“I’ll just be a few minutes.”
She slid a finger beneath the flap to open it as she headed down the hall. In the guest room, she pulled out the sheet of white, tri-folded paper and opened it. Instead of her best friend’s handwriting, there was a single paragraph of plain text.
I’m very disappointed in you, Brittany. That’s what he calls you, isn’t it? I expected more from you—hoped for more. Why him, of all people? Maybe you’re still hurting after Daniel. Maybe you’re just confused. Either way, I’ll make it simple for you. Stay away from Morgan, and don’t call the police. I won’t hesitate to show you how serious I am by extracting a pound of horseflesh…and let me assure you, I’m very good with animals. Be a good girl and no one will get hurt.
Her body flashed hot, then cold as she sank down on the edge of the bed. She literally felt the blood drain from her face as her trembling hand rattled the paper in the silence.
He knows where I live.
He knows about Daniel.
He knows Joel uses my full name.
He knows about Paelo.
Of all the details, that one hit hardest.
He knows about Paelo.
The words pound of horseflesh seared into her brain, followed by a flash vision of the bloody elk carcass. A sob caught in her throat.
“You doing okay in there?”
Britt flinched at the sound of Joel’s voice and jerked her head up.
Stay away from Morgan. Don’t call the police. If Joel saw the letter, would he understand her need to make sure her horse was okay?
No. After the tires, he’d insist on the police first.
“Brittany?”
“I—” Her voice cracked. She cleared her throat and forced the words out. “I’ll be right out.”
But she could hear him coming down the hall. Her hands shook as she quickly folded the paper and stuffed it in her pocket. Her gut clenched at the thought of keeping it from him, but what choice did she have? Joel was protecting her; she had to protect her horse.
She hurried to the closet for her duffle bag, then tossed it to the bed as he entered the room. At the dresser, she reached to open the top drawer. Her hands would not stop trembling. Oh, God, she was going to lose it.
“Hey.” His soft voice right behind her made her jump, then gentle hands urged her to turn around. Tears burned her eyes and she buried her face against his chest as they spilled over. His arms closed around her and held tight.
“Shh.” One hand rose to stroke her hair. “It’s going to be okay.”
With the steady beat of his heart beneath her ear, his embrace made her feel safe. Secure.
“I’m not going to let anything happen to you, okay? We’re going to catch him.”
His calming tone held a note of confidence that quelled her panic. As the paralyzing emotion subsided, her thoughts cleared and focused on the fact that Joel would keep her safe. It wasn’t hard for her heart to convince her mind because he’d never given her any evidence not to trust him.
Which made lying to him that much harder. The lump in her throat swelled again, but she promised herself once she saw Paelo, she’d show the note to Joel and gladly call the cops. She took one more deep breath, then lifted her hands to wipe her face and push from his arms.
“I’m sorry. Things just kind of hit me all of a sudden. I feel like an idiot.”
“Don’t apologize.” He gave her shoulders a gentle squeeze. “It’s been a rough night.”
She shrugged. “Thanks for understanding. I’ll get my stuff and we can go.”
He stepped back as she turned back to the dresser. After grabbing a handful of underwear and socks, then three pairs of jeans from the next drawer, she moved over to the closet. All the while, her mind whirled. How the hell was she going to get him back to the ranch tonight?
She pulled a couple T-shirts from hangers, then dropped everything on the bed over the empty envelope sitting next to her bag.
In the middle of stuffing her jeans inside the duffle, she froze, then widened her eyes as she turned toward Joel. “I don’t think I locked the barn when I left.”
He frowned. “What made you think of that?”
“I don’t know.” She turned back to her packing. “Would you mind driving me up there?”
“Is one night going to be that big a deal?”
“The tack alone is worth thousands of dollars. I can’t take that chance.”
“We can call the resort security office to check the locks.”
“No!” She glanced up as confusion deepened his frown. Damn it. “It’s just…” She paused and gave him a pleading look. “I’ll feel better if I check it myself. I’m sorry, but Mark trusts me, and I don’t want to let him down. I promise, I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important. Please?”
He glanced at his watch, then transferred his piercing gaze back to hers. Her heart kicked against her ribs as she wondered if he suspected her lie.
Finally, he nodded. “Okay.”
She didn’t have to fake a relieved smile. “Thank you.”
A few minutes later, he tossed her duffle in the back of the truck and then waited for her to climb in before shutting the door. The sight of his two grocery bags increased her guilt. She hadn’t bought any perishables, but he’d already tossed the box of melted ice cream bars, and she’d seen other food in his cart that should’ve been refrigerated already. She’d have to pay him back later.
He didn’t say a word about the groceries during the drive. Instead, he slipped into investigative mode. “Is there anyone you can think of who would’ve slashed your tires? Someone you don’t get along with?”
She shook her head. “Only Kelly.”
And apparently, whoever wrote that note. How did he know so much about her? Could it be the poacher was someone she knew? A chill clawed up her spine and she wasn’t able to quell the resulting shudder.
Joel shot her a glance before checking the rearview mirror. “You’ve never had any problems with a guest?”
“No.”
He reached over to adjust his side mirror, then glanced toward hers. “Hopefully there’s something on the security video from the grocery store and this’ll be over soon.”
She prayed he was right.
They were almost to the ranch when she realized his gaze hadn’t stopped shifting from the winding mountain road in front of them to the rearview mirror every couple seconds. When she twisted to look out the back window, her pulse leapt at the sight of headlights not too far behind.
He shot her another look. “What?”
She turned back just enough to face him. The dim light of the dash did nothing to soften the harsh line of his profile. “You’re the one spending more time checking mirrors than watching the road. Is someone following us?”
His fingers flexed on the wheel. His gaze flicked to the mirror again. “I’m just being careful, that’s all.”
A moment later, he slowed for Highlands, then gave her a brief warning of “Hang on,” before cutting the lights. He still took the turn and then a stomp on the brakes threw her forward against the seatbelt. Somehow she managed to brace her hands against the dashboard as they jerked to a stop on the far left side of the resort’s main entrance.
He cut the engine and the cab plunged into darkness. In the sudden silence, her heart thumped wildly in her chest. Her lungs grew tighter with each short breath. His hand finding hers to offer a reassuring squeeze didn’t help, because a second later he ordered, “Stay in the truck,” and opened his door.
It closed again just as quick, leaving her all alone as the overhead light faded to black. She peered out the back window, but didn’t see where he’d gone. Out on the road, she did see the approaching headlights of the car that’d been behind them.
Were they slowing down?
Was it the poacher?
She held her breath, but the vehicle rounded the bend and kept going. It appeared they’d only slowed because of the curve in the road. Britt let out a sigh a
nd waited for Joel to get back in. A full minute and two more vehicles passed before he opened his door.
Even as she blinked in the sudden flare of light, she saw him reach across his chest to holster his gun. He didn’t say a word as he started the truck and drove to park in front of the Sunset Vista Restaurant and Bar. The restaurant had already closed, but being a Saturday night during tourist season, the bar was still hopping at eleven-thirty.
“Why are you parking here?” she asked as he got out.
“So it looks like we’re in the bar.” He met her on her side as she closed the passenger door. “There’s an exit on the other side, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then we’ll head through here and go out to the barn that way.”
He motioned her ahead of him, and she glanced back as they climbed the stairs. “But no one followed us. Or are you—”
“Just being careful,” he finished for her.
She led the way inside where she smiled at some of the resort employees having drinks in the bar, but continued out the opposite door toward the barn.
The urge to run had her fisting the barn keys in her hand. Metal dug into her skin as they strode along the unlit lane that led to the closed up stables. The darkness pressed in and she couldn’t help moving closer to Joel. His hand grasped hers, the rough slide of his palm against hers a comforting reminder of his strength and protection. She squeezed her thanks. He squeezed back.
At the barn, he released her hand and she checked the double sliding doors, then moved to the office door just for show. Neither one budged.
“There you go,” Joel said. “Locked up nice and tight, nothing to worry about.”
She couldn’t leave yet. As she looked at him, the light directly overhead cast his face in shadow. Despite the frantic racing of her pulse, she managed a pleading smile. “As long as we’re here, I’d like to just go in and check on the horses. Say hi to Paelo. Do you mind?”
He hesitated long enough to make her worry. “No, go ahead.”
She fit the key in the lock and turned it just as a whicker carried across the yard from the arena. Britt jerked her head toward the sound. Gypsy. She’d forgotten about her being left alone out there, a helpless target with no way to defend herself. As soon as she saw Paelo was okay, she’d go out and bring the mare inside.
She pushed the door open, hurrying through the office and out into the main aisle, flipping on light switches as she went. The horses blinked in their stalls and a number of them neighed at the sudden activity.
Relief weakened her knees when she reached Paelo’s stall and he moved forward with a soft, welcoming whicker. She slipped inside to rub her hands over his satiny coat, then wrapped her arms around his neck in a tight hug. He arched his neck, trying to nuzzle her.
She smiled and whispered, “I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to you.”
Tears pricked her eyelids again. A sound from the aisle made her stiffen. She blinked a few times before turning as Joel stepped forward to run a palm down the stallion’s nose. “Looks like everything is all right here.”
“Yeah.” She stroked his sleek neck, then took the opportunity to slip past Joel as Paelo bumped his nose against his chest. “I think I’m going to bring Gypsy inside, though.”
“The mustang?” Joel’s gaze narrowed as he turned to look at her. “Why?”
“It’ll only take a minute. There’s a stall ready across the aisle. Get the sliding door for me, would you?”
“Brittany—wait.”
The frown was back in his voice. A sense of urgency dogged her heels as she ignored him and darted down the aisle, back through the office.
Chapter 27
Joel muttered a curse as he rammed the bolt home on the stallion’s stall and hurried to unlock the sliding door. She was hiding something. Considering it’d started back at the apartment when she’d insisted on coming to the barn, he knew it had something to do with the horses.
Why didn’t she trust him? He hadn’t given her any reason not to, had he?
He didn’t like her out there in the dark alone, but no more than he opened the door, she was back with the mare. His tension eased a tiny bit as he stood aside so she could lead Gypsy through. Her soft voice flowed with each step, keeping the horse calm, maintaining the trust she’d earned.
Maybe he should try that with her.
By the time he’d secured the sliding door once more, the mustang was in her stall, and Brittany stepped back out. She cast him a smile, quick and nervous, before looking back at the horse. Something was definitely not right.
His first instinct was to charge in and demand answers, but right now, her jitters reminded him of the mustang. She hated being told what to do—a result of her father’s controlling influence in her life, no doubt. Direct confrontation would only get her hackles up like back in the parking lot, and he’d be no further ahead than he was now.
No, it’d be better if she came to him on her own. He needed her to trust him—wanted her to, yet the past hour clearly proved something still held her back. The level at which her reticence bothered him was downright frightening because it told him he cared too much.
And yet, he couldn’t help himself. Hadn’t really been able to help himself since the day he’d met her. Didn’t she realize he’d stand by her side and do anything to keep her safe?
Maybe not after the betrayal of her fiancé and her father. God, did he identify with how something that hit so deep could screw with a person and make them doubt just about everything about themselves and others.
Letting her know he understood could help him earn her trust, but he’d never spoken to anyone about his mother. Not even his father, who’d been dealing with his own heartbreak at the time. They’d both learned how to pretend they were fine, and over the years, avoiding the subject had been easiest for both of them.
Was this woman in front of him worth the risk of unearthing that buried anguish?
The resounding yes in his mind sent his pulse into overdrive.
Well, shit.
Joel stuffed his hands in his pockets and hunched his shoulders as he moved forward to stand beside her in the aisle. Letting out a silent sigh, he forced his shoulders to relax.
“Remember when you asked me if I was close with my mother?”
That got him another glance, surprised this time. “You said you weren’t.”
“I was eight when she left. She packed her bags, walked out the door, and got into some guy’s limo. My dad was at work. I begged her to stay, but she wouldn’t even look at me. The driver held me back until she shut her door, and I haven’t seen or heard from her since.”
From the corner of his eye, he saw her eyebrows raise, but kept his gaze trained on the mustang. After all the effort to keep his mother shut in the past, acknowledging her abandonment brought such an intense rush of pain, it was almost as if it’d happened yesterday instead of years ago.
A growing lump threatened to close off his throat, but he swallowed past it and drew in a deep breath to continue. “No calls. No cards. Nothing.”
“That really sucks.”
Her heartfelt declaration surprised a laugh out of him. Three little words, yet they held a wealth of understanding. “Yeah. It did.”
They both watched the mare move restlessly in her stall.
“She’s the reason you avoid relationships, isn’t she?”
For the first time in his life, he acknowledged that truth. To himself anyway.
“Why are you telling me this now?”
He ran a self-conscious hand through his hair, then rubbed the back of his neck. The move had played out so much better in his mind. Now he felt too exposed. He dropped his arm back to his side and shoved his hand in his pocket as he shrugged. “I want you to know you can trust me.”
He wasn’t facing her directly, but even at an angle, he saw a telltale sheen of tears well up in her eyes. Well, crap. He hadn’t meant to make her cry again.
Sh
e reached into her own pocket and withdrew a piece of paper. “I do trust you,” she said as she handed it over. When he began to unfold the wrinkled sheet, she reached up to dash away the moisture from her cheeks. “You’re going to read that and think I don’t, but I swear, I do. I just had to see he was okay first.”
He paused long enough to read uncertainty mixed with defiance in her eyes, then dropped his gaze to the paper. By the time he read the last word, emotions rolled through him like a freight train. Fury at the man who dared threaten her. Anger at her for keeping it from him. Terror over the possibility of him failing to protect her.
It all funneled straight toward her, and he barely stopped from crumpling the paper in his fist. To get a grip on his control, he carefully refolded the sheet along the creases. “When did you get this?”
“At the apartment.”
Her answer confirmed his suspicion. “You should’ve showed this to me right away.”
“I know, but—”
“You had to see your horse—I know.” He got that, damn it. It was part of what made her her. He just hated that she’d lied to him.
“I’m sorry, but you would’ve insisted on calling Aaron first.”
Anger rolled around for a second pass. “Damn straight I would have. I’m going to call him right now, and don’t even think of trying to talk me out of it. There could be fingerprints on here.”
“The envelope it was in is in my bag.”
“Great.” He did nothing to hide his sarcasm. “Thank you.”
He slipped the note into his back pocket and turned for the office to make the call because he’d left his phone in the truck. When she didn’t offer any defense, guilt spun him back around. She watched him silently, as if ready to take whatever recrimination he dished out. She didn’t back down when he strode forward, but one brief flicker of her lashes revealed her tenuous composure.
So damn vulnerable and not willing to admit it.
Joel pulled her into his arms and held her tight against his chest, never wanting to let go. “I’m sorry. I’m mad at him, not you. I want to catch this bastard.”
“I know.”
“Paelo will be fine,” he promised. “I won’t let anything happen to either one of you.”
Evidence of Trust Page 17