Colton's Ranch Refuge

by Beth Cornelison

  Damned if she would give that up without a battle. She’d paid enough for crimes she hadn’t even committed. Never mind that she’d been completely clueless about her husband’s nefarious activities. A lot of people thought she should still be held equally responsible, especially now that Carlos was dead.

  Without any idea why, she’d always assumed the threatening notes had come from one of Carlos’s mistresses. She knew of two, and there’d probably been more. Any one of them could have viewed his death as a breach of promise and his wife as the rival who got everything—especially since Emily had always suspected one of those women had been the one to birth her son and give him up for adoption, no doubt at Carlos’s urging. She could only hope he hadn’t forced the issue, which would mean there was another woman out there mourning the loss of her son.

  Even though Emily could definitely sympathize if that was the case, she was Ryan’s mother now, and she’d made a good home for him here. The only thing she wanted to do was pretend her former life had never happened. All she’d brought with her from that life was her son. He was all that mattered.

  Hurrying from the walking trail and across the parking lot to Sue’s Catfish Hut, she refused to look over her shoulder at the man. She sensed him still standing where she’d left him, watching her. She could feel his gaze burning into her back.

  “Afternoon, Letty.” Lifting her hand in a friendly wave to the elderly cashier, Emily slid inside the empty booth. She spent quite a few of her sixty-minute lunches exactly the same way—a brisk walk around the park and then a bite to eat at Sue’s with her friend Jayne Cooper.

  “Hey, lady.” Jayne plopped into the seat opposite her. Jayne’s normally frizzy blond hair had been tied back in a ponytail. She worked in the police station down the street, one of three dispatchers. “Who was that man you were talking to in the park? He looks like that new guy who moved here from up north somewhere. I can’t remember his name.”

  Surprised, Emily tensed and then forced herself to relax. Good grief, she was tired of being suspicious of everything and everyone. She’d honestly believed she’d gotten over that, until the stalker’s note timed with the appearance of the strange man had brought all her old fears back to life.

  “He said his name is Mac Riordan. He said he’s new in town.”

  “That’s right, he is.” Snapping her fingers, Jayne nodded. “Everyone in the sheriff’s office has been talking about him. Apparently, he and Renee Beauchamp go way back. He moved here a couple of weeks ago and opened a trucking company. He bought the Stamflin place out on FM 3356.”

  Emily simply nodded. “So he’s legit then?”

  Now Jayne studied her closely. “As opposed to what? Some crazed serial killer? You are the biggest worrywart I know.”

  Somehow, Emily managed to effect a careless shrug. “That comes from living in Manhattan. You can’t be too careful there.”

  As Jayne was about to speak—no doubt to launch into her favorite topic, the bliss of bucolic existence in Anniversary—their friend Tina appeared with two tall glasses of iced tea. “Here you go, ladies. Are you both having the usual today?”

  “Yes,” Emily and Jayne answered in unison.

  “Good.” Grinning widely, Tina winked. “I already put in the order ticket. Lord, help me if you ever decide to walk on the wild side and try something else.”

  Just then, the front door opened, and the noisy dining room went abruptly quiet for a moment before the noise level resumed. Emily’s heart sank. Mac Riordan’s large frame filled the doorway and he scanned the room.

  When his gaze connected with hers, Emily tensed, resisting the urge to duck under the table. Just because the man decided to have his lunch at the same place didn’t make him her stalker. Right?

  “Oooh, my,” Jayne breathed. “Emily, honey, why didn’t you mention that he is absolutely gorgeous?”

  “You saw him in the park.”

  “From a distance, Em. Only from a distance.”

  “Emily? You know him?” Tina asked sharply.

  When Emily shook her head, Tina narrowed her heavily made-up eyes. “You’re blushing,” she pointed out. “Why is that?”

  Blushing? It was true that her face felt warm, but Emily never blushed. “I just met him a few minutes ago in the park, that’s all,” she said, aware she sounded as if she was trying too hard to be casual.

  “Uh-huh.” Clearly believing there was more to the story, Tina nodded. “I’m calling an immediate lady’s night this Friday. Mexican food and margaritas. I can’t wait to hear all about this.”

  “There’s nothing to tell,” Emily began. “I...” The words caught in her throat as Mac began slowly making his way toward her booth, drawing the gaze of every busybody in the restaurant—in other words, just about everyone.

  Jayne and Tina grew wide-eyed as he approached them. Idly, Emily wondered why it seemed every woman in the restaurant appeared to be drooling, then pushed the thought away.

  Her skin prickled as he dipped his chin at Tina, then Jayne, before facing Emily. “I’d like to have a word with you, if you don’t mind,” he said in a quiet yet authorative voice.

  “I’m about to eat lunch,” Emily told him firmly, refusing to look at either of her friends, though she could feel them staring in astonishment.

  “Fair enough. How about after?”

  Most of the other patrons in the restaurant made no attempt to hide their avid eavesdropping. Slightly desperate, Emily hesitated. She hated to think that this one chance encounter could undermine all of her attempts to fit in this town.

  “Fine,” she finally said, just to make him go away. “Now please, let me eat my lunch in peace.”

  For an answer, he dipped his chin again, then moved away to take a seat at the bar. She couldn’t help but notice he’d chosen his stool with care, claiming the one closest to the front door so he could stop her if she tried to make an escape.

  “Well, well, well,” Tina said. “I think there’s a lot more to tell us about than a chance meeting in the park.”

  The kitchen chose that moment to ring the bell, signaling Tina that she had an order up. Relieved, Emily watched her go, aware she’d been temporarily spared from answering. Not that there was anything to tell, though she knew her friends would never believe that.

  As Tina left to fetch their lunch, Jayne regarded Emily curiously. “Are you all right?” she asked. “You look a bit pale.”

  Keeping her hands under the table so her friend wouldn’t see her wringing them, Emily frowned. “I don’t understand why he wants to talk to me. I’ve already said everything I need to say when I ran into him in the park.”

  “Which was?” Jayne prompted.

  “Basically, to leave me alone.”

  “Wow. Way to win friends and make enemies.”

  “Oh, come on.” Irritated, Emily eyed Tina making her way toward them with their lunch. “You would have done the same if you’d been walking alone and some man started following you.”

  Jayne shook her head, dislodging pieces of her ponytail. “Sweetie, he’s drop-dead, to-die-for hot. What’s wrong with you?”

  “And he followed me relentlessly. Even in here. Tell me you don’t think that’s weird.”

  This prompted Jayne to snort inelegantly. “That kind of weird is like a gift from heaven. I mean, look at him!”

  Tina reached their table and set down their catfish in front of them. “Here you go, girls. Have you noticed every single woman in here is eyeing your Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome?”

  “He’s not mine.” Picking up her fork, Emily stabbed a corn bread hush puppy with her fork, popping it into her mouth to discourage further questions. As she chewed, she studiously avoided looking in the direction of the lunch bar.

  Jayne and Tina had no such compunction.

  “Well, if you don’t want him, mind if I have a try?” Tina finally drawled, her east Texas twang as thick as syrup.

  “Go right ahead,” Emily answered once she’d finishe
d chewing. “Just be careful he doesn’t murder you in your sleep.”

  “Emily!” both women chided.

  “You’ve got to get over that paranoia.” Shaking her head, then her hips, Tina sashayed away. Emily picked at her food, her appetite gone.

  “You really are upset about this, aren’t you?” Jayne asked, taking another bite of the crisp golden fish.

  “I’ll be fine.” Her automatic answer, made even now to a woman she counted among her friends, meant she wasn’t. But her self-protective instincts, awakened after the craziness that had followed her husband’s death, refused to stay dormant for long. Experience had taught her nothing was ever as it seemed.

  “Are you going to talk to him after we eat?”

  Emily took a long drink of her iced tea. “I guess so. Hopefully, I can convince him to leave me alone.”

  “Maybe he just wants to ask you out on a date.”

  Emily’s forced laugh told her friend what she thought of that idea. “No. He doesn’t. Believe me.”

  From her expression, Jayne clearly didn’t. “Do you want me to come with you when you talk to him?”

  Surprised and grateful, Emily touched the back of Jayne’s hand. “No, but thank you for offering.”

  The sympathy in Jayne’s eyes made Emily’s throat close up. Trying to regain her equilibrium, she stabbed a piece of fish and forced herself to chew it.

  “Sometimes you remind me of Rocco,” Jayne said. “When we got him from the Boxer rescue, he was terrified of every move we made.”

  At her friend’s analogy, Emily had to smile. “You’re comparing me to your dog?”

  “Believe me when I say that’s the highest compliment I could pay you. It took Rocco six months to begin to trust me. I’ve known you four and a half years, and I still wonder if you’ll ever stop being shocked at the kindness of others,” Jayne mused. “I know you don’t like to talk about your past, but you seem to be wound a bit too tight. If you ever need someone to lend an ear...”

  This line of conversation, while hardly new, had the potential to go on for hours. Over time, she’d told both her best friends about her past, at least the part before Carlos. Unlike Ryan, she hadn’t been fortunate enough to be adopted. Due to poor health and a variety of childhood diseases, she hadn’t even been shuttled from foster home to foster home. Instead, she’d spent her childhood in an orphanage, venturing out into the world alone as soon as she turned eighteen. She’d met Carlos shortly after that, and the whirlwind courtship and marriage had seemed exactly what she’d needed.

  Ah, the naivete of youth. Emily checked her watch. She had ten minutes left before she had to return to work.

  Tapping her watch face and shaking her head at her friend, she ate a couple more bites of her fish before blotting her mouth with her napkin.

  “I’ve got to go, or I’ll be late,” she said, tossing her payment on the table.

  “What about him?” Still eating, Jayne jerked her head in Mac Riordan’s direction. “You told him you’d talk to him. And since you can’t get out the door without going past him...”

  Though she already knew the time, Emily made a big show of checking her watch once more. “I hope he can make this quick and painless.”

  Still, despite her misgivings, her mouth went dry the closer she got to him. Mac stood as she approached, placing his money on the counter and falling into step with her as they headed out the door. Though her heartbeat immediately started racing, she kept her face expressionless and waited until they’d emerged into the bright spring sunshine before speaking.

  “All right,” she told him. “I work down the street, and I have five minutes left on my lunch break. What do you want?”

  Instead of answering, he took her arm. Immediately, she tensed, causing him to drop his hand. He shot her a look but didn’t comment on her defensive body language.

  “Let’s walk and talk,” he said.

  Without responding, she set off at a brisk pace for the vet clinic. She hated the way she felt hyperaware of him, hated the way a single glance at him made her insides go all weak and warm.

  When they’d covered half the distance without him telling her what he wanted, she finally stopped and turned to face him. “Why do you need to talk to me?” Though she spoke in a soft voice, she made sure a thread of steel ran through it. “I don’t know you, and I’d like to keep it that way.”

  “You mentioned a threatening letter,” he began.

  “I never said it was threatening.” Despite the alarm bells clanging inside her head, she still felt an insistent tug of attraction.

  “Cut out letters? Come on. Why else would you ask if I mailed it to you?” he said in a reasonable tone. “I’m new in town, and we’ve never met before today, so that’s the only way your question makes sense.”

  Put that way, he sort of had a point. But his supposed concern didn’t excuse his odd behavior. At one time, she would have allowed herself to feel flattered. Now she could only feel threatened. “Look, you’ve been following me. First on the walking path, then you came into the restaurant and made a public scene.”

  Now he tilted his head. “That was not a scene. I have nothing to hide. Do you?”

  She shuddered, unable to conceal her reaction. “If that’s not creepy, stalkerish behavior, I don’t know what it is. So I’ll ask you one more time, what do you want?”

  “To help you.”

  “Of course you do.” Unable to rein in her sarcastic response, she crossed her arms. “Out of the goodness of your heart, right? You don’t even know me. And I sure as hell don’t know you.”

  “Cop instincts, I guess. I used to be a detective in the Albany Police Department. Your sheriff’s department can vouch for me.”

  Wearily, she nodded. Jayne had said something of the sort. “You still haven’t told me what you want.”

  “I’d like to offer my services,” he said, his gaze steady.

  “No, thanks.” She shook her head.

  “For a fee, if that will make you feel better. If you need protection, I can help.”

  Dumbfounded despite herself, Emily looked away. Whatever she’d expected him to say, it hadn’t been this. The idea of having help of some kind—any kind—felt so seductive that she nearly swayed with relief.

  But she didn’t...because she knew better. Despite his movie-star good looks and the tug of sexual attraction she felt when she looked at him, she couldn’t afford to trust him. She couldn’t allow herself the luxury of letting her guard down. The sins of her husband’s past were too numerous.

  “Look, I appreciate your offer.” Softening her voice, she tried to appear as if she meant it. “In reality, I had a couple of blind dates with a guy who liked me way more than I liked him. I’m pretty sure that’s all this is.”

  Devilishly handsome, he studied her. With his hawk-like features and his too-sharp blue eyes, everything about him spoke of inherent strength. Ah, but she knew better than most how appearances could be deceiving.

  “Give me his name, and I’ll talk to him,” he said. “If it is him, I’ll make sure he doesn’t bother you again.”

  She recoiled, unable to help herself. Her late husband had been such a man, promising to take care of her, keeping her shielded from the rest of the world. At first, she’d found this charming. It wasn’t until later that she’d realized she’d been slowly suffocating.

  And when she’d found out her entire marriage, her entire life had all been nothing but a pack of lies, she’d known she shouldn’t have been surprised. But she was. And hurt and betrayed. She’d vowed she’d never be so blind again.

  This was why, even though this man’s rugged profile made her want to melt inside, she wanted to play it safe and send him away—with a smile, if possible.

  Because the last thing she needed was to make another enemy. God knows she had made enough of those already, thanks to Carlos.

  ISBN: 9781459241831

  Copyright © 2012 by Harlequin Books S.A.

 
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