Explosive Secrets (Texas K-9 Unit)

by Valerie Hansen

  “I have some cookies in the kitchen if you don’t like cake,” she offered quietly. “I already gave some to Brady Billows over there. See? Maybe you two would like to play later?”

  Caleb shook his light brown curls, wrapped his thin arms around his bent knees and averted his gaze.

  “Okay.” Nicki tried to keep her voice friendly and open as she straightened. The child was clearly traumatized, and needed to be left alone unless he made an overture himself. That condition was certainly understandable. Not only was he motherless, according to Harold, he had formed a strong attachment to Rio, so strong that the loss of that dog had proved a serious setback to his mental state.

  And now the sky was starting to look like rain. Gazing upward, Nicki was struck by how much the gray clouds mirrored the child’s somber mood. Even she, who had been upbeat and joyful throughout the afternoon and evening, was beginning to be subdued by the overcast sky.

  As if providing affirmation that the party would soon have to end, rumbles of distant thunder began.

  Jackson joined Nicki. “We can move the tables and chairs into the barn if it starts to rain,” he said.

  “Unless everybody decides to head home.” She’d been watching the others and noted that the animals seemed to be getting a little restless. “We’ve had dessert, and they ate up almost everything else I fixed.”

  “With pleasure, I might add. You outdid yourself, Ms. Johnson.”

  “I’m glad it all came together so well. Especially after...” Although she was smiling, Nicki also felt her cheeks warming. “I really am sorry about that silly episode in the kitchen. I never should have put frosting on your nose. I don’t know what came over me.”

  “You were keyed up and worried about a lot of things at once, that’s all. The frosting fight helped you relax.”

  “Then you’re not holding a grudge?”

  The sly smile that lifted the corners of Jackson’s mouth told her a lot more than his words. The look he bestowed on her when he drawled, “Well...” was comical, and totally predictable.

  If there had not been a sudden crack of lightning and immediate boom of thunder, she might have laughed aloud.

  Instead, Nicki and everyone who was gathered in the yard instinctively ducked and headed for cover.

  “Looks like the party’s over,” Harold shouted as he grabbed armloads of picnic supplies and raced toward the kitchen. “Let’s get this stuff inside.”

  Other guests helped clear the tables, then thanked their hosts, bid them a quick goodbye and ran for their various vehicles. Little Caleb and Captain McNeal were the last to go. Nicki made sure the child had his own plastic baggie of homemade cookies to take along.

  The letdown after such a busy day was evident in Harold. Nicki felt it, too. Pregnancy wasn’t such a bad thing, if you didn’t count being scared and elated at the same time, but it had brought unwelcome changes in her stamina. Thankfully, the K-9 unit had eaten well so there wasn’t much to store as leftovers.

  As soon as she had refrigerated the perishables, she went outside to unwind and watch the developing storm. Under the cover of the front porch, she could sit and relax in safety while nature put on a light show that rivaled Fourth of July fireworks.

  Raindrops as big as golf balls spattered into the dry yard and beat a staccato rhythm against the roof. Stiff breezes carried the odor of fresh rain, of wet grass, and washed the south Texas dust away in rivulets like cleansing tears.

  Leaning back and giving the padded glider a push with her feet, she closed her eyes and thought of all the times when she’d dreamed of just such an ideal place—somewhere secure where there were people who cared about her, a solid roof over her head and abundant food in the pantry.

  A deep breath ended in a sigh. “Don’t get too comfortable,” she whispered to herself. “This place may feel like a real home but it isn’t yours. Remember that.”

  Subdued, she knew that her time here was fleeting. She also knew how much she dreaded the idea of leaving. Maybe someday, after the baby came and her life got back on track, she’d meet somebody who would share her dreams and accept her for who and what she was, sins and all. It was a far-fetched notion, yes, but it helped her cope...anything but let herself foolishly picture Jackson as a permanent part of her future.

  Another clap of thunder startled her into opening her eyes. The flashes were coming closer together now, illuminating the early darkness like a strobe globe hanging from the rafters at a high school prom.

  Gray shadows in the distance were distorted by sheets of rain. Tree limbs danced in the increasing wind. Leaves were dislodged before their time and tumbled across the yard.

  A door banged.

  Nicki startled at the noise, and whirled to see who had joined her. There was nobody there. Not even Titan.

  “I must have left the screen unlatched,” she mused, turning back to watch the storm.

  A gust of wind whipped her hair into her eyes. She raked it back with her hands and stood, deciding it was high time to go inside.

  That was when she saw it. Or him. The dark form was no more than a shifting shadow, a morphing shape that might have been a man, or might just as easily been a figment of her imagination.

  The harder she peered at it, the less distinct it seemed.

  Well, real or not, Nicki was not about to make herself a target.

  She turned on her heel.

  Ran for the door.

  Jerked it open and crashed into Jackson.

  She wasn’t going to stand there exposed and let someone shoot at her. At both of them.

  Before he could say more than, “Whoa,” she’d given him a hard push and shoved him back inside.

  He may have put out his arms to grab her or simply to steady himself. Nicki didn’t care. She slipped her arms around his waist and held tight, unwilling to let go.

  “What happened out there?” he asked, sounding nearly as breathless as she felt.

  “I—I thought I saw somebody.”

  When he started to disentangle himself from her embrace she stopped him. “Don’t go. Please?”

  She felt the change in his posture as he once again pulled her closer and began to gently stroke her back.

  His assurance of “You’re safe. I’ve got you” was so dear, so poignant it brought tears to her eyes.

  FIFTEEN

  A search of the yard the following day had been fruitless, just as Jackson had known it would be. He wanted to believe Nicki had spotted a real prowler, but in view of the storm and the particularly strenuous days she’d spent preparing for his party, he was more inclined to think she’d been imagining things.

  That, or the shadow of doubt cast over her was making her so paranoid that she thought she saw a nemesis where there was none.

  Yet somehow that theory didn’t sit right with him.

  During the barbecue, Jackson had heard various members of the K-9 unit asking Nicki leading questions, yet as far as he knew, she had fielded all their queries with ease. At this point, he would just about stake his reputation as a cop that she was innocent.

  “Which is what I may have to do,” he muttered to himself. It helped to know that Harold believed Nicki’s denials of guilt, too. As a matter of fact, the older man was adamant about her innocence.

  “What do you have to do?” Harold asked, joining him.

  “Just talking to myself,” Jackson replied. He scanned the sodden, muddy yard. “Where’s Nicki?”

  “Inside tidying up. She’s not like me. Once I’ve filled my belly, the last thing I want to do is fuss in the kitchen.”

  “I’ve noticed.”

  “Well, you take after me.”

  “Never said I didn’t.” He started for the barn. “C’mon. Let’s go where we can talk privately.”

  “About the girl?”

  “Woman,” Jackson corrected. “I don’t think they like to be called girls anymore.”

  “Used to.” Harold pulled a face. “I miss the good old days when even
your granny answered to a polite, miss.”

  “If I remember correctly, Granny could also shoot the eye out of a wild turkey at fifty paces. I’d have called her anything she wanted.”

  “You’ve made your point. How is Nicki doing with her shooting lessons? I don’t care if she can’t hit the broad side of this barn with a scatter gun. Can she be trusted to remember the safety rules?”

  “She’s fine.” Jackson smiled with satisfaction. “Actually, she’s a natural marksman.”

  “I’d still feel better if she wasn’t packing. The last thing we need is for her to get scared like she did during that storm and shoot one of our cows.”

  “She won’t. I’ve shown her where we keep a couple of loaded guns, just in case, but she won’t be strapping any on. With the two of us around, she won’t need to have a pistol close at hand.”

  “Which reminds me,” Harold began, “I was just coming out to tell you. Your captain called. He wants you at the station for a briefing this afternoon.”

  “Did he say what about?”

  “Nope. And I knew better than to ask.”

  “Smart man,” Jackson said.

  “Well, that makes one of us, anyway.”

  He scowled and studied his uncle’s expression. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Oh, nothing much. I was just thinkin’ about how well you and Miss Nicki have been getting along lately. I don’t believe I’ve seen you act playful like that in years. It was a sight for sore eyes.”

  “What was I supposed to do? She smeared frosting on my face.”

  “And you could have just wiped it off and walked away mad,” Harold argued. “But you didn’t. You fought back like a kid would have. I haven’t laughed that hard in a long time. Neither have you.”

  Jackson couldn’t help smiling at the memory. “It was fun. Embarrassing when you showed up, but fun just the same. What do you suppose got into her?”

  “If she was eight or nine years old, I’d say she had a crush on you. Might anyway. You could do worse.”

  “Do worse for what? I made up my mind a long time ago that no cop should ever get married. You, of all people, should agree with that.”

  “Why? Because my wife found somebody else while I was out saving the world? Not all women are that selfish.”

  “The ones I’ve met are. Remember!”

  “Then look at the matches some of your buddies have made recently. Austin and Eva. Lee and Lucy. Even Valerie Salgado and that FBI guy of hers, Trevor...?”

  “Lewis. Trevor Lewis. But that doesn’t mean I’m in the market for a wife.”

  “Or for a family? Is that what’s holding you back?”

  “No...of course not. I know Nicki’s baby can’t help who his father was.” He lowered his voice for fear his words might carry enough to reach the kitchen. “His name is Bobby Lee Crawford. I tracked him down. I know where he went after he dumped her and split. I’m just not sure I should tell Nicki, in case...”

  “In case she’s not over him? I know what you mean but don’t you think she deserves the right to choose?”

  “I suppose so. I just...”

  Harold was grinning widely. “You just don’t want her to leave. Admit it. You’re falling for her.”

  “Between you and me, probably.” Jackson gritted his teeth and shook his head. “But as far as Nicki is concerned, I’m her boss and temporary bodyguard. Period. Understand?”

  “Yeah.” The older man shrugged. “I get it. While she’s in danger, we’ll keep her safe, and when the air clears and she’s proven innocent, you can step up and start courting her proper.”

  “Maybe. Maybe not. Right now, my captain isn’t convinced she can be trusted, and if I show any bias, he might remove me from the case. I can’t let that happen. We can’t let that happen.”

  “For once we agree a hundred percent.” He pointed toward the house. “Better go return McNeal’s call and see when he wants you there. I’ll look after Nicki while you’re gone.”

  Jackson knew his uncle was perfectly capable. After all, the man had been a trained deputy, a seasoned veteran of the force. There should have been no reason to be hesitant to leave Nicki behind...yet he was.

  That had to be because he had let himself get too personally involved, Jackson reasoned, chagrined to admit it. Still, as long as Nicki remained in the dark about his feelings, she’d be safe enough. And soon, when they apprehended the masterminds behind the drug gang war and the rash of related killings, he’d be free to share his thoughts about their possible future. He had made up his mind long ago that even if she spurned him as a potential suitor, he was going to make a home for her and her baby.

  He still felt that way. Nicki would be exonerated and then he would invite her to stay on at the ranch.

  Will I tell her more? he wondered. Will I tell her I love her?

  The crystallizing of that thought brought him up short. He did love her. In spite of his many vows to the contrary, in spite of his superior’s opinion of her guilt, he had fallen hopelessly in love with Nicolette Johnson. She had shown him a future filled with hope. Just being around her had banished the shadows of his painful past.

  Setting his jaw, he hurried through the kitchen without greeting her. He couldn’t. Not now. Not when he was still coming to terms with his emotion.

  If he looked in her eyes, he knew she might be perceptive enough to glimpse his true feelings.

  And if she looked back at him with the affection he’d been denying for so long, he knew he’d be lost.

  In his imagination, he was already embracing her, kissing her, telling her how much he cared. To do so for real, before he was free to share everything, would be a terrible mistake. For both of them.

  * * *

  Nicki’s day seemed to drag on forever, particularly after Jackson left for the station. She knew he’d been called in, and while she certainly didn’t resent his sense of duty to Sagebrush, she felt unusually lonesome whenever he was away from home.

  Even Titan’s pleasant companionship wasn’t enough to soothe her, although she was thankful the big dog’s presence hadn’t been needed in town this time.

  Harold had done his best to entertain her, too. After lunch, he’d even invited her outside to show her how to care for the horses.

  “I really don’t want to learn to ride,” she argued, trailing behind him while Titan followed her.

  “Won’t hurt you to at least brush down one of the mares. They’re real gentle.”

  “And big,” Nicki said in awe as they drew closer to a corral next to the barn. “Really big. I had no idea.”

  “A Texas gal and you haven’t been around horses?” Harold teased. “What’s this world coming to?”

  “I grew up in town,” she replied. “If I couldn’t get around by walking, I rode a bike.”

  He clipped a lead rope to the halter of a round-bellied chestnut mare and led her out the gate before tying her to a stanchion. “How old were you when you lost your folks?”

  “In my teens. Mom went first. That’s when I started to hang around with my cousin, Arianna, more.” Nicki made a face. “Until I saw her for what she really was.”

  “Is that when you became a cook?”

  “Sort of. I cooked for my father for a while, then went to work doing kitchen prep until a grill job opened up at the truck stop. That’s how I found out I was good at short-order work. It wasn’t a bad job.”

  “You’re too talented for drudgery like that,” Harold said. He handed her a brush, slipped his hand into the strap on a similar tool and demonstrated stroking the mare’s coat as he continued. “You should have gone to culinary school to become a real chef.”

  “Special schooling costs money. I was too busy trying to make ends meet and keep my head above water, so to speak, to even think of getting more education. I learned by doing.” She smiled as the brush glided over the horse’s smooth hide and the animal’s skin twitched beneath her soft touch.

  “And then what ha
ppened?” he asked.

  “I got stupid.” Nicki paused the brush and made brief eye contact with the older man before looking away. “It’s embarrassing to even talk about, but I suppose you may as well hear it from me instead of through the grapevine. I thought I was in love. I thought Bobby Lee wanted to marry me. I fell for his line that we should move in together and pool our resources so we could save up for a wedding.” She huffed. “I’m no kid...I should have known better.” She took note of Titan, lying in the shade nearby and panting. “If I’d been smart, I’d have gotten a dog instead.”

  Harold nodded sagely. Nicki noted that he appeared to be concentrating hard on grooming the mare instead of looking at her, and that helped her continue her story without too much awkwardness.

  “Bobby Lee played me like a cheap fiddle. I made the mistake of trusting him and look what it got me.”

  “Seems to me things are starting to improve,” Harold remarked. “At least you have a better job and folks who’ll look out for you.”

  “Until the murderer is caught or whoever has been after me gives up,” Nicki countered.

  “I take it you still have no idea what your late cousin meant when she mentioned you?”

  “Nope. Not even an inkling.” She glanced over the mare’s withers to see if she could tell whether or not he still doubted her honesty. The kindness and sympathy in his expression was very comforting. “You believe me.”

  “I do. And for what it’s worth, so does my nephew.”

  “Really? I’d wondered about that, particularly after all those other cops kept questioning me at the barbecue.”

  “They were just doing their jobs. I could tell they liked you, too.”

  “It did seem that way, didn’t it?” Nicki smiled. “I wish it was as easy to tell about people as it is to tell that Titan likes me.”

  Hearing his name, the black Lab thumped his tail against the hard-packed ground next to the barn.

  Harold chuckled. “Hey, feed me as many treats as you sneak out to him, and I’d follow you anywhere, too.”

  “You noticed?”