by B. J Daniels
He grinned, but it never reached his eyes. “I told his lawyer to give it all to charity and was told I can’t. I have to hang on to it for future generations.”
“Future generations you aren’t interested in having,” she said, hoping her words didn’t sound as bitter as they felt.
“You can understand now why I told you up front that I wasn’t interested in marriage and babies.”
“Right.” She had to look away. “I remember. It was the one thing you told me about yourself.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CULHANE STARTED TO tell her that he hadn’t meant it. That his attitude had changed in the year they’d been together. He could now see himself married to her with babies.
He reached over to touch her, but she pulled away. She had every right to be angry. If he were Alexis, he wouldn’t want anything to do with him, either. His relationship with her was the longest he’d ever had. He’d quit other relationships when they’d started to get serious.
But it had been different with Alex. He’d been drawn to her the moment they’d met. She radiated strength, determination and independence. He thought of her as an equal. She challenged him, didn’t play games, told it to him straight. He admired the hell out of her.
At first, he’d tried to keep his distance from her, knowing how screwed up he was when it came to opening up to anyone. But he couldn’t stay away from her. The deeper he got into the relationship, the more he found himself wanting more—something new for him.
He should have told her a lot of things, given how he had begun to feel about her. But he’d loved the way things were between them and had wanted them to stay that way. He’d wanted her to love him in spite of his first marriage, in spite of the money and what came with it, in spite of the baggage he carried from the loss of both his mother and father at the age of twelve. He’d wanted a clean slate with Alexis as if he’d only been born yesterday.
“Enough confessions for one day?” he asked hopefully, telling himself that when this was over, he’d tell her everything, especially the one thing he’d needed to tell her for months.
“Sure,” she said in a clipped, all-business tone. He saw her glance in her side mirror. He checked the rearview. Nothing. But he could feel the clock ticking. “Where are we going?”
“Into the grizzly’s den. Back to the Gallatin Valley. Did you happen to notice the plates on the van? They had the number six, signifying the van was licensed in Gallatin County.”
She turned to him, looking as if their problems were quickly forgotten as she got down to business. “That’s odd since they robbed a bank in Idaho, right?”
So she’d heard the news on the café radio before he’d turned it off. “I suspect Bobby is from there, and he was the getaway driver.”
“His van?”
Culhane shook his head. “Probably stolen.” He felt her gaze on him.
“I’d ask if you have a plan...”
He chuckled. She knew him so well. “Actually, I do. The first thing we need is a different means of transportation since this pickup has been seen now by at least two highway patrols, right? I know where we can get a loaner—at one of the places I used to spend holidays and summers. The Cardwell Ranch in the Gallatin Canyon. I think I introduced you to Ford Cardwell once.”
She nodded. “But is that wise? Wasn’t his uncle a marshal, and isn’t his wife the state medical examiner?”
Culhane nodded. “Don’t worry. He’s a good friend, and I trust him. I can’t say that about a lot of people. His wife Hitch is on a case up north, and his uncle is retired. We’re just popping in and out fast before Dana Cardwell Savage insists we stay for a meal. Which is a shame since she’s a great cook.”
“I love it when you smile like that,” she said, a catch in her throat.
He glanced over at her, seeing that if she hadn’t forgiven him, she would soon. That was another thing about Alexis: she’d enfolded him in that big heart of hers. It was the reason he had to do everything he could to keep the two of them alive—and make it up for hurting her. The last thing he wanted to do was break that heart.
* * *
SHERIFF WILLY GARWOOD was just finishing his lunch when he got the call.
“Guess where Culhane turned up?” Deputy Dick Furu said.
He was in no guessing mood, especially when it came to Culhane Travis. He let out a growl in answer.
“Buckhorn, Montana.”
“What the hell was he doing there?”
“Apparently having breakfast in the café there. But those three who robbed the bank in Idaho? They showed up, and there was a shoot-out. Culhane apparently shot one of them and chased after them when they took a local woman as hostage.”
Garwood couldn’t believe what he was hearing. It was certainly not what he’d been hoping to hear. “You’re telling me he’s not in custody?”
“Afraid not. He left before the law arrived. Last he was seen, he was chasing after the bank robbers. The local Buckhorn woman who was taken hostage turned up at the hospital in the next town.”
“That sounds like something Culhane would do. So where the hell was law enforcement?”
“Everyone was headed for Buckhorn, I would imagine. But it wasn’t Culhane who dropped off the hostage. It was a woman with short dark curly hair.”
“Alexis Brand,” Garwood said and cursed under this breath. “So the two are together?”
“They weren’t when Tina Mullen was dropped off at the hospital. Hold on, something else is coming through.” Garwood could hear chatter in the background but couldn’t make out the conversation. Furu came back on. “They just found the bank robbers that got away from the café shooting. All three are deceased. No more information than that.”
“Culhane.” Garwood shook his head. That man had been a burr under his saddle from the day Willy took the sheriff job. “Find him. Bring in his girlfriend as well. Clearly she is aiding and abetting.” He hesitated, not sure Furu was in a place where he couldn’t be overhead. “What about that other matter?”
“No luck yet.”
So they hadn’t found Jana Redfield Travis yet, either. And Culhane Travis was still on the loose with the help of his girlfriend.
“You know we have to find her before they do,” the sheriff said of Jana.
“We’re on it.”
He disconnected, his lunch sitting uneasy now in his stomach, making him feel sick. He had a BOLO out on Culhane. Someone was bound to pick him up. Or, with luck, shoot him on sight. But with Alexis Brand tagging along, it would be harder to kill him without killing her, too. But that was an option.
As for Jana, the woman had pulled a fast one on him. For that she would pay. He wanted to take care of her personally.
* * *
ALEXIS HADN’T BEEN paying any attention as to where Culhane was driving. Her mind had been on all the revelations he’d dropped on her, along with the horror that had played out earlier and the fact that now they were probably both wanted by the law.
But hearing him talk about his friend Ford and seeing him smile like that, she was looking forward to meeting the man. It reassured her that she hadn’t made a mistake about Culhane. But in spite of his loss, he’d managed to make the best of it by finding good friends. Except for Jana. That experience had left scars. Scars she’d known nothing about until all this had happened.
“So this is Cardwell Ranch?” she said as he turned off the highway. The ranch sat in the picturesque canyon with its dark pines and towering granite cliffs. The Gallatin River carved a winding path through all of it as puffy clouds floated above in a sky of blue. Snowcapped mountains surrounded them, making the whole scene remind her that Christmas was coming. She’d tried to imagine having Christmas on a ranch like this.
As they crossed a bridge over the cool green of the river, a barn loomed up in the distance and then a large ranch hou
se against a pine-tree-covered mountain as background.
“It’s beautiful,” she said, noticing the small creek that tumbled out of the mountains to join the river.
The dark-haired cowboy who came out of the barn had clearly been expecting them.
Culhane parked and got out to shake the rancher’s hand. Ford pulled his friend into a hug. “Ford, don’t mean to put you on the spot.”
“You know better than that. I’ve got a ranch pickup all gassed up and ready to go. I’ll put the one you’re driving in the barn.”
“I owe you.” His voice broke.
Alexis could see that Culhane wanted to say more. But she suspected he didn’t need to tell Ford that he hadn’t killed anyone. His friend trusted him as well.
She’d gotten out to stretch her legs, but Culhane called her over. “Ford, this is—”
“Alexis Brand,” Ford said, smiling as he drew her into a hug. “I’ve been wondering when I was going to get to see you again. Culhane talks about you all the time.” He grinned at his friend as he gave him a ribbing. She knew Culhane must be squirming in his boots. But she liked hearing that he’d told his good friend about her. “I hear you’re a bounty hunter now.”
“I’m planning on taking Culhane in, once we have proof of his innocence,” she said.
Ford laughed. “I’m betting she can do it, too.” Ford looked to him, eyebrow raised, and laughed. “You picked a good one.”
“It’s a long story, but now we have even more cops after us,” he said.
“Then, you best get going.” Ford tossed him the keys to a nondescript older-model brown pickup. “Good luck.”
“We’re going to need it,” he said. “Thanks again. Hope this won’t get you into hot water with Hitch.”
“I can handle Hitch,” Ford said, jokingly. “She loves me.”
“Who wouldn’t?” Culhane said. “Remember, if things go sideways, I stole the truck.”
* * *
AS HE DROVE AWAY, Culhane lost himself in the beauty of the Gallatin Canyon. Some of the trees along the river still had a few golden leaves on them in stark contrast to the dark green of the pines and the snowcapped peaks. He loved fall in Montana, the scents that carried on the cooler breezes, the promise of winter as snow powdered the peaks.
“I like your friend,” Alexis said as he reached Highway 191 and turned toward Bozeman.
“Wait until you meet his wife, Hitch.” He shot her a look. “She’s a lot like you. I think you two will hit it off.” He just hoped they got the chance to meet. He saw her look in her side mirror, saw the worry on her face.
“Once we find Jana, then the sheriff will have to resend the BOLO.”
When he said nothing, she looked over at him in surprise. “You can’t think that he would leave it on you. I know Garwood can be vindictive, but you can’t believe...” Alexis said as he drove down the canyon headed north.
“That this is about my wrongful-discharge lawsuit? That he’ll do anything to stop me, including using Jana to do it? Alexis, I’m being framed for murder. It’s no coincidence that Jana called me, knowing I would come to her if I really thought she was in trouble.”
“Maybe she was. Maybe she was killed right before you got there.”
He shook his head. “I saw Bobby leaving. I don’t believe he killed her. There wasn’t enough time for him to get rid of the body from when I called her. She’s still alive.”
“So Jana set it all up to make it look like you’d killed her?”
“Not without help,” Culhane said. “The woman is deceitful, but she couldn’t have come up with this plan alone.”
“The sheriff? Or someone else?” she asked. “This is extremely risky for Garwood, and it’s an election year. He’s not stupid.” But the sheriff was worried about what Culhane knew about the way he’d been running his department. She said as much.
“Exactly. I think what I found out is only the tip of the iceberg, and that is why he’s panicking,” Culhane said.
“Let’s say you’re right,” she conceded. “How do we prove it?”
“By finding Jana. If I’d had a chance to talk to the cook in Buckhorn... Or Bobby...” He shook his head. “So far I’m not having much luck. Gene shot Leo before I could talk to him. He also shot Bobby.”
“You’re telling me you think Gene purposely killed them to keep them quiet?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. Gene had a temper, and both Leo and Bobby were involved in a violent profession. But it seems as if when I get close, a witness dies.”
“If you’re right, and she’s still alive—”
“She’s a liability to whoever is behind this.”
“So how do we find her?”
Culhane drove in silence for a minute. “I’ve been thinking about that. It’s a long shot, but she might have been so desperate that she’d go to her father. Jack ‘Red’ Redfield owns a bar between here and Butte.”
Alexis seemed to settle in as they turned onto Interstate 90 and headed west.
Culhane reached over and took her hand. This time, she didn’t pull away. He squeezed gently, and she smiled at him, squeezing back. He felt his heart lift. They would get through this. He’d die trying to make that happen. He wanted a future with this woman more than he wanted his next breath.
A few minutes later, he looked over, and Alexis was asleep. He hoped going to Jana’s father’s bar wasn’t a wild-goose chase. But right now, that’s all he had for a lead.
In truth, Culhane had no idea what Jana would do or where she would go. He hardly knew the woman before that night at Big Sky. He hadn’t seen her in seven years. He hadn’t even known that she was back in the area.
But now he couldn’t help the guilt he felt for not believing her when she’d told him she was desperate and in danger—not until he’d seen what appeared to be a struggle at her apartment and the blood. Too much blood.
What if he were wrong? What if he were looking for a dead woman?
He thought about the last time he’d seen Jana. She’d sounded desperate enough, but she’d played him before. He’d had no doubt that she would do it again. He liked to think that he wasn’t that gullible twentysomething anymore.
“If you don’t help me, they’ll kill me,” she’d cried.
“They?” She’d shaken her head stubbornly in answer. “Stop!” he’d snapped. “Do you ever tell the truth? Would you even recognize it if it bit you in the—”
“I loved you. When we were married. That’s why I left. At first, it was the money, I’ll admit that bit. But you were so nice, I fell in love with you. I didn’t want to hurt you.”
He’d laughed. “You lied to get me to marry you for money. Do you really think there is anything you can say that I would believe?” She’d looked away, unable to meet his gaze. But he’d seen the answer in those eyes. It still hurt that he’d fallen for her act. Worse, that he’d bought into the whole package. The marriage. The baby. A family to replace the one he’d lost. For a moment he’d let himself believe he could have that with her. He’d wanted to be a father, believing he could be a better one than his own.
“Tell me the truth, Jana. Who have you gotten involved with? Who are you still involved with who’s put you up to this? I don’t believe you came up with it on your own.”
“Because I’m not smart enough?” She’d glared at him, her jaw tightening. “That’s what you always think, isn’t it? That someone is manipulating me. If it’s not my father, then it must be some other man.”
He hadn’t been able to argue differently. “History says you’re in trouble because you’ve ripped off some man and he isn’t taking it as well as I did. You promised me that you signed the annulment papers. That, too, was obviously a lie.”
“I thought I did. I swear it. Maybe I forgot to mail them back in.”
He’d shaken his head,
studying her, seeing the lies on her lips before she even formed the words. “Don’t drag me into whatever it is this time. You hear me, Jana? I’ll get the marriage annulled without your help. As far as I’m concerned, we never were married.” He’d started for the door when she’d called after him.
“You’re in love with her, aren’t you? Alexis Brand.”
He’d been so surprised that he’d stopped to look back at her. “How did you know about—”
“You didn’t think I knew?” Jana laughed, enjoying not just his surprise but his concern. He’d never wanted Alexis to know about Jana, about any of it. “Oh, I know all about the two of you.”
“Jana—”
“Don’t worry. I’m not going to make any trouble for you.” Anger reddened her cheeks and fired her eyes to flames. “Does she know about me?” Before he could answer she’d said, “I didn’t think so. Shame on you. I would imagine she’ll be surprised that she’s been dating a married man. Dating is what the two of you have been doing, isn’t it?”
He’d taken a step toward her. “If you had signed the annulment papers like you’d promised...” He’d raised both hands in surrender. “I didn’t come here to argue. I’ll have my lawyer take care of it.”
“I’ll get a lawyer. I’ll sue you.”
He’d had his back to her as he’d laughed and slowly turned around. “When you married me, I had nothing. No judge is going to give you access to my family’s money, given our marriage was a sham.”
“Culhane.” Her voice had broken, tears filling her eyes. “Can’t you see that I’m desperate? What’s fifty thousand dollars to you? I promise not to fight the annulment. You’ll never have to see me again. Please.”
“Sorry, Jana. I don’t believe anything that comes out of your mouth. I suspect fifty thousand with you won’t last longer than a snowball in hell. Then you’re back at my door threatening me with something else. Like making it look like I’d tried to buy you off with the money. After lying to me about the baby, do you really have the gall to come to me for money?”