The Millionaire Cowboy's Secret by Karen Whiddon Page A

town, and the police are still interviewing the stable hands. Just come on up to the house when you’re ready.”
    Nodding, she shut the door in his face. Her legs felt weak, so she sank back onto the bed. Beside her, Talia whined.
    “It’s okay, baby girl,” she said, pulling the dog close and burying her face in Talia’s soft fur. “Let’s get you some breakfast.”
    While Talia ate, Skylar jumped in the shower and took care of her normal morning tasks. She put on a light dusting of mineral powder, mascara and lip gloss. Dressing in jeans and a muted yellow T-shirt, she studied herself with a critical eye and decided she looked okay. Before she spoke to the local police, she needed to make a report.
    Using her secure cell phone, she phoned in. A special voice-mail box had been set up for her to leave simple updates. She did, relaying the fire and the fact that she’d be speaking with local authorities.
    Once she’d concluded the call, she took Talia out once more. After she’d made sure her dog would have plenty of water, she closed her up in the camper and headed to Matt’s house.
    The men wearing uniforms were laid-back but businesslike, impressing her with their efficient questions. No, she hadn’t seen anything suspicious. Yes, she’d smelled something that might have been used to start the fire, though she had no idea what that might have been. They finished with asking her to supply her address and phone number in case they had any further questions.
    Through it all, she was super conscious of Matt leaning in the door frame, listening to her answers.
    José arrived a few minutes after she’d finished, and when the police began questioning him, Skylar moved off to stand next to Matt.
    “I heard from the arson investigator,” he said.
    “Already?” She was surprised. In her experience such findings usually took a few days.
    “He’s not busy,” he explained. “He used to work for Dallas Fire and Rescue, but retired and moved down here. Now he volunteers whenever he’s needed. This is the first time they’ve had to call him.”
    “What did he find out?”
    “Arson.” Matt’s eyes narrowed. “Someone really wanted to hurt my horses.”
    “And hurt you, too,” she said, instinctively touching his arm. When she saw the way his gaze darkened as he followed her movement, she hurriedly removed her hand.
    “Do you have any idea why?” she asked softly, wondering what, if anything, he’d choose to reveal.
    “No.” Of course, he gave away nothing.
    Before she could comment, José called his name, waving him over.
    “Excuse me,” he said and left her without another word.
    Watching him go, she kept her expression pleasant. What had she expected? Him to open up about his enemies?
    Slipping from the room, she headed back to her trailer to spend some quality time with her dog. After that, she’d best get busy concocting some sort of plan.
    A quick game of ball helped relieve some of the tension. Up at the main house, she saw Matt and José emerge. She watched, game forgotten, as the two men climbed into the pickup and drove away. Her heart began to race. This would be her opportunity to search the house. Since the police and fire department were still questioning people and milling around, all of the household help would be distracted and preoccupied.
    There couldn’t be a more perfect opportunity.
    Locking Talia back in the trailer, she made herself walk normally, as though she had forgotten something and needed to talk to the authorities again. As far as she knew, Matt never locked the back door, so she went through the patio, unable to keep from smiling at the lush scenery.
    Once inside, she noted Matt had left the curtains open, allowing lots of light to flood in. Grateful, she did a quick search in the kitchen, still experiencing that gut-wrenching reaction of coming home. This time, better prepared, she didn’t bother to try to analyze the feeling, but continued her methodical