Beneath A Texas Sky (Harlequin Super Romance)

by Winters, Rebecca

  She let out a shuddering breath. “No.”

  “So you only have Jace’s word that his company called the police to investigate. Don’t you see, Jace could have made it up to cast more suspicion on Glen?

  “For all we know, Glen’s simply a tragic loner who has a terrible crush on you, nothing more.”

  Dana felt sick in the pit of her stomach. She wished he’d stop talking. The more he explained his suspicions, the more alarmed she grew.

  “Something else disturbs me. How did Jace know Glen had been hanging around your trailer when no one was there?”

  “I can’t answer that question.”

  “If he drives an IPS truck all day long, there’s no way he could make an assumption like that. Maybe he and Tony knew each other in California. Jace could have hired on as a temp for IPS.”

  “A temp?” At this point Dana was horrified.

  “I have to be honest and tell you that I’ve never heard of a regular driver being allowed to move from route to route filling shifts for his colleagues on vacation.”

  She buried her face in her hands.

  “Has he been in your office at the observatory?”

  “Several times.”

  “What kind of interest has he shown in your work?”

  Wiping her eyes, she said, “A lot.”

  “Has he pushed?”

  “No.”

  “Whose idea was it to camp by the observatory?”

  A sharp pain pierced her heart. “His.”

  “Does he have a habit of coming up to the observatory?”

  “Not exactly. He’s driven up there several times. There was the star party. And the day after we met, I found him on the road to Mount Luna. I thought he was delivering a package to me at the observatory. I guess I assumed he knew I worked there from his conversations with Mr. Mason.”

  “So what excuse did he proffer?”

  Her body felt like ice. “He said he was looking for an address and wondered if I could help him.”

  “Did you?”

  “No. I’d never heard of the person. I told him to ask the café owner in town because she’d lived here for years.”

  “How long has he been working this route?”

  “I don’t know. He said he’d come to Alpine recently and wouldn’t be in the area much longer.”

  “That was probably the truth.”

  She clutched the armrests. “If Jace isn’t who I think he is, what am I going to do? Help me, Gideon!”

  “I know this isn’t going to be easy, but when we pull up to your apartment, try to act as natural as you can. Don’t let him think that anything has changed.

  “Later tonight, when the family goes to bed, I’ll run a background check on him and see what comes up. When I’ve got the information, we’ll go from there.”

  Dana groaned. “I’ve known betrayal in my life from Tony—my sister— But if it turns out Jace has been using me, I might as well not go on living.”

  “Don’t say that, Dana. Don’t even think it. Maybe I’m wrong.”

  She shook her head. “You’re never wrong. That’s what’s killing me.”

  “I could be this time. It’s because of you that I want to play this extra safe, just to be sure.”

  He started to slow down the car. “We’ve arrived. Remember who you are. You walked through fire before and came out whole. You can do it again if you have to.”

  “KEVIN? Do you remember seeing one of my astronomy journals when we were loading the car?”

  “No. Where was it?”

  “I thought on the kitche—no, wait—on the couch.”

  Jace could hear their voices coming from the hallway. He carried a laundry basket full of kitchen items into the apartment kitchen where Heidi was busy putting silverware in the drawer.

  “This is the last thing to come in.”

  “You’re kidding. With everybody helping, it’s taken only five minutes to get her moved in. Incredible!”

  “What would you like me to do now?”

  “I think we’re through.”

  Since Gideon had driven Dana over to the apartment, there’d been no opportunity to talk to her alone. She’d smiled at Jace coming and going. She’d said all the appropriate things with a bright friendliness, but she treated him the way she treated Kevin. Dana was no longer the woman who’d reached for him in the night.

  Gideon was no fool. The cop inside him had been putting two and two together all evening and had come up with several sums, none of which added to four. He’d said enough to Dana on the drive over from the motel to turn her inside out.

  Instinct told him Heidi’s husband wasn’t about to leave things alone. Something had to be done before he ran a little investigation of his own and jeopardized the operation.

  Jace walked down the hall. Gideon was in the bedroom with Kevin making Dana’s bed. He found her in the bathroom putting things away in the cabinet.

  “Your car has been emptied.”

  “Already?” she cried, but she concentrated on her task and refused to look him in the eye. “You’ve all been wonderful.”

  “If you’ll give me the key to the trailer, I’ll drive over there for a final inspection. If I see your journal, I’ll bring it back.”

  “I’ll go with you.”

  Jace had hoped Gideon would pick up on the plan, and the other man didn’t disappoint him. But his offer seemed to cause Dana more grief. There was a big clatter as she dropped half a dozen items in the sink by accident.

  “My key ring is on the kitchen counter.”

  He put his hands on her shoulders and kissed the side of her neck. “I’ll find it.”

  Her tense body wounded him, but there wasn’t a thing he could do about it yet.

  “Can I come?”

  “I’d rather you’d stayed here with Heidi and Dana, Kevin. We won’t be long.”

  Jace found her key ring and put it in his pocket. Gideon gave his wife a hug and told her they’d be back in a minute. She didn’t look any happier about it than Dana.

  Jace slipped out of the apartment and got in his car. Gideon was right behind him and climbed in the other side.

  Once they were on their way, Jace waited for the inevitable interrogation. It wasn’t long in coming.

  “Dana tells me you’re the driver IPS hires when their regular men go on vacation. That must be quite a challenge, learning the ins and outs of every route in such a short period of time.”

  “It takes a fair amount of concentration.”

  “With such mobility in a job, it would be hard to put down roots.”

  “Up until recently the idea of settling into anything permanent hasn’t interested me.”

  “But now that you’ve met Dana, you’re considering it.”

  Anger and sarcasm dripped from Gideon’s tongue. Jace rejoiced that Dana had a man like Gideon for a friend.

  “I’m planning on it.”

  A few minutes later he slowed down and pulled alongside the trailer. He was glad Dana had left a light on. Before long, Glen would discover she’d moved out. No telling what alarm bells that would trigger.

  As Gideon got out of the car, Jace reached under the seat for a certain item and joined him at the door. He reached for her key ring and unlocked the trailer.

  “After you,” Gideon muttered.

  Jace went inside. The first thing he did was move the cushions from the couch. Sure enough, he found the missing journal. While he repositioned them, Gideon made a tour of the trailer.

  “The place is clean,” he said after checking the drawers and cupboards in the kitchen.

  “Kevin was a great help to Dana. You must be proud of him.”

  Gideon walked toward him with a brooding expression. They faced each other like adversaries. It was time for that to change.

  “I can read your mind, Detective Poletti. You smell a rat. A big fat one. And you’d be right.”

  He reached inside his trouser pocket and pulled out his official identifica
tion and badge. Gideon took it from him.

  During the long, satisfying silence, he watched the other man’s face undergo a complete transformation. Gideon finally lifted his head. They stared at each other with a new understanding.

  A smile curved Jace’s mouth. “Why don’t we start all over again. I’m Captain Jace Riley of the Texas Rangers out of Austin, Texas.”

  “Thank God.”

  The two men shook hands. Their mutual love for Dana, plus the fact that they were fellow officers of the law, produced an instant camaraderie that was almost tangible.

  “You’ve stumbled onto a manhunt for two criminals who committed armed robbery in Austin last Christmas. They killed three people. One of them was a retired ranger, Gibb Barton, a virtual legend in Texas.

  “The killers disappeared in a small plane over the Davis Mountains. They haven’t been seen since. I’m here undercover to pick up their trail.”

  Gideon groaned. “You don’t even want to know the scenario I imagined in my mind about you and Tony Roberts being in league together against Dana. I’m afraid I expressed my fears to her.”

  “Don’t worry about it.” Jace chuckled. “If you want to swap horror stories, listen to this— I imagined Roberts was one of the killers. When Dana let him inside her trailer, I had visions of the next ax murder being committed. At one point I got so nervous, I broke in expecting to see body parts all over the floor.”

  Eyeing him ruefully, Gideon said, “We both know too damn much about the dark side.”

  “Agreed. It’s an occupational hazard.” Jace put his ID back in his pocket. “Let me explain how Dana’s world and mine happened to collide.”

  Gideon took the chair opposite the couch, eyeing him with grave concern. Jace knew exactly what the other man was thinking.

  “To answer your question, I’m in love with Dana.” He reached in his pocket and pulled out a gold wedding band. “Before my wife died, she begged me to find someone else to marry. At the time, I didn’t think I’d ever be able to fall in love again. Then I met Dana. Today I took this off my finger.”

  “That’s all I needed to hear,” Gideon said in a relieved tone of voice.

  He put the ring back in his pocket. “Unfortunately, there isn’t a thing in hell I can do about it while I’m still undercover. Until I’m free to be honest with her, I can’t even tell her I love her.”

  The other man nodded. “Understood. My best friend, Max Calder, was with the FBI for a long time. He went undercover to infiltrate the Russian mob and fell in love with an immigration attorney he thought was one of them.

  “I provided backup for him at the time, and believe me—it was hell for both of them until she unwittingly helped Max bring them down. Now they’re happily married and he’s gone back to being a detective in my department.”

  “Thanks for telling me that. It all helps. However, I may not be so lucky with Dana.”

  Gideon blinked. “Why do you say that?”

  “For one thing, I found out during my marriage that I can’t give a woman children. When I mentioned this to Dana, she didn’t say anything. I happen to know she’s crazy about kids. I was there when Heidi told her the news about your baby. You should have seen her reaction.”

  “There’s always adoption, Jace.”

  “Some women can’t handle the idea. Dana could be one of them. Then there’s the added problem of my profession, which might be a real turnoff.”

  “It’s early days yet. Don’t borrow trouble,” he urged in a commiserating tone. “Tell me about the case you’re working on.”

  “Gladly.” Jace leaned forward, clasping his hands between his legs. “I could use a mind like yours to give me some input.”

  A half hour went by while he filled in the holes to paint the whole picture for Gideon. “The problem is, I’m working against a short time frame. If I don’t come up with hard evidence by Sunday night, it’s back to Austin on Monday.”

  Gideon rose to his feet. “I’m going to help you look for that plane. Let’s get started. If we move fast, we can have both quadrants covered by morning.”

  Jace shook his head. “I couldn’t ask that of you. You’re on vacation. I know what it means to your family to get you away from your work. Needless to say, Dana’s been waiting for you to come.”

  “Let’s get something straight. Dana’s family to me. When I think about that minicamera…” He sounded as savage as Jace felt.

  Getting up from the couch, Jace grabbed the journal she’d been looking for and followed Gideon out the door. Once it was locked, he joined the other man and started up the car.

  “When we get to the apartment, just play along with me,” Gideon murmured. “I’ll think of something to tell Heidi and Dana that will be reassuring yet won’t blow your cover.

  “When I get my wife alone, I’ll explain that you need to confide in me about Dana, so we’re going to camp out and have a man-to-man talk. She’ll be fine with it.”

  “You don’t have to do this.”

  Gideon turned his head toward Jace. “What if our positions were reversed and it was Heidi who was in danger?”

  “Touché. I’ll pick you up at the motel after I’ve said good-night to Dana.”

  “Good luck keeping it short.”

  Jace smiled. “I can see you’ve been there.”

  “I solved the problem by asking Heidi to live with me for a week while we hunted for evidence to free Dana.”

  “I hear it was a whirlwind courtship.”

  “It’s the only way to fly.”

  “I’ll remember that.”

  “WHERE ARE YOU GOING, Glen?”

  “To say good-night to Dana. She had to work late at the observatory. Now she’s back. I saw her headlights. We’ll drive around town for a little while.”

  “You tell that young woman to come over and visit me tomorrow.”

  “I will. Do you want the TV on or off?”

  “Leave it on. It’s almost eleven. Time for that mystery show.”

  “Okay. See you later, Grandad.”

  Glen disappeared into his grandfather’s bedroom and removed his hunting rifle from the closet shelf. In the dresser he found a box of ammo and took it.

  Once out the back door, he put everything in the truck. It was packed and ready to go. All except for Dana’s clothes.

  She’d slept out with that bastard IPS driver last night. If she was up at the observatory with him again tonight, she could plan to kiss him goodbye.

  He drove over to the trailer and pulled alongside it. Before climbing down from the cab, he took a moment to load the rifle. He didn’t give a crap if anyone saw him using his own trailer for target practice. The house, the property…it would all belong to him when the old man died.

  Taking careful aim, he fired once at the lock.

  Bingo.

  After putting the rifle back in the truck, he reached for the empty duffel bag. It excited him just thinking about packing her clothes, especially all that lacy underwear.

  The impact of the bullet had ripped the door clear off the hinges. He pushed it back and went inside.

  His eyes narrowed to slits.

  The place was empty!

  He charged through to the bedroom. Nothing was in the drawers or closets. When he checked the bathroom, it was completely bare.

  The bitch had moved out!

  Because of the light she’d left on in the living room, it had led him to believe she still lived here.

  Damn her to hell!

  With hair flying, he retraced his steps to the truck and took off for the observatory. He kept his hand on the rifle as he rounded the summit to the top of Mount Luna.

  Neither car was there.

  The bastard had talked her into moving in with him. Glen’s plan—to go away with her tonight and get married—would have to be postponed until he could find her.

  Tomorrow he’d beg off sick from work and follow the IPS van. When he discovered where the driver lived, that’s where he’d
find Dana.

  Lewis wouldn’t like it, but Glen was tired of not getting his own way in anything. Besides, his grandfather approved of Dana. In fact, she was about the only thing he did approve of where Glen was concerned.

  He’d be happy when Glen brought Dana home on Sunday as his bride. With his grandfather so sweet on her, she was his insurance to get all that was coming to him.

  There was no reason to tell Lewis anything until after the wedding. This was one time he wasn’t going to let him screw things up.

  Satisfied with his plan, he drove back to the house. Leaving the duffel bag on the seat, he grasped the rifle and ammo and walked around to the back of the truck. He climbed over the tailgate to bury the weapon between the blankets and sleeping bags, where it would be safe.

  He’d thought of everything. Cooler, water, rope, flashlights, butane lanterns. She’d have all the comforts of home.

  When he slipped inside the house, the clock was chiming midnight.

  “Glen? Is that you?”

  “I’m back, Grandad.”

  “Is Dana going to come over tomorrow?”

  “Either tomorrow or Sunday. She says she’s looking forward to seeing you.”

  “That’s what I like to hear.”

  “Is there anything you need before I go to bed?”

  “No. I’m going to sleep now.”

  “Okay. Good night, Grandad.”

  “Good night.”

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  “MOM?”

  “Dana, honey—”

  “Did I wake you up?”

  “Heavens no. Your father and I are watching a movie. Did Heidi and Gideon get there all right?”

  “They arrived around one. It’s so good to see them. Thanks for the brownies. You know how much I crave a taste of home. I’ve eaten three already.”

  “Good. You need to put on more weight.”

  “It’s coming on fast now. Listen, Mom, tonight I moved from the trailer to a nice apartment in town. It even has a garage. Everyone helped and now I’m all settled in.”

  “That’s music to my ears. Wait till I tell your father. He’ll be as relieved as I am you won’t have to be around the Mason boy Heidi said has been making a nuisance.”