by Debra Webb
No, luck had nothing to do with it. Evidently it was fate. And fate had taken its sweet time pulling this particular rug from under her feet.
How could she be twenty-six years old and not know who she was in the literal sense? Maybe her adopted parents had intended to tell her when she was older. Or maybe they’d never intended to tell her at all.
The idea that she was the daughter of convicted murderers lowered her already-sinking self-esteem down into the vicinity of her boots. The only saving grace that she could see was that she had two sisters. Buddy had aunts.
It was all a little overwhelming. Who was she kidding? It was a lot overwhelming. Not only could she and Buddy possibly be in danger, but once the media got wind of what was going on there would be fallout, too. Buddy started school this fall. Would the other kids make fun of him for being the grandson of Texas’s most notorious killers?
Would business at the High Noon dwindle away? Or maybe it would pick up. Patrons might hurry in to see the freak show. Kind of like passing an accident and stopping to stare.
Most troubling of all was her concern for Buddy’s safety.
Either Clare Barker or Tony Weeden, maybe both, had come into their home last night. Laney shivered at the memory of that stick-figure drawing. Had the same person drawn the one left in Buddy’s room and the ones on the motel wall? What kind of sick person did that? And what the hell was the idea behind marking them out?
She wasn’t sure she could deal with the answer to that question right now.
As soon as the hardware store opened this morning, Hayden had changed the locks on the doors at the house. He’d ensured the locks on all the windows worked and he’d called a reputable security-monitoring company. Unfortunately they couldn’t get her on their schedule until next week.
Meanwhile, Hayden was the protection. Warmth spread through her at the thought of having him near. She didn’t usually let anyone this close but she hadn’t had much of a choice and, if she were honest with herself, she would have to admit that it had been easier than she’d expected.
He was nice and seemed to genuinely care about her and Buddy. And her son loved him. Buddy had never taken to anyone the way he’d latched on to Hayden.
Then again, that swiftly developing relationship was worrisome, as well. How would Buddy take it when Hayden went away? He was only here for work.
For that matter, how would she take it?
Apparently, having just met the guy wasn’t going to deter that long-neglected romantic side of her that still existed. She’d thought that foolish part of every young woman’s fantasy had died years ago. Had to be some renegade gene she’d inherited from her crazy biological parents.
She’d had those old nightmares last night. The ones she hadn’t experienced since right after her parents—the only ones she’d ever known—had died in that awful car accident. The screaming… God, she hated the screaming. Children sobbing, a woman screaming and the darkness. That nightmare had haunted her for years. But it had gone away after Buddy was born. All she’d had to do was cuddle up with Buddy and Mr. Bear and she slept like a baby.
Didn’t take a self-help talk-show host to tell her that the mental stress was re-creating those same feelings of fear and insecurity she’d suffered after her parents had died.
Laney shoved her hair behind her ears and tried to relax. She couldn’t get worked up about any of that and expect to be coherent in this meeting. She’d dressed in her best jeans and most conservative and businesslike blouse. Her grandmother always said that there were two times in a person’s life when they needed to look their best. When asking for a loan and when going to the doctor. As a kid, Laney had giggled and asked her grandmother why it mattered if you looked good for a doctor’s appointment. Most folks only went to the doctor when they were sick anyway. Her grandmother had lifted an eyebrow and given her a nod before saying, “You want ’em to think you’re worth saving, dear heart.”
Good advice in Laney’s opinion.
The gentleman with the appointment ahead of her exited the president’s office.
Finally.
“Ms. Seagers.”
Laney stood and rearranged the worry on her face into something she hoped was optimistic. “Mr. Teague.”
“Let’s have a seat in my office.”
Laney followed, took the seat in front of his desk. Because he hadn’t smiled or made more than fleeting eye contact with her, fear twisted in her belly.
“I understand you ordered our appraiser off your property.” Still no eye contact. He focused on the file she presumed to be hers.
“I did.” She steeled herself. “Since I didn’t receive advance notice from your office, I wasn’t sure if the gentleman was legit.” He looked up then. “Allowing a stranger into my home is not a common policy of mine.” She didn’t need to remind him that she was a single woman with a small child. That was all in the file.
Mr. Teague heaved a big breath and leveled his gaze on her then. “Your profit and loss statements for the first quarter look very good, Laney. Last year’s net profits gave you a strong year.”
She nodded. “That’s exactly why I don’t see the problem with refinancing.”
He sighed. “I’m going to be completely honest with you.”
Fear kicked her heart against her sternum. “I appreciate that, sir.”
“I don’t have an issue with renewing your loan. You have gone above and beyond to show your credit worthiness. The collateral assets are in place. As an independent bank we’re not as constrained as the larger banks when it comes to making loans. I do, however, have to answer to my board. Therein lies the problem.”
“I always pay on time, Mr. Teague, and as you just said, I’m showing the necessary profit margin.”
“All true.” He closed the file and leaned back in his chair. “The board is made up of powerful businessmen who have stock in this bank. I am only one voice on that board. There are others who are considering the proposed loan renewal from a different view.”
What the heck did that mean? “I don’t understand.” If her credit and her income were solid, what was the problem?
He looked away a moment, then seemed to come to a decision. “I’m taking a great risk in telling you this, but I feel you should know.”
Laney braced for the worst.
“There is outside interference from a very influential man in Houston.”
Terry’s father. The bastard. Fury blasted her. “How can anything he say make a difference?”
“It shouldn’t,” Teague admitted, “but this is not a perfect world and, unfortunately, there are those who love nothing better than wielding their power.”
“What am I supposed to do?” She squeezed the chair arms to keep herself seated. “My profit and loss statement for the year before last was a little in the red. You know the other bigger banks are going to need two solid years of strong profit for me to qualify.”
“I have a friend at another independent bank,” Teague offered. “I’m hoping he can help you. You have my word that I’m doing all I can.”
Laney understood that he was unmistakably under tremendous pressure. She couldn’t fault him and she sincerely appreciated him being honest with her.
“Thank you, sir.” She stood, offered her hand across his desk.
“Don’t give up on me.”
Laney promised not to and left the bank feeling somewhat better about Teague and outright livid about Kingston. No wonder Teague had given her such a hard time last month. He’d been under major pressure himself.
Somehow she had to stop the Kingston family from trying to ruin all that she’d worked for.
Buddy deserved better.
5:15 p.m.
JOEL HESITATED IN THE HALL outside Laney’s room. He hadn’t meant to stumble into the part of voyeur but here he was and there she was.
She’d bent forward to brush all that honey-colored silk into a manageable bundle before securing it into a French twist that turned ou
t all tousled and sexy instead of neat and serviceable. His gaze remained riveted to that cute bottom encased in worn denim. It wasn’t until she straightened and reached for the hem of her blouse that he made a sound of warning. He cleared his throat.
Laney whipped around, jerked her T-shirt back down over that slim waist.
“Just wanted you to know the security system is up and running.” And that his body was hard as a rock from merely looking at her.
“That was fast.” She hugged her arms around her waist. “Thank you for pulling some strings or whatever you did to get them out here today.”
He acknowledged her appreciation with a nod. He told himself to walk away but his need to stand right here and look at her and smell that subtle, sweet scent she wore held him prisoner. Hell, it was just lotion but, on her, it smelled soft and womanly and made him want to get closer.
She glanced around the room, visibly nervous or at a loss as to what to say next. Her attention locked on the window. “So those things on the windows will make the alarm go off if the glass is broken?”
When her gaze found his once more her eyes were wide. She licked her lips, waiting for him to answer or to make a move. Too hard to tell—in more ways than one.
He crossed the room, drew back the curtain and pointed to the sensors. “These are for letting you know if anyone raises a window. If you forget to lock it for some reason or if the glass break fails and someone reaches inside and unlocks the window and attempts to raise it. There’s a sensor on the ceiling at the other end of the hall that triggers the alarm if the distinct pitch of glass breaking is detected.”
Laney nodded. “Oh. Well, good.” She took a breath. “You’ll show me how to arm and disarm the system?”
“It’s simple.” He moved back to the electronic keypad by her door. “You have two keypads. One here and one at the front door since that’s the one you use most often.”
He might have made it through this teaching session just fine if she hadn’t moved in so close to watch. Forcing his attention on the keypad, he took her through the steps of arming and disarming, delayed and instant status.
“If you press these two buttons simultaneously, that’s the panic mode. The police will be notified immediately. If the fire detectors have picked up any smoke or excessive heat, the fire department will be notified, as well.”
“Man. I need something like that at the High Noon.”
She definitely did. “I can see what kind of package deal they can offer for the two.”
“Remember,” she cautioned, “my budget’s limited.”
The silence thickened for several seconds. She waited for him to say something, he supposed. But his mind wasn’t on talking at the moment. The electricity zinging between them was burning him up. Moving away from that hypnotizing pull was out of the question. If they were lucky she would break the spell with a word or gesture…anything.
Finally she looked up at him. “I never get involved with employees.” The need blazing in her eyes protested the statement.
“Technically, I’m not an employee.” His voice was husky and there wasn’t a damned thing he could do about that. He wanted to touch her but didn’t dare. He, too, had a rule against getting involved with a client…but technically she wasn’t his client.
“Guess not,” she agreed. She licked those lush lips again. “Truth is, I haven’t been kissed in more than three years. I may have forgotten how it’s done.”
He reached out and removed the clip that held her hair. Joel had been dying to touch that silky mane since the first time he laid eyes on her. He threaded his fingers into the mass and massaged the back of her neck.
She trembled. “I’m usually a lot more cautious than this.”
He lifted his other hand and traced the soft contour of her cheek. She was a beautiful woman but she didn’t seem to have a clue. Wide brown eyes. Lush lips set in a creamy complexion. Even her nose was cute.
“Caution is good,” he murmured. “You’re a beautiful woman, Laney. You work hard. You deserve a man who’ll treat you right.”
“I know you’ll be leaving when this is over.” She leaned into his hand. “But,” she said as she searched his eyes, “I have this feeling that if I hold back with you, I’ll regret it for the rest of my life. I already have enough regrets.”
He leaned down, brushed his lips against hers and she trembled again. He kissed her slowly, tenderly, the way a man should kiss this kind of woman. She’d been treated badly, neglected and thrown away. He wanted her to know that it wasn’t always like that. He wanted her to feel what a kiss from the right man felt like.
Her arms went around his neck and he slid his hands down her back and pulled her close. She made the sweetest sound as her quivering body formed to his as if they were made to fit together. She tasted like the peach she’d eaten a few minutes ago, soft and ripe with need.
He wanted to strip those clothes off her and make love to her right now but they had to be at the saloon in an hour and though Buddy was occupied for the moment with his new building set, he was awake and that made the option unacceptable.
She drew her lips from his and pressed her forehead to his chin. “That was really nice.” She toyed with the collar of his shirt. “I hope I didn’t scare you off with my neediness.”
He lifted her face to his and looked directly into her eyes. “That was very nice. And I don’t think you needed that any more than I did.”
She backed up, managed a smile. “I have to get ready to go.” She gestured to the High Noon T-shirt lying on the bed.
Joel gave her a smile and decided a walk was in order.
Maybe a long walk.
Chapter Twelve
Wednesday, May 29th, 7:45 a.m.
Heat glided along her body…made her sweat. Laney curled deeper into the warmth. She didn’t want to wake up… . She wanted this to last. To feel his body tangled with hers for just a little while longer.
Stranger. She ignored the voice. Yes, he was a stranger but she needed to trust him. She could trust him. Her mind grew dark and darker still… . Where was he? She felt cold, alone. The screaming wouldn’t stop.
Mommy!
She held her bear tighter and squeezed her eyes shut tight. Please make it stop!
Mommy!
I’m here, sweet girl… . Mommy’s here.
“Mommy!”
Laney’s body quaked. She tried to open her eyes, but the darkness wouldn’t let go.
“Mommy, wake up!”
The shaking started again. Her eyelids lifted, fluttered. The light was bright. Too bright.
“Come on, sleepyhead.”
Laney came fully awake and found her boy perched on the edge of her bed shaking her again. “Morning, Buddy.”
“You have to get up!” He jumped off the bed and rushed over to the window. “Mr. Joel is on the barn roof but he won’t let me play up there with him.”
Laney threw the covers back and climbed out of the bed. She stared at the clock in disbelief. Almost eight o’clock. Good Lord, she never slept that late.
She slid her feet into her house slippers. “I’m sorry, baby, you must be starving.”
“We ate already.” Buddy rushed over and grabbed her hand to tug her to the window. “I need to help Mr. Joel.”
Laney stood at the window and stared across her backyard. Hayden was on the roof of the old barn nailing down the loose tin. The sun glistened on his bare back. The feel of his lips moving over hers had her body growing warm. They’d barely skirted a repeat performance after she’d put Buddy to bed last night.
She’d wanted more. Oh, how she had wanted more. But she had known that she would never be able to stop with a kiss. No way. His body felt so strong when he’d held her against him. Strong and powerful and somehow humble and gentle.
The way his jeans fit his body made her want to explore every part of him over and over until she knew him by heart. She turned back to her bed where she’d curled into the covers leaving them
a tangled mess. She’d dreamed of lying with him that way, their bodies connected completely.
But then that old, too-familiar nightmare had intruded. The screaming and the sobbing…and the bear. That was the first time she’d remembered the bear from the dream. She’d always sensed she’d been holding on to something in the dream.
Maybe it was symbolic.
“Mom-mee!”
“Okay, okay. Let me get dressed and make the bed.”
“I make mine, too!”
Buddy dashed from the room. Moving slower than usual, Laney changed into jeans and a cami. She roamed a brush through her hair and watched Hayden. It was guilty pleasure but who would know?
He finished nailing down one section, scrubbed the sweat from his brow with his forearm and moved on to the next. Her gaze followed that bare torso down to his low-riding jeans. Even from across the yard the delineated, sinewy lines were enough to make her throat go dry.
“Snap out of it, Laney.” If you want him that badly, take him, a wicked voice taunted.
But would that really be fair? Extreme stress wasn’t a good reason to have sex. That was something two people should do in a relationship…a mutually beneficial relationship. Not this one-sided neediness.
What was wrong with her? She had worked hard to be an independent, self-reliant woman. Now this insanity from the past blows into town and suddenly she’s all squishy and wishy-washy. Enough with the fantasy world.
Buddy was still fiddling with his bedcovers when she paused at this door. “Need some help?”
He dropped the corner of his quilt and sighed. “I think so. It won’t cop’erate.”
Laney smiled. What big words her boy used. “Okay. Let’s see what we can do to get some cooperation.”
As she tidied the linens and then the quilt, Buddy frowned. “What’s wrong? You don’t like the way I’m doing it?” This wouldn’t be the first time her son had decided a task could be done better or a different way. His little mind worked a mile a minute.
“She wouldn’t come inside,” he said with another sigh. “I told her to but she didn’t listen.”