 No. Your prints were the only ones on the paper. And the handwriting isn t familiar.
Quinn shook his head.  There are a lot of people who don t want any development in the
area. The tribe faced organized opposition when we built the casino even though we re
autonomous on our own land. He rubbed his chin.  Though this seems like just one
individual.
 So was the Unabomber, Jake said soberly.  My money s on the Concerned Citizens
Group.
 Maybe, Quinn allowed.  I ll head out tomorrow and talk to Billy Johnson.
 Rockefeller, Sophie said with a small grin. Had her bout with the ketchup pissed off
Billy enough that he d try to kill her?
Quinn leaned forward.  Have you remembered anything? Noticed any strange cars
around the neighborhood? Or any people walking or jogging down the street?
Sophie shook her head.  I haven t noticed anything out of the ordinary.
 That s what I figured. I have deputies going door to door in Shiller s neighborhood.
Maybe somebody saw something. Quinn took another drink of the unleaded brew and
grimaced.
Silence sat comfortably around them until Colton pushed back from the table, his chair
scraping across the thick wood floor.  Come on, Quinn. Let s go saddle the horses. He
nodded to Jake.  We ll meet you at the barn. He dropped a quick kiss on Sophie s head
and left.
Quinn unfolded himself to his feet and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder when
he passed her.  We ll find who started the fire. You ll be safe here today, just stay close,
all right? He gave her a gentle squeeze before following Colton out of the room.
 Will you be all right here for a few hours? Jake leaned forward and took one of her
hands in his.
Sophie nodded, his broad hand warming her more than the coffee, his dark eyes smiling
at her.  I ll be fine. I thought maybe I d try out the studio today. I mean, since your mom
and Leila went to so much trouble.
A dimple twinkled from his pleased grin.  Do you need help with that?
 No. And I m not promising to stay.
 I know. He stood.  We need to talk. But right now I have to go make sure the steers
are safely contained.
 It s a nice space to paint, and I may do the exhibit for Juliet. She wrapped both hands
around the warm cup.
 No pressure. One knuckle under her chin tipped her face up for his lips to brush hers.
 Right, she murmured with a raised eyebrow as he chuckled and moved across the
kitchen.
 I m not sure how long we ll be, but you stick close to the ranch, all right? I ll have my
cell, he said.
Sophie nodded as he left the kitchen and turned back toward her coffee. The fire had
been meant for her. To harm or just scare, she wasn t sure. Now she was staying at
Jake s, right where he wanted her. Maybe she should fly back to California for some
perspective. But the canvases and oil paints beckoned her from the bedroom. It wouldn t
hurt to at least see how well the studio worked. She could just start one painting, since
her day was free. It didn t mean she was moving to Montana for any length of time.
Reassured, she finished her coffee before dodging into the bedroom where she pulled
on a pale sweatshirt, gathered her art supplies, and darted out the front door. Her hair
blew around her face as she ran toward the garage, climbed the wooden steps to the
landing, and pushed open the door. Dim light cut through sparkling dust mites as she [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]