by B. J Daniels
“He owed you money,” Blaze pointed out.
The rancher’s angry gaze shot from Blaze to his wife and back. “That is none of your business. I think it’s time for you to leave.” He took a few threatening steps toward her.
She couldn’t have agreed more. Turning, she headed for the door. Rita stepped aside to let her leave. But at the door, Blaze stopped and turned back. “Did you know that your wife visited my father in jail?”
She saw Hutch’s surprised expression and heard Rita say, “It isn’t what you think.”
Blaze would have loved to have known what Hutch thought as she left and headed for the jail to see her father. That was if the sheriff let her. She just hoped Monte would be more forthcoming than Rita had been.
* * *
IT HAD TAKEN going to four bars, nursing a beer at each and flashing around a wad of money before Jake had found the poker game. There was one tonight in the back room at the hardware store. He’d left the bartender a nice tip.
As he left the bar, he saw Blaze’s pickup parked over in front of the jail and headed there. Walking in, he saw her waiting impatiently. Fortunately, a deputy came out just then to say that she could go in to see Monte.
Jake signed in and followed her down the hallway. They took seats in a small room after being searched. A deputy had also been stationed right outside the door.
Monte didn’t look glad to see them when he was brought in. “Blaze, I told you what I wanted. Why are you wasting money on this lawyer?”
“Because you didn’t kill Frank Anson.”
The man sighed and looked as if he was going to leave. Instead, he slowly pulled up a chair and dropped into it.
“Listen to me,” Blaze said. “I talked with Allie.” Monte’s gaze instantly became alert. “She got the money you had transferred to her. She’s going to put the ranch up for sale. The only thing is she doesn’t know what she will do after that. It all depends on you.” She paused to take a deep breath. “Dad, the woman’s in love with you. She didn’t kill Frank. If you’re taking the blame to protect her...” Blaze seemed to suddenly realize she hadn’t called Monte Dad since her mother disappeared; he knew.
She then gave what appeared to be a mental shake and rushed on. “She wants a future with you and your baby.” Monte’s eyes widened. Jake couldn’t tell if she was getting through to him. “If I’m right, someone else killed Frank and is letting you take the fall for it because you are so stubborn. Tell me that you’ll change your plea to innocent. Then help me figure out who did it.”
Monte looked up at her, his blue eyes sad. “I didn’t want you involved in this.”
“Well, I am. Jake and I both are,” she said, for the first time acknowledging his presence. “I need to know what happened that day.”
“There isn’t anything to tell. I was down by the stock tank. I saw Frank riding in my direction. He looked upset. Then I heard a shot. I saw him fall off his horse. I got over there as quickly as I could. I’d drawn my pistol because I had no idea where the shot had come from.”
“You didn’t see anyone?” Her father shook his head. “Then he had to have been shot by a rifle. That should show up when they do the ballistics test. They’ll know he wasn’t killed with your pistol.”
“Then what happened?” Jake asked.
“When I reached him, I heard another shot. This one whizzed past my head, so I dropped down next to Frank. I checked his pulse. He was gone. About then, I heard someone come riding up. I thought at first it was the killer. It was the hired hand from the Garrison Ranch, Everett Banks. When he saw me, he drew his gun. I dropped mine and put my hands up as he made the call to the sheriff.”
“You didn’t bother to tell him that you hadn’t fired the shot that killed Frank?” Blaze demanded.
Her father shrugged. “I had no idea what was going on.”
She sighed heavily and looked at Jake before turning back to her father. “You must suspect who might have killed Frank other than Allie.”
Monte shook his head. “Frank didn’t get along with a lot of people, but I’d have no idea who might have wanted him dead.”
“Other than his wife?”
Her father met his gaze. “She didn’t want him dead, either.”
The deputy opened the door to say that time was up. “I’m going to get you out of here,” Blaze told her father. “But you have to change your plea. Promise me.”
He sighed. “All right, but be careful. I didn’t want you in this.” With that, he rose and let the deputy take him back to his cell.
“We need to find out what’s holding up that ballistics report,” Jake said when they were outside again.
Blaze nodded. “Yes, we do.”
He smiled over at her, glad to hear her say we. “Let’s get some dinner. I found a poker game I’m going to tonight. Will you be all right without me?”
She shot him a look, but it lacked her usual snark as they headed down the street toward the steak house. “You know, I am glad you’re here.”
He chuckled. “And I know how hard that was for you to admit.”
Blaze laughed. “I actually feel better about all of this. I was so sure he was guilty, but I believe him. He didn’t kill Frank. I’m just hoping the ballistics results prove it.”
They hadn’t gone far when a pickup-load of young ranchmen roared past. Several threw half-filled beer cans and yelled slurs.
Jake grabbed Blaze and shielded her from the beer raining down on them, as well as the thrown cans.
“You okay?” he said as the pickup raced away.
“Jerks.”
He put his arm around her, realizing she was shivering.
“Jake, let’s skip dinner and go home and wash off the beer in the shower.”
He cocked his head at her and looked into those amazing blue eyes. “Together?” He was only joking.
But when Blaze met his gaze, he saw the desire shining in her eyes. “Don’t you think that would be more fun?”
Jake laughed. “Absolutely.” He figured she’d come to her senses before she reached the house and change her mind. But he was smiling as he followed her out of town, although he was a little worried those fools in the pickup might double back. So far, he hadn’t seen them and was glad that there was no traffic on the dirt road to her ranch other than the two of them.
Ahead, her taillights became even more distant. The woman loved to drive fast. He smiled to himself, thinking that with Blaze you had to appreciate the whole package.
As they came over a rise, he saw her touch her brakes about the same time that he saw smoke billowing up against the dark sky and caught the acrid scent on the air leaking into the pickup from outside.
Swearing, he saw her speed up again. It took him a moment to realize where the smoke was coming from. His heart dropped. The McClintock Ranch.
CHAPTER TWELVE
BLAZE HAD KNOWN the moment she saw the smoke. The ranch. Of course her father’s enemies would hit again. The buffalo stampede was just a warning. Now they’d gotten serious. They wanted to run her and her father out. Apparently it wasn’t enough that Monte was in jail and probably headed for prison even though he hadn’t killed Frank.
But whoever was behind this had gone too far this time. As she drove she dug out her phone to call 911. By the time someone answered she was at the gate and could see that it was the smaller of the two barns burning.
“This is Blaze McClintock. My barn is on fire,” she said into the phone when the dispatcher came on the line. The area had a volunteer fire department, but she wasn’t even sure they would respond. Nonetheless, she had to try. The dispatcher said she would notify them.
Disconnecting, she roared into the yard. Jake was right behind her. She parked some distance from the flames and jumped out. Jake was even faster.
“I’ll get the water truck,” he y
elled over the howl of the fire. “You water down what you can of the large barn with the garden hose.” He ran off to disappear into the dark cloud of smoke.
When she reached the faucet she had to screw on the hose since everything had been drained for the winter. She could feel the heat at her back and was relieved when she finally got the water going and could begin spraying the flames that had already leaped to the larger barn. If they lost that... She thought of the horses, but before she even looked toward the pasture, she knew that Jake had already released them from the stable. He wouldn’t take any chances with the animals in case the fire got away from them.
Turning the hose on the side of the main barn, she let the icy water stream down to form icicles. It was late November and freezing cold outside. So why would the barn catch on fire? She knew it wouldn’t. Not without help.
When she heard the sirens and saw the flashing lights, she felt a lump form in her chest. The volunteer fire department had come—even given the way people felt about her father. She brushed at her sudden tears and kept watering down the side of the barn, shooting the water as high as she could onto the roof. Her back burned from the heat while the front of her, wet from the icy spray, was freezing. She could no longer feel her fingers. They couldn’t save the small barn, but maybe they could save the larger one.
She could hear the steady thump of the pump as Jake did his best to keep the fire from spreading. As the fire trucks pulled in and the volunteers went to work, she realized they just might be able to save the main barn.
She’d been so focused on what she was doing that she hadn’t heard the fireman come up behind her. It wasn’t until he tapped her on the shoulder. She started and turned to look into Shane Garrison’s face beneath the shield on his helmet. She met his gaze, knowing she must look shocked and yet so intensely grateful.
He motioned for her to put down the hose and stand back. She mouthed “Thank you,” and turned off the water to move away as the firemen went to work.
Ice crystals mixed with smoke in the air as the huge hoses began to douse the flames. She watched for only a moment before she went into the house to make something for them all to eat and drink.
* * *
HOURS LATER, the fire finally out and the main barn saved, Jake turned on the shower for an exhausted Blaze. She’d served all the firemen chili she’d whipped up along with corn bread and cold beer. He’d wondered if it was the first time many of them had been on the McClintock property. He was sure few of them had ever been inside the house. Blaze had invited them in, but they’d all declined, saying they’d only track it up.
So she’d brought everything out to the main barn and they’d stood around, eating and drinking and talking about the fire before packing up and heading back to town to their own homes. Jake had helped her bring in everything from the barn, though there wasn’t much food left. He could tell that she was dead on her feet, but that she’d been touched by her neighbors’ generosity and help.
Now she could barely keep her eyes open as he stripped off her clothes and guided her under the warm spray. He did the same, joining her only long enough to soap her down, rinse her and wrap a towel around her before pushing her in the direction of her bedroom. He finished his shower, thinking about the long, exhausting day, and yet he felt good. He didn’t mind physical labor. They’d saved the main barn. At least for now. A fire investigator would be brought in.
But Jake knew what the investigator would find. Arson. He and Blaze had alibis since they’d been seen on the street at the time the fire was started. He doubted the culprit would ever be caught, but maybe the county’s feelings toward Blaze would soften. The ranchers might argue and fight, but they wouldn’t burn down each other’s barns.
So whom did that leave? He shut off the water and grabbed a large towel. Wrapping it around his waist, he went out into the bedroom, already knowing what he would find. He stopped in the doorway, listening to Blaze’s gentle breathing. The only reason she’d let him undress her and push her into the shower was that she’d been too exhausted to do it herself.
She’d fallen asleep spread across the bed. He pulled down one side of the comforter, then rolled her onto the sheet and covered her up. She sighed but didn’t wake. He watched her sleep for a few moments, thinking this was probably the only time she’d been at peace in days.
Retrieving all the smoky and dirty clothing from the two of them, he headed down the hall to the washer and dryer. He put in a load and considered making a run for it out to the bunkhouse in only a towel. Even he wasn’t that crazy given that the night had turned more frigid.
Back in Blaze’s bedroom, he climbed into the side opposite hers and pulled the comforter over himself. The moment he closed his eyes, he was out. The bad dreams came later, just before dawn.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
BLAZE ROLLED OVER, her arm going out to the opposite side of the bed. It was warm. Her eyes flew open. Warm and empty. She breathed in Jake’s scent and was reminded of all the mornings she’d awakened to find him next to her in bed. The reminder sent a wave of disappointment through her along with that old ache.
She rolled onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. Sunlight shone in the window. She couldn’t believe she’d slept through the night for the first time in a long while.
For a few moments, she’d forgotten about the fire, about her father being in jail for murder, about the uphill battle she was waging to prove his innocence. He was innocent, wasn’t he? At least not guilty of killing Frank Anson.
Blaze touched the other side of the bed again. It wasn’t quite as warm, his scent also no longer lingering on the air. He hadn’t left her bed very long ago, but she knew he wouldn’t be back. Not unless she invited him.
She thought about the invitation she’d made him in town. It had been at a weak moment, but once out of her mouth, she hadn’t been about to take it back. She shook her head.
She wanted Jake, needed him, ached for him. The thought of mindless sex with Jake... She knew what she’d wanted was to lose herself in him for a while but had a feeling that wasn’t what Jake wanted. He was right about the last time they’d been together. Had she taken advantage of the situation after seeing him kissing his old girlfriend? She’d known that Jake wanted more from her. He had used the L word. He’d been waiting for her to tell him that she loved him, knowing what that would mean. Love wasn’t a word either of them threw around easily.
Jake loved her. Wanted her. For keeps.
* * *
IN THE KITCHEN, Jake heard the sound of the shower down the hall in Blaze’s bedroom. He’d hoped she would come looking for him this morning. He was disappointed and yet not surprised. But he’d known in the light of day, she would keep her distance. He flipped the pancakes he had going on the stove and checked the bacon. She’d be starved. It was why he’d made breakfast for her again this morning. She would want the same thing she’d had yesterday. He knew this woman too well.
His cell phone rang. “I heard you were looking around for a card game?” the male voice on the other end of the line asked. “Thought we might see you last night.” Whoever was at the other end of this call was disappointed that the group hadn’t been able to fleece him last night. They thought they’d found a sucker.
“It’s a high-stakes game,” the man was saying. “Not sure if you’re—”
“I’m up for it,” Jake said as he slid the pancakes into the oven to keep them warm until Blaze was ready. “Had a fire out here at the ranch so I missed last night’s.”
“Not to worry. There’s one this afternoon at five in the rear of the hardware store. Come in the back way. Cash only.”
“I’ll be there.” He disconnected and looked up as Blaze came into the room. She was dressed in jeans and a sweater that hugged her lush body. Her face looked paler, which made her hair look redder this morning. But her blue eyes were clear and bright. She looked rea
dy to take on the world.
“Mornin’,” she said almost sheepishly.
He grinned, wondering if she remembered him putting her into the shower—alone—or knew that he’d spent the night lying next to her, both of them naked as jaybirds. “Sleep well?”
“I did,” she said, avoiding his gaze.
“I just got a call about another poker game in town,” he said into the silence that followed. “This afternoon.”
She looked up then, obviously happier to be on more solid ground. It was one thing to talk about the case and another to talk about the chemistry that arced between them like heat lightning. “Do you need a stake in the game?”
“I have money, Blaze.”
She nodded as if realizing she’d stepped over a line and quickly changed the subject. “What smells so good?”
“Besides me?” he joked and quickly added, “Pancakes and bacon. Again.”
She laughed. “I could eat them every day of the week.”
“I know,” he said and grinned at her.
“I’m starved.”
He chuckled. “Sit down and I’ll get you a plate. What do you have planned today?”
“I’m going to see about hiring someone to clean up the debris left from the barn fire, then visit my father again. I’m also going to talk to some of the people who visited him in jail. I’m hoping one of them can shed some light on where his head is right now.”
“I can get someone to clean up the mess out here. I’ll also check the buffalo. I’ve already fed the horses. So give me half the names. Let me help.” She looked as if she might argue, but to his surprise, she handed over the list. He didn’t mention that he also planned to see if he could find out who’d set the barn fire.
“I didn’t tell you what I found out from Rita yesterday. Frank owed Hutch money. She didn’t admit it was gambling money, but it seems pretty clear. When Hutch came in the house, he ran me off. They’re both upset about the money my father gave Allie. I suspect they’ll be hitting her up for what Frank owed them. Knowing her, she’ll probably pay them off.”
