Page 19 of Deadly Evidence
“Of course I did. But old Aubrey pointed out that with twenty-thousand acres on this ranch alone, he could hardly patrol our boundaries. I called the new sheriff last week and he drove out to talk to me, but Ramon is facing the same challenge Aubrey did—too much county, too little manpower.”
“Any other ranchers in the area having problems?”
She nodded toward the portly, gray-haired man seated next to the young woman. “Gil says he lost three about the same time. Otherwise, no.”
“What do you know about him?”
“He was married to my aunt, though they divorced before I was born and he never remarried. He says he has no blood relatives he can tolerate.”
“He sounds like quite a guy.”
She gave a rueful laugh. “After my dad died, he appointed himself my unofficial—and unnecessary—guardian of sorts. Come on over and get something to drink, and I’ll introduce you.”
He followed her and couldn’t help but admire her. Dressed in her usual jeans, boots and western belt, she now wore a ruby sleeveless shirt that set off her slender arms and deep tan. Silver concho earrings dangled at her ears, catching the sunlight that filtered through the leaves above.
She was, Brady thought, rather like a jewel hidden away along a mountain path. Why hadn’t some rancher snapped her up long ago?
If they’d all been threatened by her strength, they’d made a big mistake. One, he realized grimly, that he shouldn’t be quite so thankful for.
He was here for an investigation. Period. And anything else would not only be unethical, but could jeopardize his last chance to see justice done.
At the table, she poured a glass of lemonade and handed it to him. Her eyes flared wide when their fingers brushed, and she took an abrupt step back.
So she feels it, too.Ignoring his own reaction to her touch, he glanced at the others across the patio. “Easy, now. Pull back like that, and they’ll think you’re afraid of me.”
“Not if they have a lick of sense,” she retorted.
Grinning, Brady winked at her and sauntered over to the table. “Howdy, I’m Brady Coleman. And you are...”
“Gilberto Banuelos.” The older man stood and gave Brady a quick once over. “You’re new here.”
“Just since yesterday. Always did love this part of Texas.”
“Well, if you get tired of working for Anna, give me a call. I’m always on the lookout for a good man or two.”
She laughed. “Don’t listen to him, Brady. He might seem charming, but he’s the meanest old coot this side of the Rio Grande.”
“And Anna is the toughest boss you could find,” he retorted. “Of course, she’s a whole lot nicer to look at than I am.”
The young girl at the table watched them with avid interest. Anna caught Vicente’s eye and raised a brow, and when he gave her a terse nod, she motioned to the girl.
“This is Mia Holden, Vicente’s granddaughter from New York. She’s visiting us for a while, then she’ll head back to college.”
“Nice to meet you, ma’am.”
She awkwardly accepted his handshake. “Thanks.”
He hid a smile, remembering Dante’s abrupt departure.
Given a chance to meet a gal like this one, the kid should have been heading for the house, not in the opposite direction.
When she matured, she was going to be flat-out gorgeous, with that fall of silky black hair reaching her waist and those exotic dark eyes.
“What’s your major?”
She blushed. “Um...music.”
“We hadn’t even gotten that far,” Anna said, glancing at Vicente. “What sort of music?”
