Shifting so that he sat with his back against the headboard, as she did, Alex drew her into his arms. Though he understood exactly how she felt, he was concerned that Selby hadn’t brought the subject up again.
He might not have mentioned it as part of her punishment, thus hoping to keep her off balance and uncertain. Or, more disturbing, he could have abandoned his plan to tighten his supposed hold on her through marriage in favor of simply getting rid her as he could very well have done to Amanda Holcomb.
“With luck, we won’t have to worry about that happening,” Alex said, trying to reassure himself as much as her. “There’s a good chance your Mr. Fairchild gave him something else to think about this evening.”
“You mean arranging for his daughter’s horse to have an accident?” Kari asked.
“I saw Selby and Fairchild shaking hands as if they’d agreed on something. My guess is that’s it.”
“I didn’t think Mr. Fairchild was supposed to approach Brandon until Wednesday or Thursday.”
“I called Wyatt early this afternoon and told him things were getting kind of dicey around here,” Alex explained. “He agreed we’d better step up our timetable a bit.”
“I’m surprised he hasn’t called—”
The ring of the telephone on the nightstand cut off Kari’s comment. Obviously on edge, she flinched, then tensed against him.
“That’s probably Wyatt now, but you’d better answer it, just in case it’s your boss.”
She lifted the receiver and murmured a tentative greeting, then relaxed noticeably as she listened to whatever the caller had to say.
“He’s right here,” she said at last, a smile lighting her face. “I’ll put him on.” She offered Alex the receiver, adding, “It’s Kevin.”
“Yeah, Wyatt, what’s going on?”
“Selby agreed to take care of the problem with Fairchild’s horse for a nice, hefty fee,” the agent replied.
“You got it on tape?”
“We did. Fairchild was wearing a wire. But Selby was careful about how he worded his offer. He didn’t say anything about destroying the animal. And we couldn’t have Fairchild come right out and ask him to do it. Selby could claim entrapment. All Fairchild could do was bemoan the fact that he hadn’t been able to sell the horse, then ask Selby if he had any alternatives in mind.”
“So you have to catch him in the act.”
“I’m starting our stakeout of the barn tonight. In fact, my partner should be in place already. I sent him on ahead so we’d be ready if Selby played along as we hoped he would.”
“What about you?”
“We’re rotating shifts. I’ll be there tomorrow night.”
“Well, watch your back,” Alex advised. “Selby is a sly son of a bitch. If he suspects he’s been set up, he’s going to be on the alert. And he’s going to be out for blood.”
“Then that will make two of us,” Wyatt replied matter-of-factly.
Kari had told him about the true nature of Kevin Wyatt’s relationship with Amanda Holcomb, so Alex understood exactly where the FBI agent was coming from.
“We’ll try to maintain the status quo around here as long as we can,” Alex said. “But the sooner you get what you need to put Selby away, the better.”
“How’s your lady holding up?” Wyatt asked.
“As well as can be expected.”
“You’re a lucky man.”
“I know,” Alex agreed.
“Stay in touch,” Wyatt said by way of farewell.
“Will do.”
As Alex cradled the receiver, Kari looked up at him questioningly.
“Did Brandon agree to get rid of Dover?”
“Yes.”
She sighed and rubbed her cheek against his shoulder. “Just like we thought he would.”
“Yes.”
“So, it’s almost over.”
“Almost.”
“I’ll be so glad when it is.” She slipped her hand under his T-shirt and stroked his belly teasingly with her fingertips.
“Me, too,” he agreed. She would want to be done with him then. But he would gladly pay that price if it meant she would finally be safe.
She slid her hand down to the waistband of his shorts and popped the snap.
“Kari—” He caught her hand as she reached for his zipper.
“Yes, Alex?” she asked innocently, her eyes filled with mischief.
“It’s almost midnight. It you don’t get some rest, you’re not going to be worth a damn tomorrow morning.”
“All right, then,” she murmured, gliding one smooth, bare leg between his until her knee nudged him in a way he found impossible to ignore. “Rock me to sleep.”
He knew he should at least try to exhibit some self-control, especially after the fall she had taken. But he wanted her as much as she seemed to want him. And he doubted that would be the case much longer.
As if sensing he was on the verge of capitulating, she slipped off her robe, tossed it aside and stretched out on her side invitingly.
Groaning inwardly, Alex stripped out of his clothes, switched off the lamp and gathered her into his arms. She sighed quietly as she fit herself to him. Then, her hands tangled in his hair, she offered her mouth for him to kiss.
He feathered his lips over hers, tasting her as if for the first time. Then, ever so slowly, ever so gently, he did as she’d asked, soothing her with an ageless, intimate rhythm. The rhythm of a man loving his woman. Loving her deeply and completely. For now and for the always he knew better than to believe they would have.
The insistent, irritating buzz of the alarm clock on the nightstand brought Kari out of a deep, seemingly dreamless sleep at six Wednesday morning. With a weary sigh, she reached out and shut it off, then rolled tentatively onto her back.
She was alone in her bed, as she’d expected she would be. Though she had been too sound asleep to hear Alex stirring, she knew that he’d left her sometime in the wee hours before dawn. Disguised once again, he’d gone back to the bunkhouse to resume his position as low man on the stable-hand totem pole.
As she had anticipated, Brandon had hired him with only the slightest urging from her since they were shorthanded as usual. And Alex, now posing as Manuel Ortega, had fit in with amazing ease, his demeanor that of a poor illegal immigrant willing to work hard for slave wages.
He hadn’t seemed to have any trouble getting his work done while at the same time staying close to her. But Kari was seriously concerned that he’d drawn undue attention to himself by coming to her rescue yesterday afternoon.
Brandon hadn’t liked his interference. Not at all. However, as Alex had said, he would more than likely have his mind on other, more important, things today.
As for her, she’d better get moving or she’d never make it to the barn by seven o’clock. She was already starting out the day with at least one black mark against her. Rousing Brandon’s ire even more by being late would be downright foolhardy. She couldn’t afford to ask for any more trouble. She was having a hard enough time keeping her emotions under control as it was.
She also had a full day ahead of her, so the sooner she got started, the better. She’d have to begin by riding Miss Molly under Brandon’s harsh tutelage. Then she had two group lessons and three private lessons scheduled at various times from midmorning through late afternoon. After that, she could only imagine what Brandon might have in store for her. Probably another session on Miss Molly.
He was determined to start showing the filly in the fall, even though Kari doubted she would be ready for her owner to ride by then. But it wasn’t her call. Of course, there was a good chance it wouldn’t be Brandon’s call, either, she reminded herself. Not if he was in jail. For the time being, however, she had no choice but to go along with whatever he dictated.
No longer able to put off getting out of bed, Kari eased herself into a sitting position, moving gingerly in deference to her aching muscles. She was stiff and sore, but thanks to Alex’s tender min
istrations, not debilitatingly so. A hot shower would help, and once she got moving, she knew she would loosen up even more.
Even taking time for the hearty breakfast she knew she’d need to keep her going, she managed to arrive at the barn a few minutes early. And a good thing, too. Brandon was already there, as well, exchanging greetings with several owners preparing for morning workouts themselves. She spoke to a couple of them on her way to the tack room to fetch her saddle. Then, catching a glimpse of Alex at the opposite end of the barn, busily filling a wheelbarrow with manure, she headed for Miss Molly’s stall.
“Ah, Kari, darling,” Brandon called out, starting toward her, a falsely cheerful smile on his face. “You certainly don’t look any the worse for wear this morning.”
“Just a little stiff,” she acknowledged as she waited for him to join her.
“Well, you’ll work that out once you’re up and riding.”
“Yes, of course,” she agreed, forcing herself to return his smile. “I’ll have Miss Molly ready to go in a few minutes.”
“Actually, I’d rather you start working with Dover today,” he said.
“Dover?” She regarded him with bewilderment. “Melissa Fairchild’s horse?”
“Yes, Melissa Fairchild’s horse. Her father came to see me yesterday. He wants the animal sold as soon as possible, but he’s refusing to back off on his asking price. I thought we might garner some interest in him by showing him at a few Class A shows starting Saturday in Dallas.”
“Saturday in Dallas?” She realized how dim-witted she must sound, yet she couldn’t seem to help herself. Sending Dover to a Class A horse show on the spur of the moment made no sense at all. “But surely it’s too late to enter him, isn’t it?”
“I took care of that last night. A good friend of mine is on the committee. He was more than happy to add you to the roster for the advanced hunter-jumper class. I know the horse is a bit rusty. But you’ll have several days to work with him.”
She had three days, to be exact. Three days to get one of the most recalcitrant mounts she had ever come across ready to exhibit. She couldn’t believe Brandon was serious. But evidently he was. Which left her more confused than ever.
Was showing Dover in Dallas what he’d had in mind when he told Raymond Fairchild he’d take care of his problem? Did he really believe someone would be so impressed with the gelding’s performance that the person would offer to buy him on the spot? Or did he have something else in mind? Something much more nefarious?
Preparing the horse for a show might be some kind of cover, but for what? Kari could only hope Alex would have some idea, because she honestly did not have a clue.
“I’d better get busy, then,” she replied, hoping she didn’t sound as disconcerted as she felt.
“Yes, you’d better,” Brandon agreed. Then he added smoothly, “Before you try to ride him, you might want to work him on the lunge line for a while to settle him down a bit.”
Kari had a feeling it was going to take a lot more than a workout on the lunge line to remind the gelding of his manners. But she knew better than to say as much to Brandon.
After nodding her acquiescence, she turned and walked back to the tack room. Thankfully, Brandon hadn’t indicated that he intended to supervise her sessions with the horse personally. For that at least she could be grateful. For the rest of it, however—
“What’s going on?” Alex growled, joining her in the tack room.
“I’m not sure.” She glanced at him warily. “Did Brandon see you come in here?”
“He’s on his way back to the house.”
“Good.” She slung her saddle onto the rack, then selected a bridle, lunge line and buggy whip. “He wants me to ride Dover in a horse show in Dallas on Saturday.”
“Did he say why?”
As Kari repeated what Brandon had told her, Alex listened, a frown furrowing his forehead.
“Does that make sense to you?” he asked when she’d finished.
“It’s possible that someone might offer to buy the horse after seeing him at the show, but it’s also highly improbable.”
“That’s what I would think,” he agreed, then added, “I don’t like it.”
“Neither do I, but I don’t see that I can do anything but go along with him and find out where it takes us. Either he’s serious about trying to sell the horse, or he’s using the show as a means to another kind of end,” she said. “Though I can’t imagine he’d attempt to do any fatal damage to the horse anywhere but here.”
“I can’t, either,” Alex admitted. “Too many factors would be out of his control.”
“Maybe Kevin will have an idea what he’s up to.”
“Maybe. I’ll try to get in touch with him later and see what he thinks.” He reached out and brushed her cheek with the back of his hand. “In the meantime, you be careful, okay? That horse is a real handful.”
“You noticed that, huh?”
“Noticed, hell. He tried to kick my head in the other day.”
“Don’t worry. I can handle him. He likes women much better than men.”
“For your sake, I certainly hope so,” he said as he moved toward the open doorway. “See you later.”
“Yes, later.” She followed after him, keeping a discreet distance in case anyone should see them. “Think you’ll be up to giving me another rubdown?”
“Want to make a habit of that, do you?”
“Oh, yes, definitely.”
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday passed in a blur of frantic activity for Kari. Along with teaching her riding classes, she worked with Dover every spare chance she had, just as if she really was preparing for a horse show.
She simply couldn’t believe that Brandon really intended for her to go Dallas. But neither could she or Alex or Kevin come up with another reason for his seeming charade.
Not only was he in a relatively good mood; he also seemed more than happy to allow her to work with Dover on her own, offering only occasional bits and pieces of advice. And he wasn’t planning on going to Dallas with her, either.
Since the show wasn’t scheduled to start until early Saturday evening, he had decided she could leave that morning. Driving the stable’s Blazer, with one of the double-horse trailers in tow, she would arrive in more than enough time to be ready to ride in her class. Rather than make the return trip late that night, she would then stay at a motel, while Dover would be boarded at a local stable belonging to one of Brandon’s associates.
She had traveled similarly to other shows, so there was nothing out of the ordinary about the arrangements he’d made for her. And the stable where Dover would stay was among the most reputable in the country. She doubted the horse would be in any danger there.
Still, Kari grew more and more uneasy with each passing day. Something about the whole situation just didn’t feel right to her. But she couldn’t for the life of her put her finger on what it was. Along with Alex and Kevin, she kept waiting—in vain—for Brandon to give himself away by some odd word or unexpected deed. But he remained annoyingly cool and composed.
By Friday night, when Alex finally joined her at the cottage, she had all but reached the end of her rope. Unless Brandon made some move to do away with Dover during the night, she would be heading for Dallas at seven the next morning.
Only the fact that Alex would be with her, albeit unknown to Brandon, kept her from panicking completely. He probably wouldn’t have a job as a stable hand anymore after he turned up missing tomorrow. But he had absolutely refused to let her go to Dallas alone, vowing to find another way to stay close to her without arousing attention if Brandon hadn’t made a move to destroy the horse by the time she returned on Sunday.
“All packed and ready to go?” he asked, sitting on the side of her bed and pulling off his boots.
He looked as worn-out as she felt, and with good reason. He had been working twelve- and fourteen-hour days at the stable, and although he’d gone to sleep at the same time she did each ni
ght, he’d been up again long before her alarm went off at six o’clock.
“Just about.” She hung her formal riding habit in her garment bag, then sat beside him.
At first she had found having Manuel Ortega in her bedroom somewhat disconcerting. But she had gotten used to seeing Alex in disguise over the past few days.
“Good.”
“What about you?”
“I’ve got most of my stuff together.” Removing the black wig, he ran a hand through his matted hair, then stood and headed for the bathroom. “Something smells good.”
“I found a carton of beef stew in the freezer. We can eat whenever you’re ready.”
He joined her in the kitchen not quite fifteen minutes later, looking like himself again, his blond curls damp from the shower. She glanced at him and smiled, then shifted the pot of stew from the oven to a trivet on the counter.
He came up behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back against him. “I’ve got an idea,” he muttered, nibbling on her earlobe.
“After we eat,” she admonished with a laugh, her stomach growling as she lifted the lid on the pot. “Much as I love you, right now I’m more interested in food.”
When he went still, she realized what she’d said. Realized, too, that she was glad she finally had, even though the moment wasn’t as romantic as she would have liked.
“Actually, I had something besides lovemaking in mind myself,” he admitted.
“Oh, really? And what might that be?” she asked, turning to face him.
“I thought maybe we could hop in your car, drive down to Mexico, find a nice, quiet beach and drop out for a while,” he replied all too seriously.
“Oh, Alex.” She sighed and shook her head. “I can’t.”
“I know, but it was worth a try.” He hugged her close for a moment, then stepped back. “I met up with Wyatt in the woods. He’s going to have a man at the horse show as well as a man at the motel, and he’ll be at the stable where Dover is supposed to stay. Just in case Selby tries something.”
The Lady And Alex Payton Page 19