Her Desert Treasure (Entangled Ignite)

by Larie Brannick

  “Are you kidding me?” she asked Jake. “I’ll never be able to eat all of this.”

  He smiled back at her and winked. “Just relax and give it your best shot. You may surprise yourself.”

  Meg sputtered on her drink, half choking. Lord, she hoped none of the other diners were listening. Her cheeks flamed, and she shot him a teasing glare. “You’re terrible.”

  She fanned her face and kicked him under the table to stop his laughter, but she was laughing, too. There was no mistaking the heat in his gaze, and she had a hard time looking away when the waitress brought two more margaritas and took away their empty glasses.

  They enjoyed their meal at a leisurely pace. The food was delicious, and Meg was feeling quite relaxed. Jake asked her if she wanted another drink, but she held up her hand.

  “I’m about to slide out of my seat as it is.” After making a respectable dent in her meal, she pushed her plate to the side and rested her arms on the table. “That was wonderful, but I don’t think I can eat another bite.”

  Jake had managed to finish almost all of his and moved his plate aside as well. He reached across the table and took her hands in his. “What would you like to do with the rest of the evening?” He rubbed his thumbs across her knuckles, and she closed her eyes and sighed.

  The music from the park floated on the air, and Meg found herself swaying slightly to the rhythm. She opened her eyes and found Jake’s gaze caressing her. Without a word, he stood and came around to help her to her feet. After leaving several bills on the table, he tucked her close and ushered her toward the park.

  The feel of her body rubbing against him, the sweet scent of her hair, the way she giggled at her own unsteadiness had him nearly out of his mind. He stopped abruptly and spun her to face him and, before she could speak, bent his head and claimed her mouth. The kiss was ruthless, his lips ground against hers, his tongue was relentless in its exploration. She returned the kiss just as fiercely. When he lifted his head and smiled into her violet eyes, her lips were pink and swollen, her face flushed.

  “God, you’re like my own little stick of dynamite. I’m close to exploding right now.”

  At his words, Meg’s eyes cleared, and she took a step back.

  Jake reached out to steady her, worried at her abrupt change. “What? Are you all right?”

  She nodded and put her palm to her forehead. “Dynamite. I just remembered.”

  Jake was confused and getting more worried by the second. “What did you remember, honey?”

  “Today, at Dolly’s Draw. I went back to where those men were surveying and found part of the mountain blasted away. There were more holes drilled, and one of them had primer cord hanging out of it. I forgot to tell you about it earlier.”

  Jake’s tone was incredulous, his body shook. “They’re shooting off dynamite up there? God, Meg, are you sure?”

  She nodded. “Pretty sure. What else would have taken a chunk of the mountain out? What do you think they’re looking for, Jake?”

  They were both alert now, the relaxed feeling gone. “I don’t know what’s going on up there, but I think we should call the sheriff. Maybe he knows something about it. In the meantime, I don’t want you going back there alone. What does this Anderson guy have to say about it?”

  Meg slapped her head again. “I didn’t even call him. I talked to you, then the tire was flat. I didn’t even think about it until now.”

  “It’s okay. We can take care of it tomorrow. Do you remember anything else?”

  Meg shook her head. “No. That’s all. That’s enough, isn’t it?”

  Jake smiled and pulled her tight, dropping a kiss to the top of her head. “That’s plenty. Let’s go home and think about it tomorrow.”

  He got no argument from her, and they walked back to his truck.

  On the way home, her slow, steady breathing told him she’d dropped off. He smiled when he saw her in the moonlight, and his heart skipped a beat when he thought about how close she’d been to danger. Silently, he vowed to keep her safe.

  She barely stirred when he shut off the truck in front of his house and snuggled close when he carried her inside. He carefully laid her on the bed and removed her shoes, rubbing her feet gently before making his way up to remove her shorts. Meg murmured in her sleep and cuddled into the bed. Jake covered her with the sheet, leaving her wearing her panties, bra, and tee shirt. He didn’t know how long he stood there and watched her. It was as if his feet were cemented to the floor. He couldn’t bring himself to leave.

  His heart clenched, and he knew without a doubt that he was lost. He loved her, and he wanted to be with her. He kissed her forehead and left the room to find his parents had returned. He pulled the door partially closed and met them as they entered the house. Putting a finger to his lips, he pointed toward his bedroom whispering, “She’s sleeping.”

  Bob and Linda nodded, and they all went to the kitchen. Jake flipped on the light and offered them something to drink. Neither wanted anything, so he sat at the table with them. They talked about the festival and the concert for a while and, when Linda couldn’t mask her yawns any longer, she stood and patted Bob on the shoulder. “We probably should get to bed if we’re going to meet George and Jan in the morning.”

  Bob rose. “I hope you don’t mind, son, but we agreed to meet them for breakfast. You and Meg are welcome, of course.”

  Jake stood and pushed in his chair. “Thanks guys, but we have some things to take care of at Meg’s place tomorrow, and I want to get out there first thing. I’m glad you have someone else to spend time with, that’s great.”

  “They’re very nice people, Jake,” Linda said. “Let’s plan for dinner tomorrow night, though. Just the four of us, okay?”

  “Sure thing, Mom. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  He gave his parents each a hug and waited for them to get to their room before he turned out the lights and went to his own. Moonlight streaking through the French doors shone on Meg like a halo. He kicked off his shoes and shed his clothes then crawled in beside her, spooning her tight against his chest. Wrapping her in his arms, he nuzzled her neck, inhaling the scent of vanilla and honey and something else that was all Meg, knowing he’d never tire of the sweet combination.

  Meg stirred and wiggled to get closer, and his cock jumped to full attention from its already semi-erect state. He caressed her behind and stroked his hand up her side under her shirt and then back down again. All he wanted was to wake her and love her until dawn, but he knew how tired she was, so he tamped down his urges, kissed her neck softly, and willed himself to fall asleep.

  The sound of a hair dryer coming from his bathroom woke him. Propping himself up on one elbow, he rubbed his eyes with his free hand. Light shone through the windows, and he checked the clock. After seven already? When was the last time he’d slept so late? He dragged himself from the bed and sauntered to the bathroom where he found Meg bent over with her back to him, drying her hair. She wore only a towel and it hiked up just enough to give him a perfect view of her world-class butt. He walked up behind her and grabbed her hips, gently pushing his against her. She let out a startled yelp, straightened, and turned with her blow dryer aimed at him as she came around.

  He threw his hands in the air and laughed. “Don’t shoot! I’m unarmed!”

  Meg shut off the dryer and let her gaze roam from his face to his chest and down. She cocked an eyebrow. “Unarmed huh? That thing looks like it could go off any second.”

  She couldn’t keep a straight face as she said it, and they both erupted in laughter. Jake hugged her close and kissed her neck. “It looks like you’re ready to go. Why didn’t you wake me? We could have gone for a ride.”

  Meg gave him a quick kiss and grabbed her hairbrush. “Because I overslept, too, and I had a feeling that if I woke you up before I got dressed, we’d never make it out of bed today.”

  “You’re probably right about that.” He turned for the shower, swatting her butt as he passed. “If you
’re sure you don’t want to help me out with this thing…” He raised his eyebrows suggestively and glanced at his cock. “I’ll clean up and meet you in the kitchen.”

  Chuckling, Meg returned to drying her hair.

  Later, making coffee in the kitchen, she realized she hadn’t seen Jake’s parents yet that morning. When he joined her, he explained they were meeting their new friends for breakfast and must’ve left early.

  “What about our plans for the day?” He sipped his coffee. “I think we should take the tire to the garage and go to the sheriff’s office, then we can go out to your place and see if we can figure out what’s been going on.”

  Meg nodded. “Okay, but I can take my car and the tire to the shop while you go see the sheriff. I’ll leave the Cherry Bomb there so they can change the tires back and check for any other problems. You can pick me up at the garage, and we’ll meet the sheriff at Dolly’s Draw.”

  Jake sighed. “Okay, but don’t go anywhere else until I get there. Deal?”

  Meg stuck out her hand to shake on it. “Deal.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  When Meg and her veterinarian lover left the house, Monty waited until they were well ahead of him before pulling out behind them. He had to figure out a way to get to Meg. He’d had another phone call last night, and even though his old cell mate hadn’t said it in so many words, he was expecting to see a return on his investment soon. They went back a long way, but friendship didn’t trump cash.

  His spirits had lifted when he saw them take separate vehicles, and his mood rose even higher when he saw the pickup make a right turn while the old wagon went straight.

  Following the car through town, he slowed when Meg turned into the service station and parked in front of the tire shop. Monty quickly pulled into the alley just past the station and parked on the side of the building. He watched her enter and return a few minutes later with a burly mechanic. She pointed to the right, rear tire and opened up the back so he could remove the flat. While the tire was rolled into the shop, she pulled her cell phone from her pocket and began speaking, sitting on the bumper while she talked on the phone.

  All Monty could do was sit and watch and wait.

  …

  “Gwen! God, I’m so sorry I haven’t called. I’ve been so busy.” Meg smiled into the phone, happy to hear from her friend.

  “Don’t feel too bad. I’ve been a little tied up myself. How are things in Colorado?” Gwen sounded as happy as Meg felt.

  “Things are good here. I’ve been out to my property, and it’s just like I remember it. I still love it here.” Meg perched on the rear bumper and settled in for their talk.

  “Crap. Are you trying to tell me something?”

  Meg chewed on her bottom lip. “Don’t hate me, but I haven’t changed my mind.”

  “Oh, Meg. I can’t be mad at you. I can’t honestly say I’m surprised. I’ve had a feeling for a while you weren’t happy in San Diego.”

  Leave it to Gwen to make it easy for her. “Thanks. You’re the best. Hey, what happened on your date with the hot cop? Officer Davis was it?”

  Meg could almost hear Gwen swoon on the other end of the phone. “Yes, Caleb. He is soooo hot, Meg. He took me to dinner and a movie and then we ended up back at his place. That’s kind of the reason I’ve been tied up the last couple of days.”

  “He tied you up?

  Gwen laughed at that. “Not literally. Although, we may try that another time. We had such a good time we ended up spending the whole weekend together.”

  “Wow, good date.”

  “You said it, sister. Your name came up by the way.”

  “Me? What do you mean?”

  “Caleb said they got a hit off a print they found in your apartment.”

  Meg stood up and paced around her car. “A hit? Really? Did they find the guy?”

  “No, but Caleb asked me to find out if you recognize the name. Do you know anybody by the name of Philip Montgomery?”

  “That’s the guy’s name?” Something nagged at Meg’s memory.

  Gwen’s voice grew more serious. “Yeah. Caleb said he’s a bad guy. He’s got a list of priors and has spent time in prison. When he was eighteen, he was released from juvenile detention, where he’d been placed when he was fifteen. He got into some trouble, and there was no other family to take him. They suspected him of starting the fire that killed his mother, but they couldn’t prove it.”

  A cold chill ran down Meg’s spine. “He killed his mother?”

  “Yeah, Caleb said he burned her house down when she cut him out of her will.”

  Meg nearly dropped the phone and had to sit back down before her legs gave out. “Gwen, it’s important. Did Caleb tell you where this all happened?”

  “Sure. He said the guy was from Texas. Why?”

  Oh my God. Meg felt the blood drain from her face and her palms go clammy. It couldn’t be. Philip Montgomery. Her Aunt Marge. Marge Montgomery. “God, Gwen, do the police have any idea where he is now?”

  “Meg, you’re starting to scare me. What’s going on?”

  “Do they know, Gwen? Where he is I mean.”

  “No. He’s been out of trouble for a while I guess, according to his parole officer.”

  “Gwen, I need to get off the phone now, but I need you to ask Caleb if they have any other leads and call me back as soon as you know. Okay?”

  “Sure, Meg. Of course. Are you going to tell me what this is all about?”

  Meg stood again, her knees shaking almost uncontrollably. “Gwen, I think Philip Montgomery is my cousin.”

  …

  Monty watched the color drain from Meg’s face as she closed her phone and stumbled up to the vending machine at the corner of the building. She fumbled in her pocket and slid a bill into the machine, punching the button for a bottle of water. She could barely manage to unscrew the lid, leaning against the machine and taking deep breaths.

  Whoever’d been on the phone had sure done a number on her, but it opened the door for him. Slowly, he slid across the car seat and took a small, plastic bag from the glove box and removed the rag that was inside. Then he exited through the passenger door, leaving it open.

  He crept quietly along the side of the building, willing her to keep her back to him. When he was within a foot of her, he reached out and covered her face with the cloth while grabbing her around the waist with his other hand.

  She gasped and fought him, scratching at his arms and face and trying to kick him with her heels. He held tight, and soon she was limp in his arms. Then he dragged her back to his car and roughly dumped her into the passenger seat, slammed the door, and went around to the other side. Quickly, he started the car and backed out the way he’d come in so he wouldn’t draw attention. In minutes, they were clear of the main street and headed for the desert.

  …

  Jake was getting impatient waiting for Sheriff Fogerty.

  He’d known Alex since he’d moved to town and considered the sheriff a friend, but he was frustrated by the man’s need to shoot the shit with everyone who walked through the door. Standing, he paced the small front office where Alex’s secretary had her desk, along with the only deputy. He heard Alex laugh, then saw him usher the downtown shop owner he’d been talking with out of his office and to the door. At last, he turned to Jake with an apologetic smile.

  “Sorry about that, buddy. Some of these old timers are either upset that business is slow and want the town council to do something to draw it in, or they’re pissed because there are too many people in their stores to keep an eye on. Thank God I’m not the mayor, too.”

  Jake stepped forward and shook his friend’s hand. “Good to see you, Alex. Got a minute?”

  “Of course, anytime. Come on in.” He led Jake through to his office and closed the door. He took his seat behind the desk and narrowed his pale green eyes at Jake. “Something tells me this isn’t a social call. What’s up?”

  Not sure where to start, he jumped right in.
“Do you know anything about the blasting that’s going on up at Dolly’s Draw?”

  Alex sat forward in his chair. “Blasting? What kind of blasting?”

  “Okay, I guess that answers my question. You don’t.” Jake went through the story Meg had told him and the evidence she’d found of explosives being used. He also told the sheriff about the petition against the estate and Monty Anderson posing as some kind of environmentalist.

  Alex ran his hand through his graying hair and blew out a breath. “This is the first I’ve heard of any of that stuff. No one else has come around to complain about noise or anything, and I’d be notified of any permits the county issued. The ATF has to know about any explosives, though. You think this Anderson guy is after the land for something other than tree hugging?”

  “We don’t know, but we’d like to find out. Would you have time to run out there with us this morning to look it over? Maybe see if we can figure out what they’ve been doing?”

  Alex stood and grabbed his hat. “Let’s go. I’d like to see this.”

  He followed Jake to the service station to pick up Meg, pulling in behind Jake’s truck while the latter went inside. When he didn’t find her in the garage, Jake returned to the lot and noticed what he’d missed: the rear door of Meg’s car standing open.

  A quick search showed her purse had been left on the front seat, but she was nowhere around. Growing more and more concerned, he tried her cell phone. The call went to her voice mail. Worried, he left her a brief message of, “Where the hell are you? I’m at the tire shop.”

  His gut was churning into knots when the tire technician came over and tried to get into the car. Jake stopped him.

  “Do you know where Miss Reynolds is?” At the man’s blank stare, Jake said impatiently, “The woman who brought this car in. Did you see where she went?”

  “Oh yeah, the cute blonde? No, last time I saw her she was getting a drink out of the pop machine there.” He pointed to the vending machine at the side of the building. “I haven’t seen her for a while.”