“Are you going to tell me, or do I have to ask Cam to beat it out of you?” she teased.
“He would, too. Cam doesn’t like deceptions.”
“Neither do I.” Rhianna glanced at him curiously. “Just tell me already.”
“You won’t like it.”
She shrugged. “Life isn’t perfect.”
“Remember the day I came to Denver?” he began hesitantly, figuring that to start at the beginning would be best.
Her glance went to Allison. “How could I forget?”
“After we made love and I left…”
“And you didn’t call me…” she prompted.
“It was because we were so good together,” Rafe confessed finally.
She nodded and remained silent a moment, as if digesting what he’d just admitted, before drawing her mount to a halt. “You didn’t want to get involved.”
It was more than that, but he avoided her sharp gaze, dismounting on a rock outcropping, then helping her do the same. “I was determined to forget you.”
She and the baby swung into his arms. “It wasn’t easy?”
This time there was no avoiding the searching curiosity in her gaze. “It was impossible.”
“But you didn’t call or visit.”
“I thought, eventually, I could get you out of my mind.”
She cocked one delicately arched eyebrow. “Really?”
He plunged on boldly. “And then eight and a half months later Daniel called.”
“Then you came to Denver to help me. I already know this, Rafe.” She eyed him with a frown.
“What you don’t know is that Daniel offered to sell me Sweetness if I agreed to help you.”
“What!”
He knew Sweetness was her family’s hope for prosperity and financial freedom. The McCloud dream to start their own stable rested on that magnificent foal’s broad shoulders, in his elegant legs, in his proud carriage. Rafe’s agreement with Daniel would have taken the time Sweetness needed to grow and train and race, the time it would take to turn him into a champion.
“I didn’t accept his offer,” Rafe told her.
“But?” she prodded, folding her arms around the baby as if she already thought the child needed protection from him.
“Your father still believes I agreed to buy Sweetness.”
Her jaw dropped as she stared at Rafe, confusion and anger clouding her stormy eyes. “And why does my father think that? Maybe because it’s true?”
“He looked at the arrangement as a business deal,” he said softly, knowing he was hurting her and wishing he could have avoided it. “And he has his pride. He didn’t want to ask for help without offering repayment!”
Sensing the tension between the adults, Allison started to cry. Rafe reached for the baby, and Rhianna jerked back.
“Please, just leave us alone.”
“Daniel wouldn’t tell me how I could help you unless I misled him,” he told her, already suspecting how lame his excuse would sound to her.
“Do you have any idea what that foal means to my father?” She didn’t pause to give him a chance to answer. “All his life he’s worked for wealthy breeders, sometimes rising at three in the morning to doctor their sick animals, training them through freezing winters. Often the horses’ stables were warmer than our own home. Then I won the mare on the rodeo circuit. I thought we should sell her, but Dad insisted we keep her and save for a stud fee. It was sheer luck she went into heat that day at Duncan Phillips’s barn. My family could never have afforded Duncan’s stud fee, but we aren’t thieves. We may not be wealthy, but we don’t steal. And we don’t take from our friends when they are down.”
Rafe had heard enough. He wasn’t proud of misleading her father, but he wasn’t about to take all the blame, either. “Rhianna, listen to me. I’m guilty of a lot of things, but I don’t kick my friends when they are down. In my mind, the deal was off the moment I learned you were in real trouble.”
“So you say.”
“The horse never mattered. You were carrying my child. I owed you.”
“So you helped me out of obligation and duty?” Why did she make his motives sound so cold? “At first, yes.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah, at first, I’d say I felt I owed you.”
“Well, paying off the kidnapper cleared your debt to me. You and Dad can figure out what to do about Sweetness. You needn’t feel guilty, Rafe. I’ll get over my hurt. I forgive you.”
He had to give Rhianna credit, she might be upset, but she could see both sides. And he loved her for it. “When your father came to visit here after Allison’s birth, we made an arrangement.”
“He never said a word.”
“I asked him to let me tell you myself.”
“And what is the new deal?”
“We’re now partners on Sweetness.”
“Really?”
“Your dad thought it only fair that since we mortgaged the ranch to pay the ransom, that he’d give us a partnership in Sweetness in return. Your parents are moving to Highview. We’ll stable Sweetness here. We’ll train him together. Race him together.”
Rhianna looked at him, her face pale, her lips colorless. “That’s great, Rafe. Everything worked out just fine.”
He would have thought she’d be pleased about the new arrangement. He must have missed something, said something wrong. But what?
She walked away from him toward the grazing horses, leaving their food untouched. He glimpsed a tear glistening on one of her cheeks, and she angrily brushed it aside. She didn’t break into sobs, but hugged Allison, rocking her, standing straight and tall and staring at the horizon.
He followed her. “Rhianna, look. Maybe I didn’t explain things right.”
“You were honest. I’m not angry about Sweetness. You explained very clearly.”
Something sure as hell wasn’t clear. He had no idea why she’d turned so cold. He had no idea why she’d let loose that single tear. “Sharing Sweetness will remove the financial strain from your family.”
“It will,” she agreed.
“And when Sweetness wins the Derby, even half the winnings will be enough for Daniel to…” He paused when her features remained expressionless, except for her eyes, which could have been shards of green ice. “It’s not Sweetness that has you all lathered up and pulling at the bit like a runaway horse. What’s wrong?”
“This is the first chance we’ve had to really talk since Allison’s birth. I just wondered if you’re planning to share her with me like we’re sharing the horse?”
“We’ll work something out.”
Her eyes blazed with anger. “Like we worked out Allison’s last name on the birth certificate?”
So that’s what was eating at her. No longer buffaloed by her behavior, he hesitated to say more and make things worse. “Allison is my daughter.”
“You had no right to give her your name without discussing it with me first.”
If Rhianna had been remote before, she’d turned into a glacier now. And he had no idea how to bridge the distance she’d placed between them.
She seemed to take comfort in fussing over the baby, changing Allison’s diaper, rocking her, singing her a lullaby, ignoring him almost completely. They hadn’t exchanged two dozen words since they’d started back toward his house, the afternoon a disaster.
When Rafe heard several cows mooing, he was almost relieved to leave Rhianna and the baby to check. Sometimes cattle got trapped in a steep ravine or stepped in a hole, broke a leg and had to be put down. But he arrived to discover the cows simply appeared nervous.
Rafe couldn’t find a reason for the cows’ unsettled behavior, and returned to Rhianna, his senses on full alert. Over the years he’d learned that cattle could spook at nothing more than a cricket cheeping, but sometimes they sensed things humans couldn’t. “Keep your eyes open.”
“What’s wrong now?” Her voice might be a tad weary, but one arm curled protectively around Allison.
&n
bsp; “I’m not sure.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Rafe spotted a glint of glass, an object that didn’t belong in the next copse of trees. Further observation revealed a dark outline too regular to be natural, but the figure hid in the shadows, so he couldn’t make out if it was a man or another cow. But cows didn’t normally have shiny bits of glass that caught the light, and Rafe frowned with suspicion. “Wait here.”
He dug his heels into his mount, urged the horse into a gallop, trying to reach the copse of trees before the individual could escape. As Rafe approached, a man lowered his binoculars, doing nothing to hide the fact that he’d been spying on them. Dressed in jeans, a long-sleeved shirt and a battered hat, the stranger didn’t seem too surprised that Rafe had spotted him. He simply waited for him to dismount, then tipped his hat in greeting.
Rafe thought he knew all the regular Sutton hands, but this cowboy could have been hired on for the big roundup Tyler had planned. Rafe dismounted and approached, his hand outstretched. “I don’t believe we’ve met.”
“I’m Dagny Bitmeyer, sir.” The cowboy shook his hand, and Rafe noted a lack of calluses on the palm.
Rafe looked Dagny straight in the eye. “Were you spying on us?”
Dagny couldn’t hold his glance. “No, sir. I’m out here to bring in stray cattle.”
Suspecting the hand of lying, Rafe looked around. He didn’t see any cattle. Instead he spotted a brand on the man’s horse—a brand Rafe recognized as Judge Stuart’s.
Although he lived most of the year in Denver, Judge Stuart still ran a small operation directly east of the Sutton spread. It was likely Dagny could have bought his horse from the judge and then hired on with the Suttons, but Rafe thought it odd the man had tried to hide in the trees instead of riding on by with a friendly wave.
Rafe had discounted the judge as a suspect after he’d received a call from the kidnapper while the judge had been in the Sutton home. But the judge could have hired help, like Dagny Bitmeyer.
Thinking hard, Rafe rode back to Rhianna. “We need to pay Judge Stuart a visit.”
RHIANNA LOOKED AROUND Judge Stuart’s place distractedly. Her thoughts kept returning to her disappointing conversation with Rafe and how he’d decided to put his name on Allison’s birth certificate when he’d known her wishes. She’d hoped that over the past few weeks they’d grown closer. When Rafe relaxed with Allison in his arms, he looked the picture of the doting daddy, and she couldn’t doubt his love for his child.
He always treated Rhianna with courteous respect, never blaming her for the pregnancy, the kidnapping or the enormous debt his family had taken on to pay the mortgage. Sometimes their glances met and they shared a special moment over Allison’s baby noises. But then, as if remembering himself, Rafe withdrew.
He didn’t go out at night. No other women called the house. He seemed to live like a monk. And the sexual tension that had once simmered between them had disappeared—to be replaced by emptiness. Rafe never touched Rhianna, never cuddled or stole a kiss. His hands-off approach grated on her nerves. But she had too much pride to throw herself at him.
But spending all that time together had been like being a child with no money in one’s pockets, looking into a candy shop window and craving chocolate. Just because Rafe had withdrawn didn’t mean she didn’t ache to run her fingers through his dark hair, smooth away the frown lines on his handsome forehead, kiss him senseless.
Even after their argument over Allison’s last name, Rhianna could never stay angry with him for long. She simply liked him too much.
However, Rhianna wouldn’t make the same mistake twice. If Rafe wanted to claim her and Allison, he would have to say so—not just put his name on a birth certificate. Rhianna needed to hear the right words. All the kindness in the world just didn’t cut it.
So she welcomed the distraction of this trip to Judge Stuart’s ranch, while Rafe’s sister-in-law watched Allison. As Rafe pulled through the massive stone gates, Rhianna noted the manicured front lawn, the three-story columns and the wide front porch that reminded her of a massive government building, not a home.
Rhianna took in the marble fountain, the solitary statue overlooking the sculpted shrubbery and the ornate ironwork gilding the terrace. “This looks like it could be the governor’s mansion.”
“Years ago the judge ran for governor against my father and lost. He joked that he might not have won the election but he lived in more sumptuous quarters.”
Rafe drove under the covered drive to park, and a uniformed butler opened the front door. “The judge will see you in the library.”
Rhianna expected the library to have books, but unlike the floor-to-ceiling shelves of books at the senator’s, the walls sported huge windows that looked out onto elaborate gardens. Instead of a warm rug, the floor had cold tile; the wallpaper—gunmetal gray—sported contemporary art.
“Come in.” Judge Stuart sat beside a potbellied stove, but stood as they entered. “Can I offer you something to drink?”
Rafe shook the judge’s hand. “No thanks. We can’t stay long.”
The judge peered at Rhianna. “I trust you and the baby have recovered from the kidnapping?”
Rhianna spoke softly. “We’re fine, thanks.”
“That was a terrible thing. You wouldn’t believe the hard-core elements I deal with every day. The criminals are getting younger, the crimes more violent. I’m glad you’re safe and sound.”
Rafe stood with his hands behind his back, his fingers laced together. Rhianna took a seat by the fire, and the judge did the same.
“So to what do I owe this visit? Have you brought me next month’s payment early?”
“You’ll get that the day it’s due.” Rafe spun on his heel in front of the judge and faced him. “You know a man that goes by the name Dagny Bitmeyer?”
The judge folded his hands in his lap. “Maybe I do. Why?”
“He’s riding a horse with your brand. My brother hired him for the spring roundup.”
“So?”
“I caught him spying on us this afternoon.”
The judge narrowed his eyes. “Spying? Don’t you think that’s a little strong?”
“Dagny’s working for you?” Rhianna asked, wondering if this incident had anything at all to do with her stalker. Or was she seeing connections where none existed?
“I thought it prudent to watch my investment,” the judge admitted without the least bit of regret.
Had Dagny really been looking for cattle? Watching the Sutton operation for the judge while remaining on the Sutton payroll? Or had he been spying on Rafe and Rhianna?
Rafe found either choice despicable. “You don’t think we’ll make your payments?”
“I need that money for my reelection campaign. If I’d invested in the market, I’d check with my broker every day. If I’d invested in an apartment building, I’d make sure my tenants stayed employed. It makes sense to keep an eye on the roundup at the Sutton ranch. You miss a payment and I’ll be forced to start foreclosure proceedings.”
“Nothing in the papers we signed gives you the right to hire our employees to report to you.”
The judge threw his hands in the air as if he were the innocent party. “If you’re uncomfortable with my business practices, you’re free to pay off the balance of the mortgage, and we’ll go our separate ways.”
Rafe crossed his arms over his chest. “Dad told me you once offered to buy the Sutton ranch.”
“I did.” Judge Stuart shrugged. “I’ve made offers on almost every large ranch in the Highview area over the last twenty years. What of it?”
“You ever make an offer at the Stone place?” Rafe asked.
“He won’t sell. He says Janet would divorce him if he sold her daddy’s place.”
Rhianna noticed that the judge didn’t really answer Rafe’s question, but it was clear he’d spoken to Hal about it, maybe visited the property and knew about the cabin. She also wondered if the judge could have arranged
her kidnapping, then lent the Suttons the money to pay the ransom, hoping they couldn’t make the payments and that he could foreclose on the Sutton ranch. He certainly dealt with enough criminals in court to help him carry out any nasty scheme he dreamed up.
Could the wily judge have planned and carried out such a diabolical scheme?
Chapter Nine
Rafe and Rhianna shared another ride, this one more pleasant than the last. While Rhianna hadn’t mentioned the birth certificate again, he still felt guilty over it. But how could he not claim his daughter? With Allison’s future still unsettled between them, Rafe had tried to make their time on his ranch as pleasant as possible, but he sensed Rhianna’s patience with him was waning.
He had yet to dismount when one of the hands brought him a message. Rafe swung out of the saddle, helped Rhianna and the sleeping baby down from her horse, then unfolded the note.
“What is it?” Rhianna asked, her eyes a worried green.
“Karen, Judge Stuart’s ex-wife, called.”
“And?”
Rafe no longer considered keeping information from Rhianna. She had just as much right to know what was going on as he did. “I’m supposed to call her back.”
They walked to the house and put Allison in her crib, then Rafe returned the phone call, putting Karen on the speakerphone so Rhianna could listen in.
Karen spoke so quietly Rafe turned up the volume to hear her. “Remember when you asked me if any of my jewelry boxes were missing?” she asked.
“Yes?” Was one of them gone? Rafe’s heart pounded. Just recently, he’d begun to think Judge Stuart could be behind their troubles, but he couldn’t be sure when Duncan Phillips also made such a good suspect.
Still, Judge Stuart had been at the party and seen Rafe’s interest in Rhianna the night they’d conceived Allison. The judge could have guessed that Allison was Rafe’s daughter, and stalked Rhianna until she’d been forced to call Rafe for help. Once Rafe had learned the baby was his, Stuart could have arranged the kidnapping, the mortgage—but what was his ultimate goal? To foreclose on the Sutton ranch? The Suttons fully intended to make the payments. But if Rhianna’s stalker had sent those ashes in the Biddle and Baines jewelry box, it might be critical information that Stuart could have had one.
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