Rising up onto her toes, she pressed her warm, soft lips to his. “That.”
Unable to resist her, he wrapped his arm around her and held her head as he kissed her the way she’d encouraged him to. When he finished, it took all of his willpower to release her and step back.
“Stay away from Grayson,” he said, her sultry expression making it exceedingly difficult for him to turn and walk away.
* * *
As though hypnotized, Gemma got into Lacy’s car, sitting in the passenger seat, staring through the windshield, still reeling from that kiss. The sun was low in the sky but the clear day was still bright and warm, adding to the array of awe singing inside her.
“That man’s got it bad for you,” Lacy said.
“Huh” was all she could muster.
“I mean, I knew he liked you, but…whoa. I’ve never seen a man kiss a girl like that.”
“Yeah.”
“Hot sex is one thing, but that…that is something different, honey.”
That brought her out of her hypnosis. “What?”
“He’s madly in love with you.”
“No, he isn’t!”
“Yes, he is. And you’re in love with him.”
“I am not.” She swatted her hand through the air with the ridiculous idea, while anxiety churned her stomach sour.
“Neither of you knows it yet, that’s all.” Lacy chuckled. “It’s just like the movies.”
“You said he had too much baggage.”
“That was before I saw him kiss you.” Lacy drove away from the inn. “And I’d like to see you happy, Gemma.”
She believed that’s what Lacy genuinely wanted, but falling in love with Ford wasn’t a smart thing to do. Neither was getting pregnant…
Panic stirred her anxiety to a new level. She hadn’t gotten her period this month. If she was pregnant, she couldn’t depend on Ford to be there for her.
Oh, God, what if she was…?
“It could be worse,” Lacy said as she drove. “You could be dealing with Alan.”
Gemma didn’t miss the subtle confession. “What’s going on with him?”
“He’s mad that I went to this party without him. He wasn’t invited. Samuel made it clear this was invitation-only. And Alan had to work anyway. I don’t know why he’s so mad.”
“Doesn’t he work for Samuel?”
“He doesn’t report directly to him.”
“What does he do?” Gemma hoped to get an answer out of her this time.
Lacy shrugged as though it didn’t matter. “Probably something over at the community center.”
“You mean you don’t know what he does for Samuel?”
“He supports the community center.”
Her vagueness made her suspicious. “Why did you go to the party if your boyfriend had such a big problem with it?”
“Are you kidding? Turn down an invitation from Samuel? No way!”
“What would he do if you politely declined? Kill you?” Gemma laughed halfheartedly. She wasn’t actually sure the answer would be no.
“No, but he might run me out of town. I wouldn’t be able to go to the seminars anymore. I’d be an outcast.”
Run her out of town? Apprehension clamped down on her hope that nothing was wrong with Samuel and the sanctuary she’d found in Cold Plains. “For not going to a party? What if you were in the hospital?”
“Having to go to the hospital would be worse. Samuel hates illness of any kind. We have to stay healthy.”
That sounded terrible. Did Lacy hear herself? And who encompassed the we she’d referenced? “Are you serious? He’d run you out of town if you didn’t do what he expected or got sick?”
“I’ve heard rumors, that’s all.”
Gemma went still. Lacy was backpedaling now. Surely Ford couldn’t be right. He couldn’t be. The seminars. What would she do without them? Cold Plains couldn’t turn out to be something different than what she’d seen when she’d first arrived. It couldn’t. “You believe them?”
“I don’t know. I’ve heard people…” Her voice trailed off.
“I’ve heard similar rumors, too, Lacy. People have been locked in the basement of the community center, and there’ve been some murders linked to Cold Plains. Some say Samuel is responsible.”
If he decides they aren’t perfect or they disagree with him, they disappear. Sometimes they die…
“You’ve been listening to Ford too much. I mean, Ford is against Samuel, and Samuel cares about you.”
Did he? She was beginning to wonder. Maybe what Lacy really meant was Samuel had targeted her. But for what? To be his next Devotee?
Is that why Lacy was so vague when she talked about Alan? Was he a Devotee? Was she? Gemma studied her friend as she tried to grasp the ramifications. It would explain why Lacy kept warning her about Ford, and why the rumors frightened her. They were true.
And yet, Lacy was desperate to hang on to the seminars and what she must see as an elite membership to Samuel’s inner circle.
“I just can’t see Samuel doing those things.” Lacy shook her head. “He’s a wonderful, positive influence on this town. On me. We can’t believe everything we hear.”
A short while ago, Gemma would have agreed. It was so implausible that Samuel could be anything other than what he appeared to be, a good and honest man. She could see the inconsistencies now. Lacy was afraid of the rumors, but only because of what she’d lose if they were true and she fell victim to them. Gemma felt a rift begin to form. If Lacy was a Devotee, how could they remain friends?
Looking over at her as she pulled into the driveway and stopped, Gemma wanted to ask her more questions, reassure herself that her fears were unfounded, convince her not to follow the wrong path.
“Would you like to come in for a while?”
“I have to get home,” Lacy dispelled that possibility. “The sitter is waiting for me and I can’t wait to show my girls what I bought before I came to pick you up for the party. Take a look.” She reached behind the passenger seat and came back with a shopping bag. “I felt like you today, spending money frivolously. But I couldn’t pass these up.”
Gemma opened the bag to see two pairs of tiny bright-red shoes with enough sparkles to delight any three-year-old. “They’re going to love them.”
In light of Lacy’s joy, Gemma lost her ambition to talk more about Samuel.
“Pick me up tomorrow night and I’ll tell you all about it,” Lacy said.
“Sure.” The words she felt drawn to say got tangled in a yarn ball in her throat.
Deciding to table her questions for now, she got out of the car and waved. Lacy waved back and drove the Mercedes out of the driveway.
Gemma went into her house, putting her beach bag down next to the door and heading for the stairs to go up and take a shower. It was so nice to be home and not be afraid that Jed was going to pop out of nowhere and attack her.
The doorbell stopped her, giving her a jolt. She wasn’t expecting anyone. Reminding herself that she didn’t have to be afraid anymore, she walked to the door. Maybe Lacy had come back.
She looked through the peephole. Definitely not Lacy. She didn’t recognize the trim, average-height man standing there. He held a laptop case and was dressed in jeans and a light blue short-sleeved shirt. His hair was cut short and neat. Nothing about him seemed menacing.
She opened the door a crack, ready to slam it shut if she had to.
“Ms. Johnson?” he asked.
He knew her name.
“I’m David Retting. I’m a desk clerk over at the Stillwater Inn where your ex-husband stayed. May I talk to you?” He glanced around him as though fearing he’d be seen.
“H
ow do you know my name?”
“I read about your ex-husband in the paper, and I heard your bracelet was found at the scene and that you were being questioned in connection with his murder. I know for a fact you didn’t do it.”
“How?” Alarm and hope collided in her.
She looked down at the laptop case and let him in.
Going into the kitchen, he put the laptop case down and went about removing the laptop. “I was working the night Jed Johnson was killed.”
“Why haven’t you gone to the police?”
He booted up the laptop. “This is Cold Plains, Ms. Johnson. Sometimes the cops can’t be trusted.”
“I don’t understand.” Then she took a closer look at the laptop. As the screen came to life, she recognized the background picture. “That’s Jed’s laptop!”
He opened Windows Explorer and stopped to face her. “Ma’am, I could be killed for what I’m about to show you. I didn’t have to come here, but I did. After I read that article, I knew I had to.”
“Where did you get that laptop?”
He hesitated. “I stole it.”
“From Jed’s hotel room?”
He nodded. “I’m the one who called in his murder. I’m the one who found him. Now, I know how bad this is going to sound, but I frequently watch guests and find the ones who have money. I was going to wait until Mr. Johnson left his room, but one time I walked by and the door was open. I saw this here laptop and decided to take it. I put it in my car before the cops arrived.”
“You stole…” She gaped at him. “How could you? Steal from a dead person?”
“I don’t expect you to understand. Times have been hard for me. Stealing’s kept food on my family’s table.” He faced the computer and shook his head. “I’ve given this a lot of thought and I just can’t keep this a secret. I’ve got to do what’s right.”
Gemma normally wasn’t the kind to forgive anyone for taking what didn’t belong to them, but this man had an odd sort of honor about him. She watched as he opened a video file.
A dim clip began to play. Jed’s face appeared. Part of a bed was visible behind him. Some closed drapes. His hotel room. A knock brought him to his feet and he disappeared from the camera’s view. Muffled voices followed and then a hard thud. After a few minutes of shuffling, she glanced at David.
“Keep watching.”
She did. The silhouette of a man appeared briefly, and then vanished. Seconds later, David appeared and the video clip ended when he closed the computer.
“Who was that?”
“I don’t know.”
“Did you see him?”
“No.”
“We have to go to the police.”
“No. No police. Please. I came to do what’s right. I beg you not to reveal my identity to anyone. You can call the cops as soon as I leave.”
“You stole my ex-husband’s laptop.”
His head bowed as though he was gathering his wits. “Ms. Johnson, you may not know the kind of people who are running this town, so I’m going to warn you. When this video file is discovered, some very bad people are going to want to stop it from reaching anyone who can identify the killer. I risked my life coming here.”
Gemma stared at him. Everything Ford said must be true. She could no longer deny any of it. “Samuel?”
“He’s behind it all. The disappearances. The murders. That Jane Doe case Ford is investigating? I’ll bet he’s got something to do with it.”
Rubbing her arms, Gemma wandered to her back patio door and looked outside. Just when she thought she was safe again, this happened.
“You’d better go,” she said.
“I need your word, Ms Johnson.”
“I won’t reveal your identity.”
After a long sigh of relief, he said, “Thank you.” A few seconds later, she heard the front door close.
Facing the laptop again, she replayed the video. She still couldn’t see enough of the man to identify him. There was only one thing she could do. Only one person she could turn to. Unfortunately, he was also the one person she shouldn’t be close to right now.
* * *
When Gemma opened the door, Ford devoured the sight of her in a denim dress and no shoes. Her dark hair flowed over her shoulders and her beautiful brown eyes roamed all over him, pausing on his badge before falling to the carry-on-sized suitcase beside him on her front porch.
After receiving her call, he’d known he wouldn’t be leaving her alone. Once word got out that there was a recording of Jed’s murder, Grayson would have his henchmen combing the town for it. That was his reasoning. His heart had another story. It didn’t help that she had accurately assessed him after Grayson’s party. He was afraid of what she meant to him. He was afraid she’d mean too much if he allowed it. Fortunately, his heart didn’t make his decisions for him.
Wordlessly, she made room for him to enter. He put his luggage just inside the door and went into the kitchen where the laptop was. After watching the clip, he had to agree with Gemma. The image of the man was too dark.
He shut the computer down and faced her. “Why don’t you tell me who gave it to you?” She’d refused to on the phone.
“I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“He asked me not to.”
“A man steals a laptop from a dead man and you want to protect him?”
She explained how David Retting had entered the room and found Jed. He’d taken the computer to sell it so he could feed his family. “And now he’s afraid.”
Ford didn’t care if it was her ex-husband’s computer, stealing was wrong.
“He didn’t have to come forward,” she argued.
No, he didn’t.
“It was the desk clerk at the Stillwater,” Ford said. “That’s who took the computer.” It wasn’t that hard to figure out.
At her startled look, he added, “He called in the murder.”
“Oh.” Warmth danced in her eyes.
“What’s he afraid of?”
“Samuel.”
“He’s afraid Grayson will find out he had the recording and gave it to you?”
She nodded.
Something was different about her. She wasn’t defending Grayson anymore. “Do you believe him?”
“Yes.”
Hearing her say that should make him feel a lot better. It did, but not in a way that made him comfortable. She was on his side now. No longer would he have to butt heads with her regarding Grayson’s cult. Instead, he’d have to fight even harder not to touch her.
“It would probably be best if you continue to behave the way you have,” he said. “The hotel clerk is right. We don’t want anyone to find out about the recording.”
“Okay.”
“Keep going to the seminars.”
“What if Samuel invites me to another party?”
As much as he hated the idea, he said, “You’ll go. Don’t even tell Lacy. By now you must know she’s one of them.”
“I haven’t seen a D on her hip and she hasn’t said she’s gotten one.”
“I know she’s your friend, Gemma, but you can’t trust her. You have to assume her first allegiance is to Samuel Grayson.”
Reluctantly, she nodded. “What are we going to do with the recording?”
“I know someone who might be able to help us.”
All they had to do was leave town without anyone knowing. Or following. It would keep him busy and his mind off Gemma. For now. Living with her again didn’t fill him with an abundance of confidence.
CHAPTER 7
Dillon threw a small pebble at the second-floor window of Hallie’s house. The middle of July had brought dry heat
to Cold Plains, but it cooled off at night. When no one appeared, he threw two more. He’d always wanted to do this. Hallie appeared in the lit window. She opened it a crack. “What are you doing?”
“Want to go to a party?”
“Are you nuts?”
“Grayson reserved the bar at the Stillwater. My parents are there.” His mom hadn’t been drinking the way she used to. He’d noticed other changes in her, too. Like the way she stood up to his dad more. His dad was a lost cause but there was still hope for his mom.
“Wait there.” Hallie disappeared and a few minutes later she emerged through the front door of her grandmother’s house.
“My grandmother is already asleep.”
“Good.” Dillon looked across the street at Gemma’s house. Ford’s SUV was parked in the driveway behind her car. There were lights on inside but no sign of Ford. He didn’t want to be caught going to the inn.
He started driving. “So, when are you going to tell me why you’re spying on Samuel?”
As always she didn’t respond, just looked forward as he drove.
“Or is it Bo Fargo you’re after?”
“I’m not after him.”
He smiled because she’d given herself away. She wasn’t after Fargo; she had other motives, like watching him. Just like he was watching Grayson.
He heard her sigh. Several seconds passed. “He refused to help my grandmother and me when we came to him about my father.” She paused. “My father disappeared a few months ago.”
“What do you mean he disappeared?”
“He moved me and my grandmother here. She lived with us. He wouldn’t say why we moved here. But as soon as we settled in, weird things started happening.”
“Was he a Devotee?”
“No. He was the opposite. He despised Samuel and his followers. He was fairly vocal about it, too. He received several threats before he disappeared.”
“They chased him out of town?”
“He would never leave me and my grandmother here. Something happened to him and I think Bo Fargo knows exactly what that is.”
“What makes you think that?”
“He wouldn’t do anything to help us find him. He claimed my dad told him he was going to take a trip to Australia and that maybe he decided not to come back.”
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 Page 62