by Kat Martin
Ellie flicked Kade a glance. “Can you give us a minute?”
He didn’t want to. He wanted to know what the hell was going on. “No problem.”
Walking over, Ellie wrapped her arms around Maria, and Kade clenched his jaw. Striding out of the kitchen, he let the door swing closed behind him, then stopped in the hall. No way was he leaving until he knew what Maria was crying about. Though unless he was mistaken, he had a pretty good notion already.
“It’s okay,” Ellie said. “Tell me what’s happened.”
Maria sniffed back tears. “It’s nothing. I’m just being foolish.”
“Tell me,” Ellie softly urged.
“It’s not his fault. It’s mine.”
“You’re talking about Alejandro.”
“I shouldn’t have done it. I knew it, but I did it anyway.” She dragged in a shaky breath. “I sent him a note. I asked him to meet me after supper in the cabin where we’d stayed when he was injured. He was worried, so he came to make sure I was all right.”
“Go on,” Ellie gently pressed when Maria fell silent.
“I-I seduced him. I kissed him, and when he tried to pull away, I just kept kissing him until he kissed me back and then . . . then things happened. In the morning, when I woke up in the big bed, he was gone.”
Out in the hall, Kade softly cursed. Eavesdropping wasn’t his style, but he wasn’t leaving until he got the whole story.
“Have you seen him yet?” Ellie asked.
“No, but he left me a note. The note said he was sorry. He said he never meant to hurt me. He said I deserved someone better.”
Maria started crying, and Kade ground his jaw. He headed down the hall, went out through the mudroom, off to the bunkhouse.
He yanked open the bunkhouse door, but there was no one there. Sonofabitch! The bastard was off working with the rest of the hands. If Ramirez thought for a minute he was getting out of this by running away, he was sorely mistaken.
Kade strode back into the house and went into his study. Alejandro would be back before dark.
Kade had plenty to say to him when he got there.
* * *
Ellie wiped a fresh tear from Maria’s cheek. “Everything’s going to be all right. I know how painful a broken heart can be, but in time you’ll get over it.”
“I have to leave. I can’t stay here and see him every day. I can’t face him after what I’ve done.”
Ellie caught Maria’s slim shoulders. “You didn’t do anything. You fell in love with him. That isn’t a crime.”
The younger woman looked up at Ellie with big dark, troubled eyes. “What must he think of me now?”
“Stop it! You stop that right now. Alejandro could have chosen differently. If he hadn’t wanted you, he could have refused. Whatever happened, he has always respected you. He cares for you or he wouldn’t have made love to you. That isn’t going to change.”
Maria glanced away, her face as white as the kitchen cabinets. “Supper’s ready to go into the oven. Do you think you could . . . could take care of it tonight? Just this one more time?”
“Yes, of course. We’re friends. Anything you need, you just have to ask.”
“I’ll be back in the morning. I won’t leave Señor Kade without a cook.”
Ellie leaned over and hugged her. “We’ll talk again tomorrow. Everything’s going to be okay.”
Maria just nodded. Hanging up her apron, she walked out of the house.
Ellie surveyed the kitchen, saw that everything was in order, and began to finish the last small tasks necessary to serve the meal when the hands came in that night.
As she worked, she thought of Kade and remembered the look on his face as he had stalked out of the kitchen. Kade had been running the ranch for years. He knew men. Ellie was sure he knew exactly what was going on with Maria and Alejandro.
Heading down the hall, she rapped lightly, then walked into his study. Kade sat behind his desk, his features hard, his jaw clenched tight.
“He’s not getting away with it.”
Ellie walked toward him. “He’s a man. She’s a woman. Things happen.”
“She’s a young girl, and he’s a full-gown man. He’s damn near as old as I am. He had no right to touch her.”
“Maria’s a young woman, Kade, not a girl. Not anymore. And so what if Alejandro is ten years older? She loves him. Maybe she shouldn’t have done what she did, but it wasn’t entirely his fault.”
“That it?”
Ellie sighed. Clearly Kade wasn’t backing down on this. “At least give it some thought.”
Kade made no reply. As Ellie left the study, she felt sorry for Alejandro Ramirez.
* * *
The hands were trickling in. Kade stood out by the barn, watching as they arrived, some on horseback, others on ATVs. While the men tended their horses, Billy pitched in. Smoke trotted along beside him as Turtle and Alejandro rode in on four-wheelers.
Kade intercepted Alejandro. “We need to talk,” he said. “Now.”
Hard lines formed around Alejandro’s mouth. He nodded. “Where?”
“Follow me.” Kade led the way around the side of the barn out of sight, stopped and turned.
“You should be real proud of yourself, Ramirez. You stole a young woman’s virtue and walked away like it was nothing. You bragging about it to your friends? Or are you at least man enough to keep your mouth shut?”
Alejandro’s hand balled into a fist. Good, Kade thought, his own hand fisting.
“I don’t deny it,” Alejandro said, his jaw still tight. “I should have walked away.”
“But you didn’t.”
“No.”
Kade fought a wave of fury. Before he could talk himself out of it, he threw a punch that damn near knocked Ramirez off his feet. Alejandro staggered backward, but managed to regain his balance. He wiped the blood off his mouth but made no effort to defend himself.
“You want to hit me,” Ramirez said. “Go ahead. I deserve it.”
“You sure as hell do. You’d get a whole lot more if you hadn’t just taken a bullet.” Kade’s hand throbbed. The man was tough. He’d give him that. “You took that young girl, then discarded her as if she were nothing—just another of your besotted women.”
Alejandro’s spine jackknifed straight. “That’s not true! Maria isn’t like any other woman. She is special. She’s everything a man could want in a woman! I told her that. I tried to stay away from her. I tried to tell her I wasn’t good enough for her, but she wouldn’t listen. Last night, when she offered herself to me, I should have walked away, but I couldn’t. I could no longer pretend I didn’t love her. And I couldn’t send her away.”
At the anguish in Alejandro’s face, Kade’s anger deflated. “Jesus Christ, man. If you love her that much, you’d better marry her. You’re going to be even more miserable than you are now if you don’t.”
Alejandro sighed. “What kind of life can I give her? We wouldn’t even have a place to live.”
Kade walked over and rested a hand on Alejandro’s shoulder. “We’ll figure it out. Let’s go inside where it’s warm. We can talk about it after supper.”
Ramirez just nodded. By the time they got to the house, Ellie had dinner laid out. Kade cast her a grateful glance. The men were still washing up, but they’d be arriving any minute. Seemed she was always there when he needed her.
“You’d better put some ice on that eye,” Kade said, but Ellie was already walking toward them, a plastic bag in her hand. One step ahead of him, as usual.
“Here, this ought to help.” She handed Alejandro the bag of ice, which he pressed against the side of his face.
He glanced around the kitchen. “Where’s Maria?”
“She wasn’t feeling well. She went home early. She’ll be back in the morning.”
Alejandro handed back the ice bag. “This can’t wait until morning. I need to see her now, tell her the way I feel.” Turning, he strode toward the door.
“To
morrow’s Saturday,” Kade called after him. “Why don’t you take the day off? This may take more time than you think.”
Ramirez tossed him a look of thanks and kept walking. The door closed firmly behind him. Quieter than usual, the men served themselves, ate, and headed back to the bunkhouse. As Ellie cleaned up the kitchen, Kade pitched in to help her, shortening the task considerably.
Ellie wiped her hands on a dish towel and hung it on the handle of the stove. “From the bruise on Alejandro’s face, I guess you didn’t take my advice.”
Kade figured Ellie would get around to the subject sooner or later. “Ramirez got what he deserves, and he knows it.”
“So what happens now?” she asked.
“With any luck, we’re about to have a wedding—if the groom can figure out how to get his future bride to forgive him.”
Ellie smiled broadly. “That shouldn’t be a problem. The man just has to look at her, and Maria will forgive him anything.”
Kade bent his head and softly kissed her. “How about me? That the way you feel about me?”
Ellie laughed. “You? You have to work a little harder.”
Kade chuckled. His gaze went to the door. “He’s worried he can’t give her the things she deserves.”
“I don’t think Maria requires all that much,” Ellie said.
Kade nodded. “Mabel has her own place. Now that Maria’s head cook, seems only fair for her to have a place of her own too. There’s an old cabin just off the road. Ramirez can fix it up, make it a decent place to live. Be doing both of us a favor.”
Ellie tipped her head back and kissed his jaw. “That’s very sweet of you.”
Kade glanced away. “Just a good business decision. Important to keep the head cook happy.”
Ellie simply smiled and walked away.
Kade watched her go. Ellie knew the truth, knew he cared about his people, wanted them to be happy. She had a way of reading him no other woman ever had. Kade studied the sway of her sexy behind and felt the familiar pulse of desire for her.
He sighed. Ramirez wasn’t the only one who needed to figure things out.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
AFTER A NIGHT IN KADE’S BIG BED, ELLIE ROSE EARLY AND HEADED downstairs. She figured Maria would be with Alejandro, planning their future together. Instead, as she opened the kitchen door, she caught the smell of frying bacon and the pungent aroma of fresh brewed coffee.
“What are you doing here?” she asked. “Did you talk to Alejandro?”
Maria’s chin went up. “Sí, I talked to him. He came to my grandmother’s house last night.”
“And . . . ?”
“And I sent him away. I saw his battered face. I know what Señor Kade did to him. I won’t have a man who’s only marrying me because he has been told he must.” This was a different Maria from the heartbroken girl Ellie had found in the kitchen last night. It seemed there was a strong will beneath the soft exterior of the sweet young woman.
“He loves you, Maria. He told Kade that.”
Maria turned away. “I need to finish breakfast. The men will be here soon.”
Ellie went along with the change of subject. Things would work out for the couple—or at least she hoped they would.
Kade arrived a few minutes ahead of the hands. He spotted Maria and started to say something, but Ellie shook her head. “Later,” she mouthed, and Kade nodded.
The next arrivals were Conn Delaney and Trace Elliot. Kade intercepted the men as they walked through the door. Conn and Trace were both good-looking and extremely well-built. Kade’s tall, masculine figure fit right in.
“I’m glad you’re here,” Kade said. “I figured I’d run you down after breakfast. Let’s eat, and we’ll talk.” Motioning for Ellie to join them, they filled their plates and sat down at the end of the table.
“I had a hunch you’d be looking for me fairly soon,” Delaney said, shoveling in a mouthful of eggs. “My team hasn’t run into any new problems, and your biggest problem is dead.”
“There’s a chance whoever hired Keller will make more trouble, but there’s no way to know unless something happens. And I can’t keep guards on the payroll twenty-four hours a day unless there’s a credible threat.”
Ellie silently agreed. With Keller dead, they had to hope the danger was over.
“You’re right,” Conn said. “No way to anticipate what might happen.” He took a drink of coffee. “I’ll tell my guys to stand down. We can pack up and be gone by the end of the day.”
On the bench next to him, Trace crunched a strip of bacon. “I’ll ride out, make sure everyone gets the word.”
Kade took a drink of coffee, set the mug back down on the table. “Your boys have done a damn fine job. I know my men felt safer having your team around. If a problem comes up—”
“If a problem comes up,” Conn said, “you know where to find us.” He looked over at Ellie. “If there’s anything you need, just call.”
Ellie smiled and nodded.
As the hands filed in, she felt Kade’s thigh against hers beneath the table, and a sweep of heat settled low in her stomach. Kade had given up pretending their relationship was merely professional. Ellie wasn’t sure how she felt about that, but they were sleeping together every night. Not easy to keep something like that a secret.
As breakfast came to a close, Kade glanced over at Maria, anxious for information.
“Let’s go for a walk,” he said to Ellie. “Haven’t had a chance to look at the new foal yet.” Grabbing their jackets, they walked out in the morning chill.
They’d only taken a few steps toward the barn when Kade’s questions started. “What’s going on with Maria? The girl looked ready to do battle with anyone who glanced at her sideways. Especially me.”
“Apparently, Alejandro’s proposal didn’t go well. Maria refused him. She thinks you forced him into it.”
Kade swore foully. “Well, hell.”
Ellie smiled. “I don’t think Alejandro will give up that easily.”
“He’d better not if he knows what’s good for him,” Kade grumbled.
Ellie bit back a laugh.
“That reminds me,” Kade said. “Mabel called this morning. Her family wants her to move to Arizona permanently. She really wants to go. She was thrilled when I gave her the news Maria is taking over as head cook. Apparently, she felt guilty for leaving me without a replacement.”
“Maria will still need help.”
“I’ll find somebody.”
Ellie heard a bark as Smoke ran toward them. Billy was already hard at work. Dressed warmly in jeans, boots, and a winter jacket, he hurried along at the dog’s side.
“Have you seen the new foal?” Billy asked, his blue eyes bright with excitement. “He’s really something. The little guy’s already up and walking around.”
Kade chuckled. “They learn real quick.”
They walked together into the barn, which was shadowy, with the sun barely up, and smelling of hay and horses, familiar and pleasant to a rancher. Or a woman with ranching in her blood.
Over the past few weeks, Ellie had come to realize how much she missed her old life. She would be sad when her time here was over.
She glanced at Kade, whose hat brim shaded his face, and a sharp pang rose in her chest. She would miss the ranch, but she would miss Kade Logan even more.
She stepped up on the bottom rung of the stall and looked down at the tiny colt nuzzling his mama for breakfast. “He’s beautiful.” A bright sorrel color, shiny as a newly minted penny.
“He’s got great breeding,” Kade said. “Be worth a good price when he’s older.”
“He’s the same color as the horse I had when I was a girl. Rusty was amazing.”
Kade’s gaze found hers. “You mean before the bank took him away,” he said darkly. “Along with everything else your family owned.”
An unexpected jolt of pain rolled through her. She’d thought she was over the loss of her home and family. She’d told
Kade about losing the ranch when she’d first arrived. She didn’t think he’d remember.
Kade said nothing more, but for long seconds, his eyes remained on her face.
He glanced away. “We need to call the Springers. Sooner we talk to them the better.”
Ellie nodded. She couldn’t help wondering if he was thinking that the sooner they solved his wife’s murder, the sooner she would be leaving.
A fresh pang returned to her chest.
* * *
Ellie sat behind her laptop on the writing desk in her sitting room. She had phoned the Springers earlier, told Judith Springer she was a private investigator looking into the murder of their friend, Barbara Meeks, and asked if they could meet. Judith had been out shopping when she took the call, but she would be home a little later.
Ellie and Kade were due in Vail at five o’clock that afternoon.
In the meantime, Ellie wanted to look into anything that might connect Frank Keller’s murder with the three Mountain Ore Mining executives who knew him. With his dying breath, Earl Dunstan had said the man who’d hired Frank was connected to the mine. So far, these three were the only people who qualified.
Though Ellie hadn’t been hired to solve Keller’s murder or figure out why Kade had been targeted, she cared about him—way more than she should. She didn’t want Kade or any of his men getting hurt.
Digging around on the internet, she pulled up info on Clive Murphy, Anthony Russo, and Rick Egan.
Murphy was a married man with a family. Nothing exciting about him. Russo was divorced with two kids. He had weekly visitation, but the kids weren’t living with him. No hint of scandal, and lots of praise for his work.
Since nobody was perfect, she dug a little deeper, saw that Russo liked to play poker and he was good at it. Good enough to participate in some fairly big games. Gambling could become an expensive addiction. Interesting.
Rick Egan was a bachelor with a very public social life. His family was extremely wealthy and influential. They were active in the Denver social scene, especially Jane Egan Smithson and her husband Phillip, who were big philanthropists.