“Then I think the two of us ought to meet with Mr. Fairchild as soon as possible, Kari,” Wyatt said, not only confirming Alex’s suspicion, but neatly excluding him from the initial foray, as well.
Fine. Let the two of them talk to Fairchild. There was no reason he had to go along on that ride.
“And if he agrees?” Alex asked as he stood, crossed to the counter and retrieved the coffeepot.
“Kari returns to Selby Stables and resumes her normal routine. As soon as she’s had a chance to scope out the situation and determine that nothing out of the ordinary is going on, I’ll have Fairchild approach Selby. Then we watch and wait.”
“We all watch and wait,” Alex amended.
“Now, wait a minute, Payton—” Wyatt began, evidently aware his authority was being challenged.
“No, you wait a minute,” Alex cut in, his tone deadly. “You want to spend your nights staking out the barn, be my guest. But I’m going to be there twenty-four hours a day, watching her back. Whether you like it or not.”
“I could have you thrown in jail,” Wyatt snarled.
“And I’d be out in a couple of hours.”
“Not if I—”
“Kevin, please,” Kari pleaded.
“I’ve been waiting years to get my hands on Selby. Now that I’m close, I don’t want some spook throwing a monkey wrench in the works.”
“But I want him there,” Kari replied, her voice firm. “Otherwise I’m not going back.”
Alex stared at her in surprise, as did Kevin Wyatt. He doubted the FBI agent had anticipated such a show of spirit from her. As for himself, Alex couldn’t quite believe he’d heard her right. She wanted him with her, and he could think of only one reason why. She trusted him to look out for her. And he would. With every fiber of his being, he vowed, clasping her hand.
Her smile wry, she clung to him as if for dear life.
“All right, then,” Wyatt conceded grudgingly. “But how, exactly, do you plan to do that?”
Without ado, Alex relayed his own course of action. Wyatt regarded him with obvious skepticism, but Kari agreed that what he had in mind would work.
“We’re always in need of stable hands, and Brandon prefers to hire Hispanics. They’re hard workers, usually good with the horses, and if they’re also illegal aliens, as many of them tend to be, he can get away with paying them lower-than-average wages.”
“Sounds like I ought to alert the INS,” Wyatt said.
“I tried that once,” Kari admitted. “The Immigration and Naturalization Service responded promptly. They came in, rounded up a few hands and sent them back across the border. Brandon pleaded innocence and paid a small fine. Then, a week or two later, he hired some more.”
“You really think he’ll buy into your disguise?” Still dubious, Wyatt turned his attention back to Alex.
“Watch and see,” he replied enigmatically.
“I’ve known him for ten years and he scared me spitless at the airport the other day, acting like some kind of weirdo,” Kari added, obviously attempting to vouch for him.
His curiosity roused, Wyatt studied her, his eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
“Oh, really? Why would he want to do that?”
“So I could kidnap her,” Alex answered honestly, smiling to himself as a blush stole across Kari’s cheeks.
Looking more disbelieving than ever, Wyatt pushed away from the table and stood.
“Anybody ever tell you you’re a real smart ass?”
“A few people, all of whom have lived to regret it,” Alex replied, rising, as well.
“Oh, yeah—”
“What time would you like me to be in San Antonio tomorrow, Kevin?” Kari interrupted, again coming between them in her own quiet way.
Aware how badly he was behaving, Alex shoved his hands in the pockets of his shorts and concentrated on keeping his mouth shut.
“Let me contact Raymond Fairchild and make sure tomorrow will be convenient for him. Then I’ll call you later tonight and we can work out the details.” He favored her with a warm smile that had Alex gritting his teeth, then added offhandedly, “Or, if you’d like, you’re more than welcome to ride back to San Antonio with me. I’d be happy to arrange for you to stay at a hotel for as long as necessary, compliments of Uncle Sam.”
For several excruciatingly long moments while Kari seemed to consider Wyatt’s offer, Alex called upon all the willpower he possessed to keep from throttling the man. He couldn’t force Kari to stay with him. Not without making bad matters worse with the FBI agent.
And Kevin Wyatt would look after her. She was not only the key to his catching Selby; she’d attracted his interest, as well. From the information he’d gathered earlier, Alex knew that Wyatt was a decent, trustworthy man. The kind of man she deserved—
“Thanks, but I’d rather stay here,” Kari replied, surprising him yet again. She stood and stacked their empty plates and mugs, then glanced at Alex. “Unless you’d prefer not to have to make the drive to San Antonio.”
Not only had she made sure he knew that she wanted him with her when she returned to San Antonio; she had also chosen to stay with him tonight. Chosen of her own free will.
“I don’t mind at all,” he assured her, taking the dishes from her, then carrying them to the sink.
“Well, then, Mr. Wyatt, give me a call tonight and we’ll take it from there.” With a dismissive air, she led him to the door.
“I’ll do that, Ms. Gray,” he agreed, sounding slightly mollified.
Hiding a smile, Alex loaded the dishwasher as Kari waved the agent on his way. He had absolutely no right to feel so good. But, by God, he did.
Had he been a true gentleman, he would have insisted she go with Wyatt. After what he’d put her though the past couple of days, she deserved a bit of a respite. Staying here with him against her will hadn’t been easy for her. Yet, given the chance to get away, she’d chosen instead to stay, and he had no intention of putting up any argument, even though he probably should.
Having her so close had been wreaking havoc with his self-control. But since she’d been there against her will, keeping his hands off her had been a matter of honor. Now, knowing she wanted to be with him, he realized that maintaining the necessary distance between them was going to be much more difficult. All he could do was remind himself over and over that she deserved a better man than him. A man like Kevin Wyatt.
“You don’t look very happy,” Kari ventured, her voice filled with concern as she joined him at the kitchen counter.
“I’m not,” he replied before he could stop himself, his momentary joy fading in the face of reality.
That she wanted to be with him made no more difference now than it ever had. Not in the long run.
“I know you’re not all that eager for me to go along with Kevin’s plan, but I don’t see how I can do otherwise and live with myself.” She squared her shoulders and regarded him with grave dignity.
“Yeah, well, I’m the one who has to explain that to your brother,” he shot back, knowing he could get away with using his anticipation of Devlin’s righteous anger as an understandable excuse for his sour mood, and thus keep the real reason to himself.
“I’ll call him and explain the situation myself,” she offered, though without much enthusiasm.
She had to know Devlin was going to hit the ceiling. And she hadn’t had nearly as much experience as he had calming her brother. More than likely, Devlin would have her in tears, and Alex would still end up bearing the brunt of his friend’s ire.
“I’ll do it.” His tone brooked no argument.
“Fine.” Appearing relieved, Kari crossed to the refrigerator. “I’ll fix the salad. Then we can eat whenever you’re ready.” She gestured toward the window above the sink. “Looks like there’s a storm brewing, so I guess we’d better eat in here.”
Noticing the gray clouds rolling across the sky and the wind whipping up the tree branches, Alex nodded, then headed for the privacy of
his office.
He wasn’t sure what he might have to say to Devlin, but he was reasonably certain some of it wouldn’t be pretty. And he’d just as soon Kari didn’t have to hear it.
Devlin reacted to the news of the FBI’s involvement much as Alex had expected. He did not want his little sister involved in a sting operation. But just like Alex, he had no idea how to keep her out of it, short of locking her up somewhere. He ranted and raved for almost ten minutes, while Alex glanced through an old newsmagazine. Finally, coming to the conclusion that their hands were tied, Devlin began to wind down.
“You’re sure she’s not being coerced by that yahoo, Wyatt?” he demanded.
“I’m sure. She wants Selby behind bars and she’s willing to do just about anything to help put him there,” Alex replied.
“And you’re sure you’ll be able to protect her once she’s back at the stable?”
“I wouldn’t let her go back there otherwise. No matter what kind of fit she pitched.”
“What about Wyatt? You think he knows what he’s doing?”
“Yeah, I think so. He’s a straight arrow with an exemplary service record, but he doesn’t come across as the type who would sacrifice an innocent woman in the name of duty.”
“Been hacking again, huh?”
“Just a little.”
“Well, let me know what kind of response Wyatt gets from Fairchild.”
“I will.”
Back in the kitchen, Alex found Kari setting the table.
“How did it go?” she asked, glancing at him apprehensively.
“He’s not exactly thrilled with the situation, but he’s going to stay out of the way for the time being. He won’t have Wyatt called off unless you want him to.”
“I don’t,” she assured him much too hastily as she positioned knives, forks and spoons around the plates already on the table.
“Then we’ll meet with Wyatt again whenever he says.”
Though Alex sincerely doubted Kari was anywhere near as enthusiastic about squaring off with Selby as she seemed to want him to believe, he didn’t challenge her. She’d only dig in her heels and insist that she was. And she’d be even less apt to let him know if she started to feel she was in over her head. He didn’t want pride to stand in the way of her bailing out should push come to shove.
At Kari’s direction, he took the spicy chicken-and-torti-Ila casserole out of the oven and carried it to the table as she stacked slices of her freshly baked bread in a basket. Along with the salad she’d made while he was talking to Devlin, they would make a tasty addition to the meal.
Despite the fact that they’d each indulged in a cinnamon roll less than two hours earlier, they both ate heartily, exchanging only a few comments, and those were limited to the quality of the food. Outside, the wind picked up a little more, rattling tree branches against the far side of the house, while the sky continued to darken with the approach of night as well as the coming storm.
Alex was grateful for the long silences between them. They’d covered a lot of ground since that morning, and he was fairly sure he wasn’t the only one feeling the need for some time out. Not only to organize his thoughts, but also to regain some measure of control over his emotions.
No matter how often he warned himself not to dwell on the fact that Kari had chosen to stay with him, he couldn’t seem to think of anything else. Yet he couldn’t afford to let her know it. He firmly believed she was better off remaining unaware of the depth of his feelings for her. And he knew it was up to him to see that she did.
He would have to work at drawing back into himself and shutting her out. He had done that before quite successfully. With a little willpower, he could damn well do it again.
Unfortunately, every time he looked at her, his determination wavered. Noticeably.
“You’re frowning again,” she said, her quiet voice laced with concern. “Are you upset with the meal or with me?”
“Neither,” he assured her. Making an effort to shake off the dreariness that had settled over him, he smiled slightly and turned the conversation away from himself. “I was just thinking about your Raymond Fairchild. I hope he agrees to Wyatt’s proposition.”
“I hope so, too. Otherwise we’ll be back at square one, trying to decide who else we can ask to help us.”
“After we finish cleaning up in here, I’ll see what I can find out about him. Just in case he needs a little push in the right direction.”
“Alex.” She eyed him with exasperation. “You can’t just invade people’s privacy whenever the whim grabs you.”
“I don’t. Unless someone’s life is on the line,” he stated succinctly.
Taken aback, she lowered her gaze and began gathering the dishes.
“I’m sorry. I should have known you’d never abuse your talent.”
“Yeah, well, as long as you know now, I won’t hold it against you,” he replied in a milder tone.
“That’s good to find out.”
They cleared the table quickly. Then Alex headed back to his office to do some research on Raymond Fairchild, while Kari settled down on the living-room sofa to zone out—her words—in front of the television.
Two hours later, having discovered that Fairchild was an upstanding citizen who legally ran a profitable company, saved money and paid his taxes, Alex logged off his computer. Lightning had begun to flash and thunder to rumble, and the wind now blew pelting drops of rain against the windows.
Since he had failed to keep up with either radio or television weather reports over the past couple of days, he figured he’d better catch the late local-news broadcast on one of the San Antonio stations that also served the surrounding area. Heavy rains in the Texas Hill Country often spawned flash floods along the many creeks. That, in turn, often forced the closing of various back roads, some of which they’d have to travel on their way to the city.
As he pushed away from his desk, the telephone rang and he answered automatically. Kevin Wyatt responded with an equally terse greeting, hesitated, then instead of asking for Kari, as Alex expected, gave him the necessary information.
Raymond Fairchild had agreed to see them tomorrow. Unless Alex had any objections, Wyatt would meet the two of them at noon at a hotel on the River Walk in San Antonio. Then Wyatt and Kari would have lunch with Fairchild at a restaurant near his downtown office.
Alex had no objections. At least, none that he could voice.
Grumbling about the officiousness of some government employees, he cradled the receiver and went in search of Kari to relay the news.
He found her right where he’d left her earlier, curled up in one corner of the living-room sofa. Her head resting on a throw cushion, her legs tucked up under her, she’d fallen sound asleep. Neither the raucous commercial on the television nor the rolling thunder outside seemed to disturb her.
Settling down on the other side of the sofa, Alex gazed at her for several moments, wanting more than anything to gather her into his arms and hold her close. But he’d be starting something he couldn’t finish, and that wouldn’t be fair to her. Not when he had led her on in a similar way once already.
With a sigh of regret, he beat back the longing that ate at his soul, reached for the remote control lying on the coffee table and flipped to the channel he favored for state and local news.
The broadcast was already half-over, but according to the news anchor, the weather report was still ahead. Another commercial came on, making him sigh with frustration. He wanted Kari tucked safely away in the back bedroom. But he didn’t want to wake her until after he’d heard what the weather was expected to be the following day.
Across from him, she stirred, then stretched, one small, bare foot edging along the empty cushion between them until it came to rest against his hip. He risked a glance at her and saw her blinking at him sleepily.
“What time is it?” she asked.
“Just after ten.”
“What are you watching?”
“Th
e local news. I’m waiting for the weather report.”
Behind the window blinds, lightning blazed. Almost immediately, a rattling crash of thunder followed and the tempo of the falling rain increased considerably.
“I’d say there’s a good chance thunderstorms are in the forecast,” she advised, flashing him a grin as she rubbed her foot back and forth along his thigh in a familiar way that brought back memories of good times shared...once upon a time.
“Very funny,” he growled, wrapping one hand around her slender ankle and holding her foot still. “I meant for tomorrow.”
Without releasing her, he turned his attention back to the television as the weatherman took his position in front of a map of Texas. He liked the pressure of her fragile foot against his shorts-clad thigh, and he wasn’t quite ready for her to move away yet.
However, just as soon as the newscast was over, he’d send her off to bed. Then he could prowl through the long, lonely night with her safely out of reach. Even if he ended up sitting in the chair beside her bed in the wee hours once again, he wouldn’t lay a hand on her.
He had vowed that his bedroom would be her sanctuary for as long as she was there. And though she was there with him now of her own free will, that was one promise he had every intention of keeping.
The rain was supposed to continue into the following day, but not steadily. Instead bands of thunderstorms spawned by a tropical depression in the Gulf of Mexico would be rolling across south Texas off and on for the next forty-eight hours. Flash-flood watches weren’t being issued yet and, with luck, wouldn’t be until late tomorrow or the next day.
“Looks like we ought to be able to meet your buddy in San Antonio tomorrow as requested,” Alex said, giving her ankle a squeeze, then moving his hand away.
“My buddy?”
Obviously not quite as awake as he’d assumed she was, Kari eyed him with confusion.
“Wyatt.”
“He called?”
“About thirty minutes ago. He wants us to meet him at noon at the La Palacio Hotel on the River Walk. The two of you have a twelve-thirty luncheon date with Fairchild at a nearby restaurant,” he informed her.
The Lady And Alex Payton Page 13