Covert Cootchie-Cootchie-Coo

by Ann Voss Peterson

  By the time he stepped out onto the porch, the cop had nearly reached the door. A woman with dark, thick hair walked beside him, taking in everything around her in quick glances.

  “Reed Tanner?” the man asked.

  “Yes.”

  “John Wise. Samantha Corely. We need to ask you a few questions.”

  “You’re cops?”

  “I am.” Wise flashed a badge. Not local. Something out of state, although Reed didn’t recognize the department. But that explained why the guy drove a rental car. “Ms. Corely works as a children’s advocate,” Wise added.

  Reed’s throat tightened. A children’s advocate? These people were definitely here about the baby.

  “As I understand it, you don’t live in this area any longer.”

  “Right. I moved about a year ago. To San Francisco.”

  The guy’s lips pressed together, and he nodded slightly, as if Reed had given the answer he expected. “And what brings you back?”

  The guy was good at hiding his thoughts, but Reed could still tell the question wasn’t an innocent one. He was fishing for information. Specifically, information that would incriminate Reed for something at which he could only guess. “I’m tying up some loose ends.”

  “Loose ends? Explain.”

  Crap. Probably not the best choice of words. He peered around out over the flat expanse of pasture and tried to organize his thoughts. The real-estate sign swung slightly in the breeze. “I’m putting my mother’s ranch on the market.”

  “You said you moved a year ago. It’s taken that long to decide to do this?”

  He could clear this up in a second by telling Wise about Esme, but that would only lead to the cop wanting to talk to her. And as painfully honest as Esme was, she would never lie to a police officer. Even if Reed wanted her to. She would tell Wise about the baby. The truth wouldn’t work, but maybe he could get the guy to back off another way. “My mother’s death was very traumatic. I’ve needed time to get used to the idea.”

  “I’m sorry for your loss.” The woman’s voice was low, her words heartfelt.

  Reed nodded his sincere thanks.

  The cop wasn’t so sympathetic. “I hear you and Honey Dawson had a relationship before you left Texas.”

  “We did.”

  “Were you aware that she gave birth to twins a few months ago?”

  He knew where Wise was going with this, and he might as well head him off at the pass. “And you’re wondering if they’re mine?”

  The cop arched his brows. “Are they?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “But you know about the babies.” It wasn’t a question. “Honey contacted you about them?”

  He paused. He wasn’t sure what to answer. Answering yes would only lead to more questions. Answering no would foster suspicion about how he’d learned about the twins. “I got a note from Honey.”

  The woman piped up. “You haven’t seen her? Talked to her?”

  “No.” It was an honest answer, but he could tell by the way they glanced at one another that they didn’t buy it.

  “What did the note say?” Wise asked.

  “That she had twins. I don’t remember the rest.”

  “I’ll bet.”

  “We have located one of the children,” the woman said.

  The girl? They’d found her? “Where is she? Where did you find her?”

  Wise’s brows arched. “How did you know the baby we’ve located is a girl?”

  They had him. He didn’t know how he was going to get out of this one.

  “Where is the other baby, Tanner?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “You don’t know, or you’re not telling?” Wise asked. Samantha Corely peered past him as if trying to see in the front window of the house.

  Damn. Damn. Damn. He was stuck. If they insisted on going in, looking around, what was he going to tell them? His only defense was a good offense. “How did you know I was in town?”

  “We talked to a friend of yours.”

  He narrowed his eyes. “A friend? What friend?”

  “Theodore Wexler, Jr. It seems the two of you had a reunion at his condo last night.”

  “A reunion? That’s what he called it?”

  “You did a number on his nose. And I can see he got a few licks in, too.”

  Reed resisted the urge to bring his hand to the bruise under his eye. “If you want to look at someone who could hurt Honey, Teddy Jr. would be a good place to start. Not here.”

  “Interesting. He said you might tell us that.”

  “Gee, if a Wexler said it, then you know it has to be true. What else did he say?”

  “He said the two of you talked about Honey and her babies last night at the party. He said that you went into a jealous rage.”

  Reed wished Josie was out here with him. She could give them a very different perspective on Teddy Jr., a perspective they’d be far more likely to listen to than anything he had to say. “I have no reason to be jealous.”

  “Really? That’s not what he said. He told us you’ve had it in for him ever since he beat you out for quarterback in high school.”

  He couldn’t deny it. Not that they’d believe him, whether he was telling the truth or not.

  “He said your animosity extends to his father, as well.”

  The judge. Of course they had to bring him up. No doubt he was the reason they were here, although Reed never realized his reach extended outside the state of Texas.

  “And his stepmother told us you visited her. She’s confirmed everything he said.”

  So much for his trying to make things easier on Portia. Josie would have a good I-told-you-so laugh over that. “So why are you here? To arrest me?” He knew he’d been taking a chance yesterday, asking the Wexlers uncomfortable questions. He’d underestimated how quickly they would act to shut him up. But that didn’t mean he would change anything he’d done.

  “We’d like to take a look inside the house.”

  “Get a warrant.”

  John Wise didn’t look surprised at his response. “You’re making yourself look guilty of everything Teddy Wexler, Jr. accused.”

  “You’ve given me no way around that.”

  “Just tell us the truth,” Samantha Corely said in that low, soothing voice. “Help us find Honey. Help us find her baby. Please.”

  He wanted to trust her, even though he knew that was the last thing he dared do. “I’m looking for Honey, too. That’s the real reason I’m here. I’m worried something has happened to her.”

  “Why? What prompted your worry?”

  He couldn’t tell them about the baby. But maybe he could tell them the rest. He had little other choice. “A few days ago, Honey came to my boat in San Francisco, but she left before I arrived. I haven’t been able to find any sign of her since.”

  “So you saw her a few days ago?” The cop’s voice was hard, not a bit understanding or soothing.

  Reed forced himself to look the man square in the eye. “No. I never saw her. I haven’t seen her since I left the Dallas area a year ago. I’m looking for her, too.”

  “So you were in San Francisco?”

  “Yes. I flew here two days ago.”

  “And you went nowhere else in between?”

  “No. I took a flight straight here.”

  “Can anyone confirm that?”

  He dug out his wallet, found his baggage-claim ticket and handed it to the cop. “I filed a report with the San Francisco police the day before I left, and I hired a private investigator to help look for Honey. She was with me on the flight.”

  “What’s her name? Can we talk to her?”

  “J. R. Dionne. But she’s not here at the moment. I can have her call you, if you give me a number.”

  John Wise narrowed his eyes, as if he sensed Reed wasn’t being totally straight. He thrust the baggage-claim ticket back into Reed’s hands. “If you’ve been looking for Honey, tell me what you’ve found?”

/>   “Judge Teddy Wexler thinks the babies are his. He says he wants to raise them. And he has lawyers looking for Honey.”

  The details didn’t seem to surprise either of them in the least. “Is there anyone else you can think of that might want to hurt Honey?”

  The creepy feeling again assaulted the back of Reed’s neck. “Neil Kinney.”

  Wise clenched his teeth, as if he’d heard the name before. “What is his involvement with Honey?”

  “One-sided. He started by peeping in her windows and following her everywhere she went. He moved on to rifling through her underwear drawer. He did time for burglary for that one.”

  “Where is he now?”

  “Here. He was following us yesterday. He drives a green pickup with a big dent in the hood.” Reed wasn’t sure if they believed his assessment of Kinney or just thought he was trying to deflect suspicion from himself. But he might as well give them the information he had. If they really were looking for Honey, he wanted to give them all the help he could. “Tell me one thing.”

  John Wise and Samantha Corely both focused intently on him, though again Wise took the lead. “What?”

  “The baby girl. Is she okay? Is she safe?”

  “Yes,” Samantha said. “And I can assure you, she’ll stay that way.”

  He looked down at the dirty gravel under his feet. He might or might not be the babies’ father, but either way, he’d never expected knowing that little girl was okay would mean so much. “Thanks.”

  DUST CURLED INTO THE air, kicked up by a car approaching on the gravel drive. Bobby Crabb frowned. Not Tanner’s rental. The client had told him the cowboy sailor and his chesty blonde were driving a small Ford. No, this was someone new leaving the ranch. A couple, judging by the silhouettes in the car. Tanner had had a visitor.

  Bobby put his foot back on the gas pedal of his black pickup and kept moving down the highway. Safer to let the car pass. After they were long gone, he could double back and take care of business. Three were definitely easier to control and eliminate than five.

  He pulled to the side of the road and watched the car in his rearview mirror. It stopped at the end of the drive, then swung out onto the highway and moved in the opposite direction. He did a cursory check of the rifle leaning against the seat next to him.

  This time he wouldn’t let Tanner or the babe get in his way. This time nothing would stop him. This time he was hunting on his own turf, and he was about to bag himself a hefty chunk of change.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Josie wanted to hug Reed. “So Troy’s sister. She’s all right.”

  A relieved smile played at the corners of his mouth, but his brow still furrowed with worry. “At least we know that.”

  Cracking open one side of the bay window once she’d settled the baby with his bottle, she had listened in on his conversation with John Wise and Samantha Corely. She knew she was taking a chance. Troy was happily devouring his bottle, but had he let out a random squeal or laugh, their presence might have been given away. She’d been lucky. Not only had he been a hungry little angel, but she’d been able to hear the good news. And witness Reed’s reaction.

  He’d said he wasn’t the family type, that he didn’t know what to do with babies, that he wouldn’t be a good father. But the way he’d asked after the baby girl…his reaction to the news that she was safe…The concern and deep relief she’d heard in his voice weren’t the reactions of a man who didn’t have the capacity or desire to be a daddy.

  She closed her eyes and pulled in a deep breath. She had to get a grip. She had to focus. Whether Reed was beginning to open up to the idea of fatherhood or not had nothing to do with her. And last night hadn’t changed that. What they’d had was sex. Nothing more. She needed to keep that at the forefront of her mind. She needed to focus on why she was here. “I want to talk to Tiffany Maylor. I don’t like the fact that we missed her last night. That party wasn’t big enough for her to not hear the commotion you and Teddy Jr. stirred up.”

  “You think she was avoiding us.”

  “Maybe.”

  “I know one place we’ll be sure to find her.”

  “Where?”

  “Practice. The cheerleaders aren’t allowed to miss practice. She’ll be there. And while we’re there, I can show you Texas Stadium.” His eyes seemed to twinkle like emeralds, as if the prospect was the most exciting of treats.

  Unfortunately, her mind skittered to a treat more delicious. A thought she pushed away. “Texas Stadium, huh? I’m supposed to jump up and down about that?”

  “You’re supposed to feel honored.”

  “Let me guess, you’re a big Cowboys fan.”

  “Everyone around here is a big Cowboys fan. It’s in the water.”

  “Like rivalries and fistfights and an overage of testosterone?”

  He grinned at her teasing. “Like smart-ass humor and great sex.”

  She tried to ignore the surge in temperature that rippled over her skin. “So this Dallas Cowboys fixation. Was it part of your attraction to Honey?” She knew the image of Honey’s perfect body in that uniform shouldn’t still bother her. She knew Honey wasn’t the one coming between her and Reed. But she couldn’t ignore the sliver of jealousy that was still logged under her skin.

  “I should find the number of personal questions you’ve been asking me lately disturbing.”

  “You don’t?”

  “I think I’m getting used to it. I think I might even be starting to like it.”

  The heat that enveloped her started to shimmer. This conversation was getting too hot for comfort. Too personal. Too intimate. She didn’t want to imagine sex with Reed. Even more, she didn’t want to imagine long, personal talks and intimate feelings. “You didn’t answer the question. Tell me about your attraction to Honey.” If that didn’t cool her down and put things back into perspective, Josie didn’t know what would.

  Reed tilted his head. “I suppose the DCC thing was part of my attraction to Honey. At least at first. I mean, every red-blooded male dreams of dating a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader. The reality is a little different.”

  “How so?” She let out a relieved breath. Better to discuss Honey than dwell on what she wanted there to be between them. Already, she could feel the sanity returning.

  “Do you know how hard those women work? How many practices they have? And training camp? I was impressed with Honey’s dedication, but truth was I didn’t see her much during the time we were dating. Looking back now, I’m not sure I knew her all that well.”

  “And you were busy, too. With your mother.”

  “Yeah. She took a lot of my time. Always did, not that she could help it.” Reed gave a wistful smile and shook his head. “So how about you? A Forty-niner fan?”

  “Green Bay Packers. The real America’s Team.”

  “Them’s fightin’ words, you know.”

  She gave him a smile. Light banter was easy. Effortless. And while her heart soared each time he confided something to her, she knew even the most trivial of details was pulling her bit by bit, word by word toward a cliff she couldn’t let herself tumble over.

  Troy spit out the nipple and made a face. She set the bottle on the bay windowsill and threw a burp cloth over her shoulder.

  Reed held out a hand. “Let me.”

  She nodded. Once he draped the cloth over his own shoulder, she handed him the baby.

  Reed positioned the baby and started patting his back like a pro.

  The sight gave Josie a pain deep in her chest. The pain and longing shuddered deeper than any bubbly warmth sex talk could generate. “You’re good at that, you know.”

  “I had a good teacher.”

  “You’re a natural.”

  “Thanks. Coming from you, that means a lot.” His eyes locked on hers, the irises the darkest and most pure shade of green she’d ever seen.

  She knew she should look away. Call to check what time Esme would arrive, get ready to talk to Tiffany, focus her mind on
other things. But she couldn’t. At that moment, Reed was all she could think about. Everything she needed. The only thing she couldn’t do without.

  And she no longer had to worry about falling over that cliff. She already had.

  Then a crack split the air, and the window exploded.

  “GET DOWN!” REED CROUCHED on the floor, pulling Josie down with him. A gunshot. His heart slammed against his rib cage. Shards of glass crunched under his knees. Troy writhed stiffly against his shoulder and let out a loud squawk.

  “The baby.” Josie’s voice trembled.

  Oh God. Reed held the baby away from his shoulder.

  He yowled. His fists flailed in the air. But despite the baby’s alarm, he appeared to be unharmed. “He’s okay. But we’ve got to get out of here.”

  “Do you have any weapons in this place? A shotgun? Anything?”

  He shook his head. Right before he’d left Texas, he’d given the shotgun to their last ranch hand. A parting gift. And since Josie hadn’t been able to bring her gun…

  He’d never felt so helpless. He pointed to his cell phone, still on the coffee table, where he’d left it last night. “Call 911.”

  “See if this works to keep him quiet.” Josie handed him the bottle. Leaving the baby in his hands, she crawled to the center of the living room on hands and knees.

  As Troy clamped down on the nipple, Reed shifted to the side of the bay window and strained to hear any sounds from outside. From this angle, he could see part of the corral fence and the whitewashed barn beyond. No sign of movement. Not that he could see. Only the tweet of birds singing caught his ear.

  He concentrated on slowing his breath, controlling the adrenaline that buzzed through him, forcing his mind to think. He needed to protect Josie and the baby. He needed to find a way out of this.

  Josie gave the dispatcher information in a low voice. She sounded so calm, so in control. Far from what he felt.

  What if something happened to Josie? To the baby? What if he couldn’t get them out of this mess?

  That was it. Get them out, away from the ranch. He had to do whatever it took to keep them safe.