Wilde Side

by Jannine Gallant

  Devin walked back into the room. “Ben’s going out to frisk Roman, or whatever it is the Secret Service does in a situation like this, before escorting him inside.”

  “I bet Roman’s going to love that.” Sawyer took another bite. “Maybe the kitchen isn’t a great place to talk. Mom keeps her knives razor sharp.”

  “Ben told Walton he could have his conversation in the dining room. Bring your sandwich, and let’s go.”

  Sawyer grabbed a couple of napkins and followed her, carrying his plate. Walton sat at the head of the table, his elbows planted on the shiny surface. They took seats on either side of him.

  “Well, this is awkward.” He let out a long breath. “After a heated debate, Ben agreed to wait in the living room as long as you stay vigilant. Not that I gave him any choice in the matter…”

  Sawyer scowled. “I have zero sympathy for your discomfort. If Roman’s guilty, he tried to kill us, too, so we have every right to hear what he has to say.”

  “I know you’ve lost respect for me.” Walton’s eyes were sober. “I don’t blame you. This whole situation is my own fault.”

  “You made a mistake. None of us is perfect.” When the screen door slapped shut, echoing through the house, Devin gave him a hesitant smile. “Here they come.”

  Roman’s blue eyes flashed as he entered the room. “What the hell is going on? How come your hired gorilla patted me down? I ought to sue someone.”

  “I’ll be in the other room.” Ben’s forehead creased as he frowned. “I still don’t like this.”

  “I promise to keep an eye on him.” Sawyer dropped the last of the sandwich on his plate and wiped his hands on a napkin. His appetite was gone. “We’re just having a civil conversation here.”

  Roman snorted. “I may work for you, but I shouldn’t have to put up with being manhandled. Civil, my ass.” His eyes narrowed on Walton.

  “Have a seat.”

  “I’ll stand. If you have something to say to me, say it.”

  Walton leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. “Devin did a little online research. Turns out I knew your mother…but I don’t think that’s news to you.”

  “So, you finally figured it out.” Roman pulled out a chair and dropped onto it.

  “It’s true, then?” Walton’s voice deepened. “I’m your father?”

  “So my mom said before she died. I’d like to kill you for what you did to her. Dumping her and telling her to get an abortion. Thanks, Pops.”

  The color faded from Walton’s face, and he clenched the arms of his chair. He opened his mouth then shut it. “I’m not here to offer excuses.”

  “And I’m not here to listen to them.” Sawyer smacked his fist down on the table so hard his plate bounced. “Maybe you felt justified in trying to kill your old man, but Devin and I were on that plane, too, along with the pilots and Secret Service agents. Shit, if Gary wasn’t such a freaking skilled aviator, we all would have died.”

  “What the hell are you talking about?” Roman jumped up, and his chair crashed to the floor. “I didn’t go near that plane. I didn’t try to kill anyone!”

  Chapter 23

  “Everything okay in here?” Ben stood in the doorway, his hand hovering over his hip.

  “We’re fine.” Walton gave the man a reassuring smile.

  At least Devin assumed it was meant to be reassuring. When combined with the sheen of perspiration on his brow and pallor beneath his tan, her boss looked more than a little sick. She drew a deep breath, trying to still her racing heart.

  After giving Roman a long, cool look, the Secret Service agent retreated. Devin was pretty sure he hadn’t gone far.

  “Are you trying to pin attempted murder on me?” Roman’s voice shook. “Is that what this is about?”

  “You’ve got the righteous indignation act down pat.” Sawyer’s gaze never wavered. “That was Oscar worthy.”

  “Probably because it’s the truth.” Roman’s chest rose and fell on an exhale. “Okay, maybe I added a few berries I found in the woods to Walton’s potato salad the first night of the rafting trip. I knew they’d make him sick, not kill him, because I made the mistake of eating them once. That’s all I’ve done wrong. I figured I owed him a night spent heaving his guts out for what he did to my mom.”

  Sawyer snorted. “Why don’t I believe you?”

  Devin glanced from Roman to Sawyer then back. “Is Walton the reason you hooked up with Sawyer’s rafting company?”

  “Yeah.” His mouth twisted. “I saw on some celebrity news program that the congressman would be taking a trip down the Salmon River with Wilde Waters. I was hanging out in Sacramento at the time and had taken a drive up to the foothills to escape the heat. I ran into that dude, Cory, who guides for Sawyer, in a bar in Coloma. He was recovering with a beer after getting clipped by a car in a crosswalk. It seemed like fate when he mentioned who he worked for.” Roman faced his boss. “I headed straight over to the take-out point on the American River to look you up and ask for a job. I didn’t lie about having rafting experience.”

  Sawyer’s eyes narrowed. “Why would you go to all that effort if you didn’t intend to make trouble?”

  “I just wanted to meet the man.” Roman turned to scowl at his father. “See if dear old dad was still a total asshole. Every interview you’ve ever done is with a shit-eating grin on your face. No one is that jolly all the time. I wanted to get the real picture.”

  “And did you?” Walton met his gaze head on. “Is that why you tried to poison me, because I didn’t measure up by your estimation?”

  “I told you the berries would only make you sick, not kill you. I figured you deserved that much just for spawning my whining little brother. After meeting Dwight, I started to think I was the lucky one, after all, to have been cast aside.”

  Walton winced. “I didn’t know about you. Your mother never told me, or I would have done the responsible thing.”

  “Would you have divorced your wife to marry her?”

  Walton shook his head. “Probably not. My relationship with Tamara was never that serious. But, I would certainly have provided child support. I would have made you part of my life.”

  “Money fixes everything.” Roman’s voice was filled with disdain.

  “Obviously not.”

  “I’m still not buying it.” Sawyer leaned forward and pointed a finger at Roman. “You’re hiding something.”

  “I’ve told you the truth.”

  “Maybe part of it. I know when someone’s holding back.”

  “Shit, man.” His face crumpled. “I was so frustrated and angry. I wanted to say something to him, tell him who I was, but I kept my mouth shut.” He rubbed a hand across his cheeks then stared at his father with watering eyes. “The day the raft flipped, you were floundering in the water near me. I dove down, grabbed your ankle and held you under for a few seconds, just to give you a scare. Then I swam away. I swear to God I didn’t know the current swept you into those rocks. By the time I turned around and noticed you weren’t visible anymore, Sawyer and Devin were already running up the shore to the rescue.”

  “You tried to drown him?” Devin’s stomach knotted, and she pressed a hand to her middle. “He could have died. We had to perform CPR…”

  Roman shook his head. “I didn’t. I never meant for that to happen. It was a mistake.”

  “Was throwing rocks at Devin and me up on that cliff another mistake?” All the color had leached from Walton’s face, and his hand shook when he pushed it through his graying hair. “I may be a son of a bitch to have walked away from your mother, but Devin never did a thing to hurt you.”

  “No. No!” Roman shook his head so hard, his blond hair swung around his face. “I swear I had nothing to do with you falling off that cliff or taking the plane down. I didn’t throw those rocks. I didn’t touch that jet.”

  “Sure you didn’t.” Sawyer rose to his feet and glanced ove
r at Walton. “Have you heard enough yet?”

  “I’ve heard enough.” A shudder shook him. “I’m sorrier than you’ll ever know for leaving your mother alone with you without support all those years ago. Maybe if I’d been around, you wouldn’t have turned into the person you’ve become.”

  “None of you believe me.” Roman’s eyes were wide, filled with anger and fear as he looked around the table. “You think I would murder a plane full of people? Devin…” He faced her, his hands clenched tight at his sides. “Surely you can’t believe that?”

  “I don’t know what to think.”

  “I do.” Ben stepped through the doorway. His eyes were cold and hard as he grabbed Roman’s arm and twisted it behind his back. “Roman Engel, you’re under arrest for the attempted murder of Congressman Hinsdale. I’m sure there’ll be plenty more charges coming, but that’ll do for now.” He pulled a pair of cuffs from off his belt and slipped them over Roman’s wrist then shoved him onto a chair and shackled him to it. “You’ll stay put until the authorities get here to take you in. I’ll let them read you your rights.”

  “But I didn’t do anything. Shit!” He jerked against the restraint. “You set me up to take the fall for the plane crash, but I’m not guilty!”

  “Everyone out of the room.” Ben pointed toward the doorway. “I already called the local sheriff to come get him.” He paused as Walton passed him, his weary gaze still focused on Roman. “As soon as they get here, we can head back to Cody.”

  “Whatever you say.” Turning away, the congressman stalked out of the room.

  “That’s it? You’re going to let this asshole arrest me?” Roman jerked again at the handcuff. “Son of a bitch!”

  “You’ll have a fair trial.” Sawyer rounded the table and touched Devin’s shoulder. “Let’s go.”

  She glanced back as she followed him. Roman’s blue eyes held a look of utter defeat. She wanted to believe him… Blinking back tears, she hurried from the room then stopped beside Walton and rested a hand on his arm. “I’m sorry.”

  “So am I.” His voice broke. “This isn’t how I wanted it to play out.”

  “I’ll stay here to keep an eye on the suspect.” Ben nodded toward Walton. “Don’t go far, sir, but you should be safe enough now that he’s contained.”

  They walked out onto the front porch where Walton dropped onto a chair. “I need some time alone, if you don’t mind. Go show Devin around the ranch, or something.”

  Sawyer nodded. “I can do that.”

  She hovered beside her boss for a moment longer. “Are you sure? You don’t look so good.”

  “Positive.” The smile he pasted on was a pathetic imitation of his usual broad grin. “I’m fine, but I do need some time to let everything he said settle in my mind.”

  “All right.” Devin followed Sawyer down the steps then walked beside him across the yard. “That was rough.”

  He stopped by the corral fence to gaze out toward distant mountains. “Growing up, Walton was always bigger than life to me…and that was before he got into politics. It pissed me off to find out my idol had clay feet.” His shoulders slumped. “But I didn’t want to see him broken like that. Knowing his own son tried to kill him, and not just once, had to be a tough blow. Maybe Roman grabbed his ankle in the river in the heat of the moment, but taking down the jet was premeditated.”

  She rested her arms on the rail. “He said he didn’t do that.”

  “Well, someone sure as hell did. Of course he’s not going to admit to sabotaging a plane. He’ll spend most of his life in jail for that.”

  “He looked terrified when Ben cuffed him to the chair.”

  Sawyer glanced down at her, his lips set in a tight line. “Kind of like how you felt when the plane was going down? Don’t feel sorry for him. He deserves everything he gets.”

  “I suppose so. All that bitterness…” She sighed.

  “Let’s forget about Roman and Walton for now. If you’re going back to DC tomorrow, I won’t have much time to give you a full tour of the ranch. Want to see my workshop?”

  “I’d love that.” She did her best to shake off her gloomy mood. “Do you have any gnomes or hobbits lying around?”

  He grinned. “A couple of dozen. I have an exhibit scheduled for Thanksgiving weekend.” He slipped an arm around her waist as they headed toward the barn. “I do a few events each winter.”

  “Sounds fun.”

  Entering through a side door, they passed a row of empty stalls. Apparently the occupants were all outside at this time of the day, but the huge building held the scent of hay and horses. Earthy, and somehow comforting.

  “These are my digs.” He pushed open a door to a room in the rear.

  The small space held a desk, a dresser and a single bunk built against the wall. A coffee maker, microwave and mini-fridge were tucked into one corner.

  “Comfy.”

  He laughed. “You look horrified.”

  “No, it really is comfortable. Basic but tidy. Um, do you run to the house if you have to go in the middle of the night, or just use the bushes?”

  “Outhouse.”

  She turned and stared. “Are you serious?”

  “Of course I’m not serious.” He rolled his eyes. “We have plumbing in the barn. The bathroom is through the door by the closet.”

  “That’s a relief. I was going to head back to the bed and breakfast to spend the night instead of bunking with you.”

  “What if I bribe you with the hobbit of your choice? Will you stay, then?”

  She rubbed her hands together. “For a hobbit, I’d even use an outhouse. Let’s see them.”

  “This way.”

  He led her past a tack room to an open area with a long workbench. Sharp carving tools hung on the wall behind it, and small containers of paint were stacked at one end. Half a dozen figures in various stages of completion sat on the worktop. Devin headed straight toward the glass-fronted case displaying the finished pieces.

  “Oh, my God, they’re fantastic.”

  He swung the door wide then waved a hand. “Pick one…or two. Whatever you want.”

  Standing on her toes, she kissed him. “I love them all. But, that one…” She pointed to a gnome wearing a blue coat with his head tilted back as he stared up at something wonderful, if the look in his soulful eyes was any indication. “I bet you’d look a little like him in fifty years if you grew a long, white beard.”

  “I guess we’ll see…in fifty years.”

  Warmth spread through her. Nothing would make her happier than being with Sawyer for the next several decades. She took the figurine he handed her and touched the intricately carved features. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. Want a few more?”

  She shook her head. “This one is enough. When I’m back home and missing you, he’ll keep me company.”

  “We won’t be apart for long this time.” He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against his chest. “You’ll find a job somewhere, and we’ll get settled. We’ll work everything out.”

  “I sure hope so. After all that’s happened, I don’t feel obligated to go back to work for the last couple of weeks before the election, but I do need to finish up a couple of projects then start packing. The only thing I know for sure is I’m not staying in DC.”

  “With Roman gone, I’ll have to help out on the ranch until we hire someone to replace him. Once we do, I can fly back to join you. When’s your Denver interview scheduled?”

  She rested her head beneath his chin and pressed her cheek to the hollow of his throat. “Next Monday.”

  “Maybe I can meet you there.”

  “I’d like that.”

  Outside, gravel crunched beneath tires, and car doors slammed.

  Sawyer pulled away. “Sounds like the sheriff is here. Walton will probably want to take off as soon as Ben turns Roman over to the authorities. Shall we go?”

  She n
odded. “He may need a little moral support. I’m sure seeing his son hauled away by the cops won’t be easy, even if Roman really did try to kill us.”

  “What do you mean if?”

  “I’m not convinced he did. I don’t know that Roman could fake the sincerity I saw in his eyes when he denied responsibility. Whatever happened to the fuel valve on the jet, if that was the cause of the crash, really could have been a mechanical malfunction.”

  “There’ll be a thorough investigation, that’s for certain. But don’t kid yourself. I bet Roman can lie with the best of them. The guy’s a survivor, and my guess is he’s done a few things in recent years that wouldn’t make his mom so proud.”

  “Maybe. Probably.” She walked beside him through the barn and out into the sunlight. “Oh, geez, they’re bringing him out now. That was fast.”

  Walton stood at the edge of the porch with the Secret Service agent while the sheriff and a deputy headed toward their official vehicle with Roman between them, arms behind his back and handcuffs firmly in place.

  He glanced their way and met Devin’s gaze. “I didn’t try to kill you. Not on the river, and not on that plane. I hope you believe me.”

  The sheriff, a thickset man who looked like he could have been a linebacker, opened the rear door and pushed Roman’s head down. “Keep quiet and get inside.” Once his prisoner was seated, he slammed the door then turned. “We’ll take this son of a bitch out of your hair now, Sawyer. Hey, I hear Griff just got engaged.”

  “He did.”

  “The first Wilde boy bites the dust.” The sheriff shook his head. “I guess it was bound to happen sooner or later.”

  “Griff got lucky.”

  “That remains to be seen.” With a wave, he slid onto the driver’s seat then left a moment later in a cloud of dust.

  “A friend of yours?”

  Sawyer shrugged. “Howard and I played baseball together in high school.”

  “I was thinking he looked like a football player.”

  “He did that, too. I wasn’t a fan of getting pounded into the turf, so I quit after my first year. Howard went through a nasty divorce a while back. He sounds a little jaded.”