Clear Intent

by Diane Benefiel

  RUNNING OUT OF TIME

  Dory Morales knows the kind of heartache no woman should endure. Her ex-husband is in prison for abusing her and her precious son. It will take a long time to get over the shame of having allowed that to happen to them, and she’s worked hard to get their lives back on track. Of one thing she is certain, her life and destiny belong to her, and no man will ever have control over her again.

  Hangman’s Loss PD Captain Jack Morgan is done with the sniping and snide comments that fly every time he and Dory run into each other. It’s time she lowered her defenses and let him in. He better than anyone knows what’s she’s been through, and he intends to prove to her that he would never hurt her. Far from it. He plans on loving her for the rest of her life, if only she would let him.

  PRAISE FOR DIANE BENEFIEL

  Solitary Man

  NATIONAL READERS’ CHOICE AWARD WINNING NOVEL

  “I am in love with this story. I devoured this book and didn’t want it to end. The chemistry between the characters and the plot kept me wanting to read late into the night. This is my first read from Diane Benefiel but definitely not my last. I can’t wait to read more from this amazing author. Thank you Diane Benefiel for getting me hooked on your books!” ~ CJ’s Book Corner

  “Ryder was exactly who Brenna needed in her life, and trust me when I say you will love him because yeah he really is that good of a guy. Solitary Man is my first book by this author and it will not be the last. I really think you all will enjoy this one as much as I did it is one I do recommend.” ~ I’m A Sweet And Sassy Book Whore

  “I really enjoyed this book and there were a few twists and turns that kept me completely involved in the story. This is the first time I have read this author and it definitely won’t be my last!” ~ Sassy Southern Book Blog

  HIGH SIERRAS SERIES

  Flash Point

  “Diane Benefiel takes us on a story filled with mystery, suspense, and action as we try to solve what is going on in the small town of Hangman’s Loss. Flash Point is a story that will have you flipping the pages and wondering who is the behind the attacks against Hangman’s newest resident and why.” ~ Sarah Reads

  “Flash Point really surprised me. It’s not what I was expecting but I really enjoyed reading it. It’s a fun easy read that captured me from the start.” ~ Coffee Chat

  Dead Giveaway

  “Diane has written yet another winner in her High Sierra series. Murder witness and 'person of interest' Gwen flees with her godson to Cameron's uncle Eli. Gwen and Eli have no use for one another but come together for Cameron's sake and to find the true murderer...and in the process find their way to one another. My evening with Gwen and Eli couldn't have been more delightful, and I look forward to the next installment of the High Sierras.” ~seniorphotog

  “I loved this second book in the High Sierras series. This is a story of two people who are attracted to each other, but reconnecting under the worst of circumstances. I discovered Ms. Benefiel’s books and have loved the careful way she draws you in to the story with characters that make you feel as if you are reading about friends. I am really looking forward to the next High Sierras book, Already Gone.” ~paytonpuppy

  Already Gone

  “This series has only gotten better and better! Seriously, there’s something that really speaks to my heart about Maddy and Logan, and Hangman’s Loss FEELS like a small California town tucked away in the Sierras. They’re such a power couple! I read this book in just a couple of days--totally sucked me in. It’s that perfect blend of fun, sizzle, and suspense! I just want to live in Maddy’s life forever but since I can’t--I can’t wait for the next book!” ~Katharine Montgomery

  “A wonderful story about second chances. The minute you start reading, you will be instantly hooked. The author weaves a tale of drama and romance that keeps you enthralled and turning the pages. Maddie is feisty and Logan is her brooding and over protective suffering hero. The sparks fly every time they see each other. Eventually they give in and realize that they are perfect for each other and have always been. This is a great story right up to the last word.” ~Simatsu

  Burnover in Rescued Anthology

  “Sweet, Sexy stories featuring furbabies and helping to save lives, it’s a win win for all.” ~Kara’s Books

  “8 stories by 8 outstanding authors. In these stories, there is a tattoo artist, two firefighters, two sheriff deputies, a famous furniture maker, a veterinarian, and a country music singer, and I loved them all. Then add in that each story has a dog or puppy that is rescued, along with a story of love and romance, it is a winning combination.” ~Susan D

  Deadly Purpose

  I loved everything about this book, and it made me want to check out the other books in the series! The immediate suspense drew me in, and the High Sierras setting was perfect, as was the mysterious stranger Meg finds in her cabin. This novel had a well-written, exciting, and descriptive narrative that kept me glued from start to finish. Without giving away spoilers, the author has crafted one exciting, romantic ride, full of twists and turns. I highly recommend this book and can’t wait to see what the author comes up with next. ~Sebastian Moran

  This book took me by surprise. I didn't expect to get so caught up in this book that my whole day was spent captured in its pages. It has been a long time since I couldn't put a book down but Deadly Purpose did this to me. I loved every page. ~WildfireJane

  CLEAR INTENT

  High Sierras – Book 6

  Diane Benefiel

  www.BOROUGHSPUBLISHINGGROUP.com

  PUBLISHER’S NOTE: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, business establishments or persons, living or dead, is coincidental. Boroughs Publishing Group does not have any control over and does not assume responsibility for author or third-party websites, blogs or critiques or their content.

  CLEAR INTENT

  Copyright © 2019 Diane Benefiel

  All rights reserved. Unless specifically noted, no part of this publication may be reproduced, scanned, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of Boroughs Publishing Group. The scanning, uploading and distribution of this book via the Internet or by any other means without the permission of Boroughs Publishing Group is illegal and punishable by law. Participation in the piracy of copyrighted materials violates the author’s rights.

  ISBN 978-1-948029-91-9

  E-book formatting by Maureen Cutajar

  www.gopublished.com

  To the hero of my heart, my husband Kevin

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  A special thank you to my sister, Officer Sandy, and her partner, Officer Emma, for their help with the details of police gear and procedures. Sandy sent me pictures of the inside of the patrol car, plus all the cool gear, and shared thoughts on how law enforcement might react to various scenarios. I am also appreciative of the information on firefighting from my brother-in-law David, the retired Cal Fire battalion chief. Any mistakes are my own. Another thank you to Michelle Klayman at Boroughs Publishing who has sparked ideas and given invaluable advice and support throughout the entire High Sierras series.

  CONTENTS

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

>   Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Author’s Note

  About the Author

  CLEAR INTENT

  Chapter One

  Dory turned her car from the highway and passed under the broad ranch entrance that marked the driveway to the Circle M. Aspens with their silvery trunks edged down from the mountain side of the road, while on the other side barbed wire fenced off meadows where hefty cattle grazed.

  Adrian sat straighter in his seat. “What kind of cows are those?”

  “Um, black ones?”

  She glanced at her son to see his small grin. At age eight, her baby had been through too much. But finally, finally, he seemed to have turned a corner. In the last six months he’d begun to laugh more, he’d recently enjoyed his first time ever sleepover at a friend’s house. And while he sometimes still wore the guarded look that broke her heart, he no longer watched her constantly like a baby hawk.

  “I’ll ask someone when we get there. Where’s the house?” Adrian twisted in his seat.

  “It’s around the curve up ahead.” It had been years since she’d been to the Circle M. In high school, she’d been part of a group of kids that had included the younger of the Morgan siblings, Jack and his sister Kacey. Back then there’d been football games, school dances, and camping trips. Those days seemed like a million years ago. Kacey had died too young, leaving behind her devastated boyfriend, Elijah MacElvoy, and Dory had married her high school sweetheart, Rodrigo Calderon. After years of abuse, she divorced him. The one and only positive thing she’d gotten from that relationship was now bouncing in the seat next to hers.

  Dory steered her Honda Civic around the last bend in the road and stopped at the end of a row of vehicles parked in a field next to a large barn. The thought crossed her mind that Jack had probably invited her to his Fourth of July barbecue because they were still part of the same circle of friends, with only a few members carrying over from high school days. She was well aware that she and Jack Morgan could hardly be within ten feet without sniping at each other

  As they got out of the car, a loud whoop sounded, followed by the thuds of running feet, and a trio of children raced around the barn, a large dog loping beside them. Two boys and a girl, who all looked to be a little older than Adrian, skidded to a halt.

  “Adrian, you’re here. Come on, we’re going to the creek.” A tall boy with shaggy brown hair gave them a sunny smile as the dog nosed Dory’s shoes.

  Adrian turned pleading brown eyes to her. “Can I go, Mom?”

  Dory used her best adult voice. “Hi, Cameron. Is this okay with your parents?”

  “Yep,” the boy replied. “Mom said to come back when we hear the bell ring.”

  Cameron’s adoptive parents, Eli and Gwen MacElvoy, owned the neighboring ranch, the Broken Arrow, and the black-haired boy and girl with him belonged to its foreman, Ben Cutter, and his wife, Daisy.

  “Okay, but the rule is you can’t go into the fields where there are cattle.”

  “Okay,” Adrian agreed enthusiastically. In seconds, they were galloping away like a herd of young horses.

  Dory opened the trunk of the Civic, put her hands on her hips, and studied the food she’d brought. In addition to about a gallon of fresh salsa, there were a couple bags of tortilla chips, and a watermelon that looked big enough to feed half the population of Hangman’s Loss. Two trips was the only way to get the stuff inside. Dory grasped the straps of the reusable grocery bag holding the giant watermelon, preparing to hoist it over her shoulder.

  “I’ll get that.” For a big man, Jack Morgan could move without a sound.

  “It’s no problem, I can make two—”

  Too late, he lifted the watermelon with enviable ease, and before she could get it herself, swooped up the bag with the chips and salsa as well.

  “You can close the trunk.”

  “Well, okay then.”

  For a moment he stood close, his sharp gaze taking in her appearance. She’d worn a breezy summer dress of indigo blue woven with tiny white flowers. With temperatures hovering right at ninety degrees, the spaghetti straps that crossed the cut-out back made the dress airy and comfortable. She’d matched the dress with wedge heels, silver bangles on her wrist, and dangly earrings. Doing what she always did when Jack was near, she took a step away.

  Jack’s expression didn’t reveal any reaction. “We’re out behind the house. Is Adrian okay with the Broken Arrow kids?”

  “Yes. He’s thrilled at the chance to explore the creek.” She glanced up at Jack. Way up. He’d never done anything to warrant it other than be a big guy, but his size intimidated her. She knew all too well that some men could and did use that strength to hurt others—she couldn’t help being wary.

  Jack carried the heavy bags easily. He would never purposefully display his cut body, but the t-shirt he wore stretched tight enough to show the massive pectoral muscles in his broad chest and biceps, currently bulging with the weight of the food. He wore faded jeans and low-at-the-heel cowboy boots. And for once, he wasn’t wearing his usual cop belt with gun and badge.

  Having inherited the Circle M from their parents, Jack and his brother Garrett owned the ranch. They must have worked out some sort of financial arrangement, because Garrett lived and worked at the ranch, while Jack stayed in town and was a cop.

  With the hard planes of his face and his heavy brows, Jack Morgan wasn’t even close to the conventionally handsome GQ model, though Dory knew plenty of women found him attractive. Because she hadn’t thought of him that way, she tried to redirect her brain to ignore that he looked about as yummy as a man could be.

  “I was surprised to see the kids from the Broken Arrow since there’s bad blood between you and Eli.”

  “We’re past that now.”

  And, apparently, that was all he was going to say about that.

  Dory rolled her eyes. Guys were so closemouthed about too many things. Laughter and voices met them as he led her around the house to the back. A smoking barbecue stood on a wide patio with stone pavers that transitioned to a wide grassy area. A giant chestnut tree shaded picnic tables with benches and folding chairs scattered about. The aroma of grilled meat drifted on the breeze. Red, white, and blue bunting trimmed the house’s eaves and the rails along one side of the patio, matching the festive tablecloths.

  All her favorite people were here. Declan and Meg held hands and still carried that just-married glow as they talked with Eli and Gwen. The toddler on Eli’s hip gave proof to the small population explosion going on in the town of Hangman’s Loss. She spotted Logan with Maddy, each holding one of their twins, seated together at a picnic table. Emma stood near the kitchen door and was whispering something in her husband Brad’s ear that had him gathering her up in a hug. Jack’s nieces were spreading plastic tablecloths on uncovered picnic tables. Some people sat, while others moved about, helping to set out platters of meat, tubs of sides, and stacks of paper plates.

  Dory’s dad, Bert Morales, stood at a huge grill, gesturing with his spatula to Garrett Morgan, Jack’s older brother, whose home they’d all invaded. Dory’s mother stepped out the back door of the house carrying bags of hamburger and hot dog buns, her smile broadening when she spotted Dory. She set the buns on the long table next to the house and crossed the lawn to greet her daughter.

  Dory closed her eyes when Rosa Morales’s arms came around her in a quick hug. “How are you, mija?”

  “I’m good, Mom. And before you ask where your grandson is, Adrian is already running around with the kids from the Broken Arrow.”

  Rosa released Dory, and then did her usual quick survey. Dory wondered if her mother would ever feel confident that her daughter was truly okay, or if Dory�
�s marriage to an abusive husband had put her on guard forever.

  “Good. He needs to have fun. That boy is too serious.” As they walked toward the house, Rosa turned to Jack. “It’s nice of you and your brother to invite everyone, Jack.”

  Jack gave a nod of acknowledgment, and Rosa picked up the buns again. “I better get these to Bert to be toasted before he turns off the barbecue.”

  Jack set the bag with the chips and salsa on the table already groaning under the weight of mountains of food as Rosa moved away.

  “Um, it is nice of you to invite us, Jack. We’ve been looking forward to it.”

  “Did you think I wouldn’t invite you and Adrian?”

  “We don’t always get along.” She shrugged. “But you included us and my parents, so thank you.”

  “Your father’s the mayor, and indirectly my boss, so maybe I’m being diplomatic.”

  Since she didn’t think Jack did anything he didn’t want to do, she let that comment slide.

  When he would have set the watermelon on the table, she said, “Here, let me take that inside. I need to cut it.”

  But being Jack, he took the watermelon into the house himself. The back door led directly into the kitchen where half the counter space held trays of desserts. Dory recognized the festive red raspberry, blueberry, and cream tarts from the display case at Maddy’s café.

  “Wow, those look amazing. Maddy outdid herself.”

  “We won’t starve.”

  She spotted another bakery box and lifted the lid. “Ooh, chocolate chip cookies. Really big ones.”

  “My brother is making homemade ice cream.” He gestured to the cookies. “I think the plan is to make ice cream sandwiches.”

  She glanced at Jack. “Wow, an entire conversation without arguing. I’m not used to it.”

  He set the watermelon onto the counter, then turned to look at her, an unreadable expression on his face. “Maybe I’m done arguing.”

  Not sure why that made her heart beat faster, she cleared her throat. “I don’t know, Jack. I think that’s how we communicate.”