by Janet Dailey
“No doubt.”
Stone was already at the wheel. He’d turned on the wipers to remove the light snow that had begun to fall. “Let’s roll out.”
“Thanks so much,” Bree called to the deputy. The young man in the cruiser wasn’t waiting around to chat. He took off, driving up into the pass.
“I’m Stone. You know Annie. Let’s go. I don’t want to get caught in any more snow.”
Annie took a few seconds to make sure Bree was comfortable in the backseat and then got in quickly, putting the grocery tote between her feet.
They drove down the road as the snow began to fall harder. It wasn’t long before the flakes were whirling in all directions.
Stone swore under his breath. “Looks like another squall. Not quite here yet. Think we could make a run for the ranch?”
Annie looked out the window, barely recognizing the landmarks. She spotted a wide gate she knew, not on Bennett land, but not far from it.
“Yes. It’s up ahead.”
Bree was awfully quiet in the backseat. Out of the frying pan, into the fire. “I’m okay,” she said in response to Annie’s glance over her shoulder.
“Go for it,” she told Stone. “I’d rather we were off the road than stuck on it. Right here!”
She’d glimpsed the turnoff at the last second. He swerved, keeping some control over the steering wheel, but they skidded into a wire fence. Three neon surveyor’s tags swept against the window before the wire snapped with a piercing twang.
“Don’t worry. Everything’s under control,” Stone said.
Annie rocked back in the seat, the breath knocked out of her. She heard Bree gasp. “Are you crazy?”
“I know exactly where we are.”
“Yeah. So do I. In a whiteout.”
“It’s not that bad yet.” Stone reversed a few feet and gunned the truck again. The wheels spun and grabbed the stubbly ground beneath the snow. “But it will be,” he added as they roared forward.
“What are you doing?” Bree gasped.
“Going off-road. The truck is all-terrain. The ranch is due north of those three tags, less than half a mile if I remember right. Keep your eye on that compass.”
Annie did, without knowing quite what she was supposed to look for.
The huge truck jolted over uneven ground below, sometimes swerving in and out of potholes they couldn’t see.
Ahead were lights. The snow fell more heavily, obscuring them.
“Is that the ranch?”
“Hope so!”
“Hang on,” Stone said grimly. They roared ahead. The lights flickered out. “We still going north?”
She clutched the dashboard and peered at the compass. “Yes.”
“They may have lost power,” Stone muttered.
“Now what do we do?” Annie asked.
“Drive in the dark,” he answered with infuriating calm.
A huge gust of wind slammed into the struggling truck. Annie slid to the side. Bree screamed. Another gust from the opposite direction pushed the truck back up.
Even Stone seemed rattled by that. He caught his breath for a few seconds, then forged on.
Annie swore. “The compass fell off.”
“Then find it.”
“I can’t. Not with a seat belt on.”
“You have five seconds.”
She unlatched it and scrabbled desperately in the foot well, feeling for the smooth globe. “Here.”
“Give me that.” He slapped it back on the dash and the ball glowed again. Stone revved the engine and maneuvered the truck until the needle hit due north. “Keep me on track. I can’t drive through blinding snow and be a Boy Scout at the same time.”
“No. Of course not. Didn’t expect you to.”
“Bree, you good?”
A weak “yes” from the back. Then Annie thought of something. She stared worriedly at the spinning compass.
“What if the directions got scrambled up?”
“It’s a goddamn compass, Annie. The needle will always point north. Unless you stepped on it.”
“I didn’t,” she snapped, buckling up again. “Keep going. I think we’re okay.”
She saw nothing but snow. Then the lights again. Much larger. Square. Very close. A gust blasted the snow off something huge and dark.
“That’s the chimney!” she screamed. “Stop!”
Stone slammed on the brakes. Annie went forward and her hand hit a button on the glove compartment. A ton of stuff tumbled out over her lap. She stuck it all into the tote. God only knew what gizmo she might have to find next.
“Bree?” She looked over the seat.
The other woman had a dazed look. “Get me out of here.” Annie heard her unbuckle her seat belt. She did the same and so did Stone.
He jumped out and yanked open the back door, dragging Bree toward him and scooping her up in his arms. Head down, Stone carried her through the ranch house door, which Annie’s mom and dad had just opened.
Annie took the keys out of the ignition and grabbed everything she could—Bree’s purse too. The truck might be buried by morning. It all went into the tote.
Chapter 24
The next hour faded into a daze for the three people who’d been in the truck.
Lou got everyone what they needed. Tyrell followed her lead. Bree was settled in an armchair, on the phone with Cilla and Ed.
“Yes. I made it. I’m fine. There was an accident, but I’m at the Bennetts’. Please don’t worry. I’ll be there tomorrow. And not a word to the girls.”
“She needs to rest,” Lou whispered to Annie. “Think of it, her driving all that way and then, wham, a snowstorm.”
“Wham is the word,” Annie said. She was exhausted. Her body ached. So did her head.
“That must have been one hell of a ride, Stone. What kind of truck is that?”
“Custom model. Tricked out to the max.” He’d taken a plain wooden chair, seeming unable to relax.
“Well. I think the man at the wheel—you—is the reason everyone got here safe and sound.”
“I knew where I was, once I saw the flags on the fence. Got my bearings, headed here.”
Tyrell looked at his wife.
“And you were going to tear them off,” Lou said, shaking her head.
“The lights helped,” Stone said. “Until you lost power.”
“Not for long, thank God,” Lou said fervently. “Now, Ty, come help me get the bedrooms ready. We can talk in the morning.”
Bree followed Annie’s mother out of the room, and after a look at Stone and Annie, Tyrell did too.
“Made it. Told you,” Stone said softly.
Was that a twinkle in his tired eyes or a reflection of the firelight? She looked at him, intensely grateful. Other, stronger feelings welled in her heart. For once, his arrogance didn’t get a rise out of her.
“You’re amazing.”
“No, I’m not. I do what needs to be done and try not to think about it.”
“Right. No big deal. You’re still my hero. Thank you.”
He leaned back in the chair, clasping his hands behind his head. “You’re welcome.”
Annie got up and bent over him. The tender kiss she pressed to his lips said everything she couldn’t right then.
“Nice. But your folks are around.”
“Yes. They live here. Let’s go into the kitchen.”
She took his hand and pulled him up. Stone encircled her waist and wrapped her up in a huge hug.
“I kinda like being a hero. Can we do that again sometime?”
“Hell no,” she said vehemently.
She made two cups of cocoa and set them on the counter. “Better let that cool,” she told Stone, pushing aside the tote she’d brought in. Then she looked inside again, lifting out Bree’s purse. “She might need that.”
Absently, Annie began to take out the things underneath, random items that had fallen out of the glove compartment.
There were papers, the owner’s m
anual for the truck, a tire gauge, a pack of chewing gum, more papers, and a stapled report.
“What is this?”
She read it before Stone could stop her. Her eyes widened. There it was in black and white. An arrest report for Shep Connally. Mrs. Pearson’s sworn statement. A photocopy of Marshall Stone’s federal ID.
“Take a guess,” he said laconically.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
He explained the reasons why in more detail and told her why she couldn’t tell anyone for the time being.
Annie just stared at him.
“Did Nell know about this?”
“There is nothing that woman doesn’t know or can’t find out. I’m thinking of recruiting her for the bureau.”
“Um. One more question. Who is the redhead?”
“A colleague. New hire. And her real name is Kerry, by the way.”
Annie made a face. “Oh. Guess I could have given you the benefit of the doubt.”
“But you didn’t.” Stone grinned, as if he was getting used to that. “Come here.”
Annie started to—and stopped when Tyrell came into the kitchen. “Dad. Is Bree all right?”
“Your mom got her tucked up in bed. They’re talking now. Thought I’d come down, see how you two were getting on.”
“Mr. Bennett, I have something for you.” Stone shuffled through the papers on the counter, gathering up most of them and sticking them back into the tote.
“What?”
“The survey report.” Stone handed it over. “Pfeffer owes you a new fence. He tried to grab some of your land.”
“That squattin’ son-of-a-gun. Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“Stupid thing to do. He screwed up his title, that’s for sure.” Tyrell leafed through it. “Hmm. Maybe he’ll sell to me cheap. Wouldn’t mind adding some land to the spread. Never know when you’ll need it.”
He shot a meaningful look at Annie and then nodded at Stone. “I’ll leave you two alone. I’m sure you don’t mind.”
They moved closer together when they heard his footsteps go down the hall. There was a brief moment of silence when her father stopped.
“You go right ahead and kiss her,” he called in a low voice. “No one’s looking.”
Chapter 25
Several weeks later . . .
“I’m glad we got away.”
Stone gave Annie’s hand a squeeze as he helped her over a low fence. “We needed to, now that Christmas is over. Family is fine, but just you and me is even better.”
“I know what you mean. Mom did too. Dad, well, he just has to get used to the idea.”
They were staying at a lodge complex in the Wyoming backcountry, in their own private cabin, a big one close to hiking trails and cross-country skiing. They were out early to grab all the sunshine on offer during the short winter days.
“Rowdy would love it up here. I hope he’s not missing us too much.”
Stone chuckled. “I talked to Nell while you were in the shower. She dotes on that dog. Says he’ll do until she gets a grandchild. Hey, did you hear from Bree?”
“Yes. She’s doing great. The kids are still over the moon about her showing up on Christmas Eve. Cilla told them that Santa took care of that, per your request.”
“Good.”
“Bree’s thinking about baking at Jelly Jam. She wants to settle down in Velde.”
“You’d miss those little girls if they went away.”
“I really would. Brothers aren’t everything.”
“I won’t tell Sam or Zach you said that. Nice guys, both of them.”
Annie laughed and squeezed his gloved hand. “They didn’t give you too much of a hard time.”
“Your dad let me know what to expect.”
“And my mom refereed.”
They walked on, plowing through the snow, following the blaze marks in the trees to stay on the trail. They’d finally had time to get to know each other better and the feelings between them ran deep.
They came out into a clearing. Annie tripped over a branch buried in the snow and fell headlong. She laughed as she rolled over. The snow was soft and feathery, almost dry.
“You okay?” Stone reached down, but she batted his hand away.
“Of course. I’m all bundled up.” Annie stayed there. “I’m actually warm. It’s true what they say about snow being good insulation.”
“I wouldn’t test that theory for too long if I were you.”
She didn’t get up.
“Okay. If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.”
He went to his knees, then lay down next to her, turning his head. “You look beautiful in white. I will never forget you in that cowgirl shirt and the matching Stetson. Thought you looked like an angel.”
“Hey, let’s make some.” She straightened her arms and moved them up and down to make wings. Then she moved her legs from side to side, in, then out, to create an angel dress. Annie sat up carefully. “Your turn.”
“All right.”
He made the same moves but skipped the dress part. Stone sat up and scrambled to stand. His angel turned out much taller than hers, with very large wings and long legs. “Not bad.”
Then he pulled her up.
“Aww. They look like they love each other,” Annie said. “They’re holding hands—I mean, wings.”
“So they are.”
In the space between the two figures, the tips of her wing and his wing crossed.
Stone brushed the clinging snow off Annie’s back and shoulders, then helped her shake it from the hood of her jacket. She did the same for him.
“Had enough?”
“I think so.”
They took one more look at the silent angels and turned toward the lodge.
Their cabin was almost too big and comfortable to be called a cabin. But it shared some features with Nell’s little hideaway.
The poufy bed was similar, just bigger, with an antique mahogany headboard-and-footboard set, and posts at each corner holding up drifts of white, filmy material. Stone took off his hiking boots and padded over to the bed in his socks, moving aside the sheer drape. He looked at it curiously.
“What do you call that stuff?”
“Chiffon.”
“Oh. Like the cake.”
“I would have said veils and gowns, but yes, there is chiffon cake.”
She headed for the overstuffed sectional sofa, wishing it was a love seat but unwilling to complain. She tucked herself into one end and pulled an afghan over her feet while she watched Stone set up cordwood for a fire.
Crouched, he still looked tall. He was absorbed in the task, taking the time to do it right. At last he lit a long match and ignited the handful of dry pine needles he’d used for kindling. The seasoned wood caught. Flickering flames soon turned into a blaze that made his rugged face glow.
“Nice.” He rose and turned to look at her, returning her smile. Then he moved to the sofa, choosing the other end.
“Comfortable, but too big,” he said after a while. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
Annie giggled and nodded. “Yes.”
They both got up and dragged out the wide center section and moved it by the wall, then pushed the ends together. He sat down again and she did too.
“That’s better,” he said with satisfaction. “I like you next to me.”
She moved into his lap. “Doesn’t get any ‘nex-ter’ than this.”
“Mmm.” His voice rumbled in his throat, vibrating against her lips. She nuzzled his neck, letting her hand drift over the flannel shirt that covered his muscular chest.
Annie arched in his lap, sensually relaxed, cradled in his strong arms and held close. She murmured a protest when the jeans-clad thighs that warmed her rear shifted.
“We have to talk. Before this goes too far,” he said.
“That’s the idea. And I don’t want to talk.”
With a groan, he lifted her away from him and set her dow
n on the cushion beside him. Annie took her revenge by thumping him with a pillow.
“We’ll get back to what we were doing,” he said. “I promise. Don’t hit me.”
She gave him a mock glare. “Why do we have to stop?”
Stone reached over and rummaged through the duffel bag he’d set by the sofa. “I have something to give you.”
“I’d rather be kissed.”
He didn’t speak to that, just straightened up again, holding a box she recognized. It had a question mark on the side.
“Doesn’t that belong to Nell?”
“She said I could have it.”
“Oh. Well, what for? It’s too small to be useful. She didn’t even remember what she’d kept in it.”
Stone chuckled. “That should be obvious.”
“Not to me.”
“It’s marked with a question, so it’s meant to hold a question.”
She took it from his hand, going along with the joke, whatever it was. Something rattled inside. “Sounds like a big one.”
“Look inside.”
Annie lifted the lid. The small box held a box that was smaller still, covered in pure white velvet, with rounded corners. She took it out and turned it around in her fingers. “What is this?”
“A ring. Open it and see.”
“In the shape of a question mark?”
“No.”
“Is it . . . oh my.” Her soft voice trailed off as she snapped open the box. A round diamond set in platinum caught the light of the fire. Stone turned toward her and caressed her cheek. The gentleness of his touch made her look at him.
“I know what I want, Annie. I’m ready for some changes in my life. The question is what you want.”
“Are you asking me to marry you?” She gazed at him with wide eyes.
“Yes.”
She was too stunned to say anything for a long moment.
“You don’t have to answer right away,” he assured her. He lifted the diamond ring from its white silk nest. “May I?”
Annie held out her left hand. There had never been a ring on it. Until Stone, there hadn’t been a man she would have wanted to put a ring on it.
He slid it onto her finger. “Take your time. Think it over. I can wait. You’re worth waiting for. I love you.”