by Susan Stoker, Cristin Harber, Cora Seton, Lynn Raye Harris, Kaylea Cross, Katie Reus, Tessa Layne
“Cass? You have anything else you want to say? Why’d your overseer come and shoot up your house?” Cab asked her again.
“I don’t know. Maybe because I fired him?” The sheriff wasn’t going to get her to admit that the drugs in Howie’s truck had anything to do with Two Willows. Maybe she was overreacting; maybe by some miracle the General wouldn’t jump to conclusions if he heard the hands had been using the ranch to cover up their operation. After all, as Brian had pointed out to her earlier, the General was the one who’d hired Bob.
But Cass knew better than to count on the General behaving rationally when it came to the ranch. He was far more likely to go off half-cocked and evict them from the property. She couldn’t allow that to happen, which was why she couldn’t cooperate with Cab.
“And why’d you do that?”
“He never listened to me.” That was the truth, even if it wasn’t the whole truth. All Bob had ever cared about was himself, and if she could have seen that right off, none of this would have happened.
“I thought the General did all the hiring and firing at Two Willows.”
Cass straightened in her seat and focused. She should have seen that coming. “He does.”
“But Bob let you run him off the ranch.”
Damn it, she needed to keep her story straight. Cass tried to think clearly, but she’d been up for nearly twenty-four hours and her need to sleep was getting desperate. “Let’s just say I knew something Bob didn’t want to get out.” That he’d stolen more than thirty grand. It still galled her that Bob thought she was so stupid he’d been surprised when she’d figured it out. All she could guess was that he’d thought he’d manage to marry her before she did. Thank God that hadn’t been the case, or she would really have been in a fix.
“So you blackmailed him.” Cab sat back in his seat and waited for an answer.
Blackmail? That didn’t sound good. She shook her head slowly. “I politely suggested he find another place to work, or I would take it as approval for me to spread the word.” Too bad Bob had quickly realized she wouldn’t follow through on her threat.
“Just what was his secret?”
“Sheriff, I don’t want to speak ill of the dead.”
Cab tapped his pen on the table, the only sign of impatience he’d betrayed so far. “I can do this all day, Cass,” he said finally.
So can I, she wanted to say, but she only looked at him. She’d been interrogated countless times by the General back when the stakes were even higher; when leaving the ranch would have meant the breakup of her family into foster homes around the state. It didn’t matter that those interrogations had taken place over the phone or on a video chat. Cab might be a formidable man when he wanted to be—but the General was far worse—even long distance.
Cab rubbed his nose with the back of his hand. “Let’s play a game. I’m going to describe a hypothetical situation. And you describe—completely hypothetically—what you would do about it.”
Cass kept quiet. It was a trick, and not a very sophisticated one.
“You know, before we start I’d like to point out we’re on the same side here,” Cab added.
“Maybe. Maybe not.”
“You don’t trust me?”
“Sheriff, don’t take this personally, but you are a man. On the whole, men haven’t made much of an impression on me.”
Cab heaved a sigh. “I guess I can understand that. Ready for that game?”
She shrugged.
“I’ll take that as a yes.” He shifted in his chair. “Hypothetically, is it possible that when Bob hired on at Two Willows he came here for other reasons than to run the ranch?”
“Hypothetically,” she said. She’d give him that much.
“And hypothetically, did he maybe dip his fingers into the ranch’s earnings, and that’s why you escorted him off the property, so to speak?”
The sheriff was a little savvier than she’d thought. Cass considered her answer. “Hypothetically, if an overseer had stolen money from me, I would have found a way to run him off.”
“Instead of reporting the theft.”
“Keeping the ranch is more important than a little hypothetical cash, Cab.”
“You think the General would have taken it away?” His furrowed brow told her he didn’t understand. Cass didn’t blame him. No one understood that the General had dangled that possibility over her head for years to try to keep her in line. She simply couldn’t take the chance he wasn’t bluffing. Only someone who’d lived like she had—so insecure in her place in the world—would understand that.
“I know he would take it away if he thought I’d messed up so badly. So if Bob had stolen cash from me, and if one of the General’s spies let him know that happened, my sisters and I would be up a creek without a paddle.”
Cab had the grace to wince, confirming what Cass had always suspected—that he was indeed one of the General’s spies. Not the only one, though. Not by a long shot.
“So why did Bob come back?”
She wasn’t going to get caught out like that. “Apparently, to shoot up my kitchen.” She gave Cab a serene smile.
He didn’t smile back. “Before he went postal on your kitchen.”
“Hypothetically?”
“Hypothetically. Could it have something to do with the truckload of drugs in my parking lot?”
Cass chose her words carefully. “Hypothetically, the drug trade is alive and well in Chance Creek. And hypothetically, my ex-overseer might have seen fit to use Two Willows as a conduit. And hypothetically I might have needed to put a stop to it.”
“But Brian was the one who put a stop to it, wasn’t he? He was the one who took down Bob. You missed,” Cab pointed out.
Cass bristled. That was a low blow. When a wave of vertigo washed over her, she clutched at the table to steady herself. She’d nearly killed a man—that was enough. She’d nearly died herself.
“You’re right; I missed,” she repeated. With a shotgun at nearly point-blank range. The General would be disappointed.
“I’m glad to find out you and your sisters aren’t masterminding the local drug trade,” Cab told her. “But next time something goes wrong at this ranch, you call and tell me.” He tapped the table twice with his finger. “And next time someone tries to kill you, you pull that trigger faster. And hit the damn target this time. I don’t ever want to explain to the General he needs to come home and bury one of his girls. Nearly killed him to bury his wife.”
Cass looked up at him, taken aback. How could he know what the General felt? She had the sense Cab wanted her to ask, but Cass couldn’t go there. Not now.
“Shouldn’t you be figuring out who owns that truckload of drugs?” she asked him, suddenly exhausted.
“Oh, we’ve figured it out. And Howie’s already talking. Those guys can’t give each other up fast enough.”
“Well, that’s some good news. I guess it’s time for us to start cleaning this place up.”
“Not so fast.” Cab held up a hand. “I have one more question. Did you ladies have some kind of accident out here lately? With a trailer?”
She didn’t even blink. If Cab thought he was half as good at this game as the General was, he was sorely mistaken. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
Cab sighed again. “Sean told us about the trailer they were using to store their drugs. He said he was last in it yesterday. Said something had happened to it. I went and check out the canyon where he said it was parked. Lo and behold, there’d been an explosion. Not much of that trailer left.”
“Bob hauled away an old trailer from the Park about a month ago,” she said truthfully. “Said he brought it to the dump. If it didn’t leave my property, he’d be the one to ask.”
“If he was alive.” Cab held her gaze.
“If he was alive.” Cass didn’t blink.
“Why the hell didn’t you join up?” Cab said finally. “Would have made a damn good operative. Look at you, cool as a cucumber, lying to
the authorities.”
Cass wished to God she could tell him everything. He was a good man, a man she’d always trusted. Now there’d be all this between them. “This house and my sisters are all I have,” she said. “They’re my whole world. Do you understand that?”
After a long moment, Cab nodded. “Yeah, I do. But you and your sisters have stirred up a hornet’s nest. I hope you realize that. Is that Navy SEAL going to stay?”
“I hope so,” she confessed.
“I hope so, too. Next time, you call me. You don’t handle it yourself no matter what happens. You call me, you got that?”
It was Cass’s turn to nod. “Sheriff,” she said as Cab rose to his feet. “I wish things were different.”
He softened. Touched her shoulder. “Cass Reed, your father—if he wasn’t such a God-damn ass and came around once in a while—would be proud of you for the way you defended your home—and your family. And as much as it makes my job harder, he’d be proud of you for knowing when to talk and when to keep mum. But if you think that’s all I’ve got when it comes to questioning, you’re underestimating me. If it suits me—and next time it will suit me—we won’t stop until I know your innermost fears and dreams. You got that?”
“Yes, sir.” She got it.
“Take care of yourself. Take care of Lena and the others. And that SEAL? He’s a keeper. Don’t toss him away because of a couple of hard cases and a distant father. Hear me?”
“Yes, Sheriff.”
He crossed his arms. “Damn it, when women like you get all docile, it’s downright frightening. I mean it, Cass. Marry the man and let him help you get this ranch back in shape.”
“Yes, Sheriff.”
With a grunt of exasperation, Cab jammed his hat back on his head, just as Brian leaned into the kitchen.
“You all finished in here?”
“I’m leaving,” Cab told him on his way past. A moment later they heard him say good-bye to Sadie and Jo.
“Time to fix everyone some lunch,” Cass said to Brian. “If there are any dishes left.” She surveyed the room sadly.
“Is it my imagination, or did I hear the sheriff putting in a good word for me?” He approached and rested his hands on her hips.
She rolled her eyes. “You might have.”
“He’s a smart man. And I’ll help you rustle up some lunch in a minute. But first, let’s go outside. I want to stretch my legs.”
“I need to check on Lena.”
“Alice is with her.” He didn’t wait for her to acquiesce. Instead, he tugged her out the back door and headed for the maze.
“You’ve got a question for the stone?” she said when they drew near, wondering what it could be. She hadn’t gone back into the maze since they’d made love. Surely he didn’t think they were going to fool around now?
“Something like that. Now, I think I know the way. I managed to get to the center last time.” For the next few minutes, Brian bumbled through the maze and Cass followed, smiling despite everything that had happened in the past twenty-four hours. He made a wrong turn or two, but found his way without too much trouble. When they reached the center, Cass felt the sense of calm the stone always worked on her. Brian led her to the bench and gestured for her to sit.
When he knelt in front of her, she held her breath in surprise.
“Cass, I came here looking for a future after all my plans were blown to hell by my own impatience. I wanted to meet the beautiful woman whose photo I’d been staring at for weeks, and I hoped maybe there would be a place for me at Two Willows…” He trailed off and started again. “Even though I was afraid I could never be the kind of man who deserved a woman like you, some small part of me hung on to the hope there was a future with you for me here at Two Willows. But nothing—” He squeezed her hand. “Nothing prepared me for what I felt when I first saw you. You took my breath away, and the moment I stepped into your house I knew you were the woman for me. Not because of the ranch. Not because Two Willows could be my home. But because of you. Two Willows is Two Willows because of you. When I walked into the house, the love and care you lavished on it shone from every surface. It isn’t just a place where people sleep and eat—it is a place where people live and dream. I haven’t had a home like that since I was a child. I didn’t know how much I’d missed it.”
“Brian—”
“No, let me finish. Cass, I love you because of the way you love your family. I love how you take the time to do the little things for everyone. I love how the round of chores and events of each day don’t faze you one bit; you simply do them to the best of your ability. I love how you keep an eye on everyone you care about. I love the way you still have time for your friends. I love the way you feel in my arms, and how I feel when I’m near you. I swear I will always come when you need me. I will do everything I can to help you keep Two Willows and your sisters safe. Cass, would you do me the great honor of marrying me?”
Cass swallowed, hardly daring to believe this moment had come. She could barely breathe the way her heart was pounding in her chest. But surprisingly there was little to think about or debate in her mind. Previously, their situation had seemed so complicated.
Now it was simple.
She loved him. Loved everything about him. She loved spending time with him. Loved working on the house with him. Loved contemplating a life they might make together.
She’d seen the care he’d spent on fixing the house so far. She’d heard from Lena that he was knowledgeable about ranching and had a good seat on a horse. There was no question of him taking her away from Two Willows.
He wanted to be here as much as she did.
She’d received the blessing of her sisters, her best friend—and even the local sheriff. Everyone except the General had weighed in, and he’d been the one to send Brian here in the first place, hadn’t he?
What would the General think about her marrying his Navy SEAL?
She didn’t care.
Because Brian had proved once and for all he truly loved her. When the chips were down he’d come to save her. He’d helped her sisters, protected them—put his life on the line for them. Gone were any fears about his intentions. Brian was a real man—an honest man. An honorable one. And she’d be proud—so proud—to be his wife.
“Yes,” she said to Brian. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”
As his arms closed around her, she leaned in to meet his kiss. This was exactly where she belonged, she thought, melting against him. At the heart of her ranch, giving her heart to the man she loved.
When he pulled back and rose to his feet, she said, “Where are we going?” She was a little disappointed he’d cut the occasion short.
“To town. We’ll pick up lunch on the way home, but first there’s something we have to do.”
As Brian drove through his adopted town, he wanted to roll down the window of his truck and shout the news through the streets.
Cass had said yes.
He was going to stay at Two Willows. He was going to repair their home and do whatever it took to shore up the cattle operation.
He wasn’t ever going to let her down.
Still, when he pulled in to park near the little jewelry store Alice had told him about, he felt uneasy. It had seemed like a good idea before to allow Cass to pick out her own engagement ring and get the seal of approval from Rose Johnson, whom Alice had said could tell about these things.
Now the moment was here, he wasn’t so sure about that. But Cass was already climbing out of the truck, and her face had lit up with happiness when she saw the jewelry store.
No going back now.
Brian hurried around to take her hand. “I wanted you to choose for yourself.” It sounded right when he said it out loud. He knew too much about Cass’s past to ever want her to feel like he was dictating to her.
“I’d like that,” she said simply.
Inside, they moved slowly among the glass display cases until they found a selection of rings. They were bent over th
e case, pointing out different rings to each other, when a petite woman came out of the back and greeted them.
“Morning, Cass. It’s good to see you off the ranch. What brings you in today? And who is this?”
“This is Brian Lake. My… fiancé.” Cass blushed prettily when she said it, and Brian’s chest swelled with pride.
“We’re here for a ring,” he said.
“I’m so glad.” Rose rushed to pull out a few trays. “Try as many as you like.”
Cass tried on several, but Brian noticed there was one she kept looking at, but didn’t pick out. He plucked it out of the velvet case and handed it to her. The band was delicate, tapered near the rosette-shaped diamond. As he slid it on her finger, it felt right.
“Is that the one?” he asked softly.
Cass nodded, her eyes shining. “It’s beautiful.”
“We’ll take it.” He slid it off her finger again. “Don’t worry; we’ll have it back on there in a jiffy.” First, he needed to know for sure it was right. He handed it to Rose, who took it and held it in the palm of her hand for a moment. She closed her eyes and tightened her fingers around it. When she opened them again, she handed the ring back to Cass.
“The two of you will be very, very happy,” she said, as misty-eyed as Cass became when she heard her words.
“Thank you.” Cass held up the ring. “It really is beautiful.”
Brian slipped it back on her finger and kissed her soundly. “So are you.”
Cass was gratified by her sisters’ reaction when she showed them her new ring and announced the date of her wedding in three weeks’ time. Crowded around Lena’s bed, Jo threw her arms around Cass, and her other sisters, barring Lena, weren’t far behind. Cass stooped down to give Lena a careful hug while the others congratulated Brian.
“Do you still approve?” she whispered.
“I do. I think you two will do fine. Think Brian can keep the General from sending another overseer?”
“I hope so.”
The next half-hour was spent sharing around the lunch they’d bought, reliving the events of the night before, and making plans for the restoration of the house, but when the meal was over, Brian told the others, “Cass and I will be back later.”
