by Alice Sharpe
“There was a terrible fight. They broke poor Claude’s arm in two places. He had to stay in the hospital so the general hired a new man from an American agency to fill in.”
“The charmer I met at the airstrip?”
“Not so charming.”
“Are you saying that because he’s actually said or done something suspicious or because he glowers all the time?”
“I think it’s the glowering. Plus, I had to ask him twice not to smoke in front of my cousin. Toby is allergic.”
“Anything else happen in Seattle?”
“That’s all, I guess. Claude was hurt but I was never even threatened. I don’t see how any of it could have been planned. We were simply lost. Mr. Vaughn was as terrified by the events as I was.”
“I’m kind of surprised he joined you for this leg of your trip,” Pierce said. “He sounds like the kind of guy who would have preferred staying in a plush room back in the city.”
“I was surprised, too. But he insisted he wanted to see something besides hotel rooms and on behalf of goodwill, I relented.”
“And what about your cousin? Did you really take a little kid to a symposium on the environment?”
“Of course not. He was visiting his Canadian grandparents during spring break. It was prearranged that he would join my entourage for the journey back to Chatioux and the visit to the ranch.”
Pierce was silent for a few moments before he mumbled to himself.
“Did you say something?” she asked, unconsciously pressing against his broad back. She lowered her voice, looked ahead of him down the road where she could barely see the dark shape of the brown horse carrying Toby. “Is something wrong? Did you see something?”
“Just a second,” he said, and yanked the reins to the right. The pinto climbed the rocky bank, cresting a ridge pocketed with drifts of snow left over from the last storm. Below them, the truck slowed and its windows rolled down.
Analise held on tight to Pierce’s coat, unsure what was going on. It crossed her mind that perhaps she’d been wrong, that perhaps this wasn’t Cody Westin’s brother, that he was an imposter, working for whomever had written that disturbing note.
“Go on ahead of us,” Pierce yelled as the truck on the road below rolled to a stop.
“Absolutely not,” the general cried from the front passenger window. The bodyguard glared through the back window.
“The engine noise is bothering the horse,” Pierce said.
“We will not leave,” the general announced.
“Tell them to go ahead,” Pierce said softly over his shoulder. Analise, on the verge of slipping off the horse and running for the truck, raised a hand instead and called, “It’s okay.”
General Kaare looked furious but the driver sped up and the truck soon pulled ahead.
After a few moments, they traveled back down the rise to the road. The vehicle was a good hundred yards away by then, disappearing around a curve. By now the attack of nerves that had gripped her a few moments before was gone and Analise sagged.
“You okay back there?” Pierce asked.
“Yes. Of course. The horse wasn’t really bothered, was he?”
“No. I was.”
“Me, too.”
This time his profile came with a furrowed brow under the brim of his hat. “How do you live like this, Princess?”
“Like what?”
“Like a beautiful fish in a crystal bowl.”
Had he just called her beautiful? She smiled against his back, unexplainably pleased. She was used to having people fawn over her, accustomed to reading flattering things about her appearance in magazines and newspapers, but it was different coming from him. “I guess a person gets used to whatever it is they’ve known,” she finally said. “Anyway, I went to school in England for several years, so I’m not always guarded so closely.”
He put a hand over hers as it rested against his flat stomach. “I don’t mean to alarm you, but I have to admit your story about what happened in Seattle worries me.”
“It worried the general, too, but he wouldn’t discuss it. Will you?”
“It sounds like a setup.”
“Excuse me?” she said, and this time her gaze darted behind them. She hadn’t realized until that moment how the car had provided a safety net at her back and now that it was gone, she felt naked.
“The missing driver, the sudden offer of a ride, the knot of threatening men, the attack on your bodyguard, a new man hired—it sounds like a setup with one express goal—get rid of Claude. How well do you know this man, Vaughn?”
“Not very well.”
He squeezed her hand with his. She’d felt his strength when he helped her mount the horse; she felt it in his body now when he shifted his weight with the ride. Power. But not the overbearing affectations of the general. No, something more subtle and quiet and substantial.
“I’ll keep an eye on him,” he added. “And on you.”
“Oh, please, not another eye. There are already so many!”
“It’s not just you,” he said.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean for the time being I’m responsible for everything that happens on this ranch. I want to hand it back to Cody and Adam and my dad in one piece and that means no trouble.”
“Then you don’t normally live here?”
“No.”
“Do you have a ranch somewhere else? Is someone taking care of that while you are here? A wife, perhaps?” The pinto picked up his pace as the road ascended and the distant roof of a building came into sight. Just like the horses at home in Chatioux, this one apparently knew when the stable was close by.
“Why, Princess,” Pierce said, flashing a grin over his shoulder, “is that your way of finding out if I’m single?”
She’d been thinking more along the lines of establishing his identity. For some reason, it seemed unlikely an assassin would claim a family.
Wait. Did she really think this was some kind of setup? If she had, wouldn’t she have insisted the car stay behind them? Trust your instincts, Analise, her father had said on more than one occasion. Sometimes that’s all the armor you’ll have…
“You’re wearing gloves,” she said evenly. “A woman likes to know these things.”
“So does a man,” he said without turning.
“I’m about to become engaged.”
“That’s too bad.”
“And you?”
“I’m not engaged or married or involved with anyone at the moment.”
“But you have been?”
“All those things at one time or another,” he said and there was a tone to his voice that added, Once was enough.
“So if you aren’t a rancher, what are you?”
“I’m part owner of a sort of security outfit,” he said, but there’d been a brief pause before his answer.
“Are you like a policeman?”
“Not really. We help businesses track down inner-corporate ne’er-do-wells.”
“I see.”
“You do?”
“Like industrial espionage,” she said.
“Yes. My partner tends to take the computer angle. I get more hands-on.”
Analise looked ahead and caught sight of a huge log house. Shaped like an inverted V with wings, it appeared to rise to three stories in the middle with tall glass windows. Slender, graceful white-barked trees, their branches currently bare, cradled the upper stories. The long walkway leading to the front was built of rock. A partial roof supported by huge peeled logs covered the end closest to the house. Additional structures could be glimpsed fanning out at the back and there appeared to be a small pond, frozen over, that surrounded the patio on the north end.
When they’d flown overhead, she’d seen long barns with red roofs she supposed held feed and others that must house large equipment. The fields had been dotted with hundreds of black cows, so stark against the winter ground. Add rolling hillsides, millions of evergreen trees and miles of f
ences and the overall impression was of prosperity.
“You must have enjoyed growing up here,” she said, leaning forward to peer over his shoulder and unconsciously inhaling the clean male scent of his skin. Coming from the privileged life she’d led, admiring a lifestyle wasn’t something she had occasion to do often. But there was a sense of freedom and openness about the place that was foreign to her—and appealing.
For a second she wished she was here alone with Pierce. Just the two of them riding this horse. He was a stranger—he’d never even heard of her before today, he had no expectations, no preconceived ideas of what she was supposed to be.
In fact, if she was honest, she would admit the thought of being alone with a strong, attractive man whose only interest in her was fleeting and trivial was a real turn-on. He wasn’t the kind of man she could ever be with and that was exciting, too.
“The house is bigger now than it used to be. Cody did some serious remodeling before he married Cassie.”
“Is she here now or is she away with him?”
“Neither. The marriage didn’t last, she ran off, á la my mother.”
Analise was willing to bet his casual tone covered some pretty intense undercurrents. “And your other brother, Adam?”
“Off hiking. If you mean is he married, the answer is no. He’s waiting for some nice, shy farm girl to wander into his life.” He turned in the saddle as he reined the horse to a halt and added, “I’d like to talk to you about that photo you mentioned.”
“I’d like to talk to you, too,” she said, nerves flaring again. How much should she tell him? She’d been directed to divulge as little as possible. That had seemed doable when she spoke with Pierce’s brother on the phone months before. With this man?
The key would be saying enough to garner his help without giving anything away…?.
Chapter Four
Pierce looked over his shoulder again. “I’m assuming the photo ties into that ‘important’ reason for your visit,” he added.
“Yes,” she said. “I tried to tell you earlier—”
“As we rode, I know. But I want to look you in the eyes when you talk.”
“Why? Do you think I would lie?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“Then what—”
“Words aren’t the only way a person speaks,” he said, “and sometimes the way something isn’t said is pretty informative.”
She blinked a few times as she thought about that statement. “It may be hard to get time alone again,” she warned as he stopped the horse next to the walkway.
“I’ll figure it out.” He got off the horse, stepped onto the walkway and reached up to help her dismount. The next thing she knew, she was sliding down his firm body, his strong hands gripping her waist, his breath warm where it touched her bare skin. Her feet hit the rocks a second later and she looked up at him, peered into the depths of his eyes, and felt a shock as something almost tangible passed between them.
And in that moment she knew she could trust him with her concerns. Not everything, of course, and certainly not with her heart.
What an odd thing to think.
“Princess? You are all right?” the general called, and she and Pierce both turned to find the older man marching toward them, moving faster than normal.
General Kaare was old-school. Royals should be admired but never touched by a mere mortal like Pierce Westin.
Ignoring his question, she looked around the open meadow. “Where’s Toby?”
“I am told he is out in the barn with the cowboys. Your maid is inside getting your rooms ready for occupancy. Mr. Vaughn was cold—I believe he’s inside by the fireplace being attended by the staff. Come now, come inside.” The general’s eyes lingered on Pierce’s hands which still encircled her waist.
“What about her bodyguard?” Pierce asked as he kept his hands right where they were. “Where is he?”
“Patrolling the immediate vicinity, getting the lay of the land, or so he called it. Come, Princess.”
Something cold touched Analise’s cheek and she looked up as another flake landed on her forehead.
Holding her hands palms up, she watched the flakes swirling overhead before landing on the blue cashmere. “Is this your storm?”
“No, this isn’t the storm,” Pierce said, his eyes delving into hers. At last he moved his hands—on his terms, she noticed with a touch of amusement. “These are just stray flakes. I’ll be inside after I get Sam to the stable.”
“Let your staff take care of that,” the general demanded as he straightened the lapels on his coat. “We must discuss—”
“My staff?” Pierce repeated with a sudden glint in his eyes. “This isn’t a castle with servants, General. Around here, a man takes care of his own horse. I’ll be with you in a few minutes.” With that, he swung himself back into the saddle and trotted off toward a large structure to the south.
Analise smiled into her jacket collar.
“The man is impudent,” the Colonel snapped. “He is much too familiar with you. Furthermore…”
“General? We are guests in his home.”
“And why exactly is that?” the general asked, leveling hooded eyes at her. “Why are we here, Princess Analise? After the situation in Seattle, why didn’t we skip this frivolous side trip and return to Chatioux as I suggested? I know your father—”
“We are here because I want to be here,” she interrupted, affecting the aristocratic manner she knew would remind him not to push too hard or too far.
He studied her intently for a moment. “Then, Princess, let me say this. Without information and in such a remote spot, I am powerless to protect you.” He held up a hand to still her as she started to comment. “Furthermore, it is clear you’ve placed your trust in this cowboy, this stranger. So be it.” He bowed his head slightly and gestured toward the house with one large hand. Analise preceded him down the walkway.
PIERCE SPENT THE next hour getting Sam settled and delegating work. He put men on duty creating something approaching a campout in the pavilion Jamie mentioned. He sent another up to replace the lock on the violated gate in Shadow Canyon, and turned over babysitting chores to Jamie to whom Toby had taken an instant liking. Even now the child was perched atop the mare as Jamie led her around the indoor arena, Cody’s yellow Lab trotting along while expertly avoiding hooves.
The dog was kind of an odd choice of breed for a ranch. For the first time, Pierce wondered where she’d come from.
The kid spied Pierce and waved vigorously, slipping in the big saddle when he took one of his hands off the horn. Pierce waved back before the boy fell, and turned away, a bitter taste in the back of his mouth as Patrick once again flitted across his mind.
The next thirty minutes were spent in a frustrating string of dropped calls to his partner at Westin-Turner. Bob Turner was an old army buddy and a good friend, but lately he’d been discontent. Pierce thought he knew why—it was Sue, Bob’s girlfriend, and she was exerting pressure on him to settle down.
The ranch hand who had driven the truck to the airstrip and back showed up as Pierce was leaving the barn, the Lab close on his heels. The man had a familiar look to him but he was far too young to have worked here in the days Pierce was around all the time. “You one of Tom Garvey’s boys?” Pierce asked.
“Yeah. I’m Lucas.”
Pierce offered his hand and they shook. Lucas was in his early twenties, sandy-colored hair, blue-eyed and wiry like all the Garvey men, no doubt strong as an ox despite it. He had a pointed chin and nose and about three days’ growth of beard which didn’t really amount to much. “I went to school with your older brother, Doyle.”
“Yeah, I know,” Lucas said. He shoved both hands in his pockets.
“How is Doyle?”
“He’s okay,” Lucas said, but his eyes shut down. Too late Pierce remembered Cody saying something in one of their phone calls about Adam firing Doyle last winter. Something about temper issues, a fight that
broke another man’s nose. Though no formal charges were ever filed, Doyle had left and everyone knew why.
Pierce and Doyle had been adversaries in high school. Both of them had been screw-ups, but while Pierce’s antics had been confined to victimless rowdiness, Doyle’s had landed him in juvie. The boy was as mean and sneaky as his father, the elder Garvey.
Well, that was in the past. Pierce quickly changed the subject.
“For the next twenty-four hours, I want you to be a kind of unofficial bodyguard for our guests, especially Princess Analise,” he said. “Just keep an eye on things around the ranch. Report anything unusual to me. And later on, when we have the cookout, stick close by. I’ll find someone else to help you.”
“How about Darrell Cox?”
“The big guy with all the freckles? Sure, he’d be fine.”
“I’ll tell him.”
“Thanks,” Pierce said and took off for the house, the dog running ahead. After he called his assistant back on the land line, his plan was to get some answers from Princess Analise.
And that brought her fully back to mind. He rebuilt her face, then the feel of her seated behind him on the horse, especially when she’d bumped up against his back. That led to reviewing the second she’d spent sliding down his body when she dismounted and the rush of heat that had passed through him, the frisson like a nuclear reactor that had zapped him when their gazes met and held.
He tried to remember the details of the last woman he’d been serious about. Okay, maybe serious about wasn’t the right criteria. Maybe he needed to de-escalate to hot for.
A noise stopped him midway across the pasture that passed for a yard and he looked up in time to see Pauline, the Open Sky housekeeper, entering the house through the kitchen door, a yellow dish towel draped over her arm, the Lab underfoot.
In the next instant, a long forgotten memory hit Pierce with such force it stopped him midstep.
His mother on that porch. Back before the fancy rockwork, back before the big A-frame addition. Standing there with a black fry pan and a metal spoon, banging them together, wearing a yellow checked shirt so vibrant it was like a flag on a drag strip.