Dynasties: The Elliotts, Books 1-6

by Various Authors

“I’m here on official business. I need to speak with Jane,” Mac interrupted. It grated on his nerves, seeing the two of them so chummy.

  “Sure thing. I’d better get these groceries put up.” Lyle cast Jane a quick smile. “Nice seeing you again.”

  “Same here, Lyle. Remember what I said.”

  Lyle nodded, darting a glance at Mac, and once again Mac wondered what the hell was up. “Will do. See you around.”

  Jane folded her arms across her middle and stood ramrod still. “Well, that was rude.”

  “What’s rude, Jane, is leaving the house without telling me where you were going.”

  “I went for a walk, Mac. That’s all. No great mystery here. Sometimes I need to get out and clear my head.”

  Mac figured it was more than that. Both had been left anxious and unnerved by what had happened in the garage this morning. And in Mac’s case, filled with sexual energy that he had a damn hard time shutting down. “Next time, leave a note. I’m still responsible for you.”

  Jane shook her head. “Listen—”

  “I have news about your case,” he said, avoiding what was certain to be an argument coming. “Take a drive with me.”

  “News? About me?” Jane’s expression changed, her blond brows lifting and her blue eyes gleaming with hope. At the very least he had managed to get her out of her sour mood. He only hoped that once he took her to the scene, she would remember something. Part of him wanted Jane to regain her memory and leave Winchester for good, while the other part struggled with the idea of her leaving.

  When he’d found her gone this morning, he’d worried about her for professional reasons, but he’d also worried about her for personal ones. And those sentiments could get a man like him in big trouble.

  “C’mon.” Mac began walking toward his patrol car. “They’re waiting. I’ll fill you in on the drive out of town.”

  “So this is it,” Mac said, parking the car on the bank of Cascade Lake. “Looks like our timing is perfect.”

  Jane glanced around, her nerves frazzled from all that had happened this morning. Now maybe she had a chance, a clue as to her identity, and though Mac had warned her on the way up here not to get too hopeful, she couldn’t quite help it. “It’s beautiful,” she said, staring out onto the lake. Deep blue waters glistened under the Colorado sun, tall trees in springtime hues lined the far shore and the last vestiges of winter snow tipped glorious Pike’s Peak in the background.

  “There’s a lot of history here,” Mac said. “This was one of the first places to be settled in the West.”

  But the grind of heavy machinery marred the moment, and both she and Mac turned their heads toward the sound.

  “Looks like a red Mustang.”

  A team of local lawman stood on the sidelines as the car was dragged out of the lake.

  They exited the patrol car, Mac coming around to stand beside her. “All you have to do is take a look. See if it sparks your memory in any way. It’s a long shot at best, Jane. But, since we believe you were driving a car that we have yet to find, this could make sense. We’ve found two other cars this way, stripped of any identity, no registration, no license plates, but we’ve managed to find one of the owners.”

  “Were the cars stolen?”

  “Yeah, we think it’s nothing more than joyriders, since they don’t strip the cars for parts. We have an idea about who’s doing it, but what we don’t have is proof.”

  “So, you think that someone might have stolen the car I’d been driving?”

  Mac shrugged. “It’s a possibility. Let’s get closer to take a better look.”

  Jane reached the vehicle, with Mac standing right beside her. She stared at the Mustang, which was drenched, and coated with debris from being at the bottom of the lake. She looked long and hard, then shook her head. “Nothing comes to mind, Mac. I don’t think I’ve ever seen this car before.”

  Mac pressed the small of her back and urged her forward. “Take a look inside.”

  She did. She glanced inside to see a soaked, yet barren interior, devoid of any signs that might give her a clue. She shook her head again.

  “We still have the trunk. One of the cars we found like this had nothing inside to help us out, but the other did. We found a few items along with a grocery receipt lying on the floor of the trunk. From that, we were able to locate the owner. They’ll tow the car in and check the trunk at the station.”

  “When were the other cars found?” she asked.

  “This month. The investigators believe that there’s a gang of teenagers out for some fun. Troublemakers mostly, and not the kind of kids you’d want to have around. We’ll find them. It’s only a matter of time.”

  Jane faced the car once more, studying it with intensity. Again, she shook her head slowly, not seeing or feeling what she’d hoped. “I don’t think this is my car, Mac.”

  “Probably not, but we’ll find out for sure once the trunk is opened. If it is yours, there might be luggage or other identifying items in there. We can rule out the other car we found, since it showed up well before you landed in Winchester.”

  “What now?”

  “Give me a minute. I have to speak with Sergeant Meeker with the Pueblo PD.”

  “Okay.”

  Jane watched Mac head toward the hub of lawmen huddled together at the rear of the Mustang. She stared out onto the lake, breathing in fresh, crisp air, enjoying the scenery once again and allowing the calm serenity to dip inside and soothe her nerves. She couldn’t recall ever having seen such a lovely spot, not that she would, of course. But Cascade Lake was something special. The surrounding wildflowers in lavender, blue, pink and yellow made a colorful array against the water. She walked a little along the bank, away from the crime scene. She thought she’d like to come here again one day, when there wasn’t so much tumult in her life. She’d like to simply sit by the water’s edge and drink in the view.

  “Jane?”

  She turned to find Mac behind her, watching her with those dark, knowing eyes.

  “Want to take a walk?”

  She nodded.

  They began to stroll along the shore, both deep in thought. Finally, when a large grouping of rocks prevented them from going any farther, they stopped. “Let’s sit for a while,” Mac said.

  They found a long flat boulder and sat down next to each other. “I’ve got good memories of this place,” he said quietly as he gazed across the expanse of the lake. “Used to come down here and skip rocks when I was a kid. Had my first kiss here, too, when I was twelve.”

  Jane laughed. “Twelve?” Mac lifted his lips, the brilliance of his seldom-seen smile tugging at Jane. “Seems you were an early learner.”

  “Bungled my way through, and both of us nearly landed facedown in the lake. Man, I was so nervous.”

  “But determined.”

  Mac nodded. “Always.”

  “And was she your girl from then on out?”

  “You kidding? She dumped me the next day,” Mac said, chuckling. “Can’t say as I blame her.”

  Jane imagined Mac as a young, eager boy, long and lanky and probably awkward as heck trying to impress a young girl. He certainly had improved his skills since then. Jane had been swept away this morning by Mac’s “skill” and found him passionate, caring and thoughtful. She’d been overwhelmed by desire, and she doubted she’d ever met a man in her life that could measure up to him.

  Even though she didn’t know about her life, she felt sure in her heart that no man could possibly make her feel the way Mac did.

  Mac’s smile faded then and he turned to meet her eyes. “About this morning, Jane—”

  She put up a hand. “Don’t.”

  “I’m not apologizing,” he said quickly. “But I am taking responsibility. I should have known better. It was more than an innocent kiss and we both know where we were heading.”

  Jane nodded, unwilling to sugarcoat what had happened this morning. Mac was right—if that phone call hadn’t broken th
e spell, they would have made love, right there on the workout bench and who knows where else. It was that intense. That powerful.

  “But it can’t happen, Jane. You don’t know your circumstances, and until you do…”

  “What, Mac? There are never any guarantees in life.”

  “I know that,” he said with a long, laborious sigh. “But I got involved with a woman once who didn’t know herself. She thought she could be content with life as it was, but once we married, nothing was enough for her. I wasn’t enough for her. We’d be foolish to think that your life, your real life, won’t take precedence over anything you might find here with me.”

  “No, I can’t guarantee that. I know what you’re saying is true, Mac. But I have little to go on here. I only know what I feel.”

  Mac smiled broadly and her heart flipped over itself again. “I know what I feel, too.”

  “And what’s that?” Jane asked, her heart pounding hard.

  He hesitated a few seconds, then said, with clear honest eyes, “I want you.”

  Warmth spread throughout her body, and Jane realized she had to be content with that knowledge. She wouldn’t press Mac. He was trying darn hard to be reasonable, rational and responsible.

  The rat.

  “I know about your wife, Mac. Lizzie sort of filled me in.”

  He scowled.

  “Don’t be angry with her. She only wants your happiness.”

  “She’s a pill.”

  Jane laughed, and the sound echoed against the wall of trees surrounding the lake. “She’s a sweetheart.”

  Mac granted her half a smile. “That, too.” Then he took a long, drawn-out breath. “Listen, you know Lizzie is leaving on Sunday. It’s not what I had planned when I invited you to stay with us. We’re going to be alone, and if you don’t want to—”

  “Do you want me to leave?” Jane asked, point-blank. Heart racing, she had to know the answer. She didn’t want to overstay her welcome, and if Mac thought her leaving would make his life easier, then she’d go. Earlier this morning she’d called Dr. Quarles to make an appointment, and once again, he had been gracious to offer her an open-ended invitation to his hospitality.

  “No,” Mac stated immediately. “I was only asking for your sake. Not mine.”

  “If it makes you feel any better, I won’t be home all that much. Lizzie helped me get a job at Touched with Love. I’ll be volunteering at the bookstore every day.” She beamed him a smile. Once she’d finalized the arrangements today, the thought really took hold. She couldn’t wait to get started and to do something productive with her life. “Rory assured me that my working there wouldn’t interfere with our investigation. Anytime you need me I can be available. And in between times I’ll be helping him out over there.”

  “Lizzie arranged that for you?”

  She nodded. “Yes, she’s very friendly with Rory Holcomb. Seems his grandchildren have been in her classes, all six of them. And it’s close enough for me to walk to work and back.”

  Mac’s expression faltered. “It’s not that close to home, Jane. I’d rather you didn’t work at night.”

  “Oh, so you want me home nights. Alone. With you?”

  Mac pursed his lips, then shook his head in resignation. “All right. You’ve made your point. But I’ll be picking you up from the shop when you do work nights. And that’s not negotiable.”

  “It’s a deal. I can’t wait to get started,” Jane said with a happy sigh. “It’s the one positive thing I have to look forward to.”

  “Is that where you went this morning?”

  “Yes, I’d heard his used book store was charming. I wanted to meet Rory in person and see his place.”

  “And you failed to tell me. Made me worry like crazy.”

  Jane turned her head to look him in the eyes. “You worried?”

  Mac scratched his head and rose abruptly, refusing to answer. “I’ve got to get back to work.”

  Jane walked back to the car with him, struggling with her thoughts. She’d thought she’d angered Mac by taking off without his permission. She thought it more an ego thing on his part. She hadn’t thought about him worrying about her. Worrying meant caring. And caring led to other things.

  After this morning she knew Mac wanted her. But that had been sexual. He’d been attracted to her physically. But Jane hadn’t thought past that. She hadn’t thought he actually cared for her. Not in the personal, intimate way a man cares for a woman.

  She was his responsibility. Hadn’t he told her that a dozen times? He felt duty-bound to help her.

  Jane picked up her pace and reached the patrol car before Mac. She got in, slamming the door and staring straight ahead. She couldn’t possibly afford to think that Mac actually cared for her. It would be dangerous to believe so. Yet her heart burned with the thought.

  Putting distance between them would be the wisest route to take. Jane had the means now, by working long hours at the bookstore. She planned on staying far out of Mac’s reach.

  His heart wasn’t the only one that could get broken.

  And in her vulnerable state, Jane knew she would shatter to pieces if that happened.

  Seven

  The next morning Jane stepped into Touched with Love and a great sense of belonging swept over her. She breathed in the musky scent of yellowed pages turned by loving hands, of aged bindings holding leaves together by vintage strength, and of softly worn leather sofas placed in a semicircle in one corner of the bookstore. The “reading cove,” as Rory had affectionately called it, was a place for old and young alike to gather. In the afternoons, children clustered on the sofas and listened as Rory read them their favorite tales. The evenings were shared by theWomen ofWinchester, a historical reading group, as well as the Book Banterers, an eclectic group who delved into elements of the paranormal.

  All in all, Jane felt welcome here. She fit in somehow, and a sweet, sweeping sensation of rightness filled her. Not even the softly played country tunes wafting in the air could stifle these newfound impressions of belonging. She’d come to know the likes of Toby and Martina, Kenny and Shania, George and Tim. Living in the Riggs household, she hadn’t had a choice. Good thing the rock and twang had seeped into her soul. She’d caught herself toe tapping to the tunes often enough.

  She had to admit she enjoyed listening to KWIN, and all the antics of the radio station’s disc jockeys. Though originally she’d been stunned, she had eventually gotten accustomed to hearing her description play on air, as well. “The young blond woman with blue eyes, an amnesia victim found on the outskirts of town. If anyone has information regarding Winchester’s own Jane Doe, please contact the Winchester County Sheriff’s Department.”

  “Morning,” Rory said, looking up from a stack of paperbacks ready to be shelved. “You’re here bright and early.”

  “Hello, Rory. I couldn’t wait to get started.”

  “We’re not officially open for half an hour. I was just about to have a cup of coffee and a doughnut. Marietta bakes them up fresh every morning. She brings me a batch for my customers. It’d be nice to have someone to share them with. Come, let’s sit awhile. I don’t expect a crowd until later in the day.”

  “I’d love to.”

  After two cups of coffee and a sugar doughnut, Jane set about her work. She organized a stack of mysteries, alphabetizing them, but not without reading their back cover blurbs and perusing their first pages. The feel of the books, the print on the page all seemed so familiar to her, yet she had no real recollection, no hint as to why. All she knew was that she liked being here, and it felt darn good finally being able to do something productive.

  The day flew by. She worked alongside Rory, and when he had to leave the shop for an hour, he entrusted it to her care. He brought them both back lunch, and in between helping customers, they stuffed down their sandwiches.

  Rory turned over the children’s reading hour to her, introducing Jane to the children as his new “reading buddy.” Rory had paired up the
children, teaming them so that when they had an opportunity to read, they could work out the tougher words together. Sometimes Jane would read a story, and sometimes the children would read one to her.

  “Aren’t you getting hungry?”

  “A little,” Jane answered automatically. Her head down, she was focused intently on a compelling thriller she hadn’t been able to shelve just yet. When she glanced up, she found Mac leaning beside her in the mystery section, watching her with interest.

  “Oh, hi,” she said lamely, amazed at how his presence always seemed to fluster her lately, and now his scent, that fresh lime aftershave, mixed with his own essence, remained with her even after he’d stalked off somewhere. “What are you doing here?”

  “It’s almost eight. Rory left hours ago. His oldest grandchild, Jimmy, is working the cash register now, readying to close up.”

  “Oh,” Jane said, remembering that she’d bade Rory farewell earlier. He’d told her to go on home, and Jane had planned to, but she’d gotten involved in the thriller. “I lost track of time.”

  Mac took the book out of her hand, closing it and eyeing the title. “Good?”

  “I couldn’t put it down.”

  “I’m starving,” he said. “Let’s go eat.”

  Surprised, Jane followed him to the cash register. “You haven’t eaten yet?”

  “Nope.” He shook his head, and Jane was too dumbfounded to realize that Mac had paid for the book she’d been reading. When he handed it to her with a quick lift of his lips, she blinked.

  “Why not?”

  He shrugged as he headed for the front door. “I had a late call tonight. You weren’t home when I finally got there, so I drove over to pick you up.”

  Jane finally glanced down at the book in her hands. She reminded herself not to read too much into simple gestures of kindness, but those gestures, coming from the stanch and stubborn sheriff, sent her mind spinning.

  Dusk had settled on the horizon and she realized that Mac felt duty bound to pick her up this evening. She abhorred being a complication in his life, and at the same time felt as though it was more than that. Her heart warmed considerably at the notion. She’d tried to stay away today, losing herself in the bookstore and her volunteer work. She’d had a nice day, actually, but nothing compared to being with Mac.