Tor held her tight and rolled her body under him. “Don’t you ever leave me with a note,” his hard tone demanded.
Her fingers brushed the hair hanging along his shoulders. “The woman you loved did that?”
He nodded. “I thought I loved her, but I didn’t. I wanted her and the job. I put the job first.
“My job has always come first. I can understand. It’s why I’ve avoided men.”
“For a relationship to work there has to be an equal give-and-take.” Tor frowned. “I didn’t give much.”
“I can’t make promises. Can’t we enjoy what we have and see what happens?”
“Chad and I will try to convince you to stay with us.”
She brought his head down to hers. “Make love to me. We’ll see how things go after you catch my killer.”
Tor thrust inside her and took her fast and hard. He wanted to clear her mind of her uncertainty. Still, no matter how he loved her, she was a strong woman. He had no reassurance she’d feel the same for them at the end.
Chapter Ten
Chad handed Tor a cup of coffee when he came in the kitchen. “From your smile, I gather last night went well.”
“You could have joined us.”
“No. The two of you had issues. It was a good time for you to deal with them. Where’s Amy?”
“She was still sleeping when I got up.” Tor had drained his cup. He walked to the coffeepot and refilled it.
“I called Kel,” Chad said. “He reminded me they have a man who does consulting work as a forensic artist. He works between Triple Creeks Township, Willow Junction, and several other towns. I got his number and called him. He has a ranch ten miles this side of Willow Junction. We went to high school at the same time. He was two years behind me, so I never got to know him well. He said he’d come by when he finishes his morning work.”
“You’ve been busy. You must agree with me that her memory of the young man wasn’t just a dream, but she did see him.”
“Yes. The artist’s name is Russell Elden.”
“I’ll go wake Amy.”
“Breakfast will be ready when you get back,” Chad said and pulled a skillet out of the lower cupboard.
Tor strode down the hall, but stopped outside his bedroom door and peeked in. Amy sat on the side of the bed. Her arms reached up and threw her hair back over her shoulders. His body reacted immediately to seeing her bare, creamy skin and her delicious breasts standing out.
He stepped inside the door and shut it behind him. “Good morning.”
She blushed and pulled the sheet around her. “I was going to my room as soon as I was more awake.”
“I’d say no rush, but Chad has arranged for the forensic artist to be here this morning. We’re hoping you can remember the young boy well enough for him to make a sketch.”
“What if my memory isn’t good and the picture leads to an innocent person being accused of something they didn’t do? With all the reporters on this case, the innocent person’s face would be in all the newspapers and on television.” She wrung her hands.
“Wait and see. Remember how I had you close your eyes. Then you remembered the ring on the man’s hand going down the courthouse stairwell. Stay calm and when he gets here he’ll have ways to help you recollect.”
She grabbed her nightgown from the floor. “I’m going to shower and dress.” She bit the edge of her lip. “I wish I hadn’t said anything.”
Tor walked back to the kitchen. “She’s upset.”
“After she eats we’ll take her outside for a walk. We’ll keep her busy until he arrives.”
* * * *
Russell Elden arrived as they were finishing their breakfast. Chad went to the door and let him in.
“You got here sooner than we expected. Won’t you have something to eat and coffee?”
“No food, but that coffee smells good. I finished early. My foreman will take care of the rest of the work while I’m gone.” He looked across the room to Amy. “I must admit my curiosity got aroused when you mentioned the case.”
He walked to Chad’s empty chair by Amy. “May I sit by you?”
Amy nodded. “You don’t look like a forensic artist.”
“What do they look like?”
“For one, they are usually policemen.”
“True, but the county needed someone to do the job, and after advertising for six months with no success, they came to me.”
“Why?”
“I’ve done pencil drawings all my life as a hobby. I draw people, animals, homes, barns, anything.”
“And you thought that qualified you?”
“No. I visited a forensic artist who works for the FBI. Kel arranged it through Chad. They taught me a lot and I took other training.”
“How long have you been doing this?”
“About five years.”
“You’re wasting your time with me. I had a nightmare. It’s morning and it’s all over. I might make a mistake.”
“Most people worry they’ll get an innocent person caught, but the police use it to narrow the field of suspects. There has to be other evidence. I don’t mind taking the time to work with you if you’re agreeable. If the drawing I come up with doesn’t look like the young man you remembered, I’ll rip it up.”
Amy studied him. He looked like a rancher in his jeans, cowboy shirt, and boots. He must be six feet tall or a little over, and his wide shoulders and muscled body indicated a life spent doing physical work. His apple-green eyes were in sharp contrast to his dark-brown hair.
“His hair fell over his forehead like yours does,” she mumbled the words before she thought.
“Good work. See you’ve already remembered an important clue.”
“Here’s your coffee. Tor and I are going out to the barn. Holler if you need us.”
Amy jerked her head up. “Are you both leaving?”
“You’ll be quite safe with Russell.”
“Call me Russ. Most folks do. Why don’t we go for a walk and talk before sitting down to work?”
“If you insist, but I still think I’m wasting your time.”
Chad took a straw hat off the hat rack and put it on her head. “It’s sunny out today and warm. I don’t want you to get your face sunburned.”
Tor grinned and waved as they left to go to the barn.
Russ poured out the last of his coffee. “Shall we go?”
Reluctantly, Amy followed him out. They walked along a dirt walkway by a line of large shade trees.
“Did you grow up in this area?” Amy asked.
“Born and raised. It’s good country and has good people, in general. We get a few locals and once in a while a tourist who will give us problems. But we’re lucky it isn’t many. Tell me what you remember right off about last night’s dream.”
Amy stopped walking and scuffed her foot against the dirt path. She stared across the open prairie behind the trees. Then she began to stroll beside Russ.
“I’d been thinking about the killer who’s looking for me and others involved with his dad’s trial. I got in bed and tried to clear my mind of those thoughts. I’m not sure when I dropped off to sleep, but I was back at the courthouse. It was only a day or two before the case went to the jury.” She glanced at Russ. “I thought it was going well.
“My sympathy went out to his wife. She came to the trial every day. And each day she looked more shaken and beat down. No one doubted her husband’s crimes were a complete surprise to her.”
“What time of day is it?” Russ asked.
“Late afternoon, the judge had stopped the trial for the night. Most of the people had left. I’m usually one of the last to leave. On that day, after gathering all my paperwork, I spoke briefly with the district attorney. He’d taken an interest in this case, but he let me do most of the work in and out of court.”
“Let’s turn around and go back inside. I want to be at my drawing board before we continue,” Russ said. “Chad said you are most comfortable in
his mother’s practice room. He was going to have my easel set up there.”
The house was cool and quiet. Amy did like the room where Chad’s mother had practiced her singing. She led Russ to it.
“A lovely, relaxing room,” Russ commented.
“Did you ever hear her sing?” Amy asked.
“Once she did a concert in Triple Creeks Township for the people in this area and the outlying towns. There wasn’t room for all the people who wanted to hear her, so her piano was set up in an open field and Chad played while she sang. I was seventeen and never forgot the music or her.”
“She had extraordinary talent. I also heard her perform, but in the city. From what I’ve heard she must have been almost as gifted with the piano as she was an opera singer.”
Russ sat in front of his easel. “I believe you’re trying to keep me off the subject of your dream.” He smiled and picked up a pencil. “What happened when you left the courtroom?”
Amy leaned back in the soft chair and closed her eyes. “My heels clacked loudly on the tile floor and echoed around me. The area had emptied of people, or so I thought. Then a young man stepped into the hallway from around a corner.”
“Did he frighten you?”
“No, but he did startle me. I guessed he was in his early teens.”
“How tall was he?”
Amy scrunched up her face trying to recall. “I had on my low-heeled shoes. I’m five feet eight inches. He must have been about three inches taller. His dad was a tall, slim man.” Her eyes popped open. “He looked like his dad, but he had dark-brown, almost black eyes like his mother. His father’s eyes were blue. The boy’s eyes stared at me full of hate.”
“Do you remember any special tattoos, markings, or earrings?”
“I didn’t look at him that long. He made me uncomfortable, and I was alone. I hurried to the elevator and punched the button, and then took out my phone to dial 911.”
“Where’s the young man?”
“When I turned back, he’d disappeared as quickly as he’d arrived. Can we stop for a few minutes?”
“We can, but the sooner I get all the information, the sooner I’ll be out of your way.”
Amy nodded and they worked on. Sometimes she talked and other times he asked questions to help trigger a memory.
Tor stuck his head in the doorway. “It’s time to stop and eat. Russ, will you join us? Chad’s cook arrived and made some super sandwiches and baked an apple pie.”
“My stomach was rumbling. I smelled the pie.” Russ put his pencil down. “We’ve made good progress. We’ll work a few more hours after lunch, and I think I’ll have enough to do an initial drawing.”
She’d been hoping he’d say he had finished for the day. But there was an urgency to get the drawing out to the media before the killer struck again, so she wouldn’t complain.
Chad’s cook busied herself around the kitchen while they ate. He stopped her at one point and introduced her to the rest of them.
“Mrs. Kestell is the best cook in Triple Dare County. I’m lucky to have her come in three days a week and cook and freeze meals for me.”
“I want the recipe for your pie,” Amy said. “My mom doesn’t cook much, but she does occasionally bake. She’d love to surprise her bridge club with a pie like this.”
“I’ll write it down for you, Ms. Gresham.”
“Please call me Amy, and thanks, I’d appreciate it.”
“Your mother knows where you are. Do you think she’s told the rest of the family?” Tor asked.
“No. She hates to mention her aunt, my great-aunt. When Aunt Janie moved here and married two men, my mother was mortified. She had to be pleasant to her until her mother died, and then she cut all ties as much as she could.” Amy grinned. “Aunt Janie calls anyway. I think just to annoy Mom.”
When they finished lunch, Russ pushed back his chair and stood. “I’m going to work on the information you’ve given me for an hour or so. Why don’t you relax?” he asked Amy. “We’ll get back together around three o’clock.”
Chad smiled. “We can get in a horseback ride in that time. Are you game? You need to keep riding a bit farther each day.”
“I’d love to. Is Tor going to join us?”
“I’m going to skip the ride today. I’ll check with my department in Pittsburgh and see what’s happening.”
* * * *
Chad helped her up on Carmela. “Do you think you’ll soon be ready for a feistier horse?”
Amy patted Carmela’s neck. “No, I like her relaxed speed. I wouldn’t disappoint her by choosing another mare.”
He shook his head and grinned.
“What?” Amy asked.
“Mom was the same way about her. Mom said they were slowing down together. Come on then. I have a special place to show you.”
Today, they rode farther. Amy enjoyed the soft breeze and the peacefulness. “I’m surprised I’m not pacing in my room, wanting to return to the city. This kind of peace and quiet can grow on you.”
“I’m glad to hear you say so. Look ahead to the right. See the large forest of trees. It’s the most trees in one spot on my whole ranch. My friends and I used to ride out and play. We’d pretend half of us were the good cowboys and half were bad men.”
“Which were you?” Amy asked as they got closer to the trees.
“Why the good guy, of course. After we’d got hot and sweaty we’d jump in the water where the creek forms a small swimming hole. When I got home I’d drag in, but dad still made me do my evening chores before dinner. Afterward I’d collapse in bed.”
“It sounds idyllic. A picture postcard of how growing up should be.”
“I was lucky, how about you?”
“I wasn’t deprived. Mom and Dad loved us in their own way, but they were busy. Dad had long hours at his work and Mom had her social life. Being the oldest, I became the surrogate mom to my younger siblings. Mom wasn’t there when they skinned their knees or one of the boys got in a fight.”
“Is that the reason marriage has little appeal to you? You’ve already done your mothering.”
Amy bent her head to the side and thought about what he’d said. “I suspect you may be right. And I’m not sure why my mother is so keen on grandchildren when she wasn’t that interested in mothering us. Perhaps I decided to stay single to annoy her. But no, the real reason is I’m very competitive, and I want to succeed as a lawyer.”
Chad stopped and helped her down. They took the horses to the water and waited while they drank. Then Chad tied them to a nearby tree.
“Take off your boots and put your feet in the cool water,” he told Amy. Then he walked to the side of the small swimming hole and after removing his boots, he slid his feet in.
She joined him. It was a comfortable silence. Birds fluttered through the trees and a hawk circled in the clear, blue sky. When Chad put his arm around her, she relaxed against his strong shoulder.
“My grandmother, Aunt Janie’s twin sister, once said to me, ‘There will be moments in your life that you’ll wish to hold onto. You won’t want the time to end and lose it. You don’t have to. Let the scene sink deep in your soul, and it is yours forever. Then when you hear a certain sound or see something that reminds you of the moment, for a second you’ll be there.’”
“You had a wise grandmother.”
“I did, and this is a moment I will let sink deep in my soul.” She looked at Chad, and he lowered his head and gently kissed her mouth. He picked her up and carried her to a grassy spot near their horses. After he let her feet slid to the ground, he got out a blanket from his saddle bag and spread it out. “My lady,” he said and waved his hand toward the covering.
Amy sat and he joined her. She enjoyed looking at him.
His handsome face showed his intrinsic strength of character. His gray eyes were lit with warmth and his sensuous mouth begged to be kissed. His firm jaw kept him from being too handsome.
Chad wound a curl of her hair around his fin
ger. “Your hair is an amazing color, and the texture is fine and soft.” Leaning toward her, he breathed in deep. “I like your scent.” He pulled her close and they lay side by side.
His lips brushed across her neck and her heart sped up. She put her arms around him and ran her hands over his back. His hard cock stirred against her abdomen.
A twig snapped and Chad raised his head. Moving slowly, he maneuvered to his horse’s side and drew his rifle out of its holder. He motioned to Amy to stay down.
The air had stilled and the only sound was the swish of their horse’s tails. Chad raised the rifle and yelled out.
“If someone is there, show yourself, or I’m going to shoot in the area where I heard your footsteps.”
They heard nothing but the rustle of leaves. He pulled back on the trigger and shot in the direction from where he’d heard the twig snap. Birds flew out of the trees, and the horses reared up on their hind legs and neighed.
“We’d better ride back to the house. If it was our guy, he’s lying low.” Chad helped her on her horse with one hand, keeping the rifle in the other. “We’ll ride fast, or as fast as Carmela will go.”
But whether it was the rifle shot or the sense of urgency Carmela felt from Amy, the mare kept up with Chad’s horse. At the barn, Tor joined them, and Chad explained what had happened.
“It was probably nothing and I overreacted.”
“Better to be safe. You got her home unharmed.”
“I’ve got to take care of the horses. We’ll talk more when I get through here.” Chad waved as Amy and Tor walked toward the house.
Inside the house, Tor cupped her face in his hands. “Are you all right?”
“Yes, and more determined than ever to help catch this killer so our lives can get back to normal.”
“Russ is ready for you if you are up to working some more.”
“I am. I’m determined to help stop this maniac,” she said and strode into the piano room.
Chapter Eleven
Treasured Temptation [Triple Dare County, South Dakota 4] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Polyromance) Page 9