by Aimée Thurlo
She’d only meant it as a playful, subtle challenge, but when he didn’t look away, she felt a stirring inside her, a yearning for what simply wasn’t meant to be.
“Another beer?” she asked, going to the fridge just to put some distance between them.
“No, I’m good.”
By the time she joined him at the table, she felt more in control. “You clearly know your way around women, Preston, and when you want company it’s a safe bet that there’s no shortage of volunteers. But I think you should know that I can’t handle casual flings. I’m just not built that way,” she said as they finished eating.
He leaned forward and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
He never said a word, yet that one fleeting touch sent shock waves all through her. She stood and took their plates to the sink. More than anything, she wished she could jump back into his arms and kiss him again. She’d almost forgotten what it was like to feel desired and so deliciously and powerfully feminine.
As she gazed out her kitchen window at the barn, she took a deep breath, composing herself. She had to stay focused on the ranch and keep the terrible thing that had happened from harming it.
“Carl’s death was a devastating blow, but now the ranch is becoming a target, too. I realize that tagging and those dumb emails are just minor annoyances in comparison to what’s already happened, but when is this going to stop?”
“Wait—what emails?”
“It’s nothing, just nuisance letters.”
“Show me what you’re talking about.”
“They started showing up in my inbox a few hours after we found Carl’s body. I’ve deleted most of them, but by now there’s bound to be some more there.”
“Let me take a look.”
She walked to the hallway, then stopped and glanced back at him. “I don’t have a laptop, so we’ll have to go into my home office. That’s where I keep my personal PC.”
“The part of your house you don’t like people to see,” he said with a nod. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep your secrets.” His slow smile was full of mischief. “Let’s see...you’re a hoarder? You have a collection of overdue library books stacked ceiling high. They’re in rows, with just a narrow aisle in the middle.”
She laughed. “You’re a bonehead.”
“A what?”
“Forget it. Follow me,” she said. Although she knew Preston was just trying to set her at ease, she wished she hadn’t had to bring him back here. He knew too much about her already.
Abby stepped inside her home office and went directly to her desk. As she sat down, she saw him still standing at the door and gaping at the room.
“Well, say something.”
“I’ve never seen so much pink in my life.”
She saw his gaze drop to the area rug. It was nearly room size and hot pink with pale pink flowers. As he took a few more steps into the room, he looked at the daybed. It was covered with a pale pink throw. The end tables were white and held glass lamps etched with pink roses.
“It was just for me, so I decorated in a way that would remind me that—” She stopped talking and glanced away.
“I know,” he said in a surprisingly gentle voice. “Sometimes we need a reminder that we’re more than the person we let the world see.”
“Yes, exactly.” Putting things together and seeing the bigger picture was what he did as a detective, but knowing how easily he could read her was a surprise. “Everyone sees me as a tomboy, always in jeans and, more often than not, covered in hay. But part of me likes girly things—like pink.” She shrugged. “That’s the side no one sees. Do you have a hidden side, too?”
He nodded but didn’t elaborate. “Your computer?” he said, getting back to business.
She typed in several commands, then waved toward the screen. “There you go. That’s a new email but it’s just like the others.”
“How many have you received so far?” he asked.
“Six, maybe eight. I haven’t really kept count.”
“All by the same sender?” he asked.
“Yeah, ‘Crazyman.’ He’s insisting that I close the ranch before a kid’s murdered.” She shuddered. “Listen to this one.”
Preston leaned over her shoulder as she read Crazyman’s latest email out loud.
“‘In prison Sinclair was known as Shadowman because no one, not even the law, knew much about his past. His secrets will now haunt you and your ranch. Shut down and get out before someone else dies.’”
Abby swallowed hard. “And look at the top. He sent a copy to the local TV channel. He’s trying to destroy this ranch and bury it under a ton of bad publicity, but why?”
“What he doesn’t realize is that he’s just given us a new lead. Crazyman knows something about Carl Sinclair’s past that we didn’t—until now. I’m going to do whatever’s necessary to find him, but to track him down I’ll need a copy of your files.”
“No problem. I’ll get what you need,” she said, reaching for a flash drive. “I hope you catch this creep. I don’t care who he is. No one’s running me out of here.”
“Leaving wouldn’t be such a bad idea, Abby, at least temporarily. Take yourself out of danger until we can close this case.”
“Do you think I’m not tempted?” She blinked back tears of frustration. “But if I do I’m just another person who can’t walk her talk. I tell the kids to hang on and never give up, to believe that things will get better. Yet if I can’t stand my ground now, who am I to speak to them of courage? I’ll be admitting that fear has the power to derail everything in its path.”
Silence stretched out between them.
“That’s a good reason to stay,” he said at last. “Navajos believe that good is necessary to keep evil in check. As a detective, that’s what I try to do—restore the balance. You’re doing that, too, by standing up to someone who’s trying to bully you.”
“It’s not an easy choice but I have to make my stand here.”
“Then I’ll fight beside you,” he said. “But think hard about getting surveillance cameras—not for the long run, just for now. They can be hidden from view, or disguised, so no one except you would have to know they’re there.”
“That all sounds expensive, and our budget’s already strained to the limit. Do you know anyone who might be willing to donate the service, maybe as a tax write-off?”
“As a matter of fact, I do. How about Level One Security?”
Her eyes grew wide. “They’re one of the top companies in the state. They even protect government buildings. Do you think there’s a chance I could talk them into it?”
“Oh yeah. I know the owner. He’s overbearing and a pain in the butt, but deep down—I mean really deep down—he’s a great guy,” he said and grinned. “Daniel Hawk, the owner, is my brother, and another brother of mine and his wife are his partners.”
“Great! Then I have the inside track. Can we gang up on Daniel?”
He laughed. “That’s the spirit. I’ll try to bring him over tomorrow. Okay?”
“Absolutely...and thanks.”
“See that? I’m not so bad, even if I’m not wild about pink.”
“You’re wild enough at the right times.” She’d meant it as a mischievous compliment, but his response took her breath away. His eyes darkened instantly and the storm raging there made her weak at the knees.
“I have to get back to the station. I want to drop the flash drive off at the lab so the tech can
work on it. He keeps odd hours and I’m betting he’s still there.”
She led the way back up the hall to the front of the house. “My life here at the ranch has never been easy, but there’s no place I’d rather be—even now,” she said, standing by the front door.
“Dedication is almost a bad word these days, but not in my book. Nothing worthwhile ever comes easy, Abby.” He lingered a moment longer. “But fight the right battles.”
His gentleness soothed her even as it made her yearn for more. Yet that side of him vanished the instant he stepped outside.
Preston took in the area with the cold, practiced eye of a cop. “Trust no one, Abby.”
“Except you?”
He held her gaze and brushed his roughened palm against the side of her face. “No, not even me.”
Chapter Twelve
Preston had gotten practically no sleep last night because he kept thinking about Abby. She was in danger. Every instinct he’d developed over the years as a cop assured him of that.
More than ever, he needed to keep things strictly professional with her. Yet every time he closed his eyes he remembered how soft she’d felt against him and how good she’d tasted.
He glanced at the clock on his nightstand. It was five-thirty. With a curse, he tossed aside the covers and stood. Naked, he parted the curtains and gazed into the woods area behind his house.
He liked being a bachelor and the freedom that came with it. The only neighbors he had here were the wildlife. After several break-ins at his old apartment, he’d purposely bought a place that was hard to find. Here, if someone came after him, he wouldn’t endanger anyone else. A cop made enemies. That was just the way it was.
It was also another reason why he had to keep his hands off Abby. She deserved more than he could offer. She was a woman who played for keeps and he wasn’t the type to make commitments.
As a homicide cop he faced danger every day. He enjoyed the challenges and risks that came with the job, but some things—like love—were just too big a gamble.
Trusting in those kinds of relationships went against what life had taught him. Everything had two sides, including love. It could satisfy and fulfill for a while, but it also had the power to destroy whatever it touched.
But there was something about Abby that made him want to take a chance. He’d never met anyone like her. Not many people outside his family understood his dedication to law enforcement. Abby not only knew where he was coming from, but she also had a passion of her own to pursue.
He licked his dry lips and for a moment could almost taste her there. He grew hard despite his attempt to hold on to common sense. What the heck was wrong with him? He knew plenty of women who’d be happy with whatever conditions he cared to set. Abby was off-limits.
He stepped into the shower, hoping to cool his blood, and soon discovered that the water heater had shut down sometime during the night. The water was ice cold. Maybe it was an omen. Cursing, he moved fast.
By the time he finished getting dressed, coffee was brewed, thanks to the timer set last night. Dark and strong, just the way he liked it. He took the cup to his desk and checked his work emails. He’d filed his report last night and asked the IT tech to track Abby’s emails ASAP. The guy had been working on it when Preston finally left the station. Though he hadn’t expected the results this early, the answer was already there in his inbox.
It was six-thirty now. That meant Daniel and Gene, both early risers, would be awake. Kyle, probably not. With a devilish grin, he telephoned Kyle first.
He heard his brother’s groggy voice as he answered the call. “What the—”
“It’s Preston. I need your special skills.”
“Dude, this early?” he growled. “My special skill right now is sleeping. Unless someone’s dying, can it wait till, say, nine?”
“No,” Preston said. “I need you to go to Señor Java, that coffee shop on West Central. Abby Langdon’s been receiving some threatening emails, and I just learned that they originated from that location. The sender used a fake email address and they were sent via Wi-Fi. That’s as far as our guys at the station could track it.”
“So, why don’t you go talk to the staff?”
“No can do. The owner hates cops and knows most of us, but she won’t know you. Since there’s no last name to connect us, you should be okay, but here’s the deal. If the owner finds out you’re working with us, she’ll bounce you right out on your butt.”
“She?” Kyle asked, sounding more interested now.
“Yeah, she. Jade Solis is one hot babe but hard as flint.”
“Just the way I like them,” Kyle said.
“Since when have you ever been choosy, bro?” Preston said with a laugh. “Just see if you can get me a lead. The last two emails were sent yesterday, one before 8:00 a.m. and the other after 6:00 p.m.”
“Like before and after an eight-to-five job. Got it. I’ll get what you need and check in with you later.”
“Watch yourself.”
“She have an in-house boyfriend?”
“Nah, but Jade won a national mixed martial arts competition last year. In high school, she was the only girl on the wrestling team. She doesn’t need anyone to back her up. She’s the entire package all by herself.”
“Glad I have health insurance,” he said, laughing. “Guess you’re gonna owe me one.”
“Just watch your step. I don’t want to have to bring you flowers at the hospital.”
“Nah, I’m a lover, not a fighter.”
Preston hung up and laughed out loud. He’d known this was the kind of assignment Kyle would never turn down.
Next, he called Daniel and explained what he needed. “Sitting Tall Ranch is in bad need of a good security system that includes hidden cameras. It’s a short-term thing and it’s got to be pro bono.”
“I’ve heard of Abby Langdon’s troubles and know what’s going on. I’ve got some surplus equipment just sitting on the shelf that I can configure for her, but first I’ll need to look at the layout of her place,” Daniel said.
“Don’t let anyone know what you’re doing. I have a strong suspicion that the perp works there in one capacity or another.”
“How soon do you want to move on this?” Daniel asked.
“I can meet you at Sitting Tall Ranch this morning and you can have a look around, but actually putting up cameras will have to wait till no one’s there.”
“Not a problem. I’ll have to check the cameras I have on hand and see which ones meet her needs. Each job requires something different, and I’ve got several models on hand. So how soon do you want to meet?” Daniel said.
“Thirty-five minutes?”
“We can be there in thirty. I’ll bring Gene with me. He stayed over last night. Had some business in town, then a flat tire and by then it was too late to drive back up to his ranch.”
“Not buying it, bro. Lori probably kicked his sorry butt out,” he joked, knowing from the difference in sound quality that Daniel had put him on speaker.
“Now you’re the expert on women?” Gene called out. “Dude, when’s the last time you dated a woman long enough to remember her last name?”
“No woman with a brain would put up with him,” Daniel said. “After a few hours listening to him talk shop, she’ll break out in tears, make up some excuse about her sick friend, then run for the door.”
“Nice. Okay, guys, time to go to work—you know, what real men do to earn a living.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Daniel said. “See you when we get there.”
* * *
AFTER BEING INTRODUCED to Daniel and Gene, Abby excused herself. “I’ve got to meet with Stan and crunch some numbers. It won’t take long. Walk around and make yourselves at home,” she said.
Preston accompanied Daniel, who was taking snapshots and jotting down notes. Gene had gone ahead to check on Big Red.
“She’ll need at least two cameras covering her home, two outside in the barn and bunkhouse area and a few special ones inside,” Daniel said. “They’ll have to work with infrared, too.”
As they finished the walk-through, Abby hurried up to them. “Sorry. I’m running behind this morning,” she said, “but I sure do appreciate you coming out, Daniel. Any help you can give me will be appreciated.”
“The way I see it, you’ll need several cameras in key places. Those will relay everything to an off-site location, and if anything looks odd or the system malfunctions the police will be called in immediately.”
“That sounds terrific, but I’m not sure it’s fair to you. Having people constantly monitoring cameras will run into serious money. Since it’s pro bono, maybe you could just put up a couple of cameras and record activity during off hours.”
Daniel shook his head. “My tactics are proactive. I don’t do things halfway,” he said. “You do excellent work and my company’s happy to help you out.”
Gene arrived just then. “Big Red loves his new home, Abby. Nice to know he’s in good hands,” he said, then glanced at his brother, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. “Dan’s always been slow to join the party, but I’m glad he’s found a way to contribute to Sitting Tall Ranch.”
Seeing Daniel’s eyes narrow as he glared at his brother, she smiled. “I’m very happy to accept whatever help you give us.” She fished a set of keys out of her jeans pocket and handed it to Daniel. “These will give you access to every lock on the ranch and to my house. Just return them when you’re done installing the cameras...or is that something you turn over to your staff?”
“Usually my people do this, but not this time.”
“Thanks so much, Daniel. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a few more animals waiting for breakfast and water troughs to top off. I’ll be back in five or ten minutes.”
“I’ll help out with the water. Be right back, guys,” Preston said, and he smiled at Abby as they walked away.