by Ruth Langan
She nodded. “That may be. But he and I are well suited. We both enjoy speed and the freedom to leave the well-worn trails and just run where the mood takes us.”
“I’d rather you’d stick to the trails, if you don’t mind.”
She was about to argue when she recognized the thread of steel behind those softly spoken words. She gave a careless shrug. “Okay.”
She crossed to the stallion’s stall and lifted a hand to its nose, giving Diablo a chance to get her scent. The horse blew and snorted as she opened the door and stepped inside.
Thad walked closer to watch as she expertly tossed a blanket over the horse’s back, and then a saddle, which she quickly cinched. When she lifted the bridle, Diablo tossed his head, but with a few soft words she managed to calm him enough to take the bit.
Thad seemed surprised to see the ease with which she saddled her own mount. “I figured you’d want somebody to do that for you.”
She shook her head. “As an equestrienne you handle your own equipment, so if there’s any problem with it you have nobody else to blame. That’s the first rule. The second rule is, see to your horse’s needs. That means a good rubdown when you’re through, followed by a check of the feed and water, before going off to take a shower.”
He grinned. “With just a few words changed, the same rules apply for being a good cop.”
She paused, considering, then nodded. “I never thought about it before. But you’re right. I’m sure you always have to put the public ahead of your own needs.”
“And I never trust anyone but myself to inspect my equipment. If my gun should misfire, it’s nobody’s fault but mine.”
She had no doubt that he would treat his gun with the same care that he seemed to treat all the security devices here on her uncle’s property.
Minutes later she opened the stall door and led the stallion out into the sunshine.
She turned to where Thad was standing. “Sure you don’t want to join me?”
He shook his head. “I still have some work to do in here. Then I’ll have to check the monitor, and show your uncle which switch will control the stable cameras.”
“That’s too bad. It’s the perfect day for a ride.” Her smile was quick and sly. “And maybe we could have made another bet. Which I’d no doubt win.”
He watched as she pulled herself up to the saddle and dug her heels into Diablo’s sides. The horse took off at a fast clip, its hooves spewing dirt.
As horse and rider headed across the rolling meadow, Thad stood for the longest time, enjoying the view. Damned if Heather McGrath wasn’t just about the prettiest thing he’d ever seen. Especially on the back of such a magnificent animal.
The absurdity of it suddenly struck him. He was watching an angel riding a devil. If he had to bet which one held the upper hand, his money was on the angel.
“I’ve had light sensors mounted front and back, and cameras installed inside the stable.” Standing beside Joe’s desk, Thad threw several switches. “Anyone who gets within ten feet of the building will cause the lights to go on. Once inside, you can view them here…” He switched on a camera to show an overview of the horses in their stalls. “…and close up like this.” He flicked another switch and directed the zoom lens, catching a mare in the act of eating hay.
“You do good work, Thad. Why, I can even zoom in on the fly buzzing around her ear.” Joe looked up at the ringing of his phone. “Excuse me a minute.”
He swiveled his chair and reached for a file while he spoke into the phone.
Thad studied the monitors and caught sight of Heather and Diablo just cresting a hill. He stared at it for long seconds. Then, glancing at Joe’s bent head, he threw a second switch directing the close-up camera toward Heather’s face. The sight of her, laughing as the wind took her baseball cap and sent her hair fanning out around her, had him watching with avid interest.
She slowed the horse, touching the reins to his neck until he turned. When they reached the spot where her cap had landed, she leaned low in the saddle, snatching up her hat as the horse’s hooves pounded the earth.
Thad held his breath for a moment, afraid she would surely fall and be trampled. Instead she straightened and flicked the reins, urging the horse once more into a run.
She looked so easy and comfortable astride the big black stallion. Whatever tension she displayed when she was around Thad had disappeared. In its place was grace and poise. Natural beauty. If a film-maker were to catch this on video, he could market it without a single sound in the background. All that was needed to hold the viewer’s attention was the woman, the horse, and the rolling hills of Prosperino.
Joe set aside the phone and turned. The first thing he noticed was the rapt expression on Thad’s face. Then he glanced at the monitor and saw the close-up of his niece.
“She’s beautiful, isn’t she?”
Thad nodded, afraid to trust his voice.
“The best thing of all about Heather is that she’s as sweet, as good-hearted as she is lovely to look at. But then, I’m sure you’ve discovered that for yourself.”
“I…haven’t had time to notice much of anything, Joe.” Just then he caught sight of Jackson Colton on the monitor, urging his Palomino into a gallop to catch up with Heather.
Thad’s smile faded. His frown deepened. “Now, about the new security in the stables.”
For the next hour he and Joe went over the controls until Joe felt comfortable with everything that had been added.
Finally the older man pushed away from his desk. “Is that everything?”
Thad nodded.
“Good. Now, since you’re off the clock, how about a drink?”
Thad glanced at his watch. “Sorry. I have to get back to town.”
“You’re a hard man to pin down, Thad. Could I persuade you to stay for dinner if I told you Inez was fixing sirloin tips in wine sauce?”
Thad gave a rare grin. “That’s tempting, Joe. But between the police department and the extra hours here, I’m running as fast as I can.”
“Yeah. I understand. I’m sure you need a little time for a personal life as well.”
Thad’s smile faded. “A schedule like mine doesn’t leave time for a life.”
“Then you’ve got to make time, man.” Joe clapped a hand on his shoulder. “I’ve got spare swim trunks in the pool house. Sure you can’t join me?”
“You’re making it awfully tempting.”
“When was the last time you took a couple of hours just for yourself?”
Thad thought a minute. “Probably three years ago. When I was recovering from a gunshot wound.”
Both men laughed.
Joe tried one last argument. “Heather will probably be back soon, and I’m sure we can persuade her to join us as well.”
Thad nearly weakened at the thought of seeing Heather in a bathing suit. Then he squared his shoulders. “Sorry, Joe. I just can’t spare the time.”
As he made his way to his car Thad thought about all the demands being made on his time. He felt he was being stretched to the very limit. Still… He paused, and glanced toward the stables. What he wouldn’t give to spend a lazy evening around the pool, doing nothing more strenuous than lifting a drink to his lips.
And, of course, watching Heather McGrath in a bathing suit. A bikini, he decided as he turned the ignition and started away from the ranch. Better yet, a thong. Bright pink.
He was grinning as he let his imagination take him where he had no doubt reality would never permit him to go.
It wasn’t pink. And it wasn’t a thong, or even a bikini. It was a plain black tank.
Thad paused in mid-stride and stared in pure male appreciation when, days later, he caught sight of Heather poised on the high board. With that fabulous body, that sun-bronzed skin and all that honey hair, she was absolutely riveting. She lifted her hands above her head, took one quick bounce on the board before soaring through the air and cutting neatly into the water.
She was
, he realized, pure poetry in motion.
She broke the water and tossed her head, sending her hair fanning out around her shoulders like a veil of glistening diamonds. Then she began to swim in smooth, long strokes until she reached the edge of the pool, where she pulled herself out and reached for a towel.
She was still drying herself when she turned and saw Thad walking toward her. He’d removed his suit jacket and rolled the sleeves of his white shirt. His eyes were hidden behind reflecting sunglasses.
She smiled. “I didn’t know you’d be here today.”
“Neither did I. But I had some questions for your uncle. And I thought I’d see how the sensors were working in the stable before I head home.”
“Do you ever take a day off?”
He slipped off the glasses and Heather absorbed a jolt at the heat of his gaze. “No. And for once I’m glad. Tell me, do you swim every day after work?”
“Not always. Some days I ride. Other days I just walk over the hills until it’s time for dinner. Why?”
“I figured if I could count on seeing you like this at the same time every day, I’d make it a point to be here. Strictly as an impartial observer, you understand, to see to your safety.”
His unexpected humor had her laughing. A clear sound that did something to his heart. “Of course. I didn’t realize you were so noble, Detective Law.”
“Yeah. That’s me. Pure of mind and brave of heart.” Reluctantly he turned away. “I guess I’d better get over to the stable.”
“I’ll walk with you.”
He halted. “I don’t think you’d like to walk barefoot. That is unless you don’t mind stepping in some pretty slimy stuff.”
She stepped into a pair of drawstring pants and slipped her feet into canvas deck shoes. “If I encounter any ‘slimy stuff,’ I’ll just toss these in the washer.”
As he moved along beside her he said, “I figured you’d have a maid looking after your stuff.”
“I take care of my own stuff, as you call it. I didn’t come here for a vacation. I came here to lend a hand to my Uncle Joe.”
“I thought I heard somebody mention my name.” Joe Colton came around the side of the house, accompanied by his nephew Jackson, and offered his hand to Thad. “Have you finally found a chance to join us for dinner?”
“Sorry. No. I just stopped by to check the sensors in the stable. How have they been working?”
Joe shrugged. “Fine. Although Heather set off the alarm once.” He turned to his niece. “Did you tell him?”
She shook her head. “I feel silly mentioning it.” She glanced at Thad. “I forgot about the new alarm code and just started saddling Diablo. The next thing I knew I had Uncle Joe and half a dozen security people swarming all over the place.”
Joe started laughing as he recalled the scene. “I don’t know who looked more scared—Heather, Diablo or our security team.”
Thad’s smile was immediately gone. “Your security team looked scared?”
“Hey.” Joe attempted to smooth it over. “This was their first encounter with the alarm. They’re green, Thad. And still thinking about the shot fired through my window. Maybe scared was the wrong term. They looked like they’d been caught by surprise.”
“All the more reason why they should have behaved like professionals.” Thad’s eyes were narrowed in thought as he continued on toward the stable. After checking the sensors, and testing the alarm, he stepped out into the fading sunshine.
“If you’d like, Joe, I could give you the names of a couple of security firms that we’ve worked with in the past.”
Joe thought about it, then shook his head. “I’ll keep the ones I hired. But I’d feel a whole lot better if you’d take over as head of the team.”
Thad didn’t bother to hide his impatience. “Thanks, Joe. I’m flattered that you’d think I could make a difference. But I’ve already got more on my plate than I can handle. And I’m beginning to think that what you need is a full-time bodyguard.”
He could see the effect his words had on Joe and his niece. He slipped on his sunglasses. “Sorry, Joe. I’m not trying to be an alarmist. It’s just my training to always imagine the worst-case scenario. You’ve got enough to worry about without having me add to your burden.” He stuck out his hand. “I have to go now. Let me know if you want the names of other security firms.”
“Yeah.” Joe accepted his handshake.
Thad nodded toward Jackson, then glanced at Heather’s face and could see the worried look in her eyes. He hated that he’d had to be the one to put such fear in her. Still, she needed to know that life wasn’t always a walk in the park.
As he made his way to his car he found himself wishing he could call back the last half hour. Even though he knew better than to keep tempting himself, he’d have indulged his fantasies by staying in the shadows a whole lot longer while watching Heather swim.
It wouldn’t do anything to help his investigation, which seemed to be going nowhere. But spending a few extra minutes treating his senses to Heather McGrath in a revealing bathing suit would go a long way toward soothing his soul and improving his dreams.
Five
Patsy stared at the rain streaking the windows, her mood as gloomy as the weather. It had been raining for three straight days. She was sick of it.
When the housekeeper walked by, Patsy stopped her. “Where are you supposed to be right now?”
Inez looked bewildered. “Cleaning the courtyard, Mrs. Colton. But the rain—”
“Then do it. That’s what you’re being paid to do. How many times do I have to tell you? I don’t want you underfoot.”
The woman fled.
Patsy watched her go while her anger continued to fester. This weather made her antsy. The isolation of this place was getting to her, closing in on her. She was sick of people tiptoeing around her. Tired of Inez always making Joe’s favorite meals. What about hers?
Joe. Her frown deepened. She’d been so busy trying to locate Emily, she hadn’t been paying any attention to her plot to do away with Joe. Now there’d been another attempt on his life, and that detective was here, sniffing around. She hated him. Hated those long, probing looks. Like he already knew who and what she was and was just waiting for her to make one little mistake.
He’d been asking all kinds of questions. And every time she answered one, he had two more.
She knew his kind. He was trying to trip her up. She needed to get out of here. Away from Joe. He and Heather McGrath were constantly closeting themselves up in his office, completely shutting her out.
She started to pace. How had Meredith been able to tolerate this for so many years?
Meredith. The mere thought of her had Patsy pausing, a ghost of a smile on her lips. She was Meredith now and she would do whatever she pleased.
She picked up a phone and made her plans, then stalked toward Joe’s office. Without bothering to knock, she tore open the door and stared around.
Heather was seated at the computer, her fingers flying over the keys. Joe was across the room, engaged in an animated conversation. From the few words she overheard, Patsy realized that he was on a conference call with several of the executives of Colton Enterprises.
Joe looked up and seeing her, said softly, “Excuse me, gentlemen.” With a hand over the receiver he turned to his wife. “Is there a problem?”
Patsy was actually disappointed to find Joe and Heather hard at work. It would have been such fun to find them looking a little too cozy with one another. She could have gotten a lot of mileage out of such a scene.
Her tone was brittle. “I can’t stand being cooped up here. I’ve made an appointment at LaBelle.”
Recognizing the name of one of the most exclusive spas in California, Joe uttered a sound of disgust. “That’s more than a hundred miles from here.”
“Everything’s almost a hundred miles from here.” Her voice took on the whining tone that had become so familiar. “I don’t know when I’ll be back. I’ve d
ecided I need a few days of pampering.”
With a toss of her head she walked away, slamming the door. Minutes later her car roared down the drive.
Heather watched as her uncle returned to the phone. No tender kiss goodbye for these two, she thought. Or even a smile from across the room. Whatever had once brought them such joy was long ago lost and apparently forgotten.
It made her sad. Joe Colton was such a good man, and there had been a time when she’d thought Meredith Colton was his perfect soul mate. Apparently there had been too many years and too many tears between them. The death of a son and the disappearance of a daughter had been difficult enough to bear. Now the rift seemed to widen with every passing day, until this second attempt on Joe’s life was just another burden heaped upon his shoulders.
A short time later Joe’s frown was replaced by a smile when the sun suddenly burst through the clouds. When a knock sounded on the door, it opened to reveal Thad Law.
“Well.” Joe beckoned him in. “Did you bring this sunshine with you?”
“Sorry. I wish I could claim the credit, but it’s not in my realm of expertise.”
Thad glanced from Joe to Heather. He resented the fact that she’d been on his mind far too much these past days. Images of her riding Diablo or just walking calmly across the lawn, intruded at the strangest times. When he was bogged down in paperwork. When he was interrogating a witness. Even while he was sleeping. Especially then. She seemed always to be tiptoeing across his heart.
“How’s the investigation coming along?”
Thad shrugged. “About the same as before.” He refused the chair Joe indicated, choosing instead to stand as he gave Joe one of those measuring looks. “You’ve made your share of enemies, Joe.”
“You mean the list has grown longer? Whose name have you added now?”
Thad glanced at Heather, then back to Joe. “Nobody new. Just the same old names. But it isn’t easy checking out every one of them.” He cleared his throat, obviously uncomfortable. “But I wonder if your wife would be willing to sit down and talk with me about some of your mutual friends.”