by Barb Han
This time she didn’t push forward and press a kiss to his lips, and disappointment nearly swallowed him.
He smiled at her compliment and squeezed her hand, needing to refocus before he headed down that emotional path again.
“Good luck if you want something warm in this house that doesn’t have caffeine.”
“If you have water, a stove and maybe a lemon or honey, I can get by just fine.”
“I definitely have honey. It’s in the cupboard. Gert makes a point of bringing some back for everyone in the office when she visits honeybee farms. She’s made a goal to visit every one in the state before the end of the year. I should have a few bottles in there to choose from. As far as lemons go, I actually might have a few of those in the bin inside the fridge. I’ll just make a call and check on my boys. I really want to hear their voices before they go to sleep. So if you’ll excuse me, I’ll take the call in the other room while you make up your warm batch of honey-lemon water.”
His smile was genuine, and when she beamed back at him his heart squeezed. His traitorous heart would have to get on board with the whole “he needed to slow the train down” plan. It was on a track of its own, running full steam ahead.
Makena pushed him back a little bit in a playful motion. He hesitated for just a second, holding her gaze just a little too long, and his heart detonated when he turned to walk away. He exhaled a sigh and grabbed his phone off the granite island before heading into the bedroom.
He gave himself a few moments to shake off the haze in his mind from kissing Makena. He was still in a little bit of shock that one kiss could ignite that level of passion in him. He chalked it up to going too long without sex. That had to be the reason. He hadn’t felt a flame burning like that in far too long.
After a few more deep breaths, he was at a ready point to hear his sons’ little babbling voices. He pulled up his mother’s contact and let his thumb hover over her number.
He dropped his thumb onto the screen and put the phone to his ear. It took a couple of rings for his mother to pick up. When she did, he could hear the sounds of his little angels in the background, laughing. He’d recognize those voices anywhere.
“Hi, son. I was just drying off the boys after their baths. How are you doing?” she asked. He listened for any signs of distress in her voice that meant taking care of the boys was too much for her right now.
“All is well here. We’re moving forward with the investigation and I’ll be up and out early tomorrow morning to go interview a potential witness. Making progress.” Hearing his sons’ laughter in the background warmed his heart.
“Colton, what’s really wrong?” His mom could read him and his brothers better than a psychic.
“The case. I know the intended target from college. We go way back and she’s a good person. She definitely doesn’t deserve what’s being handed to her.” It would do no good to lie to his mother. She’d be able to hear it in his tone and he wouldn’t feel good about it anyway. He’d been honest with her since seventh grade, after he’d hidden his phone in his room so he could call Rebecca when they were supposed to be asleep.
A young Colton hadn’t slept a wink that night. He’d come clean about the deception in the morning and his mother said he’d punished himself enough. She expected him to leave his phone downstairs before he went up to bed just like the others did. Garrett had always sneaked back down to get his, but that was Garrett and beside the point.
Lying had taught Colton that he was an honest person.
Plus, his mother had been around him and his brothers who worked in law enforcement long enough to realize they wouldn’t be allowed to divulge details about an ongoing investigation. She wouldn’t dig around.
And she wouldn’t ask. There were lines families in law enforcement never crossed.
“I’m sorry to hear such a nice-sounding person is having a rough go of it.” He could hear more of that innocent laughter come across the line and he figured his mother knew exactly the distraction he needed. “The boys have had a wonderful day. They’ve been angels with just enough spunk in them for me to know they’re O’Connor boys through and through.”
“That’s good to hear.”
“Do you want me to put them on the line? I can put the phone in between them. They’re here on the bed. Well, mostly here on the bed. Renee is here helping me and they keep trying to move to get away from the lotion.” His mom laughed. It sounded genuine, and there’d been too much of that missing in her life over the past few months. It made him feel a lot less guilty about having the boys stay over with her for a few days. They might be just the distraction she needed.
“I would love it. Put them on.” He could hear shuffling noises, which he assumed was her putting the phone down.
Her mouth was away from the receiver when she said, “Hey, boys. Guess who is calling you? It’s your Dada.”
It warmed his heart the way his family had accepted Silas and Sebastian despite the circumstances of their birth.
“Hey, buddies. I hope you are behaving for your Mimi and Aunt Renee.” In truth, there wasn’t a whole lot to say to one-year-olds. All he really wanted to hear was the sound of their giggles. Knowing how well they were being cared for and how much his mother loved them. It was kind of Renee to help.
One of the twins shrieked, “Dada!”
The other one got excited and started chanting the same word. Colton didn’t care how or why his boys had come into his life. He was a better man for having them. He kept the phone to his ear and just listened.
A few minutes later, his mother came back on the line.
“Well, these two are ready for a little snack before bedtime,” she said.
“Sounds good, Mom.” He wanted to ask how she was really doing but figured this wasn’t the time. Instead, he settled on, “They really love you.”
“Well, that’s a good thing because I love them more. And I love you.” There was a genuine happiness to her tone that made Colton feel good.
They said their goodbyes and ended the call. Colton glanced at the clock. It was after eight. He needed to grab a shower and get some shut eye soon. Four o’clock in the morning would come early and he wanted to be at the motel the minute the clerk started work.
Colton took a quick shower, toweled off and then threw on some sweatpants and a T-shirt. By the time he joined Makena in the other room, she was curled up on the couch. She’d figured out how to flip the switch to turn on the fireplace. He didn’t want to dwell on how right it felt to see her sitting there in his home, on his sofa, looking comfortable and relaxed.
If it was just the two of them and she was in a different mental space, letting this relationship play out would be a no-brainer. But he had his children to think about and how the loss of their mother at such a young age would affect their lives. He also had to consider how bringing someone into their lives who could leave again might impact them. He couldn’t see himself getting into a temporary relationship or introducing them to someone who might not stick around for the long haul.
“Shower’s free. I left a fresh towel out for you and a washcloth. It’s folded on the sink,” he said, trying to ignore his body’s reaction to her. His heart—traitor that it was—started beating faster against his rib cage.
Sitting there, smiling up at him, Makena was pure temptation. A temptation he had to ignore—for his own sanity.
Chapter Twelve
The shower was amazing and quick. Makena couldn’t help but think about the case, despite trying to force it from her thoughts. It was impossible for questions not to pop into her mind after the update they’d received from Gert.
It was probably odd to appreciate the fact that she knew River. He had a physical description and a job. She couldn’t imagine being targeted by someone without any idea who it could be or why.
Granted, in her case, the why was still a questi
on mark. It could be his jealous nature. Or it could be that he believed she’d overheard something.
At least she wouldn’t walk down the street next to the person targeting her without realizing it. Even Red and Mustache were on her radar.
And then there was Colton. She couldn’t imagine having a better investigator or a better human being on her side. He’d grown into quite an incredible person, not that she was surprised. His cobalt blue eyes had always been just a little too serious and a little too intense even in college. He saw things most people would never notice. After hearing more about his family, she was starting to get a better understanding of him and what made him tick.
To say her feelings for him were complicated barely scratched the surface. She got dressed and brushed her teeth before venturing into the living room.
Colton sat in front of the fire, studying his laptop. Her heart free-fell at the sight of him looking relaxed and at ease. Butterflies flew in her stomach and she was suddenly transported back to biology lab at the time they had first met. Those feelings were very much alive today and sent rockets of need firing through her.
“Hey, I thought we agreed. No more working on the case tonight.” She moved to the kitchen and heated more water. The lemon and honey water had done the trick earlier.
“I was just mapping out our route to the motel tomorrow morning. I wanted to be ready to go so that we’re there the moment Gloria Beecham checks in for work.”
“That sounds like a plan.” The buzzer on the microwave dinged and she poured the warm water into the mug she’d used earlier.
“It’s about a half hour’s drive, so we should probably get on the road at five thirty at the latest.”
“In the morning?” She gripped the mug and added a slice of lemon along with another teaspoon of honey. After stirring the mixture, she made her way back to the sofa, noticing how badly her attempt at humor had missed the mark.
Colton continued to study the screen without looking up. She hoped she hadn’t offended him earlier before the showers but the air in the room had definitely shifted. A wall had come up.
Makena pulled her legs up and tucked her feet underneath her bottom. She sat a couple of feet from Colton and angled herself toward him. From this distance, she’d be less likely to reach out and touch him. The feel of his silk-over-steel muscles was too much temptation. It would be so easy to get lost with him.
But then what?
There was no way she wanted to do anything that might drive a wedge between her and Colton. He was her best and only friend right then. She had no plans to cut off her lifeline. An annoying voice in the back of her head called her out on the excuses.
“So, the way I understand it, there’s a story behind why everyone in law enforcement got there. What’s yours?” She wanted to know why he’d chosen this profession versus taking up ranching.
He chuckled, a low rumble in his chest. “Do you mean more than the fact that I grew up with five brothers, all of whom were close in age?”
“That would challenge anyone’s sense of justice,” she laughed.
“I think it was always just inside me.” He closed the laptop and shifted it off his lap and onto the sofa. Then he turned to face her. “We all used to play Cops and Robbers. Growing up on a ranch, we had plenty of room to roam and enough time to use our imagination. I was always drawn to the cop. For a while, I tried to tell myself that I was a rancher. Don’t get me wrong, ranching is in my blood and it’s something I think I’ve always known I’d do at some point. We all pitch in, especially me before the boys came. I think I always knew it was just a matter of time. I want to take my place at the ranch. Later. I’m just not ready. So in college, when my parents tried to get me to go to the best agricultural school in the state, I rebelled. Our university had a pretty decent business school, and that’s how I convinced my parents it was right for me. They weren’t really trying to force me into anything so much as trying to guide me based on what they thought I wanted.”
“They sound like amazing parents.”
“They were...my mom still is,” he said.
“I’m guessing by that answer there’s no news about who is responsible for your father’s death. I’m really sorry about that, Colton. About all of it.”
“Before I checked the map, I was digging around in the case file. I couldn’t find anything else to go on.”
“Maybe no one was supposed to find him,” she offered.
“It’s possible. There are just so many unanswered questions. When I really focus on it, it just about drives me insane.”
She could only imagine someone in his shoes, someone who was used to giving answers to others in their darkest moments, would be extremely frustrated not to be able to give those answers to his own family. She figured that between him and his brothers who worked for the US Marshal Service, they wouldn’t stop until they found out why their father was killed. Their sister’s kidnapping must have influenced their decisions to go into law enforcement in the first place. “How long has it been?”
“A couple of months now. He was digging around in my sister’s case.”
“You mentioned that she was kidnapped as a baby. Thirty-plus years is a long time. Wouldn’t any leads be cold?”
“Yes. The trail was almost instantly cold and has remained so to this day. We’re missing something. That’s what keeps me up at night. It’s the thing that I don’t know yet but know is out there, which gives me nightmares. It’s the one piece that, when you find it, will make the whole puzzle click together. That’s been missing in my sister’s case for decades.”
This was the first time she’d ever heard a hint of hopelessness in Colton’s voice. Despite knowing just how dangerous this path could be, she reached over and took his hand in hers. He’d done so much for her and she wanted to offer whatever reassurance she could. The electricity vibrating up her arm from their touch was something she could ignore. She needed to ignore it. Because it wasn’t going to lead her down a productive path.
She couldn’t agree more with Colton about timing.
“I wish there was something I could say or do to help.”
“Believe it or not, just being able to talk about it for a change is nice. We never talk about Caroline’s case at home. Our mother has a little gathering every year on Caroline’s birthday and we have cake. She talks about what little she remembers about her daughter. It isn’t much and it feels like Caroline is frozen in time. Always six months old. I’ve already had more time with my sons than my mother did with my sister. And I can’t imagine anything happening to either one of my boys.”
“It hardly seems fair,” she agreed.
Colton rocked his head and twined their fingers together.
“We better get some sleep if we intend to be out the door by five thirty.” He squeezed her fingers in a move that she figured was meant to be reassuring. He got up and turned off the fireplace. From the other room, he grabbed a pillow and some blankets. “For tonight, I’ll take the couch.”
“I thought we already talked about this.” The last thing she wanted to do was steal the man’s bed. It was actually a bad idea for her to think about Colton and a bed because a sensual shiver skittered across her skin.
“We did. I said I’d take the couch tonight and you’ll take the bed. If I have to, I’ll walk over there, pick you up and carry you to bed.” At least there was a hint of lightness and playfulness in his tone now that had been missing earlier. There was also something else...something raspy in his voice when he’d mentioned his bed. And since she knew better than to tempt fate twice in one night, she pushed up to standing, walked over and gave him a peck on the cheek...and then went to bed.
* * *
COLTON SLEPT IN fifteen-minute intervals. By the time the alarm on his watch went off he’d maybe patched together an hour of sleep in seven. It was fine. He rolled off the couch and fired
off a dozen pushups to get the blood pumping. He hopped to his feet and did a quick set of fifty jumping jacks. He’d been sitting way more than usual in the past thirty-six hours and his body was reminding him that it liked to be on the move.
He followed jumping jacks with sit-ups and rounded out his morning wake-up routine with squats. As quietly as he could manage, he slipped down the hall past his master bedroom, past the boys’ room, where he lingered for just a second in the doorway of the open door. And then he made his way to the master bath where he washed his face, shaved and brushed his teeth.
Makena didn’t need to be up for another hour. There was something right about her being curled up in his bed. He didn’t need the visual, not this early in the morning. So he didn’t stop off at the master bedroom on his way to the coffee machine.
The supplies were all near the machine, so he had a cup in hand and a piece of dry toast in less than three minutes. It didn’t take long for the caffeine to kick in or for questions to swirl in the back of his mind.
At first, he thought about his father’s case. Colton had a dedicated deputy to untangle Mrs. Hubert’s financials and the contact information that had been found in her computer. Her files were all coded and his deputy was presently on full-time duty trying to crack the code. The older woman who was murdered a few months ago had ties to a kidnapping ring. Had she been involved in Caroline’s case?
As a professional courtesy, and also considering the fact they were brothers, he was sharing information with Cash and Dawson. Those two were working the case in their spare time, as well. Even with a crack team of investigators, it would take time to unravel Mrs. Hubert’s dealings. Time to get justice for Finn O’Connor was running out. A cold trail often led to a cold case. It occurred to Colton that his mother could be in danger, too.