Wilde One

by Jannine Gallant

  “I’ve no idea.” Ainslee backed away from the counter. “Quite an odd collection of strangers. Is that all of them?”

  “I believe so. Good to see you, Ainslee. Have a safe drive to Wyoming.”

  “Thanks.” She bolted out of the store then waited for Griff beside a flat filled with ripe tomatoes. “How did Mrs. Granger know we’re headed to Wyoming?”

  “Maybe she read your mind. You looked like a deer in the headlights in there.”

  “I felt like one.” She punched his arm. “Did you have to insinuate we’re on the verge of marriage? Geez, the whole town will be congratulating my parents before the day is over. Then they’ll want to know…never mind.” She let out a breath. “I’ll set them straight.”

  “Seemed like the most reasonable cover story, although I’m not sure why we didn’t just tell her the truth.”

  “Are you kidding? As fast as word travels around here, some producer would probably turn our road trip into a movie of the week. I don’t need the notoriety.”

  Griff clicked the remote to unlock the SUV. “Despite your obvious terror in the face of the town gossip, our little interview was productive.” He held up the white bag. “Not to mention sweet. I love licorice.”

  “You’ll crack a tooth on those jaw breakers.”

  He gave her a long, lingering look. “Not if I suck them slowly.”

  Her face heated. Suppressing a smile, she climbed into the SUV, settled Rocky on her lap and let out a breath. “Did you have a point somewhere in there?”

  He slammed his door before he started the engine. “My point is we now know we’re back in the crowd. All the other contenders are here in town, which means any one of them could have tried to nail me with the rock last night.”

  “True. Sounds like we have a slight lead, though. Marietta just picked up the clue. Parnell didn’t get to the water tower until dark, so he probably couldn’t see the names. Chances are he’s up there again right now.” She lifted one hand. “Who knows about Ogden Morris? He obviously hadn’t identified the correct tower when he rolled into town yesterday.”

  “But, we have to assume they’ve all done their homework. The fact that they got here as fast as we did tells us they expected to find a clue in Iowa. They’ll be quick to make the Wyoming connection, the same way we were.”

  “I suppose so. Obviously Victor didn’t pit us against a bunch of lamebrains.”

  “So, the only challenge is in the exact location.” Griff stopped the car at a crosswalk before continuing through town. “With this next trip, Victor will have left a clue in each of the five hometowns. Do you think the treasure is buried somewhere on our ranch?”

  Ainslee frowned. “Does that seem fair? Would he hide the prize on your home turf?”

  “Good point. I guess we’ll find out once we decipher the next riddle.”

  “First we have to find it.”

  Their speed increased as they passed out of Cloverdale and took the onramp to the highway. “I’ve been thinking about that.”

  She stroked Rocky’s sleek back. “Did you come up with a possibility?”

  He nodded. “What does dark and echoing say to you?”

  “Some sort of hollow chamber? A dungeon or a…”

  “Cave.”

  A shudder rippled through her. “Cave’s freak me out. All those tons of rock closing in on me. And bats. Ugh.”

  “Are you claustrophobic?”

  “I guess. Gage shut me in a closet once when I was about eight. He thought it was funny until I started screaming and didn’t stop. The lock jammed…” Her hand resting on the dog shook. “I think he was almost as scared as I was.”

  “And to think I used to like your brother.”

  “He was pretty young and didn’t know I was going to turn into a psycho. Dad made it clear he wouldn’t sit down for a week if it ever happened again.”

  Reaching across the console, Griff squeezed her hand. “Spiders freak me out. My idiot brothers used to put rubber ones in my bed once they realized I’d scream like a girl when I found them. After I punched Sawyer and knocked out one of his teeth they stopped torturing me.”

  She covered her mouth. “Oh. My. God!”

  “It was a baby tooth. I didn’t permanently disfigure him or anything.”

  “Good to know.” She grinned. “We’re quite a pair.”

  “Yes, we are.”

  Her pulse thrummed as his eyes filled with compassion—and caring. Griff was everything she wanted in a man. Funny, charming, sympathetic, sexy… But, for an even-tempered man, his moods changed faster than the weather on the prairie whenever the word relationship came up. Sunny one minute with thunderclouds building on the horizon the next. As much as she liked him, getting caught in a storm wasn’t part of her game plan.

  The New York experience had beaten her down some, but she wasn’t broken yet. Chin in hand, she glanced out at the fields and road signs whizzing by. She still wanted to teach, was still determined to make a difference in some student’s life wherever she settled. Traipsing around God knew where with Griff, she wouldn’t be able to do that.

  Her glance slid his way as he hummed to the radio. Not that she expected it’d be much of an issue since he’d been clear he was content to keep things casual between them.

  She’d be wise to remember that.

  Chapter 13

  Griff glanced in the rearview mirror. The black sedan was still back there. Had been off and on for the last hour or more. At least that’s when he’d first noticed it. Was the driver on cruise control at the same speed he was, or was someone intentionally following them? He pulled into the right-hand lane and slowed ten miles an hour. The sedan dropped a little farther back.

  “Son of a bitch!”

  “What? What?” Ainslee jerked, straightened in her seat and yawned. “I dozed off. What happened?”

  “Someone’s following us. Damn. You’d think they could figure the riddle out for themselves without tagging along behind us.”

  “Unless it’s the crazy rock-thrower intent on running us off the road.”

  “We’re on an interstate freeway. He’d get caught in about two seconds if he tried anything stupid.” Griff glanced in the mirror again and scowled. “I’m not worried about physical danger. Mostly I’m just irritated we’re leading this guy to the next clue location.”

  She shifted the dog on her lap. “You think he intends to follow us for that long? It’s starting to get dark, and I’m tired. I don’t know about you, but I’d kind of like to stop for the night. I don’t care if the others get ahead of us. Some of them probably took a flight to Wyoming, so they’re in the lead now, anyway.”

  “True, and a break would be nice. However, there’s nothing but podunk towns along this stretch of South Dakota highway. I’m not sure we’ll find a campground between here and the Badlands, and that’s still quite a few miles away.”

  “Too bad we got a late start thanks to my mom insisting on cooking a big breakfast.” She stretched out her arms, then dropped them in her lap and sighed. “The side-trip to talk to Wilma Granger before we left town didn’t speed up the process, either.”

  “Not to mention it took forever to get served at that Chinese place. I told you we should have gotten fast food for dinner.”

  Ainslee wrinkled her nose. “I’m sick of burgers and fries. Anyway, they’re bad for you.” Another yawn nearly fractured her jaw. “If we can’t camp, let’s find a motel.”

  “Will do. The next town is about fifteen miles from here. We can look for a place to stay when we get there.” He couldn’t help wondering if she’d insist on separate rooms. Her mood was still—cautious. He stomped on the gas and shot around a slow moving RV.

  “Geez, Griff.” She braced her feet. “All of a sudden you’re in a hurry?”

  “It’s dark enough now I can’t see our tail, which means he won’t be able to see us if I can put a little distance between our cars. I’d l
ove to ditch the jerk.”

  “Who do you think it is?” Her hand paused above Rocky’s back then resumed stroking.

  “I’ve no idea, but the car Marietta was driving this morning was red. The one following us is black.”

  “It isn’t likely she switched cars. Cloverdale doesn’t even have a rental agency.”

  “Good to know.” They drove at a speed well above the limit for several miles. When billboards announced a chain motel five miles ahead, he grunted in satisfaction. “We’ll stop there.”

  “Thank God.”

  “This is it.” Minutes later he took the exit ramp, made a quick left turn down a side street, pulled over and turned off the headlights.

  Ainslee twisted in her seat. “I think the motel is farther up ahead.”

  “I know, but let’s see if our shadow noticed we took the exit.” When headlights flashed on the access street, he cursed under his breath. But the vehicle that sped by was a pickup, not a sedan. “Sweet, I do believe we ditched him.”

  “Then let’s go get a room. I don’t know why I’m so tired when you did all the driving today, but I am.”

  Room? He liked the sound of the singular noun. Of course her speech about being tired might be Ainslee’s way of telling him to keep his hands—and other body parts—to himself. He flipped on the headlights and his blinker. Only one way to find out.

  Fifteen minutes later he unlocked the motel room door and held it open for her as she coaxed the dog inside. Rocky growled at a wicker trash basket before cautiously sniffing the edges of the floral spreads covering two full-size beds. When Griff had suggested a king would be more comfortable, she’d hunched one shoulder and told the clerk the doubles were just fine.

  Question answered. Message received.

  He dropped his duffle bag on the beige carpet. She set her overnight case on the end of one bed. Silence filled the room.

  Ainslee avoided his gaze. “I’d like to take a shower. Do you mind if I go first?”

  “Of course not.” He picked up the remote and turned on the TV perched on a shelf bolted to the wall. An all-news station blared. “I’m sure there’s a ballgame on I can watch.”

  Her glance in his direction registered a hint of uncertainty. Probably because his tone had been sharper than he’d intended.

  He forced a smile her way. “Or something.”

  With an answering curve of her lips, she grabbed her bag and disappeared into the bathroom. The door clicked shut with a snap.

  Dropping onto the nearest bed, he turned down the volume on the TV then flopped backward and closed his eyes. What did he expect after the way he’d behaved? He sure as hell couldn’t complain anymore about Ainslee building expectations around him. Her independence shone like a beacon in the night.

  Isn’t that what he wanted? No more clinging vines? A strong, self-confident woman? Not even a chance that what happened with Johanna would ever be repeated? He ran a hand through his hair then opened his eyes when the mattress dipped beside him. Rocky eyed him steadily and curled his lip before turning in a circle to settle into a ball.

  He let out a sigh. “Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if she leaned on me a little.”

  The dog twitched, kicked his hind legs to move a little farther away, then presented his tail end. Terrific.

  The shower turned on. Griff’s attention riveted to the closed bathroom door. He couldn’t stop himself from conjuring up images of Ainslee naked beneath the spray, water sliding over her smooth skin, the curve of her breasts… With a grunt, he levered off the bed to pace the small room. He’d lose his mind if he didn’t get the hell out of here. “Up, Rocky. Let’s take a walk.”

  Apparently recognizing a word that captured his interest, the dog lifted his head. When Griff picked up the leash and shook it, Rocky stood then leaped to the floor. After snapping the lead to his collar, Griff grabbed the key card he’d tossed on the counter by the coffee pot then left the room.

  Stars dotted the sky in a kaleidoscope of light. The swish of cars and occasional roar of a big rig out on the freeway assaulted his ears. Voices and the bang of a garbage dumpster lid echoed from behind the diner half a block away. Beyond the motel, grassland stretched into the darkness. He headed toward the open field, hoping he wouldn’t break an ankle in a gopher hole. After stumbling around in the dark for a half-hour to give his libido a chance to cool down, he turned back. Surely Ainslee would be out of the shower and dressed by now, ending his torture.

  As he neared the motel parking lot, Rocky growled. With a series of earsplitting barks, he lunged against the leash, pulling Griff in the direction of the SUV. A shadow moved, then sprinted away, heading down the street toward a pair of gas stations. Griff put on a burst of speed—until the dog sat down and refused to move. Given a choice between leaving the mutt and catching the fleeing figure… He let out a string of oaths as the man disappeared into the night.

  “I hope you’re happy?”

  Rocky stood and turned back toward the motel, tail waving. Picking up his pace when the dog seemed eager enough to accommodate him, he hustled back to the parking area and circled the SUV.

  “Oh, my freaking God!”

  “Griff.” Ainslee’s voice came out of the darkness. A moment later she appeared around the side of the building. “I went looking for you when you were gone so long. What’s wrong?”

  He squatted next to the front passenger-side wheel. “Some moron slashed your tire.”

  “You’re kidding!”

  “I wish.” He glanced over his shoulder as she hovered behind him. “I saw someone near your car and chased the asshole for a couple of blocks. He got away, thanks to your dog. Rocky stopped running, and I didn’t want to leave him wandering in the street.”

  She scooped the mutt into her arms. “He isn’t exactly built for speed. Did you get a good look at the guy?”

  “No. One stinking light on the other side of the parking lot doesn’t exactly illuminate the area, and he kept to the shadows. From the person’s size, I could tell it was a man—or one hell of a big woman—but I couldn’t make out any details.”

  “Big, as in Parnell Jones tall?”

  “No, probably more my height.” He rose to his feet. “Damn, why would someone slash your tire?”

  “Maybe he would have destroyed the other three if you hadn’t caught him in the act.” She rubbed her hands up and down her arms and shivered despite the warm evening. “Another attempt to scare us off?”

  “I imagine so. I’m sorry I didn’t run him down. We could have had him arrested and collected for the damage. Tires aren’t cheap.”

  “At least I have a spare that matches the others. We can drive on it until we get to a town big enough to possess a tire store.”

  “In the morning, I’ll call the garage we use in Cody and have someone hunt down a matching, used tire. With luck, we’ll be able to pick it up by the time we get there.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and ushered her toward the motel room. “I’ll change the flat in the morning when I can see what I’m doing. No point screwing around out here in the dark.”

  She leaned against his side. “Thank you. I don’t know what I would have done if I was alone since I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be able to change the tire on my own. I tried once before when I had a flat and couldn’t get the lug nuts off.”

  “They’re usually a bitch. You know what?” He swiped the keycard and opened the door.

  “What?”

  “You’re resourceful. You would have managed just fine, but I’m glad I’m here to help.”

  “I am, too.” She followed him inside, set the dog down then wrapped her other arm around his waist. “Thank you.”

  He hugged back. “You’re welcome.”

  She pressed her cheek against his chest. “I’m going to bed. I’m exhausted.”

  “Can’t.”

  She tilted her chin to glance up. “Why not?”

  “Because we
have to call the cops. A slashed tire is vandalism. We need to report it.”

  “What about the rock? And the bullet? Attempted murder seems slightly more serious than vandalism, and we didn’t call about those incidents.”

  “Depends on your point of view. I doubt your local sheriff in Cloverdale would have been too concerned if I’d told him someone threw a rock at me.”

  “Even if it was with a slingshot?”

  “We couldn’t prove that, Ainslee. As for the bullet, I still think it was probably from a pellet gun. We’ll mention both incidents. We can’t keep ignoring the fact that someone is obviously on a mission to stop us from getting to the treasure first.”

  “I know.” She let out a sigh then pulled away. “All right, let’s make the call and get it over with.” She checked her watch. “With any luck, we’ll get to sleep by midnight.”

  * * * *

  Ainslee shut the door behind the police officer and leaned against it. “At least he was cute.”

  Griff rolled his eyes. “I wonder if the kid is even legal to drink.” He dropped onto the end of one bed. “I don’t think he was too impressed with our conspiracy theory.”

  With a sigh, she pushed away from the door to sit beside him. “Yeah, he seemed pretty convinced it was some homeless nut job still on the loose who’d broken into a couple of other cars in the area.”

  “Except in those cases, the guy took valuables he found in the vehicles. This was pure destruction of property. Why choose our SUV if he didn’t have a personal agenda?”

  “I agree it’s all a little too coincidental.” She toed off her tennis shoes. “Right now, I don’t even care. I just want to crash.”

  “Go ahead. I still need to take a shower.”

  After he disappeared into the bathroom, Ainslee stripped off the jeans and sweatshirt she’d put on earlier to go looking for Griff and pulled an oversized T-shirt out of her bag. Nothing sexy. Just because she’d been feeling a little nervous about someone following them and hadn’t wanted separate rooms didn’t mean she intended to sleep with him. Does it? She shook her head. “Nope, not going to happen.”