The Proposal & Solid Soul - Brenda Jackson [50]
She turned away from the stove where she’d prepared something simple like French toast. “You want to spend more time with me?”
He chuckled. “Of course I do. You sound surprised.”
She was. She figured as much time as they’d spent in the bedroom he would have tired of her by now. She was about to open her mouth when his house phone rang. He smiled over at her. “Excuse me for a minute while I get that.”
Bella figured the caller was one of his relatives. She turned back to the stove to turn it off. She couldn’t help but smile at the thought that he wanted to spend more time with her.
A few moments later Jason hung up the phone. “That was Sheriff Harper.”
She turned back around to him. “Has he found out anything?”
“Yes, they’ve made some arrests.”
A lump formed in her throat. She crossed the floor to sit down at the table, thinking she didn’t want to be standing for this. “Who did it?”
He came to sit across from her. “Your uncle Kenneth’s twin grandsons.”
Bella’s hand flew to her chest. “But they’re only fourteen years old.”
“Yes, but the footprints outside your window and the fingerprints on the rock matched theirs. Not to mention that the kerosene can they used to start the fire at your ranch belonged to their parents.”
Bella didn’t say anything. She just continued to stare at him.
“Evidently they heard their grandfather’s grumblings about you and figured they were doing him a favor by scaring you away,” Jason said.
“What will happen to them?” she asked quietly.
“Right now they’re in police custody. A judge will decide tomorrow if they will be released into the custody of their parents until a court date is set. If they are found guilty, and chances are they will be since the evidence against them is so strong, they will serve time in a detention center for youth for about one or two years, maybe longer depending on any prior arrests.”
Jason’s face hardened. “Personally, it wouldn’t bother me in the least if they locked them up and threw away the key. I’m sure Kenneth is fit to be tied, though. He thinks the world of those two.”
Bella shook her head sadly. “I feel so bad about this.”
A deep scowl covered Jason’s face. “Why do you feel bad? You’re the victim and they broke the law.”
She could tell by the sound of his voice that he was still upset. “But they’re just kids. I need to call Uncle Kenneth.”
“Why? As far as I’m concerned this is all his fault for spouting off at the mouth around them about you.”
A part of Bella knew what Jason said was true and could even accept he had a right to be angry, but still, the thought that she was responsible for the disruption of so many lives was getting to her. Had she made a mistake in moving to Denver after all?
“Don’t even think it, Bella.”
She glanced across the table at Jason. “What?”
“I know what’s going through your mind, sweetheart. I can see it all over your face and you want to blame yourself for what happened but it’s not your fault.”
“Isn’t it?”
“No. You can’t hold yourself responsible for the actions of others. What if you had been standing near the window the day that rock came flying through, or worse yet, what if you’d been home the day they set fire to the house? If I sound mad it’s because I still am. And I’m going to stay mad until justice is served.”
He paused a moment and then said, “I don’t want to talk about Kenneth or his grandsons any longer. Come on, let’s get dressed and go riding.”
WHEN THEY RETURNED FROM riding and Bella checked her cell phone, she had received a call from her parents saying that they had changed their minds and would not be coming to Denver after all. She couldn’t help wondering why, but she figured the best thing to do was count her blessings and be happy about their change in plans.
Jason was outside putting the horses away and she decided to take a shower and change into something relaxing. So far, other than the sheriff, no one else had called. She figured Jason’s family was treating them as honeymooners and