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I shook my head, placing a hand on her thigh knowing what she was about to confess. No, I tried to silently communicate.
But she ignored me. “I took his breeding horse. He makes, or I guess made, quite a decent amount of money off of this stallion since his papers are really nice and he does look really fancy regardless of the scars and wounds. But I can’t begin to tell you how horrible he treated this horse.”
“You did what?” Sheriff Jones stated, raising his brows as his pen stopped moving.
“I know it’s illegal, but that animal deserved better,” she muttered.
Silence. Weighted silence filled my home as my fingers increased in their speed, frantically weaving her hair together.
He cleared his throat and leaned against his elbows on the table. “And where is the horse now?” he asked her.
She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and glanced at me, her eyes silently apologizing. “He’s here,” she whispered.
I stared at her, wishing she’d take all of that back, but also knowing that confessing now was probably the best option.
“And you knew all about this?” the sheriff gruffly asked me, narrowing his beady eyes.
“Yes,” I bluntly stated, swinging my gaze toward him. “Well, a brief synopsis, but yes. I was aware she stole the stallion.
“You—” He closed his mouth, cutting off whatever he was about to say, and shut his notebook. “Cassidy…” he hissed, inhaling deeply. Thoughts tumbled around behind his eyes—a gaze that was drilling into me.
Finally, he pursed his lips and put his notebook away. “Out of respect for you and your family, I won’t report the stolen horse.” He held up a finger as I opened my mouth to thank him. “But,” he cautioned. “I don’t know how long any of this will be able to stay under wraps. It’s a small town, and you know how they like to gossip.”
“We’re working on getting some physical evidence as we speak,” I answered politely.
He slowly nodded, tucking his pen into his pocket. “I’m going to look into your father’s accident.” Sheriff Jones looked back at Briar. “I’ve got some friends down there; maybe there’s something missed that could help. But you both need to be cautious about any strange activity. I’ll send deputies up to the ranch every so often and let you know when I have any news.”
“Thank you,” I inhaled deeply, feeling a sense of relief mix in with the weight of the situation. Everything was coming to a head, yet we were also waiting for something.
“What’s your father’s full name, Miss…?” he asked, raising a brow.
Briar stiffened in my arms. “Thomas…” Her voice trailed off, and she glanced at me. Fear pooling in her gaze. “Thomas Kensington, and my name is Briar Marie Kensington after my dad’s mom.”
“Kensington, I’ve heard that name before,” Sheriff Jones muttered nonchalantly as Briar kept her eyes locked onto mine.
I offered her a tender smile, but that was all I could do. There was nothing in this world that I could give her that would take away the anguish bleeding any happiness from her wounded soul.
“Wait.” The sheriff snapped his fingers as he stood up. “Laura Kensington. The labor and delivery nurse. Any relation to her?” he casually asked as he pushed his chair back under the table.
She stared at me, as still as a thousand-year-old tree rooted deep within the ground. Her mouth didn’t even open with an attempt to speak, and I could feel the confusion rolling from the sheriff’s shoulders as he paused behind his chair.
Filling my lungs with oxygen, I brushed some hair from her face and quietly answered for her. “That’s her mom.”
He chuckled lightly as her face had paled, drained of any blood. “Nice. I heard she’s helping Tenley deliver her baby and—”
“I can’t wait to find out if I have a niece or nephew. I was told the baby will be here any minute,” I quickly cut him off. She remained locked in a stupor of unbearable weight.
“Ah,” Sheriff Jones muttered, running a hand over the back of his neck, likely feeling the slick tension rolling through the house.
“Thank you again. I’ll let you know whenever we get any updates or results on our end,” I politely said, attempting to diffuse things.
“Keep yourself safe, Cassidy. Both of you,” he replied and was gone within another couple of seconds.
But Briar did not move.
And I did not attempt to rouse her from the paralysis.
She needed time to process the anxiety and reality of everything discussed. I simply wanted to make sure she knew that I was here for her, in whatever way she wanted or needed. Besides, I wasn’t too upset with the fact that she let me play with her hair and had been sitting in my lap.
