Page 84 of Colton's Last Resort

“Yes.” The corner of Adam’s mouth curled. “But if he backs out at the last minute, I won’t lose sleep knowing you’re Josh’s problem. Not mine.”

“You realize I know how the internet works, right?” Noah said. “If baby brother abandons me like a lost calf on the trail, I’m dropping a one-star review for Mariposa on Tripadvisor.”

Adam’s smile morphed. “You wouldn’t.”

“How do you figure?”

“Because what you’ve done for your sister these last few weeks tells me you’re a man of honor,” Adam admitted. “If you have as much regard for Laura as she has for you, you’ll leave Mariposa alone when this is all over.”

Noah scowled, eating up the ground with long strides. He could smell the horses, the saddle leather... He could hear the chink of cinches and stirrups and the nickers and snorts of the animals as the guides and riders readied them for the long drive ahead.

All he’d wanted to do over the last few weeks was find Allison’s killer. He hadn’t considered what would come after. Once the perpetrator was caught and Noah’s actual reasons for being at the resort were revealed, would he be welcome there?

He couldn’t think about Laura and what he wanted with her when this was all over. He couldn’t think about losing her. Leaving her.

“I know you spent the night with her again last night,” Adam revealed.

Noah felt a muscle in his jaw tic. “She was in pain.”

“So you didn’t sleep with her?”

He chose his next words carefully. “I slept next to her.” At the sight of Adam’s grimace, Noah nearly gave in to his own frustration. “I know the hospital said she didn’t have a concussion. I wanted to make sure.” He’dneededto make sure. “She didn’t need to be left on her own. Ferraday didn’t just hurt her. He scared her.” And for that, Noah wanted to drive back to Sedona and toss the man across his holding cell.

“She shouldn’t have been there to begin with.”

Finally, something the two of them could agree on. Noah saw the knot of people in the horse paddock and scanned for his mark. “Where is he?”

“There,” Adam said with a jerk of his chin to the left.

Noah had memorized the file on CJ Knight. He knew the man was twenty-seven, approximately five-eleven, one hundred and eighty pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes. Noah also knew he was unmarried and that he resided primarily in Los Angeles as an up-and-coming film actor.

CJ removed his cowboy hat, so the wind tousled his wavy locks. Under his plaid button-down shirt and jeans, he had the trim body of a gym rat.

Like a true actor, he’d dressed the part for the day’s trail-riding adventure, led by Knox and Joshua. Noah’s goal was to ride next to CJ and get to know him and hope Joshua didn’t have other ideas—throwing Noah into a gorge, for example.

Among the others assembled, Noah recognized Kim Blankenship and her husband, Granger. He remembered the initials on Allison’s refrigerator schedule:CJK,DGandKB.

Maybe today Noah could knock out two birds with one stone. Was Kim BlankenshipKBor did Noah need to look harder at Mariposa’s cowboy, Knox Burnett?

He needed to find the identity, too, of the mysteriousDG.

Joshua spotted Noah and Adam on the approach and he nodded in their direction. “The gang’s all here. Where’s your riding gear, Adam?”

“I’m not staying,” Adam stated. Everyone fell quiet as he brought his hands together. “I’d just like everyone to know that Joshua and Knox are the two best guides in Red Rock Country. You’re in expert hands today.” He patted Noah on the shoulder, either in assurance or warning. “Come on. I’ll introduce you.”

Noah walked with him to CJ Knight and the mare that had been chosen for him from the stable. “It’s good to have you back, Mr. Knight,” Adam said.

CJ shook Adam’s offered hand. “It’s good to be back. I’m sorry I left with so little notice before. I got called back to LA without warning.”

“Is everything all right there?”

“It was a callback on an audition,” CJ said. “And it wound up getting canceled, anyway. I wish I’d never left.”

“Let us know if we can do anything to make your stay with us better this time,” Adam replied. He turned to Noah. “I don’t believe you’ve met Noah Steele. His band Fast Lane’s making a splash. He’ll be riding out today, too.”

“Nice to meet you,” CJ said, reaching out to grip Noah’s extended hand.

Noah pasted on a smile. “Likewise. Have you done this before?”

---