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“No, you were only being you. I went to the roadhouse to talk to Jack, and we had a big fight. Bigger than the breakup fight.”

“Never should’ve told you he was pissed at me. Now look how much worse I’ve made it.”

“He’s got to stop,” said Savanna. “He doesn’t run my life and I’m not going to back down and change my mind about him. I gave him the second chance he begged for, and he blew it. Didn’t take long either.”

Harlan got more beer out of the fridge, and we played cards until midnight.

Chapter Eleven

Thursday, May 31st.

Wild Stallion Ranch.

While we were at the barn feeding the horses, Harlan was quiet while he worked—thinking about something. I never prodded him. He’d often tell me things later when we were in the truck after he’d worked it out in his head. I figured the girls were texting him and he was upset, but it wasn’t that at all. Showed how good I was at reading him.

He tossed a slab of hay into the manger in front of Outlaw and didn’t look me in the eye. “We should go to Hannah’s ranch before we go to work.”

“You believe the guy I shot is one of her guys.”

“Yeah, I do. Makes sense to me. Especially the way she got unfriendly n’all.”

“Okay, sure. I agree that her attitude towards us has changed. We’ll stop over there before we head down to the station.”

Harlan let out a breath. “Good. I was hoping you’d say that.”

Before we left for Hannah’s ranch next door, I tucked a key under the front mat for Tina. For all the security that added, I might as well leave the front door standing open.

“Can’t wait to see what the house looks like when we get home,” said Harlan.

“It might give us a marker.”

Harlan chuckled. “You mean a marker we can never live up to?”

“Yeah, one of those impossible goals.”

Hargrove Ranch.

Doing everything by the book and putting my fake polite self forward, I knocked on Hannah’s door and asked if I could talk to the boys in her barn and bunkhouse.

She responded not quite so politely and in not too many words she told me to fuck off. “I’m afraid I can’t allow you to do that, Travis. The next time you set foot on my ranch, you will need to have a warrant in your hand.”

“Play it your way, Hannah. You’re only making things worse for yourself.”

“Don’t threaten me, Travis.” She slammed the door in our faces, and we left.

Driving to the station, Harlan verbalized his unhappiness with the way I handled it. “Don’t you think we should’ve gone to the barn anyway and looked for the shot guy?”

“Let her think she’s winning, Harlan. We’ll come in from the back tonight on the Harley and they won’t be expecting it.”

He grinned. “Yeah. That sounds like fun, and it will be a big surprise for Hannah.”

Sheriff’s Office. Coyote Creek.

Because of our side trip to Hannah’s ranch, we were a bit later than usual getting to the station and Ray’s lawyer was waiting for me in the squad room.

Being her polite friendly self, Molly was chatting to Chris Tomlinson, and she’d given him coffee and one of the donuts she regularly brought for the three of us.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, sir. I’ll show you where your client is. I’m afraid we have no private meeting rooms here.”