Where There's Smoke: The Heroes of Hammonds Bend(Romantic Suspense)

by S. D. Bancroft

On the chance that he would be brave enough to make an attempt, Annie had learned how to use a .45 Sig Sauer. She was pretty proficient at it.

  “Annie?”

  She blinked her eyes, and pushed her rampant thoughts aside. Her gaze locked on Mason’s stare for a split second before she dropped it to the narrow two track dirt road beneath them. When had they stopped moving?

  She pushed aside the concern in his eyes for the moment. If she gave into the emotion, she’d tell him every lurid detail for sure. With any luck, whoever was responsible for pursuing her would get bored and move on. She wanted simply to let sleeping dogs lie. That wouldn’t happen if Mason began snooping around. No matter how good his intentions might be.

  “I’m sorry. Um, yeah I did tell him about the recordings.”

  “And?” Mason’s soft tone urged her on.

  “And I was told that they sounded non-threatening and that I should be flattered that someone was this infatuated with me.” She kept all expression from her voice when she spoke. A sense of guilt swept through Annie.

  “What the hell?”

  “Small towns, Mason.” One corner of her mouth pulled up into a hesitant smile. “Like I said before, we don’t have the level of crimes here that other cities and towns do. Until two years ago, the worst crime we’d seen here in Hammond’s Bend was when Johnny Parson’s got busted with a moonshine still on his grandpa’s farm.”

  “That’s no excuse for brushing aside something that could turn into a serious crime in the blink of an eye.” He nudged Buttercup into motion. “Do you still have the tapes?”

  “Hell, Mason,” Annie gave Stoney’s sides a gentle tap with the heel of her tennis shoes. The prod was all the encouragement the stallion needed. “I really don’t want to dredge all that up again. It was humiliating enough to do it once.”

  “What’s not fair about the whole situation is that some crazy individual has been allowed to make you live in fear. No one has the right to take away anyone’s sense of freedom. You’ve changed your life because of this asshole.”

  Why deny the truth? It had always been her dream to live in her grandparent’s home, and raise her family there. The familiar surroundings had held a sense of security. But all that had vanished the second she’d discovered the first missive tucked under the wiper blade of her truck.

  “I haven’t exactly gone into seclusion, Mason.”

  “Not entirely.” Fire snapped in the depths of his gaze. A tremble of excitement mixed with uncertainty rippled over her. She brushed it aside, sure that it was a result of the oath he’d sworn to protect the citizens, than from any personal feelings she might wish he harbored for her. “But hell, Annie, I’ve seen women who live in New York City with fewer bells and whistles on their doors and windows than you have.”

  Jealousy churned in her gut. So he’d seen the inside of other women’s apartments? So what? It wasn’t like she’d thought he’d been celibate before they met. Truth be told she’d seen the inside of plenty of apartments herself. So what if the majority of occasions had been work related. She’d still been there.

  “What’s your point?” Annie pulled Stoney to a halt in the middle of a clearing. A small stream bubbled softly in greeting. This was her favorite place to bring a picnic lunch and relax an afternoon away. It’d been way too long since she’d done just that. She slid to the ground, grateful to put a small bit of distance between them. “The deadbolts were there when I bought the place. My dad insisted on adding the alarm system.”

  “I’m glad he did.” He joined her. “Did he also insist on the windows being nailed shut on top of wiring them with the alarm system?”

  Damn. She’d forgotten that he’d had plenty of opportunity to explore her house in the days following her injury. Annie dropped Stoney’s reins to the ground in an effort to stall for the time to come up with a reasonable. Thankful that all the mounts on the ranch had been trained to ground tie, Annie walked to the edge of the stream. The soft, soothing burble did well to wash away some of the tension she held inside.

  Resigned to the fact that Mason would be relentless until she told him every detail, she wheeled around, and was forced to take a quick step backward or find herself plastered head to toe against him. Under normal circumstances she wouldn’t have balked at the idea. These circumstances were anything but normal.

  “If I tell you the whole torrid story will you promise to drop it? Let sleeping dogs lie?”

  “I can promise that if I’m satisfied with the way things were, and are, being handled, I will.” He cupped her chin in his hand, and lifted her gaze to meet his. “If I’m not, you’re being duly warned now, that I won’t stop till I am.”

  “Fair enough.” Annie puffed out a breath, and prepared mentally for the task ahead.

  ~&~

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Mason paced the room ticking the unanswered rings off in his head. Damn, he hadn’t counted on Chief Daniels not being in today when he’d sent Annie on her way minutes earlier. He mulled over his other options if the fire chief didn’t answer soon.

  The doctor had okayed Annie’s return to work on light duty for two weeks starting today. That meant she’d only be working during regular business hours, and doing chores Mason was sure she’d deem mundane and boring.

  “Chief Daniels.”

  Mason released a breath of relief. One less problem he had to tackle for the time being.

  “Hey, Art.” He snatched his keys from the bowl on the credenza that had become their home over the last week. He shook his head. Had it really only been a week? His gaze swept the confines of the now familiar living space. He wasn’t about to admit it out loud, but he was going to miss the place when he left.

  Hell, Mason, a tiny voice in the back of his mind chided, who are you trying to kid? It’s not the place you’re going to miss.

  He shook his head in an attempt to dispel the unwanted intrusion. Right now he had to focus on finding out who was responsible for the death of his partner, and who was stalking Annie. All the rest he would deal with when the time was right.

  “I’m sorry it's such short notice, but I need to ask for your help for a few hours.”

  “Sure thing, Mason.” Paper rustled over the line. “What can I do for you.”

  “Annie’s on her way in and I need to leave town for a few hours.” His gut knotted at the idea of being so far away from her. A new sensation for the veteran ATF agent. “I was hoping you could keep her within your sight. Without her knowing that’s what you’re doing of course.”

  Art’s deep chuckle rumbled over the phone.

  “Yes by all means, we need to keep it on the down low. I’ve seen Annie fired up when she thinks she’s being coddled because she’s a female. I sure don’t want that directed at me. I would have her do some filing and such, but I’m sure that she’d catch on in a heartbeat. I do have some reports and burn permits that need to be entered into the computer. That should keep her busy for a while. After that, there’s some stuff in the bay that should tie up the rest of her afternoon.”

  “Thanks, Sir. I should be back by early afternoon.”

  “No thanks necessary, Mason. I want to catch this creep as much as you do.”

  “I’ll let you know when I’m headed back. In the meantime, if you need me I’ll have my cell phone on me at all times.”

  “Alright, but I’m sure we’ll be fine, Son.”

  Mason waited until Art had disconnected, before he punched the phone button again. He made quick work of dialing before he once again found himself waiting for the person on the other end.

  This time his wait was a short one.

  “Well hello there.” The sexy voice purred in his ear. “I’ve been wondering where you’ve been. I miss seeing your handsome face.”

  Carla Reynolds was built like a blonde bombshell and knew how to treat a man right. At least that had been the word around the water cooler. Though Mason had been tempted once or twice by the blatant offers she presented, he’d d
one well to steer clear of her in every way but professional.

  Sometimes you had no choice on who you were forced into becoming involved with in order to solve crimes.

  Carla was one of his most reliable informants and had been for nearly five years now. She always had a way of turning up trustworthy information. Even if she had no obvious connection to the situation.

  “Hey, C. I need to ask a favor.”

  “Anything for you, Mason.” The sultry undertone implied that her offer went beyond merely working for him.

  “I need you to snoop around and see what the word on the street is about a Joseph Martin. Particularly, if he’s a known firebug in the area.”

  Mason filled her in on the specifics. When Joe was last in the area, his full name, and any other information he thought may be helpful to her task.

  “If you could get on this as soon as possible it would be appreciated.”

  “Is there anything else you’d like me to get on, Mason?”

  The open invitation would have tempted him two months ago. Today however, the familiar tug of desire brought Annie’s face to mind.

  “Thanks, but I’m all set, Carla.” He tempered the rejection. Since he still needed her help, it wouldn’t be wise to alienate her. “You know the rules. No personal relationships. That’s how cases get thrown out.”

  “Yes I know the drill, Agent Ramsay.” The pouted response reminded him of a child trying to get her way. “Can’t blame a girl for trying.”

  “No I can’t.” He chuckled softly. “Thanks again, Carla.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  He pocketed the phone before stepping through the doorway and into the bright sunshine of the morning.

  If all went well, he’d have one of his problems handled by the time he returned this afternoon.

  At least then, he could breathe a little easier.

  ~&~

  “Hey, Annie how are you feeling?”

  She welcomed the intrusion into the morose path her thoughts had headed down over the past hour. Excitement over finally returning to work had filled the initial drive in that morning. Several hours later, however, excitement had turned to uncertainty. And if she were completely honest with herself, loneliness had factored into the equation as well. She missed Mason plain and simple.

  She had scolded herself numerous times during the course of the morning. There would come a time in the near future when he would no longer be a part of her life. And she better get her head right or she would be miserable when the time finally arrived.

  “Not too bad actually, Mark.” She turned an overly bright smile in his direction. Hopefully he wouldn’t be able to see through the falseness of it. “Thanks for asking. It’s really good to be back that’s for sure. You don’t realize how much you miss something until you’re told you can’t do it. I’m just glad that it wasn’t a permanent restriction.”

  “So am I. I’ve missed my partner.”

  A red blush stained his cheeks. The reaction was almost as odd as the confession that he’d missed her. A momentary panic welled in her before she tamped it down. This was Mark not some stranger off the street. She’d worked side-by-side with him for over three years. She’d lost count of how many times he’d held her safety, and even her life, in his hands. Annie had always trusted him.

  So why was she getting the sensation that something wasn’t right with him now?

  It was most certainly jitters from the case. Hell, since she’d gotten involved in the situation, she’d been looking at everyone with different eyes. Why wouldn’t she look at those closest to her with suspicion too?

  If everything went right, it wouldn’t be much longer before things got back on an even ground in her life. Well even as far as her professional life went. Her personal one would be a different matter altogether. She’d cross that bridge when she got to it. No reason to dwell on it now.

  “Ah, you’re so sweet, Mark.” She buffeted his shoulder in jest, feeling the solid bicep beneath the material. Why hadn’t she noticed before how handsome he was? She hadn’t been blind to his looks, but something in his appearance had changed recently. What, she couldn’t quite put a finger on. “So did Chief send you out to help me with my thrilling duties?”

  “Nah, I figured I’d take some pity on you. You have to be bored as hell cleaning.” He stared a spot over her shoulder. “I know I’d go insane if I were ever taken off regular duty.”

  “Well luckily I won’t be off for much longer. The doc wants me to work my way back on over a couple days. He says that’ll give my shoulder time to readjust to the rigors of the job. He even released me to start working out again as long as I promise to take it slow.”

  “So are you and Ramsay hitting the weights today then?”

  Annie’s hands stopped in mid-wipe. The drying wax on the bumper of the rescue truck went forgotten for the moment.

  “I have no idea what Ramsay’s plans for the day are.” She locked an angry gaze on his. “I do know that I will be working out after shift tonight.”

  “Easy tiger.” Mark’s hands shot up in a defensive posture in front of his chest. “I just figured since he was still staying with you that you might not need me as your workout partner anymore.”

  The sudden loss of temper withered almost as fast as it had blossomed. Mark’s offhand comment shouldn’t have triggered such a volatile response from her. Under normal circumstances she wasn’t sensitive to the jesting that came from the guys. These weren’t normal circumstances though.

  Although she wasn’t prepared to announce the fact to the world at-large, Annie had fallen in love with Mason Ramsay. But the fact that she had no idea where he was, or what he was doing, or with whom he was doing it today, reiterated that no matter how tenderly he came to her in the night, Mason would one day walk away from Hammond’s Bend.

  And she needed to start preparing for that day, now. She swiped the forgotten rag from the bumper and dabbed at the surface.

  “I didn’t mean to snap at you, Mark. I get so annoyed because everyone assumes that there’s something going on between Ramsay and me.” She kept her head down turned, hoping that the lie wasn’t as evident in her words as it seemed. Under other circumstances she would’ve shared the details with her partner. Today, however, a little voice in the back of her head advised against it. Annie chalked it up to self-preservation. Maybe if the less people knew of the depth of their relationship, the easier it would be for her when he left. And maybe pigs really do fly. “All he did was help me out so that I didn’t have to stay in the hospital for a week.”

  “Hell, Annie,” Mark laid a hand on her shoulder, and gently turned her so that they stood face to face. “All you had to do was ask. I would have been there in a heartbeat.”

  Sincerity mixed with something that, if she wasn’t mistaken, resembled desire, in the azure gaze locked on hers. Her chest fluttered in response.

  Olive skin stretched taut across handsome features did little to distract from the dazzling blue eyes that teased of the secrets they held.

  Not for the first time, Annie found herself playing the ‘what if’ scenario in her head.

  What if she and Mark weren’t partners? Might there be something between them? Of course now she couldn’t claim that she didn’t get involved with her co-workers.

  She already knew they had a lot in common. And when they went out with the group, they’d always had a good time.

  Had it simply been her rule against dating within the ranks that had kept her from pursuing the matter? The little voice niggled at the back of her mind. Or had there been another reason?

  There were times when they were alone together that she was inundated with a sense of unease that she couldn’t shake.

  “I know you would have, Mark. And I really do appreciate it. It was a spur of the moment decision though, and now that I’m almost as good as new, it’s a moot point.”

  Annie stepped back, widening the distance between them in response to the strange,
faintly angry look that flashed in his eyes. A niggle of fear slithered down her back. What an odd reaction for him to have. It wasn’t as if she were telling him they couldn’t be friends.

  His lids swiftly lowered over his eyes, concealing any further reaction as he heaved a sigh of resignation.

  “When you need help the next time, you won’t be able to forget that I’m here for you so easily, Annie.”

  Her eyes narrowed and her back went ramrod straight. The fear intensified. Was the underlying threat intentional or simply her imagination?

  When she needed help the next time? Her thoughts filtered back to the first of many notes that she’d found tucked beneath the truck’s windshield wiper. When you need me to nurse you through your pain, I’ll be ready. She had always assumed that whoever had written the words had been referring to emotional pain. Had she been wrong? Had they been talking about physical pain?

  And what, if anything, did Mark know about her stalker? She wanted to blurt out the question. Instead, she swallowed hard and willed her shaking body to cooperate. She needed time to think this through.

  Anxious to escape from his disturbing presence Annie took a final swipe at the bumper before gathering the materials.

  “I will, Mark, and thanks for the offer.”

  She blinked, feeling a little lightheaded. When had she eaten last? Her gaze shot to the watch on her wrist.

  Mark followed the path of her eyes.

  “Have you had lunch yet?”

  “Actually no I haven’t. I guess I got totally sidetracked.”

  “Would you care to join me?”

  Normally she wouldn’t think twice about accepting the innocent enough invitation. Today, she wanted nothing more than to be alone with her thoughts.

  “Thanks, but I need to run home and grab my camera so I’ll snag something on the way.” She tossed a wave over her shoulder, hoping she depicted an ease that she didn’t necessarily feel. “I’ll see you when I get back.”

  His gaze burned into her as she crossed the apparatus bay, and pushed through the doorway leading to the offices.

  ~&~