“Sorry.” Removing his hat, he stepped into the kitchen.
“Is something the matter?” Rita asked, her voice laced with innocence.
He shifted his gaze to Maureen. If anything, his mood had deteriorated. “Rita,” he said, “do you mind watching Katie for a few minutes? I need to talk to her mother.”
Rita glanced quickly at Maureen. “Of course.” When Rita looked back at Alan, Maureen wondered if she, too, saw the simmering anger behind his eyes. “Katie and I will be in the living room.” Then, turning to Maureen, she added, “If you need me.” She leveled a warning look at her nephew and left the room.
Neither of them spoke at first. Maureen finished drying the plate she’d been holding and set it on the stack of clean dishes. She took her time putting them into the cupboard and then folding the dish towel on the rack.
“Are you through?” Alan asked, irritation and impatience evident in his voice.
“Yes.” Not daring to meet his eyes, she nodded and glanced around the kitchen. “I think so.”
“Good.” Alan moved toward the door and held it open. “Let’s go out back then.”
Maureen took a deep breath and walked out onto the back porch. It was still light, but the day had settled and the sights and sounds of evening filled her senses. Too bad she wasn’t going to be able to enjoy them.
Alan closed the door behind them and moved to stand by the rail with his back to her. Bracing herself, Maureen decided to take the offensive. “Is this an official visit, Sheriff?”
He spun around, and she wished she’d held her tongue. His eyes sparked and his voice dripped with annoyance. “We could make it official. If that’s what you want.”
Maureen looked up at him for a moment, then shook her head in resignation. There was no point making this any harder than necessary. “No.”
He took a step toward her. “Then how about telling me just what the hell you think you were doing out at the Simmons place?”
“What a silly question.” Maureen threw up her hands in exasperation and moved away from him. “You sound just like Bud.”
“I’m not Bud.” He followed her across the porch, coming close enough to pin her against the railing. “And I deserve an answer. What were you doing out there?”
“Okay. Okay.” Alan’s closeness accomplished what Bud’s size had failed to do. She felt small and defenseless, and unwilling to defy this man any further. “I wasn’t doing anything. I simply befriended a young boy.”
“Bud Simmons’s boy.”
“That’s right.” She lifted her chin in a silent gesture of defiance. “I wasn’t aware that was against the law.”
“Damn it, Maureen.” Dropping his hands to his hips, Alan stepped away from her. “You know the situation out there.”
“No, I don’t. Or at least, I didn’t.” She crossed her arms and moved farther away from him. “All I knew was what you told me—which didn’t agree with what I’d seen.”
“You thought Bud was abusing his boys.”
“Yes!” She shot him another defiant look. “Tommy was so painfully shy and so afraid of … something.”
“But I told you—”
“I know what you told me,” she snapped. Then, almost apologetically, she added, “I needed to see for myself.”
Alan shook his head and turned away. “So, do you believe me now?”
She looked away guiltily. “Yes. Though I still don’t know why he’s so afraid.”
Shifting to lean against one of the roof supports, Alan half sat on the railing, leaving one foot firmly anchored on the floor. “So is that why you kept going out there?” The hard edge of anger had disappeared from his voice, but she sensed it, just below the surface, ready to emerge again at a moment’s notice. “Because you couldn’t figure out what Tommy was afraid of?”
“Yes.” She met his gaze. “And there was something else he needed my help with.”
Alan raised a questioning eyebrow.
“There was this deer.” Even now, she felt guilty revealing Tommy’s secret. But she figured Bud had already found out about the animal, and it might smooth things with Alan if she told him the whole story.
“A deer?” Pulling off his hat, he ran a hand through his hair.
She moved up to lean against the railing next to him. “The day we went to Seattle, I found Tommy in the barn. He was nursing a wounded deer.”
Alan frowned. “Why didn’t you tell me about this?”
“Tommy asked me not to.”
Alan didn’t say anything for a few moments, but just stared out at the woods bordering Rita’s backyard. Then he turned to her and asked, “How was the animal hurt?”
“His leg. It was broken and pretty badly chewed up—”
“No. I mean how was it hurt? What caused it?”
“Tommy said it was a trap.”
Surprise registered on his face. “A trap?”
“I didn’t see it, but that’s what he said.” She shrugged. “Why? What difference does it make?”
Alan shook his head. “That’s why Bud was so riled up. He’s using traps for big game.”
“I don’t get it.”
“It’s not trapping season. And even if it were, trapping big game like deer is illegal.”
“But Tommy said the trap wasn’t meant for the deer.”
“Maybe not, but if the trap was big enough to break that animal’s leg, my guess is that Bud isn’t after small game. He’s probably using old illegal traps, as well.” Slipping off his perch, he turned to rest both hands on the wood railing. “Damn!”
Maureen didn’t know what to say. Bud’s ravings in town today suddenly made much more sense. He’d been afraid she knew about his illegal hunting activities. If only he knew the mistake he’d made. She didn’t know the first thing about hunting of any kind. If he’d only kept his cool, Alan wouldn’t be standing here considering what to do about it.
Suddenly, she was more afraid than ever for Tommy. Over the last several weeks, she’d come to the conclusion that Bud didn’t beat his boys. But he was a violent, unpredictable man. And if he’d found out about her and the deer …
“Alan.” She moved up beside him and placed a hand on his arm. “I have to go out there again.”
“Forget it.” His eyes darkened, warning her that his anger stirred close to the surface. “You were trying to help Tommy, but it’s over now. Things have taken on a whole new flavor here. You can’t go out there again.”
“But I have to.” She tightened her hold on his arm, begging him to understand. I have to make sure Tommy’s safe.
“Maureen …” The muscles under her hand bunched, his voice threatened, but she chose to ignore both warnings.
“Once more. I promised him. And I won’t break that promise.” She turned and started to walk away.
Before she knew what was happening, Alan grabbed her and spun her around. Taking hold of her upper arms, he pulled her against his chest, trapping her hands between them. “No! I won’t let you.”
She should have been furious. There was nothing gentle about him—not the look in his dark eyes nor the hands gripping her arms. She should have resented his tone of voice, hated his attitude. Not even her father dared treat her like this. She should have slapped his face, or at least demand that he unhand her. She didn’t do either. Instead, she held her breath, wondering if he could hear the pounding of her heart.
She felt the shift within him as his temper gave way to something else. His eyes warmed, hunger replacing anger. His hands gentled, stroking, working their way to her waist, where they pulled her even closer.
It felt like coming home. As if she’d been away and finally arrived back where she belonged. For two months, she’d pretended not to want this, trying to forget how good it felt to be in his arms. Now she knew it had all been for nothing. She would never be able to forget. She loved him.
Slipping her arms around his neck, she lifted her face to his. He accepted her offer, lightly grazing her li
ps with his own. It was like touching a match to dry kindling. The bridled flame between them ignited, and the gentle touching of lips became a blaze of longing and desire.
Alan had dreamed about this far too long to resist. Soft, demanding lips met his. Low, urgent moans echoed her desire for him. He reveled in the feel of her slender body curved next to his and imagined her soft skin, fevered with wanting, beneath the fabric of her shirt. Without thinking, he yanked her blouse from the waistband of her jeans, wanting to feel …
Suddenly, he stopped himself. Ending the kiss, he pulled back enough to see her face. He couldn’t quite bring himself to let her out of his arms. “This isn’t a good idea, Maureen.”
“No. Not now.” Her words agreed, but her eyes and lips said otherwise. They enticed him, inviting him to continue. He was tempted. It would be so easy to drown himself in her, to take what she offered until he lifted her in his arms and carried her into the woods to satisfy them both.
“Not here,” he said aloud. Smiling, he took one more taste of her honey-sweet lips, one soft, gentle sip, and then reluctantly released them.
She smiled and rested her head against his chest. Removing his hands from the smooth skin of her back, he lifted one to cradle her head against him.
“This doesn’t change anything,” he said after long minutes of sweet silence. “I can’t let you go out there.” He kept his voice soft. “It’s too dangerous.”
Sighing, she nestled closer against him. “That’s why I have to go. I’m concerned about Tommy.”
“I’ll go and check on the boy.”
She raised her head to look into his eyes. “He won’t talk to you. I’m his friend. He trusts me. And I promised.”
“Do you have any idea how serious this is?” Annoyance crept back into his voice. The woman had no idea what she had walked into out there. “Bud’s not just letting his son drive without a license, he’s illegally trapping big game. That’s a criminal as well as a civil offense. And you know about it. What’s to keep him from shooting you for trespassing?”
“He won’t be there,” she insisted. “I go on Sundays, and he’s never there. I don’t know how he even found out, unless he discovered the deer and Tommy told him. That’s why I have to talk to Tommy—just to make sure he’s okay.”
Alan released her and turned away, shaking his head. He couldn’t believe how obstinate she was being about this. She planned on going out to Simmons’s place again. And it seemed nothing he could say would change that. Turning back to her, he searched her face, looking for some way to break through her stubbornness. He saw none. There was only one way to make sure she was safe.
“Okay,” he said. “I’ll take you.”
His offer seemed to throw her off, and for a moment, she didn’t seem to know what to say. Then she shook her head. “That would only make things worse. Bud will think you’re coming out to arrest him or something.”
“I thought Bud wasn’t going to be there.”
“Well, I can’t guarantee it, and if he is—”
“I’ll be there to make sure he doesn’t shoot you.”
He’d stumped her, and he could see she wasn’t happy about it. In fact, she looked pretty irritated. But that was just too bad. “Okay,” he said, considering the discussion closed. “I’ll pick you up Sunday morning. Around nine.”
She looked ready to argue again, but then resignation set in and she nodded. “Okay. But you have to stay away from Bud.”
“Don’t worry about me.” Lowering his mouth to hers, he kissed her lightly. “Then we need to talk about us.” Releasing her, he turned to walk away but changed his mind. “One more question.”
Maureen stopped with her hand on the doorknob. “What?” She smiled, and he almost lost his resolve. Then he forced himself to remember the one thing he’d promised himself he would ask.
“Why do you color your hair?”
Shock registered in her eyes. Her hand flew first to her chest, then fluttered to her hair. “My hair?”
“Yeah.” Alan nodded, holding his breath.
She glanced sideways and dropped her hand, wrapping her arms about her waist. “How did you know?”
“A wild guess.”
She still didn’t look at him. Instead, her gaze skipped over inanimate objects: the porch, the sky, the trees behind his back. “Premature gray runs in my family,” she answered after a moment’s hesitation.
“Premature gray?” She was lying. A queasiness began in the pit of his stomach, making him wish he hadn’t asked the question. Maybe it was better not to know.
“Yes.” She met his gaze for a moment then looked away again. “I mean, who wants to be gray at thirty-five?”
Maureen shut the door behind her and collapsed against its solid frame. Her hand drifted to her hair again. He knew she colored it. She’d been so careful about it, making certain her light roots never showed. What else did he know? He’d had a strange expression on his face just now that frightened her beyond reason. He had looked disappointed.
Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. She felt as nervous as she had when she’d first come to town three months ago. She’d been a woman running scared, jumping at shadows, shying from every badge she saw. Except now she had cause to be frightened. If Alan suspected her of something and checked up on her …
No. She pushed the thought aside. He wouldn’t do that. He wouldn’t investigate her behind her back. After all, they’d become friends—and there was this other, stronger emotion between them.
On the porch, when he’d taken her into his arms, she had finally understood that she loved him. She wasn’t sure when it had started. Maybe it was the day of the festival, or the afternoon they had sat and watched the sunset at Cliff’s. Possibly she’d fallen a little in love with him the first time she’d watched him bounce Katie around Rita’s living room. When didn’t really matter. She loved him. It was as simple—and as complicated—as that.
And she knew he felt something for her, too. The thought warmed her. Whether he was in love with her, she couldn’t say, but he cared. She’d felt it in his arms, seen it in his eyes. He wouldn’t, couldn’t go behind her back.
But what if he did?
Fear chilled her. She knew this man and his view of right and wrong. He would never understand about Katie. If he found that Maureen was wanted for kidnapping, she wasn’t sure he would even bother to let her explain before arresting her. The way he felt about Katie, she doubted it. He’d turn Maureen in first and ask why later—if he ever bothered to ask why at all.
It was time to go. No more stalling. She and Katie would leave tomorrow on the first bus.
“Maureen dear, are you all right?” Rita’s voice snapped her back to the present. “Alan didn’t upset you, did he?”
“No.” Her answer was automatic. Funny how she’d learned to lie without giving it a second thought. “I’m fine.” She pushed away from the door and crossed the room to the older woman. “He was angry, but it’s okay now.”
“What happened?”
“Just what you predicted.” Maureen smiled and thought how much she would miss Rita. She had become more than a friend—she was more like the mother Maureen had always wished for. Rita would never have left her alone to deal with her domineering father. “He got all angry and gruff and told me not to go out there again.”
Rita laughed lightly. “And …”
“He’s going to take me out to the Simmons place this Sunday.” At Rita’s surprised expression, Maureen added, “Just to make sure Tommy’s okay.”
It was a couple hours later, after explaining everything to Rita, before Maureen had time to think again. She lay in bed next to Katie and tried to put her thoughts in order.
She and Katie couldn’t leave tomorrow.
Katie was invited to a birthday party on Sunday. It was her first. Tod, the little boy whose mother watched her while Maureen worked, was turning five. Katie had talked of nothing else for days. How could she
explain to the child that she would miss the party because they were leaving? It was going to be hard on her anyway, but it might be a little easier after the party.
Besides, she couldn’t leave Tommy without saying goodbye. Sometime while talking with Rita, she’d realized that in order to leave tomorrow, she would have to break her promise to the boy. At first, she’d pushed the thought aside. She had to think of Katie. Tommy would be fine. Maybe Alan would go out and see the boy on his own now that she’d alerted him to the possible danger. But the thought nagged at her, and she knew she had to go out to the Simmons place one more time.
It was Friday. She would just have to take her chances that Alan hadn’t quite gotten to the point of checking up on her. But first thing Monday morning, she and Katie would be on their way to Seattle.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The harsh buzz of his private cell brought Jacob Anderson awake with a start, his heart pounding. A quick glance at the clock on the nightstand told him it was the middle of the night. Grabbing the offending instrument, he didn’t try to hide his displeasure at being so rudely awakened.
“What is it?”
“I found her,” said Cooper’s disembodied voice.
Jacob bolted upright as a surge of hope streaked through him. “Where?”
“Washington State. Northeast of Seattle. A place called Wyattville.”
Jacob took a moment to calm himself. Then, reaching over to the nightstand, he switched on the lamp and grabbed a pen and paper. “Never heard of it.” In neat block letters he wrote the name of the town.
Cooper chuckled softly. “I don’t think many people have.”
“Is she okay?”
“Fine. She’s been here awhile. Working in a local diner and living in a boardinghouse.”
“And the girl?”
“Good. They’re here to stay.” Cooper paused before going on. “It even looks as though your daughter has something going with the local sheriff.”
“Something going?”
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