He turned around. “Trinity, I’ll relieve you in a few.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
One of the reasons he loved the wilderness was because the people he met pulled together in time of need. At the tent, he set Mandy down. “Let me check the damage before you crawl in.”
Not that he wanted her to stand outside, but if he could make the inside presentable, she might feel better. When he crawled in, he realized they’d need another tarp. Back out he went.
“Wait here. I need some supplies.” He jogged to the horses. While it didn’t look like it would rain, Mandy would probably feel more secure if the hole was covered. He withdrew an extra ground cloth, as well as a spare sleeping bag, and returned. He had clothespins in his pack. Hopefully, his bag survived unscathed.
Vince wrapped an arm around her and pulled her tight. He kissed her forehead. “How you holding up?”
“I’ll survive.” Her shoulders straightened. “I’m not going to let this person get to me.”
He leaned back and tilted her chin. “What message do you think he or she was trying to convey?”
“They want me to leave. That I’m not welcome at the Callen ranch.”
He nodded. “Sounds about right. But believe me. The message was not sent by a Callen.”
“I know. If Craig is involved, he has another thing coming if he believes I’ll run back into his arms.”
Vince quickly attached the ground cloth to the side and went back in again. The sleeping bag hadn’t been burned, but with the water they’d thrown on it, it was wet. He rolled up hers and replaced it with the spare. After he rearranged their tent, he stepped outside.
“We’re all good.”
Her shoulders slumped. Adrenaline would boost the spirit for only so long. He led her inside and turned on the lamp in the corner.
“It doesn’t look too bad.”
He sat and tugged on her hand. “Come on.”
She sat next to him and crawled into his arms. That one action sealed his heart. She was the one for him.
“Can you just hold me?”
He kissed her lightly. “Forever.” With the pad of his thumb he swiped away the tears. “For what it’s worth, I want you here.”
She looked up. “For what it’s worth, I want to stay.” She tapped his chest. “Because of you. Because of Cam.”
She couldn’t have said anything better.
* * * *
“Rise and shine!”
Mandy rolled over and grunted. Trinity’s cheery command was too much to bear. She cracked open an eye. Vince wasn’t next to her. She must have fallen asleep if she hadn’t been aware he’d left. Not much light seeped through the clear plastic ground cloth that covered the fire-damaged hole, but that didn’t mean she could lie in bed. She was part of the expedition.
Carla had lent her clothes last night. She undressed and put on her own fresh ones. They smelled a little of smoke, but that couldn’t be helped. She crawled out to greet the day. Two of the women were up, as were Trinity and Vince. She ambled over to them.
Surprisingly, she wasn’t nearly as upset as she’d been last night. Having Vince and Trinity carrying weapons eased her fear. Vince was right. The person who’d set her tent of fire was long gone. Whether he planned to scare her or hoped she burned to death was anyone’s guess. She had every faith in her men to find the perpetrator. Intrigue was a small town. Had this occurred in Denver, the person could have hid more easily.
Vince motioned her over. “How are you doing? Up for another day? Or do you want to head back?”
“We need two leaders at all times. I’m good.”
The rest of the ladies came out of the tent, some looking refreshed, and other appearing a bit lost and confused. When Mandy peered in their open tents, all of their sleeping bags were stuffed back in their sacks.
She was impressed. “Nice job, ladies.”
“Should we take down the tent?” one of the ladies asked Trinity.
“Let’s gather everyone first, and we’ll make assignments.”
The photography teacher, Rana, stood next to Trinity, as if presenting a unified front. Once everyone came near, Trinity assigned jobs from pumping water, taking down tents, to breakfast detail.
All the women scattered to do their chores.
Only Trinity and Vince remained. “What’s the plan for today?” She looked at Trinity.
“The women want to take photos first, since the light is so good. After breakfast, we’ll pack up and head out. Vince asked to stay in the back. I’ll lead. How about you take the middle position?”
Trinity was trying to protect her. “I can do that.”
She would have liked to chat with Vince, but talking with the women would be good, too.
After an hour of shooting pictures, they ate and packed up. Their first stop was a ridge that provided a vista to the mountains. They met no other riders during their two-hour journey, which suited her well. Several times, they stopped for more photo ops or to take a snack break.
When they reached the crest, they all dismounted. The day was clear and amazingly beautiful.
Rana stepped in front. “I’m not much into group photos, but I want a shot of everyone. I’ll e-mail all of you the photo.”
She arranged them in two rows and took a few shots. Rana asked that Vince, Trinity, and Mandy kneel in front as they were the leaders. “Great.”
Happy that was over, Mandy slipped to Trinity. “Now what?”
“With horses, we don’t have too many options. We’re headed for Shady Gap overview. The photo opportunities will be best there.” She rubbed Mandy’s shoulder. “You up for it?”
“Absolutely. I actually slept quite well last night. I’m fine.”
“When we camp tonight, we should put your tent in between the rest of ours. No one would approach with so many of us surrounding you.”
Her muscles relaxed for the first time in hours. “That’s a great idea. How far is it to the ranch?” Many of the women had commented on how sore they were.
Trinity tapped her head. “That’s the beauty of this route. We’ll be a two-hour ride from Circle Bar. We’re actually going in a big circle.”
“Cool.”
By the second day, the women had the setting up of camp down pat. They could make a fire, pump water, and cook a meal. The site was conducive to putting their semiburned tent between the A-frames.
The ladies took a lot of photos, including some of her whittling the sticks for the marshmallows. “E-mail me the picture, okay? I’d love to have memories of my first outing.”
Rana came up with her camera in hand. “Do you want me to take a picture of the burned portion of the tent for insurance purposes?”
She doubted losing a tent would put a dent in Sam’s budget, but it would be nice to have the evidence. “Sure. Can you e-mail that to Sam, also?”
“Will do.”
Once they finished eating, they spent a wonderful night around the campfire. This is where she wanted to be. The woods, the camaraderie, and watching people get excited about life really stimulated her. To think she’d spent all those years playing tennis, shopping, and going to parties. She’d fooled herself in to believing she was happy. She couldn’t have been more wrong.
Chapter Thirteen
“Someone set the tent on fire?” Cam paced the office, his hands fisted and his anger mounting by the minute.
Vince appeared way too calm. “Shh. Mandy will hear you.”
“That bitch must have hired someone. Someone like Darby.” Vince had told him what Tara said. The fact Darby suddenly had enough money for the insurance was enough for him to conclude the man might be guilty. Even if he did harm Mandy, could Cam prove Sharon hired the man? Or had Mandy’s husband located her?
Vince pulled out the office chair and sat. “You can’t go around accusing someone of a crime without proof.”
“I know, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it. Someone’s gotta know something.” It wa
s a matter of finding the right person. “I’m going to ask around where Darby was two nights ago.”
“You need me to do something?”
“How about following up on Mandy’s husband? Hell, drive to Denver if need be. Maybe turn over the e-mails she has to the authorities.”
“It’s only a two-hour drive. If I leave now, I’ll be back for dinner.” He leaned forward. “If we’re both gone, what about Mandy?”
“I’ll see if she can stay at Sam’s house with Wade and Heath. They’ll watch her.”
“Good idea. She won’t like being shuffled around. You know she’ll want to go with you.”
Vince stood. “Why don’t you head to town now, and I’ll make sure she’s settled in with Wade and Heath before I head out. I need more information from Mandy on Clairbourne’s habits before I go down there, anyway.”
“Okay.”
He could use the time to figure out how to approach Darby once he found out if the man had an alibi. Asking him directly where he was two nights ago would put him on the defensive. “Keep in touch.”
On the drive to town, a plan formed. He called the Raging Bull and asked for Tara.
“Hey, Cameron.”
“I need some help.”
“Sure.”
“You told Vince that Darby Atkins had a second job at night. Do you know where he works?”
“As a janitor at the high school.”
“Thanks.”
His first stop needed to be Intrigue High School. He and the principal went to school together and on occasion shared a few beers. Fortunately, Paul Hill was in his office. Cam had dated the secretary once or twice, and she ushered him in.
Paul’s face brightened. “Cam. To what do I own the honor?”
Now came the hard part. He pulled up a chair. “What can you tell me about Darby Atkins?”
Paul’s eyes widened. “Now that’s a coincidence. I fired him yesterday.”
Seems Darby couldn’t catch a break. “Why?”
“He was supposed to work two nights ago but never showed. I never would have known if the director of summer school hadn’t needed to check something in the gym.”
“What happened?” It wasn’t all that important, but sometimes it was the unasked questions that made the case.
“The boys’ bathroom flooded and nearly destroyed the gym floor. We got the plumber there in time, but if Darby had been on the job, he would have noticed it sooner.”
“What did Darby say about his absence?”
Paul shrugged. “That he had something to do and had asked our day janitor to switch shifts with him.”
“Did you follow through?” Cam tried not to sound accusatory.
“I did. Our day janitor, who has been with us going on fifteen years, said he had no such conversation. I believe him.”
Darby Atkins didn’t have an alibi the night Mandy’s tent caught fire, but that didn’t prove he’d been in the woods. “Thanks. We need to catch up some time.”
“Sounds good.” They shook hands and Cam left.
Darby and his family lived in a small house not far off the main drag in town. The property wasn’t large enough for him to own a horse. If Atkins had gone into the woods, either he borrowed one or had rented one. There was always the chance the person who hired him to do the deed had provided the steed. Damn. This wasn’t easy.
The stables on the edge of town rented horses to visitors. It was a long shot, but Cam was no detective and was out of ideas.
Brad Soliman did a roaring business in the summer. His place was only a short distance from the high school and was a good place to start. Even if these stables didn’t pan out, sooner or later someone would know something. Small towns made it hard to hide. As a last resort, he’d ask Vince to contact his cousin, Cody Callen. He owned the Intrigue Sun and had his finger on the pulse of the town better than anyone.
Cam pulled up to the stables and spotted what looked like a family getting ready to ride. He spotted Brad’s back as he headed into the barn. Couldn’t miss the owner’s flaming red hair and hulking mass.
Cam jumped out of his car and rushed over. “Hey, Brad.”
The redhead turned around and smiled. He closed the distance between them, stuck out his hand, and shook Cam’s.
“Well, well. Cameron Longworth. Long time no see.”
Cam had taken Brad’s case regarding a legal dispute over the neighboring strip mall. Brad won.
“Sam had an incident over at her ranch, and I need some information.”
“How can I help?”
“Do you mind looking to see if Darby Atkins rented a horse two days ago?”
“Don’t need to look. He didn’t.” He tapped his head.
“Damn.”
“Why?”
The long version would take an hour, the short version hopefully less than five minutes. Brad was a good guy and would keep the information confidential. He might have heard someone who rented a horse talk about going into the wilderness near Shady Gap.
Brad whistled. “Sharon Lipman rented a horse. She never mentioned Shady Gap, though.”
His pulse sped up. He didn’t want to believe she was involved, but perhaps he needed to rethink her connection. “Did she say why?”
“She and Tamara Brandt were doing a day trip and she needed to rent a mount.”
“Thanks.”
The new information didn’t prove much. As a lawyer, he wanted absolute proof before he accused someone. Her story was easy to verify.
* * * *
While Wade and Heath’s home was amazing, not being around Vince and Cam affected Mandy’s mood, and not in a good way.
Heath came in carrying a sleepy Juliette and set her down. Her hair was every which way, and her cheek had creases in them. The adorable three-year old ran up to her. “Hi, Mandy.”
Mandy squatted to eye level and gave her a hug. She missed kids and was totally committed to having a ton of her own someday—if she lived long enough.
“Cam called. He’s on his way home.”
Thank goodness. She stood. “Great.”
Heath held out his hand to his daughter. “Let’s take Mandy home.”
“Okeydoke.”
The Circle Bar was adjacent to Heath and Wade’s home, but the concept of next door was quite different than in Denver.
Cam’s car was in the drive when they arrived. “Thanks for taking care of me.”
“My pleasure. Anytime.”
She gave Juliette a hug and went inside. “Hello?”
Cam came out from the back. “Hey.”
“What did you find out?”
He told her about Darby’s and Sharon’s possible involvement.
“Did you get ahold of this Tamara woman?”
“Yes and no. She didn’t answer, so I stopped by the salon she owns. Apparently, Tamara has been in New York City at a conference all week.”
“So Sharon’s alibi fell through.”
“Yes, but it’s still circumstantial.”
“So now what?”
Cam pulled Mandy into an embrace and backed her up until her butt hit the center island. “Now, I do what I’ve been thinking about all day.”
His kiss blazed a scorching path straight down her body, and she blanked her mind to everything but him. Comparisons between the men served no purpose. Cam was here. She was here. That was all that mattered.
“Angel, I’ve missed you.”
His fingers slid under her shirt and beneath her bra, pushing the confining beast above her breasts. His warm, callused palms inflamed her need. She ran her hands over his shoulders and down his back, massaging each ripple and bulge.
She tugged on his bottom lip with her teeth and let go. “You’re overdressed.” He wore a plaid shirt with snap buttons. With a quick pull, the buttons popped, exposing his rippled chest. “Nice.”
“I’m glad you like it, but turnabout’s fair play.”
He lifted her tee above her head and discarded it on the co
unter. With a flick, her bra opened. She expected him to toss it off, but instead he caressed her shoulders, slowly guiding the straps down to her wrists. He removed her bra and placed it on the counter, never taking his gaze off her chest.
“You are so beautiful.” His eyelids lowered as if he was entering a dream state.
He drew one nipple into his mouth as he palmed the other tit. His velvety tongue intoxicated her. She ran her palms up his chest, kneading and pressing his skin as her fingers traveled upward. The shirt prevented her from clasping his shoulders.
“Can we take this off?”
He never broke the suction as he tugged the sleeves down his arms. The material floated to the ground. He clasped her hips, lifted her, and set her on the counter.
He stepped between her legs. “You taste so good.”
She dropped her head back and closed her eyes, letting the pricks of joy spread over her. “My tits don’t taste like anything.” Other than scented soap.
“I can’t get enough.” He moved to the other breast and pinched the nipple he’d just licked.
Streaks of pleasure blasted through her. She arched her back, loving how he seemed to know when to pull hard and when to go all soft on her.
“I want to suck on your cock.”
At first, she didn’t think he’d heard, but he groaned and stepped back. “I don’t know what happens when I’m with you, but I have no control.”
She had the same issue. Now he’d know what it was like to be needy. “Is that a yes or a no?” She cupped his cock through the jeans and rolled her palm over his thickness.
“God help me, but yes.” She loved that his voice came out strangled.
“Let me help you with those pants.” She jumped down. Her fingers slipped under his waistband as she fumbled with the button. They weren’t tight, so why was she having so much trouble?
Lack of practice.
He grabbed her wrists. “Let me. I don’t want to wait another minute.”
With one tug, the buttons opened. He grinned, bent down, and shucked off his boots. “You might be sorry if you play too hard.”
“I’ll take my chances.”
Diamonds and Spurs [The Callens 9] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 11