Cooper’s Redemption (Crimson Romance) Read Online Free PDF Page A

harmless old guy? And why?
    Cooper couldn’t believe he’d been caught up in this thing. He didn’t know if he was more angry or frightened. How had his life gone all to hell in just hours? Who wanted to ruin him? He wasn’t Mr. Popular in Salt Lick, but he didn’t think anyone, even Tom Harper, cared enough about him to try and destroy him. Had he been set up? But that made no sense. After all that happened with Henry, it was unlikely for anyone to think that he’d go to the Harper place. Unless the rustled heifers had been taken there as bait to get him.
    He was getting paranoid.
    Still, four months as the prime suspect in an unsolved homicide had made him skeptical. Who knew better than he just how slow the rusty wheels of justice rolled? Salt Lick’s finest might find the real murderer if they were willing to look past him to see there was someone else out there with a motive. Cooper vowed he would not be falsely accused again. Even if he had to find the killer himself.
    After making eggs and toast and downing two cups of hot, strong coffee he felt better. The wind howled, hurling gusts of snow against the windows. He’d fed the horses when he arrived home, and the cold cut him to the bone. He would’ve picked a nicer day to go and check the rest of his herd, but he hadn’t been left a choice. Chucking another piece of wood onto the fire, he allowed himself a few minutes to warm up before heading into the storm.
    The clock read almost seven. If he was lucky, he might be able to catch the brand inspector in his office. Cooper picked up the receiver, but the line was dead. He didn’t own a cell phone; they didn’t work right here anyway. He’d have to run down to Salt Lick and see if he could find the man before he went on his rounds. As he tugged on his coat, Mischief began to growl. The hair on her neck stood up and she bared her teeth.
    “What is it, girl?” Cooper laid a reassuring hand on her head. She wagged her stumpy tail at him before turning her attention back to the door. Pulling a curtain back from the door’s window, Cooper peered out in the snowstorm. The weather had intensified. Swirling gusts obliterated his view.
    Through the raging blizzard he spotted headlights. A blue SUV pulled into the driveway and braked. As a person struggled in his direction, he realized it was Elizabeth Adams. Opening the door, he waited as she came toward him.
    She sniffed and swiped at her nose with a gloved hand. “I apologize for dropping in without calling, but your phone seems to out of order.”
    “Probably the wind. The lines go down on regular basis around here.” Beside his knee, Mischief wiggled. Her fury had turned to ecstasy now that their visitor was in sight.
    The cold had turned her nose and cheeks cherry pink. “Boy, is it cold.”
    “Come in before you freeze out there.” Cooper moved aside as she stepped inside his house. He followed her into his small front room, wondering what she thought of his sofa with an authentic Navajo blanket tossed across the back, the leather wingback near the fireplace, his novels stacked nearby. The strong scents of brewing coffee and burning cedar hung in the air. Neat, tidy, masculine. His refuge.
    “Nice place.” She stretched her palms toward the fire. Pulling off her hood, she allowed her shining red-gold hair to tumble free. The light caught and shimmered on strands. He ached to see if the texture was as soft as it looked.
    “It’s home.” Too late, he reminded himself he didn’t give a damn what she thought.
    Silence fell like a blade between them.
    Suddenly, she turned and appraised him with large amber eyes. Cooper studied her just as openly. Her nose had a fair splattering of light brown freckles across the bridge. He couldn’t see her figure under her long, bulky coat, but he remembered she’d filled out a green sweater very well. Thinking of her and the previous evening made him tighten his lips. “What can I do for you, Miss Adams?”
    “I