Ali wanted to be angry with Jericho for leaving Chance so upset, but she reminded herself to have patience. He was new to being a father and would learn in time. Besides, if she got her way, Jericho would never leave them again.
Now she just had to locate the man.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Jericho leaned against his Jeep. He scowled at the neon Open sign as the last rays of sun grasped the tips of the mountains. The raucous beat of an old rock song drifted from the door along with wafts of fried food, beer and human sweat. Girls in miniskirts giggled as they sauntered through the entrance together.
He gripped the vehicle’s bumper to keep himself from going inside.
One drink. Just one cold, tall lager would ease his mind. Numb the hurt. But one drink would become five. He could embrace sweet escape for one night. But then what? He’d just be back at the start again, with one more mistake to tally against him.
The song switched to a country ballad that baited him to join them inside. He took two steps toward the door and reached for the handle. Then he fisted his hand and paced back to the parking lot.
He’d been so certain they were on the path to reconciling. So sure.
What had Chance said he heard Ali say? I just have to do it. Divorce.
He stomped away from the vehicle, then walked back and pressed both hands against the side. If she went through with a divorce, then what? Shared custody? Chance for one weekend a month, and three holidays a year? Jericho punched the Jeep.
He wanted to be an everyday part of his son’s life. He’d already missed too many milestones. There were so many things he wanted to teach Chance, experiences he wanted to share with the boy. Holidays and weekends wouldn’t cut it.
Beyond that, he needed his wife. He longed to hold her against him as they slept, and sit across from her at the dinner table each night. He wanted to do everything in his power to support her chasing after her dreams. But he couldn’t do that if she didn’t want him.
A truck bumped into the parking lot and stopped a few feet from him.
He glanced over his shoulder. Ali. She looked so pretty that it seared his chest.
She jumped down and waved to Kate. “Don’t worry about picking me up. Jericho will take me home.” Ali sashayed toward him. “Hey, stranger.” She beamed.
He glanced at the bar, then back at Ali. His shoulders sagged. She’d come looking for him at the bar, and he’d proved her assumptions right. Why was she even here?
She snatched his hand as she came near. “Grab some curb with me?”
They sat down, and she scooted closer. Her legs touched his, and their shoulders in contact made every inch on that side of his body burn. He reminded himself to take a breath. “Aren’t you going to be late for your date?”
“Naw.” She turned his wrist over, tapping the watch. “I still have thirty minutes.”
The wind picked up and her scent wrapped around him, tempting him more than any bottle of beer ever could. Yet he couldn’t have this woman.
His eyes started to sting. “I didn’t go inside.”
“I know.” She captured his chin and turned his face to look her in the eye. “I believe you. I trust you. Hear that, Jericho Freed? I know you’ll never touch the stuff again.”
“But you knew to look for me here.” He snaked away from her, hiding his face in his hands.
“Sure. You’re human. You’ll always be tempted, but I know you’re too strong to give in.” She bumped her shoulder into his. “So why the long face?”
Jericho studied the gravel at his feet and steepled his hands. “Are you gonna divorce me?”
“Why would I go and do a fool thing like that?”
He swung his head toward her. His mouth went dry. “You’re not going to sign any papers?”
Her lips pulled up slowly. “That would make it a whole lot harder to be married to you if I did. And being married to you is what I want most of all.” She looped her arm through his. “It just took me a while to realize it.”
“Talk straight to me, woman.”
She turned and framed his face with her hands, pulling their heads so they were inches apart. “Listen to me. I love you, Jericho Freed. You’re the only man who’s ever been in my heart.” She bit one side of her lip, and her eyebrows darted up. “Straight enough?”
His heart started up like a hoof kicking his chest. He searched her face. The gold flecks in her eyes shimmered. He’d never seen anything more stunning. Incapable of stopping himself, he leaned down and brushed his lips against hers.
Not wanting to startle her, he moved to break the moment, but she brought her arms around his neck. Pulling herself against him, she deepened the kiss, her lips warm and melding to his. He sifted her soft hair through his fingers. His hands explored the curve of her neck and traveled down her spine.
When they parted, a chuckle rumbled in his chest. She leaned her forehead against his, and their eyes locked like partners in a dance. Ali had a goofy grin pulling at her cheeks.
“I love you, Ali Silver.”
“Ali Freed. I’m going to change it back. Has a nice ring to it.” She sighed, lacing her fingers through his. Her head rested against his shoulder.
“Ali Freed. I do like the sound of that.” He stiffened, sitting straighter. “Okay, but then I don’t understand why you’re going on a date with Tripp.”
Her eyes widened. “That’s why I’m here. I want you to come with me.”
“On a date with him?”
“No. I only said yes because I want to confront him. But I’m afraid of what he’ll do if you’re not beside me. After everything he’s done, I can’t trust him. Will you come?”
He tucked her hair behind her ear. “I’d go to Africa right now with you if you asked.”
“Do you think you can face him after everything you found out?”
“You mean since learning he’s my brother?”
“Yes. Do you know for sure if that’s true?”
He nodded. “I talked to Pop, and he confirmed it. It’s wild. I’m half pleased to know I have another relation in the world, but the other half of me wants to kill him for what he’s put you through.”
She rose, offering her hand. He took it and stood, but then tugged her to a stop. “Hey. I wasn’t after you for the money, either. You know that, right?”
“It wouldn’t matter even if you were. I love you and want to be with you, so we’d both win.”
Jericho clutched her shoulders and gave a small shake. “It matters to me.” He led her to the Jeep. “I knew nothing about that will until the other morning. And I could care less about the ranch and Pop’s money.”
“What about the bank stuff?”
“I did have meetings with the bank, and I have set up a business. It’s a little nonprofit operation, and I’m hoping you’ll consent to helping me get it up and running.”
“A nonprofit?”
“Yes. It’s tentatively named A Soldier’s Dream, but if you don’t like it, we can change that. I’d like to couple it with Big Sky Dreams and offer therapeutic horseback riding for injured soldiers and for soldiers’ spouses while they’re overseas.”
Ali screamed. She hugged him so tight his back cracked.
“Jericho! That’s the greatest idea I’ve ever heard. I’m already certified to do that. We can start classes right away. I’ll have to do a little bit of research and plan different lessons.”
He smiled down at her as she rattled off information, loving the way her lips moved over the words. “Whoa there, sweetheart. I still have to finish filling out paperwork with the government so we can be recognized as an approved program for servicemen. Then I want to join our companies and help with all the expenses. Add horses to the program, maybe another arena and riding barn.”
; Her face fell. “That’s a lot of money.”
He shrugged. “I have enough.”
“But how? I don’t think the army pays an injured vet a lot of money, and I know you haven’t been working anywhere since coming home.”
“My mom had a separate will. Hers stipulated that my father didn’t get a dime of her money. Instead, it was held in an account until my twenty-first birthday, when the totality of the funds became available to me. The only problem was, I didn’t have a clue. Pop never told me. When I got back in town, Mom’s lawyer contacted me. I couldn’t believe he hadn’t retired yet. It took a lot of paperwork, but the funds are now free and clear and mine.”
“I thought your dad was the rich one.”
“Me, too. But I guess they basically had an arranged marriage. Their parents were business partners. The Freeds had land but were low on money, and the Austers had money but no land. So they merged.”
“Do you think she did it because she was angry with your father?”
Jericho opened the door and ushered her inside. She climbed up, and he stood in the open area, drinking in the sight of her. He sighed. “Yes. I think she knew he cheated, and that’s why she changed her will. I’m sure she justified her actions because she was angry.”
She put a hand on his forearm. “Bitterness can do that to a person.”
“I love you, Ali.”
“I know. Now get your hide in action, or we’ll be late.”
Unable to resist, Jericho kissed her cheek before closing the door. Her giggle worked its way into all the broken places in his heart.
* * *
With her hand clasped in Jericho’s, Ali walked into the restaurant and spotted Tripp. “Let me do most of the talking,” she whispered.
When she stiffened, Jericho slipped his arm around her shoulders and pressed his lips close to her ear. “Did I ever tell you you’re the perfect height?”
She swatted at him, but her smile fell when she met Tripp’s gaze. The lawyer’s mouth pulled into a grim line as he rose. “Well, I asked you here to give you my side of the story, but I see you’ve decided which man you trust.”
Jericho tensed. Ali gave his side a squeeze and sat down. She folded her hands on top of the linen tablecloth. “I’d like to give you the benefit of the doubt, Tripp. I’ve learned the dangers of jumping to conclusions.” Her eyes darted to Jericho, and her husband’s lips tugged to a whisper of a smile, but the crease in his brow stated his true mood.
Tripp pulled at his collar. “This is going to be awkward saying everything in front of him.” He gestured to Jericho.
Ali laid a hand on her husband’s arm. “Jericho and I are a package deal. It’s your choice. Talk to both of us, or neither.”
Tripp raked a hand through his hair. A shock of it fell forward onto his forehead. “All right. I knew about the will. I’ve known about it since the day I started my internship with Jeb Strong. But you have to understand, Alison, I’m not an ogre.”
“Did you slash my tires? Did you kill Denny?”
Tripp’s eyebrows shot up. “No. Absolutely not. I care about you. That’s what I’m trying to say. I’d never do anything like that to hurt you. I admit, I saw the will and realized the loophole—that if you married me, and I legally adopted Chance, then when Abram passed away, I’d stand to inherit everything.”
“You would have faked a marriage with me?” In an effort to draw strength from Jericho’s touch, Ali groped for his hand under the table. His strong fingers closed around hers. His thumb traced a pattern on the back of her fist.
“No, nothing like that. You’ve been a good friend to me for years, Alison. I don’t have many people in my life who genuinely care about me. Our friendship means a lot. I care about your well-being. I know you’ve been hurt deeply, and I would have been an honest and faithful husband to you. It killed me seeing Chance without a father when I would have gladly stepped into that role.” He toyed with the coffee mug on the table. “You see, I know how terrible it is being a boy without a dad. I didn’t want that for him. I thought I was doing something noble, but you’re looking at me like I’m the leftovers from gutting a deer.”
“Not when you put it like that. You’re a good man, Tripp. You’ll be an amazing husband to the right girl, and a devoted father.” She leaned over and squeezed his hand.
“I’m not a monster,” he whispered. “My mother and I, we really struggled. Dinner wasn’t a daily event, if you catch my drift. She told me I wasn’t allowed to tell anyone Abram was my father. Said it would shame her. But after she died, I confronted him.” He let go of the mug and looked up. “How do you think I made it through college and law school debt-free?”
Jericho leaned forward. “That still doesn’t explain why you would send a threatening letter to Ali and then sabotage stuff around the ranch.”
“I didn’t.”
“He’s right, Jericho. It’s clear now. Rider did it all along.”
Tripp swirled the water in his glass. “No. Rider Longley’s innocent as a pastor on Sunday.”
Ali gasped. “But you helped me fire him.”
“I hadn’t figured it out yet. Everything finally clicked this morning, or I would have told you sooner. It’s that girl you have working with you, Megan Galveen.”
Ali reached for her purse under the table. “No way. I can’t believe that. Megan is my friend. She’s helped us above and beyond what I expect from her on many occasions.”
Jericho cleared his throat. “And what would her motive be? Didn’t the letter say something about seeing me and Ali together at the Independence Day picnic? Why would she care about us?”
Tripp closed his eyes. “No. It’s me. She’s after me.”
Ali yanked the crumpled threat letter from her purse, smoothing it on the table. “It doesn’t say your name, Jericho. I just assumed it meant you. But it could mean Tripp. She could have seen him walking me away at the picnic. She may have meant stay away from Tripp.”
Tripp nodded. He scanned the note. “That is what it means. I wish you had shown this to me because I received a couple of these glued magazine cutout letters, too.”
“But she’s never said anything. You honestly think she did all those things?” Ali rubbed her hands back and forth over the tablecloth.
“Think about it. She has access to your bank account for Big Sky Dreams, and money keeps disappearing.”
Jericho jolted. “Her father works at the Mountaintop Research Laboratory. Her sister told me when I got my loan. They mess around with real heavy-duty drugs for bioterrorism purposes.”
Tears rushed to Ali’s eyes. “Denny.”
Jericho reached over and stroked her hair.
Tripp drummed the table. “She’s been stalking me since they came to town. At first I was flattered, and I’ll admit I used her to gain information about you. That’s how I knew about your loan, Jericho.” He rubbed his jaw. “But then the letters started, and she kept showing up wherever I would be. She crossed the line when she showed up in my house in just her robe last night. I went to the police at that point to document everything.” Tripp unbuckled his briefcase and pulled out a file. “The detective I worked with looked into her past. That’s what’s in this file.” He pushed the manila envelope toward Jericho.
Jericho pawed through the papers, a deep scowl marring his face.
Tripp pulled out one of the reports. “Scary reading. She fell in love with her high school math teacher and become obsessive. She ended up tinkering with the engine of his wife’s car. It caused an accident. The man’s wife suffered massive injuries. Megan did a stint in juvie for it. She’s also been arrested in another case for stalking and violating a restraining order. There’s an incident of battery where she attacked the girlfriend of a man she liked, too.”
Ali’s pulse pounded in her throat. Sh
e shoved to her feet, hands shaking. “Chance.”
Jericho touched her elbow. “Ali, what’s wrong?”
“Chance is at the house with Megan. She thought I had a date with Tripp.” She grabbed Jericho’s shoulder. “We have to go. She could hurt him. He trusts her completely.” Tears rushed to Ali’s eyes. “If something happens to Chance, I’ll never forgive myself.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Jericho stayed zoned to the road. His Jeep’s headlights tore through the darkness. Tripp’s car trailed their bumper by inches.
The wheels smacked into a pothole, jarring Ali’s spine. “What if she does something to him? He’s so vulnerable. What if he’s hurt?”
Jericho’s hand shot out and clasped hers. “Pray with me, Ali. God, protect our son.”
Rounding the bend, an orange glow sliced through the onyx sky. Ali squinted. Across the fields, mammoth flames licked the underbelly of heaven. Smoke traced puffy fingers up into the stars.
Reality struck like a sucker punch.
Her throat clogged. She grabbed Jericho’s arm. “Fire.”
Flames consumed the ranch house. Splashes of lava-orange and sunburst-yellow erupted, ravaging everything but the structure’s skeleton, which stood a somber black against the blazing backlight. Smoke burned in the air as a million glowing ashes hung suspended, eerie lightning bugs in the gloom. The fire leaped from the building, devouring the hay and feed piles in the yard, spilling over into the corral.
A swarm of firefighters and police officers filled the driveway. The lights from their emergency vehicles bounced blue and red off the barn.
Wrenching open the door, Ali jumped from the still-moving vehicle. “Chance!” A sob choked her as she shoved past the rescue workers. Ali fought against the waves of heat rolling from the house.
An iron arm seized her waist and jerked her backward. “Ali. No.” Jericho dragged her away from the inferno.
With a moan, the structure’s roof caved. Ali screamed.
Fighting him, she yelled over the roaring flames. “Let me go! I have to save him. He could be burning to death in there. Chance! Let me go.” She kicked, trying to twist from his unyielding grasp.
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