Under Threat

by B. J Daniels

  “I’d take a coffee, your choice, surprise me.”

  Oh, she could surprise him in ways he never dreamed of. But she’d play along. “You got it,” she said, and went to work on his coffee while he ambled over to the window to stare across the street at Mary’s building.

  She made him something strong enough to take paint off the walls, added a little sweetness and said, “I think I have just what you need this morning.”

  He chuckled as he turned back to her. “I think you’re right about that.” He blatantly looked her up and down. “Go out with me.”

  Okay, she hadn’t been expecting that. But all things considered, the idea intrigued her. “I’m sorry, but aren’t you dating my landlady?”

  “Who says I can’t date you too?”

  She raised an eyebrow. Clearly, he wanted to use her to make Mary jealous. He could mess up her plans. She couldn’t let him do that. Realizing he could be a problem, she recalled that Mary had plans tonight so she wouldn’t be around.

  “I’ll tell you what. I’m working the late shift tonight. I wouldn’t be free until midnight.” She wrote down the number of her burner phone and handed him the slip of paper. “Why don’t you give me a call sometime.”

  He grinned as he paid for his coffee. “I’ll do that.”

  Lucy grinned back. “I’m looking forward to it,” she said, meaning it. Dillon thought he could use her. The thought made her laugh. He seriously had no idea who he was dealing with.

  * * *

  Mary looked up as Chase came in the front door of her building.

  He held up his hands in surrender. “I don’t want to keep you from your work, but I thought maybe we could have lunch together if you don’t have other plans. I really need to talk to you. Not about us. You asked for space, and I’m giving it to you. But I do need your help.”

  She glanced at her watch, surprised to see that it was almost noon. Which meant that all the restaurants would be packed. She said as much to him.

  He grinned, which was always her undoing with him. “I packed us a picnic lunch. I know you’re busy, so I thought we would just go down by the river. I’ll have you back within the hour. If it won’t work out, no sweat. I’ll leave.”

  She hadn’t been on a picnic in years. But more important, Chase wasn’t pressuring her. There was a spot on the river on the ranch that used to be one of their favorite places. The memory of the two of them down by the river blew in like a warm summer breeze, a caress filled with an aching need.

  “It’s a beautiful day out. I thought you could use a little sunshine and fresh air,” he said.

  She glanced at the work on her desk. “It is tempting.” He was tempting.

  “I didn’t just come here about lunch,” he said as if confessing. “I’ve narrowed down the search for my father to three names.” That caught her attention. “I was hoping—”

  “Just give me a minute to change.”

  They drove the short distance to the Gallatin River and walked down to a spot with a sandy shore. A breeze whispered in the pines and off the water to keep the summer day cool.

  Chase carried a picnic basket that Mary knew he’d gotten from her mother. “Was this my mother’s idea?”

  He laughed. “I do have a few ideas of my own.” His blue gaze locked with hers, sending a delicious shiver through her. She remembered some of his ideas.

  She sighed and took a step away from him. Being so close to Chase with him looking at her like that, she couldn’t think straight. “It makes me nervous, the two of you with your heads together.” When he said nothing, she’d looked over at him.

  He grinned. She did love that grin. “Your mom and I have always gotten along great. I like her.”

  She eyed him for a moment and let it go. Did he think that getting closer to her mother was going to make her trust him again? “How is work going on the Jensen Ranch?”

  “I’ve been helping with fencing so if you’re asking about Beth Anne? I haven’t even seen her.” He shook his head. “Like I told you, it’s temporary. I start as finish carpenter with Reclaimed Timber Construction next week. I’ll also be moving into my own place in a few days. I was just helping out at the Jensens’ ranch. Since I left, I’ve saved my money. I’m planning to build my own home here in the canyon.” He shrugged and then must have seen her surprised expression. “Mary, I told you, I’m not leaving. I love you. I’m going to fight like hell to get you back. Whatever it takes. Even if I have to run off that deputy of yours.”

  “Don’t talk crazy.” She noticed the bruise on his cheek from last night reminding her of their fight.

  “Seriously, there is something about him I don’t like.”

  “That was obvious, but I don’t want to talk about him. Especially with you.”

  “Not a problem,” he said as he spread out a blanket in the sand and opened the picnic basket “Fresh lemonade. I made it myself.”

  “With my mother’s help,” she said as he held up the jug. She could hear the ice cubes rattling.

  “I know it’s your favorite,” he said as he produced a plastic glass and poured her some. As he handed it to her, he smiled. “You look beautiful today, by the way.”

  She took the glass, her fingers brushing against his. A tingle rushed through her arm to her center in a heartbeat. She took a sip of the lemonade. “It’s wonderful. Thank you.”

  “That’s not all.” He brought out fried chicken, potato salad and deviled eggs.

  “If I eat all this, I won’t get any work done this afternoon,” she said, laughing.

  “Would that be so terrible?”

  She smiled at him as she leaned back on the blanket. The tops of the dark pines swayed in the clear blue overhead. The sound of the flowing clear water of the Gallatin River next to them was like a lullaby. It really was an amazing day, and it had been so long since she’d been here with Chase.

  “I haven’t done this since...”

  “I left. I’m sorry.”

  “Not sorry you left,” she said, hating that she’d brought it up.

  “Just sorry it wasn’t with you.”

  She nodded and sat up as he handed her a plate. “I guess we’ll never agree on that.”

  “Maybe not. But we agree on most everything else,” he said. “We want the same things.”

  “Do we?” she asked, meeting his gaze. Those old feelings rushed at her, making her melt inside. She loved this cowboy.

  “We do. Try the chicken. I fried it myself.”

  She took a bite and felt her eyes widen. “It’s delicious.” It wasn’t her mother’s. “There’s a spice on it I’m having trouble placing.”

  “It’s my own recipe.”

  “It really is good.”

  “I wish you didn’t sound so surprised.” But he grinned as he said, “Now the potato salad.”

  “Equally delicious. So you cook?”

  His face broke in a wide smile. “You really underestimate me. Cooking isn’t that tough.”

  They ate to the sound of the river, the occasional birdsong and the chatter of a distant squirrel. It was so enjoyable that she hated to bring up a subject that she knew concerned him. But he’d said he needed to talk to her about the names of men he thought might be his father.

  “You said you’ve narrowed your search to three names?” she asked.

  He nodded. “J.M. I’ve searched phone listings. Since it was someone in the Big Sky area that helps narrow the scope.”

  Unless the man had just been passing through. Or if he’d left. But she didn’t voice her doubts. “What is your plan? Are you going to knock on the door of the men with the initials J.M.?”

  He laughed. “You have a better suggestion?”

  She studied him. “You’re sure you want to do this?”

  Chase looked away for a moment. “I wish I could
let it go. But I have to know.”

  “What will you do when you find him?”

  He chuckled. “I have no idea.”

  “I don’t believe that.”

  Chase met her gaze. “This man used my mother and when she got pregnant, he dumped her.”

  “That isn’t what she said in her diary.”

  “No, she didn’t spell it out, if that’s what you mean. But I know how it ended. With her being penniless trying to raise me on her own. It’s what killed her, working like a dog all those years. I want to look him in the face and—” His voice broke.

  She moved to him. As he drew her into his arms, she rested her head against the solid rock wall of his chest. She listened to the steady beat of his heart as tears burned her eyes. She knew how important family was. She’d always known hers. She could feel the hole in his heart, and wanted more than anything to fill it. “Then let’s find him.”

  As they started to pack up the picnic supplies, Chase took her in his arms again. “You know I’ve never been that good with words.”

  “Oh, I think you’re just fine with words,” she said, and laughed.

  “I love you,” he said simply.

  She met his gaze. Those blue eyes said so much that he didn’t need words to convince her of that. “I love you.”

  “That’s enough. For now,” he said, and released her. The promise in his words sent a shiver of desire racing through her. Her skin tingled from his touch as well as his words. She’d wanted this cowboy more than she wanted her next breath.

  Still, she let him finish picking up the picnic supplies. He smiled at her. “Ready?”

  Just about, she thought.

  * * *

  Lucy had been shocked when Chase had stopped by Mary’s and the two had left together. She’d thought Mary was angry with him. Clearly, not enough.

  Where had they been? Not far away because he’d brought her back so soon. But something was different. She could sense it, see it in the way they were with each other as he walked her to her door. They seemed closer. She tried to breathe. Her hands ached from being balled up into fists.

  Watching from the window of the coffee shop, she saw Mary touch his hand. Chase immediately took hers in his large, sun-browned one. The two looked at each other as if... As if they shared a secret. Surely they weren’t lovers again already. Then Chase kissed her.

  Lucy brought her fist down on the counter. Cups rattled and Amy, who’d been cashing out for the day, looked over at her. “Sorry. I was trying to kill a pesky fly.”

  Amy didn’t look convinced, but she did go back to what she was doing, leaving Lucy alone to stare out the window at the couple across the street. Chase had stepped closer. His hands were now on her shoulders. Lucy remembered his scent, his touch. He was hers. Not Mary’s.

  Chase leaned in and kissed her again before turning back to his pickup. It wasn’t a lover’s kiss. It was too quick for that. But there was no doubt that Mary was no longer angry with him. Something had changed.

  She watched him drive away, telling herself to bide her time. She couldn’t go off half-cocked like she had that night at the river. Timing was everything.

  A customer came in. She unfisted her hands as she began to make the woman’s coffee order and breathe. But she kept seeing the way Chase had kissed his cowgirl and how Mary had responded. It ate at her heart like acid, and she thought she might retch.

  But she held it together as the coffee shop filled with a busload of tourists. Soon Mary would come over for her afternoon caffeine fix. Lucy touched the small white package of powder in her apron pocket. She was ready for her.

  * * *

  Mary tried to concentrate on her work. She had to get this report done. But her mind kept going back to Chase and the picnic and the kisses.

  She touched the tip of her tongue to her lower lip and couldn’t help but smile. Some things didn’t change. Being in Chase’s arms again, feeling his lips on hers. The short kiss was a prelude to what could come.

  “Don’t get ahead of yourself,” she said out loud. “You’re only helping him look for his father.” But even as she said it, she knew today they’d crossed one of the barriers she’d erected between them.

  She shook her head and went back to work, losing herself in the report until she heard her front door open. Looking up, she saw Lucy holding a cup of coffee from Lone Peak Perk.

  “I hope I’m not disturbing you,” she said. “When it got late, I realized you might need this.” She held out the cup.

  “What time is it?”

  “Five thirty. I’m sorry. You probably don’t want it today.” She started to back out.

  “No, it’s just what I need if I hope to get this finished today,” Mary said, rising from her desk. “I lost track of time and I had a big lunch. It’s a wonder I haven’t already dozed off.”

  Lucy smiled as she handed her the coffee. “I saw your cowboy come by and pick you up. Fun lunch?”

  Mary nodded, grinning in spite of herself. “Very fun.” She reached for her purse.

  “I put it on your account.”

  She smiled. “Thank you.” She took a sip. “I probably won’t be able to sleep tonight from all this sugar and caffeine this late in the day, but at least I should be able to get this report done now. Thank you again. What would I do without you?”

  Chapter 13

  Mary thought she was going to die. She’d retched until there was nothing more inside her, and yet her stomach continued to roil.

  When it had first hit, she’d rushed to the restroom at the back of her office. She’d thought it might have been the potato salad, but Chased had ice packs around everything in the basket.

  Still, she couldn’t imagine what else it could have been. Flu? It seemed early in the season, but it was possible.

  After retching a few times, she thought it had passed. The report was almost finished. She wasn’t feeling great. Maybe she should go upstairs to her apartment and lie down for a while.

  But it had hit again and again. Now she sat on the cool floor of the office bathroom, wet paper towels held to her forehead, as she waited for another stomach spasm. She couldn’t remember ever feeling this sick, and it scared her. She felt so weak that she didn’t have the strength to get up off this floor, let alone make it up to her third-floor apartment.

  She closed her eyes, debating if she could reach her desk where she’d left her cell phone. If she could call her mother...

  “Mary? Mary, are you here?”

  Relieved and afraid Lucy would leave before she could call her, Mary crawled over to the door to the hallway and, reaching up, her arm trembling, opened it. “Lucy.” Her throat hurt. When her voice came out, the words were barely audible. “Lucy!” she called again, straining to be heard since she knew she couldn’t get to her feet as weak as she was.

  For a moment it seemed that Lucy hadn’t heard her. Tears burned her eyes, and she had to fight breaking down and sobbing.

  “Mary?”

  She heard footfalls and a moment later Lucy was standing over her, looking down at her with an expression of shock.

  “I’m sick.”

  “I can see that.” Lucy leaned down. “Do you want me to call you an ambulance?”

  “No, if you could just help me up to my apartment. I think it must be food poisoning.”

  “Oh no. What did you have for lunch?” Lucy asked as she reached down to lift her into a standing position. “You’re as weak as a kitten.”

  Mary leaned against the wall for a moment, feeling as if she needed to catch her breath. “Chase made us a picnic lunch. It must have been the chicken or the potato salad.”

  “That’s awful. Here, put your arm around me. Do you think you can walk?”

  They went out the back of the office and down the hallway to the stairs.

  “Let me kn
ow if you need to rest,” Lucy said as they started up the steps.

  Her stomach empty, the spasms seemed to have stopped—at least for the moment. Having Lucy here made her feel less scared. She was sure that she’d be fine if she could just get to her apartment and lie down.

  “I’m all right.” But she was sweating profusely by the time they’d reached her door.

  “I didn’t think to ask,” Lucy said. “Are your keys downstairs?”

  Mary let out a groan of frustration. “On my desk.”

  “If you think you can stand while I run back down—”

  “No, there’s a spare key under the carpet on the last stair at the top,” she said. “I sometimes forget when I just run up from the office for lunch.”

  “Smart.”

  She watched Lucy retrieve the key. “I can’t tell you how glad I was to see you.”

  “I saw that your lights were still on in your office, but there was no sign of you. I thought I’d better check to make sure everything was all right. When I found your office door open and you weren’t there...” She opened the door and helped her inside.

  “I think I want to go straight to my bedroom. I need to lie down.”

  “Let me help you.” Lucy got her to the bed. “Can you undress on your own?”

  “If you would just help me with my boots, I think I can manage everything else.”

  Lucy knelt down and pulled off her Western boots. “Here, unbutton your jeans and let me pull them off. You’ll be more comfortable without them.”

  Mary fumbled with the buttons, realizing the woman was right. She felt so helpless, and was grateful when Lucy pulled off her jeans and helped tuck her into bed. “Thank you so much.”

  “I’m just glad I could help. Would you like some ginger ale? My mother always gave me that when I had a stomachache.”

  Mary shook her head. “I think I just need to rest.”

  “Okay, I’ll leave you to it. I don’t see your phone.”

  “It’s downstairs on my desk too.”

  “I’ll get it so you can call if you need anything, and I mean anything, you call me, all right? I’ll be just downstairs.”