“Of course. Why don’t I go out there right now? Much as I’d like to stay for one of your delicious dinners, I can’t because I’m meeting my half brother, Grady, for a meal. He’s on the rodeo circuit and he’s in town for the night, but I’ll take a rain check.”
“You’ve got it.”
Claire shared a heart-stopping glance with Vic before the two men walked out the back door. It said he wasn’t finished with her yet and set her pulse racing off the charts.
Chapter Eight
Kit was a horse lover and hunkered down to examine Daken. “I always wanted one of these when I was little. You’re a lucky boy, Jeremy.”
“I know.”
“How are he and Comet getting along?”
“Good.”
“I’m happy for you.” He gave Jeremy a hug. “Glad you’re back home safe and sound.”
“Me, too. Claire told me you helped look for me. Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
“She took a picture of you and Dad when you fell asleep at our house.”
“She did?” Kit looked up at Vic, who understood it was something of a shock to hear.
“Claire will show it to you,” Jeremy chattered.
“Well, I’ll definitely have to ask her. And ask her to delete it,” he mumbled, but Vic heard him and chuckled. Kit hated pictures of himself as much as Vic did.
“Don’t stay out here too long, sport. Claire has started fixing dinner. You’ll have to come in soon.”
“Okay. Are more ladies going to come over tomorrow?”
Kit’s brows lifted in silent query.
“No. I’ve already made my decision.”
“Good,” his son said.
He knew that was what Jeremy would say. Vic had made the decision a long time ago, but had been afraid to act until now. That little monkey knew exactly what was on Vic’s mind. “I’ll tell you about it later.”
“Okay. See ya, Kit.”
“You bet.”
As soon as they got back to the house, Vic explained that he’d been interviewing nannies.
“How did that go?”
“The truth?”
Kit nodded.
“I’m going to phone the employment agency in a few minutes and ask them to cancel tomorrow’s appointments. They’ll also need to tell the women who already came to the house today that they don’t need to wait for a call back—I’ve chosen someone else.”
His friend grinned. “So you’re keeping Claire on.”
“Yup.” One way or another.
“Walk me around to my car,” Kit said. “I need to show you something I printed off for you to think about.”
They approached his Silverado truck and Kit opened the door to reach for the printouts.
Vic looked at the heading at the top of the first page. “Jamison Lowell.”
“Yup. These are his bank records. His salary at the school district is public record. Name me a school employee who can deposit $20,000 at a time in his account, three different times in the past three months. Look at the dates of the deposits. That last one coincides with the day after he hired Leroy. Now, look at the date he withdrew all his money.”
A low whistle sounded from Vic. “It all fits, Kit. He got his payoff in installments, then fled the state. Now he’s dead.” He looked at his friend. “Someone put out a hit on Jamison and had him killed once he’d hired Leroy.”
“He was being blackmailed.”
“No question about it. We’ve got to dig into Lowell’s past. Because Jeremy was kidnapped after I was put on the gaming board, this has to mean Lowell was a gambler. Maybe he couldn’t pay his debts and that’s why he put his house up for sale. The first place to start tomorrow morning is the bank. I’ll ask TJ to get a subpoena and meet you at headquarters. We’ll need Lowell’s bank records from Colorado, too.”
“I read through Rodriguez’s notes,” Kit said. “There’s nothing to indicate that Lowell’s next-door neighbors ever got back to him about the name of the Realtor.”
“In that case we’ll swing by that house again. If it hasn’t sold, we’ll talk to the Realtor selling the property. There should be a sign up by now, or we need to find out why there isn’t one.”
“Let’s check the casino near Luckenbach. Ask the captain for a subpoena to analyze the surveillance tapes. We’ll get staff to go through them and see if they can identify Lowell in any of them.”
“There’s a ton of work to do.”
Kit nodded. “Glad you’re back. See you in the morning.”
“Thanks for coming by. Before I left the doctor’s office he said, ‘Feel like you’ve been let out of jail?’”
“He understands all right.”
Vic watched him drive away before he entered the house. Claire had to be cooking something Italian. They all loved three-cheese manicotti.
He went to the den first and made the phone call to the employment agency. Now that his duties were out of the way, he could concentrate on Claire. But once again he was thwarted because Jeremy had come back from the barn, regaling her with Daken’s latest antics. She delighted in hearing about them. Their conversation sounded like mother and son. It warmed and filled the hole that had once done damage to his heart.
“Dad?” Jeremy poked his head in the door. “Dinner’s ready. Guess what we’re having.”
“Manicotti.”
“Nope. Guess again.”
“Spaghetti.”
“Nope. Have you ever had cannelloni?”
“Once, I think.”
“Claire said it’s made with veal. She let me taste it. I love it.”
There wasn’t anything about Claire Jeremy didn’t like. As for Vic...
Jeremy’s bedtime couldn’t come soon enough for him. If the kidnapping hadn’t happened, he would have made arrangements for his son to spend the night at his aunt Carol’s. But Jeremy was still too fragile to be away from home yet. Vic needed to keep a constant guard on him and Claire. Until he put the people in prison who were trying to take Vic down for Quarls’s arrest, no one was safe.
He needed to talk to TJ about putting surveillance on his family. His family. Claire was family and had been for a long time.
“Dad?”
His gaze flicked to Jeremy. “Let’s go find out if Claire needs our help.”
“When are you going to ask her?”
Vic had been waiting for that. “I have to talk to her about a few things first.”
“But you promised.”
He put a hand on his son’s shoulder. “Give me time, and everything is going to come out right. Trust me.”
His eyes grew dull before he turned away and hurried back to the kitchen. Vic hated that things were so complicated. Certain issues had to be straightened out until he could present Jeremy with a fait accompli. But that couldn’t happen until he got a declaration out of her that she was in love with him.
When he reached the kitchen, Jeremy was already at the table. Claire’s gray eyes lit on Vic. “Come on. The food’s hot.” She poured him coffee while he sat next to Jeremy. It was her way to serve them first and wait on them before joining them near the end of the meal. Before long that was all going to change.
“How come Kit came over?”
“He’s going to be working with me again.”
Jeremy put his fork down. “Is your vacation over?”
“Yes. I’m going in to the office tomorrow so I can clear up this latest case.”
“Will you be here?” he asked Claire with anxiety in his voice.
“Of course.”
Jeremy was showing signs of having a meltdown.
“Guess what, sport. After it’s over, we’re going to take a big vacation. I thought we migh
t go to Jamaica and stop at Disney World on the way.”
Claire look surprised before she smiled at Jeremy. “That sounds exciting, you lucky boy.”
“But who will take care of our horses?”
“You remember John at the local stable?”
“Yeah.”
“He’ll come over every day to see to them.”
“Oh.”
Vic’s gaze swerved to Claire. “This dinner is fabulous.”
“Thanks. I thought we needed a change from the same old.”
The same old suited Vic just fine, but Jeremy suddenly slid off the chair and ran out of the kitchen.
“He’s loved having you home,” Claire murmured.
“That’s not what’s wrong. I have to go to him. Please don’t go anywhere. I’ll find you after he goes to sleep.”
Two hours later, that was exactly what he did.
Vic walked out to the barn and discovered she’d gone riding. He could see her silhouette in the darkness coming closer. “Claire?”
“Hi. It’s a perfect night. I decided Marshmallow needed some exercise.”
He walked up to the horse and rubbed her forelock. Claire stayed mounted. “You shouldn’t be out here after dark.”
“I couldn’t help it tonight.”
Vic couldn’t help it either as he reached for her. “Come here, Claire.”
“Oh—” A tiny cry escaped her lips when he put his hands on her hips and pulled her beautiful body down against his. She’d changed into jeans and a cream-colored Western shirt he hadn’t seen before. Her fragrance intoxicated him.
“You’re so beautiful. Do you have any idea how long I’ve dreamed of doing this? I’m going to kiss you. If you don’t want me to, it’s too late.” Far too late to wonder about her feelings for him. He was on fire for her.
Without waiting for an answer, he lowered his mouth to hers. There was nothing tentative about his kiss. He’d held back his desire for her far too long. Now that he had her in his arms his passion had taken over.
Urging her mouth open, he kissed her deeply, reveling in the taste of her while his hands roved over her back, drawing her even closer so there was no air between them. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back with intense hunger. She’d been hiding her feelings, too, otherwise she wouldn’t be caught up in this euphoria where nothing mattered but the two of them. Her response was more than he could ever have imagined.
He lost count of time and his surroundings as every kiss grew into another one, leaving them breathless. The joy of loving and being loved again had quite literally taken his breath away. “I’m in love with you, Claire. I’ve loved you from the very beginning.”
“I’ve waited so long to hear those words.” Her confession almost gave him a heart attack. She kissed his face all over, starting with his eyelids. “I’m so in love with you, I’ve been bursting with it for months. If you hadn’t said those words to me tonight, I don’t know how I could have gone on living.”
Their mouths met again in a frenzy of mutual need. “I’ve been so afraid you’d leave if I tried to get close to you too soon.”
“I had the same fear,” she admitted. “I didn’t want to be the nanny who came on to you. All these months there’ve been so many times I almost stepped over the line I’d drawn. Today I saw myself in the four women who came to the house. They couldn’t help their attraction to you any more than I could. I’m crazy about you, Vic.”
“You never acted like them.” He planted gentle kisses about her face before finding her lush mouth once more. “You stepped into the role of mother to Jeremy so naturally, it was like it was meant to be.”
“I love him with all my heart. He’s an extension of you in so many ways. I’m out of my mind in love with both of you. How could you not have known that all this time?”
“My fear blinded me to what I wanted more than life itself. I need you, Claire. More than you’ll ever know.” He pressed his forehead against hers. “I know we have a lot to work out, but you can’t leave me.”
“You think I want to?” she cried. “Kiss me again so I’ll know I’m not dreaming.”
Heat licked through his body as she gave herself up to him, holding nothing back. Wanting so much more, he finally relinquished her mouth so they could both breathe. “Let’s put Marshmallow to bed, then go back to the house. I need you with me all night long.”
“Now that you’ve kissed me, I don’t know if I can let you go long enough to reach the barn.”
“Then we’re both in the same condition.” They kissed again, starving for each other.
Vic managed to find the reins and led Marshmallow into the barn while keeping Claire clamped at his side. He removed the saddle while she took care of the bridle. A quick trip to the tack room and they could close the barn doors for the night.
“At last,” he whispered, catching her to him. He wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in the glory of her hair. “To have you where I want you is surreal.”
Not liking any separation, he picked her up and carried her like a bride to the back door of the house, kissing her all the way. He held the world in his arms. But when he reached for the handle, the door opened, revealing his pajama-clad son in the light from the kitchen. His eyes were shining.
“Hi,” was all he said.
Vic lowered Claire to the ground, but kept his arm around her waist. “Aren’t you supposed to be in bed?”
“I woke up and couldn’t find you.”
“Sorry about that, sport.”
“Did you...” He lowered his eyes. “You know...”
Yes, Vic knew. “Tell you what. Go back to bed and we’ll come in to keep you company until you fall asleep again.”
“Okay, but don’t take too long.”
The second he left them alone, Claire slid her hands up his chest to his face. She cradled it between her hands. Her eyes looked silver in the dim light. “I’m the luckiest woman on earth to be loved by a man like you. When I first met you, I thought such a love could never happen to me. I’ve gone to bed for so many months aching to get close to you. Being able to love your son has been the only thing keeping me sane.”
“You don’t know the half of it.” Vic pressed a hot, hungry kiss to her mouth. “The thrill of coming home to you after work at night has been the mainstay of my existence. The guys have tried to line me up with other women, but I couldn’t. You leave every other woman in the dust.”
She kissed him hard and long. “My sisters got one look at you at my graduation and they knew why I never wanted to go out on dates. No other man measures up to you, Vic.”
“Dad? Aren’t you coming?”
“Give us a few minutes,” Vic called back.
Claire gave him an impish smile. “Come on. You know he’s not going to give up.”
“There are times when he has to learn.”
“Under ordinary circumstances that would be true, Ranger Malone, but he’s still recovering from the most frightening ordeal of his life.”
“And ours,” he said on a half groan. “While you were playing Elaine to my Jim, I knew you were the only woman I wanted in my life. I might never have found him if it weren’t for you. I love you beyond belief.” His throat had swollen with so much emotion he couldn’t talk. Instead he drew her to him and rocked her for a long time.
“I love you more.” He felt her body shake with happy sobs. She clung to him, wetting his shirt. With Claire in his life, he knew he could get through anything. “Don’t you ever go missing on me,” she warned him in a voice full of tears. “I wouldn’t be able to function.”
“I’m not planning on going anywhere without you. Shall we go help Jeremy fall asleep?”
“Yes. Just don’t kiss me again or I won’t be able to make it past the kitch
en.”
A deep chuckle escaped his throat as they moved inside. He locked the door and followed her trail to Jeremy’s bedroom. He was sitting up in the middle of the double bed with his bedside lamp on. “I thought you were never coming.”
Claire gave him a kiss on the cheek. “You know better than that. Love you.” She removed her cowboy boots and sank down on one side of the bed.
Vic took off his boots. After turning off the light, he stretched out so he lay on the other side next to Jeremy. With Claire a body away, things were safer. Jeremy slid down and nestled under the covers.
“I love you, son. Now it’s time to go to sleep. We’re all tired.”
A little sigh escaped Jeremy. “I love you, Dad. I love you, too, Claire.”
It was just as well Vic couldn’t be alone with her yet. He needed to calm his pounding heart and get himself under control. When he’d talked to Dr. Marshall about controlling his emotions, he hadn’t been thinking about how it would be when he finally got her into his arms. There was no force greater or more powerful than love.
For the first time since Claire had come to live with them, Vic felt at peace. In a little while, when he knew Jeremy was asleep, he’d get up and take her with him so they could talk and make plans for the future.
* * *
LAST NIGHT HAD been the most thrilling moment of Claire’s life. Vic had told her he loved and needed her. Lying there on the bed with him and his son, she’d felt complete. But she’d awakened this morning still on the bed wearing the same clothes, and both of them were gone.
Why hadn’t Vic awakened her? Maybe he and Jeremy had gotten up early and had gone out to the barn. She’d never intended to sleep in there all night. Vic must have fallen asleep, too.
She picked up her boots and hurried out of the room to her bedroom. After setting her boots inside, she walked through the house and found Jeremy in the family room watching cartoons.
“Jeremy?”
“Hi! Dad had to go to work. He left you a message on the counter.”
“Thanks.” She rushed to the kitchen and saw the note.
Claire,
The Texas Ranger's Nanny Page 14