Westin Family Ties

by Alice Sharpe

  Cody, shadowed by Bonnie, stared down over his brother’s shoulder. “What about the lug nuts?”

  “What about them?”

  “I’m telling you, that tire was tampered with.” He straightened up and walked to the workbench where he all but slammed down the wrench. “Someone loosened or removed the lug nuts. They probably left one or two still barely attached so they’d wiggle free as we drove.”

  “You don’t know that,” Adam said, as he stood up.

  “I know if the deer hadn’t caused us to swerve into the field, we would have lost that tire at the top of Crescent Pass when we took the first hard right, and that would have sent us off a damn cliff.”

  Adam wiped his hands on a grease rag and stared at the dirt-encrusted axle, which Bonnie was busy sniffing. “I agree the deer was a lucky break,” he said, glancing at Cody. “I’m just saying there’s no way to prove the lug nuts didn’t jiggle loose on their own. This truck hasn’t had new tires in a couple of years.”

  “I know. I thought of that. But I’m not buying it.”

  “Why don’t you call the sheriff? If someone fooled around with your truck, maybe someone else saw it.”

  “We were parked way down by the old church. Not many people hang around that place on a cold, miserable Thursday afternoon.”

  “So, you’re thinking one of the Banners?”

  “Or Dennis Garvey. He was sure staring hard at Cassie.”

  Adam shrugged. “I don’t think he’d try something like this. I really don’t think he wants to hurt anyone, let alone a woman with a baby.”

  “Yeah. I guess it’s stretching the imagination to think Cassie could have two killers after her.”

  “So, who are you thinking? The blond guy?”

  “That’s Robert. Maybe. He was jumpy today, but his family is falling apart around him. He’d probably know enough about cars to figure out the lug nut thing, and if he’s the one after Cassie, then he’s been out here before and knows about the roads. You can’t overlook his mother, either.”

  “The tall, classy-looking older woman? She hardly looks like the kind to dirty her hands with sabotage.”

  “Yeah, except she plays golf all the time. That’s a very fit lady. And she hates Cassie with a passion.”

  “How about the older guy?” Adam asked, leaning against the truck.

  “Gibbons, the family lawyer. Seems unlikely he’d get involved in something like this. That leaves the younger woman who is Donna Cooke, Robert’s sister. Cassie said Donna works at an auto shop with her husband.”

  “She looked strong enough to screw around with a lug wrench,” Adam said.

  “Yeah, she does, and really, she didn’t seem all that fond of Cassie, either, despite all her smiles. Plus, Cassie said Donna’s husband is missing, so maybe he’s in on this in some way.” Cody rubbed his eyes and sighed as he settled his backside against the truck and stared down at the cement floor.

  “You look like hell,” Adam said.

  Cody looked up at Adam. “It’s been a real long day.”

  “So, how’s it going?”

  “How’s what going?”

  Adam emitted a bark of laughter. “The reconciliation, you dope. You and Cass. Looming parenthood. Your marriage.”

  Cody rocked his open hand. “So-so.”

  “She seems as great as always.”

  “But different, too,” Cody said.

  “How so?”

  Cody shrugged, wishing now he hadn’t brought it up. Uncomfortable talking about his feelings, he thought about walking off—but wasn’t that what he’d been doing his whole friggin’ life?

  Adam said, “You know, Cody, I’ve always looked up to you. I mean, why not? You were the oldest. You had memories of Mom that Pierce and I didn’t have. You were there for us when Dad kind of retreated into being bitter. And don’t deny it—I know you’re the one who twisted Dad’s arm and got him to let me change the direction of the ranch, going organic and all natural. To me, in a lot of ways, you are the Open Sky.”

  Cody slid his brother a glance, speechless yet again.

  “And I know you paid a price for that,” Adam continued. “I know you had too much responsibility, and I always kind of figured that was why a woman like Cassie was so attractive to you. I mean not only is she drop-dead gorgeous, but she’s very capable. She needs you, but in a way she doesn’t, because she’s always been able to take care of herself.”

  “And now things are way out of her control,” Cody mumbled.

  “Yeah, they are.”

  “And if she’d just told me she was pregnant instead of running away I would have coped, and she would never have met these people and none of this would be happening.”

  “That’s a lot of ifs,” Adam said after a minute.

  “Hell, I know. Cassie came back to me only because she was afraid after the explosion,” Cody admitted. “Our deal was she stay until she was safe, until the baby was born. Then we’d renegotiate the future. Lately it seems we’ve been a little closer.”

  “So tell me the truth. Are you glad she’s back?”

  “Yes and no,” Cody said with another darted glance. “I love her, you know that.”

  “But?”

  “But I don’t know if it’s enough.”

  “And the baby?”

  He sighed deeply, staring into the dark corners of the barn. “That’s the bottom line, isn’t it? The baby. The baby takes away all the options, all the choices. Along with your kids and Pierce’s, he or she will be the future of the Open Sky. So, there’s really nothing more to say, is there?”

  The silence stretched between them for over a minute before Adam clapped him on the shoulder. “You’ve always been the strong, silent type, big brother. Come on, I’ll treat you to a beer. After all this emoting, you must need one.”

  “Yeah,” Cody said, but damned if he didn’t feel a little lighter on his feet.

  UNCLE PETE HAD WALKED with Cassie out to call the guys in for dinner. He’d become distracted before the barn, though, and had sent her on ahead.

  So, she’d been alone when she heard Cody and Adam talking, and she’d paused, caught like a bug in a spider’s web—not wanting to hear, unable to move away.

  And heard everything.

  As their voices stopped, she stepped outside the barn. Pete was tinkering with the snowcat, a fully tracked vehicle with an enclosed cab. She’d mentioned they wanted to use it to go after a Christmas tree. Engrossed in his task, he didn’t even look up at her.

  By the time Bonnie raced out of the barn and circled her legs, followed closely by Cody and Adam, Cassie had arranged it so it seemed she was just arriving.

  “Pauline says dinner is ready,” she mumbled, amazed at how ordinary her voice sounded when inside it felt like parts of her were beginning to seize, like neglected machinery in an abandoned factory.

  “Did you come out here alone?” Cody asked, his gaze darting into the black yard.

  “Uncle Pete is over by the snowcat,” she said. Pete looked up and called out that he’d come inside in a few minutes. He was standing under an overhead light that illuminated the falling snow. It appeared to have tapered off.

  Cody reached for Cassie’s hand. With Adam on his other side and the dog circling them, they walked back to the house.

  Although Cassie knew the two men were talking about the herd up at the Hayfork pasture, she didn’t hear any details. Her head was filled with the echo of Cody’s words: The baby takes away all the options, all the choices.

  She’d been right to worry about trapping him.

  Now what?

  Chapter Eleven

  Pleading a headache, Cassie went to bed early. She told Cody she was too uncomfortable to sleep with another person—would he mind going back to the other room for the night? He’d agreed, although his expression had revealed confusion.

  Nothing she could do about that. Frankly, nothing she wanted to do about it. She needed time to herself, and right now even lo
oking at him made her miserable.

  Another week or two and she really wouldn’t be able to travel. If she was going to leave, this was it.

  She started digging through her closet, looking for things that would fit now and after the baby came. Loose jumpers were about her only choices for now, but she added a couple pairs of jeans and a few sweaters to the stack on the bed for later.

  She was buried in the closet going through her shoes when a knock on the door was followed by the creak of it opening and then Cody’s voice. “I see your light is on.”

  She turned quickly into the room with two pairs of boots in her hands.

  He looked from the pile of clothing to the shoes to her eyes. “Cass?”

  “I need to get rid of some things,” she said, wishing she had the courage to tell him what she’d heard and what she was really thinking. But what was the point? What could he say?

  “I thought you had a headache.”

  “I do have a headache,” she snapped. “But people don’t just quit doing everything because their head hurts. I’m cleaning out my closet.”

  He looked taken aback by the strident tone of her voice. “Okay. Well, can I help?” He gestured at the bed. “If you want these things stored or something I’ll go get a box and move them for you.”

  “Those are the things I’m keeping,” she said. “And, no, I don’t want help.”

  He took a step back as though her words had actually shoved him. Well hadn’t she felt the same way out in that barn?

  “Did you search your things again for the jewelry? Do you want an extra pair of eyes?”

  “I looked. There’s nothing. You know that and I know that. Those people are playing some kind of game and I’m the fall guy.”

  “I agree. Well, I also wanted you to know everyone is on for the Christmas tree cutting tomorrow. Do you still want to go?”

  “Why wouldn’t I want to go?” she said, although the truth was she’d forgotten all about it. It was just a Christmas tree, though. So what? What did it matter?

  She dropped one of the boots.

  How could a tree make any difference?

  But it did.

  Cody was there in a flash, picking up the boot and handing it to her. “Are you sure you’re all right?”

  “Do me a favor,” she said, as she tucked the boot under her arm. “Leave me alone for a while. I’m just frazzled after what happened tonight. I’ll see you in the morning, okay?”

  “Okay,” he said, his gorgeous dark eyes looking directly into hers. The next thing she knew he’d lowered his head until his lips touched hers and as always, they were molten, they were soft and they made her burn inside.

  Unfair tactics! How could he kiss her like that after telling his brother she’d trapped him, she’d taken away his options, she’d ruined his life!

  “Good night,” he said, and closed the door behind him.

  She stood there for a long time, staring at the door while her mind raced though scenarios.

  Pack a bag, sneak away into the dark. Leave a note explaining. No, she could not do that to him again.

  Go after him. Tell him what she’d overheard. What could he say? She’d misunderstood? No way. The truth? He was making the best of it. What else could she ask of him?

  Tell Cody it was too dangerous on this ranch and she needed to go somewhere else to have her baby. He would agree and then he would insist on going with her, which would solve nothing.

  Or she could stay here. She could go cut a Christmas tree and make the best of things and have her baby if no one managed to kill her first, and then, when she was stronger and out of danger—leave. Openly and up front. Like an adult. Get a job in Woodwind where Cody would have access to his child. Where her baby could know his or her father. People made these kind of arrangements every single day and she could, too.

  Boots spilled from her hands as she sat down on the bed. Would this ever be over?

  CODY HELPED CASSIE INTO the passenger seat of the snowcat. It was a small two-seater, used mainly for moving snow around and transporting people to and from the airstrip during winter months. It wasn’t that practical for a ranch but it was something his father had run across a few years earlier, and there was no doubt it came in handy on occasion.

  Like this. Echo and Adam were each taking snowmobiles. He’d drive the snowcat with Cassie, and they could tie the tree to the back of it for the return trip. He had no plans to go far into the mountains—for one thing, the vehicle wasn’t great in very steep conditions. They’d go far enough to give the illusion of a journey. He carried a shotgun, and Adam was armed with a rifle in a scabbard. Still, part of him thought the whole idea was risky and frivolous.

  But there was no way he was going to disappoint Cassie. She had acted odd the night before and she was acting strange now. Very quiet. Did women get that way right before giving birth? He would watch her like a hawk.

  “Where’s Sally and her veterinarian?” he asked.

  “They’re not coming until later, if at all,” Cassie said. “Ethan had emergency surgery on a kitten who ate a thread. Wound up around its intestines. He’s not sure when or even if he can get here. She’s waiting for him at the house.”

  “Well, since everyone else is at the Garvey sentencing trial, that’s probably a good idea,” Cody said.

  “Why didn’t Adam and Echo go to the sentencing?”

  “Adam said they don’t want to inflame Dennis anymore than he already is. Despite everything, I think they have a soft spot for that kid.” He started the engine and they took off, him doing what he could to make the trip as smooth as possible.

  But she turned to look out her window and barely spoke. Why?

  They came across Adam and Echo a half hour later, parked next to a stand of small to medium Noble fir trees growing on the edge of the forest. He stopped the snowcat and went around to help Cassie out. She immediately sank into the snow. Snowshoes were out for her this year, so she agreed to stay at the cat and point out which tree she wanted. Adam and Cody would cut it down while Bonnie supervised.

  “TIMES SUCH AS THESE,” Echo said, as she poured hot chocolate into two mugs, “I rather enjoy being thought of as delicate.” She handed Cassie a mug and grinned.

  They were seated on the back of the cat. The men were taking turns hacking at the trunk of a fourteen-foot tree a hundred yards away.

  Cassie took a sip of the rich, hot liquid. “I’m sick of being delicate,” she said.

  “I bet you can’t wait to get back on a horse. Cody told me you’re a wonderful horsewoman.”

  “I heard you won over Bagels,” Cassie said, referring to the feisty gelding everyone had learned to have great respect for. “That’s quite an accomplishment.”

  “We’re buds now,” Echo said. “Although he did try to more or less kill me the first time I rode him.”

  “Which is when you first got here and met Adam,” Cassie said. “We haven’t even talked about your wedding.”

  “That’s because it’s going to be a very small affair. Mostly family, a few old friends, you know. Pierce said he and Analise want to get married at the same time we do, so it’ll be a double ceremony. We’re aiming for after Thanksgiving and before Christmas.”

  “But Analise is a princess! Doesn’t that require a lot of people and at least a little pomp and ceremony?”

  “They’re going to return to Chatioux in the spring and have a regulation royal wedding then,” Echo said. “Right now, what with her father just having passed away, the country is in mourning and it’s not appropriate. Next spring, after calving season, we’ll all go to Chatioux for the wedding. Won’t that be fun?”

  Cassie nodded, although there was a stinging sensation behind her nose.

  “How about you guys? You have a baby coming. Have you started decorating a nursery?”

  “Not really,” Cassie said. “But we’ve discussed using the small bedroom down the hall. Cody has been staying in it lately…?.”

  Ech
o tilted her head and regarded Cassie closely. “Can I ask you a question?”

  “Of course.”

  “You’re kind of different today. Are you feeling all right?”

  “Different? How do you mean?”

  She shrugged. “Quiet, maybe? Like you’ve made some kind of decision. I was hoping it was that you’re glad to be home and plan on staying. I’m looking forward to getting to know you better.”

  Cassie had no idea she was so transparent. Did Cody sense a change in her, too? She studied Echo for a few moments, wishing she could bare her soul to this woman who would soon be like a sister—well, not if Cassie left. They wouldn’t be like sisters then, because Cassie would be gone. The enormity of what she had to lose struck her like a sledgehammer.

  “Cassie?”

  “Tell me about Princess Analise.”

  Echo brushed her short dark hair away from her face. “Okay. Let’s see. I met her late in the summer when she and Pierce came home for a while, right after her father died and her brother was coronated. She’s very nice. Pierce calls her Snow White, which gives you an indication of what she looks like and how laid back she is. She likes to just be called Analise.”

  “I figured she had to be pretty down to earth if Pierce fell for her.”

  “She is. You’ll like her.” Echo was quiet for a second, then smiled. “Are you avoiding my question, Cassie?”

  Cassie took a deep, cold breath. “Has anyone ever tried to kill you, Echo?”

  “Not the way someone is going after you,” Echo said, her dark eyes serious.

  “I think it’s getting to me. I’m really beginning to think it’s all tied into the dead guy they found in the river.”

  “Adam told me about that. Have they identified him yet?”

  “I checked again this morning. They still don’t have a name but they did say he has several tattoos of snakes.”

  “Snakes? Really? Well, someone should recognize that, right?”

  “I was wondering if Donna’s husband has snake tattoos. He went missing about the right time. I’m not sure how to ask her.”