Page 97 of Indigo Ridge (The Edens 1)

Jim, Conor and the other hands had already stopped by to check in for the day. With all of them out working, I’d decided to stick closer to home. Mostly, I wanted to be around if Winn came out.

“Speaking of work”—Knox drained the rest of his coffee—“I’d better get going. Prep work is waiting. We’ve been slammed lately.”

“That’s a good thing, right?”

He grinned. “Wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Knox’s dream was to run his own restaurant. He’d always loved being in the kitchen, working beside Mom, soaking up everything she could tell him. When he’d announced that he was going to culinary school, none of us had been surprised.

“I’ll be in for dinner. With or without Winn. Maybe after, if you can get away, we can head to Willie’s for a beer.”

“You’re on.” He stood and, with a wave, headed for the door.

I finished my own cup of coffee, then found my work boots and went to the barn.

My plan was to spend an hour or two outside, then take a shower and, if I hadn’t heard from Winn yet, head to town. This was the longest I’d gone without seeing her in a week. With all she had happening with Covie, I was worried.

She hadn’t replied to the last message I’d sent her this morning to check in. She was probably busy getting her grandfather out of the hospital and to his home. But still, I worried.

Mom had told me once that we worried for those we loved most.

For Winn, I’d always worry.

It was something I’d have to figure out. Get a handle on. She had a dangerous job, and though she wasn’t out on nightly patrols, there were times when she’d be on the streets with the wackos. It was the reason I’d stayed awake on the Fourth. I’d known she was out and that had kept me up until she’d come over.

Those worries were a constant rattle in my head. Even an hour doing physical chores in the barn didn’t clear my mind like it usually did.

I was in the middle of cleaning out Jupiter’s stall when the crunch of tires came from the driveway. I strode into the sunshine, and the knot in my chest loosened as Winn stepped out of the unmarked Explorer she drove for work.

“Hey, baby.” I walked right to her and pulled her into my arms. “How are you?”

She stiffened, shying away. “Fine.”

“Oh, sorry.” I brushed at my sweaty chest and the bits of hay stuck to my T-shirt. “How’d it go at the hospital? How’s Covie?”

“He’s okay. Home and settled for the moment.” She met my gaze for a brief second, then her blue irises dropped to my shoulder. She stood stiff, her forehead furrowed. There were dark circles under her eyes and the normal flush to her cheeks was missing.

“Did you sleep at all?”

“Not really.” She shook her head, then squared her shoulders and straightened. “I need to talk to you about something.”

“Okay,” I drawled. “About?”

“Your uncle.”

“Briggs? Did something happen?”

She nodded. “I’m going to bring him in for questioning.”

“Questioning? For what?”

“I went to see him yesterday.”

I blinked, trying to wrap my head around this. I’d been worried about her, thinking she was at the hospital with Covie. Thinking about her at home alone, trying to get some sleep. But she’d been on the ranch. My ranch. “You went to the cabin. Yesterday, after the hospital. Without me?”

“I told you weeks ago I was going to talk to him.”

“Yeah, but you could have warned me.” Weren’t we at the point where we shared this sort of thing?