Page 19 of Wyoming Bodyguard
“No, but I almost lost my father last night, and I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure that doesn’t happen again.” Irritation made her words snap out sharper than a whip. “You’ve been a part of this family for a long time, and I expect you to help us. So get over whatever grudge you’re holding on to, at least for the time being, and give Madden the respect he deserves.”
She kept her focus on the weathered ranch hand, but she couldn’t help noticing the curve of Madden’s lips from the corner of her eye.
“I’m sorry, Ms. Tremont.” Charlie swept his dirty hat off his head. “You’re right. Right now, keeping everyone safe is the only thing that matters. If Madden can help make that happen, I’ll do whatever I can to assist him.”
Lily crossed over the green blades of grass and gave Charlie a quick squeeze. “Thank you.” She pulled away but looped an arm through his. Letting him know that no matter what, they were in this together. She met Madden’s gaze with her own, giving a tiny dip of her head.
“Lily tells me you’ve worked for the Tremonts for a long time,” Madden began. “Have you ever come across anyone who wished Mr. Tremont or his daughter harm?”
“Never,” Charlie said, puffing out his chest as though he found the question insulting.
“What about staff who’ve been let go? Anyone hold a grudge?”
“Not against the Tremonts.”
The meaning behind Charlie’s comment was clear as the blue sky above. Lily jabbed his side with her elbow. “Be nice.”
“Sorry,” Charlie said. “No one wants to hurt Kevin or Lily. Both are wonderful employers who treat us with kindness and respect. Even with layoffs, people understood. No one saw a need to complain about the reasons they were let go. At least not as far as Mr. and Ms. Tremont are concerned.”
Madden ignored the second, subtler jab. “How late did you and Daniel work last night?”
“Well, let’s see.” Charlie scratched his chin. “I was home in time for dinner, so I would have left here no later than 5:30. Daniel was still here, but we were mostly finished for the day. He wanted to do as much extra as he could so Ms. Tremont didn’t have to worry much about anything besides her dad.”
“I appreciate that,” she said. “All I had to do was feed the horses and clean out the stalls, which you know is more therapeutic for me than work.” She glanced around, spotting only Charlie’s old truck. “Where’s Daniel now?”
“Said he wasn’t feeling well and had to head home. I told him it was all right. Hope that’s okay.”
“Of course,” she said, making a mental note to call later to check on him. Her hands may be full at the moment, but she couldn’t afford to let anything at the ranch fall through the cracks.
“Do you or Daniel have access to the main house?” Madden asked.
Charlie shook his head.
“What about the other buildings on the property?”
“We’ve both got keys to the bunkhouse, although we don’t stay there much anymore. We use that mostly when there are guests and there’s more work. But we each have a key, and a bed inside. The guest cabins are off-limits to us, unless we’re asked to help with something special. The barns and outbuildings aren’t locked.” Frowning, Charlie cocked his head to the side and studied Madden. “Why?”
Madden kept his mouth closed.
Charlie glanced down at Lily. “Is there something I don’t know?”
“Someone broke into the house last night.” She cringed, hating the way Charlie’s face dropped at the news.
“And you think me or Daniel had something to do with it?” Anger turned his cheeks red, and he jabbed a finger in the air, directly at Madden’s chest. “Mind yourself and your damn questions, boy. I’m as loyal as the night is black. That’s not a quality you and yours know much about, and I won’t have you insinuating I’ve done anything to hurt this family.”
Lily flattened her palm on Charlie’s arm, gaining his attention. “I know you wouldn’t hurt us, and so does Madden. He’s not asking anything the sheriff’s department isn’t probably planning to ask. We’re just making sure no one was around to see anything suspicious happen last night.”
His shoulders dropped and he closed his eyes for a beat. When he opened them again, tears misted in the corners. “I didn’t see anything unusual. I’d tell you if I did. I’ll keep an ear out. If anything gets said or done that can possibly be connected to what happened, I’ll tell you.”
“I know you will. Thanks, Charlie. Why don’t you head home? I can tend to the horses.”
“You sure?”
“Yep. Besides, I’ve got Madden around to help.”
A tight smile settled on Madden’s lips that she didn’t quite understand.
“All right then. Call if you need anything.” Charlie gent-ly cupped her biceps then aimed a steely glare at Madden before turning away.
