Chapter 11
Flint barely recognized the woman now seated opposite Dillon in his office. Flint had seen Madison scared and he’d seen her crying. He’d seen her angry and he’d seen her happy, but he’d never seen her so coldly determined.
She was calm and controlled as she handed Dillon the note. “We found this on Flint’s truck when we left the café a few minutes ago.”
Dillon read the note and a muscle began to pulse in his jaw as he set it down on his desk. “Did you see who left it?”
“No, we didn’t see anyone on the street who might have left it for me to find,” Madison said.
“And I don’t suppose you have any idea who left it there?”
“None, but it’s obvious from that note that there’s another victim of his. And there might be more,” Madison said. “Something has to be done about Brad.”
“I can’t do anything without any solid evidence,” Dillon replied in obvious frustration. “If I take a charge to the prosecutor and all I have is a he said-she said situation that happened over three months ago, the odds are he won’t go forward.”
Dillon picked up the note and frowned thoughtfully. “I need to start interviewing all the young women in town and see if I can find this other victim. If I can find out who she is, then hopefully, I can convince her to come forward. Then I would feel more comfortable that he would be successfully prosecuted.”
“You’ll let me know what you find out?” Madison asked.
“I will,” Dillon replied. “And if anyone contacts you about this, you’ll let me know?”
“Of course. All I want is to put this man away where he can’t hurt anyone else ever again. I know I haven’t been one hundred percent on board with this for the past week, but I’m completely committed to doing whatever it takes to get Brad Ainsworth behind bars.” Madison stood and Flint did the same, taking his cues from her.
Moments later they were back in the truck. Before he started the engine she placed her hand on his thigh. “Thank you, Flint.”
He thought he could feel the warmth of her hand on him through his jeans. “Thank me for what?” he asked, trying to ignore how much he liked her touch. He’d hungered for it in the past week when he’d been trying to gain some distance from her.
“For putting up with me being so ambivalent about all this.” She squeezed his thigh and then moved her hand back to her lap.
“I just wanted you to do whatever you needed to do for your personal peace,” he replied and then started the truck engine. “But I have to admit that I’m glad you’re committed to going after the bastard.”
“That note on the truck made me realize I needed to do everything in my power to stop him. If I don’t do it for myself, I need to do it for any other past and future victims.” She leaned her head back as he pulled onto the road to go home.
“Are you tired?” he asked. “It’s been a fairly eventful night.”
“It has been, but I’m not really tired, although I’m ready to get home.”
Home. The cabin had truly become the home he’d wished for when he’d been a child. Big Cass and the Holiday Ranch had been a wonderful place for him as a broken kid. He’d had a wonderful upbringing there, but it had never been the soul-satisfying space he now called home.
And he knew much of his happiness and that feeling of home was because of having Madison in his life. When he’d imagined living at the cabin, he’d assumed that the first thing he’d see in the mornings were deer that would come out of the woods.
Instead, he looked forward to seeing Madison in the mornings. He loved drinking his coffee with her across the table from him, with the shimmer of morning sunshine painting her beautiful features in a golden hue.
He looked forward to eating all his meals with her, to settling in during the evenings side by side on the sofa and talking or watching television.
She filled his dreams with the thought of their lovemaking burned in his head at the most inappropriate times...like right now.
With her just sitting next to him in the truck and filling the interior with her scent, he wanted her. She leaned her head back and began to hum a popular country-western song. She often hummed or sang softly, especially when she was in the shower, and he loved the sound of her.
He’d allowed his feelings for her to spin way out of control. He knew they had no future together, but even knowing that he couldn’t seem to stop falling deeper and deeper in love with her.
“All I’m looking forward to for the rest of the evening is relaxing on the sofa to watch some television,” she said as she stopped humming and he pulled to a halt in front of the cabin.
“Sounds good to me,” he replied. They got out and went inside where the first thing she did was take off her sweater. He couldn’t help but notice the press of her breasts against her cotton dress.
Jeez, what was wrong with him tonight? He couldn’t seem to get sex with Madison off his mind. Maybe if they watched a little TV, he’d be able to shove these thoughts clear out of his head.
A few minutes later a sitcom played and he enjoyed the sound of her laughter. She needed a few laughs after the evening she had endured. While dinner was pleasant with her concentrating on him, he knew the humiliation she had to have felt when they were leaving the café.
He’d led her to the back of the building and had sat her where he had so that she wouldn’t have to see the smirks of other diners while she ate. He hadn’t thought ahead enough to realize that when they were finished eating, she’d have to face all those people when they walked out.
But she’d done so with dignity and grace. She had held her head high and not responded to the negativity. However, he had wanted to drag some people out in the street and whoop their asses.
Madison was a woman who would fight to the ends of the earth for those she loved. He knew without doubt her baby would be one of the luckiest children alive. Madison was beautiful inside and out and she had a vibrancy about her that was infinitely appealing. Any man would be proud to claim her as his wife.
A wave of depression descended on him. He’d love to have her in his life and be the father to the baby she carried. He’d love to continue on with what had been already built between them, but that was all a fantasy that would never be.
As if to punctuate that thought his hands ached and his knees began to burn. “I know it’s a little early, but I think I’m going to call it a day.”
Madison looked at him in surprise. “Are you okay?” she asked worriedly.
“I’m fine,” he assured her. “I probably ate too much and now I’m just tired.”
“Maybe I should just head to bed, too.”
“Only if you want, but if you’re worried about the television bothering me...don’t. Feel free to stay up as long as you want.” He stood and offered her a reassuring smile. “I’ll just see you in the morning.”
He escaped to his room and closed the door to shuck off his jeans and take off his shirt. When he was clad only in his boxers and with his gun on the nightstand in easy reach he then opened his door halfway.
He never slept with the door closed. He was a light sleeper and wanted to be able to hear any sound that might indicate trouble. With Madison fully committed to bringing Brad down he didn’t know what to expect.
By now Brad probably knew that he and Madison had gone to the chief of police this evening, but there was no way he knew they had a note corroborating Madison’s claims. Nobody knew about that note except him, Madison and Dillon.
But when Dillon and his men began to actively question all the young women in town, Brad would surely feel the heat. His hatred of Madison would know no bounds.
It was important that Flint stay vigilant in keeping the man away from Madison. He had no idea what Brad was really capable of. Murder? The thought chilled him to his aching bones.
* * *
&nb
sp; All these things were on his mind the next evening when he and Madison left the cabin at nine. He had finally set up an after-hours doctor appointment for her with Clayton Rivers.
“Are you nervous?” he asked her once they were on their way.
“Not really. I’m relatively sure everything is going fine with the pregnancy. I’ve even felt the baby a couple of times. It’s like a fluttering inside me.” She wrapped her arms around her stomach and softly smiled.
“I’ll still feel better once you and the baby are officially checked out by a doctor,” he replied. He not only kept his gaze on the dark road ahead but also checked the rearview mirror often to make sure nobody came up on them out of the darkness with ill intent.
“And you’re sure Dr. Rivers won’t tell anyone about my condition?” she asked.
“Positive. Clayton is a good man and he didn’t even question me on why we needed an appointment this late at night. I’m confident he won’t tell anyone.”
Flint didn’t breathe easier until they were parked in the back lot of Dr. Rivers’s office building. The building was dark except for a single light and Clayton opened the back door to let them in.
“Good evening,” he greeted them.
He ushered them into his inner office and gestured them toward two chairs. “Maddy, I’m sorry about the stress you must be under right now, but tell me why you two are here.” Flint hadn’t gone into any detail when he’d arranged this after-hours appointment.
“I’m pregnant and I don’t want anyone in town to know about it right now,” Madison said. “I just don’t want to be under more public scrutiny than I already am.”
“Then I guess congratulations are in order for the two of you?” Clayton raised one of his blond eyebrows.
“Oh...”
Before Madison could protest, Flint jumped in. “Yes, we’re both very happy about the pregnancy. But with everything that’s been going on she’s been afraid to come in and get checked out.”
Madison shot a grateful look to Flint and then gazed at the doctor. “I was hoping you could do a quick exam of me just to assure us that everything is progressing okay.”
“I’d be more than happy to check you out.” Dr. Rivers stood. “Let’s all move into my examining room.”
“Uh...if it’s okay, I’ll just wait here,” Flint said. He breathed a sigh of relief as Dr. Rivers and Madison left the room. He had no idea what kind of an exam a doctor did on a pregnant woman. He didn’t want to intrude on Madison’s privacy.
As he waited, he hoped everything was all right with the pregnancy. He was vaguely surprised by how much he cared about the baby Madison carried. He almost felt like he was the real father.
It didn’t take too long for the two of them to rejoin Flint in the office. Madison shot him a beautiful smile. “Dr. Rivers checked me out and everything is just fine.”
Clayton nodded. “Mom is healthy and baby is developing normally.”
“I told him not to tell me the sex of the baby,” she said to Flint.
Clayton smiled at Flint. “She insisted she wants it to be a secret to both of you.”
“When the baby makes an official appearance, then we’ll know whether it’s a boy or a girl,” Madison replied.
“We really appreciate you meeting us after hours,” Flint said as they left the office and headed for the back door.
“No problem,” Clayton replied. “I understand your reasons for the late appointment. By the way, Flint, have you started that medication I prescribed for you yet?” he asked when Madison was almost out the door and presumably out of earshot.
“Uh, not yet. Things have been so crazy lately I haven’t gotten around to it,” Flint replied.
It wasn’t until a few minutes later when they were in the truck and heading home that she brought it up, letting him know she had heard the doctor’s question to him. “So what medicine are you supposed to be on that you aren’t taking?” she asked.
“It’s just some pain stuff for my broke-down bones,” he replied. “I’ll take it when I really feel like I need it. I’m just glad to know you and the baby are okay.” He tried to deflect the conversation from him to her.
“Dr. Clayton told me he wants to see me again in a month. I hope by then Brad is in jail and things go back to normal in my life...whatever normal is.” She reached over and placed her hand on his thigh.
As always her touch fired a river of heat through him. She had no idea how tormented he was by his desire for her. “Thank you, Flint. Thank you not only for setting up this appointment but also for claiming the baby as your own and not telling the doctor that the baby is Brad’s.”
“I know how important it is to you that nobody knows that...although you do know the baby would be more evidence against Brad.”
She pulled her hand back in her lap and released a deep sigh. “All the baby is is evidence of what Brad did to me. He’d twist it all around and say it was consensual sex and then his family would try to get the baby away from me.”
She was silent for several long minutes as if she was deep in her own head. When he pulled up in front of the cabin she unfastened her seat belt and turned to look at him.
“I never meant for anyone to think that the baby is yours. That was the last thing I intended. I figured maybe I’d eventually tell anyone who asked that I had a brief affair with a man who was only in town a week or two and then he left Bitterroot.”
“So it would be the old traveling salesman story?” he asked teasingly.
She laughed. “Something like that.”
Her features were so beautiful in the light of the moon that drifted down and into the truck’s window. “Madison, I’d be honored to claim your baby as my own and no matter what happens in the future I intend to be in his or her life until you find the special cowboy who will be with you forever.”
His words were not only a reminder to her, but also to himself that he would not, could not, be that special cowboy.
* * *
A week had passed since Madison had seen the doctor, a long seven days where nothing had moved her case against Brad forward, and Flint had once again become distant.
She missed their easy conversations and shared laughter. She was now waiting for him to come inside so she could ask him why things had become strained between them. He’d gone outside first thing this morning to cut back some brush on the side of the cabin.
In fact, for the past week he’d found a variety of chores to keep him busy outside. It was like he was avoiding spending any time with her.
Was he tired of her? Exhausted by the drama? He certainly hadn’t signed up for everything she’d brought into his life. He hadn’t seen that in taking her in there would come a time where he’d have to wear his gun every time they left the cabin. He certainly hadn’t seen a time coming when some of the people in town would shun him because of her.
There had been no more trouble since the shooting. Maybe Brad had realized that if anything happened to her, he would be the number one suspect. It was better for him to keep her alive and discredit her than to hurt her.
But she still was reluctant to move back to her trailer where she might be his victim of rape again. It was only by the grace of God that he hadn’t gotten inside her trailer when he’d come there the second time.
She now made Flint’s lunch and then went to the front door and called his name. He appeared from around the corner of the cabin. “Your lunch is ready,” she said.
“Okay, I’ll be right in.”
She went back to the table and sat to wait for him. He came inside and cast her a brief smile. “I’m going to take a quick shower before I sit down to eat.”
Fifteen minutes later he sat at the table across from her. He smelled of minty soap and a splash of his cologne and just the scent of him created a deep yearning for him.
She wanted to
be in his arms again. She wanted him to kiss her until she was mindless, but for the past week more times than not he sat on the chair in the evenings to watch television. If he didn’t even want to sit next to her, he certainly wasn’t going to kiss her mindless.
“This looks good,” he said as he picked up his fork.
“It’s just a sandwich and some pasta salad,” she replied.
“But it looks like a really good pasta salad,” he said with a grin.
She smiled and focused on her plate. As they ate he talked a little bit about what he had left to do outside to get the landscaping around the cabin the way he wanted it.
“I also need to chop some wood and start getting a pile of good logs ready for when winter comes,” he said.
“There’s nothing better on a cold, wintry night than sitting in front of a roaring fire,” she replied. “I love to listen to the snap and crackle of logs burning.”
It was certainly easy for her to imagine being wrapped up in Flint’s arms in front of a fire while it snowed outside. She listened to him talking about things he needed to get done and while he talked she wanted him. Oh, she wanted to touch his warm skin. She longed to be in his embrace and feeling his heartbeat against her own. She yearned for him to take her to bed again.
But at the moment the possibility of that happening was slim to none. She needed to have a conversation with him about the distance he’d shown her over the past week. She needed to know if she had overstayed her welcome. And if she had, she didn’t know what she was going to do.
He helped her with the lunch cleanup. “Flint, would you sit on the sofa with me? I want to have a talk with you.”
“Is everything okay?” he asked immediately.
“That’s what I want to talk about,” she replied.
“Okay.” He moved to the sofa and she joined him there.
As she faced him she was suddenly nervous. Even now his forest-green eyes seemed to hold a slight distance she desperately wanted to banish. She wanted the warmth back in his gaze when he looked at her.
Cowboy's Vow to Protect Page 15