Duty Or Desire (The Westmoreland Legacy Book 5)

by Brenda Jackson

  “Any leads?” Bane asked, while sipping coffee.

  “None. To be honest, we all thought the ghosts were in her head until she captured the images. It’s obvious someone was in her backyard moving around dressed as a ghost. But when I went to check I couldn’t find a single footprint.”

  “You know why,” Bane said, grinning.

  Pete frowned. “No, why?”

  “Because ghosts don’t have feet.”

  Pete shook his head. Having grown up with the Westmorelands, Pete was used to their penchant for humor when there was none. “You’re turning into a comedian, aren’t you? Maybe it’s time for your commander to send you on another mission.”

  “Ignore Bane,” Flipper said, rolling his eyes. “Seriously though, there has to be a reason for that, other than the wisecrack one Bane just gave. Mind if I take a look at the footage that lady captured, Pete?”

  “Not at all.”

  It didn’t take a minute for Pete to load the video into his computer and it took Flipper even less time to reach a conclusion. “That’s not a real body moving around in her backyard.”

  Bane joined the two men at the computer. “Flip’s right.”

  Pete frowned and studied the image. It looked pretty damn real to him. “But how?”

  “It’s fake,” Flipper explained. “Made with a high-powered camera similar to what filmmakers use on set. It’s so advanced you can basically code in that lady’s address, and any sort of image you want will pop up on the property via satellite.”

  Pete ran a hand down his face. “Then that image could be coming from anywhere.”

  “Yes,” Bane agreed, “but in order for the satellite to pinpoint the target, there has to be a digital receiver somewhere in Ms. Katherine’s backyard. It’s probably so tiny you either can’t see it or it resembles something you wouldn’t detect even if you saw it.”

  “But I bet the two of you probably could.”

  Flipper chuckled. “Of course. We’re SEALs.”

  Yes, and Pete couldn’t help appreciating that such competent men were protecting this country. “Who would go to the trouble of doing this?” he asked, thinking aloud.

  Bane nodded. “An even bigger question is why. Ms. Katherine has lived in that house for years.”

  “It’s not the same house that you and Bailey spray painted orange,” Pete said.

  Flipper glanced over at Bane. “You and Bailey spray painted some old lady’s house?”

  Bane shrugged. “One of my childhood pranks.”

  “Why?” Flipper wanted to know.

  Bane smiled. “She was my teacher and wanted to promote me to the next grade. I wanted to hang back another year.”

  Pete contained his laughter when he saw how Flipper was staring at Bane. “Why would you want to be held back in school?” Flipper asked.

  “So I could be in the same grade as Bailey.”

  Pete chuckled. “Now you see what the city of Denver had to put up with? Bane and Bailey, along with the twins, were holy terrors.”

  “We learned our lesson, trust me,” Bane said. “Dillon made us repaint her entire house and not just the part we’d messed up. Ms. Katherine benefited when she got her entire house repainted.” He glanced over at Pete. “So where is she living now?”

  “In the house her fourth husband left her.”

  “The lady’s been married four times?” Flipper asked.

  “Yes.” Pete then glanced over at Bane. “I think she got married again after you left for the military, Bane. She was only married to the guy a few years before he passed away.”

  “Well, it’s my guess that someone is trying to scare her out of that house for a reason, Pete,” Flipper said. “And whatever the reason is, they feel it’s worth the money. Those kinds of illusions aren’t cheap.”

  Later that day Pete pulled up into the acting school’s parking lot an hour later than he’d originally planned. Getting out of his truck, he glanced around. The place was packed, and he knew why. One of Pam’s sisters, Paige Novak, had followed Pam’s footsteps and pursued an acting career in Hollywood. It seemed she was making a name for herself. No doubt a lot of the people attending tonight were autograph seekers.

  He got pulled into several conversations when he was seen by other people. That was fine because the closer he got to the door, the more his stomach became tied in knots knowing he would be seeing Myra.

  He finally reached the door and a group of smiling men stepped out, grinning from ear to ear. He overheard their conversations and they were all muttering about how beautiful Paige Novak was. He thought so, too, but it was his opinion that Myra was even more of a stunner. There was something about the woman that got to him.

  “Want a soda pop, Sheriff? It’s two dollars.”

  He glanced down at the young woman. It was Pam’s other sister, the youngest, who was working on her PhD at Harvard. “Don’t mind if I do, Nadia,” he said, fishing a couple of dollars out of the back pocket of his jeans. “I see Pam has you working.”

  Nadia laughed. “She has everybody working. Even Jillian flew home. She’s in a booth dressed as a cowgirl and working the cotton candy machine”

  Moments later Pete entered the foyer and could hear sounds coming from other parts of the building. He headed toward the auditorium, passing a number of people who tried getting him to stop and engage in conversation. However, he spoke and kept walking because at the moment he was on a mission to see two certain females. One had already stamped her name all over his heart and the other could...

  He paused a moment to draw in a deep breath.

  This was the first time since losing Ellen that the thought of another woman getting close to him, especially to his heart, had ever crossed his mind. He couldn’t help but wonder what that could possibly mean.

  * * *

  “How do you enjoy living with the sheriff and being nanny to his niece?”

  Myra was convinced that if another person asked her that question, she would scream. So far, this was the sixth time. Pete had been right about some people worrying there was more going on under his roof than met the eye. Regardless of whether or not they were wrong in their assumptions, the bottom line was that she and Pete were adults who could do as they pleased.

  “I enjoy taking care of Ciara,” was her constant reply. She refused to address whether or not she enjoyed living with the sheriff.

  “Evening, Ms. Coffer and Ms. Finley. If you don’t mind, I need to borrow Myra for a minute,” Lucia Westmoreland said, appearing seemingly out of nowhere, and looping her arm with Myra’s.

  “Of course we don’t mind,” the ladies chimed simultaneously and then she was whisked off with Lucia, pushing Ciara in her stroller.

  She gave Lucia an appreciative smile. “How did you know I needed rescuing?” Myra asked when they were out of earshot of the two women.

  “Trust me, those two are the nosiest on this side of town.”

  Myra nodded. “Pete tried to warn me that if I took the job of nanny and moved in with him there would be talk, but I didn’t believe him.”

  Lucia lifted a brow. “Why didn’t you?”

  “Well, mainly because this is Denver and I figured this town was more progressive than that.”

  “It is, for the most part, but like any place else there are those who thrive on gossip. Besides, for years Elnora Finley thought she had a vested interest in Pete. She was convinced Pete would make her daughter Rose a perfect second husband.”

  “Oh. Whatever happened to the woman’s first husband?”

  “He was killed in a motorcycle accident a few years back. Elnora felt since both Rose and Pete had lost the people they loved, they would be the perfect match.”

  Interesting. “Did Pete and Rose ever date?” She hated asking but a part of her wanted to know. Needed to know.

  “Not tha
t I know of. In fact, Pete had to pretty much tell Rose and Elnora to back off because he wasn’t interested. For years after losing his fiancée he didn’t date at all. And he rarely dates now.”

  Yet here Myra was, contemplating giving in to his proposition. Drawing in a deep breath, she knew it was time to make some decisions. Pete had brought out desires within her that she’d never dealt with before. To deny him would mean denying herself. She no longer wanted to do that.

  “Well, look who just walked in.”

  Myra followed Lucia’s gaze across the crowded room and her eyes connected with Pete’s. His mouth edged up in a smile and she knew at that moment Peterson Higgins had gotten to her in a big way.

  “Um, my magazine is doing a segment on law and order. I wonder if Pete would agree to be on the cover, posing as a sexy Western lawman. I bet it would definitely increase sales.”

  Myra knew Lucia was editor-in-chief of a national women’s magazine, Simply Irresistible. With her gaze still locked with Pete’s, Myra said, “Yes, I bet so, too.”

  * * *

  Pete felt the force of meeting Myra’s gaze like a jolt of sexual energy. Never had any woman consumed so much of his concentration, his thoughts and his desires. That included Ellen. When Ellen had died, she’d been the same age Myra was now. Twenty-four. Now, as a nearly thirty-seven-year-old man, he was facing an entirely different set of emotions. He was dealing with a degree of lust he hadn’t had at twenty-four.

  She looked gorgeous, standing there beside Lucia dressed in a long flowing cowgirl skirt, Western blouse and cowhide boots. Her hair flowed around her shoulders beneath a cowgirl hat. At that moment he wished he could cross the room and kiss her, regardless of the crowd of people here.

  “I hope you’re staring at your nanny and not my wife, Pete.”

  He didn’t even break eye contact with Myra when he responded to the person who’d come to stand beside him. “I have two eyes and can check out both of them.”

  Derringer Westmoreland laughed. “You’re crazy, man.”

  “You think so.”

  “At least you better be because if for one minute I thought you were honestly checking out Lucia, I would have to end your life.”

  It was only when Myra’s attention was drawn to a woman who’d approached her and Lucia that Pete looked over at Derringer. “Need I remind you of what could happen when you threaten a man of the law,” he said, opening his bottle of pop to take a swig. He felt hot and needed a drink, even if the contents weren’t as strong as he’d like.

  Derringer chuckled. “That badge won’t matter any to me. Besides, it won’t be the first time you and I have battled it out.”

  Pete smiled, remembering that time in fifth grade. “Oh, yeah, and then when we got home, your momma gave us another ass-whipping.”

  “Only because Zane told on us. What we should do is go find him and beat the crap out of him. I don’t care if it was close to thirty years ago. We can even get Riley to help us since he was the victim of Zane’s snitching a few times, as well.”

  Pete glanced back over to where Myra stood, still talking. “Let’s do it another night,” Pete said. “I need to go rescue Myra from Ida.”

  “Okay, but just so you know, now you have me wondering about something.”

  Pete lifted a brow. “What?”

  “Who’s going to rescue Myra from you?”

  Instead of addressing Derringer’s comment, Pete moved across the room toward Myra.

  * * *

  Although the woman standing in front of her was steadily chatting, Myra was aware of Pete crossing the room toward her. His heat called out to her, encompassed her. She thought about what Lucia had said about him being on the cover of a magazine. She could envision him dressed as he was now, in jeans, a Western shirt, Stetson and boots. The rugged cowboy type had never appealed to her before. Now, thanks to Pete, it did.

  “Evening, ladies.”

  Before either Myra or the woman could return the greeting, Ciara let out a huge “Da-da.” Myra watched the grin spread across Pete’s face when he leaned down to take his niece out of the stroller. Once she was in his arms, Ciara planted a huge kiss on her uncle’s cheek, nearly knocking his Stetson off in the process.

  “My hat, too, Da-da,” she then said, pointing to the miniature cowgirl hat on her head.

  “I see. It’s pretty.”

  “Me pretty, too.”

  Pete laughed. “You certainly are.”

  “Evening, Sheriff,” Ms. Ida said. “I was just telling your nanny that if she needed more work after Bonnie comes back that I know a family on the other side of town who could use her services.”

  Had the woman said that? Myra wondered. She couldn’t recall anything they’d discussed since becoming aware of Pete’s approach. “I appreciate you looking out for me, Ms. Ida, but I’ll be returning to Charleston not long after Miss Bonnie returns.”

  The woman looked disappointed. “Oh, how sad.”

  Myra wondered what would be sad about her leaving Denver. Before she could ponder that any further, Pete said, “If you don’t mind, Ms. Ida, I need to borrow Myra for a moment.” He took her arm and steered her off.

  “Oh, of course.”

  Myra didn’t say anything as she walked beside Pete, who carried Ciara. There was no need to tell him he could place Ciara back in her stroller since it was apparent he wanted to carry her around.

  “I thought I’d better save you from Ida. She’s known to be long-winded.”

  “She seems to be a nice lady.”

  “Yes, she is. Just talkative.”

  They didn’t say anything for a while, satisfied to let Ciara take center stage as she sat atop Pete’s shoulders, pointing out a number of things that caught her attention. “She’s alert—that’s good.”

  Myra chuckled. “She won’t be for long. She missed her nap today.”

  “Have you guys eaten yet?” he asked her.

  “Yes, we got here early and Pam fed all the helpers before the door opened.”

  He lifted a brow. “You’re a helper?”

  “I was. Ciara and I volunteered to take the first hour of face painting.”

  Pete grinned. “Let’s be honest. You did the face painting and Ciara watched.”

  “She was my little helper. And by the way, I like your look.”

  He raised a brow. He had nice brows and his lashes were nice, as well. “And what look is that?”

  “One of a notorious cowboy.” He hadn’t left home dressed that way this morning so he must have changed clothes at the office.

  He chuckled. “A notorious cowboy? Evidently, you missed seeing this,” he said, pointing to his badge. “This makes me a lawman.”

  As they continued to walk around, stopping at various booths, Myra was not only aware of the man by her side but that several people were staring at them...like they’d done that night at McKays. Pete was a very observant man and she figured he was noticing, as well. “I could kiss you and really give them something to talk about,” he whispered close to her ear.

  She jerked her gaze up at him and saw the devilish twinkle in his eyes. He was joking, right? “I wouldn’t suggest you do that,” she said, biting back a smile. “How was your day?” she asked, switching their conversation to a safer topic. The last thing she needed was for the thought of them kissing to dominate her mind. It didn’t take much to recall last night when she’d sat in his lap while he’d kissed her into sweet oblivion.

  “Busy but hopefully productive. I think we might have a break in the case of Ms. Katherine’s ghost.”

  “Really? How?” she asked him.

  They continued walking while he told her. “There’s something else I did a lot of today,” he said while placing Ciara back into her stroller.

  “Oh, what?” Myra asked him. She studied the broadness of his back a
s he bent down to the stroller. He had nice shoulders bulging beneath his Western shirt. Why were her palms suddenly aching to rub over them?

  When he straightened, he glanced over at her. “I thought about you a lot today, and do you know what I mostly thought about?”

  She wished she had the strength not to ask, but she was powerless while staring into the darkness of his eyes. “No, what did you mostly think about?”

  “How it would feel making love to you.”

  She started them walking again, mainly to keep herself from shivering all over. She was glad they were in a somewhat secluded section of the auditorium. No one had heard what he’d said, she was sure of it. But she had heard him, loud and clear, and his words had glided over her body like molten liquid. It was as if she could feel his body’s heat and his body’s lust. At that moment breathing became difficult.

  She knew what all this meant. It was time for her to walk on the sensuous side and be the passionate woman she believed she could be. But only with this man.

  Glancing around to make sure they were still pretty much alone, she leaned in close to him and said, “Then maybe it’s time for you to find out how it feels, Pete.”

  Nine

  Pete drove home following close behind Myra’s vehicle, while images of kissing her again and making love to her all through the night aroused him in ways he’d never been aroused before. It had been hard to remain at the school and work the booth Pam had talked him into doing, handing out fake badges and telling kids about the importance of obeying laws. As soon as his time was up, he’d found Myra and Ciara and escorted them toward the parking lot so they could leave.

  He doubted she had a clue what her words had done to him, but she would soon find out. What she’d said had pushed him to the edge. Yet he was determined not to pounce on her the moment they reached his ranch. Besides, she needed to get Ciara ready for bed and he would sing his niece to sleep. After all that, the night would belong to him and Myra.

  He released a sigh when they reached the marker to his land. When had the drive from the acting school to his place become never ending? He slowed his pace, giving Myra time to maneuver her car along the long, winding driveway. His heart began pounding the closer he got to the house and when she parked her car, he pulled in beside her.