How in the hell had anyone known they were in his truck? Was somebody watching his every movement? Trisha’s?
His gaze shot to the Humes ranch in the distance. She’d named four men who worked on the neighboring ranch and usually sought out her section to eat in when they came into the café.
Zeke Osmond was a known creep, as was the older Lloyd Green. Greg Albertson and Shep Harmon had never given Dusty much trouble, but that didn’t mean anything.
Was one of them responsible for everything that was happening? Certainly their proximity made them jump to the top of any list of suspects.
Any one of them could have crept across the property in the darkness of night and gotten into his truck. With a set of binoculars, one of them could have watched Dusty and Trisha pull into the driveway the night before. It was certainly easier to believe that possibility than embrace the idea of one of the men here being responsible for anything negative.
He entered the stables and went directly to the tack room. He sat down on a bench but didn’t immediately begin his work. His thoughts continued to tumble over themselves in his head.
Rage.
That was what Dillon had described he’d seen in the destroyed motel room.
Rage.
Was it Frank? Or was it possible that someone’s secret crush on Trisha had transformed into that intense negative emotion? Was it a case of a crazy obsession turned bad?
Had Zeke harbored a secret resentment toward Trisha that had simmered for six months since she’d turned him down for a date? Had that resentment flared into something worse when he’d realized that Trisha was dating Dusty? It was impossible to know for sure.
Somebody had to have known that those things had been in his truck—somebody who now surely knew that Trisha and Cooper were here on the ranch.
Dusty wanted to protect her and Cooper against any harm, but how did he fight an unknown entity? How could he guess from where danger might come?
Are you really strong enough?
Are you really smart enough?
The resounding self-doubts echoed in his brain. He shook his head in an attempt to dispel them. You aren’t that sniveling punk anymore, he reminded himself.
Are you really strong enough?
He only hoped that when push came to shove, he was capable of doing whatever was necessary to keep Cooper and Trisha safe from harm.
CHAPTER 9
“It’s nice to finally have that blue tent gone,” Cassie said late that evening after the art and ice cream party had come to an end and Dusty had left to return to the bunkhouse. Cooper was in bed and the two women lingered in the kitchen over glasses of iced tea.
“I can’t imagine how horrified you must have been when those skeletons were first found,” Trisha said and fought off a shiver that threatened to walk up her spine. It seemed as though her thoughts kept going to all things bad...skeletons, stalkers and things that went bump in the night.
“It was definitely more than a little sobering.” Cassie paused to take a drink. When she placed her glass back on the table, a frown furrowed her brow. “It was crazy to find out that I’d been left this ranch by an aunt I hardly knew, but definitely horrifying to realize I’d also inherited a decade-old murder mystery, as well.”
She cast her gaze out the window, where the darkness of night was profound, and when she turned back to look at Trisha she gave her a wry smile. “You have a crazy ex-boyfriend in your past and lately I’ve been wondering if maybe my aunt Cass might have had a little bad crazy in her.”
Trisha looked at her in surprise. “Dusty thinks Cass hung the moon.”
“Yeah, so do all of the other cowboys here, but they’ll also tell you she was tough as nails. Rumor has it that she could flick a cigarette out of somebody’s mouth with her bullwhip and she took no guff from anyone.”
“Do you think she might have had something to do with the murders?” Trisha asked.
Cassie swept a hand through her blond hair and released a sigh. “To be honest, I don’t know what to think. I found a bunch of her diaries in an old shed and I’ve been slowly working my way through them to learn more about her and her life. Unfortunately, by the time I go to bed to do a little reading, I end up falling asleep. These ranch hours are definitely different than the ones I kept when I was in New York.”
“I heard you had a shop there. That must be exciting.”
Cassie laughed. “I suppose it’s exciting if you like stress. The truth is I’ve spoken with the landlord, who is a friend of mine, and at the end of the month he’s going to pack up the contents of the store and put them in storage for me.”
“Does that mean you’ve decided that you’re going to stay here in Bitterroot?”
Cassie frowned once again. “To be honest, I don’t know what the future holds for me. I haven’t made up my mind yet whether I want to stay here or go back to New York. My heart is really still in the city and with my art, but there are things that need to be taken care of around the ranch before I’d put it on the market.”
“I’m sure everyone here wants you to stay,” Trisha said.
Cassie nodded. “Some of the men have been quite vocal about wanting me to stay and not sell out.” She leaned back in her chair. “You and Dusty seem to have a good thing going on.”
Trisha’s cheeks warmed. “He’s something special. What about you? Have you met any cowboy who makes your heart beat a little faster?”
“I don’t want to meet anyone who might make my decision about leaving here more difficult.”
Trisha smiled. “It’s funny—you aren’t sure if you want to stay here, and I don’t want to leave.”
“Maybe you’ll hear something from Dillon tomorrow that will set your mind at ease.”
“I hope so, and now I’d better get up to bed. That little man of mine will be up early.” Trisha finished the last of her iced tea and then put her glass in the dishwasher.
A half an hour later she was in the twin bed. She stared up at the darkened ceiling and listened to Cooper’s soft sleeping breaths.
She couldn’t help thinking once again of the trashed motel room and what it implied. She’d called Fred Ferguson, the owner of the motel, earlier in the day to tell him how sorry she was about the room.
Fred had assured her that he didn’t hold her responsible and he was as eager as anyone for Dillon to come up with the guilty party.
She’d hoped that Dillon would have some news for her before the end of the day. Hopefully he’ll have news for me tomorrow, she thought as she drifted off to sleep.
The next day passed agonizingly slowly as she waited for a phone call or a visit from the chief of police. Cassie left just before noon with her foreman, Adam, to deal with some ranch business, and Trisha and Cooper ate lunch and then he went down for a nap.
While he slept, Trisha paced the great room and finally settled on the sofa and turned on the television, but the game show couldn’t hold her attention.
As nice as Cassie was, Trisha and Cooper couldn’t stay here forever. Trisha also couldn’t go weeks without getting back to work. Maybe it would be best for everyone if she and Cooper really did leave town.
A small voice in her head cried out as she contemplated leaving Dusty. He already had more than a piece of her heart. She could see a future with him. She could visualize a life with him. But at what cost?
Thankfully, Cooper woke up and Cassie returned home. Their cheerful chatter managed to pull Trisha out of her black thoughts...at least for the moment.
It was just after dinner that Dusty came to the back door. “I thought maybe you and Cooper might like to come outside and play,” he said with his charming smile.
“What are we gonna play, Dusty?” Cooper asked eagerly.
“I thought you could bring your cowboy figures
outside and your mom and I can watch while you build a town.”
“Cool!” Cooper replied. “Can we?” He turned to Trisha with excitement. “Can we play outside?”
“Sure, that sounds like fun,” she agreed.
“There’s a couple of lawn chairs in the garden shed,” Cassie said.
“Thanks, I already grabbed them,” Dusty replied.
Twenty minutes later Cooper was busy making buildings from sticks and rocks that Dusty had gathered as Trisha and Dusty watched from the comfort of the chairs.
“Good day?” Dusty asked. He looked at her as if he wanted to see each and every thought she’d had while he was absent.
“It was a long day. I was hoping to hear something from Dillon,” she replied.
“I’m sure he’ll let you know just as soon as he knows something,” Dusty replied. “The crimes that you think Frank committed didn’t just happen yesterday,” he reminded her softly.
“I know, but I can’t stay here with Cassie forever, and sooner rather than later I need to get back to work.”
“Trisha, it’s only been two nights.” His gaze held hers intently and then a smile curved his lips. “Don’t make me hog-tie you to keep you here.”
She couldn’t help the laughter that bubbled out of her. “You and what army, cowboy?”
The amusement in his eyes faded. “I’m serious, Trisha. Give this a chance.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” she replied. Yet. She wasn’t going anywhere yet, but she couldn’t help the anxiety that was a living, breathing entity inside her.
For the next hour they watched Cooper play and Dusty talked about everything he had done during the day. The tension that had knotted in her stomach throughout the day slowly began to unwind as she listened to him talking about oiling tack and riding and cleaning out stalls in the stable.
When she was with Dusty, all things seemed possible. The world was a less frightening place when he smiled at her. Gazing into the clear blue of his eyes made her believe that maybe...just maybe real happiness could finally be hers.
As the evening deepened, cicadas sang in the trees and Trisha couldn’t help but think how wonderful it would be if she could spend every night like this...sitting with Dusty as they watched Cooper play.
“This is nice,” she said.
“I was just thinking the same thing,” he replied with an easy smile.
“Look, Dusty, this is the jail for the bad guys,” Cooper said and pointed to a rock structure.
“That looks like a great jail,” Dusty replied.
“The good cowboys got all the bad guys and they can’t get out of this jail,” Cooper replied.
Trisha was just about to call it a night so she could get Cooper into a much-needed bath before bedtime when the sound of a car coming down the long drive froze her in her chair.
Dillon’s patrol car came into view and he pulled to a halt at the end of the driveway. Instantly, the knot of tension returned to the pit of her stomach.
Dillon got out of his car and walked toward them. The grim set of his features did nothing to alleviate Trisha’s stress. Before he could greet them, Cassie stepped out of the back door.
“Evening, Dillon,” she said.
Despite her nerves, Trisha thought she heard a new lilt in Cassie’s voice.
“Cassie,” he returned as a small smile danced on his lips. The smile disappeared as he greeted Trisha and Dusty.
“Hey, Cooper, why don’t we go inside,” Cassie said. “I think I’m hungry for some cookies and milk before bedtime.”
“Me, too,” Cooper agreed eagerly. “I like cookies and milk even if it isn’t bedtime.”
“Then let’s go,” Cassie replied.
“Sorry it’s taken me this long to get back to you,” Dillon said once Cassie and Cooper had disappeared into the house. “I only just managed to connect with Detective Kincaid about an hour ago.”
“And?” Trisha leaned forward, her heart thrumming a quickened beat. She felt as if her entire life hung in the balance, waiting for Dillon to speak.
“And he told me that both your mother’s and Courtney’s murder cases remain unsolved. Frank D’Marco was their number-one suspect at the time, but they couldn’t pull together any evidence to arrest and charge him.”
“Does he know where D’Marco is now?” Dusty asked. He also leaned forward in his chair.
“According to Kincaid he’s been off the grid,” Dillon replied.
Trisha frowned. “Off the grid? What exactly does that mean?”
“Six months after you left Chicago, he disappeared. Since that time there have been no earnings assigned to him, no vehicle registered to him and no address or phone number. I also did some checking and I know he isn’t dead or in prison.”
“So, it’s possible he’s here in Bitterroot,” Trisha said faintly.
Dillon’s features tightened. “Yes, I guess it’s possible.”
Trisha drew a deep breath and stared past Dillon to a stand of trees in the distance as her heartbeat quickened and fear screamed silently in her head.
* * *
“Trisha, we really don’t know any more now than we did before Dillon arrived,” Dusty said once the lawman had left. “It’s possible he’s here, but it’s also possible he isn’t. Dillon now has a picture of the man and he told you he’s distributed it to all of his officers. If this creep is here in Bitterroot, then somebody will see him and turn him in. At the very least, hopefully Dillon can lock him up for the vandalism to the motel room.”
“Rationally I know all that,” she replied. “But, Dusty, if it is Frank and he stays true to form, then the real threat isn’t to me—it’s to you.” Her eyes were troubled.
Dusty was touched beyond words that her concern was for his safety. “Don’t you worry about me, Trisha. I can take care of myself. I’ve been taking care of myself for most of my life. But if it isn’t Frank, then we need to continue to be vigilant where your safety is concerned.”
She gave him a rueful smile. “Are you trying to make me feel better?”
He returned her smile. “I know you aren’t going to feel better until somebody is behind bars,” he replied. He took a step closer to her. Dusk had fallen, painting her features with a faint violet hue. “Trust me, Trisha. As much as I care about you I would never ask you to stay here if I didn’t think I could keep you and Cooper safe.”
“I do trust you,” she replied. “If I didn’t, I wouldn’t still be here. I’d be in my car driving to who knows where.”
“And that’s the last thing I want.” Aware that she needed to get back inside, he leaned forward and gave her a kiss on the forehead. “Try not to worry, Trisha. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“You know where to find me,” she replied. “Good night, Dusty.”
He watched until she was safely in the house and then he leaned down and pulled the gun he’d stashed in the top of his boot. He hadn’t wanted her or Cooper to see the weapon, but he also had no intention of being unarmed until this whole mess was all over.
Someplace out there was somebody who had left her presents and that same person had potentially trashed her motel room. He had no clue if the person was the man from her past or a man here in town. All he knew for certain was that somebody had her in his sights and there was no way that Dusty thought the man’s intentions were pure. In fact, since Dillon had told them about the motel room, Dusty had smelled a festering danger in the air.
To Dusty’s frustration, the next week passed without any other news. Dillon checked in several times to let them know that he was interviewing people, but nothing substantial came of any of the interviews.
Each evening after dinner Dusty walked up to the big house to spend time outside with Trisha and Cooper. They played catch with a ball Dusty had bought in
town, and pretended to be everything from cowboys to pirates.
Each moment he spent with them only deepened his feelings...and his utter vexation that he could do nothing to solve the mystery that would set Trisha free from the fear.
By the time the week had passed, what Dusty wanted more than anything was some alone time with Trisha. As much as he adored Cooper, he definitely needed some adult time with Cooper’s mother.
When Saturday night came, he headed up to the house to surprise Trisha with a plan he and Cassie had concocted in advance. Night had already fallen and he’d waited until he knew that Cooper would be in bed and sleeping.
He knocked softly on the back door and Cassie let him inside. “Trisha is in the great room watching television,” she said.
“You sure you don’t mind this?” Dusty asked her.
Cassie gave him a bright smile. “What’s to mind? Cooper is sleeping and I’m glad to play babysitter so that you and Trisha can have some time alone.”
“Thanks, Cassie, I really appreciate it.” He followed her from the kitchen and into the great room. Trisha looked at him in surprise. “Dusty, what are you doing here?” Her eyes darkened. “Has something happened?”
“No, but something is about to happen if you’re up for it,” he said. “You and I are going to have a date under the stars.”
Her pupils flared with what could only be pleasure even as a tiny frown danced across her forehead. “But what about...”
“I’ve got Cooper covered,” Cassie said smoothly. “Go on and have some quality time with your boyfriend. I’ll listen for him while you’re gone.”
Dusty held his hand out to Trisha. “You game?”
“Absolutely,” she replied and got up and took his hand.
“Don’t worry about a curfew,” Cassie yelled after them in a teasing tone as they left the room and headed for the back door.
“Thanks, Mom,” Dusty replied and was rewarded by Trisha’s giggle.
“Did you have this planned ahead of time with Cassie?” she asked him as they walked out into the warm night air.
Harlequin Romantic Suspense March 2016 Box Set Page 12