Circumstantial Evidence

by Annette Broadrick

  "Certainly. What would you like?"

  "Do you have any brandy? I have a feeling I'll also need something reviving."

  She disappeared into the kitchen. A few minutes later she returned holding two brandy snifters with generous measures of brandy in each.

  He glanced at the amounts in each glass. "I said reviving, Ashley, not embalming." He shrugged his shoulders and settled back into his comfortable pose, sipping his drink.

  Ashley took a rather large gulp of brandy and choked. Maybe she should have chosen something a little milder, but it was too late now. She began to pace.

  "All the reasons I gave at the restaurant are valid. I am not a homemaker. I have no desire to become a homemaker." She spun around. "I can't even cook, and believe me, in this day and age, it takes a tremendous amount of skill to avoid learning how to cook."

  He started laughing.

  "It isn't funny. Besides that, we don't even know each other. This is only the second time we've been together."

  "That's true, but our first meeting was a blockbuster." He stood up, gently pulling her into his arms. "I'm not going to ask you for anything you don't want to give me, Ashley. I thought you knew me well enough by now to understand that. If you really hate the relationship, we can call it off with no hard feelings. Surely you don't find an offer like that threatening, do you?"

  She was so confused. Everything he said made sense. Without the protection of a marriage, she might very well lose her chance to move up in the firm. She was making it sound as though marriage would be a real sacrifice for her. Then she remembered how this man could affect her and she stiffened. If she were ever to experience his lovemaking, she knew she'd never be able to end the relationship.

  Finally, she nodded. Before she could say a word Rafe tightened his arms around her, giving her a kiss that claimed his possession of her. "Then you'll marry me?" he murmured, his hands smoothing the silky material covering her back.

  She pulled back from him, determined to be honest with him. "I know what you're doing, Rafe, and I really appreciate it. You're determined to play the role of my knight come to rescue me."

  His face flushed. He wasn't that saintly.

  "Because it's so very important for me not to jeopardize my job, I'll marry you on a temporary basis." He started to pull her to him once more but she resisted. "But it will have to be a marriage in name only."

  Chapter Seven

  Ashley glanced at her watch as she left her office. It was a few minutes after five. She smiled. Leaving on time had become a habit since Rafe McCord had entered her life. Nothing had been the same since the weekend she'd spent on the mountain six weeks earlier.

  They had followed Rafe's plan and gotten married the Monday after they met. Rafe's instincts had been sound. Ashley had no sooner arrived in her office that Monday than the phone rang.

  "Ashley," a male voice intoned, "this is Ralph Begley. If you have a few minutes, I'd like to see you."

  "Certainly, sir. I'll be right there." She flicked a comb through her hair, straightened the bow on her blouse, and walked to Ralph Begley's corner office.

  Tapping on the door, she entered dutifully at his command. Two walls of glass provided views of Mount Hood and Mount Saint Helens and, in the foreground, the Willamette River curving around the downtown area like a snake.

  "Ashley, come in. I appreciate your taking the time to see me." He motioned to one of the chairs. She took a seat and waited.

  Ralph Begley looked larger than life. White wavy hair framed his aristocratic face. A heavy jawline gave him something of the look of a bulldog, and from his reputation Ashley understood him to be as tenacious as one.

  "You may not be aware that Virgil Tysinger and I are close personal friends."

  Here it comes. She attempted a smile. "So he mentioned this weekend, sir."

  He looked startled at her easy admission. "Then you admit to being at his mountain retreat this weekend."

  Ashley feigned a puzzled expression. "Why yes, sir. My husband and I had the pleasure of being Mr. Tysinger's guests. He has a beautiful place, but then I'm sure you know that."

  The conversation was obviously not progressing along the lines Begley had planned. "Uh, no, as a matter of fact, I've never been there. Uh, Ashley, I wasn't aware you were married."

  She smiled. "Oh, yes, but we haven't mentioned it to many people, and I intend to continue using my maiden name professionally."

  "I see. Is there a particular reason you don't want it known, Ashley?"

  Hang on to the ole temper, girl. He's trying to bait you, and you're too smart for that. "No. As a matter of fact, as soon as Rafe finishes his business in California we intend to have a reception for all our friends and family." Smile firmly in place, she added, "You'll receive one of the first invitations." If only he were aware of his role as Cupid in their hasty merger!

  Begley reminded Ashley of a clipper ship sailing before a wind that has suddenly failed, leaving it becalmed on a motionless sea. She returned to her office mentally praising Rafe for his foresight.

  When Rafe called that evening he seemed pleased that his tactics had been effective, and they discussed their next step. To be convincing, Rafe would need to spend some time with Ashley, and she agreed it was only sensible that he move in with her—on a temporary basis, of course. He had accepted her decision not to consummate the marriage, but Ashley was nervous at the thought of sharing her home with him.

  She needn't have worried. Rafe arrived and good-naturedly moved into her guest room, then set about showing Ashley that her ideas of marriage needed revising. For one thing, Rafe was used to living alone and taking care of himself. Wonder of wonders, he didn't suddenly develop a helplessness that Ashley had always suspected occurred in the male promptly upon repeating his marriage vows.

  He shared chores in the kitchen and other domestic duties with no hint of complaint and, once again, she tried unsuccessfully to picture her father or brothers doing a load of laundry or drying dishes.

  Most important to Ashley, she was given the privacy she needed. She had trouble at first adjusting to his affectionate nature—his need to touch, his habit of hugging her to him, of stroking her shoulder whenever he walked by—but within a few short weeks she discovered how much she looked forward to his demonstrative behavior and tentatively began to respond.

  So why was she beginning to feel on edge whenever Rafe was around and restless when he was gone? During the six weeks they'd been together, he'd flown to California once, for four days, and she and Tasha had wandered around the house as though lost.

  Tasha had adopted Rafe within days of his arrival, much to Ashley's chagrin. She had explained to Rafe that Tasha did not take to strangers, that she carried aloofness to an extreme, and cautioned him not to be hurt when she ignored him. Hah! Tasha followed him everywhere he went, and Ashley suspected that she slept with him since she no longer turned up in Ashley's room at night.

  Yes, Rafe had turned Ashley's sane and sensible world upside down, and she hesitated to think what adjustments she would have to make once the need for their marriage was past.

  An unexpected bonus of her marriage was the acquisition of Raul and Jeanine as family. Once Ashley met Raul she could better understand the confusion that first weekend—the two men looked very much alike. However, in Ashley's opinion, Rafe had a compelling sensuality that was missing in Raul. Ashley felt comfortable and relaxed around Raul, restless and disturbed around Rafe. Jeanine reminded Ashley of Tinkerbell with short, black curls. She would never forget Jeanine's explanation of how she and Raul had met…

  "We met at Stanford University," Jeanine explained in her ebullient fashion. "I'm the world's greatest crusader for hopeless, helpless causes. Raul managed to extricate me from one that was about to be hit with a big scandal." She grinned, not at all repentant. "It did, too. My family was so grateful to him for running interference for me that they welcomed him into the fold." Her large, black eyes rolled. "For my family, that's
really something." In a confiding tone, she whispered, "They were convinced that the only reason anyone would want to marry me was for my money."

  The women had met for lunch, and Ashley almost choked on her iced tea. "Your money?"

  "Yes. I come from a long line of moneyed Oregonians who believe in intermarriage with other moneyed Oregonians. It almost becomes incestuous after a while." Her eyes danced as she watched the expression on Ashley's face. "They recognized that Raul was different. We've laughed about it several times since then. The McCords could buy and sell our family out of their miscellaneous fund."

  Nor would she forget Jeanine's explanation of how she had become involved in the southern Oregon investigation…

  "In my normal crusading spirit I got involved in the fight against the use of herbicides and volunteered to help gather data. You can imagine how surprised I was to discover that some of those anxious to fight the use of herbicides were growing marijuana. However, they weren't letting themselves be known and we needed specific information about them." She paused and took a drink of her coffee. "So I got this idea about going 'underground.'"

  Ashley groaned.

  "That was exactly Raul's reaction! But by the time he found out what I'd done, it was too late to back out." She shrugged her shoulders. "As long as I was involved, I stayed to find out what I could."

  "But weren't you pregnant during that time?"

  "Of course. That's what made my idea work. You see, I pretended my boyfriend had dumped me when I told him I was pregnant. The guy I named had been a dealer and was in jail awaiting trial on drug charges. I figured they wouldn't check up on my story"—she paused, her twinkling eyes sharing her amusement— "and I was right. I managed to find out quite a lot…"

  Ashley had never known anyone quite like Jeanine, but she enjoyed her enormously, and they became friends.

  Rafe rapidly became the focal point of Ashley's daily routine. He never crowded her, but he was there when she needed him. When things were hectic for her, she enjoyed sharing her day with him while she unwound. One of his most endearing traits was his ability to plan sudden trips to the coast or the mountains whenever she had free time. They spent a great deal of time laughing together; their sense of the ridiculous was a bond they shared.

  However, the nights were becoming more difficult for Ashley. Knowing he was in the next room kept her tossing restlessly each night. He never suggested that he was dissatisfied with their arrangement, and she was embarrassed by her increased arousal whenever he was near. If Rafe was similarly afflicted, he hid it well.

  She entered the front door and heard his voice, and her stomach began to quiver in anticipation. "Rafe?"

  "In here, love," he called from the kitchen. His casual use of endearments had been something else she had grown accustomed to. "Tasha's just been filling me in on your outrageous behavior."

  Ashley stopped in the doorway of the kitchen and surveyed the scene. Rafe stood with one foot negligently crossed over the other as he leaned against the cabinet, arms folded over his chest. Tasha sat on one of the chairs facing him.

  "What outrageous behavior?" Ashley demanded to know.

  "She won't say," he admitted, his tone grave. "She just looks at me with a knowing expression and blinks when I ask for specifics."

  "Don't fall for that—she practices her inscrutable expression before the mirror. Doesn't mean a thing."

  He moved over to her, slipping his arms around her waist. As his lips moved toward hers, he whispered, "I've missed you today." His mouth found hers with unerring precision. As he fitted her snugly against his taut body, Ashley relaxed, enjoying the haven of his arms. Her mouth opened in unconscious invitation and his tongue took advantage, moving across her teeth and touching her with an intimacy that hinted of further delights, if she only dared to accept them. She could feel the acceleration of his heart under her palm. At least she was consoled to know she affected him too.

  With reluctance he drew away. "We're invited to Raul and Jeanine's for dinner. I told them I'd let them know if you wanted to go out tonight—that it would depend on the kind of day you've had."

  It wasn't fair. It wasn't enough that he was handsome and sexy, he had to be sensitive and understanding too. Ashley knew that she had never stood a chance of resisting this man. If he only knew, she'd given up the struggle weeks ago.

  "I'd enjoy dinner with them," Ashley murmured. "We haven't seen them in a while."

  Rafe chuckled. "That's because I explained that since we're on our honeymoon, we prefer to keep to ourselves."

  Ashley could feel the warmth move into her cheeks. "I'm sure this hasn't been quite your idea of a honeymoon." He continued to hold her closely against him, and she knew he was not unaffected by her nearness.

  "Oh, I don't know," he said, mischief dancing in his incredibly blue eyes. "It certainly has had its moments."

  Slowly disengaging herself from his arms, she tried for a casual tone. "Let me shower and change and I'll be ready to go."

  Rafe watched her walk away, then went and poured himself a drink. Much more of this frustration and I'm either going to turn into an alcoholic or a human prune from all the cold showers I've taken during the past six weeks.

  He had understood her reservations about their union. In fact, he agreed with them. They needed to get to know each other; that was why he had cancelled the delicate negotiations he'd been involved with in California. Since meeting Ashley, Rafe's priorities had undergone a subtle shift.

  The most important task he had now was to win her trust. He was reminded of the summer he and Raul had managed to tame a young doe their grandfather had caught and penned. As long as they allowed her to make the approaches, they made progress. Eventually she would come and eat from their hands but continued to shy away whenever they attempted to touch her. Ashley was the same way. She was skittish whenever he attempted more than a casual embrace, and he patiently waited for her to come to him. The toll on his restraint had been tremendous.

  Is it even worth it? he muttered to himself as he took a large swallow of bourbon and water. All it would take is a phone call, and there would be someone waiting by the time my flight arrived in California tomorrow. The imminent trip ate at him. The call had come that afternoon, and he knew he couldn't ignore it. How long did he intend to stay up here like a lovesick schoolboy waiting to be noticed? He had his own life to live, and from all indications Ashley was content to live hers without him.

  His gamble of moving in with her had not paid off and he might as well accept it. He wondered whether she would even care that he had to return to his business interests. Finishing his drink, he set his glass down with deliberation. He didn't want another woman; he wanted Ashley. Somehow he'd pictured himself falling for a docile, homemaker type who would be content to raise his children and spend his money. Who would ever have believed that he'd fall for an independent, sassy-tongued witch who had the ability to turn him inside out with a flash of her smile or the sound of her laughter.

  The ride to Raul and Jeanine's was quiet; each was lost in his or her own thoughts.

  Ashley was listening to Jeanine describe Josh's latest feat when she heard a sentence of Rafe's conversation with Raul that caused her to hold her breath.

  "I'm going to have to go back down there and see what I Can save of the fiasco. It may already be too late, but I have to try." Rafe's voice was low, but Ashley caught every word.

  So did Jeanine. "I didn't know you were going to have to return to California, Rafe. I thought your move up here was permanent."

  Rafe's eyes found Ashley's trained on him, a question in their depths. He smiled at his sister-in-law. "Sounds great in theory, Jeanine, but unfortunately, all my investments are in California."

  Raul caught the strain in Ashley's face. "Will you be able to go with him, Ashley."

  Three pairs of eyes speared her with their intent-ness. Why hadn't he mentioned that he was leaving? How long had he known? She shook her head. "No, I'm afraid the
re's no way I can leave right now. My court docket is filled for the next several weeks." She attempted a smile. "Of course, Rafe knows where to find me when he finishes his business in California."

  "Well, the honeymoon had to end some time, I suppose," Raul offered with a grin. Unfortunately, his brother didn't find the remark amusing.

  Jeanine was quick to change the subject and during the rest of the evening the conversation was light, for which Ashley was thankful. She had known that her relationship with Rafe had to end, but somehow she hadn't expected it to be over so soon. However, she had no intention of letting the others know how the news had affected her.

  The tension between them was almost visible when Rafe and Ashley returned home. There was nothing to say, but Ashley made the attempt.

  "When do you have to leave?"

  Rafe was silent for so long that she thought he was going to ignore her question. At last he cleared his throat. "There's an eight-thirty flight in the morning that would put me into San Francisco in time for a meeting scheduled at ten."

  They entered the house and Ashley absently went about the routine of feeding Tasha. Since Rafe's advent into their lives, Tasha had seemed to accept their occasional evenings away. Somehow Rafe had managed to hypnotize the cat into more civilized behavior.

  When she returned to the living room, Ashley found Rafe staring out of the front window. A light from the hall was the only illumination.

  Determined to get a grip on her emotions, Ashley decided to confront their situation. "I suppose our marriage has been accepted by now, so there's really no reason to prolong it, is there?"

  She saw Rafe stiffen as she began to speak. He turned slowly, the light slanting across his face, leaving his eyes in shadow.

  "What marriage?" he asked, his tone harsh.

  "Rafe?" She was bewildered. "What's wrong?"

  "I just find it amazing that you can discuss so unemotionally the end of something that never had a proper beginning."