“Well, it’s barely there and you planned on doing what when you got here and found someone?” His hands went to his hips.
“I don’t know. Confront them, I suppose.”
“Jesus, woman! If it had been someone else, you could have been hurt.”
“Well, pardon me all to hell for trying to help out,” she said between clenched teeth.
“Go inside, Melissa,” he growled.
“Why are you out here? Did you hear something?”
“No, I… No. Just go to bed.”
Glancing past him, she saw a sleeping bag on the floor. “Are you sleeping out here?”
“Would you just go back to the house?”
Folding her arms across her chest, she stared at him.
“Are you sleeping out here?” she repeated.
“Yes,” he snapped, obviously uncomfortable with the questioning.
“Why?”
“Christ! You are the nosiest woman I know. I can’t sleep in the house yet.”
“Why not?”
“Son of a bitch,” he muttered drawing the words out for emphasis as he grabbed her elbow and began pulling her from the barn and across the yard. “Can you ever just do as I ask? Do you always have to push me?”
Jerking her arm from him, she narrowed her eyes. “Do not manhandle me. I know the way.”
“Do you? Then how about finding your way back and leaving me the hell alone,” he shouted.
“Fine. I’ll leave you alone. You have my two-week notice. How’s that for leaving you alone?”
“You’re quitting?” he asked in a surprised voice.
“I won’t have you pushing me around. I didn’t do anything wrong. I came out here to see if someone was in the barn and you get all mad about me asking if you’re sleeping out here. I saw the sleeping bag.”
“And that gives you the right to butt into my business? You work for me and nothing else.”
“Wrong! I used to work for you.” She poked him in the chest with her finger then spun on her heel and marched across the yard leaving him behind. “Damn man. All I did was ask a simple question. Who sleeps in the barn when they have a house with several bedrooms to choose from? Who the hell does he think he is?”
“I think I’m the owner of this place,” he said from behind her.
Startled, she squealed and whirled around to look at him then stomped her foot in the dirt. “Don’t sneak up on me.”
“I wasn’t sneaking. I was making sure you got to the house without trying to do a perimeter check.”
“Funny, Beckett, real funny. I’ll be out of here later today…to hell with waiting two weeks.” She stalked away from him.
“I hope you kept your apartment back in Texas.”
Stopping in her tracks, she turned to look at him.
“Apartment?” At his nod, she swallowed. “I, uh…no, I didn’t.”
“I suppose you can get a room in town. I believe there’s a motel or two there until you head back to Texas to live with your parents.” Striding around her, he walked up the porch steps, and entered the house.
Staring at the back door, Melissa shook her head. Live with my parents. Oh, hell no!
Stomping her foot, she swore as she stepped on a sharp pebble. Realizing she might have overreacted, she took a deep breath, and entered the house to see him standing with his back to the sink and his arms folded across his broad chest. He raised an eyebrow at her.
“I may have spoken too soon,” she muttered with contrition.
“Ya think?” he said with sarcasm. Sighing, he pushed himself away from the counter. “So now you’re staying?”
“Yes,” she whispered.
“What’s that? I’m sorry; I didn’t catch what you said.” His head tilted to the side.
“Yes,” she growled.
“All right.” He headed toward the door.
“Are you going back outside to sleep in the barn?”
“Melissa…damn,” he snarled in obvious frustration.
“Okay. Okay. I was just curious as to why you’d sleep out there. It’s getting so much colder at night now. Aren’t you cold?”
“I’m fine. Eventually, I’ll move into the house.”
“Are you afraid someone will do something to the animals?” She gasped. “That’s it, isn’t it? You think a previous owner will come and try to take an animal back.”
He ran his hand down over his face as he looked at her. “No. The gates stay locked, remember? Just let it go.”
Pulling out a chair out from the table, Melissa took a seat. “You said it yourself. I’m nosy.”
“Nosy is a fucking understatement with you. I’m your boss and I don’t have to tell you anything I don’t want to.”
“Why do you call this place MERAS?” she asked, tilting her head.
He stared at her and then shook his head as if to shake off cobwebs. “How do you just switch topics like that?”
“Call it a gift.” She shrugged.
“How about I call it a pain in the ass?”
“You never explained what it stood for. I’m sure it’s Maisy’s something.”
“Maisy’s Equine Rescue and Sanctuary.” He blew out a breath.
“She would love this place.” Melissa moved her foot back and forth along the floor.
“Yes, she would.”
Sniffing, Melissa nodded. “I miss her. We were closer than most sisters.”
“Her flesh and blood sister killed her. I would hope you loved her enough to have never done that.”
“I have no idea what was going through Tara’s mind and to think of Maisy standing in front of her while Tara aimed a gun at her…” Melissa shook her head. “What about the employees here? Do you plan on telling them about your past?”
“All you or anyone else around here needs to know is that I’m your boss. I don’t owe any of you explanations.”
“True.”
“Good. Go to bed, Melissa. I’ll see you Monday.”
“Are you going somewhere?”
“No, but you have the weekends off unless we have an emergency.”
“I don’t have anything to do.”
“Well then…you could start moving smaller things into your new apartment. It’s almost finished.”
“All right.” She headed toward her door and then stopped. “Are you all right?”
“Yes. I’ll miss her for the rest of my life, but I’m fine now.”
“If you ever need to talk, I’m here. We both loved her.”
“I know you loved her. I’ll keep it in mind.”
“I mean it, Brayden. I’ll listen.”
“I know,” he said and walked out the door.
Chapter Five
Why had he even talked with her? Possibly, because she knew how much he had loved Maisy. Maybe he just wanted to shut her up since the woman didn’t know when to quit. He was surprised she didn’t run out the door behind him demanding more answers.
Striding into the barn, he removed his boots then slid down into the sleeping bag. Damn it! But no matter how much she bugged the hell out of him, he found her so beautiful, desirable, and sexy. Clasping his hands behind his head, he stared up through the skylight.
Melissa was right. Soon it would be too cold to sleep in the barn and he’d have to sleep in the house. He sighed knowing he’d have to get used to it sometime. It was just the idea of being inside. He just needed to remember that he could walk outside anytime he wanted now. Solitary confinement for five years was a time in his life he’d never get over. All he’d ever been allowed to do was read, listen to a radio, watch the community TV from his cell, and exercise which he could only do in a cage. Like a dog kennel, but higher with no way to get out until a guard opened it. Brayden had kept his body in shape and once a day, he could go outside for an hour but that hour flew by. If it rained, he’d stay in his cell but if the sun was shining, he was happy to get out and soak it up. Being put in a cage was the only way the death row inmates were allowed
out. Side by side, so no one could touch each other. Some would exercise and some would just do what he did, sit back and breathe in the fresh air. Every day when he woke up, he prayed he was dreaming and back in his bed with Maisy. It never happened though. Maisy was gone and he was in hell.
Groaning, he continued to stare up at the night sky. From the moment he’d been arrested, he was put in jail because of the charge of murder in the first degree. He sat in a cell and was only out of it when he was in court during the trial.
That time had taught him that people took so much for granted. He could lay here for hours and just stare at the moon. He also couldn’t wait for snow and the joy of walking in it. He enjoyed every moment of the warm sun shining down on a hot day and the feel of the wind blowing against his skin. All of it was precious to him. No one, except those on the inside, knew what it was like.
Inhaling deeply, he delighted in the smell of the horses and the sweet hay inside the barn and he couldn’t wait to go horseback riding. Five long years had already passed since he’d ridden. Maisy had loved riding and he knew she would have loved the sanctuary. It had been a long time dream of hers having grown up on the horse ranch in Dallas that her father, James Greene, had once owned. When his wife divorced him, he’d sold it. Maisy grew up with the huge animals and loved them. It was one reason she would’ve loved this place, same as him.
Brayden loved all animals, just as she had. One of many things they had in common. They fell in love so fast and that love only grew stronger the more they were together and after they’d married. Then it all fell apart two years later when Maisy was murdered, and he arrested for it. He’d only had three years with her.
Glancing to the door when he heard it open, he shook his head when Melissa entered the barn. He sat up and stared at her.
“Damn it. Now what?”
Walking to a bale of hay, she sat down on it wrapping her arms around her middle.
“How did they exonerate you? I mean, I know Tara killed her but I never heard how it happened. I’m trying not to be nosy.”
Grunting, Brayden shook his head. “I seriously doubt that.”
“Please, Brayden. Just tell me.”
“Did you ever doubt that I didn’t kill her?”
“No.”
“How do you know?” He tilted his head.
“I know how much you loved her. I testified for you, along with a lot of other people, remember?”
“Yes. A lot of good that did me though,” Brayden muttered.
“I couldn’t believe it when they came back with a guilty verdict. I was floored. I cried.”
“Is that right?” Brayden stared at her.
“Yes,” she whispered suddenly looking uncomfortable.
“Why are you out here, Melissa?”
“I just want you to know I’m here for you. I loved her too, you know.”
“I know you did, but she’s gone.”
“But you still love her.”
“I’ll always love her. Until I take my last breath.”
A heavy silence hung in the air for a long moment before Melissa continued.
“Tell me how they got Tara.”
Brayden rolled his shoulders. “It was my gun Maisy was killed with.”
“I know all of that.”
He noticed a shiver run over her and her arms tightened around her middle.
“Are you afraid of me?” He frowned at the thought but under the circumstances of where he’d spent the last years, it might be understandable.
“I would have left if I was.” She stared at him. “No…it’s cold out here.”
“Maybe you should have stayed inside then.”
“Brayden, could you just tell me,” she said through clenched teeth.
“If only I hadn’t had that damn insurance policy.” He took a deep breath.
“What about the insurance policy?”
“We wanted the security of knowing we’d never lose the ranch if something happened to one of us.” He grunted. “It did no good. I not only lost her but I lost the ranch and the money. For a while anyway.”
“What do you mean?”
“Once I was exonerated, I was granted the insurance money and the state of Texas had to pay me four hundred thousand dollars for wrongful imprisonment too. I had also inherited money from my granddad. So when you asked me about having money, now you know I do—plenty. The life insurance policies were for a million. Of course, had I known then, when I took out the policies, what I know now, I never would have taken out such big policies. But we wanted the other to be able to go on.”
“I remember Maisy telling me that. What about the ranch?”
“I was allowed to sign it over to my parents but they sold it at my request. With me being on death row, there was no sense in me keeping it and if I did happen to get out, I wanted nothing to do with Texas again.”
“Tell me about Tara.”
“I don’t know if you ever noticed, I certainly didn’t, but it seems Tara thought she was in love with me. She killed Maisy so we’d be together.” He heard Melissa gasp. “Stupid thinking on her part. Even if she hadn’t killed Maisy, we’d never be together. She was like a sister to me.” He shrugged.
“I had no idea. How did they figure out it was her?” she asked again.
“I could only have visitors once every three months. One time when Tara was there, she mentioned she couldn’t wait for me to get out so we could finally be together. I told her that unless they found the real killer, I was never getting out. Hell, I was on death row. Then she said something to the effect that it wasn’t right, that she’d done it for me, and I knew right then who killed Maisy.”
“What happened then? How did they prove it was her?”
“I called my lawyer and told him what she’d said. Luckily, he was able to convince two detectives to help us, along with the warden who actually believed in my innocence too. They arranged for Tara to be able to come back in a few days. I called her and asked her to visit and of course, she was happy to see me again. It was set up so we’d meet outside the restricted area, which if she’d given it half a thought, she’d know that just didn’t happen. The only visitor I could have contact with was my mom. The others were non-contact only. Anyway, they had us sit at a table and I wore a wire then I got her to tell me how she did it and why.” He heaved out a ragged breath. “She did—in vivid detail.”
“Tell me,” she whispered.
Taking a deep breath, he continued even as his heart ached.
“Tara knew about the Smith and Wesson we kept in the laundry room in a lockbox. We each had a key for it on our keyrings, since it was for us to take along when we went riding. You know, in case a wild animal threatened us, or we saw a snake. Anyway, we kept it in the lockbox on the top shelf. That weekend I had gone to a sale in Fort Worth and Maisy had gone shopping with her mother and Tara. When they’d finished, Tara and Maisy headed back to our ranch. Tara had said that it was early evening so they sat out on the porch. She’d suggested something to drink and told Maisy she’d get it. She went into the house, pulled on plastic gloves she had with her, and using Maisy’s keys, which were hanging on a hook by the kitchen door, she unlocked the box, removed the gun, and loaded it. Then she’d stayed inside long enough for Maisy to come looking for her. When Maisy entered the kitchen, Tara was waiting for her. She told her that she knew I was in love with her, not with Maisy and that we were going to be together once she got Maisy out of the way. Then she shot Maisy in the chest. Killing her instantly.”
He paused, swallowing hard then he continued. “I can’t imagine what was going through Maisy’s mind, seeing her sister aiming a gun at her. Tara put the gun back and left. She said she’d sat at home, waiting for the phone call telling her about her sister’s death. The ranch manager found Maisy when he came in the next morning. The only fingerprints on the gun were Maisy’s—and mine. Tara said she never thought they’d convict me of the crime. She never even thought about the possibility of
my fingerprints being on the gun. Or how it would make me the number one suspect. She thought for sure that they would think someone broke in and killed Maisy.”
Blowing out a breath, pushing down residual anger, he went on. “I don’t know what she was thinking. Only Maisy and I ever used that gun. Even though I was in Fort Worth, the prosecution proved that I had time to go back to the ranch, kill…kill my wife and go back to the hotel. A detective came to the hotel to tell me about Maisy then he followed me home while I had to drive alone knowing my wife was dead. It didn’t matter what I said, they believed I’d done it from the start. You know, husband’s always the first suspect. No one at the hotel could verify me being there. I’d gone back to my room after the sale. I left only once and that was to get something to eat. Of course, that was the timeline they used for me to go home, kill Maisy and return to the hotel. Of all the restaurants, I could have picked to go through the drive-thru…the one I chose, the cameras weren’t working. No alibi for me and with my fingerprints on the gun, I was guilty as sin in their eyes. The jury saw it the same way. No matter how many people testified that I loved my wife, twelve people didn’t believe it. I think the part that really got to me was hearing my mom sob when they read the verdict. She was devastated.”
“Oh my God, Brayden, I can’t imagine what you went through. How did you not go crazy being in prison?”
“Some days I thought I would, but I held on to the hope they’d eventually find the real killer. I had to hang on to that and I sure as hell never thought it would be Tara.”
Standing, Melissa stared at him. “I’m so sorry you went through that. To lose the woman you love and then be accused of killing her…I just don’t know how you coped. I thought about you almost every day, wondering what if…what if they didn’t find out who killed her. You’d have been put to death for something you didn’t do.”
“It happens. I prayed every night I wasn’t one of those who were put to death only for them to discover later that I was innocent.”
“Is Tara in prison now?”
Brayden : A Beckett Brothers Novel Book 1 (The Beckett Brothers) Page 5