Duty Or Desire (The Westmoreland Legacy Book 5)

by Brenda Jackson

  At that moment Pete knew the hardest thing he would ever have to do would come on the day he would have to let her go.

  Twelve

  Pete tossed the pencil on his desk, leaned back in his chair and placed the palms of his hands at the back of his neck. He’d been doing that all morning, in the middle of reading or writing a report. That was when thoughts of Myra would flash through his mind.

  It had been almost a week since their date on Saturday night, when he’d taken her to dinner and a movie and then they’d later made love on his dining room table. He still smiled at the memory and he had new admiration for that table and its sturdiness.

  He tried not to think about how time seemed to be quickly going by. Christmas was next week. And he’d fallen deeper and deeper in love with Myra. He tried showing her every time they made love without saying the words. A couple of times during the throes of passion the words nearly slipped out anyway. She still hadn’t decided if she would return for the Westmoreland Charity Ball on New Year’s Eve.

  Although she’d never said she felt anything for him, whenever they made love he swore he could feel her emotion. A part of him wanted to believe a woman like Myra could not share with him what she’d shared, holding back nothing, if she didn’t care. Or was it mere wishful thinking on his part?

  He would soon find out because he planned on telling her how he felt tonight. He couldn’t kiss her again, hold her in his arms and make love to her again, without her knowing that he loved her. She might think it was just sex for him, but it was time she discovered it was a lot more. Then he would convince her that if she gave him a chance, she could love him, too.

  At least he was praying that she could.

  He looked up at the knock on the door. “Come in.”

  Lewis came in smiling, looking pleased with himself, and Pete figured he should. A week ago, Lewis had traced that trust to a corporation in New York, and a few days later an arrest had been made. Yesterday, the FBI had brought in equipment to scan the perimeter of Ms. Katherine’s backyard and they’d uncovered the loot that had been hidden there. The recovery had made national news. Because of all the long hours Lewis had put in trying to solve the case, Pete had given him extra days off. He would be leaving tomorrow to take his family to visit his wife’s parents in Boulder.

  “Your first day off and you couldn’t resist coming here anyway?”

  Lewis dropped down in the chair in front of Pete’s desk. “I needed to wrap up a few things before leaving. How are you going to handle things without me?”

  Pete chuckled. “I’ll manage.”

  At that moment the intercom on Pete’s desk went off. “Yes, Monica?”

  “Ms. Katherine is on the line and she says it’s important that she talk to you.”

  Pete glanced over at Lewis and raised a brow as he said, “Okay, put her through.”

  When the connection was made, Pete placed the call on speaker so Lewis could listen in on the conversation since he was the one who’d worked on her case. “Ms. Katherine, don’t tell me you’re seeing more ghosts,” Pete said jokingly.

  “Of course not, Peterson, but there’s something strange going on.”

  “Strange how?” he asked, reclining back in his chair.

  “I met with Lucille and Alma today. We’re knitting holiday hats for the babies at the hospital. And they told me a well-dressed man was going around their neighborhood asking questions.”

  Pete lifted a brow. Lucille’s and Alma’s homes were at least a good four to five miles from where Ms. Katherine lived. “What kind of questions?”

  “They were about your nanny.”

  Pete sat up straight in his chair and frowned. “My nanny?”

  “Yes. Ms. Hollister. The man knew her name and even had a picture of her and everything. Said he was looking for her, but didn’t tell them why. Of course Lucille and Alma didn’t tell him anything. They told me about it and I told them I would pass the information on to you to tell Ms. Hollister. The man didn’t look dangerous, but you can’t take any chances these days. You don’t think he’s an ex-husband, do you?”

  “No,” Pete said, his frown deepening. “Myra has never been married.” He was damn well certain of that. “Thanks for telling me. I’ll pass the information on to Myra. If the man comes back, tell Ms. Alma and Ms. Lucille to let me know. Did the man say how he could be reached?”

  “No, he didn’t tell them anything, which is another reason they found the man odd.”

  Pete found that odd, as well. “I appreciate the information. Goodbye, Ms. Katherine.” He then clicked off the phone.

  “Who would be looking for your nanny?” Lewis asked Pete.

  Pete stood. “I don’t know but I intend to find out. Enjoy your time off.”

  Lewis nodded, standing, as well. “Is there anything you need me to do? I can delay my trip another day if—”

  “No,” Pete said, pushing his chair to his desk. “There’s no need for you to do that. I was going home for lunch anyway, so that gives me a chance to ask Myra about it.”

  Twenty minutes later, Pete was pulling into his driveway. On the way home, all kinds of scenarios ran through his mind. It could very well be an insurance agent since her parents had been killed a few months ago. But why would an insurance man be going around showing her picture? Sounded to Pete like a process server or bounty hunter, which didn’t make sense. She would have told him if she was in some kind of trouble. Wouldn’t she?

  Then there was another possibility. She was being stalked...like Ellen had been. She’d told Bonnie she’d come to Denver because of her parents’ deaths and that she needed to get away. What if there was more to that story? His hand tightened on the steering wheel, not wanting to go there, but his mind was trying to do that very thing. Now he was getting damn paranoid and there was no reason for that. But the thought of not knowing was driving him crazy.

  He started to call out to her the minute he opened the door, but caught himself. If Ciara was taking a nap he didn’t want to wake her. He went into the kitchen and found it empty, but something was baking in the oven. He left the kitchen to head down the hall the exact moment Myra was walking out of Ciara’s room.

  She saw him and threw her hand to her chest and took a deep breath. “Pete! You scared me. I thought you said you weren’t coming home for lunch.”

  He tried reining in all those rampant emotions hitting him at once. “Do you know why a man is going around town looking for you, Myra?”

  * * *

  Breaking eye contact with Pete, Myra took a slow, deep breath as she stared down at the floor. She should have known Baron wouldn’t give up on trying to find her. She should have taken heed of Wallace’s warning.

  “Myra? I asked you a question.”

  She snapped her head up and met Pete’s gaze. She didn’t like his tone. He sounded angry. What did he have to be upset about? It wasn’t him with the issue of a ruthless brother. “Yes, I know why he’s here. Now, if you will excuse me, I need to check on dinner.” She brushed by him to walk to the kitchen.

  “Wait just a damn minute!” he said, grabbing hold of her wrist.

  She jerked her hand from him. “Pete, what is wrong with you? Please lower your voice or you’ll wake Ciara. I just put her down for her nap.” She then turned toward the kitchen and he followed.

  Myra still didn’t understand what he was upset about. She should be the angry one. All her calculated plans to make Baron believe she was out of the country had gotten blown to bits because one of his ex-girlfriends had seen Myra that day in Breckenridge. Well, she had news for her brother and that witch of a mother of his. She would not hide out like a criminal anymore.

  Entering the kitchen, she walked over to the oven to check on the baked chicken, very much aware of Pete moving behind her. When she turned around, he was standing in the middle of the kitchen with
a fierce frown on his face and his arms crossed over his chest. “You owe me an explanation, Myra.”

  A part of her knew she did. She was living in his house and taking care of his niece. If someone was going around town looking for her, he should be told why. “Yes, I do owe you an explanation and I will give you one, Pete, but you have no reason to be angry about it. You and Ciara were never in any danger.”

  He frowned. “Danger? What in the world are you involved in?”

  She disliked his accusations even more. “I am not involved in anything and I resent you thinking that. Maybe we shouldn’t have this conversation after all—it’s not like I have to confide in you. I’m leaving soon, and all we’ve been sharing is a relationship that’s not going anywhere.”

  She watched him grit his teeth and his neck seemed to expand while he fought for control. He looked like a great specimen of furious masculinity with his tight thighs and heaving chest. She had never seen him this angry before.

  He took a couple of steps toward her and pointed at her. “You think that’s all it’s been, Myra? Nothing but a relationship that’s not going anywhere?”

  His question surprised her and she lifted her chin and met his intense glare. “What else am I supposed to think, Pete?”

  He stiffened. She watched his already tight muscles appear to tighten even more. Then she said, “I clearly recall your proposition. So yes, all we’ve shared is a relationship to nowhere and I’m fine with that. If I hadn’t been, I would not have slept with you.” And she didn’t regret any of the times she had.

  He took a closer step to her. “Don’t try changing the subject. I want to know why some man is looking for you.”

  Myra rolled her eyes. “Change the subject? You’re the one who wanted me to explain what I meant by relationship, as if you didn’t already know.”

  “Answer my question, Myra,” he said in a tone that indicated his patience was running thin.

  In a way, she didn’t want to tell him. She didn’t want to explain how a brother could treat his sibling this way, especially when Pete and his brother had shared such a close and loving relationship. He had suffered a loss when Matt had died and now he was caring for his brother’s daughter, giving her everything he knew his brother would want her to have. Especially love. All Myra’s brother felt toward her was loathing.

  “Myra!”

  She jumped. “Will you stop screaming?”

  “I am not screaming,” he said, lowering his voice somewhat. “Now answer my question.”

  Moving away from the stove, she walked over to the table to sit down in a chair. She needed to sit. Just the thought that Baron had tracked her here was too much to take in at the moment. She glanced at Pete. He was still standing in the same spot. Still angry. Drawing in a deep breath, she said, “The man was sent by someone to find me. The reason I came to Denver was to hide out and I thought I’d done a good job of leading the person to believe I was out of the country somewhere, so he would have no reason to look for me here.”

  “He?” Pete all but roared. “You’re being stalked? By whom?” Before she could respond he said, “Some men are crazy. They want. Nothing else matters. They will do anything to have you and if you turn them away, they will hurt you because the sick bastards have demented minds.”

  Stalker? Maybe he assumed that because he was a law enforcement officer. Drawing in a deep breath, she said, “I wasn’t being stalked, Pete. I was being tracked. It was imperative to Baron that I not return to Charleston to cause problems, which is why that man is looking for me.”

  “Baron? Who the hell is Baron? An ex-boyfriend? A guy who doesn’t understand the meaning of no?”

  None of the above...

  She still heard the anger in his voice but now it wasn’t directed at her, but rather the man he was inquiring about. She truly didn’t want to tell him any more than she had already.

  Why did he want the identity of the person involved? She knew the answer. It wasn’t because he cared about her, but because he was a cop. A sheriff. It was his job to know details.

  Myra met his intense stare. “Baron Hollister is my brother.”

  * * *

  Pete was certain he’d heard her wrong. Did she say her brother?

  As if she read the confusion in his features, she said, “Yes, my brother. I told you we had the same father but different mothers. His mother, Charlene, was my dad’s first wife. They were married only four years and divorced when Baron was only two.”

  Pete came to the table to sit down opposite her. “Are you saying your brother is stopping you from returning home?”

  With a sigh, she nodded. “Yes and no. He’s never told me per se but he’s sent his warnings through others. I know Baron and how ruthless he can be and decided not to take chances. I needed to leave Charleston anyway and grieve after losing my parents. I chose not to tell him where I was going because I knew he would have someone watch me and let him know when I was on my way back home. Not knowing my location upset him and he’s been looking for me.”

  The thought that she knew someone was out there looking for her and hadn’t told him anything about it had Pete boiling in rage. “I think you need to start at the beginning.”

  He listened as Myra told him everything and the more he heard, the angrier he got. As far as he was concerned, Baron Hollister was a fool. Myra had allowed him to get away with it when she could have reported his threats. She should have told someone. She should have told him. She had been living under his roof and sleeping in his bed, yet she hadn’t trusted him enough to confide what her brother was doing to her. Just like Ellen hadn’t confided in him about the stalker’s threats.

  While listening to Myra, that day twelve years ago came back to him. Ellen had told her best friend about the threats but not him. In the end, the man had taken her life. Pete recalled sitting in this very kitchen while listening to Sheriff Harper tell him that Ellen’s death hadn’t been an accident but an intentional, malicious act. The man had been arrested and, after being told his purchase of the firecrackers had been captured on a video camera inside Paul Markam’s feed store, he’d confessed.

  Suddenly, those memories became unbearable, almost suffocating to the point where Pete couldn’t breathe. He needed to get out of there. Standing quickly and without saying a word, he crossed the room and walked out the back door.

  His mind was filled with memories of Ellen’s death as well as all the things Myra had just told him. All the things that, like Ellen, Myra hadn’t told him.

  Within minutes he had Satin saddled and was riding off, no particular destination in mind. He had to get away and think. So he kept riding.

  In his lifetime he had fallen in love with two women, and neither had trusted him enough to tell him what was happening in their lives, even though he could have helped. He would not have let them face anything alone. He would have taken care of them. He would have been there for them.

  It wasn’t long before he’d come to the edge of his property, which connected to Gemma Lake. In the distance, across the way, he saw all the wild horses running loose on Westmoreland land. Bringing Satin to a stop, he dismounted and sat on a huge tree stump and gazed at both the lake and the horses. The water indicated calmness while the horses displayed just the opposite. He could feel their untamed energy. Pretty much like the energy flowing through him now. Untamed and unmanageable.

  He had to come to terms with the fact that life was sometimes unpredictable. Unruly. Undisciplined. That was one of the reasons why he’d wanted to become a lawman. To battle the bad guys. To bring order. Then after Ellen’s death, he’d been even more determined to do so.

  Now, twelve years later, he’d fallen in love again. When Myra had walked into his life, he hadn’t been ready for her and had tried to fight what he’d felt. But it seemed fate had decreed she was to be a part of his life, for better or for worse.

>   He had accepted weeks ago that he loved her, but could he accept her not telling him when her life was in possible danger?

  Yes, he could accept it because he loved her, mistakes and all. More than anything, he needed to let her know his feelings for her went beyond the bed they shared every night. He needed her to know that he was there to help fight her battles, whatever they were, and that she wasn’t alone. She would never be alone because she would always have him and Ciara.

  It was time to let her know that.

  “Any reason you’re sitting here staring into space, Pete?”

  He turned at the sound of Riley Westmoreland’s voice. “No reason. What are you doing out here and not at the office?” Although Riley might enjoy the outdoors, he worked in an office setting in the Westmoreland family-owned Blue Ridge Management Company. Most of the time he was in a business suit instead of Western wear.

  Riley chuckled. “I decided to play hooky today. Everyone needs to do that every once in a while.”

  Before Pete could respond, his cell phone rang and he saw it was Lewis. “Hold that thought a sec,” he said to Riley before clicking on his phone. “Any reason you’re calling me? Need I remind you again that you were given time off?”

  “Hey, consider it the former FBI agent in me, but I couldn’t leave town until I checked out something. Namely, why someone was in town looking for your nanny. I decided to investigate and you won’t believe what I found out.”

  Pete listened to what Lewis was saying and a frown covered his features. “I’m on my way.”

  He looked over at Riley. “I need to get back to town immediately and I’m closer to your place than I am to mine. Can you give me a ride? I’ll get one of my men to bring me back home later.”

  “Sure.”

  Pete got on his horse and, like in the old days, he and Riley raced across the meadows to where Riley lived, a few minutes away on one hundred acres of land he called Riley’s Station. Minutes later and they were in Riley’s car and on their way into town.