Perfect Family

by Potter, Patricia;

  She felt like Alice in Wonderland again, but this time the unfamiliar world was dark and strange and frightening. One foot, then another. Finally she couldn’t take another step.

  “Whoa,” she said. The horse stopped so quickly she almost fell into him.

  She leaned against him for a moment, and then in the distance she saw moving lights.

  “Hel—lo,” she yelled as loud as she could.

  She heard an answering bark, then a gunshot. The lights moved toward her. Not fast enough, but they came on. Then a running form stopped abruptly, sniffed her, then stood stiffly beside her.

  “Timber,” she whispered, putting her head near his large, furry one. He whined and lifted a paw. She just held on to him until a horse and rider reached her. The rider dismounted and walked over to her. She knew simply by the way he walked that it was Ross. Somehow she’d known it would be him.

  She’d never been so glad to see anyone in her life.

  He kneeled next to her. “Are you all right?”

  “Barely,” she replied.

  He held up a lantern, and his dark eyes moved over her. “You fell?”

  “I said whoa. It was a mistake. I didn’t know he took the word so to heart.”

  She saw the barest smile on his face, then it turned stern again. He knelt beside her and checked all her body parts. His hands were gentle but impersonal. He lingered over her arm. “Sprained, I think,” he said, “but nothing serious.” Then he stood and walked over to Carefree, who was still favoring his right front leg.

  Jessie watched as he leaned down and looked at the leg. She held her breath, praying nothing was seriously wrong with the animal. He spoke to the animal with far more gentleness than he had to her. She recognized instantly who was the more important delinquent. It wasn’t her.

  “I don’t think he’s badly hurt,” she said.

  “No thanks to you,” he said curtly. “How in the hell did you lose April?”

  She deserved every implied criticism. She couldn’t even answer him. She didn’t know how she had lost her companion. “I don’t know.”

  “I thought you knew something about horses. Otherwise, I never would have let you go.”

  She started to get indignant. But she knew she shouldn’t have let Carefree run as she had. Not in terrain unfamiliar to her.

  “I’m sorry,” she apologized. “I was … enjoying riding so much, I—” Her words faltered as she saw the tense set of his shoulders. He was barely containing his anger.

  He finished with the horse, then came back to her, looming like some tall specter over her. “April came back an hour ago. She said she’d looked for you everywhere, that you just seemed to disappear.”

  By then, another rider had approached. It was a man she hadn’t seen before. “This is Charlie,” Ross said. “There’s half a dozen other men out searching for you, including Marc and his son.”

  “I’m sorry to cause so much trouble,” she said again.

  He stood then, lifted the lantern and looked at her. She couldn’t see his face in the flash of the light. “Can you stand?”

  “Yep,” she said, although not at all sure. She heard the unwanted tremble in her voice. In truth, she was not all right at all. In truth, she was close to tears. She wasn’t about to shed them, though. “It was a small tumble.”

  He frowned, leaned down, and gave her a hand up. She stood for a moment, trying to gain her balance. Timber stood as close as he could.

  “Try walking,” Ross commanded.

  She didn’t think she could. But she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing it. She took one step, then fell into his arms. She couldn’t stop the soft groan that escaped her lips.

  “I have been walking,” she said defensively.

  “Well, you can’t now,” he said. He picked her up as easily as if she were a burlap sack of potatoes. When they got to the horse, he asked, “How far have you come?”

  “I don’t know. I just let the horse go, and I followed.”

  He didn’t reply, but his grip tightened. Despite his anger, she felt safe in his arms. Very safe. She found herself snuggling pleasantly against his chest. Too soon they were at his horse, and he was helping her onto it. She instinctively reached for the reins, and her left arm rebelled. Every part of her rebelled. Another groan escaped.

  His hands gentled. For a moment, she felt as if she’d never known anything quite as gentle. Then he swung up behind her. His arms went around her. All the fear she’d tried to rein, to hide, to pretend didn’t exist took one last sharp aim at her, a delayed reaction, then gradually faded.

  She leaned back against him. All was suddenly right with the world, and Alice had found her way home.

  April said she’d looked for you everywhere.

  Had she?

  She was found. That was all that was important. Not that she’d made an idiot out of herself. Nor what had happened with April.

  She kept telling herself that.

  eight

  Jessie soaked in the Jacuzzi bath for an hour. It was a truly glorious luxury, especially now, and she thought she could stay there forever. She certainly didn’t want to expend the effort to get out.

  Her body was all shades of gray and purple and red. Her wrist was wrapped in a tight elastic bandage. That was on the outside. She winced when thinking about the inside.

  Every bone, every ligament, every muscle in her body hurt.

  So did her pride.

  She recalled every ignominious moment of her return to the ranch house …

  The entire Clements clan had gathered outside. Sarah had taken over and hovered over her like a mother hen, seeing to each of the open wounds, using a pair of tweezers to extract thorns.

  Ross had looked at her wrist again. “You should have it x-rayed,” he said. “I’ll drive you to the hospital.”

  She hadn’t wanted that. She knew he must be concerned about Carefree, and probably the last thing he wanted to do was nurse a minor injury of a careless rider. “Go see about Carefree,” she’d pleaded.

  It had finally been decided that Cullen and Sarah would take her to the hospital. April, full of apologies, had decided to go along.

  Jessie had been reluctant, but she’d realized they were not going to let her go without having the arm checked first. She’d felt swept away by a tide of concern. It was a strange, unsettling feeling. She’d always taken care of herself before.

  An hour later, an emergency doctor at a small hospital confirmed what she knew. Nothing was broken. Not even a bad sprain. Wrap it with a tight bandage and she would be as good as new in a few days.

  She’d apologized profusely for putting everyone to so much trouble. Part of her had appreciated the worry and concern and cosseting. Another part merely wanted to crawl into a hole and nurse her wounds by herself …

  She sank deeper into the tub with its jets. Alex had heard about the accident and showed up at the hospital. He’d glared at April, then uttered his own apologies for having left her. Jessie felt she was drowning in recriminations—and self-recrimination.

  Sarah had wanted her to return to the ranch, to stay there at least one night, but Jessie had wanted to come back to the peace of her room. She’d wanted to think, to sort out all the feelings that had lodged themselves in her mind. So many.

  She ran a soapy washcloth over her face, then gingerly over her body. She remembered the strength of Ross’s arms, even the comfort she felt in them. But she also remembered the humiliation of being so incredibly stupid. How could she have lost April?

  For only a split second, she considered the possibility that perhaps April …

  But no. There was no reason. Could be none. She was making up villains because she wasn’t willing to take full responsibility. And it had been obvious that everyone had been worried sick over her mishap. It had warmed her, even though she’d been terribly embarrassed and filled with guilt at causing so much trouble. She remembered how everyone was waiting, the smiles when Ross had helped
her from the horse.

  A family. Worried about her. She simply didn’t know how to react.

  She moved. And groaned. At least no one would hear it here. A family was fine, but …

  Jessie knew if she didn’t get up now, she probably never would. She heaved her battered body up and wrapped a towel around herself, then went to the dresser where she’d put her clothes. The top drawer held a nightshirt, a robe, and her undergarments along with the liquid silver necklace she’d purchased for herself at college graduation. She’d had no one there to celebrate with her, so she’d marked the occasion by driving to a jewelry store and impulsively buying the necklace.

  Jessie took out the worn but comfortable oversized nightshirt, then checked the corner where she kept the necklace. It wasn’t there. Her heart dropped precipitously. Her hands searched the bottom of the drawer under the other clothes. Then she found it on the other side of the drawer. She stood straight, the necklace clutched in her hands. She knew she had left it in the left-hand corner.

  She systematically went through the other drawers. Not sure exactly what might be required, she’d brought more clothes than she needed. Now she saw other things out of order. If she hadn’t missed the necklace, she might never have noticed that the slacks had not been smoothed down, nor that the shirts had been disturbed.

  Someone had been in the room and had gone through her possessions!

  She couldn’t prove it, but she knew it. She felt someone else’s presence in the room. A sense of violation intruded through all the other emotions. She shivered, not from cold but from the feeling of being watched. Her mind flitted back to the burglary of her home. Coincidence?

  Chills ran down her spine. There couldn’t be a connection.

  Awkwardly, she pulled on the nightshirt and buttoned it, then went to the windows of her cottage. Only her car was parked in front of her casita. She couldn’t see the window or parking area for the next one. Trees separated them.

  She could see the second story of the main lodge. She suddenly had the feeling of being watched. Or was it because someone had been in the room?

  Why?

  Jessie closed the curtains and painfully limped to the bed, punching on the television remote. She wanted noise. She stretched out on the bed, grateful that it was more comfortable then her own. Cullen had certainly spared no expense.

  Cullen. He would most certainly have keys to each room. She tried to remember everything Alex had told her about him. He’d served in Korea with honor but, unlike his uncle, he’d never lost his sense of direction. He’d been successful in banking, then had put together the consortium to build the Quest. He most certainly wouldn’t be interested in her possessions.

  She ignored the television and her mind relived the day. Alex had left twice during the day. Marc had also been gone most of the day. So had, for that matter, Ross. How many others had an opportunity? But she kept returning to the original puzzle. Why would anyone want to go through her possessions?

  She changed position and pain jabbed through her arm. Jessie repressed a few choice expressions, then rose painfully and went to the bathroom. Alex had stopped at a convenience store and picked up some double-strength aspirin before returning Jessie to the Quest. She gulped down several.

  Her mind was still spinning. She wanted it to stop. There was no way she could solve any of the puzzles tonight.

  Tomorrow was Sunday. The last day of the reunion. She had planned to leave on Monday, but now she might stay another day. Visit the library. And the newspaper if there was one. Even the courthouse. Perhaps she could learn more about what happened fifty years ago. Could that have anything to do with her? With the questions—and fear—whirling in her head? In the meantime, she would ask questions.

  With that promise to herself, she started to drift off. She turned down the volume of the television, but left it on, comforted by the humming sound. She turned off the light.

  She only wished she could turn off the questions. And warm the chill that replaced the euphoria she’d felt earlier in the day.

  Ross ran his hands over the sorrel. He was usually reliable, well-mannered. And Dan’l had told him that Jessica had a good seat, that she seemed competent.

  He blamed himself for not going with them. He’d thought she would be safe enough with Alex, and then the bastard had left them. After that, Ross wasn’t sure what happened.

  April had claimed that she thought Jessica was right behind her when she turned into a path that wound up into the rocky cliffs. When she had stopped to warn her of the steep path, Jessica was gone.

  He was also angry with Alex. The damned lawyer had said he would accompany the women. Ross had expected him to do so.

  He was equally angry with himself. He’d had errands that afternoon. Errands that couldn’t be postponed. But he should have postponed them. He didn’t like the fear that had knotted his stomach when April had come galloping in. It had already been dark, and he knew how easy it was to get lost in the hills and mountains that surrounded the ranch.

  He’d found himself liking Jessica and her wry sense of humor. He hadn’t liked thinking of her out there. Alone. Too much could happen.

  It had taken several hours to locate her. He’d been amazed, though, to find her traveling in the right direction toward the ranch. She’d been thrown, which had to have hurt like hell, and yet she’d tried to get back on her own. It’d been foolish but game.

  But one look at her, and he’d known she was operating at the limit of her endurance. He’d been surprised at the tenderness he felt when she’d rested trustingly against him.

  Damn, he didn’t want to feel tenderness. He didn’t want to get involved with a woman. Particularly this woman, who might hold his future in her hands. He couldn’t afford losing his objectivity.

  He’d had many brief affairs in which both he and the woman understood it would be exactly that and no more. His Apache blood had proved an aphrodisiac to some and a deterrent to others. He hadn’t cared much either way. He only knew he wouldn’t brand a woman with that mark. Nor saddle one with a man with a police record.

  He finished his inspection. He’d realized immediately that the limp wasn’t serious. But he’d looked for something, an indication that the saddle or blanket had been tampered with in some way. From everything he knew of Jessica, she was a good rider. Of course, it had been a long time. Still …

  He didn’t trust Marc, not when the congressman really wanted something. Nor Alex. Over the years, Ross had had many dealings with him, and he knew that Alex took chances. Oddly enough, it had been the family outlaw—himself—who’d insisted they not stretch the truth on loan statements or lease applications. But then, he admitted, he’d never trusted anyone who had anything to do with the law. Justice had always been for families like the Clementses. Not for families with names like Sanchez, his mother’s and grandmother’s name.

  He ran his hand down Carefree’s neck. “Good boy,” he murmured softly. He’d found nothing suspicious. For a moment, he wondered why he’d even looked.

  It was a case of mixed signals. Nothing more. And Jessica had learned a lesson last night. If she was plucky enough to ride again, he would teach her something about cutting horses. If she stayed that long. Alex had said she planned to leave Monday.

  But she would be back when she learned the details of the trust.

  For how long?

  To stay. Or to sell? So much depended on one woman’s decision.

  After this night, she would probably be only too eager to sell a tradition.

  Hell, a tradition, and a losing proposition.

  But dammit, all he needed was a few years to prove that the Sunset could make a good profit, if not a great one. That was all in the hell he needed.

  He closed his eyes, wondering how badly he wanted those years. And what he would do—when it came down to it—to get them. How much of his soul would he trade for them?

  Jessie took another hot bath in the morning and plotted her next moves.
Then she changed her airline ticket, delaying her return to Atlanta for a few days. Because Alex, or the family, had paid top price for them, there was no problem.

  Then she called Sol. He was obviously pleased—and relieved—to hear her voice. “Ben and I have missed you.”

  “I miss you, too. How’s Ben coping?”

  “He’s pining. He sits next to me, but he’s always facing the door. His tail starts beating when the door opens.” Then he added quickly, “But he’s eating well.”

  “Ben always eats well,” she said wryly. She hesitated, then added, “Would it be too much trouble if I stayed a few days longer?”

  “No, of course not. You’re more than due for a vacation, and Ben is good company.” Then curiosity crept into his voice. “Is it true? Was your father Harding Clements?”

  She had explained everything to him before she’d left Atlanta, and he’d been more than a little intrigued. He loved historical mysteries and this seemed to qualify as one.

  “I think so,” she said. “I gave them blood for the DNA test, but they have a picture of him, and I’m pretty sure it’s my father. I also look very much like Sarah did when she was my age. She was Harding’s sister.”

  “Ahhhhhhh.” She heard the long sigh across the miles. Then he asked, “Did you find out why he left?”

  “That still seems the big mystery,” she replied. “That’s why I want to stay. I want to do some research. Library. Court records.”

  “Then stay as long as you feel it’s necessary, Jessie. I know how important this is to you.”

  “Thanks,” she said. “I’ll be back in a few days.”

  “And Jessie?” She heard a hesitancy in his voice. “I wasn’t sure I should tell you, but in light of the burglary in your house, I think you should know. The shop was burglarized last night. I haven’t done a complete inventory yet, but they ransacked our desks and got into the safe. Thank God, there wasn’t much there. Just Saturday receipts. A few hundred dollars.”

  She stilled. Another coincidence? They were beginning to pile up. “Maybe I should come home.”