Obsession

by Patricia Bradley

  His chest tightened at how Ryker just couldn’t keep his hands off Emma. She’d tried to move away from him, he’d seen her, but Ryker maintained a firm hand on her. He narrowed his eyes. The ranger had to go.

  35

  Once Emma was inside the SUV, Sam relaxed but not completely. A door would not stop a bullet.

  “Do you think life will ever be normal again?” Emma asked.

  “We’re going to catch this guy,” he said. “What’re your plans for the day?”

  “You’re trying to distract me.”

  “Maybe. Did it work?”

  She smiled. “A little. I plan to finish the excavation, then maybe use the GPR machine around the cabin area. And I’m looking forward to Dad’s steaks. You still coming?”

  “Absolutely, and I’ll bring dessert. That okay?”

  “What? Are you baking a cake?” Her eyes twinkled.

  “No,” he said. “But I could. Mom and my grandmother who lived with us made sure I knew how to cook for myself before I went off to college.”

  “They were wise women.”

  “Who taught you to cook?”

  “Granny, Mom’s mother.” Her voice broke. “I’m afraid it didn’t take very well. I still manage to burn water.”

  Sam kept one hand on the steering wheel and squeezed her fingers with the other. “I hate I didn’t get back for her funeral.”

  “You’d think after six months, I would be past it.”

  “You can’t rush grief,” Sam said softly. “And she was one special lady.”

  “Independent too. Never did get her to move out of that neighborhood.”

  “She was generous with her love, I remember that,” he said.

  “I hope I’m like her whenever I get married and have children.”

  “You will be. Why don’t you lean your seat back and rest until we get to Mount Locust?”

  “I might do that. This not sleeping is getting to me.”

  The silence that filled the SUV as Sam drove through the light Sunday morning traffic in Natchez allowed his mind to second-guess what had happened at her apartment. Emma had looked so forlorn after taking the DNA test, he’d tried to comfort her. When he took her in his arms, he hadn’t meant to kiss her. At least not consciously. That she returned his kiss the way she did blew him away.

  Sam drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. Now he had to worry how she would react when he told her what happened the night Ryan disappeared. He should have taken it slower, explained exactly what had happened, before today. If he told her now, it would destroy her confidence in him.

  Besides, there wasn’t enough time between Natchez and Mount Locust to deal with the fallout. But what if he waited too long and someone else told her? There was only one person who could. His sister, and she wouldn’t do that to him.

  Tomorrow. He would tell her tomorrow when he installed the doorbell camera. That would give plenty of time to explain without someone interrupting. And time to repair any damage the truth caused.

  Having that settled in his mind lightened his mood. Once they were on a straight stretch of the Trace, he took his eyes off the road long enough to glance at Emma. Even with the dark circles shadowing her eyes, she was beautiful. Like last night, she wore her hair down, her natural curls framing her face. She opened her eyes and caught him staring. Busted.

  “You need to watch the road.”

  “No traffic and no curves,” he said and put a smile in his voice.

  She returned the seat to the upright position. “Next you’ll be saying, ‘Look, Ma, no hands.’”

  “Who? Me? You know me better than that.” He loved that she could joke when her heart was breaking. All the reasons he’d fallen in love with Emma in the first place flooded him. She was smart, and caring, and—

  He swallowed hard. And now maybe they had another chance at love.

  A car approached from the north, and Sam directed his attention back to the road. But his mind wandered into the future. One with Emma.

  “How come you . . . uh . . . never married?” she asked.

  Their thoughts must be running the same path. He lifted his shoulder in a dismissive shrug. “Been too busy.”

  “You’re kidding.”

  “No. When would I have had time? I finished college in three and a half years, attended a federal law enforcement training, and went to work full-time for the park service out in Arizona and worked my way up the ladder.” It was easier to eat, drink, and sleep being a ranger than to invest time in a relationship that would probably go nowhere. “And now I’m back in Natchez.”

  “Why did it take you so long to come home?”

  “I don’t know. Coming home was hard. Part of me wanted to—the part that helps with Jace, but—”

  “Because of your dad?”

  Not a subject he wanted to discuss.

  “I saw him not long ago, and of course I saw quite a bit of him when I was looking for an apartment. He’s really knowledgeable about real estate around here,” Emma said. “But he looks bad.”

  He clamped his jaw, feeling the muscle jump. “I wouldn’t know since I’ve made it a point to avoid him.”

  Sam checked his speed limit. He was crowding sixty and slowed back to the speed limit. “How about you? Why haven’t you married?”

  Turnabout was fair play, and the blush that crept into her face indicated it wasn’t a subject she wanted to discuss either.

  “I’ve been busy too.”

  His mouth twitched. “You’re kidding,” he said, using Emma’s own words against her.

  “It’s different for me. With your looks, I’m surprised you don’t have women beating a path to Natchez.”

  “So, you think I’m handsome?”

  “I, ah . . . it’s the uniform.”

  “Hmm.”

  Her face was beet red now.

  Her cell phone dinged, and she grabbed it. “It’s an email from Harry Bell.” A few seconds later she groaned. “He decided to swing by his office on the way to church, but now he’s having trouble scanning the report to his email. He’s going to wait until his secretary arrives tomorrow so she can send the report.”

  “Email him back and see if he can copy it. If he can, Brooke can pick it up this afternoon. She’ll be up that way.”

  Emma quickly responded, and it wasn’t long before there was an answer. “He said that will work. He’ll meet her at the office.”

  They passed the one-mile marker to Mount Locust, and he slowed to turn in. “I’ll text Brooke his number and the directions, and they can work out the logistics.”

  “Good,” she said as they turned into the entrance. “Just drop me off at the gate so I can feed Suzy and leave a note on the door for visitors telling them I’ll be at the slave cemetery.”

  “I’ll take you to the parking lot. How are you going to feed her on the days you’re off?”

  “I plan to take her home tonight. Otherwise I’ll have to drive back out here tomorrow to feed her.” Emma glanced at him and caught him smiling. “What?” she asked.

  “Just thinking about when we were kids and you used to take in all the stray animals. Drove your mom crazy.”

  “You remember that?”

  “I remember a lot about you,” he said, brushing a strand of coppery hair from her face.

  She leaned into his touch. Behind them, a horn blew and he dropped his hand and looked in his rearview mirror. Nate. A second later the sheriff tapped on Emma’s window.

  “Give me the key, and I’ll open the gate,” Nate said.

  From the expression on Nate’s face, Sam was in for some ribbing from the sheriff.

  36

  Emma zipped her uniform jacket against the cold wind that had come up. The day had passed quickly, and with the sun setting, temperatures would soon dip into the low forties. She hadn’t meant to work past four thirty, but it had taken longer to excavate the last few inches of the pit than she’d expected.

  “Ready?” Sam asked as he plac
ed the last board over the hole.

  She nodded and started the GPR machine, slowly pushing it across the planks, all the while watching the screen. “I believe we’ve hit rock bottom,” she said when the screen showed smooth lines. Emma rolled the machine onto the grass and let Sam view the image as well.

  “I think you’re right,” he agreed, his voice flat.

  Emma knew how he felt. She’d hoped they would find more evidence too, but whoever took the skeletal remains had left only a small bone and the class ring behind.

  “If you’re ready, I’ll take you home,” Sam said.

  “Did Brooke say when she would get here?” she asked. Brooke had texted Sam earlier that it was taking longer to get the report than she’d expected.

  “She hoped to be here by now. Let me check and see where she is,” he said. When she didn’t answer, he said, “I’ll contact her on the radio when we get to the SUV.”

  There was nothing more to do at the site, and she nodded. “Thanks for staying.”

  “No problem. What time did your dad say he was coming?”

  Emma caught her breath and then groaned. “Around six. I totally forgot.”

  “Then we better get a move on. I’ll drop you off and then go home and change and come back.”

  That sounded like a plan. “Dad has a key, and I’ll text him to go on in if he gets there before I do,” she said.

  Sam pushed the GPR machine as they walked toward the tractor shed. After he secured it, the north wind sent them hurrying to his vehicle. “I won’t complain about the heat this summer,” Emma said as he held the door open for her.

  “Yes, you will, or at least about the humidity,” he said, laughing. Once he slid behind the wheel, he radioed Brooke.

  “Sorry, but I’m still forty minutes out,” she said. “There’s no need for you to hang around at Mount Locust. I can bring the report by Emma’s apartment on my way home.”

  “That’ll work,” Sam said, looking over at her. “Or do you have a problem with that?”

  “Dad will be there.”

  “He doesn’t have to know what Brooke is dropping off, but I think it’s a mistake not to let him look it over. He might remember something that could help with the investigation.”

  Something inside her resisted. What if one of them let slip that they’d found the ring?

  “Besides, he already knows we’re getting the report,” Sam said gently.

  Dad would probably ask about it, anyway. “I just don’t want him to know it may have been Ryan’s body in the grave. Not until we know for certain.”

  “I don’t either,” Sam said. “Are you still taking the little cat home with you?”

  Emma had forgotten she’d planned to do that. She scanned the area, looking for the gray tabby. “I don’t see her,” she said.

  “Maybe she’s at the visitor center.”

  “I’ll check before I lock the gate.” If she wasn’t around, Emma didn’t have time to hunt for her. She had decided to return to Mount Locust for a few hours tomorrow anyway, so feeding Suzy wouldn’t be a problem. But she did want to get the cat checked out by a veterinarian while she was off.

  Sam pulled into the empty parking lot, and Emma checked around the restrooms for Suzy. No cat. She turned to leave when a plaintive meow came from behind the building.

  “Come here, kitty,” she called and walked through the open passage. Suzy sauntered toward her, and Emma scooped her up. “I don’t have a carrier, so you have to ride in my lap, okay?”

  Emma wasn’t certain how this would work out. Maybe she could wrap Suzy in her jacket until she got home. She wished she’d picked up a carrier. And a litter box. And litter. She’d have to go to the store after her dad left.

  “You found her,” Sam said. He was waiting by the passenger door when she approached with the kitten in her arms.

  “Would you hold her a minute while I take off my jacket to wrap around her?”

  “No need. I have an old shirt in the back we can use.”

  Once Emma was settled in the passenger seat, Sam placed the T-shirt across her lap and wrapped the cat in it. “That way she won’t scratch you if she gets scared.”

  At first Suzy tried to escape, but as Emma crooned to her, she settled down. It wasn’t long before purring sounded in the SUV. “Think you can take me to the store after Dad leaves? I need to buy a few things for her.”

  “Why don’t I pick up what you need before I come to dinner?”

  Emma gladly agreed, and it wasn’t long before they pulled in front of her apartment building. “There’s Dad’s car,” she said, pointing to a white Toyota. “He’s here already.”

  Sam helped her get the cat upstairs and unlocked her door. “Be back in an hour, max,” he said.

  She shut the door and set Suzy down. A faint scent she didn’t recognize tickled her nose. Her dad must be using a new cologne.

  “Dad?” she called, but there was no answer. The hair on the nape of her neck raised. Maybe that wasn’t her dad’s white Camry on the street.

  37

  He jogged to his car, his heart pounding in his chest. That had been close. He’d checked the GPS reading on the tracker on Ryker’s SUV, and from what he’d seen, the ranger’s vehicle had still been at Mount Locust. That would have given him plenty of time to plant the listening devices, but he’d barely hidden the first one in her bookcase, when a key turned in the front door. He’d fled out the back and down the stairs, surprised he hadn’t gotten caught.

  His heart had almost returned to normal by the time he reached his car on the next street over. Once safely in the driver’s seat, he opened his glove compartment and stashed the lock picks he’d used to gain entry to her apartment.

  It couldn’t have been Emma who unlocked the door. There was no way they could’ve made it home that fast. So who was it? Who had a key to her house? Using his phone, he dialed the number for the SIM card, activating the listening device. Soon he heard someone whistling and dishes rattling.

  “Now where would Emma put her seasonings?” It was an older male voice. Jack Winters, maybe? “Ah, here they are . . .” More sounds, this time paper rustling, then the sound of a door opening and closing.

  He disconnected from the call. No need to run the battery down on the bug, not when he wanted the battery to last until he took Emma to the cabin. He glanced in his rearview mirror. Emma and Ryker shouldn’t pass by where he was parked, but there was no need to take a chance of being seen. He started his truck and pulled away from the curb.

  While he’d wanted two listening devices in her apartment, he’d have to be satisfied with one. It would be too much to hope that the stars would line up again like they had this evening with all her apartment neighbors away.

  He hated that he had to resort to planting the bug, but he’d had no choice. She should have told Ryker to leave her alone, but that wasn’t her way. Emma was like him, too kind for her own good. That’s what made their relationship so perfect. He’d even decided it was wrong to kill Ryker unless he did something horrible. Emma loved him, not the ranger. Unless the listening device confirmed that the ranger was a threat to Emma or that he was pushing her into a relationship, he would let him live.

  Ryker would never have her. Emma Winters was destined to be his. And soon.

  And that meant he had to stock the cabin. His heart raced at the thought of showing her what he’d created for her. A quick glance at the back seat confirmed the framed photograph was still there. It was his favorite of all he’d taken of Emma, and she would be so surprised. And pleased. He had the perfect place for it in their love nest. He would take it to the cabin tomorrow.

  38

  She called again, and her dad didn’t answer. Maybe Sam should have checked her apartment this time. Movement on her balcony caught Emma’s eye just as she spied the white butcher paper on the counter, and she released the breath she’d been holding. The tension in her shoulders eased as well. Her dad always bought his steaks at a little shop
in town where the butcher wrapped them in white paper. Then she saw him bent over the grill.

  Emma hated how all this stalking made her paranoid. Suzy rubbed against her leg, and she knelt beside the kitten. “It’s okay. This is your new home,” she said, smoothing her left hand down the cat’s bony back. “We need to get you fattened up.” She filled a bowl with water and set it on the floor.

  “You stay here,” Emma said to the cat as she crossed to the back door and stepped out on her balcony, flipping on the outside light. The balcony was one perk she really enjoyed about the apartment. She could relax out here and come and go on the stairs leading down to the back parking lot—if she ever parked back there. Her dad looked up from the grill.

  “Hey, honey. Didn’t know you were home yet,” he said, closing the lid.

  Even in his midfifties, Jack Winters had very little gray in his hair, just a little around his temples. Wearing jeans that covered his rich brown cowboy boots and a pullover under his denim jacket, he looked nothing like the hospital executive he was, or even the nurse he used to be. Put a cowboy hat on him, and he looked ready to round up a few head of cattle.

  “And you really shouldn’t leave that back door unlocked.”

  Emma’s gaze shot to the door. She couldn’t have left it unlocked. She always double-checked to make sure everything was secured before she left. But had she this morning? It’d been hectic with Sam and Nate both here, and then the DNA test . . .

  “I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again,” she said.

  “How’s your hand?”

  She glanced at her bandaged right hand. “It doesn’t hurt as much . . . I wonder if I can take this bulky wrap off?”

  “We’ll see. I’ll check it in a bit.”

  “Thanks,” she said. “Sam will be here soon, so I’m going in to take a shower and change.”

  Her dad eyed the dirt on her knees and scuffed toes of her boots. “What have you been doing?”