Buried Mountain Secrets

by Terri Reed

  “Good. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going home to clean up. And get back to work.” She strode away with purpose in each step.

  Alex turned to the sheriff. “We know Brady didn’t set this fire. In fact, I believe this fire was set, in part, to eliminate Brady as a threat to whoever is after the treasure, as well as to allow for an opportunity to steal the journal.”

  “I agree,” the sheriff said. “You need to take the Gallo siblings somewhere safe.”

  “I’m taking them back to the ranch.”

  “You need backup.” The sheriff got on the radio and asked for Chase and Daniel to join them.

  Alex didn’t argue. Having backup seemed the best option since they had to wait until Monday for a security system.

  A few moments later, the two deputies hurried over. Alex nodded in greeting to the two men.

  Chase and Daniel both had black ash smeared on their uniforms and faces. Their eyes were red-rimmed from the acrid smoke.

  “We barely got out through the break room window,” Chase announced to Alex.

  Alex’s clenched his jaw. “Same here, through the office window.”

  “Trying to get two inebriated men and a nearly hysterical Carole to jump the few feet to the ground was no picnic,” Daniel added.

  “Where are our evening’s guests?” the sheriff inquired.

  “Locked up tight and sleeping off their stupor in the back of a department vehicle,” Daniel replied.

  Concerned for the department’s receptionist lanced Alex. “And Carole?”

  “Safe in her husband’s arms,” Chase replied.

  “Good,” Sheriff Ryder said. “Well, I don’t suppose we can leave two detainees unattended, and I’m probably going to need help before this night is over. Those masked men might have a bigger agenda.” He sighed, his weary gaze traveling over the smoldering sheriff’s station Alex knew he loved. “Kaitlyn’s over at the church helping dismantle the float and keeping the teens in check.” He looked at Alex. “I’ll have Kaitlyn head over when she’s done at the church.”

  “Thank you, sir. If you don’t need me...” Alex gestured.

  “No. Take your charges home.”

  Alex turned to Chase and Daniel. “Check on the treasure hunters. We ran into one earlier today. I want to know they are accounted for and where they’ve been this evening.”

  “Will do.” Chase hurried off to take care of the task.

  Daniel snorted. “Always so eager.”

  Alex laughed and clapped Daniel on the back. “Remember when we were that gung ho?”

  “A long time ago,” Daniel groused as he walked with Alex to where Maya, Brady and Leslie waited.

  “You make it sound like we’re over-the-hill,” Alex shot back. “It wasn’t that long ago.”

  Daniel shrugged but his gaze was on Leslie. She stood beside the open door of Alex’s truck with Maya. Both women turned as they approached.

  Maya took Alex’s hand when he stopped at her side. The contact surprised him. He curled his fingers around hers, relishing having her so close.

  “Any news?” she asked. Her voice wavered.

  He didn’t want to frighten her more by telling her that the blaze was arson with a deadly intent. “The fire investigation will take a few days.”

  Her gaze narrowed. “What aren’t you saying?”

  How could she read him so well? So smart and intuitive. Better to honor her with the truth than lie by omission. “It’s pretty clear the fire was arson.”

  Maya grimaced. “I was afraid that was the case.”

  “Was anyone seriously hurt?” Leslie asked.

  “No,” Daniel replied. “We all survived.”

  “That’s a blessing,” Leslie murmured, her gaze darting from Daniel to Maya. “Brady’s falling asleep. You’re welcome to come to my house.”

  “They are staying with me,” Alex said before Maya could respond.

  “All right.” Leslie smiled at their joined hands, then touched Maya’s arm. “Call me. Let me know if I can help in any way.”

  “I will.”

  “I’ll walk you to your car,” Daniel said to Leslie.

  Leslie slanted him a glance. “No need.” She hurried to her 4x4 parked at the end of the lot.

  Daniel clenched his jaw and he shook his head. “Stubborn woman,” he muttered as he watched her.

  Alex helped Maya climb into the truck, then he walked back to Daniel. “What is it with you and Leslie Quinn?”

  “Nothing worth talking about.” Daniel gave a chin nod toward the truck. “You want me to follow you?”

  Alex knew Leslie and Daniel had grown up in Bristle Township along with Maya. There was history between them. But since the man apparently didn’t want to discuss his relationship with the pretty blonde, Alex decided to not pry. “Yes. And stay until Kaitlyn arrives, if you don’t mind.”

  “Not a problem. I’ve got your back.” Daniel strode away to climb into his vehicle.

  Alex gave him a two-fingered salute of gratitude before he joined Maya and Brady in the truck.

  The drive to the ranch didn’t take long and the only headlights in Alex’s rearview mirror were Daniel’s. When Alex turned into the drive to his ranch, the other deputy flashed his lights, made a U-turn and parked at the entrance to the ranch’s driveway.

  Alex brought his truck to a halt and watched his dad and his dog rush down the porch stairs to the other side of the truck to help Maya and Brady out. Rusty was all wiggles and happy barking. In the distance, Truman’s whinny of greeting floated in on the breeze.

  Frank gave Brady a big hug. “I was worried about you.”

  Rusty let out a happy yip and circled them.

  Seeing his father’s affection for Brady, Alex clenched his gut. He didn’t begrudge the kid the attention, but there was a part of Alex that still yearned for his father’s love. With practiced ease, he shoved the longing to a back corner. No sense in ruminating over the past when there was no way to undo the damage done.

  “Let’s get everybody inside,” Alex said briskly. “We’re all grimy and tired.”

  “I’m sure hot cocoa and marshmallows will make everyone feel better,” Maya stated with a soft smile, her eyes on Alex. He swallowed, wondering if she’d seen his thoughts on his face.

  “That sounds like a perfect prescription,” said Frank.

  “Can I help?” Brady asked, all traces of sleepiness gone.

  “After your shower,” Maya said.

  “Okay!” Brady bolted up the stairs ahead of Frank with Rusty at his heels. The kid stopped and turned to the older man. “Don’t start without me.”

  “Never,” Frank said, placing his hand over his heart.

  Grinning, Brady and Rusty raced inside.

  Frank chuckled. “The boy is resilient.”

  “He really is,” Alex agreed. He met his father’s gaze. There was a flash of some emotion in his dad’s eyes that left Alex confused. Anguish? Regret?

  Frank’s gaze bounced between Maya and Alex, then he said, “I’ll get everything ready and wait for Brady in the kitchen.”

  His dad ascended the stairs much slower than he had descended them. Alex wondered if his dad was hurting.

  Maya’s gait was a bit stiff as she started toward the stairs.

  Stepping closer, he slid an arm around her waist. “Lean on me.”

  For a moment, she tilted her head to stare at him with her pretty brown eyes. He wondered what she saw and if he was lacking. Then she nodded and she wrapped her good arm around his waist. Snuggled against his side, he guided her up the stairs.

  “What a trying day. A trying few days,” she murmured. “I ache all over.”

  He tightened his hold. The need to reassure her, protect her, flooded his system. “It’s going to get better.”

 
And he sent up a silent prayer to God that he would be able to keep that promise.

  * * *

  After everyone showered and changed into fresh clothes, they congregated in the kitchen. Maya started a load of laundry, though she doubted their clothes would ever be rid of the acrid stench of the fire. Frank and Brady had made hot chocolate and now sat at the dining table with their mugs. Alex was in his office on his computer. Kaitlyn had arrived, popped in to say hello, then left and was now sitting in her vehicle at the end of the driveway near the main road to ensure no one approached the house.

  Maya barely touched the sweet confection in her own cup. She was dead tired, but her mind was wired. Fear lay in the pit of her belly like a heavy stone. Though she and Brady were safe now, that didn’t mean something couldn’t happen. After all, someone had burned down the sheriff’s station with them inside. If not for Alex’s quick thinking, they all could have died. She shuddered.

  She felt helpless and vulnerable. The only thing keeping her sane was Alex. And her trust in God.

  She had to believe between the two of them that she and Brady would be okay. The bad guys would be caught, and everything would settle down. Though, unaccountably, she wasn’t looking forward to returning to the house she and Brady had grown up in. The thought of leaving the ranch caused a ripple of anxiety down her spine and made her pulse pound. Would she feel safe ever again?

  Alex returned to the dining room and set a laptop on the table in front of her brother. “Brady, could you look at these for me?” He opened the laptop and angled the screen toward her brother. “Do you think you can figure out what this all means?”

  Brady set his mug down. “I’ll try.”

  Maya gave Alex a questioning look. He shrugged. “He’s good with puzzles. Maybe he can decipher Ned Weber’s notes.”

  She blinked in surprise. “Wasn’t it destroyed in the fire?”

  “Actually, it was stolen.”

  She absorbed that news. “But you have a copy of the notebook?”

  “Hannah uploaded photos to the cloud and sent them to me.”

  Maya wasn’t sure she wanted Brady further involved in the hunt for the treasure, even if it was to help Alex.

  There was such a look of concentration on Brady’s sweet face as he studied the images on the screen, her heart contracted. She wanted to reach out and push back the fall of dark hair from his forehead, but she hesitated. Maybe if he could make heads or tails out of the notebook pages, then they could find the person terrorizing them.

  She knew she wouldn’t be able to rest until they were no longer in danger. She was so grateful to Alex and his father for letting them stay here at their house. And so thankful that the sheriff had agreed to let Brady come home.

  Strange how Maya thought of the ranch as home. She was comfortable here. Content. Her gaze lingered on Alex. He made her feel special, protected, wanted...

  She stifled a gasp. She knew he didn’t love her, he’d done nothing to indicate his feelings for her went deeper than keeping her safe, but the way her heart was knocking against her ribs made her keenly aware of the fact that she was falling for him.

  Despite her best intentions, Alex had breached the barricades around her heart. He made her see that her life with Brady could include more. But fear poked through the bubbles of rising hope.

  She couldn’t go through another loss.

  Not like she had with her parents. How could she let Alex fully into her heart knowing that he had a job where there were no guarantees he’d come home at the end of the day?

  A niggling voice in the back of her mind whispered there were no guarantees that anyone would come at the end of the day. Her parents hadn’t been in law enforcement. They’d been returning from a day of fun on the mountain. Life was precarious and scary. Better to guard herself from more hurt.

  “I’ll head off to bed now,” Frank said after taking his mug to the sink and rinsing it out.

  The older man looked worn-out. Concern filled her. She was glad he wasn’t pushing himself to stay up with them. “Thank you for the hot chocolate.”

  Frank’s eyes crinkled at the corners. “Of course. My pleasure.”

  Maya nudged Brady. His eyes flicked from the computer to the older gentleman. “Thank you and good night.”

  Frank chuckled and ruffled Brady’s hair before heading down the hall. Maya met Alex’s gaze. She lifted an eyebrow.

  His mouth with twisted with a rueful smile. “Good night, Dad.”

  Frank stopped midstride. From Maya’s vantage point, she could see him swallow. “’Night, son,” he called and continued on.

  Alex sipped from his mug, dark eyes on her.

  Maya wrapped her hands around her cup, the warmth of the hot chocolate fading. She tried to hold his gaze but grew uncomfortable after a moment. Did he see her feelings for him? And how afraid she was?

  “Did you go to school with Daniel and Leslie?”

  A safe subject. “Yes. We were in the same grade all the way through to high school. Then Daniel joined the military. Leslie went off to college and traveled the world.” She heard the wistful tone in her voice and hoped he hadn’t noticed.

  “They don’t seem to like each other much,” he commented.

  “Quinn and Rawlings for last names put them next to each other all through school,” she returned. “Growing up in a small town, there’s no getting away from each other.”

  “Shhhh,” Brady said. His gaze never left the computer screen. “I’m trying to...”

  She could see him mentally searching for the word. “Concentrate.”

  “Yes.”

  Alex’s lips pressed together and amusement danced in his eyes. “How about we take our drinks to the porch?”

  Maya nodded and gingerly rose from the dining room chair. Taking her mug with her, she followed Alex outside to the back porch. He sat on the swing, holding it steady as he lowered himself into it. He patted the seat next to him. “Come sit with me.”

  She wasn’t sure that being so close to him was a good idea. She remembered what it was like to be snuggled up against him. Smelling the scent of his aftershave. The warmth of him chasing away shadows haunting her. The ache to experience it again tugged at her with an almost physical pull. Not a smart idea. Better to stand and keep a distance between them so her heart wouldn’t get any more attached.

  FOURTEEN

  “There’s nowhere to put the mug.” The excuse sounded lame to Maya’s ears and she winced. Would Alex see right through her?

  Alex rose from the porch swing and walked to the other side of the porch, where there were two chairs and a little table. He picked up the table and brought it over and placed it on the side of the porch swing. He set his mug down, smiled at her and said, “There you go.”

  Okay, he’d made it hard for her to not acquiesce. It would be rude to move all the way across the porch to the set of chairs, especially now that he’d gone to the trouble to move the table. Besides, there was a part of her that really did want to sit next to him, to lean into him, to let him be strong for her and for Brady. Maybe she could absorb some of that strength.

  When he resumed his seat on the swing, she carefully sat down. She held her mug in both hands. She heard his soft chuckle. She glanced up at him.

  “Now, that wasn’t so hard,” he said. She shifted and put her mug on the little table. Sitting back, she tried to relax. His arm came across the back of the swing and his fingers gently touched the top of her biceps.

  For a moment, she held herself still, then gave in to the overwhelming need to melt against him. She liked this. It seemed natural and right. Comfortable, yet thrilling. With the toe of his cowboy boot, he sent the swing gently rocking back and forth.

  They were content to sit there, the quiet of the Colorado night wrapping around them with the stars twinkling in the heavens like little diamonds
against black velvet. The air had turned crisp and cool, indicators that winter was fast approaching.

  “Are you cold?” he asked.

  She should have been. But she wasn’t. The hot chocolate had warmed her from the inside and being this close to Alex was warming her from the outside. She was content. At peace for the moment. She lifted her face to his. “No, I’m fine. This is nice. It’s been such a crazy, stressful day.”

  Moonlight crossed his face, adding strong lines and shadows to the angles of his cheekbones and jaw. The moon’s glow softened the harshness of his dark hair and illuminated the depths of his eyes. Emotion welled within her, clogging her throat. She tried to sift through all that she was feeling, hoping to grab onto one that she could express without putting her heart at risk. She wanted to express to him her gratitude, her affection, her respect and admiration. “I know I’ve said this before, but thank you. I’m so grateful you brought Brady and me to your home. You’ve been so welcoming. I feel safe here.”

  “I’m glad you’re here and that you feel safe.” He brushed back hair from her forehead. And tucked it behind her ears. She shivered under his touch. “I’m here for you, Maya. Whatever you need. Whenever.”

  It wasn’t a declaration. She shouldn’t feel so giddy. She wasn’t quite sure what his words meant. Her heart heard a promise. She wanted to grab hold with both hands and hang on. But she couldn’t. She wasn’t brave enough. “I’m so grateful for your friendship.” Her voice sounded strangled. She cleared her throat.

  The intensity in his gaze unnerved her. “I’m glad to hear that. Because I care deeply about you, Maya.”

  And here she thought he had no feelings for her. Apparently, she’d been wrong. Her heart fluttered in her chest. To cover her reaction, she reached for her cocoa. Though it was cool, the sweetness burst on her tongue, heightening her already tightly strung nerves. He cared about her. Deeply. She wanted to pump a fist in the air, dance a jig and laugh with joy. Instead, she tamped down the crazy delight. Caring was a long way from loving, right?

  He made little circles on her shoulder with the tips of his fingers. “You know when this is all over and life goes back to the way it should be, I’d really like to get to know you better. Maybe move out of the friendship zone. Go on a date or two or a million.”