Elsie must have noticed his changed mood. “I want a big family, Colton, but I have other goals as well. I’m sorry your parents don’t have a happy marriage. It must have been hard growing up with that friction in the house. However, I think if two people are devoted to each other and their family, they can make their marriage as happy as they want. It’s all a matter of choices. If you want it bad enough, I think you will find someone who you can be happy with.”
Colton shifted the basket to his other hand. “Well, I can’t even think about anything else until we get this mission completed. But thanks for the encouragement.”
He was having a hard time getting that kiss out of his mind. He had never experienced anything like that. He had kissed women before, but this went way beyond the normal rush of emotions. He would never admit it to anyone, but he had felt true union with her, like their souls had come together. As much as he didn’t want to face it, he really couldn’t think of his future without her in it.
When they reached the lake, he saw it had been mowed along the shore. Colton wanted to lighten the mood. “Well, all evidence of the tractor mishap has been erased.”
“Thank heavens!” Elsie laughed and pushed Colton toward the edge of the lake.
“Hey, you don’t want to mess with me.” Colton laughed and wrapped his arms around Elsie from behind, carrying her to the side of the lake.
She broke his grip and twisted so that she was free. They both took their ready stance.
Elsie hesitated. “Are we really going to do this? You know one or both of us will end up in the water.”
Colton stepped back and took a long look at her, up and down. He wasn’t sure he could take her, and he didn’t really want to find out.
Elsie gave him a knowing smile. “Okay, okay. I have been in that lake once already today. I give up.”
Colton laughed, picked up the picnic basket, and put his arm around her shoulders. It was a new feeling to have a companion that was his equal.
They passed a huge oak tree with a tree fort. “We need to climb up there sometime.” Colton pointed to the fort. It had a trap door in the middle of the floor to climb up through.
“Someone had kids.” Elsie smiled. She told him some stories of the missions her grandfather sent her on as a child. They were laughing by the time they reached the porch.
It was close to dinner. The men from Anchorage were sitting on the porch. Luther smirked when they arrived and whispered something to his friend. They both laughed, and then Luther looked Elsie up and down. Colton felt inclined to slap that look right off his disgusting face, but he just put his arm around Elsie and gave the men a look of steel. Then they walked in and went straight up to their rooms.
Henry knocked on Colton’s door. “How did it go today? I have been waiting to hear if you saw anything.”
“Sorry, they heard us pretty early on, and came to see who it was. We had to pretend we were spooning in the grass, if you know what I mean.”
Henry perked up, smiling. “I know exactly what you mean.”
Elsie knocked and came in through the joining door. “The only thing we know for sure is that one of them has a gun. He threatened to shoot Curly with it after he charged them from behind. Maybe we can find out more if we watch them tonight. Henry, you need to keep men around you at all times. So far, I don’t think they know who I am.”
Colton agreed. “Tonight, during dinner, I’ll go through their rooms and see if I can find anything. Elsie, please don’t go anywhere alone.” Colton wasn’t sure Elsie would do as he suggested. He knew she was capable of defending herself, but the gun changed things.
Elsie stood up in protest but sat back down. “You’re right, I’ll stick with Henry as much as possible.”
Henry gave Colton a master key. “I’ll tell Mary you have a headache and will be down later.”
Chapter 10
After dinner, Colton headed out to the front porch. His stress was rising. He’d found a locked bag under the bed. The bag was full of ammo and guns as well as bomb-making materials and incendiary devices.
He called his commander. “Sir, we have two more suspicious men here. They have enough ammo and explosives in their room to level this place. I think we should take them in. “
The commander agreed but wanted them under strict surveillance first, hoping they could learn more.
Colton didn’t like that. But all he said was, “We’ll keep tabs on them electronically—Henry has some great equipment—and see if we can’t find out who they are communicating with.”
His commander agreed, but only for one day, after that they’d have to take them in. Colton breathed out in relief.
Elsie’s grandparents were up at their mountain cabin with military protection. And the commander assured him he was working on a plan that should keep everyone safe.
Colton found Elsie helping Mary in the kitchen. One of the men poked his head in and asked if there was a good bar in town. Mary gave directions and they left.
Colton picked up a chocolate chip cookie from the counter. “Wow, this is good!” That was probably the best chocolate chip cookie he’d ever had.
He looked at Elsie. “What do you say we do a little reconnaissance work tonight?”
Elsie agreed instantly. “This time I’m bringing my gun.”
Colton nodded and reached for the cookies. “Mary, can I take a few of these with us?”
Colton and Elsie borrowed the ranch’s truck and headed for the town bar. As they drove, he filled Elsie in on what his commander had said. “It looks like things could wrap up pretty quickly.”
Elsie nodded. They drove the one main street of the town, past the feed store, and stopped at the corner next to the bar. They sat in the dark part of the parking lot, waiting to see if Luther and his companion would come out.
“Just how well trained are you for combat?” Colton asked.
Elsie smiled and gave him her resume run down. “I have a sixth-degree karate black belt, and I tested expert in a few other self-defense methods. I am also an expert marksman. Granted, most men have an advantage in size, but I try to make up for it with speed and skill. Are you planning to take these guys down?”
“No, I just wanted to know how good my backup is.” He gave her an approving look. They would make a great team in the field.
An RV pulled into the parking lot, and they watched a band unpack their equipment. “This is great,” Colton said. “Line dancing will make a great cover for us. We can keep an eye on them while we dance. Let’s get in there.”
As they walked toward the bar, Elsie leaned into him and confided, “I’ve never been line dancing. My mother had me in ballet for years, but it didn’t take.” Elsie chuckled. “Finally, she let me stop and take karate.”
“Everyone can line dance.” Colton laughed.
They came in the bar from the side door. “Everyone you know might know how to line dance, but I lived in the city. The closest I got to the country was at my grandfather’s mountain cabin. It’s going to take me a while to catch on to this.”
Colton stopped at the side of the dance floor to show Elsie some basic steps. “Line dancing is different depending on which one you do. And people at certain dance floors can have a regular one they do only there. You can even add steps that are more difficult to a basic dance. Every dance is different, so you just pick it up as you go. Everyone does.”
Elsie glanced over toward the door and gasped. “That’s my grandpa’s neighbor, Mr. Robertson and his son, Richard. What in the world are they doing so far from home?” She looked at Colton. “They can give me away—they know me by sight.”
It seemed like she was going to approach them, so Colton grabbed her arm. “Just wait a minute and see what they do.”
Colton and Elsie sat in the back booth, where it was dark. They watched as Mr. Robertson signaled the Anchorage men at the bar, and they followed him over to a booth on the other side.
“I can’t believe this! He’s one of my g
randfather’s best friends. He came over last week and welcomed me home from the service.” She shook her head. “There is no way we will be able to get close enough to hear what they are saying with this band. Let’s get back to the truck.”
Colton nodded, they’d seen all they needed to anyway. “I need to call this in to the commander and have the Robertsons checked out.”
Colton and Elsie walked along the back wall behind the dancers and headed back out the side door. As they walked toward the truck, Colton called his commander’s private number. “Sir, we have some pertinent additional information. Chip Warner’s neighbors, the Robertsons, are in on this. We just saw them make contact with the Anchorage men at a bar in town.”
“Find out what Ms. Warner knows about them,” his commander replied. “I will have Chip Warner questioned, and we’ll try to piece this together. In the meantime, keep them under surveillance. I’m sending more men, expect them before tomorrow.”
They got into the truck and settled down to wait. Elsie told Colton everything she knew about them. “When my grandfather moved to town to be closer to medical help, the Robertsons moved in next door. They were always so helpful, and they became friends quickly. My grandfather really likes him. They fish together and go golfing weekly, and he comes over at least a couple times a week to sit on the porch and chat. Since I was twelve years old, every time I came to visit my grandfather, the two of them tried to push his son, Richard, and I together. He even attended the same university as I did. But when I joined the military, we lost contact.”
Colton nodded and seemed to think it over. Then he reached for her hand. “It’s remarkable, doing this with a woman like you.”
The Anchorage men left first, and it looked like they were headed back to the ranch. A little while later, the Robertsons left, and Colton and Elsie followed them back to the only motel in town. Colton pulled into the Dairy Queen parking lot across the street.
Elsie leaned back and sighed. “What did your commander think our next move should be?”
“The commander said we don’t need the Anchorage guys. They’re just hired thugs. The Robertson’s will be a better lead. He’s sending in a team to grab Luther and his partner.”
Elsie thought back to some of her missions where she did just that. Grab and go. Those missions were in other nations, where she knew no one. Everything felt so much more real with her own family as targets. All this made her sad. How would her grandfather take the news about the Robertsons?
Colton put the key in the ignition and then stopped. “We’re pretty much done for tonight. As long as we’re here, do you want to get some ice cream?”
“That does sound good.” Elsie sighed. “You know, the funny thing is, I even considered marrying Richard at one time. He asked me regularly all during college.” She cringed as she considered what might have happened if she’d said yes.
“Well, you had the good sense not too, obviously.” Colton’s face soured.
“It just goes to show how easily you can be tricked by people. Think about this. How long have they been spying on us?”
Colton squeezed her hand. “I’m sorry.”
“It makes me sad.” She turned to open her door. “But yes, I would love an ice cream. I can drown my sorrows in a Snicker’s Blizzard.”
Elsie and Colton kept one eye on the motel but otherwise did their best to forget the situation before them and just enjoy a short break. When they got back to the ranch, Henry and Mary asked them if they wanted to play hearts. They spent the rest of the evening laughing together and eating chips and salsa. Elsie shot the moon three times, then Colton did as well.
She was impressed with how much fun Colton could be. He was so considerate of Mary and was as good a winner as he was a loser. He shared stories of military pranks from his unit and kept everyone laughing. This was a side of him she hadn’t seen before, and she liked it. She was impressed with how well he drew out Mary and got her to also share stories from her past.
She liked Colton more and more. It seemed every day she became acquainted with another one of his stellar qualities. She knew she was setting herself up to be hurt. Becoming attached to someone so opposed to what she wanted was a bad idea.
“So, Mary, how did you meet Henry?” Colton shuffled the cards.
Mary blushed a little. “Henry was a soldier. My family lived close to the base, and so we saw soldiers all over town. My friends would flirt with them any chance they got, but my parents told me to stay away from soldiers. One day the girls and I were at the city park, swimming in the river. I was jumping from rock to rock when I slipped and hit my head and fell into the water. Henry was watching the whole thing and dove in to save me. He carried me two blocks to my home and set me down on the front porch. I regained consciousness just as my father came storming out of the front door.” She laughed, smile lines warming her face. “He was tearing into Henry when our neighbor stepped up and told him he saw the whole thing and that Henry was the hero there.
“My father, he’s a good man, he apologized and promptly invited Henry to dinner. We dated and then married before Henry shipped out.”
Henry leaned forward. “Now let me tell my side of the story. I saw Mary at the soda fountain at Bob’s pharmacy the first day I was at the base. And right then, I knew she was the woman for me. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Rumor around base was that her father wouldn’t let her talk to soldiers, so I contented myself with looking for her anytime I was in town. I went to the high school games because she was a cheerleader. I didn’t want to disrespect her father’s wishes so I hoped that something would happen where I could have some contact with her without going against her dad. When she fell in the river,that was my chance. Getting her father’s permission to marry her scared me more than anything I did in the war.”
They all laughed.
When Colton tried to get Mary’s cookie recipe, however, he hit a brick wall. Elsie joined in then. “Mary, you can’t send us away without that recipe. That would be worse than waterboarding.” They all laughed, but Mary held firm.
As they headed up toward their rooms, Elsie said, “I wonder if they help all their guests win at hearts.”
Colton bristled. “I would have won without any help. I had the perfect hand.”
Elsie laughed. “Come on, Colton, three times in a row?”
“It’s possible!” Colton laughed. They got to Elsie’s room, and Colton followed her in. “Good night, Elsie,” he said as he pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “Keep those doors and windows locked.”
She pushed him playfully toward his room. “Goodnight, Colton. It was nice to relax and forget everything for a little while.”
The next morning, Colton texted Elsie to see if she was awake.
She unlocked the side door, and Colton came over. “Just like clockwork, the Anchorage men have been picked up and whisked away.”
Elsie was brushing her hair. “Okay, now what?”
“The Robertsons. Can you give me any more details?”
“He’s about ten years younger than my grandfather, so he could have been in the war at the time the gold went missing. It’s just hard to believe they would sit around waiting for so many years in the hopes that my grandfather might have knowledge about some lost gold. That is almost their whole life, just waiting.”
“Well, that is what sleeper agents do. They fit in and wait. From what the commander is learning from those men you caught in the woods, this group has been on the wrong side of the law more than once over the years.”
He headed to the door. “I am going into town to set up surveillance at their motel. When they leave for breakfast, I’ll check their rooms.”
Chapter 11
Mary found Elsie on the front porch and sat down to chat. “You know, dear, you and Colton make such a darling couple. Have you thought about continuing this relationship when the week ends?”
“I would, but he’s not interested in marriage. Yesterday, when he he
ld me in his arms, it felt like we were meant to be together. It just felt like home.” Elsie shrugged. “But if he’s not willing to even consider getting married, there’s nothing I can do about it.” She got up and grabbed a soda from the cooler. “I will find someone else. Maybe not someone as interesting as Colton, but someone who wants to be a good father and husband.”
Mary sighed and got herself a Coke as well. “I don’t think you should give up on him yet.”
“Why not? It all looks so hopeless from this end. I’m ready to have a family, and I can’t wait around for him to possibly change his mind.”
“I know it’s hard.” Mary patted her shoulder. “Listen, dear, just don’t shut any doors yet. If you think he could be the perfect one for you, then that is something worth fighting for. I see the way he looks at you, and that is not indifference. Sometimes men just need a little push to realize they can’t live without us.”
Colton came driving up in the truck, and Elsie stood up and waved to him. “I am not going to chase him, Mary. If he doesn’t see it, then that’s his loss.”
Elsie walked out to the truck. “So, what’s up?”
Colton opened the door. “I set up the surveillance. Now we can watch and listen from Henry’s basement.”
“Perfect, it’s getting really humid today. That air conditioning down there sounds nice.” Elsie climbed up into the truck, and Colton drove it over to park in the shade of a large live oak. They walked past the satsuma trees and took one mandarin each to eat. Right off the tree—couldn’t taste better.
As they walked into the ranch house, Mary told them she’d saved them some cold cuts in the kitchen. They both headed into the kitchen and made sandwiches. The cold cuts looked delicious. Colton was stacking a pretty high sandwich. “So, Elsie, can you cook as well as you can beat up grown men?”
“Why do you want to know? Are you looking for a new fry cook?” Elsie laughed and walked out to the front porch to eat her lunch.
Her Billionaire Protector (Texas Ranch Romance Book 2) Page 4
