by Lara Lacombe
He couldn’t read lips, especially not at this distance, but it was easy enough to guess that Mac was thanking the men for saving his property. Their timely arrival had spared the nearby buildings further damage and probably saved lives. Mac and that son of his likely thought they had dodged a bullet today, and in truth, they had.
Too bad they didn’t realize what was coming next.
The man smiled as he slipped the binoculars back into their black leather case. He pushed himself off the hard dirt and headed down the gentle slope of the hill, back toward the car he’d parked on the side of one of La Bonne Vie’s abandoned service roads. Today had been a practice run of sorts. He’d discovered the explosives weren’t as reliable as he’d hoped; the initial fire in Mac’s trunk had tipped that woman off and in the future, he didn’t want there to be any warning before he struck. Time to try a different tack for his next move.
He unlocked his car and climbed inside, tossing the binoculars into the passenger seat next to the birding book. The thick tome was his excuse if anyone stopped him and wanted to know why he’d been roaming around the area in the wake of the explosion. He hadn’t seen a large police presence at the ranch, but that didn’t mean they weren’t in the area. Better to be prepared for any eventuality, no matter how unlikely it may be. He had to stay out of trouble, at least until he’d taken care of Mac.
He pointed the car north and headed back into town. Thanks to today’s events, Mac would be on edge for a while. And as much as it pained him, he was going to have to wait to strike again. He needed Mac to let his guard down so he could catch him unawares—it was the best way to ensure he was successful.
“Enjoy your time,” he muttered, glancing in the rearview mirror at the smoky haze rising from the ranch. “You don’t have much more of it.”
Chapter 6
Bud Jeffries did his best to slam the door as he left, no doubt hoping to make a dramatic exit. Under any other circumstances, Thorne would have laughed at the man’s pathetically obvious attempt to seem important. But one glance at Maggie’s pale, worried face and his animosity toward the incompetent sheriff melted away.
“I don’t understand,” she said softly, her voice small and scared. “How could he think I would blow up my own car?”
Thorne sat on the edge of her bed and reached for her hand. Even though he had no right to touch her and he knew she might well pull away from him, he wanted—no, needed—to connect with her.
“Bud Jeffries is just being an ass,” he said. She glanced over at him, her expression uncertain. But she left her hand in his, a gesture he didn’t take for granted.
“He’s trying to scare you,” Knox added. “He’s a man on a power trip, that’s all.”
“I’m not so sure,” she said, her tone doubtful. “He seemed pretty serious to me. But why am I his chief suspect? It was my car that was destroyed!”
Knox lifted one shoulder in a dismissive shrug. “It’s not unheard of for people to ruin their own property in the hopes of filing a fraudulent insurance claim. When people need money, they can get pretty desperate.”
Maggie frowned and shook her head. “But surely if he did any actual investigating he’d know I’m not in financial trouble. There’s no reason for me to try something like that.”
Thorne snorted. “You’re assuming the man is capable of doing his job properly.” Jeffries had displayed nothing but incompetence during the search for Cody, and Thorne wasn’t about to give him the benefit of the doubt now. A small kernel of fear formed in his belly. If the sheriff was so shortsighted as to really believe Maggie was responsible for the explosion, he would probably dismiss any evidence to the contrary. That meant the true culprit was free to strike again.
And next time Maggie and the baby might not be so fortunate.
“I don’t want you to worry about this,” Knox said. “I still have some friends on the Shadow Creek police force. I’ll put out a few feelers, see where the investigation stands. It’s going to be okay.” He offered her a reassuring smile. “I’ll go make some calls and check in when I know anything.”
“Thank you,” she said. Thorne saw her body relax into the mattress and felt a flash of gratitude toward Knox for his offer. If anyone could point the police in the right direction, it was his brother. All the more reason for him to run for the sheriff’s office...
“It’s my pleasure,” Knox replied. “I’m happy to help.” He turned to go and Thorne stood up. “Let me walk you out,” he offered. He gave Maggie’s hand a gentle squeeze and let it go. “I’ll be back in a few minutes, okay?”
She nodded, and for a brief second he wondered if she would miss him while he was gone. Probably not. He shook off the thought and walked to the door to join his brother.
Knox turned to him once they were in the hall, the door safely closed behind them. “What’s on your mind?”
“The investigation,” Thorne said shortly. “I’m worried the sheriff is going to let his hatred for our family blind him to the evidence. You and I both know Maggie didn’t do this.”
Knox nodded thoughtfully. “I wouldn’t worry too much about it,” he said. “The guys on the force are pretty sharp. It won’t take long to clear her from the suspect list.”
“That’s not all I’m worried about.” Thorne briefly described his concerns regarding Livia and her goons, and his fears for Maggie’s and the baby’s safety.
His brother stilled, no doubt reliving the horror of his own son’s kidnapping. “Do you think I’m overreacting?” Thorne asked, feeling a little paranoid. After all, Livia hadn’t been seen or heard from in weeks. She was a smart woman; she likely had no desire to get arrested again, so she’d probably gone to ground after sticking her neck out to kill Cody’s kidnapper and Leonor's assailant.
“No,” Knox said flatly. “I don’t think we should discount the possibility that Livia is somehow involved. It would be a mistake to underestimate her.”
“What can we do?” He’d feel better if there was some concrete action he could take to protect Maggie and his unborn baby. But short of wrapping Maggie in Kevlar and locking her in a windowless room, there was no surefire way to keep her safe.
“Stay close,” Knox said. He glanced back at the closed door. “As close as she’ll let you, anyway. I got the impression things aren’t totally smooth between you two?”
Thorne shook his head, reluctant to go into the details. He felt bad enough as it was; he didn’t want his brother knowing just how much of a fool he’d been. “I’m working on it,” he said.
“You want my advice?” Knox continued before Thorne had a chance to respond. “Grovel. A lot. Flowers, chocolates, you name it. But get back into her good graces, and the sooner the better. Both of you are going to experience a life-changing event soon. It’ll be a lot easier if you can face it as a team.”
Thorne nodded, knowing his brother was right. He didn’t think a bouquet of roses would earn Maggie’s forgiveness, but it might help soften the ground. “Thanks.”
“Anytime.” Knox set off down the hall. “I’ll call you,” he said over his shoulder.
Thorne stood by the door to Maggie’s room for a moment, considering his options. They clearly needed to talk. He owed her an apology—had owed her one for quite a while, in fact. Now might be the best time to offer it, while she was stuck in the hospital bed. It was a little cowardly of him to use her situation to his advantage, but he did have things to say and he wanted to make sure she heard them. Since she was essentially a captive audience until the doctor released her, he might as well bite the bullet and plunge ahead, despite the fact that he wasn’t used to trying to explain his actions to someone else. Still, he had to try. He might not get another opportunity like this again.
Nerves jangled in his stomach, making him feel like he’d just jumped off a galloping horse. He took a deep breath and deci
ded to take a page from Knox’s book. Flowers might not be the answer to every problem, but they certainly wouldn’t hurt. And the walk to the hospital gift shop would give him a little time to compose his thoughts.
He glanced around, checking to see if there was a doctor nearby who might be going to see Maggie. He definitely didn’t want to miss the obstetrician’s visit, provided Maggie was okay with him staying in the room. Fortunately, there were no white coats in sight.
He set off down the hall in search of a peace offering. He couldn’t think of the right words to say, but hopefully the flowers would help make up for that.
He’d find out soon enough.
* * *
Maggie sighed and rubbed her eyes, trying to massage away the dull throb of her headache. Now that she knew she was pregnant, she didn’t want to take anything stronger than Tylenol for fear of hurting the little life inside her. She mentally reviewed her actions over the last few months, trying to recall if she’d done anything that may have harmed the baby. Nothing came to mind; she hadn’t so much as had a drink since the beginning of the year. That was good news for the pregnancy, but a rather sad commentary on her social life.
Or lack thereof.
What would her friends say about this news? The last time they’d had a girl’s night had been New Year’s Eve, five long months ago. They stayed in touch with regular texts and a few phone calls, but everyone was so busy it was hard to find time to get together. They all worked too much, and on top of that, Sonia and Amber had families of their own keeping them occupied.
And soon I will, too.
She smiled at the thought. Her life was going to irrevocably change in a few months. Was she ready?
Was Thorne?
He had seemed different somehow when he’d returned to the room with Knox. Still quiet, but she’d sensed a determination there, as if he’d made up his mind about something. And then when Sheriff Jeffries had stopped by to make his nasty allegations, Thorne had practically vibrated with silent indignation on her behalf.
She wasn’t quite sure what to make of this apparent shift in his behavior. Had he experienced a true change of heart, or was this simply a reaction to the explosion and the news of the baby? Would he go back to ignoring her after the shock wore off and life returned back to normal?
Only time would tell. She was going to have to be patient.
A wave of dissatisfaction swelled in her chest. She wanted answers now, not in a few months! But pushing Thorne for a response might actually drive him further away. And while she was going to protect her baby no matter what, she didn’t want to deny her child a father.
An upbeat jingle interrupted her thoughts, and she grabbed her cell phone off the rolling lap desk next to her bed. It was a wonder the thing still worked, but she supposed her body had absorbed the brunt of the impact when she’d been blown across the yard.
“Hello?”
“Hi, sweetie.” Her mom practically sang the words. “Your father and I are taking the RV to Big Bend to do some camping, and we thought we’d stop by on our way out so we could all have dinner together. We should be there in about a half hour.”
Maggie’s stomach dropped. She loved her parents, but her mom had a tendency to overreact. The last thing she needed was for them to find out she was in the hospital—she’d never hear the end of it.
“Oh, this is a surprise,” she said, stalling for time. How could she convince them to skip the visit without raising suspicions?
“Well, it’s not too hot yet, and we’ve been wanting to go for a while. And we haven’t seen you in ages, so I thought it would be a nice chance to catch up.”
“Sure,” Maggie said, trying to sound enthusiastic about the possibility. “Um, but the thing is I’m pretty swamped at work and I don’t know if I’ll be able to get a break for dinner—”
“Oh, honey,” her mom said, disappointment and disapproval warring for dominance in her tone. “You have to eat. And I know you’ve been working a lot lately. You need to take a break. You know what they say about all work and no play.”
“I do. But this is such short notice, I don’t think I can get away tonight.” Inspiration struck, and she nearly cried out in relief. “Why don’t you swing through town on your way home? I’ll make sure to take the afternoon off and we can spend a few hours together. How does that sound?”
“Well...” her mother said, a bit grudgingly. “That might be okay.”
“Paging Dr. Thompson. Dr. Thompson, please report to the ER.” The disembodied voice blasted into her room without warning, and Maggie scrambled to cover the phone with her hand.
Please don’t ask...
“Maggie? What was that?”
She cursed silently. Brenda Lowell had ears like a bat. Of course she had heard the loudspeaker announcement.
“I don’t know what you mean,” Maggie said, striving for nonchalance. “Maybe it was the radio.”
“Margaret Helen Lowell.” Her mother’s voice was sharp now, all business. Were all women born with a “mom voice,” or was it something that manifested during pregnancy thanks to the effect of hormones on vocal cords? One more thing she would find out soon enough... “Don’t lie to me. Where are you?”
Maggie sighed, knowing she’d been caught. “There was a small accident. I’m in the hospital.”
“Oh my God! What happened? Steve—she’s in the hospital. No, don’t slow down—drive faster! We have to get there! Where are you? No, take the next right. The next right. Hold on, honey, we’re almost there.”
Maggie could hear the rumble of her father’s voice in the background and couldn’t help but smile. After thirty years of marriage, he was used to her mother’s knee-jerk reactions.
“Fine, just wait a minute, will you?” Her mother sighed. “Maggie, your father wants to talk to you. Do you feel up to it?”
“Of course. I really am okay, Mom.”
“If that were true, you wouldn’t be in the hospital.” Her mother sniffed and Maggie could tell she was trying to hold back tears. She felt a pang of guilt for making her mom cry, but she had tried to protect the woman from the news...
There was a muffled sound as the phone was passed, and then her father came on the line, his voice calm and measured. “Sweetie, what’s going on? Are you hurt?”
A rush of love filled Maggie’s chest and tears sprang to her eyes. She really was fortunate to have two parents who still worried about her, even though she was a fully functioning adult. Sometimes she felt smothered by their concerns, but she knew they only wanted the best for her.
“I had a car accident, and I got a little banged up. But I’m doing okay. Just waiting for the doctor to clear me so I can go home.”
“That’s good. How’s your car?”
“Well...” Maggie hedged. “It’s going to need some work.”
“I’m sorry to hear that, honey. I know it was new. Hopefully your insurance won’t give you a hard time about it.” She heard the phone shift, and then her father spoke again. “She’s okay, Brenda. Here’s a tissue—you don’t have to cry, honey.”
“I’ll deal with the insurance company later. I’m sorry to have worried you,” Maggie said. “I hope this doesn’t ruin your vacation.”
“It won’t,” her mom said. Maggie realized her dad had put her on speakerphone. “We’re canceling it and coming to see you.”
“Mom, I don’t think that’s really necess—”
“Don’t bother trying to talk her out of it, Mags,” her father advised. “Your mother won’t breathe easy until she sees you with her own eyes. We’ll just pop in and make sure you’re really okay, then we can continue on our way.”
He sounded so reasonable, and Maggie knew she was beaten. Better to just agree and not waste any more time or energy arguing with the immovable objects that were her pa
rents. “That’s fine,” she said with a sigh. “I should be home in a couple of hours. Why don’t you just let yourselves in and wait for me?”
“Oh, no,” her mom replied. “We’re coming to the hospital.”
“I’d rather you didn’t,” Maggie said, putting a bit of an edge on the words. Parental concern was one thing, but she was an adult and it wasn’t unreasonable to exercise some autonomy when it came to her health care decisions.
“How are you planning to get home?” her mother challenged. “A taxi?”
Maggie was silent a moment, considering. In truth, she hadn’t thought that far ahead. But a taxi was a perfectly reasonable option, and she might as well get used to taking one now, since she didn’t have any other options until she got a new car.
Just then, a quiet knock sounded at the door and Thorne slipped in. Maggie’s eyes widened when she saw the large bouquet of flowers he carried, and he blushed a little at her reaction. “I have a friend here with me,” she said, thinking fast. “He’s already offered to give me a ride home.”
“Well you can tell him not to worry about it, because we’ll be there in about thirty minutes.”
“Mom—”
“We have to hang up now so your father can drive,” her mom said, talking over Maggie’s objection. “Just hold on, sweetie—I’ll take care of everything once I get there!”
Maggie set the phone on the table and offered Thorne a weak smile.
“Everything okay?” he said. “You look exhausted.”
She huffed out a laugh. “I made the mistake of answering my phone. My parents are on their way to the hospital now.”
Thorne lifted one eyebrow. “That happened fast.”
“You have no idea.” She glanced at the flowers he held, the blooms hanging upside down by his leg as if he’d forgotten what he was carrying. “Those are pretty,” she remarked, grateful for the distraction.
“I’m glad you like them,” Thorne said, sounding a little shy. “I thought it might be a nice addition to the room.”