by Rebecca Deel
He squeezed her hand. “Perfect.” Rio eyed Quinn. “You’ll stay?”
“Can’t miss your beauty sleep. You’ll scare your girl.”
He snorted. “Right.” Rio glanced up as his cousin returned and handed him the cell phone.
“Thanks. Dad says he owes you.”
“No hardship on my part. I enjoy your company.”
“Join us,” Darcy said.
Mason shook his head. “Thanks, but I’m kind of tired.” He gave a wry laugh. “Who knew being in the real world was taxing.”
“There’s no television in there, but Trent has several books you can choose from if you want to read a while.”
His eyes lit. “Would he mind?”
“Of course not. Come with me.” She led the way into the living room. “Mason needs a couple books to read, Trent.”
Her brother gestured at the piles on the floor near the recliner. “Help yourself, man.”
After scanning the stacks of books, Mason chose two and retreated to his room, closing the door with a soft snick.
“He’s okay?”
Darcy dropped a kiss on her brother’s cheek. “So far. Thanks for sharing.”
“Acclimating to the outside will take a while.”
“I figured as much. I’ll encourage Rio to turn in as well.” He looked tired after not sleeping much for last several nights and then the round trip to Nashville today. Darcy suspected Rio stayed awake after their intruder. Every time she stirred while on the couch with him, he soothed her back to sleep. He always looked after others in his circle of friends. Who did the same for him?
She returned to the kitchen and caught Rio rubbing his face with his hands. Quinn clapped his friend on the shoulder and left the room. “Mason isn’t the only one who needs sleep.”
The medic dropped his hands and gave her a sheepish smile. “I wanted to spend time with you. I missed you.”
“We’ll have time together tomorrow. Breakfast date?”
“Sounds good. Walk me to my door. I need a goodnight kiss.”
She grinned, a band of warmth squeezing her chest. “I can do that.”
They walked to his room. She stretched to give him a quick kiss, but Rio smiled and nudged her inside his room. With the door almost closed, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. His mouth captured hers in a series of long, deep kisses. He skimmed his lips across her cheek and down her neck, ending with a tiny love bite.
Goosebumps surged over Darcy’s body as he set her gently away from him. She stared up at him, dazed. Rio Kincaid was so good at that. “Good night, Rio.”
He opened the door and stole another soft kiss. “Sleep well, baby.”
She stumbled down the hall to the kitchen where she gathered the remaining dishes and turned on the dishwasher. Despite what she told Rio that morning, Darcy hadn’t taken a nap during the day. Too much to do. She and Brian had chosen the paint colors for her deli and then drove to Knoxville to a restaurant supply place where she bought appliances for the kitchen. After a fast lunch, she collected the laundry and carted it to Rio’s place. A few hours there had netted her insights into the man who was worming his way into her heart at a rocket pace. No question her boyfriend loved his family, but his teammates held a special place in his life. Rio had photo albums on one of his bookshelves that she’d enjoyed looking through. At first, she’d been hesitant, but Darcy concluded if he didn’t want people to look at the pictures, he would have hidden the albums. Rio had been cute as a kid along with his brothers.
After telling her brother and Quinn she was turning in, Darcy climbed to the second floor and got ready for bed. She grabbed her Kindle and settled into the first book of a Nora Roberts trilogy. She’d just begun the third chapter when her cell phone rang.
“Darcy, it’s Stella. I’m meeting Leah tomorrow morning for breakfast at Delaney’s. Would you like to eat with us? Gives you a chance to meet her.”
“Sounds good. I’ll drop by the deli after breakfast. I can show Leah what I’m planning.”
“I also researched Gretchen Bond’s background.”
“And?”
“No surprise to you, she collected a lot of things.”
A soft laugh from Darcy. “My Dumpsters are full of those things. Who collects carpet samples or different kinds of tile?”
“I heard she was pretty eccentric her last few months. And she grew more secretive about her purchases.”
Darcy frowned. “How so?”
“According to Maeve, Otter Creek’s foremost contributor to the grapevine, every time Ms. Bond bought anything, she told everyone she met about her new purchase. That stopped about a year before she was murdered.”
“Paranoid?”
“I don’t have proof, but I’m afraid whatever she started collecting her last year of life may have led to her death.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
Rio opened his eyes, squinted at the bright sunlight filtering through the blinds in his room. He frowned. What time was it? Rolling over, he snagged his cell phone to check the time. His head dropped back on the pillow. Incredible. He’d slept twelve hours straight, something he’d never done even as a teenager. His lips twitched. Not that his mother would have let him or his brothers get by with that. She wouldn’t let her sons keep vampire hours by staying up all night and sleeping the day away. Much as he hated that rule growing up, now he appreciated the extra hours he had with his mother before they lost her to cancer.
His hand stroked the iPod Darcy left for him on his pillow. She’d downloaded all her CDs and provided top-quality ear buds. Last night was the first time in years Rio slept through the night without a play-by-play of his Delta missions. Her piano music had kept him grounded in the present instead of mired in the ugly past where he’d lost fellow soldiers despite his every effort to save them.
The worst memories were the ones where he and his teammates arrived too late to save the innocents in a war beyond their control. One simple gesture from his girlfriend had quieted the nightmares. Grateful didn’t begin to cover what he felt toward Darcy at this moment.
Rio threw back the covers, grabbed his clothes and shaving kit, and headed for the bathroom across the hall. Twenty minutes later, he emerged, feeling better than he had in over a week. After dropping off his gear in his room, he went in search of Darcy and found her manning the stove. He stood in the doorway a moment, just taking in the sight of her competent hands flipping pancakes. What would it be like to wake every morning with her in his arms? A dream come true. Something to contemplate later. Today’s goal was to enjoy his girl. Tomorrow would take care of itself. He crossed the room and laid his hands on her shoulders.
Darcy gasped, dropped the spatula, and spun around. “You move like a ghost. Make some noise next time.”
He chuckled, shifted his hands to her waist, and leaned in to give her a tender kiss. “Good morning, sweetheart.”
She studied his face a moment, smiled. “You look rested.”
“I am. Thank you, baby.”
“For?”
“The gift of your music. That’s why I slept as well as I did. You kept the nightmares and flashbacks at bay.”
She raised on her tiptoes and brushed his mouth with hers. “I’m glad. Do you have many of those?”
He stilled. “Almost every night.” Would the remnants of his military life chase her away? Man, he hoped not. He didn’t want to lose her.
“Are you hungry?”
The knots in his belly loosened. “Starved.”
“Coffee’s ready. Pour yourself a mug and sit while I finish breakfast.”
“Have you taken care of your own meal?”
“I’m going to breakfast with Stella and Leah.”
“Delaney’s?”
“Maybe this time I’ll finish my meal in an hour. You draw a crowd, Mr. Kincaid.”
He poured a mug of coffee and watched poetry in motion. Darcy’s movements were graceful, reminding him of her motions at the keyboard. Rio
sighed. Yep, he was a total sap. If his brothers or teammates heard him, he’d never live this down. “Anything new happen yesterday?”
Darcy flipped the last pancake from the pan onto a platter which she placed in front of him along with maple syrup. “Brian evaluated the floor in the living room. It has to be reinforced before the piano arrives. He can’t do it before the end of next week.” She sighed. “I really wanted my own piano to practice for Julia’s concert.”
“Has Pastor Lang called with a date?”
“Two weeks from tomorrow. A member of the church is in marketing and will spearhead the publicity. Word will leak soon. Allen will track me down to demand his cut of my pay.”
“Tell him when I’m around. I want to see his face when he learns you’re playing without pay. As for the floor, Mason and I can shore it up for you.”
Darcy sat next to him. “Know anything about handyman work?”
“Enough to hold the tools for Mason to work his magic.”
She rolled her eyes. “I could do that. If Mason is interested, I’ll pay him what I would have paid Brian’s crew. Having access to my piano sooner is worth the money.”
“Anything else happen?”
She hesitated, her expression troubled.
Rio paused with his fork halfway to his mouth. “Sweetheart?”
“Stella called last night.”
“What did she have to say?” Couldn’t be good considering Darcy’s reluctance to share.
She summarized the conversation, ending with, “What if Ms. Bond stumbled onto something that grabbed the attention of Sutton’s crew and one of them killed her?”
Rio considered that as he took another bite. “I wonder if these guys are patient enough to wait three years to tear into the house.”
“Same question we had earlier. What sparked the interest after all this time?”
“Did she have relatives?”
“According to Mrs. Watson, the relatives wanted a check for the sale, but they refused to clear the house.”
“Can’t blame them for avoiding the job. Something else to consider is Sutton isn’t violent. I don’t think he killed Ms. Bond. Another member of his crew, however, might be a different story.”
“Stella thinks because Ms. Bond stopped sharing about her purchases, she stumbled onto something valuable.”
Rio finished the last of his pancakes and polished off the final sip of his coffee. “Would Annie know something?”
“I’ll stop by the bookstore, see if she’s working.”
“If not, Del will give you her contact information.”
Footsteps in the hall alerted Rio to Mason’s approach. Even injured, Trent wouldn’t have made any noise. His cousin looked rested.
“Good morning, Mason.” Darcy handed him a mug of steaming coffee. “Pancakes for breakfast or you can find something else.”
“Pancakes sound great.”
He sat beside Rio and sipped, sighed.
“How did you sleep, Mase?”
His cousin glanced at him, his gaze haunted. “Better than I have in thirteen years. It was quiet and safe.”
“We have places to go this morning. When you finish eating, we’ll leave.”
“Mason, I have a job for you if you’re interested.”
His cousin looked up from his plate. “What do you need?”
“I need my living room floor reinforced to handle the weight my seven-foot grand piano. I’d love to ship the piano here in a couple days. Would you be willing to do the work for me? I’ll pay you what the contractor would have charged.”
“A seven-foot grand, huh? You must really love music.”
“She’s a concert pianist, Mason,” Rio said. “Music has been her life for twenty years.”
His cousin’s attention shifted back to Darcy. “I’ll do it, but you don’t have to pay me, Darcy.”
“Of course I do. Brian doesn’t have the men to spare right now. You’re doing me a favor. I have a concert in two weeks and need my piano here. After reinforcing the floor, I’ll pay you to patch the walls and floors, unless you’re too busy working.”
Mason’s face twisted, worry shadowing his features. “If anyone will hire me.”
“You might be surprised,” Rio said. He had a couple ideas about that, but he’d have to see what panned out for his cousin.
After Darcy left for Delaney’s, Trent hobbled into the kitchen, glanced around. “Where’s Darce?”
“Breakfast with Nate’s wife.”
The operative grabbed a plate from the counter and peered at the platter of pancakes. “Looks good. Your work, Rio?”
“Darcy’s. Mason and I have errands this morning. You’ll be okay for a while?” A scathing look was his reply. Rio grinned. Figured that would be the response. “No stairs, buddy. Internet’s up?”
“Yeah. They came about ten yesterday morning.”
“Did you decide on a safe room?”
Trent shook his head. “Spent the day making a list for the security system. The safe room is on today’s agenda.”
Quinn strolled in, rubbing his scruffy jaw. “Please tell me Darcy made enough for me, too.”
Rio motioned to the still full platter. “Plenty for both of you. You’re off guard duty. Trent’s fine for a few hours.”
His teammate eyed the Fortress operative. “I don’t know. I caught him staring at the stairs a lot yesterday.”
“Shut up and get out,” Trent said, scowling.
“After I eat. Riding herd on you yesterday stoked my appetite.”
After Mason finished, they headed into town. The air had a distinct bite to it, making Rio wonder if they were in for snow.
“Where are we going?”
“First stop is the police station. You have an appointment with Ethan Blackhawk, the police chief. He’s your probation officer.”
A hard swallow, then, “What should I know about him?”
“He’s tough, but fair. Ethan will want you to succeed, so he’ll ride you hard to make sure you stay out of trouble. He’s fiercely loyal to his family and his officers, a first-class tracker, Army Ranger. He also hates the politics that goes with his job. He’s a good man, Mason.”
In the station, the desk sergeant called Backhawk’s assistant, then waved them through to his office. They crossed the bull pen and Rio knocked on Ethan’s door.
The six-four Native American police chief waved them inside. “How’s Trent?”
“Mending fast. Won’t keep him down much longer. Ethan, this is my cousin, Mason Kincaid. Mase, Ethan Blackhawk.”
The police chief shook hands and motioned to a visitor’s chair. “Have a seat. You, too, Rio.” His gaze returned to Mason. “Unless you’d prefer him to wait in the bull pen.”
“It’s fine for Rio to stay.”
“I’ve been looking at your file. You must have ticked off the judge, Kincaid. Thirteen years was a pretty stiff sentence. I’m surprised you weren’t granted parole since your behavior in prison was exemplary.”
“The victims’ family is wealthy and well-connected. They showed up for every parole hearing along with many important people from my hometown. The only support I had was my family.”
“Did you think that was unfair?”
“I made a poor choice, one which cost a young mother and her infant their lives. I can’t rectify what I did. I knew eventually I would be released, but the baby will never have a chance to grow up, marry, have children of her own. The mother won’t spend long years with her husband, perhaps have more children. I destroyed that family with one stupid decision.” His voice choked off.
Ethan sat in silence a moment, studying Mason’s body language. “You have a second chance, Kincaid. Don’t screw it up. Here’s the plan. You’ll check in with me once a week. You need a job, fast. Where will you live?”
“With Rio until I’m on my feet.”
The police chief yanked open one of his desk drawers, pulled out a note pad and handed it to Rio. “I need contact i
nformation for the record.”
Rio dashed off the information. “Mason will have a cell phone by the end of the day. I’ll text you the number as soon as I know what it is.”
A nod, then, Ethan’s attention shifted back to Mason. “A normal citizen would have a little leeway on how they unwind after a hard day of work. You have zero. As part of the terms of your probation, no alcohol, no drugs, no weapons. I’m well aware of what Rio and his Delta unit routinely carry on them and in their vehicles. If we test Rio’s weapons for prints, yours better not be on them. Am I clear?”
“Yes, sir.”
“We have one bar in town. Stay away from it and the liquor store. Any job you pursue cannot deal with the elderly or children. As soon as you land a job, I need to know what you’re doing and who your employer is. If anything changes, I need to know immediately. This is a small town, Kincaid. I’ll see you everywhere and I’m not too busy to do spot checks on you. Otter Creek also has a grapevine that rivals military intelligence. If you think no one will notice what you do, be prepared to spend more time as a guest of the state of Tennessee. Hear me well, Kincaid. One DUI and you’ll be behind bars so fast your head will spin. Do you have a vehicle?”
Mason looked faintly ill. “No, sir.”
“You’ll eventually need one.” A hard smile curved Ethan’s mouth. “Don’t be surprised if you’re pulled over routinely. Questions?”
“No, sir.”
“If you have issues or concerns, I want to know about it from your lips, not second hand.” He turned to Rio. “You have questions?”
“There’s a possibility Mason will be working with Elliott Construction. They also rehab houses. The homeowners may be elderly or have children. Will that be a problem?”
“I don’t see that as an issue. No daycares, schools, or nursing homes as a regular employee. Kincaid, we’ll meet every Friday morning at eight unless there’s an emergency on your part. If that happens, I expect a phone call before our appointment. If I’m tied up, the detective on duty will meet with you. That’s going to be Rod Kelter, Nick Santana, or Stella Armstrong.” He stood, extended his hand. “Good hunting on the job.”