Todd didn’t say anything. They kept walking, heading further into the grass and knee-high wildflowers growing everywhere. Before they’d walked another twenty feet, Max took off toward a clump of pine trees.
Todd called him back, but Sally knew it was a waste of time. She’d had to keep Max on a leash in town. He might be a big, gentle giant, but he knew how to put his legs into motion when he wanted to. Without any hesitation he’d launch himself after anything on four legs, ignoring her neighbor’s flower beds, cyclists, and cars.
“He’s probably stopped at the tree house.” Todd changed direction and veered off toward Max.
“Why does he like going there?”
“He’s got a thing for the rope ladder.”
Sally followed Todd. They ducked beneath the branches of the pine trees surrounding them. It was quiet, peaceful, and so much cooler in the shade of the trees. She took a deep breath and felt her shoulders relax. So much had happened today that she hadn’t had a chance to think too deeply about anything. And some things she didn’t want to think about at all.
Mitch Zambezi and his gang of thugs were one of the things she didn’t want to dwell on. As long as she was careful, the better off she’d be. She might have to rethink her head-in-the-sand strategy if he was responsible for the black truck that had been following her. But until she knew for sure, she wouldn’t let him worry her.
She smiled when she saw Max. He had his teeth wrapped around a motley piece of rope dangling from a tree. “That’s how you climb into the tree house?”
“It does the job.”
Sally watched Max play his game of tug-of-war. The ladder didn’t look strong enough to withstand the doggy slobber coating it, let alone the jaw clamped tight around it. She walked closer to Max and looked up into the trees. “If it weren't for Max, I never would have known the tree house was up here.”
“You’re not the only one. I only saw it after I’d been living here for a year. Carolyn’s family must have built it years ago. It’s so old that most of the boards have warped and twisted as the tree’s grown.”
“Is it safe to climb up and have a look?”
“You’d have to fight Max for the rope, first.” Todd’s gaze wandered down her body, from the top of her hay infested head, to the tip of her dirty blue sneakers. “I don’t know if I’d trust the ladder to hold you.”
Sally pulled her shoulders back and sucked her tummy in tight. “Are you telling me I’m too heavy?”
A smile lit Todd’s eyes. “No, I’m telling you the rope is old and could snap. There’s nothing wrong with your weight.”
That was the most uninspiring thing anyone had ever said to her. She’d never been a beanpole, but she wasn’t exactly a butterball, either. She worked out at the gym three mornings a week. She ran in the annual Huffing for Stuffing Thanksgiving Day race and walked more dogs than she could count each weekend.
“You’re tilting your nose in the air again.”
“Maybe I’ve got a reason to.”
Todd frowned. “I don’t know what the problem is.”
“The problem,” Sally said very clearly, “is that I can do anything anyone else can do. You don’t need to be skinny to climb into a tree house.”
Todd looked genuinely confused. “The rope is old. What’s wrong with saying it could snap?”
“Nothing. As long as you’re not equating the weight-bearing capacity of the ladder to the width of my hips.”
Todd looked down at her hips and blushed. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”
Max barked and Sally turned toward him. He’d lost interest in the rope and had a wooden stick between his teeth. He ran to Todd and sat down in front of him. “It looks as though Max is ready for a game of chase the stick.”
The stick in Max’s mouth landed on the ground. He stared at Todd with a mixture of excitement and adoration plastered across his face.
Todd picked up the stick. He threw it as far as it would go beneath the canopy of the trees. Max took off at a million miles an hour, thundering through the undergrowth like a bullet train.
“You can climb the ladder now.” Todd glanced across at her.
Sally looked at the slimy rope. It was tatty and frayed, and possibly every bit as fragile as Todd had said. Even though most of the footholds were still there, she didn’t feel inclined to risk her neck. Not when Todd was watching, anyway.
“I’ve changed my mind,” Sally said quickly. “I’ll try it another day.”
A smile tugged at the corner of Todd’s mouth. “We’d better follow Max, then.”
With one last look at the tree house, Sally started walking across the field. Next time she was here, she’d definitely climb the ladder. She was far too competitive not to at least try, and too proud to let Todd know that he could be right.
CHAPTER SIX
“I’m not happy.”
Todd didn’t say anything to Detective Munroe’s calm observation. He wasn’t happy either, but that wouldn’t change anything. After three years of following Mitch’s progress around New York, nothing much surprised him.
The driver of the truck that had followed Sally was now free to do whatever he wanted. After spending the night in a cell, he’d walked out of the Bozeman Police Department with a cocky smile on his face. His lawyer had defended the driver’s actions, telling the police that his client was innocent of any wrongdoing.
Innocent, my ass, Todd thought. The guy had practically stalked Sally for more than a week. It was just another reason why he’d grown to loathe the power that came with money. Someone like Mitch Zambezi could buy people’s silence, cultivate associations until they had more dirt on you than anyone knew what to do with. Knowledge was power, and in Mitch Zambezi’s world, no one was more powerful than him.
Dylan had come to the police station with Todd. He’d sat beside him for most of the meeting, reading what wasn’t being said from the body language around the table.
“What’s next?” Dylan asked.
Detective Munroe pulled a folder of papers toward him. “We wait for the FBI to arrive. They’re convinced that Mitch is on his way here. They’ll assess the situation and put measures in place to protect Todd and Sally.” He moved his gaze to Todd. “I’ve spoken with Dan Carter. He’s sending two officers home with you. Under no circumstances are you to confront Mitch or anyone associated with him.”
Todd frowned. “What about Sally?” There was no way he’d leave her vulnerable. Her brothers were ranchers, not killers. If push came to shove, he wasn’t convinced they’d be able to protect her.
“I’ve got Sally covered,” Dylan said. “Fletcher Security are providing two bodyguards to look after her. They don’t come much better than the guys John has chosen. She won’t be harmed while they’re on duty.”
“The FBI will take over when they get here. Until then, lay low. I’m going to do some investigating of my own while I’m here.” Detective Munroe pushed the chair away from the table they were sitting at. “You’ve got my number. If you need anything, call me.”
Todd stood up and shook the detective’s hand. “Do you need a ride anywhere?”
“I’ve got my own vehicle while I’m here. Try not to worry. If Mitch gets anywhere near you, we’ll be on him fast.”
Todd didn’t bother replying. He’d heard those words before and they hadn’t made any difference. After Detective Munroe left the room, Todd sat back down. He looked out the window, wondering if there would ever come a time when he’d feel safe.
“Nothing’s going to happen,” Dylan said.
“Yeah, right. A drug lord’s on his way here and everyone thinks it’s going to be okay. The man’s deranged and all we can do is wait.”
“Not quite.”
Todd looked at his friend. “What do you mean?”
Dylan smiled. It was the kind of smile that made Todd’s blood run cold. “Detective Munroe isn’t the only person doing a little investigating of their own. John’s been using all of his resources to t
rack down Mitch. He knows where he is, and it’s not Bozeman. Not yet, anyway.”
Todd stared at Dylan. “Where is he and why didn’t you tell Detective Munroe?”
“He’s in Colorado settling some business there before heading north. And the reason I didn’t tell the detective is because I’m being careful. You can’t trust anyone associated with your wife and son’s murder or the ongoing investigation.”
“Are you trying to make me feel better or worse?”
“I’m trying to keep you alive,” Dylan muttered. “Have you told Chris that you won’t be back at work for a couple of weeks?”
“You’re joking?”
“Do I look like it?”
“You look like a badass, ex-Military security specialist who knows exactly what he’s doing.”
“Just remember that. Now if you’ve finished feeling sorry for yourself we’ve got some shopping to do.”
Todd groaned. “Now I know there’s something wrong. Your fiancée is a bad influence on you.”
“We’re not looking at ovens or coffee tables. I want you in a bullet-proof vest every time you leave the ranch. Then we’re going to check your ammunition supplies. Are you still carrying your Glock?”
“I will be when I leave here.”
Dylan picked up his jacket and stood up. “When the time comes, Mitch Zambezi won’t know what’s hit him.”
“I just want the whole mess over.”
“It will be,” Dylan said lethally. “The only thing you’ve got to do is stay alive, and you’ve got me to help with that.”
As they left the police station, Todd didn’t know whether he felt relieved or worried. Dylan and two police officers were walking beside him, watching the street and everyone on it. It rattled him, left him feeling off-center.
Left him wondering if this was the beginning of the end.
***
Sally looked at the list in front of her. For the last hour she’d been sitting in her apartment with Carolyn, their next bride-to-be.
Carolyn thought they were making a list of the people who could help clean Todd’s barn before her wedding. But that was only part of the reason. The FBI agents who’d arrived on Wednesday had insisted on a total lockdown of Todd’s property. Detective Munroe convinced them to allow specific people on the ranch, which was why they were making a list. Sally didn’t know if ‘specific’ ran to twenty different people, but she’d give it a try.
“Who else said they’d help?” Sally asked.
Carolyn turned the piece of paper around and contemplated the names. “You’ve got all of Wayne’s family. The only person missing, that I can see, is Kimberly.”
Sally passed Carolyn a pen and she wrote her sister’s name down.
“Are you sure Todd doesn’t mind having our wedding on his ranch?”
“He’s happy for you to be there,” Sally assured her. Unlike the FBI special agents. They’d nearly had kittens when they were told about the wedding. Carolyn didn’t know anything about Mitch Zambezi, or the reason there was an FBI agent sitting in a car outside Sally’s apartment, or another one in her spare bedroom.
Not that Carolyn would have realized they were there. It was bad enough that one of the agents had gone undercover at her school for the last two days. Dominique Rodriguez, if that was her real name, had joined Sally in her classroom as a student teacher. The nine and ten-year-old children had been intrigued by the six-foot-tall woman. So much so, that Dominique now had a mini fan club following her around the school.
The front door opened and Molly stepped inside. “How’s that list coming?” She left a box of muffins on the kitchen counter. “I’ve brought us something to eat.”
Sally glanced at the front door and frowned. “How did you get inside?”
“Same way I normally do.” Molly stared at her as if she had a temperature. “Is everything okay?”
Sally didn’t know how Molly had gotten past the special agent. Unless…
Her heart raced as she thought about what that might mean.
“You didn’t tell me you had a new neighbor,” Molly said.
“What?” Sally wasn’t thinking about her neighbors. She was considering escape routes and finding the special agent she’d pushed into her spare bedroom.
“New neighbor. If I hadn’t sworn off men, I’d be jealous. Even if he is Scottish.”
Sally edged closer to the front window and peered outside. “What are you talking about?” No one was lying in a bloody mess on the sidewalk, or staggering toward her with a bullet hole in their chest. She took a deep breath and tried to see the black SUV the agents had been using. Either they’d moved it or changed vehicles. Or worse.
“Alastair McDonald. He’s about as bonny as any Scot I’ve ever had the privilege to meet.”
Sally had no idea what Molly was talking about. And then she did. “What does Alastair look like?”
Molly gazed at her with a dumbfounded expression on her face. “You haven’t said hello to your new neighbor? I can’t believe you haven’t offered him a cup of sugar yet.”
“Just tell me.”
Molly rolled her eyes. “He’s about five-nine, broad shoulders, narrow hips, chestnut hair with deep blue twinkly eyes. He’s got a small scar on the right-hand side of his mouth and a cowlick that makes his hair curl a little wildly at the front.”
Sally’s mouth dropped open. “You noticed all of that from one conversation?”
Molly smiled smugly. “Being without a man sharpens my powers of observation. And there was lots to observe.”
Carolyn smiled and Sally breathed a sigh of relief. Molly had just described the FBI special agent that was standing outside.
“At last, no frown,” Molly said. “I was worried that you were still nervous about the man you thought had been following you.”
The only people, apart from the police, that knew about the extra security around Todd and Sally were Annie, Dylan, and Matthew. As far as Molly was concerned, no one had been following anyone.
Sally left the front window and walked into her kitchen. “I’m still a bit jumpy, I guess.” She took a mug out of the cupboard and put an empty plate beside the muffins. “Coffee or tea?”
“Tea would be grand. I’ve been on location all day shooting images for a magazine. It’s thirsty work.” She pulled her laptop out of its case and turned it on. “I’ve brought a selection of photos for you to look at, Carolyn. It might help narrow down the type of wedding images you want.”
Molly and Carolyn sat with their heads bent over Molly’s laptop. In between sipping tea and eating raspberry muffins, they managed to sort out the wedding photos and even look at the images Molly had taken that morning.
“I’m glad I met you, Molly,” Carolyn said after they’d finished. “Wayne’s brother was going to take our photos. They would have looked nice, but not as wonderful as yours.”
“Thank you,” Molly said with a smile. “I’m glad to be of help. To be honest, I love weddings as much as the next person. Especially when I know the bride.”
Sally almost smiled, except Alastair McDonald, her handsome neighbor, chose that moment to knock on her window.
Molly looked up and jumped out of her chair. “Let me do the introductions,” she gushed as she ran across the room. She opened the door and waved Alastair inside. “Come in and meet your neighbor. I can’t believe you two haven’t said hello before now.”
“My work takes me away from town,” Alastair lied.
Molly hooked her hand through his arm and pulled him into the room. “Of course it does.”
Alastair’s blue eyes twinkled and Molly looked as though she was about to melt on the spot.
Sally cleared her throat.
Alastair looked blankly at her, then pulled himself together enough to remember why he was here. “I’m Alastair McDonald. I thought I’d say hello.”
Sally had no idea why he’d come inside, unless Molly’s photo hadn’t been on his list of known people.
&n
bsp; “It’s nice to meet you, Alastair,” Carolyn said. “I’m not your neighbor, but Sally is. Molly and Sally are helping me with my wedding.”
“When do you get married?”
“A week from tomorrow.”
Alastair nodded. “It must be a busy time for you?”
Sally had to hand it to him - he was pretty good at hiding what he already knew. No one would have guessed that Carolyn was one of the people they’d already investigated as part of their security operation.
“We’re trying not to get too overwhelmed by it all,” Carolyn said. She picked up her bag and smiled at Sally and Molly. “Wayne’s organizing a barbecue for everyone after we’ve cleaned the barn, so don’t worry about food. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“I’ll leave, too,” Alastair said. “I’ve got to finish my garden before I head into work.”
Sally looked down at Alastair’s hands. He’d even smeared dirt on them before he’d come inside. She was impressed.
He must have realized what she was thinking because his mouth tilted into a grin. “I’ll see you again, Sally. Nice meeting you, Molly.” He sent another smile Molly’s way, them closed the door behind him.
Molly leaned against the closed door. “Oh, my. I’m tempted to move in with you.”
“Believe me,” Sally said. “That’s the last thing you want to do.”
“I suppose you’re right. Your cats won’t like sharing their space with someone. I’d have to fight them for the spare bed.”
She hoped Molly didn’t ask to see her spare room. Dominique was in there, waiting for everyone to leave. Having two FBI special agents in her life was stressful.
Molly walked across to the dining table and sat down. “I wonder what Alastair’s doing tomorrow? He might want to help us clean out the barn.”
Sally knew exactly where Alistair would be tomorrow. Beside her. “I could ask him?” she said weakly.
Molly smiled. “Would you? That would be grand.” The smile dropped off her face. “I’m not interested in him romantically or anything. If you want to…”
“It’s all right,” Sally said quickly. “I’m not interested in him either.”
Head Over Heels (The Bridesmaids Club Book 3) Page 11