Page 17 of August’s Cowboy Braxton

“Or,” Morgan said, “they knew how to get in without signing anything.”

My chest tightened. “Cedar Draw. That’s the same name that came up with Sadie’s livestock investigation.”

Morgan nodded. “Old paperwork tied to the stock problems. And now someone’s using the name to threaten you.”

I looked at the empty spaces in the album. “So you think they’re connected?”

“I think Cedar Draw keeps showing up in places it shouldn’t,” she said. “We need to figure out why.”

I thought about the messages. The tracker. The person who'd been close enough to leave a crown on my pillow. It was someone who had access. Someone who knew my schedule. Someone I trusted.

"Evie has keys to my trailer," I said. "She has access to all my equipment. She knew I was working on the heritage material. She knew I'd found something."

Braxton didn't say I told you so. He just waited.

"But she also taught me how to protect myself. How to recognize when something's wrong. Why would she do that if she wanted to hurt me?"

"Maybe she didn't plan to hurt you. Maybe she just wanted to control what you found,” he said.

I pressed my palms against the table, staring at the album with its missing pages and stolen secrets.

"I don't want it to be her."

"I know."

Morgan started photographing the contents of the box with her phone. "We need to document everything that's left. If someone comes back for more, we'll know exactly what they took."

Braxton moved closer to me, his voice low enough that only I could hear. "You don't have to know who it is yet. You just have to stay smart. Keep your distance. Don't tell anyone what we're doing."

"Even Evie."

"Especially Evie."

I wanted to argue. Wanted to defend the woman who'd spent years teaching me how to survive in a world that wanted me polished and pretty and quiet. But I couldn't ignore the timing.

The tracker had been in my crown case since June. Right after I'd started working on the heritage material. Right after I'd told Evie I'd found something interesting. Right after Cedar Draw became more than just an old ranch name.

"What do we do now?"

Braxton's expression could have been carved from stone. "We figure out what someone's desperate enough to threaten you over. And we make sure they don't get close enough to follow through."

Morgan finished taking pictures and closed the box. "I'll cross-reference this with the land records. See if any of these ranch names connect to Cedar Draw or the families involved."

"And I'll find out who else had access to this building," Braxton said.

I looked at the empty spaces in the album. Someone had been here. Someone who knew exactly what they were looking for. Someone who knew I'd found it first.

The message on my phone seemed more serious now.

You should have left Cedar Draw buried.

But I hdn't. And now someone wanted to make sure I paid for it. For the first time, I was actually grateful Braxton was on my side.

CHAPTER 5

BRAXTON

The storm rolled in fast the way summer storms always did in Mustang Mountain. One moment there was clear sky above, the next moment thunder shook the ground and rain hammered on the roof like gravel.