Defending the Rancher's Daughter

by Carla Cassidy

  He gave her a wry half-smile. “Yeah, just like he investigated your father’s accident.”

  “Point taken,” she replied. She stared out the side window at the passing landscape. “I probably should have just stayed at the ranch today and let you make this road trip alone.”

  “There was no way I would have allowed that to happen.” He sensed her stiffening in the seat at his words. “Katie, I’m not trying to pull some macho male crap on you, but you hired me because somebody killed your father and somebody has attempted to kill you. It would be irresponsible for me to take off and leave you alone at the ranch.”

  She was silent for a long moment. “Your home should be the one place on earth where you feel safe and secure.”

  The wistfulness of her voice hit a note inside him. When his last assignment had left him devastated, all he’d wanted was the safety and familiarity of his own home. He’d wanted to crawl inside and lock the doors, keeping the world and its pain outside.

  He fought the impulse to reach over and touch her hand in reassurance. Besides, he couldn’t reassure her that her house was a safe haven. The fire the other night had proved that wrong.

  “I still think whoever is responsible for this is working the ranch,” she continued. “Dad’s death felt personal.”

  “Every death feels personal to the loved ones left behind,” he replied.

  Once again she turned her attention out the window and he felt himself begin to relax a bit. The brief conversation had at least broken the ice that had lingered between them.

  “Do you remember your mother?”

  The question caught him off guard and for a moment his head filled with distant memories of a beautiful woman who had loved to sing and had filled the West house with laughter.

  “A little bit,” he answered. “I remember her laugh and how she always found time to make each and every one of us feel special. Why do you ask?”

  “I don’t know, I’ve just always wondered if it’s worse to have memories or worse to have none. I was just a baby when my mom died so I have no memories of her whatsoever.”

  “Gray didn’t talk about her with you?”

  “Not much. Not often. I think it hurt too much for him to talk about her. I asked him once why he’d never remarried. He said that he’d gotten it so right the first time he was reluctant to take a chance on getting it wrong the second time.”

  “I think my dad felt the same way, although it probably would have been difficult for him to find a woman willing to take on six kids all under the age of eleven.”

  “Have you ever been in love?”

  Once again her question surprised him and the tension that had begun to ebb surged inside him again. He hoped what had happened between them last night hadn’t put romance and love in her head.

  “Nope,” he answered. “Never been in love, never expect to be. What about you?” Damn, he’d had no intention of asking that, but his brain had momentarily taken leave of his mouth.

  “I thought I was in love in college for a brief period of time,” she replied. “His name was Dan and he was a year older than me.” She sighed. “We dated for about a year, then we just sort of drifted apart and broke up. That’s when I realized it wasn’t really love after all, because I was relieved rather than heartbroken when we parted ways.”

  He didn’t reply. He didn’t know what to say in response, but more, he didn’t want to indulge this particular topic of conversation with the woman he’d slept with the night before, the woman he had no intention of ever sleeping with again.

  He’d be glad when they got to Jimmy Wainfield’s place and his mind focused on something other than Katie Sampson. He needed to figure out what was going on, to solve the problem, then let Katie get on with her life…without him.

  Silence reigned for the rest of the trip. By the time they reached the outskirts of Oklahoma City, Zack’s shoulders were stiff with tension.

  The last time he’d driven to Oklahoma City it had been to meet with Melissa Cannon. Over the three months he’d worked for her, he’d gotten too close to his client, had become emotionally involved, and the end result had nearly destroyed him.

  He couldn’t allow this assignment to last too long. At the moment he couldn’t imagine spending another week with Katie. It was important that he get to the bottom of things then get on with his preferred loner lifestyle.

  “Are Jimmy and his wife expecting us?” Katie asked as they exited the interstate.

  “Yeah, I called them this morning while you were in the shower. They’re expecting us around one. I figured we’d get some lunch before heading to their condo.”

  Within fifteen minutes he’d found a restaurant and they were seated across from each other in a booth. As he studied the menu, he felt her gaze on him. He looked up to meet her eyes.

  “Are we just not going to talk about it? Pretend that it never happened?” she asked.

  He closed the menu with a sigh. He should have known she wouldn’t be able to leave it alone. “That was certainly my intention.”

  Her gaze was cool as it lingered on him. “Is that one of the rules of engagement that Smokey taught you? That the morning after you treat the woman like a speck of dirt?”

  He saw the hint of anger in her eyes. “I’m not treating you like dirt,” he said seriously. “I just don’t see the point in talking about something that shouldn’t have happened.”

  Her eyes narrowed slightly and she picked up her knife and toyed with it, making him wonder if she were mentally stabbing him in the heart or castrating him.

  “You’re right,” she finally replied, “it shouldn’t have happened and no amount of wishing will take it back. But I will tell you this, I wouldn’t want to take it back.”

  He sat back against the seat, surprised by her words. “You wouldn’t?”

  She shook her head and laid the knife down. “For years I wondered what it would be like to make love with you. I’d always imagined it would be wonderful and now I know for sure.”

  “Know what? That it was wonderful or that it wasn’t?” He couldn’t help himself, he had to know. But why did he care?

  She smiled, a smile that warmed the blue of her eyes and made his stomach twist into an impossible knot. “It was better than I’d imagined, far better than wonderful.”

  Thankfully at that moment the waitress appeared at their table, making it unnecessary for him to reply. As much as he believed making love to her had been a mistake, as much as he wished he could take it back, he was ridiculously pleased that she’d found the experience as mind-blowing as he had.

  “When we get back to the ranch, we’re going to have to make some definite plans concerning your safety,” he said the moment the waitress left their table, eager to change the previous topic to one more comfortable.

  “Like what?” She eyed him with a touch of humor, as if she knew exactly why he had changed the subject.

  “If you really believe that one of your men is responsible both for your father’s death and for the threats against you, then I need to be out among your men to see if I can figure out who it might be.”

  She nodded. “That makes sense.”

  “But that means I can’t be inside the house protecting you.” He leaned forward. “Maybe we need to bring Dalton into this, have him stay in the house with you while I’m out in the field.”

  “No. I don’t want to do that. I’m not comfortable with Dalton like I am with you. Besides, all I have to do is agree to stay in the house with the doors and windows locked and I’ll be fine. I’ve got Dad’s gun and I know how to use it.”

  “Then at least let me arrange for a security system to be put in the house.”

  She frowned thoughtfully. “How much is this going to cost me?”

  “Possibly your life if you don’t do it.”

  She uttered a small laugh, one devoid of humor. “Gee, don’t mince words just for my benefit.” She sighed and leaned back against the seat. “All of this wasn’t ex
actly in the ranch budget.”

  “Is the ranch in financial trouble?”

  “Not really. You saw the records. We’re holding our own, but there certainly isn’t a large surplus to spend frivolously.”

  “I don’t consider your safety a frivolous matter,” he replied.

  She smiled, this time a genuine smile that shot warmth through his stomach. “And I thank you for that, at least.”

  The waitress arrived with their meals and they fell silent, focusing their attention on the food. As they ate they made small-talk. She told him a little bit about her years in college and they ventured into a good-natured argument about local politics.

  When they were finished eating they got back into his truck and headed for Jimmy Wainfield’s condo.

  He found the complex with little trouble and pulled into a parking space out front. Across the street a city park beckoned with huge shady trees, winding walks and wooden benches.

  “I don’t know why, but I’m nervous,” Katie said as they got out of the truck.

  “Do you know Jimmy?” he asked.

  “I’d know him on sight, but he was so much older than me, I didn’t know him personally,” she replied. “What about you? Do you know him?”

  “No, he was Tanner’s age and we didn’t hang out with the same crowd.” Together he and Katie went into the high-rise building and to the bank of elevators. “They live on the tenth floor and his wife’s name is Jane.”

  Zack was surprised to find that he, too, felt a bit anxious about the interview he was about to conduct. It would be terrific to get something definitive, to learn something that would help him get to the bottom of what was happening at Bent Tree Ranch. But, as terrific as it would be, he had no illusions about easy answers.

  They were just about to step off the elevator when Katie grabbed his arm. “Zack, if we don’t get any answers here, you aren’t going to quit on me, are you?” Her blue eyes pleaded with him.

  He’d been reluctant to give her a firm commitment before. Now he didn’t know if it was because he’d spent the previous night making love with her, but he knew with certainty he wasn’t about to walk away from her until he knew her safety was assured.

  “I’m in this for the long haul, Katie” he said.

  She squeezed his arm, her relief evident in her eyes. “Then let’s get this done.”

  Jimmy Wainfield answered Zack’s knock, his pleasant features radiating warmth and curiosity. “Zack, Kate, please come in.” He ushered them into an attractive living room decorated in Southwestern decor. A pretty, dark-haired woman stood from the chair where she’d been seated as they entered the room.

  “This is my wife, Jane,” Jimmy said, and completed the introductions.

  “Can I get you anything? A cup of coffee or something cold to drink?” she asked.

  “No, thanks. We’re fine,” Katie said.

  “Please, have a seat.” Jimmy gestured them toward the sofa where they sat side by side. “We were very surprised to get your call. I understand you want to talk about my father’s accident.” He looked at his wife, then back at Zack. “I’m not sure how much we’ll be able to help you. We were here when it happened.”

  “Sheriff Ramsey called us to tell us,” Jane said. “He said Joe had fallen off the tractor and somehow gotten run over.”

  “According to the sheriff it appeared that Dad had fallen from the tractor and hit his head hard enough to render him unconscious, then somehow the tractor went awry and ran over him.”

  Zack frowned. He hadn’t realized until now that Joe had been unconscious when the tractor had run over him. A fall that had rendered him unconscious or a blow to the head as Gray had suffered? “Did your father have a medical condition, something that might have caused his fall?”

  “Dad was in good health for a man his age. No heart problems, no blood pressure issues, nothing that would make him dizzy or disoriented. His cholesterol was a bit high, but that was it. We just assumed it was some kind of a freak accident.” He looked at Katie, then back at Zack. “Were we wrong?”

  “I don’t know. Did you hear about Katie’s father’s accident?”

  Jimmy nodded. “We still have friends in Cotter Creek. They keep us informed about what’s going on in the community.” He looked at Katie, his brown eyes filled with sympathy. “I’m sorry for your loss. Believe me, I know exactly how you feel.”

  “We think Gray’s death wasn’t an accident. It was murder,” Zack said. He explained to them what they’d discovered about Gray’s death and the events that had occurred to Katie since. It was obvious Jimmy and his wife were stunned by his words.

  “I’m not sure I understand. Are you saying you think it’s possible my father’s death wasn’t an accident at all?” Jimmy asked.

  “We just thought it was too coincidental that your father died in an accident and mine died in what appeared to be an accident but wasn’t,” Katie explained.

  “You were close to your father? Spoke to him often?” Zack asked.

  “We talked together on the phone almost every night.” Jimmy’s eyes held a whisper of grief. “He and my mother divorced several years ago. She moved to Florida and he was all alone out there. We tried to talk him into selling and moving in here with us, but Dad loved that ranch.”

  “Did he mention having problems with any of his men? Anyone else in town?” Zack asked.

  Jimmy frowned thoughtfully. “Nothing specific. He occasionally complained about somebody not doing a job right or being lazy, but nothing more serious than that.”

  Jane got up from her seat and went to stand behind her husband’s chair, her hand on his shoulder in obvious support. “Joe was a kind, good man. I can’t imagine him having an enemy in the world,” she said.

  Just as he and Katie couldn’t imagine Gray having an enemy in the world, Zack thought. “So, after your dad’s death, you had no desire to take over the ranch?”

  Jimmy smiled, a smile that didn’t quite reach the sadness in his eyes. “Dad knew I wasn’t a rancher, had never developed any real affinity with the land or the lifestyle. He was happy that Jane and I had built such a good life here. He was my biggest supporter when I went into computer programming. I’m sure deep in his heart he harbored some hope that I’d eventually come to my senses and return to the ranch, but he also knew the odds of that happening were minimal.”

  “He left you the ranch?” Zack asked.

  “I was his only heir and he left everything to me. Right after the funeral, Sheila Wadsworth approached me and asked if she could list the property and within two days she had a buyer.”

  “Who bought the place?” Zack asked.

  “Somebody named Adam Crosswell. Sheila said he was a successful businessman from someplace back east who was eager to move his family to the Midwest.”

  Eager, but after a month hadn’t yet made the move, Zack thought. Still, not exactly the smoking gun he’d been looking for. But worth looking into, he told himself. He couldn’t leave any detail, no matter how small unchecked.

  A wave of disappointment swept through him. He didn’t know what he’d expected to learn, but hadn’t learned anything to help him discern a guilty party where Katie and Gray were concerned.

  “We really appreciate you talking with us. We’ve taken up enough of your time,” he said, and rose from the sofa.

  They all stood and Katie gave Jane an impromptu hug. “Yes, thank you for your time,” she said, then hugged Jimmy, as well.

  Jimmy patted her on the back. “We know your pain, Kate, and I hope you get the person responsible for your father’s death. I’ll ride down with you.”

  They said their goodbyes to Jane, then the three of them left the condo and walked to the elevator. “It isn’t necessary for you to ride down with us,” Zack said.

  “I don’t mind,” Jimmy replied.

  Zack had the instinct Jimmy wasn’t finished talking yet, but didn’t want to talk in front of his wife. When they entered the elevator, his insti
nct proved correct. “There isn’t anything you aren’t telling us, is there?” he asked, his wide brow creased with worry.

  “No. We’ve told you everything we know, which unfortunately isn’t much,” Zack replied.

  The elevator hit the bottom floor and the three of them got out. As they stepped out of the building, Zack handed Kate the car keys. “I’ll be right there,” he said, unsure if Jimmy was looking for a moment alone with him.

  She grabbed the keys and headed down the stairs and Zack turned to Jimmy. “Your father’s accident was probably just that, a tragic accident. We don’t know what happened to Gray, but it probably has nothing to do with your father’s death.”

  Jimmy nodded. “If there’s anything else Jane and I can do to help, please don’t hesitate to call us. I would appreciate it if you’d let us know what you find out about Gray’s murder.”

  “Thanks, will do.” The two men shook hands, then Jimmy disappeared back into the building.

  Zack turned to see Katie at the passenger door waiting for him. He’d just taken his first step when a sharp crack split the air.

  Adrenaline surged. A shot. Katie raised her hand to wave at him as the front of her pristine blouse blossomed in scarlet. Melissa. Katie. For a horrifying moment Zack plunged into his nightmare.

  “No!” he yelled. “Melissa!”

  Chapter 12

  The backfire of the passing car was followed by Zack’s cry. The woman’s name seemed to be ripped from his throat. Kate looked at him in stunned surprise. He stared at her with hollow eyes, his face bloodless.

  “Zack?”

  He appeared to be a man in shock as he ran down the stairs, past the car where she stood and across the street into the park.

  Kate slammed the truck door and hurried after him, her heart pounding with anxiety. What was going on? And who was Melissa?

  She found him on a bench beneath a shady oak tree, his face buried in his hands. She sank next to him. “Who is she?” she asked softly.

  He uncovered his pale face and tipped his head back, staring at the leaves overhead. “She was my last client. She’s dead now. She was killed by her estranged husband.”