by June Faver
But Breck was an expert at prying the truth from witnesses. “How’s Jennifer doing?”
Cade’s smile betrayed far more than he had expected. “Aw, she’s great. Really loves the kids…and she’s real sweet.”
So it’s like that, is it? Breck filed that little bit of information away for the future.
“I know she’s taking her brother’s death real hard,” Cade said. “But when Derrick told us someone sabotaged the plane, it really broke her up. She idolized Jason.”
Breck folded his hands on top of his desk, trying not to seem impatient. “Yeah, it’s a big-brother thing.”
Cade nodded. “Well, I wanted to know if you and Derrick came up with anything else. Does he have any suspects?”
“Not that I know of. We looked through all the employee files, and Derrick is going to check out the most recent people who worked at the airstrip. There were a couple of mechanics and a sort of glorified secretary who kept the books after Sara decided to stay home with the little ones.”
Cade’s brows drew together. “So I guess Derrick will let us know if there is any news.” He sounded hopeful.
“Good idea to stay out of it. Let the sheriff’s office deal with the investigation. I’m sure Derrick will keep us informed when there’s a break in the case.”
Cade’s mouth tightened. He twirled his Stetson around in his hands. “I—I just wanted to make sure that Jennifer isn’t in danger.” He heaved a sigh. “I mean, I can pretty well take care of myself, but Jennifer is just a girl. If someone is after the airstrip, they might try to get rid of the heirs too.” His gaze seemed to bore into Breck like a laser.
Breck frowned and unclasped his hands. “I must admit, I hadn’t considered that the heirs could be in danger. Do you have any suggestions for keeping yourself and Miss LaChance safe?”
“Well, I kind of thought I’d see if she would come out to the ranch with me…and Mrs. Reynolds, of course.” Cade was staring down at his hat. “And the children. I mean, we could all be together.”
Breck regarded him intently. “So you want to sort of circle the wagons?”
Cade heaved a deep breath. “Exactly! I thought maybe I could keep Jennifer and the kids safe out at the ranch.”
“Or maybe they would be more exposed out there.” Breck leaned forward on his elbows. “You know, more open spaces.”
“The main house is like a fortress. I just want Jennifer and the kids to stay out of the public eye until the sheriff’s office can figure out who messed with the plane.”
“Are you sure you can focus that much of your time and energy to acting as watchdog?”
“You realize I was willing to put everything aside and just work on raising the kids?” Cade’s brows were drawn together. “I owe it to Sara to do everything I can to ensure the kids grow up safely and without any more pain.”
“I don’t doubt your motives, Cade. And I admire your enthusiasm, but you can’t be everywhere. How do you think you can protect the children and Miss Jennifer twenty-four hours a day? They might be safer staying in their home with some deputies to stand guard.”
Surprisingly, Cade huffed out a laugh. “I’m a Garrett. When we circle the wagons, the wagons are Garrett.”
“I see.” Breck felt a little better. “I don’t know if there is any threat at all, but I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to play it safe.”
“I’d appreciate it if you’ll let Derrick know that I would like to be kept informed of any new details that come to light.” With that, Cade stood and reached across Breck’s desk to shake hands.
When he left, Breck and Misty stared after him.
“Do you know Cade well?” Breck asked.
Misty shook her head. “I don’t, but my husband thinks the world of Cade. Colton said they grew up like a litter of puppies…all the cousins.”
Breck knew that was right. There were plenty of Garretts around the Langston area. And he had to admit, all the Garretts he knew were genuinely good people. He was glad to know that Jennifer LaChance had a champion in Cade Garrett, even if he did appear to be completely smitten.
Breck grinned and shook his head before heading back to his office to return his phone calls.
* * *
Cade respected Breck Ryan. He was a very smart man. He knew things. Everyone around the Langston area felt the same.
He felt empowered by gaining Breck’s approval. Now all he had to do was to convince Jennifer that it would be in her best interests to come with him to the ranch. He thought if she could spend some time with him in his own environment, he might be able to convince her to stay.
Cade wasn’t kidding himself. He knew he wasn’t glib enough to be able to win Jennifer’s affections with his words. She was a beautiful, very feminine woman, and he was…well, he was only a guy.
He had called to ask her to lunch, thinking he would bring Mrs. R to sit with the children, but when he’d called, her friend Ollie Enloe had been visiting and offered to stay with the kids.
When he pulled up in front of the house—Sara’s former house—he experienced a few moments of trepidation, wondering what he was doing there, mourning anew for his sister, and finally accepting that it was only right that the house had been given to Jennifer to raise the children.
Cade pulled the keys out of the ignition and tucked them in the pocket of his Wranglers. He strode up to the house purposefully, hoping he appeared confident. He raised his hand to knock, but the door opened to a smiling Jennifer.
“Hello, Cade,” she said. “Come on in. The kids were excited to see you, but Lissy fell asleep.”
Momentarily flustered, he gazed down at her soft, pretty mouth and took a deep breath before he stepped over the threshold.
He was immediately assaulted by a small guided missile by the name of Leo. “Hey, buddy,” Cade said. “I gotcha now.” He lifted the young boy high over his head, relishing the delighted giggles.
“Unca Cade. I misted you.”
“Me too,” Cade said. He took a moment to appreciate how gorgeous Jennifer looked, but she was busy giving instructions to Ollie Sue Enloe, who held a sleeping Lissy.
“We’ll be back soon,” Jennifer crooned, giving Leo’s curls a tousle. “You be a good boy for Miss Ollie, y’hear?”
Leo nodded his head. He proudly pointed to himself with his thumbs-up thumb. “I a good boy.”
“You’re the best.” Jennifer grabbed her purse and took Cade’s arm. “Let’s make our getaway while we can.”
“Um, yes, ma’am.” He dutifully walked her out to his truck and lifted her up to the seat on the passenger side.
“I swear, your truck gets taller every time I see it.” She settled herself in the seat and fastened her seat belt.
Cade swung up into the driver’s seat and grinned. “Did you ever think that maybe your legs are getting shorter?”
“Not for a second. I am a tall woman, I’ll have you know.”
He started the vehicle, enjoying the roar of the diesel motor. “If you say so.”
He drove her to the steak house and scored a parking place right in front.
Cade helped Jennifer down and just holding her close for a moment was enough to rattle his brain.
“Oh, this looks good.” Jennifer looked around the parking lot. “At least a lot of people around here seem to think so.”
“I’m pretty sure you’re going to find something tasty on the menu.” He gestured toward the entrance, and she started in that direction with Cade following close behind, again wondering how one woman could raise his temperature just by prancing along ahead of him, in full sashay mode.
He leaned around to open the door for her and noticed that all heads turned to gape at Jennifer as she entered. She seemed to be totally unaffected by all the attention, or perhaps she hadn’t noticed the stares. A waitress appeared to show them to a table,
and more heads turned as she made her way through the crowded room.
Nonetheless, Cade felt a sense of pride as he followed her to a table. Yeah, this little beauty is with me. He held out a chair for her and managed to inhale the wonderful fragrance that seemed to be a part of her.
He seated himself and accepted the menu the waitress handed him, although he knew what he would order. But he pretended to peruse the offerings while surreptitiously observing Jennifer as she scanned through the restaurant’s large selection.
The waitress brought ice water and took out her pad to record their selections. Jennifer ordered a small bacon-wrapped filet mignon with a salad and seasoned green beans, while Cade chose a heartier portion with a stuffed baked potato.
When the waitress had taken the menus, Jennifer leaned closer to Cade. “I was looking at the plates on the other tables. Huge! I couldn’t eat that much food if I had to sit here all day.”
“Sure you could. This is going to be the best slab of beef you ever tasted, and you’re just going to want to gobble it all up. So just write that in your little food diary.”
She laughed at that, throwing her head back to expose her creamy throat. The sound of her laughter caused a squeezing sensation in his chest. Impulsively, he reached to take her hand, and when she didn’t pull away, he drew her hand to his lips and brushed a quick kiss across her knuckles.
Her expression softened, but she was still smiling.
Cade could not release her hand, so he held it while gazing into her eyes. “I was talking to Mr. Ryan…” He heaved a deep breath. “I was thinking…well, maybe you and the kids might be better off at my ranch.”
She blinked and her brow furrowed. “Better off?”
“I mean safe. I want you to be safe.”
Jennifer gazed at him, her expression unreadable. “I can’t do that. It just wouldn’t look right.” She shrugged. “If you think we’re in danger, I can take the kids and go back to Dallas. I do have a perfectly good home waiting for me.”
“Oh.” Cade clamped his mouth shut. He definitely did not want her to leave. “No, not danger… I just thought…” A man appeared beside their table and cleared his throat. A rough, hacking sound.
Jennifer withdrew her hand. Her expression changed abruptly. Her eyes were staring at the man, and her jaw had dropped open. “Mr., uh…?”
Cade tore his eyes off of Jennifer’s lovely face to find a tall, gaunt man with his gaze fixed on Jennifer. The man had a very ruddy face with mottled skin. His skin was shiny, as though it had been stretched tight over his skull.
“Miss LaChance? ’Member me? Edgar Wayne Pell. Yew done any more thinkin’ on that deal we discussed?”
Jennifer pressed her lips together. “Um, not really. I mean, things have just been happening so fast.”
Pell was like ice—a frozen figure with an unreadable face. A muscle near his mouth twitched. Other than that, total ice.
Cade didn’t know Pell but knew who he was. He couldn’t recall anyone ever speaking well of him but tried not to form any judgments.
“Yes, I remember you, Mr. Pell.” She gestured toward Cade. “This is Cade Garrett. He and I share ownership of the airstrip equally.”
Cade stood and offered his hand.
Pell’s eyes skewered Cade like daggers. He made a sound, something like a grunt or snort. He finally drew his knobby hand out of his jacket pocket and reached to give Cade’s hand a firm shake. He managed to check Cade out, boots to hair, in the process, although Cade was a few inches taller and much broader of chest.
The waitress returned bearing their salads and a choice of salad dressings. She looked uncertain, but Jennifer gestured for her to set them down. The waitress complied and made a quick getaway.
“Well, I won’t be botherin’ yer dinner. I’ll get back to ya in a few days. Yew be thinkin’ on it.” He turned and strode across the room to the door, pausing to glance back at them before exiting.
A visible shiver caused Jennifer to wrap her arms around herself.
“Are you okay?” Cade asked. “Is that Pell guy upsetting you?”
“I’m all right. Mr. Pell came to the house and said that Jason had been working with him on a deal to sell the airstrip. I told him before that I didn’t know anything about it. I referred him to Breckenridge Ryan. I figured he could deal with Mr. Pell a lot better than me.” She sucked in a breath. “I keep going back and forth, thinking we might be able to keep the airstrip open, and then reality smacks me on the head and I think we should sell.”
Cade’s brows drew together. “Yeah, I understand.” He felt that this Pell character had intended to intimidate Jennifer. “I’ll tell you what. If Pell shows up again, tell him to give me a call. I’ll make sure he doesn’t bother you again.”
Jennifer drew a ragged breath and started to speak, but the waitress appeared, bringing their entrees. She unfolded her napkin and draped it across her lap. “I’m glad you were with me. That man—he’s kind of scary.”
“Definitely a creep. So let’s forget about him and enjoy our meal.”
She nodded, saluting him with her iced tea.
Chapter 14
Jenn felt shaken but tried to brush it off. She had no idea why this Edgar Wayne Pell seemed so scary. It would be a good thing if he bought the airstrip…or if someone else bought the property. For sure, she had no experience at all in any kind of business, let alone knowledge of the management of airstrips.
She looked at the big cowboy sitting beside her. He might know which end of the cow to milk, but she was pretty sure Cade Garrett had no hidden knowledge about running a small airstrip…but maybe she was wrong. Maybe there were layers of technological data stored behind those killer blue eyes.
“Didn’t Breck Ryan say there was someone else interested in buying the airstrip?” She had been mulling over their options and realized her thoughts about keeping the airstrip in the family were not practical. Being a good businessman, she was sure Jason would have advised them to sell.
Cade nodded. “Maybe we should call on Mr. Ryan tomorrow. I’m certain he will have a better grasp on the situation than either of us.” He took the plastic off a packet of saltines but sat tapping them against his salad plate. “But don’t you think we should at least look into the way the airstrip has been run up to the point when Jason and Sara were killed?”
She speared some lettuce and shoved it into her mouth, mostly to keep from having to come up with an answer. In truth, she was torn between needing desperately to know what happened and wanting to hide from the ugly truth. Maybe someone else would discover why her brother had to die. Maybe Jenn could just continue to bury her head in the little bits of happiness she was discovering here in Langston, Texas. She would go on playing mom to the children and live in the dollhouse where they had been raised. And maybe she would continue to enjoy the company of this pillar of manhood quietly brooding beside her.
Yes, the appearance of Edgar Pell had brought Cade’s mood way down. There was a furrow between his brows, but he still looked at her expectantly. She would be forced to respond.
Jenn swallowed her thoroughly chewed lettuce. “Um…I’m sure you’re right.” She shrugged and skewered another bite. “How do you propose we check out the business if we are both totally ignorant about it?”
“I think we should open the airstrip for business, hire the employees back, and see what we can find out. Maybe the people who worked there have their own theories.”
Jenn nodded. That didn’t sound too dangerous. Just meet the employees and poke around a little. Maybe Cade could dig in and find out what he needed to, and then he might be ready to sell to whoever had the money to buy them out.
“Okay. That sounds reasonable.”
“Good, we can take a little drive out there after we finish our meal.”
* * *
Jennifer tried to enjoy the e
xcellent meal, but her stomach had been a little tied up in anticipation of going back to the place where Jason had worked. She was now tucked into Cade’s truck and they were headed for the airstrip. She had no idea why he seemed to be in such a good mood, but Cade was zooming there like an arrow. Apparently, he had no idea how she felt about the enterprise Jason had so loved.
He had kept up a commentary, requiring very few responses from her. When he turned off the highway, her stomach was already in a knot. Cade got out and punched some numbers into the keypad and then drove through as the gate slowly closed behind them.
Jenn could hardly draw a breath.
“I’m going to make a loop of the property, just so we can check the layout. I wanted to know if anyone was making changes since the office had been closed. You know, like getting away with something. Is that okay with you?”
“Sure.” She tried to make a smile happen on her face, but it felt more like a grimace. Taking a few deep breaths, she sat up a little straighter.
It seemed to her that the same small planes and helicopter that had been there before were sitting out on the tarmac. And there were several hangars still standing in their same locations. Only one had the overhead door open, and it appeared someone was inside because there was an old Jeep and a shiny silver BMW parked close to the building.
Cade slowed, and they both got a chance to peer inside.
Someone was on a ladder, situated near the front of the small plane, and someone else was standing below. They both turned to stare back.
Cade waved and the two people waved in return. He continued to drive slowly around the field but wound up parking at the small office building near the entrance. “Let’s take a look.” He took a set of keys out of the glove compartment and got out.
Jenn released her seat belt, resigned to the inevitable.
Cade opened her door and helped her get down, then walked purposefully to the office, used the key, and held the door wide open for her to pass through.
All the blinds had been drawn and the air conditioner was off, so it was dim and stuffy inside.
