by LENA DIAZ,
Lightning cracked outside, creating a strobe-like effect through the garage.
Duncan glanced toward the windows. “Don’t get me wrong. This is a nice garage and all. But are you ever gonna ask me inside? The weather’s nasty out there.”
“You national parks guys can handle it. Although, that road out front does turn into a river sometimes. You really ought to head back down the mountain before it gets any worse.”
“I’ve got a four-wheel drive that sticks to the road like a mountain goat. You aren’t worried about me sliding into a ditch. Cut the crap and tell me why you’re really trying to get rid of me.”
“I think he doesn’t want you to know about me.”
Colin sighed and turned around. Peyton stood in the doorway, her curly blond hair tousled around her shoulders. Silvery eyes laced with pain pinned him with an accusing stare before she turned around and disappeared into the house.
Duncan’s mouth fell open. “Was that who I think it was?”
“Would you believe me if I said no?”
“She’s seen the farmhouse, the porch swing?”
“Since she’s in the farmhouse, I’m guessing that’s a yes.”
Duncan put his hand on Colin’s shoulder. “Where’s your whiskey? I need to pour it all out.”
“Not. Funny.” Colin shoved his brother’s arm off his shoulder.
Duncan pulled out his cell phone.
“What are you doing?”
“Calling for reinforcements. Ian, as usual, is incommunicado. What’s it been, six months since we saw our prodigal baby brother?” He shrugged. “Adam, however, now there’s the typical first-born reliable brother if ever I saw one. He’ll drop everything to head over. Maybe I should ask him to bring Mom and Dad too. I bet they’d love to catch up on whatever the hell is going on here.”
Colin yanked the phone out of his hand. “Fine. You can come in. But try to behave for once. Keep it professional.”
Duncan pressed a hand to his chest. “You wound me, brother. I always behave.” He grinned and strode past Colin into the house.
Colin swore and hurried after him.
Chapter Eight
Eavesdropping on Colin and Duncan’s conversation in the garage wasn’t Peyton’s proudest moment. But no one was telling her anything and she was desperate for news about her brother. All she’d learned was that Colin was so ashamed to be seen with her that he was willing to lie to his own brother.
She was in the kitchen setting up the coffee maker when she heard them come in. She could feel them watching her but she focused on getting things ready instead of turning around. After starting the coffee brewing, she opened the cabinet above it to search for mugs. No searching required. They were right there, above the coffee maker where she kept them in her own kitchen. It made sense. Apparently, Colin thought so too.
The sound of whispering had her tensing. She imagined that Colin was bringing Duncan up to speed about what had happened over the past twenty-four hours. And why he’d dared to bring the dreaded ex into his home.
She grabbed some milk out of the refrigerator and added it to one of the cups—the one for Duncan. She put sugar in hers and left Colin’s black. Enough coffee was already in the carafe for her to pour some, so she filled the three mugs before setting the carafe back into place. She drew a bracing breath, then turned around and set the mugs on the white quartz island. Both men stood on the other side, silent now, watching her.
She slid a cup toward each of them, then cradled her own between her hands. “I’m assuming you both take your coffee the same way you did when we were in high school.” She blew on hers to cool it, then took a sip.
Duncan shot a look at Colin. They both stepped forward and took their cups.
“Thanks,” Duncan said. “Smells great.”
Colin took a sip. The corner of his mouth lifted. He nodded his approval and she hated that her stomach jumped with pleasure.
Duncan’s smile after taking a sip of his own coffee was kind and generous, but didn’t make her stomach flip like Colin’s had.
“Perfect for a rainy morning. Thanks, Peyton,” Duncan said.
“Is anyone hungry? I haven’t had a chance to prepare dough and let it rise. But if Colin has any canned biscuits in the fridge, I can add my special touches and bake us some croissants that will taste great.”
“Croissants?” Duncan looked like he was ready to drool. “Like your mom used to make?”
Colin glanced sharply at her, reminding her that she still hadn’t discussed with him what had happened to her mom. That was a conversation she hoped to avoid as long as possible.
She smiled, working hard to keep the grief from her expression. “Almost. Like I said, I don’t have my special recipe dough ready. But I can get it pretty close.” She finally met Colin’s probing gaze again. “Do you have bacon and eggs? Cheese?”
He slowly nodded, concern apparent in his gaze as he studied her, as if he was worried that she might fall apart at any moment. But, thankfully, he didn’t press for more information. Not yet anyway.
“Then let’s get this party started,” she said. “We’ll have bacon, egg and cheese croissants. I’ll make enough croissants so that you can also have some with butter and honey if you want.”
“You don’t need to cook for us,” Colin said.
“I want to cook for us. It won’t take long.” And baking was a great way to avoid things she didn’t want to talk about.
His sigh could have felled a tree. “Fine. Then we’ll help. Duncan, make yourself useful. Get whatever ingredients she needs from the pantry. I’ll get the cookie sheets and mixer.”
She turned around in surprise, a wooden spoon in her hand. “You want to help?”
“I insist on it.” Colin pulled two stainless-steel cookie sheets from the bottom drawer in the island.
“What do you need from the pantry?” Duncan asked.
She rattled off ingredients and he rushed off to get them.
Colin opened another drawer in the island, pulled a full, white apron out and held it up. “Turn around.”
She blinked, then turned, holding her hair up as he lifted the ties around her neck. She hoped he didn’t notice the shiver of pleasure when his warm hands touched her skin. “I’m surprised you’d have any aprons around here.”
He finished tying the strings and moved his hands to her waist, pulling those strings back behind her. He was far too close for her peace of mind.
His deep voice rumbled next to her ear when he answered. “I keep them here for my mom.”
Mom. There was that word again. She had to breathe through the urge to cry. Thankfully, she had her emotions under control when he finished tying the apron and she turned around.
“Thank you.”
“My pleasure.”
She stared up into his eyes, admiring how his blue-green shirt deepened the color. And she wished, for just a moment, that she could feel his strong arms wrap around her and pull her in for a hug. She could really use a hug right now, especially from Colin.
“Here you go.” Duncan strode in from the pantry, his arms full.
Peyton cleared her throat and stepped back. Then she directed Duncan to set everything down while she got what she needed from the refrigerator.
Colin moved to the island. “Tell us what you want us to do.”
Both men looked at her expectantly. The idea of cooking with them was bittersweet and brought back so many good memories from when they were growing up and spending more time at each other’s houses than their own. Until that summer when Colin’s voice had deepened and her body gained curves she’d never had before, the summer when she and Colin began to look at each other differently and everything changed.
“Okay. Well, do you have a rolling pin?”
Both men started opening drawers in the island on
a quest to find one.
By the time they’d finished cooking, eating and restoring the kitchen to its former glory, Peyton had laughed so much her stomach hurt. Duncan’s sense of humor was contagious. His fake British accent was awful. His Irish one was much better, which made sense in theory since he was a McKenzie. But she knew none of the brothers had ever been to Ireland. Or, at least, they hadn’t before she’d left.
Colin had grinned and laughed right along with his brother, although he was more inclined to elbow him in the ribs or purposely spoil the punchline of one of Duncan’s jokes. That was one of the things that Peyton had always loved about the McKenzie brothers—the strong bond between them and how much fun they could have together. Her own brother was quiet and moody, almost fragile. She loved him dearly but could never imagine him horsing around like the McKenzies.
Duncan wiped his hands on a paper towel and tossed it into the trash. “We’ve talked about my fiancée, our family, Adam’s job as a law-enforcement ranger and his new bride. But you haven’t told us anything about you. How’s your family?” His eyes widened. “I mean, aside from your brother of course.”
She glanced at Colin, seeing the unasked questions brimming in his eyes. “Shouldn’t we start brainstorming how to find Brian before some trigger-happy searcher gets to him first?”
He exchanged a surprised look with Duncan, she assumed over her less than subtle attempt at changing the subject.
“Sure. We can start right now. I’ll get my tablet and we can sit in the family room.”
“I think that’s my cue to hit the road,” Duncan said.
Colin shook his head. “That cue came a long time ago but you chose to ignore it.”
Duncan grinned and the brothers pounded each other on the back. He stepped to Peyton and offered her his arm with a wink. “Walk me to my Jeep, pretty lady?”
“What are you doing?” Colin asked, sounding wary.
“Saying goodbye to an old friend. Come on, Peyton. Don’t let that ornery bear ruin our fun.” He pulled her hand through his arm and tugged her into the family room.
She smiled at Colin and shrugged helplessly. He’d crossed his arms and was watching them intently.
Duncan didn’t slow down until they were standing by his SUV. He surprised her again by giving her a quick hug. “It was good seeing you again, sweet colleen, even if the circumstances aren’t exactly the best.”
“You too. Thanks for being so nice to me. It was...unexpected.”
He smiled and turned her hands in his, looking down. “I don’t see a wedding ring. You’re single?”
She tugged her hands free. “Yes, not that it matters. You’re already taken,” she teased. “Congratulations on your engagement.”
He grinned. “Remi would love you. I think you’ll find that everyone in my family still loves you, no matter what.”
She blinked, not sure what to say to that.
His gaze flicked toward the door to the mudroom, then back to her. “I can’t pretend to understand the choices you made ten years ago. I tell myself that you don’t have any idea what all he went through, how much he needed you, or you’d have been there for him.”
“Duncan—”
“You hurt him, more than you’ll ever know. But I’ll tell you something else. I can’t remember the last time he laughed and smiled like he did this morning.” He pressed his hand to his chest. “Granted, I’m a charming fellow. But it wasn’t because of me that he was smiling.” He sobered and took her hands in his again. “There’s something special there, between you two, always has been. I, for one, am hopeful that it works out this time. He deserves some happiness in his life.”
She stared at him in shock. “You’ve misunderstood why I’m here. It’s all about helping Brian, trying to save his life. That’s it.”
He slowly shook his head. “Dear, sweet lass, my brother’s a great guy. But if you think he’d help anyone else in your situation, try to save the man he holds responsible for everything he lost, you’re fooling yourself.” He kissed her on the cheek, then got into his Jeep.
Peyton wrapped her arms around her waist as he turned the car around on the back-up pad out front, then ventured into the heart of the storm. She didn’t know what to think of his little speech. What had he meant when he said that she didn’t understand what Colin had gone through, or how much he’d needed her?
Had everything her father told her been a lie?
The garage door started to close. She turned to see Colin leaning against the doorframe behind her.
“Everything okay out here?”
No. She wanted to run to him, throw her arms around him. Tell him how deeply she loved him, that she’d never stopped. The only thing holding her back was that she wasn’t sure what he’d do, whether he’d welcome her embrace, or turn away. She didn’t think she could bear it if he rejected her. Not as fragile as her emotions were right now. And he’d certainly made it clear at the police station that a future between them would never happen. Was that the truth? Or had he just said that as a defense mechanism, not wanting to open himself up to her again?
He straightened. “Peyton? Did Duncan upset you?”
Yes. “No, of course not. The past twenty-four hours have upset me. I can’t seem to find my balance.” She tried to smile, wasn’t sure that she’d succeeded. “Would it be okay with you if we put off the questions until later?” Thunder boomed, making her wince. “A few hours won’t make much of a difference, will they? It’s not like anyone can head out searching in this weather, right?”
He hesitated, then nodded. “Of course. A few hours shouldn’t hurt. But the storm is supposed to ease later this evening. The trackers will be out looking again. We don’t want to wait too long.”
“Okay. Thank you.” She hurried past him into the house, suddenly in desperate need of some space.
Chapter Nine
The easy camaraderie Peyton had experienced with Colin this morning evaporated as the day wore on, probably because she was still mulling over what Duncan had said. Colin knew something was bothering her. But since she kept denying it, he was becoming more and more reserved. She hated that she was bringing out the stranger again, after having a precious glimpse of the old Colin earlier. But this was something she had to work out for herself.
How could she help her brother and love Colin too? Without hurting either of them?
After an awkward lunch with stilted conversation, Colin shut himself in his office down the back hallway. Peyton had been left to her own devices, which meant that she’d been baking. She’d made so much that she’d called Joan to come take the goods to the shop as soon as there was a break in the storm, rather than let them go to waste. She wouldn’t even have to worry about baking more in the morning. The café was set for a while.
But even before calling Joan, Peyton had called her father to check on him and update him on the search for Brian. That had led to her admitting that she’d gotten the information from Colin and that she was temporarily staying at his new house. The ensuing argument had her belatedly wishing that she hadn’t even called him. So, when she’d called Joan right after that, it had been a blessing to have that conversation go much better.
Joan had jumped at the chance to work extra shifts and had assured Peyton that Melissa would too, because she was in a tight spot and some extra money would really help out right now. Peyton felt guilty for not offering them the opportunity in the past. She decided that she’d have to give them raises, maybe even a small bonus once she was back at the shop, even if it meant dipping into her meager savings to cover the expense.
When Joan showed up for the baked goods, Colin disabled the alarm and stood guard, making her so nervous that she didn’t stay any longer than it took to load her car. Peyton didn’t want to speak to him in his current mood either, let alone suffer through another agonizing interview like the one with Landry. Bu
t the storm was definitely ending, as Colin had predicted. Putting off his questions was no longer an option. She reluctantly told him she was ready. Several hours later, she was convinced that Landry had been a prince. Colin, on the other hand, was a sadist.
He grilled her over and over with the same questions, rephrasing them, going off on tangents that didn’t seem relevant in any way, circling back and asking the same things all over again. He took copious notes, asking her about things Brian had said, texted, emailed, any people he’d ever mentioned that he associated with at the prison. He asked for a list of anyone Brian had ever visited, talked to, or even fought with from the time they were little kids. She’d had to tell Colin all the places her brother loved to go, how often he went there, who went with him. And on and on and on.
Occasionally he’d retreat to his office to call Chief Landry or the marshals assigned to find Brian. She didn’t like the idea of them sharing information back and forth. After all, if she and Colin did figure out where Brian was, she wanted Colin to capture him, not some over-anxious police officer. But she had to trust him, and put faith in his years of experience that he’d somehow manage to keep her brother safe.
Even with her fears, she welcomed the times Colin would close himself up in his office. It gave her a break. She came up with her own tactic to stop the questioning every now and then, asking for trips to the bathroom—so many that he’d sarcastically offered to take her to a doctor.
That was the end of her bathroom breaks.
The sun had set long ago by the time they stopped for a late dinner of soup and sandwiches that they prepared together. Working with him in the kitchen to make the food and clean up afterwards was easy, fun. They made a good team. She didn’t even mind that they ate without talking. It was better than being endlessly questioned. But, of course, the respite didn’t last long. Soon they were back at it again. The Spanish Inquisition had nothing on Deputy US Marshal Colin McKenzie.
She crossed her arms and shifted into a more comfortable position on the couch while she waited for his next question.