by Joanna Wayne
They all laughed. For brothers who spent so little time together, they seemed exceptionally close.
Perhaps it was the shared tragedy of losing their parents. But Dani suspected it was also the experiences and love they’d shared with each other and Esther and Charlie Kavanaugh right here on the Double K Ranch.
“If I’m going to make a sunrise trail ride, I’d better head to bed,” Grace said.
“Same here,” Tucker said. “You guys may be used to ranching hours, but we bull riders sleep in till noon and tend our bruised and aching bodies.”
“And draw the big paychecks,” Pierce said.
“Only when we win.”
Dani stood with the rest of them. Riley reached up, took her hand and tugged her back down beside him. “We’ll stick around and see that the fire is fully out.”
Truth or lie.
The question was, did she dare stay?
Her heart answered that one for her as she snuggled by his side to watch the fading glow of dying embers.
She might never have forever, but she had now.
Chapter Fourteen
Winding Creek, Texas. The Double K Ranch. Home again. Nothing like what Riley was expecting when he’d made the long drive down from Montana.
It was always great getting together with his brothers, except that it brought back the heartbreaking moments along with the good. And with this visit was the added sadness of Charlie’s death.
Riley knew without Esther saying it that she was walking around with a huge hole in her heart, one that could never be filled. He saw it in her eyes when Charlie’s name came up in the conversation, heard it in her voice when she spoke of him.
It was life. No matter how much you loved someone, you could lose them forever in a heartbeat. That message was set as firmly in his mind as if it was engraved in stone.
And yet staring into the fire with Dani’s hand in his, Riley felt a whirlwind of emotions roaring inside him, and not one of them had him wanting to back off.
If that weren’t bad enough, his protective urges equaled the ones his libido was fueling.
He stood, took the guitar from around his neck and set it in his chair. “Let’s move to Pierce and Grace’s spot,” he suggested. “More room to get comfortable.”
He sat down first, scooted to the back of the wide lounger and spread his legs so that she could sit between them. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close so that her back rested against his chest.
He nuzzled her neck, intoxicated by the flowery fragrance of her perfume. “I’ve been dying to hold you ever since you walked out here.” He nibbled and sucked her earlobe. “You take my breath away.”
“You’re too easy to impress.”
“Not true. But whatever it takes to turn me on, you rock it, baby.”
“You must have a fetish for plump chicks.”
“What?”
“A fetish for plump chicks or chubby thighs.”
He laughed out loud. He couldn’t help it. The comment was so far off true it would have blown the motor out of a lie detector test. “Where did you ever get the idea you are plump? Do you never look in a mirror?”
“All I have to do is look around me at the size zeros, twos and fours, the sexy young women who look as if their skinny jeans were painted on them and they haven’t had a chocolate croissant in their lives. They don’t even take cream or sugar in their coffee.”
“Pity the men who have to eat their cooking. You’re not skinny, Dani. I’ll give you that. You’ve got curves in all the right places.
“Like here.” He cupped her breasts with his hands and felt himself grow hard as her nipples pebbled and arched at his touch.
“And here.” He slid his hands to her hips. “And for the record, you have got the best-looking butt in at least seven counties, and that’s without having your jeans painted on. Though I’ll be glad to supply the paint and brushes if you want to try that.”
“I’ll keep that in mind, Picasso.”
He readjusted her in his arms so that his lips could find hers. Once he started, he couldn’t stop. He ravaged her mouth as his hands slid along her abdomen and his fingers worked their way between her thighs. Even through the denim, he felt the heat and imagined her getting slick and ready for him the way he was burning hot for her.
He covered her hands with his and led them to the aching swell of his erection. She massaged the length of his hardness through the rough denim of his jeans. His blood pulsed fast and hard. His breathing was clipped, his voice husky when he moaned her name.
She pushed away quickly. “Not here,” she murmured. “Not yet. Not like this.”
He struggled for breath and relief from the frenzied hunger that had taken over his brain. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to come at you like a wild man.”
“Please, don’t apologize. It wasn’t what you did—what we did. It’s just that so many people are around. Someone could walk out that door any minute. I think the wisest move for me right now is to go inside and go to bed—alone.”
“This is a huge ranch. We can find a place to be alone.”
“Not tonight. Not here. Not yet.”
“Then at least let me walk you to your room.”
“Not a good idea. Just stay out here and put out the fire.”
“You just did that for me.”
“I have no doubt you can get it roaring again when the time is right.”
He watched her walk away. Fat? Hardly. Every inch of her looked fantastic. Every inch of her cried out to be made love to.
What was the longest he’d ever been in one place? Truthfully, he didn’t know. He’d just always known when it was time to move on.
It definitely wasn’t now.
* * *
IT WAS EIGHT in the morning when they stopped for breakfast in a grove of pecan trees. They’d traveled slowly on a short, easy path that was safe enough for Jaci and Constance to ride single.
Pierce helped Jaci from the saddle and tethered her mount. Riley did the same for Constance, who was as excited as Riley had ever seen her. Both girls went running to meet Esther, who’d driven up in the truck with the food and cooking utensils.
Jaci wasn’t quite six, but she already looked like a natural in the saddle, especially riding Dreamer, the calmest horse in the stalls. Constance was older but not as experienced, since she didn’t get the chance to ride nearly as often. She’d improve quickly with a little more time in the saddle.
Pierce walked over to the truck, where the other two guys were hauling out a camp stove.
“Thanks to Esther there’s not a lot of preparation left to do,” Pierce said. “The sausage is scrambled. Potatoes are diced and fried. All we have to do is scramble the eggs in with the sausage and potatoes and heat the tortillas while chugging down a mug of coffee and making it appear like we’re working hard.”
“I’ll pour the coffee,” Tucker said. “Shall I serve the ladies?”
“Sure. Nothing bur five-star service on the Double K Ranch. Thermos is in the back of the truck.”
Pierce started cracking eggs. “We didn’t get much chance to talk privately yesterday. Any new developments with James Haggard?”
“Not directly.” Riley told him about the stalker call.
“Strange,” Pierce said. “Was she sure it wasn’t Haggard disguising his voice?”
“I asked the same thing. She assured me she was as certain as she can be from a phone connection.”
“He may have hired a private eye, but I don’t see the point of that. In fact, none of his actions make much sense. If he’s the father, prove it. He can’t expect to make a million-dollar deal with Dani without proof. Even if his name was on the birth certificate, that wouldn’t prove anything.”
“Which makes me question if there’s a reason he doesn’t want his DNA information revealed,” Riley said.
“Like a criminal record?”
“Exactly.” Riley started heating the tortillas in an iron skillet while Pierce stirred the eggs into the sausage and potatoes that had been warming as they talked.
“You may be on to something,” Pierce agreed. “At the very least there may be an event in Haggard’s past that would prevent any judge from granting him custody or even a token amount of the insurance settlement. That would leave threatening Dani into just handing over the cash his only chance of financial gain.”
“I hate to ask,” Riley said, “but are you still in touch with your old SEAL buddy who’s with the FBI?”
“Andy Malone. He’s working out of Florida, but he came through for me big-time when Grace was in danger. I’ll give him a call right after we get back to the house. He may not get back to me immediately, but I’ll let you know as soon as he checks out Haggard.”
“I appreciate that, more than you know.”
“Seems like you’re getting into it pretty deep with Dani.”
“Is that a problem?”
“Not for me. Grace is a little worried you’ll break her heart.”
“Isn’t anyone worried about my heart?”
“Nope. I just hope you have enough sense to know when it’s time to lay it all on the line. Take it from me, love done right is as good as it gets.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
* * *
THEY WERE GETTING ready to mount the horses again for the last half of the trail ride when Dani’s cell phone rang. She hesitated to even check the caller ID. It would be unbearable to discover that yesterday’s stalker had followed her here.
“Aren’t you going to answer that?” Grace asked. “It could be important.
“I just hate to take a chance on a call spoiling our perfect morning.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll have lots more. You needed this and Constance is definitely getting horse fever. You won’t be able to keep her away.”
The phone stopped ringing. Dani breathed a sigh of relief until it started again. This time she checked the caller ID. Her alarm company. She was bordering on severe paranoia.
She took the call and made arrangements to meet the repair tech at the bakery at eleven o’clock.
Riley walked over the second he noticed her on the phone. “Is everything all right?”
“Yes, except that I have to tell Constance there’s a kink in our vacation plans.”
“What kind of kink?”
She explained the situation and Grace didn’t hesitate a second before coming to the rescue.
“I’ll keep the girls busy. You get your alarm fixed and you’ll be back at the ranch by early afternoon.”
Dani groaned. “I am so taking advantage of all of you.”
“It’s Winding Creek. We take care of our neighbors. You have to love that about this place.”
“We’ll stop at the lumberyard up on the highway and pick up a new back door,” Riley said. “If we leave as soon as we get the horses settled, I can install it and be out of their way before they arrive.”
“I don’t suppose it would do any good to say you don’t have to do that,” Dani said.
“You heard Grace. It’s Winding Creek. I’d lose my native status if I failed to be a good neighbor.”
“We can’t have that.”
Which meant she’d be alone at the bakery with Riley after the security technician left.
She’d lain awake half the night fantasizing about making love to Riley. This time if he wanted her, she wouldn’t pull away.
* * *
JAMES HAGGARD LEANED back in the front passenger seat of the red sports car and smiled. “Really? Your dad’s in prison. I like you better by the minute. What did he do?”
“Does it matter?”
“It might. Did he kill someone?”
“No. He’d never have the guts to do that.”
“He’s your dad. Where’s your respect?”
“He’s all right. He was always on my case. I got tired of the lectures. But he’s fine. The other prisoners probably love him.”
James whistled as Angela pulled up to a huge metal double gate supported by tall brick columns. The house he could barely see in the distance reminded him of a Southern plantation house he’d seen in Louisiana years ago. “Does all of this belong to your family?”
“Sure. It’s the biggest ranch in the county or something like that.”
“How rich are you?”
“I don’t know. No one ever talks to me about things like that. I’m their precious Angel. It works.”
“I thought your name was Angela.”
“It is. Mom and Dad are the only ones who call me Angel.”
“The dad who’s in prison?”
“Well, yeah. Back when I was growing up.”
“Is your mother home now?”
“I don’t know. Don’t worry. You won’t have to meet her. She goes ape if I bring friends home to get high. Gotta keep up appearances like there’s anyone in this Podunk town to impress.”
He wasn’t sure what he was getting into, but he figured it was going to be a hell of a ride and he had nothing better to do.
The ranch road they were on veered off to the left. A narrow dirt and gravel road jutted off to the right. She kept going left.
“Let’s go back and take the other road,” Haggard said. “Better chance of not meeting up with any nosy wranglers.”
“No. No one goes down that road. Not anymore.”
“What’s wrong? You’re not afraid I’ll turn into a big bad wolf if we get lost in the woods, are you?”
“Just shut up about that road. There’s nothing down there but a ramshackle, rotting fishing camp.”
“On a lake or a river?”
“Might have been a river once. Just a mostly dried-up creek bed now.”
“Sounds like the perfect place to light up.”
Angela hit the brakes and skidded to a stop. “Get out. I mean it. You go where I take you or get out and walk back to town.”
“Hot damn! You sure look good when you’re mad.” And was probably as mean as a bobcat. He’d be sure to keep that in mind.
She finally stopped the car near a sparkling clear pond. Parked right out in the open, where any cowboy riding by could see them. She might be a little nuts.
Angela got out, popped the trunk and pulled out a quilt. She spread it beneath a tall swamp willow and motioned him over.
The second he settled on the quilt, she dropped down beside him and started ripping his shirt open. Buttons popped and flew in all directions.
“Whoa there, baby. We haven’t even shared a joint yet.”
“Are you here to party or not?” she demanded.
“I didn’t know we were racing to the finish line. I thought we’d talk first.”
“About what?”
“Your job at the bakery. When do you go back to work?”
“Thursday, I guess, if I bother to show.”
“I need you to show and do a big favor for me.”
“I’m not stealing from the register.”
“It’s nothing like that. All I need is for you to do some snooping around. Keep your eyes open for an official-looking document to arrive from Corinthian Court Lab in San Antonio. While you’re watching for that, look for anything official with Constance’s name on it—like a birth certificate.”
“Why would Dani leave something like that lying around?”
“She won’t. You’ll have to sneak around. Go upstairs. Open a drawer or two. Check the file cabinet.”
“What’s in it for me?”
“I’ll do your shopping for you, take all the risks like I did today.”
“Whatever I want?”
“As long as you got the cash to pay for it,” he assured her.”
“You’re not planning to do anything to hurt Constance, are you? You wouldn’t try to kidnap her.”
“I don’t have to kidnap her. I’m her dad and that’s a fact. Get me that birth certificate and I’ll just have to grab her and go.”
* * *
EVERY MUSCLE IN Dani’s body tensed as Riley turned onto Main Street. She hadn’t heard from yesterday’s stalker again, yet all of a sudden she was sure he was near.
Watching. Waiting to...
She couldn’t finish the thought. She had no idea what he was planning, but the same creeping fear she’d felt when she heard his voice yesterday skulked inside her now.
Whatever he wanted, it had to do with James Haggard, and that meant it had to do with Constance.
“You’re awfully quiet,” Riley said. “Is anything wrong?”
“I’m just thinking maybe you’re the one who has it right. Don’t put down any roots and then it won’t hurt so much if your world goes up in smoke.”
Her phone rang. She checked the caller ID. Unavailable. Her stalker had no doubt called to welcome her home.
“Who is it?” Riley asked as she hesitated to take the call.
“Unavailable.”
“Ignore the ring. Don’t give the pervert the satisfaction of knowing he’s making you uneasy.”
She scanned the area. “He’s out there somewhere, likely planning his next sinister move.”
“If he shows up at Dani’s Delights looking for trouble, he’ll get more than he can handle.”
“You’re not carrying a weapon, are you?”
“Yes, but I know my way around a pistol.”
“I don’t want a gunfight, Riley. I don’t want you shot.”
“Nor do I. Being ready for trouble is not the same thing as looking for it or even expecting it. At this point there’s no reason to suspect Haggard’s more than a cowardly, money-grubbing bully attempting to frighten you into giving in to his demands.”
She knew many of the ranchers and wranglers kept a gun on them when they working. It was usually a rattlesnake they were looking to kill. She couldn’t push the thought of deadly violence out of her mind. “Have you ever killed anyone?”