Page 154 of Dusty Spur Ranch Cowboys

Beau never covered for Dusty Spur.

He covered for Travis.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

Willy

Red’s chair scrapes across the floor before Arizona finishes speaking, and I’m already watching him when he reaches for his truck keys.

Emmett keeps Beau’s business card pinned beneath two fingers on the table, while Sadie presses closer to Arizona with both hands twisted into her sweater sleeve.

Arizona holds her against her side as she finishes explaining what she saw, but Red’s attention has already shifted toward the door.

His jaw tightens as his fingers close around the keys. “I’m going.”

Arizona lifts her head. “Red⁠—”

“His actions threaten a little girl,” Red says as he grabs his truck keys. “I’m ending this.”

I step between him and the front door before he reaches it. “You go over there angry, Beau gets exactly what he wants.”

Red meets my eyes. “He gets a broken jaw.”

“And you get arrested.” I hold his stare. “Beau denies everything, points at your temper, and spends the rest of the week pretending he’s the victim. Meanwhile, we lose the chance to figure out what he’s doing.”

Red’s grip tightens around the keys. “You expect me to sit here?”

“I expect us to be smarter than he thinks we are.”

The room stays still until Emmett reaches over and slides the business card across the table.

“We find proof,” Emmett says. “Beau’s been careless before. He’ll be careless again.”

Red looks at Arizona, then at Sadie curled against her side. Whatever he sees there gets through where the rest of us couldn’t.

He walks into the kitchen and drops his keys onto the counter. “I still want to hit him.”

“I’m not removing violence from the plan,” I tell him. “I’m putting it under optional activities.”

The corner of his mouth moves before he rubs a hand over his face.

I’ll take it.

Sadie yawns and pulls Arizona’s sleeve closer. Arizona smooths her hair back.

“You hanging in there, sweetheart?”

Sadie nods without looking up, and Arizona lets the answer stand because pushing her won’t help.

Red clears his throat. “I’m checking the horses.”

Emmett glances toward the back door. “They’ve already eaten.”

“They can eat twice.”

He heads outside before either of us answers.

Emmett watches the screen door swing shut, then looks at me. “I’ll keep him company.”