by Eve Gaddy
“I’ve got to go.” She pulled some money out of her purse and gave it to Bianca. “We’ll do this again soon.”
“Good luck. I bet you need it.”
I bet she’s right.
She found Dylan grooming Trouble with Shadow sitting beside them. When the dog saw her he ran to her, reared up and planted his paws on her chest. Sam petted him and scolded him about jumping, though it was half-hearted.
“Hey,” Dylan said. “I’ll be finished in a minute.”
She went to Trouble’s head and rubbed his nose. “How has he been today? Any residual problems from the big to-do yesterday?”
“No. He’s good. Surprised me, but Shadow’s been with him and he always manages to calm him down.”
Sam couldn’t decide how to start so she went with what May had told her. “I talked to May earlier. They positively identified the body found in Lake Grapevine as Gary Baxter. So obviously, he can’t be the arsonist. She’s ruled out four of the seven remaining suspects as well.”
“That’s good. Isn’t it? Who are the ones that are left?”
She told him, adding, “I want to look at those three pictures again.”
“Good idea. Maybe he’s disguised and that’s why we haven’t recognized him.”
When Dylan was close to finishing with Trouble, Sam decided the best way to talk to him was to put it out there.
“Dylan, we need to talk.”
“Okay.”
“No, I mean talk. And not over a horse.”
He stood and looked over the horse’s back at her. “That sounds ominous. What are we talking about?”
“Put Trouble up and then we’ll discuss it. I’m going up to the house.”
“All right. I’ll meet you there in a minute.”
During the walk up to the house, Sam tried to bolster her arguments. Dylan was not going to meekly acquiesce to her moving out. She might not have known him since they were kids, but she knew that much.
She’d just have to convince him that her moving was the best thing for both of them. Easy.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Dylan went up to the house and caught Glory just as she was leaving.
“I left dinner in the fridge,” she told him.
“Thanks, Glory.”
“Is everything okay with you and Sam?”
“I thought it was. Until a few minutes ago. Why?”
“She didn’t seem like herself when she came in. Usually, she takes time to talk a bit but today she seemed totally preoccupied. She said hello but that was it.”
“I don’t know, Glory. Something’s on her mind. Probably something about the fire.”
“Still no news, huh?”
“Nothing definite. May’s narrowed down the suspect list but we still don’t know who did it.”
After Glory left, Dylan went looking for Sam. He found her in the bedroom. Packing.
“What are you doing?”
“This is what I needed to talk to you about. I’m moving out.”
Moving out? What the fuck? “Did we have a fight I’m not aware of?”
“Of course not.”
“Then why are you leaving?”
“I’m not moving out because I’m mad at you. I’m leaving because I love you.”
“Oh, well thanks for clearing that up.” He leaned back against his dresser and crossed his arms over his chest, waiting for her to go on.
She stopped packing and sat on the bed. “This stalker or arsonist or whatever you want to call him isn’t finished with me. He didn’t succeed with the fire so he’s going to try again. We’re lucky he hasn’t done anything else yet. But he will. And that means I’m a danger to you.”
She was dead serious and this was the dumbest conclusion he’d ever heard. “You’ve been living here for weeks now and nothing has happened. Why are you all of a sudden moving? It doesn’t make sense.”
“I realize it might seem that way. I should have seen it before but I wasn’t thinking clearly. The fire rattled me. I should never have moved in with you. It was thoughtless of me.”
“For God’s sake, Sam, this is ridiculous. I’m in no more danger now than I have been all along. You’re the one who’s in danger.”
“Yes, I am. And I don’t want you caught in the crossfire. You or anyone else here at the ranch. Or anywhere else, for that matter.”
“So you’re quitting your job?” He knew she wasn’t but maybe she’d see how crazy this idea was.
“No. But I doubt I’ll put anyone in danger at the hospital. It would be hard to get to me there.”
“Right. Because this guy is so rational.”
She shrugged. “Rational or not he won’t find it easy to get to me at the hospital.”
“So you’re going to move out. Isolate yourself and make it easier for him to do what he wants with you. That’s a great idea, Sam.”
She ignored that. “I’m moving out until May finds the arsonist. And, Dylan, we can’t see each other. I want him to think we’ve broken up. I know it’s not what you want—”
“Not what I want?” He walked over to her. “That’s the understatement of the century. You’re playing right into this guy’s hands. Don’t you see that?”
“I’m trying to protect you,” she snapped.
“Thanks very much, but I don’t need any goddamned protection.”
“You’re being unreasonable.”
“Right. And you’re being perfectly logical.”
“Dylan, I don’t want to argue with you. My mind is made up.”
Yeah, he could see that. And once she made up her mind it would be hell to get her to change it. “When is this going to happen? Now?”
“No, tomorrow. I thought about just going to a hotel. The Graff is close to the hospital. But tomorrow is soon enough. Can Shadow stay here until I find a place that will let me keep him?”
“Oh, sure. It’s not like you need protection or anything. Yeah, move out and be completely alone, without even the dog to protect you. That’s a fantastic idea, Sam.”
“Sarcasm won’t change anything. All it does is piss me off.”
“Oh, really? Well, here’s a shock. This whole stupid idea of yours to move out and break up is pissing me off.”
“I don’t want to fight with you,” she repeated.
“Bullshit. You knew I’d fight you on this.”
“Fine. I knew you’d fight me but I thought I could make you see reason.”
Obviously, getting pissed off was not helping. Determined to convince her not to leave, he drew in a deep breath. “Sam, I am seeing reason. I understand where you’re coming from but it’s both unnecessary and, frankly, insulting. I don’t need protecting. I’m a grown man, perfectly capable of taking care of myself. Do you think I’d ever forgive myself if you left and something happened to you?”
“Don’t you understand I feel the same way? I don’t know what I’d do if you were hurt because of me.”
He reached for her hands and pulled her up. He put his arms around her waist and said, “I think we’ve reached an impasse. We’re in this together, Sam. That’s a good thing.”
Reluctantly, she slipped her arms around him. “I should leave.”
“No, you should stay with me. Leaving now won’t accomplish anything except to make us both unhappy.” He could sense her weakening. He kissed her cheek, the corner of her mouth, then claimed her mouth. She didn’t resist. Instead she leaned in to him and kissed him back.
She pulled back and looked at him, her expression troubled. “You think you can seduce me into staying.”
“I’m trying like hell. Is it working?”
“Yes, damn it.”
“But that’s not the only reason I’m staying,” Sam said.
“Okay,” Dylan said, pushing her top up to pull it over her head.
She went to work on his shirt buttons. “You’re right. We’re involved. What affects me affects you.”
He yanked his shirt off over his head. Filled
his hands with her breasts. Slipped his hands down to her jeans, to unbutton and unzip them. “That’s right.” He pushed them down over her hips and helped her step out of them.
“He knows we’re together. What’s to say he won’t try to hurt you to get to me, whether I leave or not?”
“Very logical.” He pushed her back onto the bed, shoving her suitcase off. It landed with a thump, spilling her clothes all over the floor.
She wrapped her legs around him, feeling the strength of his erection through his jeans. “But those aren’t the only reasons either.”
He’d undone her bra and flung it aside. His lips traveled from her neck to her breasts. Plumping them up with his hands, he nuzzled, licked and sucked first one and then the other. She raised her hips, wrapped her legs around him even tighter.
“Dylan.” She tugged on his hair until he looked at her.
“Can’t we talk later?”
“No. We need to talk now.”
He sighed. “You have my attention.”
“I’m not sure I can leave you. I could move out, but I don’t want to be without you.”
His expression softened. He smiled and kissed her lips. “I love you, Sam.”
“I know. I love you too.”
They tugged and yanked and stripped until they were both naked. He spread her legs, pausing before he entered her. Holding her gaze as he slipped inside her, very slowly. When he was fully seated, he started the rhythm, gradually moving faster and faster.
Her climax built, pushing her higher with each deep, driving thrust. She cried out as she crested and her orgasm burst, wave after wave crashing through her.
One last thrust and he said her name as he spilled deep inside her.
Eventually, he rolled off of her, pulled her into his arms and fell asleep holding her.
Please God, don’t let it be a mistake to stay with him.
Sam slept restlessly that night. She tossed and turned and when she did sleep she had jumbled dreams. Not that she remembered the dreams but she knew that as unsettled as she felt, they couldn’t have been very good. Dylan, she noticed, was dead to the world. He’d have to be to sleep through all her gyrations.
I’m just worried because I caved and decided to stay. Maybe I’m making a mistake but it’s impossible to make myself leave when Dylan doesn’t want me to and more, I don’t want to.
Finally, she decided to read for a while and see if that put her to sleep. She turned on her tablet and started reading her book where she’d left off. It was a romantic suspense by one of her favorite authors, but her mind kept wandering and she couldn’t focus on the book.
She kept thinking about Dylan’s ex-employee, Jim Monroe. That had been a weird meeting the day before. Something about it bothered her, beyond the palpable hate she’d felt coming from him. She’d seen the man at a distance but she’d never seen him up close until she literally ran into him in the stable’s office.
Why was he familiar? Why did she have the feeling she’d known him before? He couldn’t be one of the final three suspects she’d told May about.
Could he?
She left the reading app and pulled up the digital photos of the three remaining suspects. Carefully, she looked through them one by one. Then she put them up side by side. The only one that struck her at all was the photo of Bill Wade. This was the same man Dylan had wondered about. The man in the photo had so much hair it was hard, if not impossible, to distinguish his features. But what would he look like clean-shaven?
She thought about his story. His wife, Sandy, had finally had enough when he nearly killed her. Her husband brought her to the ER with broken ribs, a punctured lung, and two black eyes, one swollen so badly she couldn’t see out of it. He’d thought he had her completely cowed but when she’d had a moment alone with Sam, she’d begged for help to get away from him.
Sam had called the police, helped Sandy get into a women’s shelter and later testified against Wade. He’d gotten a year in prison, thanks to her testimony, along with the physical evidence she provided, backing up Sandy. During the year he was incarcerated, Sandy had disappeared.
He was bound to have been furious. Angry enough to try to kill Sam when he was released? You bet. Especially if he couldn’t find his ex-wife. No doubt he saw Sam as the cause of all his problems.
Wade had strange, light-colored eyes, almost silver. They weren’t pretty. They were chilling. Jim Monroe’s eyes were brown. Muddy brown.
He could be wearing contacts. After all, he had to realize his eyes were his most distinctive feature.
She looked at the photo again. Could Jim Monroe and Bill Wade be the same man?
“Dylan.” She touched his arm, leaned closer and repeated, “Dylan. Wake up.”
He slept on. Sam shook him and raised her voice. “Wake up.”
He came awake with a start. “What? What’s wrong?” He sat up and looked around, clearly puzzled.
“Nothing. I need you to look at something.”
He rubbed his eyes. “I take it this is important.”
“I wouldn’t have woken you up if it wasn’t.” She showed him the photo of Bill Wade on her tablet. “Look at him again.”
“Give me a minute. I’m still half-asleep.” He yawned and shook his head. Then took the tablet from her. “Okay. Like I said before, he reminds me of someone. It’s hard to tell with so much hair.” He frowned, studying the picture. Finally, he said, “Jim Monroe. That’s it. Give him a mustache, beard and long hair and he’d look like this man. Well, except for the eyes. This dude has strange eyes.”
“Contacts. Imagine Jim Monroe with silver eyes. Freaky silver eyes.”
“It could be him. You said you got a weird vibe when you saw him.”
“The dogs don’t like him. Shadow hates him.”
Dylan smiled. “That settles it. Obviously, he’s guilty.”
Shadow woke up and began to whine, then pace the floor, looking at Dylan and Sam anxiously.
“What’s wrong, Shadow?” He went to the door, scratched and barked. “What’s that sound?” Sam asked.
Dylan listened for a moment, then jumped out of bed, pulled on his jeans, grabbed a shirt, socks and boots.
“Oh, God, is that—”
“Yes, goddamn it.” He pulled on the T-shirt, then sat to put on his socks. Stood and shoved his feet into his boots. “It’s the fire alarm from the stables.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Fire. Shit! “Goddamn it, it’s him. Monroe or Wade or whatever the hell his name is.”
Calm down. The sprinkler system he’d had installed just last year was state-of-the-art. It should be, as much as it had cost. There’d been a rash of barn fires last year, with many animals dying, as well as a person. So he’d gotten the money together and not only bought the new fire alarm and sprinkler system, but he’d also modified the stables to make evacuation of the horses easier.
“Of course it’s him. This is far too coincidental for it not to be the same man who set fire to my house.” Sam started yanking on clothes.
“You’re not coming.”
“Of course I am. You need all the help you can get to evacuate the animals.”
“It’s a trap. You’re playing into his hands.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. If it’s a trap he wants both of us. I’m not sitting up here twiddling my thumbs while the animals are in danger.” She jammed her feet into her shoes and stood.
“I put in a brand-new system last year. The sprinklers should be able to handle it, at least until the fire department can get here. Connor and Al will already be at the barn since their bunkhouse is nearby. We don’t need you.”
Sam didn’t argue; she simply opened the bedroom door even as he talked. Shadow darted out, heading for the kitchen and the back door.
Dylan managed to grab her arm before she could follow Shadow. “Damn it, Sam. At least wait until the cops or the fire department arrive.”
“You know as well as I do that minutes count in a
barn fire. Stop arguing with me. You won’t win.” She yanked her arm out of his grasp and ran to the kitchen.
He couldn’t stop her short of tying her up or something equally drastic. He caught up with her as she opened the back door. Shadow took off with the two of them following.
The scene was a madhouse. There was smoke but no flames coming from the barn. They ran inside and he saw Al at the other end of the barn, busily employing a fire extinguisher. Before he could stop her, Sam dashed off. Connor was leading Hawkeye out of his stall. There was a cacophony of sound, horses whinnying, dogs barking, the men shouting. “Where’s the fire?” Dylan shouted as he reached Connor’s side.
“It started in Riptide’s stall. I took him out first. The sprinklers mostly took care of it, but—”
Dylan didn’t wait for more. He ran to Trouble’s stall, but Sam was already in with him. “Damn it, Sam! Get out of there!” Trouble was unpredictable at the best of times. God only knew what he’d do in a panic.
“Go get another horse. I’ve got him.”
Trouble was already haltered and had a lead rope attached. Shadow was with them. Dylan hesitated, torn between leaving her with the horse and wrestling the rope away from her. But struggling with Sam might make the stallion panic even more and that was the last thing he wanted to do.
He went to Sunshine’s stall and found her quivering with fear. He talked to her, soothing her as best he could, haltered her and led her out. Once outside he found Connor with another horse heading down the lane leading to a pasture some distance away. Dylan gave him Sunshine as well. “If you see Sam down there, tell her to stay put.” She’d be safer with the horse and the dog rather than in the barn, especially with Wade still on the loose.
Thank God the weather had been milder with spring coming. A number of the horses were pastured overnight in another field with a shelter. He ran back in the barn, checking the stalls and other areas to make sure all the horses, dogs and people were out. As he was leaving to find Sam, he almost fell over Al, lying in the dirt close to the back barn entrance. Wondering if he’d been overcome by smoke, Dylan turned him over. “Shit! Al, how bad are you hurt?” The smoke hadn’t gotten him. He’d been shot.
