Bride On the Run

by Leann Harris

  She saw him clench his jaw and ball his hands into fists. “If you love me, then why didn’t you trust me?”

  The room fell silent, and J.D.’s hopes died.

  “I had it under control, Counselor. As you can see, help was on the way. I was stalling until they got here and our chances of getting out of this alive were better.”

  Words were inadequate. She’d told him she acted out of love. He saw her actions only as a lack of trust, an insult to his judgment that would soon make the rounds of the police department.

  One of the uniformed officers took Allen outside. Luke picked up the packet. “I’ve got to go and make a report.”

  “Luke.” She stepped toward him.

  He shook his head. “We’ll talk later.”

  She watched him get into his car and drive away. She’d risked everything and lost.

  CHAPTER 16

  She closed the door after the last officer and locked it. The pain around her heart was so intense that it was hard to breathe. Well, by the end of this shift, every officer on the police force would know she loved Lucas McGill, but he didn’t love her in return.

  Slowly her gaze moved around the room she’d come to think of as home. There was nothing left to do but pack her things and leave. She went to the kitchen and dialed Emma’s number.

  “Em, this is J.D. The police caught the killer. Can I stay at your house for a few days?”

  “That’s great, sweetie, but why do you need to stay with me?”

  “Can I stay or not?” J.D. knew she’d break down into a crying blob if she had to explain.

  “Sure.”

  “I’ll call a cab and be over there in about an hour. Oh, and Emma, I want you to file those divorce papers for me tomorrow.”

  “Does Luke know about this?”

  “No. But do it, anyway.”

  She didn’t wait for Emma to argue with her, but instead hung up.

  It took only minutes to pack her few belongings into a shopping bag. Placing the bag by the couch, she sat and waited for Luke to come home. He at least deserved a thank-you.

  For the first time, she noticed the mess on the coffee table. Soil, pieces of the broken pot and battered cactus were scattered across the wooden surface, spilling onto the rug.

  She reached out and ran her fingers through the soil. Lovingly, she touched the velvety skin of the cactus between its spines. Luke was like this. Once you got past his defenses, he was a treasure.

  Even if she couldn’t save her marriage, maybe she could save this poor cactus. She retrieved the spare clay pot she saw in the backyard and began to repot the cactus.

  * * *

  It was close to midnight when they finished the paperwork on Allen’s arrest. As Luke drove home, he wondered if J.D. was still there.

  He didn’t really expect to find her. He’d been unusually hard on her after Allen had been cuffed, said things that sprang strictly from heart-wrenching fear. But didn’t she understand how close she’d come to death? And how recklessly she’d acted?

  He could still taste the terror that had filled him when she threw the cactus at Allen. He’d barely had enough time to shove her out of the way of the bullet, which only added to his out-of-control reaction.

  He couldn’t count the number of times the guys involved with the arrest had teased him and chuckled over J.D.’s actions. They thought she had real Texas grit. Tonight, their opinion of her had gone up several notches.

  He pulled into the driveway and cut the engine. If he were honest and looked at her actions from an unemotional viewpoint, he could see that in spite of her fears, she’d come up with a plan to disarm Allen.

  But he couldn’t look at it from an unemotional angle. Damn. He loved her. And wanted a life with her.

  And, amazingly, she’d said she loved him, too. But he’d handled her declaration of love with all the finesse of a baboon. Her actions tonight, risking her life to save his, told him that J.D. held nothing back when she loved. Her career would never separate them.

  The question was, had he already driven her off, or did he still have a chance?

  The lights in the living room were on. That gave him hope. When he unlocked the door, J.D. jumped off the couch and whirled to face him.

  “How did everything go?” she asked.

  He breathed a sigh of relief. She was here. He still had a chance. “Fine. Austin police are picking up the rest of the gang as we speak.”

  He leaned back against the door. His heart was racing, his blood pumping so fast he was dizzy. He wanted to tell her he was sorry for acting like a jerk, that he loved her. He wanted to drag her down the hall and make hot, passionate love to her. Instead, he stood like a statue, frozen by fear.

  “That’s good.” She didn’t hold his gaze.

  He scanned the room, settling on the cactus. Hadn’t she destroyed that by shoving it in Allen’s face? He pointed to it. “I thought...”

  “I repotted it. I can’t guarantee it will survive.”

  This was ridiculous. Why were they talking about some dumb plant when their lives were hanging in the balance? And yet, it seemed odd that she’d gone to the trouble of saving it.

  His mouth was as dry as the cactus’s desert home. “Why, J.D.?” He took one step forward. “Why did you repot it?”

  She shrugged. “It was wrong to abandon it when I could so easily save it.”

  Was she telling him that what they had could be saved? He swallowed his fear and walked toward her. It was then he noticed the shopping bag sitting by the end of the sofa. He stopped beside it and glanced down. Her things were inside. His eyes locked with hers.

  “The killer’s been caught,” she explained. “There’s no reason for me to stay. I’ve called Emma. She said I could stay with her until I find a place of my own.”

  She said it in such a reasonable voice that he wanted to howl out his frustration.

  He took a step toward her. “You’re wrong, J.D.”

  Her chin came up. “I’m wrong about what?”

  He grasped her shoulders. “There’s no reason for you to leave.”

  “Luke—” She licked her lips in a nervous gesture, but that simple act nearly brought him to his knees. He pushed her down onto the couch.

  Sitting beside her, Luke took her hands in his. “I’m sorry, J.D., for the way I handled things. It’s just that I was so scared you might have been hurt—killed—I went berserk.” With his fingers, he tipped up her chin. “I love you, Counselor, so much that I’m crazy with it, as I so aptly proved tonight. You’re in my head and my heart. I don’t want you to leave, J.D. Stay. Make this marriage real.”

  Her eyes clouded with confusion. It gave him hope. If she wasn’t sure about leaving, then he could convince her to stay. He tenderly held her face between his hands, and his eyes were warm and compelling. “I’m not like your dad, J.D.,” he added, hoping that was the one thread of doubt that was holding her back.

  Her fingers brushed over his cheek. “I know.”

  And she did. Tonight’s incident made her confront an ugly truth. She’d judged all men by the standard set by her father and Allen. But Luke wasn’t responsible for the sins of others. He’d proven time and again he was different. Trustworthy. A man who deserved to be loved and respected.

  Her lips trembled. “I was scared, Luke. Scared Allen would kill us and I’d never have the chance to tell you I love you.”

  She went eagerly into his arms. His mouth covered hers, tasting, loving.

  “I should’ve trusted you,” she said between kisses. “If I’d thought about it, I would’ve known you had some sort of plan to capture Allen. My only excuse is that I didn’t have a lot of time to think.”

  He eased her down onto the cushions. “Are you going to take me up on my offer to make this marriage real?” he asked, his lips traveling down her neck.

  “It’s been pretty real this last week,” she said in a husky voice.

  He looked down at her. “You know what I mean, Counse
lor. Let’s make this a lifelong commitment.”

  The phone rang. Luke was tempted to ignore it.

  “Answer it,” J.D. commanded, sitting up. “It might be important.” And she wasn’t going anywhere.

  He hopped to his feet and raced into the kitchen.

  “No, Emma,” J.D. heard Luke say. “She won’t be coming tonight or any night.”

  His low chuckle told her that Emma had said something naughty. He leaned around the door. “Emma wants to know if you still want her to file those papers you talked about.”

  “Tell her to rip them up.”

  He hung up the phone and came back to the living room. “What was that all about?” he asked.

  “That, Detective, was your last chance to escape this marriage.”

  Gathering her in his arms, he said, “Good. I’m hoping to stay hitched for the next fifty years.”

  Her expression grew serious. “I’ve got to warn you, Luke, that I don’t intend to give up my practice. I still plan to work as a criminal defense attorney.”

  “Good, because I plan on being a cop the rest of my life. I’ll supply you with plenty of clients.”

  “I don’t doubt it.”

  The look in his eyes grew hot and steamy. “Then why don’t we adjourn to the bedroom and seal this deal?”

  Running her finger along his lower lip, J.D. said, “You know what, Luke? I believe you’re a better wheeler-dealer than my dad.”

  “Count on it, Counselor.”

  * * * * *

  SPECIAL EXCERPT FROM

  Love Inspired Suspense®

  When K-9 unit Special Agent in Charge Max West heads to

  California with his dog to track down a bomber, he

  finds himself protecting horse trainer Katerina Garwood—a woman

  who might be his number one suspect.

  Read on for a sneak preview of the third book in the CLASSIFIED K-9 UNIT miniseries, SPECIAL AGENT by Valerie Hansen.

  FBI agent Max West squared his shoulders and forced himself to walk away from the latest scene of destruction.

  His job there was done. Unfortunately, the Dupree family crime syndicate, at least what was left of it, seemed determined to keep him and his team scrambling by randomly setting off bombs. Opal, his K-9 explosives detection partner, worked very well but it was frustrating to be called in after the fact.

  He paused in the shade of an enormous oak and phoned Dylan O’Leary, the team’s computer guru, on his cell. “I’m done with this one. Just the usual leftover components and a lot of jumpy people.” Max sighed. “At least there was no loss of life this time. That family caught in the blast zone on the last one nearly made me turn in my badge.”

  “So, what now?” Dylan asked. “You thinking of leaving Northern California and heading home to Billings?”

  “Maybe soon. I thought I’d look into the backgrounds of some of the Dupree underlings we’ve scooped up while I’m in the neighborhood. See if we missed anything on the first sweep.”

  “Little fish in a big pond,” Dylan reminded him. “We got Reginald Dupree, the real brains behind the drug operation.”

  Max nodded. “While his uncle Angus kidnapped one of our best men and escaped. Has there been any word on Agent Morrow’s whereabouts?”

  “Sorry. No.”

  “Okay.” Max opened the rear door to his black SUV to air it out before letting his brown and white Boxer, Opal, get in. “I checked our files last night and was on my way to the Garwood Horse Ranch when I got diverted to this call. Vern Kowalski, one of the Dupree drug runners, had ties there. When we arrested him he insisted he was working alone but it won’t hurt to check. I can use a break and so can Opal.”

  “You’re the boss, Boss.”

  Max barely chuckled. Being SAC, special agent in charge, of the Classified K-9 Unit was no picnic. A lot of responsibility rested on his shoulders, responsibility that weighed heavily. Yes, he considered this job his calling, but that didn’t mean he never felt the pain of loss, never wished he’d been more successful and had prevented every explosion, every injury. Every death.

  Closing his eyes for a moment he reminded himself that he was just a man, giving his all in terrible situations. Then he loaded his dog, climbed behind the wheel and continued his interrupted trip to the nearby ranch.

  * * *

  Katerina Garwood was halfway between one of the stables and the house, heading for her old suite, when she saw an imposing black vehicle pass beneath the ornate wrought iron arch at the foot of the drive. Unexpected company was all she needed. If her father came outside to see who it was and caught her trespassing on his precious property he’d be furious. Well, so be it. There was no way she could run and hide in time to avoid encountering the new arrival—and perhaps her irate dad, as well.

  Chin high, she paused in the wide, hard-packed drive and shaded her eyes. The SUV reminded her of one that had assisted the county sheriff on the worst day of her life. The day when all her dreams of a happy future had gone up in flames.

  Darkly tinted windows kept her from getting a good look at the driver until he stopped, opened his door and stepped partway out. Prepared to tell him to head up to the house if he needed to speak to someone in charge, she took one look and was momentarily speechless. The blond, blue-eyed man was so imposing and had such a powerful presence he sent her usually normal reactions whirling. When he spoke, his deep voice magnified those unsettling feelings.

  “Katerina Garwood?”

  “Do I know you?”

  “No, but I know you. I’m Special Agent West. I’d like to talk to you about Vern Kowalski.”

  “I have nothing to say.” She started to turn away.

  “This is not a social call, Ms. Garwood.” He flashed a badge and blocked her path. “I suggest you reconsider.”

  “FBI? You have to be kidding. I am so unexceptional that until recently people hardly noticed me.”

  “They do now, I take it.”

  She blushed and rolled her eyes. “Oh, yeah.”

  “Then you’ll understand why I need to speak with you.”

  A quick glance toward the house told her she and the hunky agent had not yet been noticed. That was too good to last. As soon as one of the hands or the foreman, Heath McCabe, spotted her, word would get to her father and he’d be on the rampage again.

  “Not here. Not now. We can meet in South Fork later. I work at the Miner’s Grub diner, on Main, near where the American River forks.”

  He quirked a brow. “What’s wrong, Ms. Garwood? You seem nervous.”

  “It’s personal.”

  “Everything is when you get right down to it.” He reached for her arm as a familiar white pickup truck pulling a matching horse trailer rounded the nearest of three identical, rectangular stables and came to a stop.

  She jerked free. Backed away. Her sky-blue eyes had widened and she was trembling. “I have to go. Now.”

  “Care to tell me why?” Max’s gaze was unwavering. “Perhaps you’d better come with me and wait in the car while I have my K-9 partner check this place.”

  “What? No. I’m not going anywhere with you. I haven’t broken any laws. All I did was believe Vern’s lies and fall in love with him. It’s not my fault I was duped. And I don’t know anything about his secret life as a crook, okay? Despite all the nasty rumors, I’m a good person.”

  “Then why are you so jumpy?” Max continued to crowd her until she was ready to literally shove him away.

  Unable to help herself, Katerina darted glances back and forth between the immense house and the complex of stables where the foreman had stopped with the horse trailer. Was he on the phone to her dad already? There was no way to tell. And no way to avoid another terrible scene once Bertrand was notified.

  There was only one sensible course of action. She had to plead her case in person, and to do that she had to reach Heath McCabe despite the determined agent. Staring into the distance on his opposite side, she used that momentary distraction to
slip away.

  Max was on her in a flash, grasping her arms and holding fast. Katerina began to thrash around. If her father saw her now he’d be even more positive she was worthless. Tears of frustration filled her eyes.

  I will not cry, she insisted to herself. I’m through letting any man make me cry. Nevertheless, a few drops escaped and trickled down her flushed cheeks.

  Suddenly, she was pulled free. The middle-aged foreman had come to her rescue. His arm was drawn back, ready to deliver a punch, and the agent’s hand was reaching for his sidearm.

  Katerina intervened. “Stop!” She gestured at McCabe. “This is just a misunderstanding. I wanted to keep you from telling Dad I’m here and Agent… West? Agent West must have thought I was running away.”

  The adrenaline in her system had bolstered Katerina’s courage and she faced him as boldly as she could while her insides quaked.

  Max met her gaze head-on. “Your father? Why didn’t you just say so?”

  “I did. You weren’t listening.”

  “No, you were acting guilty, behaving like a scared kid trying to make a run for it.”

  “I’m not a child. I’m twenty-two.”

  “I know. I read your file.”

  She was thunderstruck. “There’s a file on me? An FBI file?”

  “Yes, of course.”

  “Why am I not surprised?” She felt the starch go out of her like a sigh lost on the wind. Her concentration moved to the foreman. “Please don’t tell Dad I’m here and make him mad all over again. It was bad enough when he threw me out the first time because of my horrible love life. I just want to pick up a few of the personal things I left behind.”

  McCabe doffed his cowboy hat. “I’d never do you that way, Miss Katerina. You know I wouldn’t.” He gestured back at the truck and trailer. “If I didn’t have to get these horses to the vet for checkups I’d stay here and help.”

  “Do you have Moonlight with you? I looked for her in the stables when I got here and she wasn’t in her usual stall. That whole section was empty.”

  “Your horse is safe and sound with me.” The wiry foreman eyed Max. “All right if I leave or are you plannin’ to shoot me?”