Page 4 of September’s Cowboy Travis

I stared at her. Most people heard my name and trouble in the same sentence and decided they’d learned everything worth knowing.

Kaycee looked at me the way she looked at the numbers spread across her desk. Like the answer existed somewhere, but she wasn’t going to invent it because finding the real one took longer.

“I don’t work off reputations,” she said, apparently reading something on my face. “I work off of evidence.”

Something in my chest loosened. It wasn’t quite relief, but it was close. I hadn’t realized how tired I was of defending myself before anyone bothered asking what actually happened.

“And if the evidence says I had nothing to do with that deposit?”

“I’ll say so.”

“To the committee?”

“To anyone who needs to hear it.”

I nodded. That was more than I’d expected when I walked in.

Kaycee opened another folder and turned back toward the disaster covering her desk. The message was clear enough. Our conversation was over.

I made it to the door before I turned back, curious about something. “You’re not from Mustang Mountain, are you?”

“No. Bozeman.”

“The committee wanted somebody without local ties?”

She glanced over her shoulder. “Is it that obvious?”

“Smart move. Everyone here has an opinion about everything… the Kincaids, the Hollisters, Cedar Draw, Roy, who started the feud, who lied about it, and who deserves to pay for something that happened before any of us were born.”

“And you don’t?”

“Oh, I’ve got plenty of opinions.”

Her almost-smile appeared again. “I’m shocked.”

“But nobody’s paying me for mine.” I reached for the door.

“Travis.”

The sound of my name stopped me.

Kaycee held up the transaction page. “Don’t touch the five thousand dollars while I’m tracing it. Don’t transfer it, return it, spend it, or try to move it somewhere you think I won’t be able to find it.”

I turned toward her. “You really had to add that last part?”

“I’ve met ranchers.”

“That doesn’t mean anything.”

“It means enough.”

I laughed despite myself. “Are you planning on telling me where it came from when you figure it out?”

“If you’re entitled to know.”

“I’m starting to think we’re going to be spending a lot of time together.”

“I’m starting to think you enjoy annoying people.”