Kara’s eyes locked on his, and her breath stuck in her lungs. She was sure he could hear her heart pounding. She swallowed hard and continued to hold his gaze as he tipped his head and lowered his mouth nearly touching hers. She stepped back, breaking the moment before either of them did something they’d regret.
He stared as if dazed then shook his head. “Sorry. This day must have addled my brain. I’m stressed and not thinking clearly.” He frowned. “I’ll see you in the morning.” He stepped into the night.
Kara sighed. Talk about stress! Another moment like that, and she might not have the strength to pull back. Jeff was everything she ever wanted in a man—strong, kind, dependable, honest, emotionally there, real, easy on the eyes, and a Christian. She furrowed her brow. At least being a Christian had been one of her criteria, but now? No matter. They were partners.
Kara slid the dead bolt into place and moved through the connecting doorway to check the storefront and make sure it was locked up. A shadow slipped away from the door as she approached. Kara plastered herself against the wall, reached for her side arm, and winced. She’d left it on her bed. She crept to the door and chanced a look out the window—no one.
Chapter 25
The next day Kara sat in the passenger seat of Jeff’s SUV. “Where’re we going? I thought you were taking me to the ranch.”
“We’re detouring.”
“Why?” Unease filled Kara.
“Because I need to be in the fresh open air without a bunch of people around. Do you have any idea how hard it is to think surrounded by people all the time?”
Kara chuckled. “You’re kidding, right?”
“I guess you do understand. In Miami, I’d talk it out with one of the other guys, or I’d go sailing. Sometimes I’d find a long pier to fish off of, but here I’m surrounded by open land, and I can’t escape because of my brother.”
“I get it, Jeff.” She understood the need to think. Their almost kiss last night and the shadow outside had cost her several hours of sleep. After the lights were out, she lay staring at the ceiling thinking about Jeff and how much she wished her feet had stayed planted and her brain would’ve listened to her heart instead of her head.
Jeff parked and walked around to open her door.
“Thanks. Why are you being such a gentleman?”
He kicked a rock with the toe of his cowboy boot. “Aw shucks, ma'am. I’m jest doing the gentlemanly thing.” He had the twang down perfect.
Kara grinned and wrapped her hand in the crook of his arm. “Why, thank you kindly, sir.”
He patted her hand and walked to a nearby wooden bench nestled between the woods and the lake. The water shone green from the reflection of the trees, and a slight breeze kept the summer air cool.
Jeff rested his arm on the back of the bench and gazed at the lake while Kara looked around for signs of trouble. Only one other car sat parked in the lot, and so far, she hadn’t seen the occupant. Since it had been there before they’d arrived, she wasn’t too worried about a killer lurking nearby. Not to mention, this was an unplanned stop, so there’d be no way a sniper or anyone else could be ready and waiting.
Kara turned and faced him. “Last night after you left, I went up front to double check the locks. Did you happen to go that way to your car?”
“No. Why?”
“It looked like someone may have been peering in. It’s hard to say. I only saw the shadow as the person walked away.”
“I’m glad you’re being careful.” He turned to her.
Oh no. He had that look again. “Jeff, about last night—”
“Shh,” he whispered. His fingers entwined her hair. He lowered his face and kissed her softly.
This couldn’t be happening, but it was. She closed her eyes, blocking out the world around them for just a moment. Then the warmth of his lips vanished, leaving her tingling from head to toe. She opened her eyes and stared straight into his.
“Kara you are so—”
“We need to talk.”
His eyes widened, but he didn’t say a word. He wasn’t going to make this easy.
She grasped his hand. “I really like you, and you’re a great kisser.” She rubbed her chin and looked closely at his face. “But you and I can’t be.”
“Too late. We’re already involved. Yesterday when we were doing surveillance, I realized I couldn’t deny my feelings any longer.”
“Try harder. This is a bad idea.”
He sighed and seemed to think a moment. “You’re right. I’m sorry. It won’t happen again unless it’s for the job.”
“Thank you, but no more kissing me period until you shave that beard or it grows in better—it’s scratchy.” In truth the scratching was nothing compared to how his kiss addled her. She had to focus on her job and not her heart, and when he kissed her for pretend or not, she forgot she was wearing a Glock.
He frowned. “Come on. It’s not that bad, is it?” He rubbed his fingers over his chin. “If I don’t kiss you, how will anyone believe we’re a couple?”
“Hold my hand. Give me googly eyes. Be creative. Flowers are always nice.”
“I don’t see what the big deal is.” He jutted his chin. “I like my shadow.”
She rolled her eyes. “You’ve never been kissed by someone with a scratchy face.”
He laughed. “Okay, but you’re making romancing you difficult if I can’t kiss you. What’s everyone at the ranch going to think?”
“Tell them the truth. I won’t let you kiss me until your beard grows in or you shave.”
“Fine. Guess I could shave.” He looked at his watch. “We need to head to the field office for a few hours. Tad will meet us there to go over some details, and then there’s a team meeting. After that, we could go out for a late lunch if you want.”
“Sounds good to me.”
The meeting with the taskforce went longer than expected, and Kara’s stomach rumbled. She shouldn’t have skipped breakfast. Kara kept a watch for the restaurant on their way to their meeting.
They’d spent the better part of the day going over intel and comparing notes with the taskforce team. Operation Trail Ride had several topnotch agents. She was proud to be working with them. It was only a matter of time before they broke this case wide open.
She’d reported her suspicions about Marci, but they all agreed it was too soon to use Marci to their advantage. She still couldn’t figure out why the woman seemed familiar. It wasn’t like her to forget a face.
“Found it.” Jeff swung into the parking lot of the restaurant. He parked and hustled around to her side. “If the food tastes as good as it smells, I’ll be grateful. It’s been a long day.”
“Tell me about it.” Kara’s stomach rumbled again. She smacked her hand over her belly.
“Mine’s been doing that for the past two hours.” Jeff led her inside the restaurant.
A waiter approached and seated them at a table for two overlooking the Deschutes River. “Our special is halibut cheeks.”
Kara tuned out the waiter and gawked at the decor. The place was hip but with an outdoorsy feel. The walls were painted deep orange and brown, and the high ceilings boasted modern metal fans.
Jeff touched her hand. “Something wrong?”
“No. Where’d the waiter go?”
“I told him we needed a few minutes to decide. Those halibut cheeks sounded delicious, didn’t they?”
“Yes. Is that what you’re ordering?”
“I think so, how about you?”
Too bad she hadn’t been paying attention to the waiter. “Maybe. I’m not sure.” She picked up the menu and studied the seafood fare. Her gaze stopped at seafood linguini. “I know what I want.”
The waiter approached at that moment, and they each placed their order.
Jeff smiled at her from across the table. “This is a nice change of pace.” He took a sip from his water glass, and his gaze wandered over the room.
Kara had already studied each patron. No
one seemed to show them any special interest. For now, it seemed she was safe. “Tell me about what your childhood was like with you and Eric.” She fiddled with the napkin in her lap and watched the emotions play across his face.
“When we were kids and our parents first married, we didn’t get along at all. Eric hated me. His dad was nice, though, and that made up for Eric’s attitude. Over time we established a routine. He did his thing, and I did mine.” He looked across the table with sad eyes and shrugged. “Two strangers living under the same roof.”
“How awful. Didn’t your parents notice?”
“One day, a couple months after our two families joined, I was playing up in the barn loft. Eric and his dad came into the barn. I overheard him lecturing Eric about being nice to me. Eric was pretty angry. He shouted at his dad that he loved me more than his own son. Dad denied it.”
“So he treated you like his own son, and Eric was jealous?”
The waiter arrived with their food and conversation stopped.
Kara took her first bite and closed her eyes to enjoy the full impact of the flavor. “Delicious.”
Jeff chuckled then forked a generous amount of fish into his mouth.
Kara swallowed. “Do you think Eric’s still jealous of you? You’re grown adults now and from what you’ve told me, it seems he’s closer to your parents than you are.” She set her fork on the plate and leaned forward a little. “You’re sure he doesn’t know what you do for a living?”
He nodded. “Positive. I asked my parents to keep it to themselves. I know they wouldn’t say anything. They’re aware of our rocky past. Yes, we’re getting along right now, but in reality, Eric’s almost never around the ranch yard, and when he is, he keeps to himself.”
Kara shook her head. “That’s so sad. You have to make it right with him while you’re here.”
Jeff muttered something under his breath, but Kara missed it. From the look on his face, she probably didn’t want to hear it anyway.
Kara took her last bite of linguini and relaxed back against the dark grained wooden chair. She wished she’d worn pants with an elastic waist. Of course, it would help if she owned a pair. She rubbed her waistline. “I won’t need to eat for days after that meal. Fabulous!”
“No kidding.” Jeff stuffed one last bite of halibut into his mouth. “Do you want to head straight back to the ranch or go exploring?”
Kara glanced at her watch. “I’d love to relax awhile and admire the restaurant.” A swordfish hung on a wall nearby. She sighed. “But we better not play tourist. It’s getting late.”
He pulled out his wallet, paid, left a generous tip on the table, and then guided her out of the restaurant to the well-lit parking lot.
“There’s no reason to be so attentive. No one here needs to think we’re an item.”
“Everyone who comes in contact with us must believe we’re a couple,” Jeff spoke quietly. “It’s a small world, and you never know who might see us. To anyone who notices, we’re a normal couple out for an evening on the town.”
“In that case,” Kara playfully replied and rose up on tiptoe to plant a kiss on his cheek, “thanks for dinner.”
“Is that the best you can do?”
“No, but it’s the best you’re gonna get, Mr. Whiskers.”
Jeff chuckled and unlocked the door to the SUV to let her in.
Kara and Jeff drove in restful silence enroute to Sunridge. Her thoughts swirled. Jeff was a great partner, and she trusted him with her life, but now it seemed as if he wanted her to trust him with her heart as well. Could she?
Kara jerked to the side when the SUV swerved to the right and nearly ran off the road. She gripped the armrest and pulled her seatbelt tight. “What happened?”
Jeff fought the rig and pulled off to the shoulder. “I don’t know. A blowout maybe.” He opened the door, stepped out, walked around the front to the passenger side, and squatted.
The back window shattered, and a bullet lodged in the dashboard. Kara ducked and covered her head with her arms. Several more rounds hit the rig.
“Jeff!” She unbuckled and threw open the passenger door. “Get in.” She climbed into the driver’s seat, waited for Jeff, then floored the gas.
Jeff slammed the door as they peeled out. “We can’t outrun him. The tire’s flat.”
“Watch me.”
Chapter 26
Kara veered off the road onto the dirt, making an immediate sharp left to avoid a huge tree. The Ford bounced, rattling her teeth. She checked her mirrors, but no one seemed to be following them. “Where’s the gunman?”
Jeff looked over his shoulder. “I can’t see anyone. I think you lost him.”
Kara heard the surprise and admiration in his tone. “I’ve always enjoyed off-roading.” She lifted her foot from the accelerator and coasted to a stop. “Well. That was fun.” Sarcasm dripped from her voice. She looked over at Jeff. “You hit?”
“No. I was going to ask you the same thing.”
“I’m fine, but we can’t just sit here and wait for the shooter to find us,” Kara said. “And that wheel is about destroyed. Any suggestions?”
“Besides praying? No.”
Kara jerked her head toward him and grabbed her phone. Maybe a trooper was nearby. She called the local dispatch and gave their location the best she could.
Jeff opened his door. “Come on. I’m not sitting around here waiting for trouble.” Glock in hand, he stepped out of the rig.
Kara followed. “Backup’s coming.” Looking around for a safe hiding place, she pointed to some rocks. “Over there. If we can get to the other side, we’ll have a wall blocking us from view and still be able to see when help arrives.”
Jeff nodded, and they ran.
Kara crouched low beside Jeff and whispered. “I don’t see anyone.”
“We’re not far from the ranch. You want to hoof it out of here?”
“I suppose, but I’ll need a ride into town,” Kara said.
“I don’t think so.” Jeff turned to her. Concern showed clear in his eyes. “You’re staying in one of the guest rooms tonight.”
“But—”
“No arguments. How many times does someone have to try and kill you before you stop trying to do everything on your own? I know you don’t want to give up your freedom, but someone tried to kill you this evening.”
“Fine. I’ll stay tonight. But only because I don’t have a car. Tomorrow, I’ll phone Gail to pick me up.”
A low growl vibrated in Jeff’s throat. This woman was going to be the death of him. Never in all his years with the DEA had he encountered someone so stubborn. Didn’t she get that Alvarado wanted her dead? He could protect her at the ranch. He couldn’t do that at Gail’s house.
Jeff glanced at Kara and caught the unguarded look of fear on her face before she realized he was watching.
An impassive look slid into place. “What?” she asked.
“It’s okay to be afraid. I know my heart rate sure accelerated when we were being shot at.”
She stared at him a moment before her face fell, and he pulled her into his arms. His shirt dampened as her quiet tears fell. If only holding her would make everything okay, but this was the real world, and a hug didn’t make murderers disappear.
He brushed his fingers through her hair. “It’s okay. No one expects you to be tough all the time.”
Kara pulled back. Mascara ran down her cheeks. “Will you please shut up and stop being so nice?”
Jeff’s eyes crinkled. He gently rubbed the tears away with his thumb. “Sorry.”
She finished wiping her face and nodded toward the road. “Looks like Tad.” She stepped forward.
Jeff grabbed her hand. “We don’t know if someone’s waiting for you to give him a clean shot. Just stay here while I go talk with Tad.”
“What makes you think you’re not a target?”
“I’d already be dead. He had the perfect shot when I got out earlier.”
She cros
sed her arms. “Fine.”
Jogging across dirt littered with lava rock, Jeff stayed alert for trouble. “Thanks for coming.”
“No problem,” Tad said. “When dispatch mentioned Kara, I said I’d handle it. Where’s your rig?”
Jeff pointed toward the trees. “Think you can arrange for a tow and another vehicle?”
“Already done. There’s an identical black Ford Escape waiting for you in Bend. We’ll switch the plates and no one will be the wiser. Where’s Kara?”
“Hiding. You see anyone on your way here?”
“Passed a few cars, but nothing suspicious caught my attention. I think the shooter’s long gone.”
“Good.” Jeff motioned for Kara to come over but kept alert just in case Tad had missed something.
A flash of metal caught the last remaining rays of sunlight before the distinct ping of a silenced gun went off. “Kara! Down!” He yanked his Glock from his holster, turned and aimed at a lone figure standing about twenty feet to the north, then fired once—silence. Holding his gun with both hands, he approached the shooter. He lay on his back with a single shot to his head.
Jeff shuddered and his gut clenched—his first kill.
Tad and Kara ran toward him. Kara looked down at the face of a white male, approximately thirty. “I don’t recognize him.”
“Me neither,” Tad said. “But we’ll know who he is soon.” He walked away and made a call.
Kara touched Jeff’s shoulder. “You okay?”
“I’ve been better. You?”
“Alive. Thanks to your expert aim.”
“No. Thanks to God. I don’t know how I made that shot. It was divine intervention that helped me see him at all.”
Kara bit down on her bottom lip, clearly taken aback by his answer. This exasperating and beautiful woman needed to realize that God was on her side, and regardless of what she thought, He was protecting her.
Chapter 27
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