Perfect Wyoming Complete Collection: Special Agent's Perfect Cover ; Rancher's Perfect Baby Rescue ; A Daughter's Perfect Secret ; Lawman's Perfect Surrender ; The Perfect Outsider ; Mercenary's Perfect Mission

by Marie Ferrarella

  Looking out into the yard, he didn’t respond. Whatever had happened to his parents was painful for him to talk about.

  “Don’t you have anyone close?” How sad if he didn’t.

  He turned back to her with much less angst. “Anna. She’s my…mother.”

  Gemma didn’t know what to say. Anna was a mother figure to him and he’d obviously lost his real parents somehow.

  “She won’t be able to stay away,” he said with a fond grin, surprising her. He didn’t have any trouble talking about Anna. “Knowing I’m shacked up with a woman.”

  She smiled. “You’re working. Bo Fargo told you to stay with me.”

  “That won’t matter. She’ll take one look at you and…” He didn’t finish.

  “And what?” She had to bite back the direct questions popping up in her mind. What had happened to his parents? How had he come to be close to this woman named Anna?

  His gaze fell all over her body. “Never mind.”

  “Too late, Deputy McCall,” she coaxed. “What will she think?”

  He grunted his amusement. “That there’s something going on between us.”

  “She’d like that?” So would Gemma…

  “She’s been hounding me lately to settle down again.”

  Again? “You were married before?”

  The tension reappeared beyond the iron wall that shielded his eyes. “What do you want to do for dinner?”

  Wow. That was definitely another touchy subject. He didn’t like talking about his family or his past relationships. Except for Anna. How odd.

  Sensing she’d get no more information out of him, she remembered she was supposed to meet Lacy. “Oh.” She checked the time. “I almost forgot. I have to stop by Cold Plains Coffee to pick up Lacy.”

  “You have plans tonight?” The annoyance in his tone was unmistakable.

  What didn’t he like? The fact that she had to go out and he’d have to go with her or that it was Lacy she was going to see? “We’re going to a seminar.”

  “You just went to a seminar.”

  Clearly, he didn’t approve of them. “When I called to tell her I couldn’t stop by today, she asked if I’d go with her tonight.”

  After a lengthy pause, he said, “Be careful who you befriend at those.”

  His warning made her search his eyes to see if he was serious. He was. “Do you mean Lacy?” She laughed a little. Lacy was the friendliest person she’d ever met.

  “Haven’t you noticed anything odd about the community center?” He turned to face her full-on.

  “No. It’s modern and beautiful and it serves a wonderful purpose.”

  “Yeah, yeah. Samuel is a godsend. What would Cold Plains do without him?”

  “Why don’t you like Samuel?”

  “I don’t like what he’s doing to this town.” He sounded disgusted.

  She angled her head in question. Why did he think there was something wrong about Cold Plains? “Who wouldn’t want to live here?” This was paradise compared to where she’d come from.

  He leaned against a post supporting her covered patio. “It wasn’t always this way.”

  “What way? Perfect? Idyllic? Safe?” At least it had been up until Jed showed up.

  “This town was full of crime and cowboys before investors came and turned it into a tourist attraction.”

  He didn’t like that? “What’s wrong with improving things?” Gemma asked.

  “Nothing.”

  She was pretty sure he thought there was something wrong with it. Why was he a cop here if he hated it so much? “You’d rather have it full of crime?”

  “No.”

  “Then…?”

  He stared at her for a long time. “You’re new here.”

  What was that supposed to mean? Old-timers knew something she didn’t? She found that so hard to comprehend. Cold Plains was a haven for her.

  Straightening from the post, he walked with slow, sure strides to the patio door. “I’ll drive you and Lacy to the community center.”

  Following him into her house, she wondered if the reason he didn’t like talking about his family situation had anything to do with his opinion of Cold Plains. She sensed a strong connection between the two. Was he here to right a wrong? Or did he have some kind of vendetta against certain people? Against Samuel Grayson?

  Or Bo Fargo? She’d seen the way he’d looked at the man and it hadn’t been friendly. Ford didn’t respect the police chief. But why? He wouldn’t tell her if she asked. He’d already cut the conversation off.

  He led her out the front door and she locked it behind her, watching him scan the neighborhood with trained eyes. She wished he didn’t attract her so much. His mysteries kept mounting. And now he’d warned her to be careful who she befriended. Was he one of those she should steer clear of? Instinct told her no. Her heart was drawn to him for some reason. Then again, her heart had been drawn to Jed, too.

  She’d be careful all right. She’d be careful not to get too starry-eyed over Ford, police officer or not.

  CHAPTER 3

  Gemma entered Cold Plains Coffee as Ford held the door for her. Dismissing the gentlemanly gesture, she looked for Lacy. She couldn’t wait to go to tonight’s seminar, not for the content, rather, for the break it would give her from the constant temptation to let go of inhibitions.

  Rich wood blinds with swooping maroon drapes accented the western decor of Lacy’s shop. Buffalo-plaid-patterned chairs and sofas created nooks where patrons could gather. In the center, rugged wooden tables surrounded by cushioned chairs sat beneath exposed beams. The acoustics of the architecture kept the mixture of voices in the half-full space to a muted level.

  A middle-aged couple saw them and, after staring a bit, the woman leaned closer to the man and said something that made the man nod and look over again. An elderly woman with a floral sun visor sat at a table and smiled her approval. At first Gemma thought the older woman liked seeing a police officer in the shop, but then she stood in her baby-blue jogging suit and headed toward them, white tennis shoes bright and clean.

  “Anna,” Ford said flatly.

  “Ford,” Anna greeted, leaning toward him to plant a kiss on his cheek, Ford lowering his head to accommodate her. “I didn’t know you were coming here.”

  With an affectionate frown, Ford said, “I highly doubt that. What are you doing here, Anna?”

  She ignored him and turned to Gemma. “I’ve heard all about your trouble, dear. And I couldn’t be prouder of Ford for helping you.”

  “I’m very grateful for his protection,” Gemma said.

  “I told you, I’m working,” Ford said.

  “That’s what you always say. This, however, is different. You call living with a woman working?” Anna gave Gemma a close and deliberate inspection. “A pretty one, too.”

  “I’m not living with her. I’m staying with her for a while. For her protection. I’m a police officer.”

  “And a good one, too.”

  “Why did you come here? And tell me the truth.”

  Anna smiled and gave the air in front of her body a sweep with her hands. “I went for a jog. You know I always jog in the evening.”

  Ford chuckled, a deep, affectionate sound. “So, you decided to stop in for coffee? After a jog?”

  “No harm in that.” Her eyes twinkled with delight.

  “You never drink coffee at night. Especially when you jog, Anna.”

  Anna laughed, the aged sound adorable. The love between them was obvious. She could do no wrong in Ford’s eyes. The woman had to be in her seventies and had the energy of a woman twenty years younger. Athletic and thin and nowhere near frail, she was an inspiration.

 
“I came here to see her for myself.”

  The entire exchange touched Gemma, and also revealed a side to Ford she didn’t think emerged often. The soft light in his eyes, the soft light of love.

  “Anna…?” Ford warned in a teasing way.

  “Do you think I’d pass up a chance to meet your new girl? I knew you wouldn’t tell me about her and I couldn’t wait.”

  “She isn’t my girl.”

  “No, but you desperately need one.” She patted his muscular bicep.

  His affection disappeared behind a lowered brow and intensifying eyes. Even with the one person he loved like a mother, he still kept his boundaries firmly in place. Whatever haunted him, it was significant.

  “Why don’t you bring her by the house this weekend? I’ll make us something special for the Fourth of July. You can grill some ribs. Your favorite. I don’t feel like attending the fireworks this year. It’s changed so much…”

  “Anna…” Ford cautioned again. “I told you, I’m working.”

  “Oh, all right, then when you’re finished working, bring her by the house. When will that be? Is August enough lead time?”

  Ford sighed. “Anna…?”

  Lighthearted laughter answered him before she turned to Gemma. “Good to meet you, dear.”

  Gemma shook her hand, feeling the strength in it. With that, Anna headed for the door. But over her shoulder she called, “When your work is finished, you bring her to see me.”

  Ford gave her a salute with two fingers, and muttered to Gemma, “She doesn’t understand that when my work is finished, I won’t be staying with you anymore.”

  “No?”

  He turned a startled look to her. She was just as startled.

  “I heard that,” Lacy said as she approached, sparing Gemma further embarrassment.

  She couldn’t believe what she’d said. Of course, she didn’t want Ford to stay after his work was finished…after Jed was taken care of. It was just that Anna seemed so sure.

  Hooking her arm with Gemma’s, Lacy was about to take her toward the door when all three of them saw Anna pass outside the café window. She winked.

  “She may have a point,” Lacy said.

  “What point?” Gemma asked.

  “Are you two ready to go?” Ford stopped the banter irritably.

  “When I told her you were staying with Gemma her whole face lit up and she went into this long explanation about how she thought fate had finally stepped in to guide you.”

  “When did you tell her that?” Gemma asked while Ford’s mood darkened all over is face and body language.

  “This morning when she came in for coffee.”

  “That sounds like Anna,” Ford said, his mood boomeranging in a way that captivated Gemma.

  Lacy grinned her entertainment. “I told her about the day the two of you met. Imagine how intrigued she was.”

  Ford’s mood returned to annoyance. “No imagination necessary. Are you two ready to go now?”

  Gemma wasn’t. “What did you tell her?”

  “Exactly what I saw.” Her now mischievous grin left no doubt as to her meaning.

  She and Ford had noticed each other. “Ford has orders to stay with me. There’s nothing more going on than that.”

  “Orders,” Lacy cooed. “Now that’s romantic! Anna thinks so, too.”

  “You’re going to be late.”

  Gemma noticed Ford’s more consistently flat demeanor and Gemma, seeing that, asked, “Are you sure you want to drive us?”

  “I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t.” He looked right at Lacy.

  Lacy breathed a single laugh and, arm still hooked with Gemma’s, headed toward the door.

  Ford followed them outside, scanning the street for anything suspicious. He opened the passenger-side door for Gemma. Lacy opened the rear door herself, beaming a knowing smile.

  “In all seriousness, Ford,” Lacy said from the backseat, “It’s truly impressive how well Bo Fargo runs that police department. Gemma is a lucky woman to have your protection.”

  Only Ford’s eyes moved to the rearview mirror.

  “You must be so relieved, Gemma. I don’t know what I’d do if a man came after me like that. It’s so rare when we have that sort of thing in this town. But so comforting to know we have policemen like you, Ford.”

  Again, Ford’s eyes shifted to the rearview mirror. The compliment rolled off him as though he didn’t believe her. Didn’t he think Lacy was being sincere? Wasn’t she?

  Gemma looked into the backseat. Lacy’s eyes shifted from the rearview mirror. Her smile seemed genuine but her gaze held something else. She turned to the window, leaving Gemma wondering what she was thinking as Ford pulled to a stop in front of the community center.

  “I’ll be waiting for you when you get out,” he said.

  Jed would be foolish to try and attack her in a crowd.

  “Why don’t you come in with us?” Lacy gathered up her purse.

  “I don’t attend these seminars.”

  “There’s something for everyone. You really should try it,” Lacy said.

  “No thanks.” His gaze pinned her in the rearview mirror.

  Gemma stepped out of the front seat and waited for Lacy to come around the SUV, watching Ford walk toward the café where he’d questioned her.

  “He’s always been the quiet, brooding type,” Lacy said as she joined Gemma. “Sexy, though.”

  Gemma headed for the community center entrance. She refused to talk about sexy. There was something that she did need to know, though. “What happened to his parents?”

  “His whole family was murdered when he was a teenager.”

  Gemma sucked in a breath while Lacy opened one of the community center doors. Murdered? His entire family? No wonder he didn’t want to talk about it.

  “You can read about it in the newspaper archives at the library. Everybody knows about it. I’m surprised you don’t by now.”

  That was because Ford couldn’t talk about it. He kept the pain locked inside.

  “There’s no question about why he became a cop. And it’s no wonder the crime rate in Cold Plains is so low. Ford may not talk about losing his family the way he did, but everybody knows that’s why he’s such a stickler for the law. Everyone likes that about him. Crime doesn’t fit here and he keeps it away.”

  Gemma liked that about him, too. And Cold Plains as a whole. How could she not? She may have inadvertently led crime to this quiet, peaceful town, but Ford would fight it for her.

  She walked beside Lacy into the bustling community center. People were everywhere. Leaving or entering the building, emerging from a hallway, moving into an auditorium and socializing near the tonic-water counter. Lacy told her the water came from Cold Plains Creek and had some kind of healing power. Fountain-of-youth type of thing. She’d have to remember to buy another case of it. At twenty-five dollars a bottle, Jed would be furious if he ever knew.

  “I could see you winding up with someone like him,” Lacy said, waving to a woman holding a bottle of tonic water.

  “Ford?” They entered the auditorium where tonight’s seminar was being held.

  “He’s a cop and he’s great-looking.”

  Yes, a little too much of both. “I don’t want to see anyone for a while. I’m still so messed up. I need to figure myself out first, you know?”

  Lacy smiled and they took a seat. “Well, you’re off to a good start by coming here.”

  Gemma agreed. “This does make me feel better. I may have made bad choices in the past, but that doesn’t mean I have to keep making them.”

  “That’s my girl.” She patted Gemma’s thigh, as if they were old friends. “That’s what S
amuel noticed about you. You’re eager to improve. I think that’s why he’s so partial to you.”

  “He’s partial to me?” And why did he care if she was eager to improve? “How do you know that?”

  “He told me. He admires anyone with that kind of strength and initiative. He wants you to succeed. The more people who succeed in this town, the better it will be.”

  While Lacy intended to convey Samuel’s good intentions, there was an odd note to the way she spoke of him. Hero worship. Over the top. Samuel admired Gemma and wanted her to succeed. Why did he care that much? As a quite popular motivational speaker, she supposed he would have personal interest in anyone who was striving to go from being abused and downtrodden to thriving. Part of his work. Overcoming the mental side effects of her abuse was her goal. She hadn’t known Jed would become violent after she married him. Once she’d discovered that dark side, she’d felt stuck with him. Looking back, she realized that was because he’d beaten down her self-esteem so far that he’d controlled her. He’d controlled her with physical violence.

  It hadn’t been easy to climb out of that hell and find the courage to leave. That had only been the first step. She hadn’t truly begun to feel capable of taking charge of her own destiny until she’d met Samuel and attended one of his seminars. He’d given her hope. He’d given her a light to follow. Light that had restored her self-esteem.

  That went against everything Ford had insinuated about the people in this town, about Samuel. She didn’t get it. Why was he so negative? The seminars empowered her. They redirected her thinking. Whether Ford thought they were useless or not, they were helping her. Healing her.

  A few stragglers entered the auditorium and found seats. The seminar would begin soon. But Gemma couldn’t stop thinking about Ford.

  “What happened to his family?” she asked. “How were they murdered?”

  “Burglars broke into their house. His dad woke up and fought one of them but he was shot. By then the rest of the family was awake. His younger brother was shot and his mother was raped before she was killed. Ford hid through it all. That’s the only reason he’s alive today. Otherwise, he would have been killed along with them.”