by B. J Daniels
Whatever had happened must have occurred there. But with so many people around...
He watched her walk up to the microphone. He could see her trying to pull herself together. She looked down at her notes. Even from a distance he thought he saw her hands trembling.
She laid her notes down on the podium and leaned toward the microphone. Her voice was clear and true as she looked up at the crowd gathered to hear her speak.
Hayes had admired her, but right now he was in awe of her courage and fortitude. He could practically see the determination in her shoulders, in her voice, in those amazing eyes of hers. She stood there and gave her speech with probably more spirit than she would have if something hadn’t happened before she’d stepped up to that microphone.
She was beautiful, a woman to be reckoned with, and Hayes knew he wasn’t the only man in the audience who thought so.
When she finished, she was met with applause and even a standing ovation.
She beamed, raising her chin into the air, her eyes bright. The look on her face filling him with fear.
If the man who’d attacked her was somewhere in that crowd watching her, McKenzie was letting him know she wasn’t scared of him and that she was far from defeated.
It was the kind of challenge that would only antagonize her attacker—and get her killed.
* * *
HAYES WAS WAITING for her as she descended the stairs behind the platform. She saw his expression and had to look away to keep from breaking down. He knew. How, she had no idea.
He took her arm without a word and led her toward the closest exit. She kept a smile on her face, nodding to people she knew. Hayes didn’t slow down until he had her out the door and almost to his rental car.
“What happened?” he asked the moment he had her safely in the passenger seat with him behind the wheel.
She reached up and unclipped her hair. It fell past her shoulders except for the part that had been whacked off. She put down the car’s visor mirror and got her first look at the damage that had been done.
Hayes let out a curse.
The savagery of the act more than the loss of the hair brought tears to her eyes. “It will grow back. It’s just hair.”
He let out another oath. “He’s telling you that he’s not done with you. He’s telling you—”
“I know what he’s telling me,” she snapped as she turned to face him. “It’s just hair. He won’t get that close to me again.”
Hayes pulled off his Stetson and raked a hand through his own hair as if he was too angry to speak.
“You can’t give him another chance at you,” he said after a moment. “Today? It was too dangerous. You need to cancel your appointments until the police find this guy.”
“What I need is a haircut.”
His expression softened as he met her gaze. He must have seen how close she was to tears and how badly she was fighting not to cry. “Where do you want me to take you?”
“A friend of mine owns a salon. I’m sure under the circumstances she will be able to squeeze me in.”
“After that, we need to talk,” he said as he started the car and pulled out of the lot, wondering if her attacker was watching them drive away.
* * *
HE PUT THE fistful of McKenzie Sheldon’s hair to his nose and smelled the sweet scent. She’d probably shampooed it this morning in the shower. He let himself imagine her standing under the warm spray for a moment. He would never see her like that, arms raised as she gently worked the shampoo into her long, blond hair.
Rubbing the hair between his fingers, he studied it in the light of the men’s room. It was hard to know the exact color. Pale summer sun, he thought. Too bad he couldn’t show the hair to someone who would know what to call it.
He would keep the hair. Maybe he would tie a ribbon around it. Not even an hour ago, it had been growing on her head. That thought stirred the need within. He ached with it and wasn’t sure how much longer he could go without fulfilling it.
Someone came into the men’s room. He put the hair into the pocket of his jacket, careful not to let any of it escape. He’d lost some of the strands on the stairs as it was. He didn’t want to lose any more.
The idea of cutting her hair hadn’t even crossed his mind until he’d grabbed hold of it as she’d started up those stairs. He’d wanted her to stumble. Maybe even fall. He had needed to know if she would recognize him when she saw him. The idea of her falling into his arms was just too mouthwatering to pass up.
He’d told himself that just touching her again would be enough. But then she’d gone behind that platform out of sight of the cowboy she’d come with, the same one, he suspected, who’d saved her at the grocery-store parking lot.
Seeing his chance, he’d grabbed her hair, felt its silky smoothness... He always had his scissors with him, sharpened to a lethal edge. When he’d grabbed her hair, felt it in the fingers of his right hand, his left had gone for the scissors.
At that moment, he’d wanted a piece of her—since that was all he was going to get until he could catch her alone.
Now, feeling better than he had since the night he’d failed, he left the bathroom one hand deep in the pocket of his jacket where he kept the scissors, the other gently caressing her hair. It was enough for today, he thought, anxious to get out of the building so he could be alone.
Soon, McKenzie Sheldon. Very soon and it will be more than your hair that I have my hands on.
* * *
“ARE YOU SURE you don’t want me to take your open house today?” Jennifer Robinson asked when McKenzie called the office.
“No, I can handle it, but thanks, Jennifer.” She wasn’t looking forward to the open house. Someone had tried to scare her yesterday.
Now she looked at her short curly hair in the mirror. Hayes had complimented her hairdo when she’d come out of the salon. “It looks good on you.”
She’d always hated her natural curly hair, brushing it straight every morning after her shower. It felt odd, the loss of weight she’d become used to. She raked her hand through the curls and told herself she liked it better short—a lie, one she told herself every time she remembered the sudden feel of her head being pulled back, then the sound of something sharp cutting through her long hair before her head snapped forward again.
It had happened so fast.
And could again, Hayes had reminded her. She knew he was angry with her for taking off yesterday without him with her—and for not hiding out. He didn’t want her hosting this open house today. He didn’t understand. She couldn’t hide. She refused to let this man take away everything she’d worked so hard for.
“At least come back to the ranch tonight,” Hayes had pleaded yesterday after the conference. “I can keep you safe there.”
She’d been scared and shaken enough that she’d agreed to go back up the canyon to Cardwell Ranch rather than return to her condo. Her evening had been so relaxing and enjoyable she’d never wanted to leave. Dana’s husband, Marshal Hud Savage, had cooked steaks outside on the grill and they’d all eaten on the wide porch to enjoy the beautiful night.
She’d been completely captivated by the Cardwells, especially Hayes. He had an easygoing way about him that appealed to her. It amazed her that she’d thought there was anything threatening about him. It was his eyes. She’d remembered them from the night of the attack. They had been comforting. Just like his words. You’re safe now.
Only she wasn’t.
She reminded herself of that as she drove from Big Sky into Bozeman, determined to get on with her life.
“At least let me take you to your open house,” he’d argued.
“You can’t be with me 24/7 and I refuse to hide under a rock. He’s trying to scare me.”
“Until he tries to abduct you again and kill you
. McKenzie, he knows who you are.”
His last words had sent an icy chill through her. He knows who you are.
But she didn’t know who he was. He could have been anyone in that crowd yesterday.
Angry with herself for letting her thoughts take that turn, she told herself she would put the attack behind her. Big words, she thought as she drove up in front of her condo and just sat there, engine running, surprised how hard it was to face going inside. She knew it was crazy. The attack hadn’t even happened here. And yet she had the crazy fear that he would be inside, waiting for her....
Getting out of her SUV, she gripped her keys as she made her way to the front door. She noticed her neighbor had already gone to work. A quiet had settled over the four units. She’d picked this condo because of all the pine trees and the creek that meandered past it.
Now, though, the thick pines made her nervous and the babbling stream quickly put her nerves on edge. She got the key into the lock and pushed open the door.
She wasn’t sure what she’d expected to find. Maybe the place ransacked. Everything looked exactly as she’d left it. She stepped in. An eerie silence settled around her. She’d always loved coming home. The condo had been decorated simply with light colors that made the rooms feel welcoming. She’d always felt at peace here.
Now, however, she opened her shoulder bag and took out the pepper spray she’d bought yesterday. Holding it, she moved quickly through the two-story condo, checking closets and bathrooms and even under beds until she was sure she was alone.
She was trembling more from fear than from the effort of searching the spacious condo. The fear made her angry with herself. She couldn’t keep living like this.
When her cell phone rang, she jumped. Stilling her heart, she took the call. It was her sister.
“How are you doing?” Shawna asked.
“Fine.” The lie seemed to catch in her throat. “Not as well as I’d hoped.”
“If you need company—”
“No, I’m keeping busy. I have an open house today.”
“Work as usual, huh? That’s my little sis. Well, if you need anything, you know to call.”
“I will. Thank you.”
As she hung up, she saw that Gus Thompson had left a message. She braced herself and played it.
“We need to talk. Call me.”
Just the sound of his voice made her stomach ache. What did he think they needed to talk about? And why was he so insistent? She still couldn’t believe he was the man who’d attacked her, but maybe she just didn’t want to. She’d worked with him for years. Surely she would have known he was dangerous, wouldn’t she?
McKenzie quickly showered and changed for her open house, determined not to let Gus or anyone else keep her from her work. She had a business to run. She had to go over everything she needed, afraid that as distracted as she was, she would forget something important. The open house needed to go off just right. This was a major sale for a contractor she liked working with, so she hoped to get an offer before the day was out.
Hurrying so she could get to the house early, she exited her front door and was just pulling the door closed after her when the man stepped out of the shadows.
* * *
HAYES SWUNG BY the restaurant site before heading to McKenzie’s open house. He wanted to see the traffic flow in the area and take another look around. The other day, he’d been distracted and determined they weren’t buying the space. But after talking to his brother Laramie, he’d tried to reach Austin. He’d been told that Austin was on a case and couldn’t be reached. He couldn’t help worrying about him.
He felt at loose ends. His attempt to talk McKenzie out of hosting the open house today had fallen on deaf ears. Did she really think that by pretending none of this was happening it would stop this bastard? All she had to do was look in the mirror to see just how close the man had gotten to her—again.
He’d been shocked last night after dinner when she’d told him about the open house, but he’d tried not to argue with her. He’d seen the way she could dig her heels in. Look at what had happened yesterday. Maybe his concern had put her in more danger. He was determined not to let that happen again.
“Can’t someone else host it?” he’d suggested.
“I could get someone else to do it, but...I can’t.” She’d shrugged as if it was hard to explain.
“I get it,” he’d said. “You’re like my brother Laramie. We’ve offered to help with the load, but...”
“He has it handled.”
“Yep, and he does a fine job of it. I noticed that you own your realty company.” She was young to have accomplished so much so quickly. He wondered if she’d had help and decided not. It was that tenacity about her that intrigued him. But also frustrated him because her determination not to let her attacker interfere with her life put her in danger.
“It was a lot of hard work, but when you want something badly enough...” Her voice had dropped off and he’d realized she was thinking about the man she’d fought off repeatedly the night of her attack. Neither would have given up. If Hayes hadn’t come out of the store when he had...
“What kind of open house is it?” he’d asked to derail her thoughts—and his own.
“A brand-new, state-of-the-art, spacious, three-thousand-square-foot executive home overlooking Bozeman with beautiful views of the Spanish Peaks.”
He’d laughed and she’d joined him. He was glad she could laugh at herself.
“I did sound like a Realtor, didn’t I?” She sighed. “Bad habit.”
“Let me guess. All restaurant-quality appliances and granite countertops in the massive kitchen. I had the flu recently and found myself watching some of those home shows on television. Talk about over the top.”
She’d nodded in agreement. “You do see a lot of...extravagance in some of the homes in this area, too. Gold faucets, heated driveways, dual master suites.”
“You love what you do,” he’d said as if he’d just seen it.
She’d smiled, tears in her eyes. “That’s why I can’t let him stop me.”
“Or me stop you,” he’d said, and she’d nodded before she’d leaned over and gently placed a kiss on his cheek.
Their eyes met and locked and for one breath-stealing moment he’d almost taken her in his arms, even though he knew he wanted a lot more than a kiss. Fortunately, or unfortunately, they’d been interrupted by the kids running in to say good-night as they headed to bed.
The moment had been lost, filling him with regret and relief at the same time. His life was in Houston. He reminded himself of that now.
Determined to get at least the barbecue joint settled, he called Jackson. Ford answered the phone. The five-year-old sounded so grown-up. Hayes tried to remember the last time he’d seen his nephew. It had been too long, that was for sure.
“Hey, kid,” he said. “What have you been up to?”
Ford was a chatterbox on the phone. Hayes listened to stories about sports, the trouble his nephew had gotten into and how they would be flying to Montana for his uncle Tag’s wedding to some girl before Ford launched into an excited story about the horse Dana had picked out for him to ride once he got to Montana.
Finally, Hayes had to ask if he could speak to the boy’s father.
Jackson came on the line.
“How much of that can I believe?” Hayes joked.
His brother laughed. “Ford’s into Texas tall tales I’m afraid, just like his uncles. What’s this I hear about Laramie supporting the Montana restaurant?”
“I talked to him last night. Tag’s convinced him. I have to admit, I’ve weakened, as well.”
“What about this future bride?”
Hayes could hear the concern in Jackson’s voice. He’d gotten burned badly. He didn’t want to se
e his brother Tag go through a divorce.
“She’s nice. I liked her. She’s got plenty of her own money, a good job, a nice house up on the mountain behind Big Sky. Clearly, they are crazy about each other.”
Jackson snorted. He knew crazy.
“I’m standing in front of the restaurant space right now. I think we should move ahead with this.”
Jackson sounded surprised. “What changed your mind?”
“I actually think it’s a good business decision. Also, I guess I want to do this for Tag.”
“Is everyone else in agreement?”
“Can’t reach Austin. Nothing new there.” But he figured Austin would go along with whatever was decided. He had little interest in the business, too involved in being a sheriff’s deputy and saving the world.
“As long as Tag’s new wife isn’t involved in the business in any way, I’m good with it,” Jackson said. “I still have time to meet her and see what I think before he can get the place open.”
No one was more cynical than Jackson.
“I think this is the right thing to do,” Hayes said, checking his watch. “I’ll tell the Realtor when I see her.”
* * *
GUS WAS GLAD he’d scared her. He took enjoyment in McKenzie’s shock and fear. How did she think he felt being interrogated by the police and suddenly out of a job?
“Gus.” She said his name on a frightened breath, her hand going to her chest as she stumbled back against her closed condo door.
He’d seen her lock it so he knew she wasn’t going to be able to get back inside away from him until he had his say. He closed the distance, forcing her up against the door, towering over her. She’d cut her hair. It surprised him. He’d always thought she liked it long. He wondered what had precipitated this? Out with the old, in with the new? Had she already replaced him at the agency?
“What do you want?” Her voice actually squeaked. Where was that ball-breaking woman he’d worked for the past six years?