Colton Cowboy Hideout (The Coltons of Texas, Book 7)

by Carla Cassidy

  He turned Beau around and then gave him free rein. The powerful horse responded with a surge forward. The noon sun was hot, as was the slight breeze that slapped him in the face as Beau ran full out toward the stable.

  The familiar scents of cattle and grass filled his head, thankfully momentarily chasing away the memory of spicy peaches and a warm woman.

  As he passed the large hay barn, he caught a glimpse of Marceline coming out of one of the side doors. He frowned. What was she doing in that barn?

  The question chased him to the stables, where he quickly cooled down Beau and returned the horse to his stall. It weighed heavy on his mind as he headed to the house. What on earth would Marceline Colton be doing in that particular barn? She’d looked almost furtive as she’d gazed around and then had quickly scurried away from the structure.

  At the door to the house wing, an armed man stood with narrowed eyes and a tense posture. “Who are you?” Tanner asked, having never seen the man before. He dropped his hand to the butt of his gun.

  “Gary Benton,” he replied. “And who are you?”

  “Tanner Grange, the ranch foreman. Who hired you?” Tanner asked.

  “Zane Colton. I was hired on this morning.”

  Tanner eyed the man for a long moment and then nodded. “Good to have you on the job.”

  As Tanner went into the door, he made a mental note to himself. He wanted Zane to give him all the names of the new hires working security.

  There were now far too many new men—strangers—on the property. With the new faces it would be difficult for anyone to know if Josie’s gunman was among them.

  He entered the suite to find the twins in their high chairs and Josie standing in front of the stove. “Great, you’re just in time for mac and cheese and chicken bites. I’m getting ready to plate it now.”

  “Then my timing is perfect,” he replied and then walked over to kiss his daughters. As always, they greeted him as if he were Santa Claus with a whole big bag of toys. But all he had were kisses and hugs, and thankfully they were still young enough to be happy with that.

  “Can I do anything to help?” he asked as he eased down on one of the stools at the island.

  She flashed him one of her bright smiles. “Nah, I’ve got this. Just sit and relax.”

  He watched as she served the girls on their little plastic plates and then she fixed him a plate and set it in front of him.

  “Aren’t you eating?” he asked as she sat on the stool next to him.

  She grinned at him. “You always ask me that when you’re here at lunchtime. I made myself an omelet when the girls were down for their morning nap. I’ll eat again at dinnertime. By the way, we all took a trip to the kitchen a little while ago and I got all the ingredients I need for chicken and dumplings tomorrow night. Bettina hooked me up even though Fowler was in the kitchen throwing a fit about last night’s dinner.”

  He looked at her in surprise. “Really? What was he upset about?”

  “Apparently beef Wellington was on the menu last night and Fowler doesn’t like it. Bettina told him it was what Whitney had wanted for dinner, but Fowler said he was now the man of the house and would be making all the decisions about meals and everything else. I have to admit, he sounded like a snotty little brat.”

  “He is a snotty little brat, but the real question is if he’s a murderer as well,” Tanner replied. “We both know he’s on the top of the suspect list.” Along with Marceline, he thought.

  “Eat up before it gets cold,” Josie said.

  As he ate Josie filled him in on what she and the twins had done throughout the morning. It was difficult to remember that only the night before these rooms had been filled with the darkness of the break-in.

  It was difficult not to remember that last night she’d been naked in his arms and their lovemaking had exceeded every fantasy and hot dream he’d had about her.

  Thankfully she didn’t seem to have any desire to rehash what had happened between them the night before. The last thing he wanted to do was steal away her smile by telling her about all his regrets.

  Still, despite the lightness of the conversation and the sweet smiles from his daughters, Tanner’s brain filled with a troubled darkness.

  Why would Marceline have any reason to go into that barn? That particular one got very little traffic in the summer months, when the cattle and horses grazed on grass. Her presence there made absolutely no sense.

  “Earth to Tanner.” Josie’s voice pierced through his thoughts. Her eyes were a beautiful golden green as she gazed at him. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. Everything is fine.”

  She narrowed her eyes and shook a finger at him. “You can’t fool me, Tanner Grange. You are definitely distracted and something is on your mind.”

  When had it happened that they’d gotten to know each other well enough to read each other’s moods? He pushed his empty plate aside and raked a hand through his hair. “I saw Marceline earlier in a place she doesn’t belong.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I saw her coming out of one of the barns and there’s really no reason for her to be in there.”

  “Didn’t you tell me she had a horse she visited regularly?”

  “Yeah, but not in that barn,” he replied.

  “More, pease,” Lily said and held up her plate.

  Josie got up and gave the girls each a few more chicken bites and then returned to the stool. “So, what are you thinking?”

  He frowned. “I don’t think you want to know what I’m thinking. I know you like her and she’s been nice to you, but I’m hoping she doesn’t have Eldridge tied up in that barn. Even worse, I’m hoping his dead body isn’t there.”

  Josie gasped. “Do you really think that’s possible? Wouldn’t the sheriff and his people have already checked it out?”

  He held her gaze for a long moment. “I’m sure they did on the day that Eldridge went missing, but I doubt that anyone has been in that barn since then. And yes, knowing Marceline, I think anything and everything is possible. I’m going to check it out when I go back outside.”

  “I want to go with you.”

  He looked at her in surprise. “There’s no reason for you to go. Besides, I need you to stay here with the girls.”

  “I’ll call Peggy. She’ll look after them for a little while. Tanner, if Marceline has Eldridge in that barn, then I need to see it for myself.” Her eyes glittered with a steely determination. “I need to know just how badly she’s pulled the wool over my eyes. I need to know if the woman who I’ve invited in here is a murderer.”

  Despite his misgivings about having Josie come along, a half an hour later Peggy was watching the girls and he and Josie left the suite.

  Josie walked close to him, bringing the scent of her into his head once again. Even though they hadn’t talked about last night yet, he suspected before the day was over they were going to have to have a conversation about it.

  But now wasn’t the time or place. Right now all he could think about was that barn and what horrors they might possibly find inside. “I shouldn’t have let you come with me.”

  She shot him one of her cheeky grins. “What makes you think you could stop me? Besides, I’ve been cooped up inside and it feels good to be outside in the sunshine for a few minutes.”

  As they continued to walk, her gaze swept the area, as did his. He knew she was looking for the man who they both knew had broken into her room, the same man who had confronted them by the tree with a gun in his hand.

  This was the first time since arriving at the ranch that Josie had been outside and walking around. Was the man someplace nearby? Watching them right now?

  He only saw two men as they walked and Tanner recognized both of them as part of the security team that had worked on the ranch for several years. Still, he was on full alert, his body tensed with a flood of fight-or-flight adrenaline against any danger that might appear.

  The closer they moved toward th
e hay barn, the closer Josie walked against his side. “You know Marceline is one of few at the top of the suspect list,” he said, breaking the silence between them.

  “I know, but from everything I’ve heard, Fowler and Whitney have a lot more to gain than anyone else with Eldridge being dead,” she replied. “I just can’t believe Marceline had anything to do with her stepfather’s disappearance. I don’t want to believe it about her.”

  If Marceline did have something to do with it, then she had to be working with somebody. There was no way Marceline would have been able to subdue Eldridge and then force him out of the window all by herself.

  She had no real friends or allies around the ranch, but she’d certainly managed to manipulate Josie’s emotions. Who else might she have manipulated in order to get rid of Eldridge? And why had she refused to answer any of Troy’s questions as to where she had been on the night Eldridge had disappeared?

  What did she have to fear by talking to Troy? Tanner knew from the staff gossip that nobody had seen her around the house on the night Eldridge had disappeared. She’d come in early the next morning, so where had she been all night long and what had she been doing?

  It wasn’t uncommon for Marceline to go in and out of the barn where she stabled her horse. She might have many faults, but she did love her horse with a passion.

  But her horse wasn’t in this barn. This barn held nothing but hay, and she sure as heck hadn’t been in here to grab a bale of hay for her horse.

  And she’d hated Eldridge with a passion.

  “You don’t think Marceline could have anything to do with the man who is after me, do you?” Josie asked.

  He shot her a quick glance of surprise. “To be honest, it never entered my mind.”

  “I know it’s a crazy idea, but if we’re talking crazy then is it possible that she somehow met the man who is after the watch and he agreed to split whatever treasure we find with her? Maybe she’s been making nice to me to see if I’ll mention the watch and then they’ll know for sure whether I have it in my possession or not.”

  “Sounds like a bit of a stretch,” Tanner replied.

  “To me, too,” she replied with a touch of obvious relief in her voice.

  Still, now that she’d put out the idea, he worked it around in his head. A bit of a stretch, yes...but also a faint possibility. Although it was hard to imagine Marceline lowering herself to have any dealings with the scraggly-haired, dirty gunman, he had no idea what lengths she might go to if she thought there was a pot of gold at the end of the deal.

  And now that Josie had mentioned it, he couldn’t get it out of his mind, and that only made him more nervous about what they might find in the barn.

  When they reached the closed barn door where he’d seen Marceline sneak out, he drew his gun and his heart began to beat wildly. A sense of dread filled him as he turned to look at Josie.

  “No matter what happens, stay behind me,” he said and then he opened the door.

  CHAPTER 10

  He didn’t have to tell her twice to stay behind him. As they entered the big barn Josie nearly stepped on his heels in an effort to stay close to him and his gun.

  Her chest had tightened the moment they had left the house and her heart had begun to race with an unnatural pace. The taste of fear filled her mouth and she knew it wouldn’t go away until they were back safely in the suite.

  The idea that the woman she’d welcomed into the suite with Lily and Leigh might be capable of kidnapping or killing her stepfather filled Josie with a faint nausea. Had she misjudged the woman so badly?

  Sunlight danced in through the high windows of the barn, but there were plenty of areas in dark shadows, plenty of areas where a man could be held bound and gagged or a body could be hidden. There were also spaces where a gunman could hide and wait for the perfect opportunity.

  The barn smelled of the hay bales that were stacked in tall columns. Surely if a dead body was in here they would smell decay. The thought churned her stomach. She didn’t know much about human decomposition. Eldridge had been missing almost two weeks now. Maybe the smell of death would already be gone.

  As she followed Tanner farther into the building, she shook her head in an attempt to rid herself of such horrible thoughts. But she couldn’t help it when the memories of her mother’s dead body on the ground and the man that Desmond had killed both jumped into her head.

  Mommy, wake up!

  Don’t let Desmond see you!

  Too much death. There had been too much violent death in her life.

  She desperately hoped Marceline had nothing to do with Eldridge’s disappearance, but admitted to herself that despite the short, friendly visits, she didn’t know Marceline well. Had the pretty woman made an unholy alliance with a man seeking a buried treasure? Was money that important to her?

  The silence in the barn felt heavy, pregnant with dire possibilities, and Josie found herself holding her breath in dreadful anticipation.

  They moved methodically with Tanner checking every crease and crevice between the stacks of hay. Josie’s heart thundered so loudly it beat in her ears with a discordant clang.

  Would the mystery of Eldridge’s disappearance be solved right now, right here in this barn? Was it possible the woman who had brought her friendship roses had also killed her own stepfather in cold blood?

  She didn’t know how much time passed when they’d circled the entire floor and found nobody there. Tanner finally holstered his gun, a deep frown creasing his brow. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”

  They left the barn and headed back to the suite. Josie stayed close to his side and his hand never left the butt of his gun.

  She wanted to be relieved that they’d found nothing in the barn, but that didn’t explain why Marceline had been in there in the first place and there was still no answer as to what had happened to Eldridge Colton.

  As much as she enjoyed Marceline’s occasional visits, Josie now had serious questions about the woman’s true character. One thing she had no question about was her feelings toward Tanner.

  She was already eagerly anticipating the night to come. Hopefully she would share his bed again. Making love with him had been all kinds of wonderful, but awakening this morning with him spooned around her back and his arm around her waist had been nothing short of magical.

  They entered the suite to find Peggy sitting in the chair and Lily and Leigh playing on the floor in front of her. “Everything all right?” Peggy asked worriedly as she stood.

  “As right as it can be for now,” Tanner replied. “I just wish Troy would find Eldridge alive and things could go back to normal around here.”

  Peggy gave them a rueful smile. “Normal has never been a word I’d use around this ranch. I heard today that the blood on Mitchell Flunt’s boots was his own and not Mr. Eldridge’s. He’s still being charged with theft, but he’s been taken off the suspect list for having anything to do with Mr. Eldridge’s disappearance.”

  “And that means Troy will be more focused than ever on the rest of the family,” Tanner said.

  Lily stood and walked to Josie and threw her arms around her knees. “Up!”

  Josie picked her up and held her close. It was unsettling to have thoughts of kidnapping and murder in her head while the innocence of Lily and Leigh was present in the room.

  “Josie-love,” Lily said and snuggled her head into the crook of Josie’s neck.

  Josie looked at Tanner in stunned amazement. It was the first time either of the girls had said her name, and the utter sweetness of the moment stole away any bad thoughts she might have momentarily entertained.

  Peggy laughed. “Josie, it looks like you’re officially on the same level as Daddy-love.”

  “Daddy-love,” Leigh repeated and raced for Tanner’s arms.

  Tanner picked her up and then smiled at the older woman. “Thanks, Peggy, for helping us out. I can’t tell you how much you’re appreciated.”

  “No problem. You know I�
�m always available for you and the girls at any time of the day or night.” With a murmured goodbye Peggy left.

  “I’m going to head back outside until dinnertime,” Tanner said and placed Leigh on the floor.

  Josie frowned at him. “I wish you had that ranch of yours that you dream about so you could take these girls away from this place where you don’t know who to trust,” she said. “It’s unsettling to think there might be a murderer here in the house.”

  Tanner held her gaze for a long moment. “That would be nice,” he replied. “Someday I’ll have that ranch and be my own boss and raise my girls in a real home. I’ll see you later this afternoon.” He turned and left.

  Within ten minutes it was obvious the girls were ready for their afternoon nap. Once they were down, Josie sat in the chair by the window and stared outside, but her thoughts were far away from the landscape.

  The last thing she wanted to think about was who was responsible for Eldridge’s disappearance. Instead she closed her eyes and imagined being on a different ranch. It would be smaller than this one, with a rambling farmhouse and plenty of room to grow a family—her family with Tanner.

  There would be a large kitchen where she’d make blueberry pancakes in the mornings and hardy dinners that would be warm and ready when Tanner knocked off work for the day.

  Maybe, just maybe, after a year or so she could give him a son to carry on the Grange name. Lily and Leigh would make great big sisters to any siblings that were added to the family.

  She wanted the fantasy to come true. She wanted to spend the rest of her life loving Tanner and Lily and Leigh. She couldn’t help but believe he was in love with her, too.

  Last night they hadn’t just had sex. They had made wonderful, passionate love. She needed to get the watch into her father’s hands and then come back here to start a real life together with Tanner.

  She was ready for her future now and she wanted Tanner to know just how deeply she loved him. With plenty of time on her hands, she dug her cell phone out of her purse for a check-in call with Trevor.