“Why does one of us have to give up our way of life for the other? Why can’t we compromise?”
“I can’t see a compromise that has a chance in hell of working.” His eyes were remote.
“Can’t we talk about this?” she said, desperate to reach him.
“Where would talking get us? We are who we are.”
“People can change!”
“Maybe some people can,” he said. “People without our history, maybe. But I don’t see it happening for us.”
“So that’s it? You’re just going to walk away?”
“I don’t see an alternative.”
“So, it was all a lie. I never meant more to you than good sex.” Her pain threatened to consume her.
He reached her in one stride, grabbed her arms and took her mouth with so much carnal heat it burned away the chill of his words.
When he set her back on her feet, she swayed, disoriented.
“You were a hell of a lot more than great sex,” he ground out.
Then he spun on his heel and left, leaving her with tears streaming down her face.
He doesn’t love me. Each word was a hammer, causing fresh pain and tears. If he did, he’d stay. We’d find a way to work this out.
Fresh tears welled. She’d cried rivers of tears when Trey disappeared and thought nothing could ever hurt more. She hadn’t known that finding Trey would mean losing Chase, nor that a heart could literally break.
Now she knew why she’d instinctively avoided relationships and falling in love before Chase. The pain of goodbye was equal to the depth of the love.
A mathematical equation.
Just her luck.
She’d never been good at math.
Chapter Ten
Raine could hardly believe Chase was serious. Surely he wouldn’t walk away from her simply because she was tied to Wolf Creek through her business interests? She didn’t care if he didn’t want to interact with the town residents—they’d find a way to merge their lives. Couldn’t they?
Clearly Chase didn’t think so.
She had to face the possibility that maybe she’d been the only one in love.
She carried a tray of ice cubes upstairs to her bathroom and dumped them in the sink. Then she ran cold water over them, soaked a washcloth in the chilled water and held it to her eyes.
One look in the mirror told her it was going to take more than a few minutes and some ice cubes to erase the signs of her crying.
“Ugh. Men,” she muttered, swishing the cloth in the cold water once again. After another ten minutes, she scrubbed her face, smoothed on moisturizer and carefully reapplied her makeup.
A half hour later, she walked up the back stairwell and knocked on Trey’s door.
“Hi, come on in.”
“I see you’ve decided to keep the beard,” she said, studying his damp hair. He’d changed into a long-sleeved cotton shirt and rolled the cuffs back to just below his elbows. The pale blue checked cotton was tucked into the waistband of clean, faded jeans, a black leather belt with a dull silver buckle threaded through the belt loops. “Except for the stubble, you’re looking more like the Trey I know,” she commented, heading for the kitchen.
“Yeah.” He dropped onto the sofa and pulled on his boots. “I’ve gotten used to it.”
“Maybe the girls will think it’s sexy,” she teased. “Did you make coffee?”
“It’s in the carafe.”
Raine poured a mug, took a sip, and sighed. “Ah, now I know you’re my Trey. Nobody makes coffee quite like you do.”
“We can add that to the list of things I remember how to do,” he said dryly. He crossed the room to pick up his own mug, sitting on the counter stool across from her. “I’m remembering more all the time. Details about my life—this kitchen, for instance.” He gestured at the copper pans and chef stove. “I’m a damn good cook, right?”
“Yes,” she laughed. “You’re a fabulous cook.”
He drained his mug and went into the kitchen, rinsing it before slotting it into the dishwasher.
“I’ll carry mine downstairs,” she told him. “I hate to admit it, but the restaurant coffee hasn’t been the same without you there to supervise.”
“We’ll take care of that,” he promised with a grin.
“Excellent. My stomach thanks you. Are you ready to go downstairs?”
“Sure. We’ll play this by ear, okay? I don’t know how much I’ll remember. I’m not worried about the work itself since I’ve been running the bar for Lori in Granger. But I don’t know if I’ll remember the people and I’d just as soon keep the extent of my memory loss as quiet as possible.”
“Of course. We’ll need to take Sam and Charlotte into our confidence but beyond the four of us, no one else needs to know.” She paused, considering. “I’m sure you’ll need to talk to the sheriff about what happened and the Tribune is sure to send a reporter to interview you.”
“I don’t mind filling out a report and telling the sheriff everything I can remember. But the reporter might be a problem.”
“I’ll sit in on the interview, if you’d like, and hopefully, between the two of us we can give them enough info to run a story but not enough for the paper to know about the amnesia.”
“Sounds like a plan. And who are Sam and Charlotte?”
“Charlotte is the assistant manager of the restaurant and Sam has worked for us for years, since before Mom and Dad passed away.”
“I remembered that earlier—about Mom and Dad, and Mike—when I was looking at framed photographs on the wall in the bedroom.” His face was somber.
“There are a few things I wish you didn’t have to remember, Trey. Our lives haven’t always been filled with happiness.”
He nodded and they left the apartment for the Saloon.
It was nearly empty. Sam was at the near end of the bar, his back to them.
“Sam,” Raine said softly.
He turned, a broad smile on his face. “Raine, I didn’t know you were home. Did you find any new information at the—” He broke off, shock erasing his smile as he caught sight of Trey.
“Hello, Sam.” Trey closed the distance between them and the older man gave him a short hug.
“I’ll be damned. I hardly recognized you with the beard.” Sam’s eyes were suspiciously bright. “Where the hell have you been?”
“It’s a long story,” Raine said. “Why don’t you have Sheila take over for you and come into the office? I’ll grab Charlotte from the restaurant so Trey only has to tell his story once.”
“I’ll be right there,” Sam said. “Sheila’s taking a coffee break next door.”
“I’ll send her over when I get Charlotte,” Raine promised.
Charlotte was every bit as shocked and delighted at seeing Trey as Sam had been. The four went into the office and spent the rest of the afternoon discussing strategy to handle Trey’s return to the very public workplace. Since so many customers knew him, it wouldn’t be easy to keep his memory lapses under wraps.
Chase spoke to Steve Blake at the sheriff’s office for the latest update on the Rimes brothers’ whereabouts before stopping at Luke’s ranch to tell his brother where he was going.
“Trey doesn’t know who robbed him and took his car?” Luke asked after hearing an abbreviated recitation of the events over the last few days.
“He can’t remember the actual attack. He did say more memories about Wolf Creek are returning, but the week prior to his waking up in the ditch is still a blank.”
“What about the letter?”
Chase shook his head. “A dead end.”
“Trey didn’t have it with him?”
“He has it,” Chase said. “But the address is illegible, water in the ditch left nothing but a few smears of blue ink on the envelope. The only clue is the Granger postmark.”
“Damn.” Luke slammed his palm against the corral post. “I was hoping we’d finally get lucky.”
“Me, too.” Chase shrugged. “I read the le
tter. It was short and cryptic with no solid information. It’s possible the writer doesn‘t know anything and was running a scam to lure Trey into handing over money for non-existent evidence.”
“I suppose it’s too late to run the envelope and letter for possible fingerprints,” Luke said morosely.
“Way too late.” Chase glanced at his watch “I’ve got to get going. Don’t forget to tell Dad and Mom I’m working on a case out of town. And give Trey and Andy a call today, let them know you’re available if they need help.”
“Stay in touch,” Luke called after him as Chase climbed into his SUV.
The Rimes brothers had last been seen in a small town on the outskirts of the Dakota Badlands. Chase drove south out of Wolf Creek to pick up their trail.
He tried to blank out the memory of Raine’s tears but guilt rode him hard, shortening his temper. Each night he lay awake, missing her and unable to sleep while he fought the need to call her and explain. He knew he couldn’t tell her the truth until the Rimes brothers were in custody and Harlan contained.
He hoped to God she’d forgive him.
After a frustrating week, Chase hit a dead end in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The airport ticket agent remembered Carl and Bobby because the brothers had paid cash for two one-way tickets to Belize.
Chase didn’t bother following them. He knew from past experience that a man on the run could easily lose himself in the Belize jungle or among the many cays just off the coast in the Gulf of Mexico.
He took the freeway on-ramp, leaving Sioux Falls for Montana, and dialed Ren’s cell phone.
“Where are you?” Ren demanded.
“On my way home,” Chase said. “The Rimes brothers skipped to Belize. Have you found anything on Harlan?”
“Oh, yeah,” Ren drawled. “Apparently, Mr. Kerrigan has a helluva social life in the capital city. Seems he’s been sleeping with married women. Two of them have very rich and influential husbands. I suspect he’s also involved in semi-legal business dealings but haven’t had time to verify the rumors.”
“It’s about time we caught a break,” Chase said with satisfaction “Where are you?”
“Helena.”
“Good, I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“I’m staying at the Hilton, room 324.”
Chase hung up. He considered calling Raine but in the end, decided only a personal, face-to-face explanation would do and that would have to wait until after he and Ren were finished in Helena.
The restaurant was short a waitress and Raine took over setting tables, freeing the busboys to help the other waitresses. With efficient, practiced movements, she stripped a white tablecloth off a window table and replaced it. Napkins were ready with a few deft folds and heavy silverware completed the arrangement. She carried the used tablecloth to the utility room off the kitchen and dropped it in the dirty laundry.
Trey poked his head around the door. “Do you have a minute, Raine?”
“Of course.”
“Let’s go in the office.”
Concerned, Raine followed him down the hall and into the office. “Is something wrong?”
He sat on the edge of the desk, one foot braced on the floor. “I remembered something this morning that might be important. Unfortunately, I’m sure it’s not enough to get the sheriff involved.”
“What is it?” Raine asked, dropping into the leather armchair facing the desk.
“More details about being carjacked. The two men who stopped when I was changing the flat tire were men I’d seen earlier at the accident scene. They were a couple of cars behind me, waiting for the state trooper to have the semi towed and clear the highway. We were all in the motel office at the same time, getting coffee from the desk clerk.”
“Did they seem suspicious? Did you have any inkling they might try to rob you?”
“No.” He shook his head. “They looked like ordinary cowboys after a day at work—dirty boots and jeans, beard stubble.”
“But you’d recognize them if you saw them again?” Raine hoped so—she wanted the men who’d hurt Trey arrested, brought to trial and locked away in jail.
“I’m sure I would,” Trey confirmed. “After they threw me in the back of my SUV, I must have drifted in and out of consciousness a few times, because I remember bits and pieces of conversation. Most of it wasn’t memorable but one of them mentioned Lonnie Kerrigan.”
Raine tensed. “You’re kidding.”
“No, I’m not,” he said grimly. “I don’t have any proof, but I’m willing to bet Lonnie was connected with those two.”
“Do you think Lonnie was involved somehow with the carjacking? But why?” Raine pushed upright, unable to sit still, and paced across the floor. “He’s an obnoxious jerk but why would he want to have you robbed?”
Trey shrugged. “I have no idea. Nothing about my being carjacked makes sense. Why didn’t they leave me along the road where they robbed me instead of driving a hundred miles away and throwing me in a ditch? And they could have killed me but they didn’t. Of course, they might have assumed I’d die before anyone found me. I’m guessing I looked pretty bad when they dumped me out.”
Raine winced. “I hope the police find them, soon, and lock them away for good.”
“I’m more concerned about Lonnie Kerrigan,” Trey said. “Did he or Harlan approach you or threaten you in any way?”
“Interesting you should ask,” Raine said slowly. “I rarely have dealings with either of them but Harlan dropped by the office and Lonnie came into the Saloon one night. Both of them made veiled threats about my hiring Chase to look for you.”
“What about since I’ve been home?”
She shook her head. “I haven’t seen or talked to either of them recently.”
“If you do hear from them, if they so much as say hello if you see them on the sidewalk, I want to know about it. In fact, I think I’ll pay a call on the Kerrigans and tell them to stay away from you.”
Something in Trey’s expression reminded Raine of the edgy, dangerous warrior she’d glimpsed in Chase.
“Maybe we should talk to the McClouds first. I’m not saying you shouldn’t talk to Harlan and Lonnie,” she added quickly when he seemed about to disagree. “But if the Kerrigans are connected to you being attacked, then maybe it has something to do with the letter you received.”
“Maybe.” He stood. “I have to relieve Sam behind the bar. I’ll think about waiting until I can talk to Chase.”
Jessie walked into the restaurant just before noon. She waved at Raine and beckoned her closer.
“Can you join me for lunch?” she asked when Raine reached her.
“Of course.” Raine took menus from the waitress. “Follow me, there’s a table free near the window.”
Jessie waited until they were seated before she spoke. “Dad’s barbecuing this Sunday and Mom wants you to bring Trey and join us.”
An invitation was the last thing Raine had expected. “It’s lovely of her to invite us, Jessie, but I’m not sure we can make it.”
Jessie eyed her shrewdly. “Chase won’t be there, in case you’re worried about running into him.”
“I see. Is he out of town again?” Maybe that’s why I haven’t heard from him, she thought.
“He’s working on a case—I only know because he told Luke, and Luke told Mom, who told me. Chase hasn’t called anyone for days and he doesn’t answer the phone or return messages.” Jessie smiled her thanks at the waitress for the tall glass of iced tea and stirred in some sugar. “But you’ve talked to him, of course.”
“No, I haven’t.”
“He hasn’t called you, either?” Jessie grimaced in disgust. “I thought he must have told you what he was doing.”
“I’m afraid your brother and I…” Raine paused, searching for the right words. “It’s not likely he’ll be calling me.”
Jessie stared at her, clearly astonished. “But I was so sure after I saw the two of you together at the wedding… He did somet
hing stupid, didn’t he? What was it? You can tell me,” she said over Raine’s halfhearted attempt to protest. “If there’s one thing I know about my brothers, it’s how impossible they can be. I’ve never met two more stubborn people in my life.”
Raine had to grin at Jessie’s annoyed expression. “Maybe it’s brothers in general, or men in general, because Trey has times when he’s beyond stubborn. And difficult. Let’s not forget difficult.”
“So, what did Chase do? Or say?”
“I believe he has issues with living in Wolf Creek,” Raine said finally, trying to be diplomatic.
“Oh. That.” Jessie sipped her tea and looked thoughtful. “I’d hoped he might be getting past those…issues.”
“Apparently not.”
“I wish I had a solution, Raine, but there are some things Chase refuses to discuss and interacting with the folks here in town is one of them.”
“I know.” Raine sighed. “Ah, well.” She managed a small smile. “I’ll always be thankful he helped me find Trey.”
Their conversation turned to other subjects as Jessie ate her luncheon salad. She’d just finished when she glanced at her watch and gasped. “My goodness, look at the time. I have to run. I have an appointment at one. Promise you’ll come out to the house on Sunday. Chase won’t be there and we’d love to have you.”
“I’ll talk to Trey. If he can get away, we’ll be there.”
“Great.” She glanced at the check, dropped several bills on top of it and stood. “Gotta run—see you Sunday.”
And she was gone.
Now I understand why Zach fell in love with her, Raine thought. Chase’s sister was smart and funny—Raine thought they might be friends, if only Chase wasn’t her brother.
If Trey agreed, they’d go to the barbecue—it would give them an opportunity to tell the McClouds in a private setting about the possibility the Kerrigans were up to no good. But after Sunday, it wasn’t likely she’d see Jessie, or any of the McClouds often.
Raine wasn’t ready to deal with social occasions that included Chase. She couldn’t pretend he was only a friend.
Much to Raine’s relief, her plan to use the barbecue get-together to tell the McClouds about Trey overhearing the carjackers worked just as she’d hoped.
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