by Rita Herron
Scarlet shrugged. “My coworker.”
“Is there a problem?”
“No.”
Silence fell thick for a minute. “You know we didn’t talk about old boyfriends,” Ray said quietly. “Is there someone in your past who would have cut your brake lines to get back at you for some reason? Someone other than Bobby?”
Scarlet’s face flushed. “There aren’t any old boyfriends, Ray.”
Another heartbeat of silence, and she shifted, wishing she’d worded her answer differently. She didn’t want Ray to see her as a total misfit. “Bobby hates me more than anyone. Although Lloyd Pullman has his reasons, too.”
“The deputy has a BOLO out for him,” Ray said. “Hopefully he’ll pick him up, and if he cut those lines, he’ll go to prison. Then you won’t have to worry about him anymore.”
No, but she’d still worry about his little girl until the child’s grandparents were granted custody. Children needed parents, even if they weren’t available all the time. They needed to feel loved.
Ray made a sound in his throat. “You know as much as I dislike Bobby, his argument made sense. Why would he sabotage us or the ranch before he learns what he inherited? Not only would he be hurting himself, but he’s risking jail when he stands to have a piece of Horseshoe Creek.”
Scarlet contemplated what he’d said. “That’s true. Although sometimes when Bobby’s drinking, he simply reacts instead of behaving rationally.”
“I can see that,” Ray agreed.
“How about other enemies Joe might have made? He was well-known in the ranching community.”
“True. And Maddox just arrested a cattle-rustling ring. We’re looking into some men associated with that.”
They reached her house, and he turned down the drive. Her head was throbbing now, the day’s events wearing on her. An image of her Wrangler diving into that brick building flashed back, and she shivered and reached for the door.
Ray caught her arm before she got out. “Are you sure you’re all right?”
“Yes. I’m just tired and I have a headache.”
Ray gently lifted her chin with his thumb and forced her to look into his eyes. Her heart fluttered again at the tender concern in his expression. “Call me if you need anything.”
His gruff voice made tears burn her eyes. For a moment, heat flared between them, and she felt suddenly drawn to Ray. He was more like Joe than he realized. Of course, Joe had been a father figure.
Ray was no father figure; at least not to her. He was...sexy. Strong. Protective. A tough cowboy who made her think of kisses on a long hot Wyoming night. Of touches that weren’t fatherly or brotherly, but titillating.
Her gaze zeroed in on his mouth, and she had the insane desire to kiss him.
He leaned forward, and she did the same, her body aching to be held, her lips craving the feel of his. His lingered near hers, his gaze darkening, as if he was torn.
His heavy sigh echoed in the air—a sigh filled with need, desire, hunger...doubt.
She should pull away. Stop this insanity before it got started.
But their lips touched, and Scarlet closed her eyes and lost herself in the moment.
* * *
HUNGER BOLTED THROUGH Ray as Scarlet’s lips touched his. God help him, he couldn’t resist.
He cupped her face in his hands and deepened the kiss, savoring the sweet taste of her desire. She lifted one hand to his shoulder, and he thought she was going to push him away. She should push him away, dammit.
But she stroked his arm instead as if she craved his warmth and strength, igniting his own need to protect and comfort her. She had been through hell today. She could have died in that accident.
And she was still in danger.
That realization brought reality crashing back. He had no business touching her. Kissing her. Wanting her.
His own father had considered her a daughter. Which made them what—almost half brother and half sister?
But they weren’t related, and he hadn’t grown up in the same house with her as an adopted sibling. She was nothing but a stranger.
Albeit a desirable, sexy one that was getting under his skin.
That realization made him pull away.
Passion lingered in Scarlet’s gaze, her lips were swollen from his kiss, her face flushed with passion. He dropped his hands to his sides and balled them into fists to keep from pulling her toward him again.
He couldn’t get involved with her. Maddox and Brett didn’t know about Barbara, much less her or Bobby.
No telling how they would react. It would be even worse if he slept with Scarlet.
Slept with her? Yeah, that was where this was going.
He had to put a stop to it before he crossed the line.
Chapter Eleven
Scarlet’s body tingled with need as Ray pulled away from her. Why had he stopped?
That kiss was...tender and erotic, and she wanted it to go on forever.
“I’m sorry, Scarlet.” Self-deprecation tinged his voice. “I shouldn’t have done that.”
Confusion washed over Scarlet, along with the feeling that she had done something wrong. Barbara’s crude accusation about cozying up with Ray to get something from him taunted her. “No, I’m sorry, Ray. I...didn’t mean to come on to you.”
Ray’s look darkened. “You didn’t. It was me. I...it’s just been a tense day.”
“Yes, it has been.” Although kissing him had soothed her anxiety and made her body hum with a different kind of tension. One that could bring them both pleasure.
“This thing between us is just...”
“Natural,” Scarlet said softly. At least it was for her. And she was not the kind of girl who slept around. She could think of maybe one other man who’d made her feel hot from just a look.
And that had ended disastrously.
So would this if she allowed it to continue.
He removed his black Stetson and scraped his hand through his hair. “I was going to say it’s complicated.”
Silence stretched between them thick and unsettling. “I know. I...”
“Feel like we’re almost family?” Ray asked.
Scarlet frowned. “No. You and I aren’t related, Ray.”
“Yeah, but my father thought of you as the daughter he never had.”
Scarlet didn’t know how to respond to that. “I understand that bothers you, but Joe had a big heart. The fact that Joe took me in and cared for me doesn’t diminish the love he had for you and your brothers.”
Ray released a weary breath. “Maybe not. But he should have had the guts to come clean before he died.”
She supposed she couldn’t blame him for being bitter. Joe had put them all in an uncomfortable spot. The man had a heart of gold, but dealing with confrontation was his weakness.
“You’re right. I...wish Joe had told you about me and Barbara and Bobby.”
Pain flashed in Ray’s eyes. “So do I. I don’t know how my brothers are going to react, but I owe them the truth.”
She wet her lips with her tongue, but she could still taste Ray’s heady flavor. She wanted more.
Of course, Ray might have a girlfriend. He was virile, sexy, a single bachelor. For all she knew he might even be engaged or have a child somewhere.
Ray’s phone buzzed and he checked the caller ID. “It’s Deputy Whitefeather. I’d better answer this.”
Scarlet tugged her jacket around her and lifted a hand to wave goodbye, then hurried to her front door. If she didn’t let Ray go now, she might invite him inside.
With her body still aching for him, that would not be a good idea. She didn’t want him to think she was trying to seduce him because she had her own agenda.
* * *
&
nbsp; RAY WATCHED SCARLET go inside her house with mixed emotions. Hunger still heated his blood.
But he had done the right thing by calling a halt to that kiss.
“Ray,” Deputy Whitefeather said. “I haven’t been able to locate Pullman. He’s not at his apartment or job.”
“Where does he work?”
“A fertilizer plant. His boss said he’s going to can him if he doesn’t come in tomorrow.”
Another thing the man would be ticked off about. Abusers generally laid the blame for their faults on everyone else.
He glanced back at Scarlet’s, wondering if he should stay and watch her house in case Bobby or Pullman showed up.
“I called his cell and left a message for him to check in with me. I told him if he didn’t, I’d issue a warrant for his arrest.”
“Did you find out anything from Scarlet’s car?”
“Not yet. I dusted the brake lines and car for prints, but didn’t find anything useful. Whoever cut those lines must have worn gloves.”
Smug bastard probably thought he’d get away with it. But Ray would find out who’d tried to kill Scarlet.
“I met Bobby Lowman, Scarlet’s adopted brother.” Even though he’d only just learned about Bobby, a smidgen of guilt nagged at Ray for implicating his own half brother in a crime. “It’s possible he had something to do with her crash. They’ve had differences over the years. And he has a rap sheet.”
“I’ll do a background check on him,” Deputy Whitefeather offered.
Ray thanked him, but kept silent about his relationship to Bobby. Although Bobby had made a valid point about motive, Ray still wasn’t ready to dismiss him as a suspect in the fire.
“Since you mentioned Arlis Bennett offered to buy Horseshoe Creek, I thought I’d have a talk with Bennett myself.”
“I’ll meet you at his place,” Ray said.
“I don’t know if that’s such a good idea, Ray.”
“I don’t care.” Ray started the engine and headed toward the Circle T, Boyle Gates’s spread. “If he wants my daddy’s land and is trying to push us into selling, I have a right to confront him face-to-face.”
“All right, Ray, but let me do the talking,” Whitefeather said. “I don’t want this to turn into something bad. Maddox wouldn’t like it if I had to arrest his brother.”
Ray grimaced. Except Bobby was their brother, too, and if he had sabotaged them or tried to kill Scarlet, they would arrest him anyway.
* * *
SCARLET SWALLOWED A painkiller for her headache and had just laid down hoping for a nap when her doorbell dinged. Almost asleep, she silently willed whomever it was to go away.
Although Ray might have returned...
Her heartbeat picked up at the thought. Foolish of her. She and Ray and his brothers and Bobby had a messy situation to contend with.
She traced a finger over the porcelain doll Joe had given her and grief nearly overwhelmed her. It was painful enough to lose her surrogate father. She didn’t need to fall in love with his son.
Keeping her heart intact was something she had to do in order to survive. And Scarlet was a survivor.
The doorbell dinged again, and she threw aside the blue-and-green Handmade by Willow quilt she’d bought at Vintage Treasures, and rubbed her eyes as she padded to the living room.
“Scarlet, it’s me, Hugh. Let me in.”
She groaned. More than anything she wanted to be alone right now, but she knew Hugh well enough to realize that if he was worried, he wouldn’t leave without seeing for himself that she was all right.
They had met at the orphanage when they were kids, and he’d glued himself to her side. He was upset when she moved in with Barbara and Joe, but they’d stayed friends. Later when she went to college, she had encouraged him to get a degree and he’d surprised her by following in her footsteps.
When he’d landed the job at Social Services, they had reconnected.
But he wanted more. He’d hinted at it several times.
Unfortunately he wasn’t her type.
No. Big, tough, dark-eyed, Stetson-wearing cowboys were her type. Men like Ray.
Lord help me.
“Scarlet?”
“I’m coming,” she called as she unlatched the door. When she pushed it open, he stood on the other side, his reddish-brown hair in a mass of messy curls where he’d rammed his hands through it. One of his nervous habits that he hadn’t been able to break.
“I’m so glad to see you,” he said as he elbowed his way inside. “I’ve been worried sick about you.”
Scarlet closed the door and followed him to her den. The room was chilly, so she lit a fire, grabbed the afghan off the sofa and wrapped it around her as she sank onto the couch. It might be rude, but she didn’t intend to offer him a drink or even coffee because that would only prolong the visit.
“I told you on the phone that I was all right,” Scarlet said. “Thank you for talking to the Fullers.”
“No problem. It’s all set with the judge for the final hearing.”
Relief surged through Scarlet. “Then little Corey will finally have his family and can begin healing.”
Hugh studied her, his hazel eyes more astute than she’d like at the moment. He could always tell when she was upset or worried.
“The crash wasn’t accidental, was it?”
She shook her head. “No. My brake lines were cut. The deputy sheriff is investigating.”
Shock widened Hugh’s eyes. “It was that Lloyd Pullman, wasn’t it? He’s a violent man.”
Scarlet shrugged, reluctant to point fingers at anyone. What if she named Pullman or Bobby and they hadn’t cut her brakes? “I don’t know yet, Hugh.”
“Didn’t Pullman threaten you when you removed his daughter from his home?”
“Yes, and he’s out on bail,” Scarlet said. “So be careful, Hugh. If he shows up at the office or anywhere else, do not engage with him.”
“I won’t, and neither should you.” He studied the pictures on the mantel. When he turned to her, questions flared in his eyes. “Who was that man you were with earlier?”
Scarlet’s pulse hammered. “How do you know I was with someone?”
Hugh’s gaze darted sideways as if he was nervous. Another one of his tells. “He showed up at your office after the accident. And he brought you home, didn’t he?”
An uneasy feeling rippled through Scarlet. “You were watching?”
“No. I mean I drove over and happened to see you get out of the car.”
Had Hugh seen her kiss Ray? She wrapped the afghan tighter around her. She didn’t know how to begin to explain her relationship with Ray. Especially since that kiss. “That was Ray McCullen, Joe McCullen’s youngest son.”
His brows climbed his forehead. “I wasn’t aware you knew the brothers.”
“I don’t. Not really.” Although she had kissed Ray and wanted to kiss him again. But his brothers would probably hate her when they discovered who she was. And there might be a court battle... “But I had to meet them because of Joe’s will.”
“He included you?”
“Yes. And Bobby.”
Hugh grunted. “Let me guess. The McCullens didn’t know about you or Bobby and they aren’t too happy about his will.”
Scarlet couldn’t deny the obvious. “No, they didn’t know about us. Ray does now, though.”
“Do you think he’d hurt you?”
Scarlet bit back a laugh. Ray McCullen might be dangerous to her heart, but he was like Joe through and through. The one thing she was sure of was that he respected women.
Still, he and his brothers might try to exclude her from Joe’s inheritance.
“No, Hugh, Ray won’t hurt me. I think it was probably Pullman or Bobby who cu
t the brake lines. But I’m fine now, and the deputy is investigating.” She stood. “I have a headache and would like to rest.”
Hugh touched her shoulder. “Let me stay, Scarlet. I can watch out, make sure no one bothers you.”
She couldn’t sleep with Hugh in her house. He was making her more and more uncomfortable. “Thank you. I appreciate the offer. But the most important thing you can do to help me is to man the office and make sure things are running smoothly there. I don’t want anything to ruin Corey’s placement.”
“Of course I’ll do that. But...”
The concern in his eyes hadn’t faltered. “But what? Is there something you’re not telling me?”
He shifted and jammed his hands in his pockets with a sigh. “I’m sorry, Scarlet. I wanted to take care of this for you, but I decided you ought to see it.”
Scarlet’s shoulders knotted with tension. “See what?”
Hugh pulled an envelope from his jacket and handed it to her. Scarlet noted her name on the outside spelled with letters cut from a magazine.
“You opened it?”
“It wasn’t sealed, and when I saw those cutout letters, I got worried. So I looked inside. It’s not pretty, Scarlet. It’s downright scary.”
Scarlet took a deep breath and opened the envelope, then gasped. There was a picture of her taken from a distance as she exited her office.
Then another photo—except in this one her face had been crossed out with a black marker and the edges had been seared.
Chapter Twelve
Ray studied Arlis Bennett as he and Deputy Whitefeather seated themselves in the man’s office. Bennett was Boyle Gates’s cousin and seemed to have moved right into the Circle T, apparently hoping to keep Gates’s operation running smoothly in his absence.
“You come to check up on me?” Bennett asked the deputy.
Ray scanned the room, noting the dark furnishings, photographs of Gates holding an award he’d won for his beef, then the ashtray on Bennett’s desk. Was he a smoker?
“I thought we should talk.” Deputy Whitefeather maintained a neutral expression, which Ray was beginning to realize was normal for the Native American. His wide jaw and high cheekbones framed dark, intense eyes that seemed to view everyone in the world with suspicion.