Hideout at Whiskey Gulch

by Elle James

  “That would be lovely,” Aubrey said.

  “Either way, I’m not sweating it,” Rosalynn said. “If they sell, I’ll buy a place in the Florida Keys and sit on the beach, drinking mai tais. I’ll miss the home I shared with my late husband. Truthfully, the place isn’t the same without him. A change of scenery might be the trick to help me through my grief.”

  Aubrey touched the woman’s arm. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”

  Rosalynn patted her hand. “Don’t you worry about me. You have enough on your plate. Speaking of plates, I need to go make some sandwiches.” The matriarch left the room and headed down the stairs.

  Aubrey unpacked enough clothes to locate her underwear and a set of scrubs. With her toiletries kit in her hand, she crossed the hallway to the bathroom on the other side, entered and locked the door behind her. Fifteen minutes later, she’d showered, washed the dirt and dust from her body and hair, dressed in her blue scrubs and pulled her wet hair into a bun at the nape of her neck. As an afterthought, she dabbed on a little mascara and a light shade of lipstick, hoping that if she looked good, she’d feel good.

  Ah, who was she kidding? She wanted to look good for the next time she saw Matt. But not too made up, or she’d appear to be trying too hard.

  Trying what?

  She paused with her hand on the doorknob.

  Did she want Matt to notice her? Hadn’t he already done that? Hell, he’d kissed her. Yes, it was a light brush of the lips, probably in the heat of the moment after being shot at. Anyone would have done that as a celebration of having lived through a horrendous attack.

  If she were honest with herself, she’d admit... She wanted him to kiss her again.

  Aubrey closed her eyes. What was she thinking? The ink on her divorce papers was barely dry, even though she’d been in the process of getting that divorce for over a year. Her marriage had ended long ago. The day Katie disappeared out of her front yard and her husband blamed her.

  The fact was, she had no business being interested in another man. She was content to live alone and piece her life back together. She had no business bringing her baggage into a relationship. It wouldn’t be fair to the man, and she wasn’t sure she could hold up her end of the emotions.

  She turned back to the mirror, pulled a tissue out of the box on the counter and rubbed the lipstick off her mouth. The mascara would take too long, so she left it. A quick glance at her watch told her she barely had time to grab a bite of the sandwich Rosalynn was preparing for her before she had to leave.

  Mrs. Blair would be happy to see her and want to hear all the news from outside her house. The woman had been convalescing at a nursing home after hip surgery but had been discharged to continue her recovery at home. Unfortunately, she had no relatives to help her through the rest of her rehab or to encourage her to do her physical therapy exercises. It was Aubrey who came to help her do the things she wasn’t quite up to yet, like a little house cleaning, filling her pill container and taking her vitals. The woman looked forward to the visits and thanked her for taking the time to help her.

  Satchel in hand, Aubrey found her way to the kitchen, where a place had been set at the large kitchen table with a ham sandwich on a plate, several bags of potato chips for her to choose from and a large glass of iced tea.

  “I didn’t know if you like sugar in your tea, or if you like it unsweetened,” Rosalynn said. “So, it’s unsweetened.”

  “Perfect,” Aubrey said with a smile and took her seat.

  Matt sat across the table from her, already halfway through a sandwich of his own. He had a little spot of mustard on the corner of his mouth.

  Aubrey didn’t know whether to tell him about it or let it go. The problem was, she couldn’t look away. She found herself wanting to lick that dab of mustard off his lip. The thought sent a rush of warm awareness throughout her body. What would he think of her if she got up, walked around the table, sat in his lap and cleaned that mustard off his mouth with her tongue? That warmth she’d been feeling flared into a wildfire. Hell, while she was at it, she could whisper in his ear... Kiss me.

  “What?” he said, yanking her back to reality.

  Heat shot up her neck and into her cheeks. “Did I say something?” God forbid she’d whispered “kiss me” out loud. Seriously, the man had her tied in knots. And he didn’t even know it.

  “No, but you’re looking at me kind of funny,” he said. “Do I have something on my face?”

  Rosalynn leaned over the table at that moment to collect the unopened bags of chips. “You have mustard on the side of your mouth.”

  He brushed his thumb across the offending dab and popped the thumb into his mouth to lick it off. “Thanks.”

  Given the way he dealt with the mustard, he’d shifted Aubrey’s thoughts from the corner of his mouth to the thumb that had gone in to be licked. Now all she could think of was what his tongue would feel like against her skin.

  Focus, woman.

  “Any word from the sheriff’s office?” she asked and then took a bite of the sandwich, glad to look away from the handsome man sitting across from her.

  “Nothing,” Matt said, polishing off the rest of his ham sandwich. “And nothing from Juan. I hope to hear from him soon. If I know Juan, he’s on it. He loves his family and his little girl. The thought of another little girl, much like his own, being held captive with the intent to sell her to some evil sex trader or pimp has to gnaw at his gut as much, if not more so, than it gnaws at ours. I expect to hear from him soon.”

  Aubrey chewed on the bite she’d taken, wishing she hadn’t started it. Her belly was knotted. Eating wasn’t helping. She glanced at the clock on the wall, glad for an excuse to leave. “Rosalynn, the sandwich is really good. Do you have something I can wrap it in? I really have to get going, or I’ll be late.”

  Rosalynn took her plate. “Don’t you worry about it. I can wrap it up for you, if you’d like to take it with you or keep it for later.”

  “Later, please. I don’t know how long I’ll be gone, and I don’t want it to go bad sitting in my Jeep getting hot.”

  “I’ll wrap it and put it in the refrigerator where you can find it later.” Rosalynn carried the plate to the counter and covered the sandwich in cellophane, then placed it in the refrigerator.

  Aubrey gathered her satchel in her hand and pushed to her feet. “I’d better get going, or I’ll be late.”

  Matt stood. “I’m ready whenever you are.”

  “I just want to brush my teeth and wash my hands,” Aubrey said.

  “Same.” Matt followed her up the stairs.

  They parted in front of their doors and went in for their respective toothbrushes.

  Both appeared again at the same time.

  “You keep your toothbrush in your bedroom instead of the bathroom?” she asked.

  He shrugged. “It’s a habit from my time in the Marines. You never left your toothbrush in the bathroom.” He gave her a wry grin. “Someone might use it to scrub a toilet.”

  Aubrey grimaced. “I can see why it became a habit.”

  Matt waved a hand toward the bathroom. “You first.”

  “That’s not necessary. There are two sinks. If washing your hands and brushing your teeth is all you want to do, we can do it together and save time.” She entered the bathroom and chose the farthest sink from the door.

  Within seconds they were brushing their teeth in rhythm with each other.

  Aubrey found it strangely warm and reassuring, like an old married couple. When she was finished, she washed her hands and stowed her toothbrush in its case.

  Matt stood at the door, his brow twisted. “Did that feel as strange to you as it did to me?”

  “I’m sorry,” she said. “Next time we can brush separately.”

  “No, not strange bad,” he said. “More like strange in that I felt lik
e we were an old married couple, comfortable in brushing our teeth together, that we’d known each other a long time.”

  She smiled. “That’s exactly what I was thinking. And we barely know each other.”

  “I believe when people go through a traumatic experience together, it brings them closer faster. You skip all the getting-to-know-each-other-slow pace and go right to being close and in tune with the other, automatically.”

  “Really? Considering the only other traumatic experience I’ve endured is the loss of my daughter. It had the opposite effect on me and my husband.”

  “Ah, but then you weren’t strangers. I’ve seen this effect in the battlefield. New members of a team bond overnight in a skirmish. Then they’re friends for life.”

  “Is that the difference?” Aubrey asked. “They have to be strangers?”

  He nodded. “Of course, I don’t have a doctorate in psychology to back up my theory, but I’ve seen it on more than one occasion.” He grinned and waved her through the door. “I figure fifteen minutes of being fired on was like condensing a full year of getting to know each other. At least that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.”

  Aubrey laughed. “I like that story. That means we’re no longer strangers.”

  “We’ve shared a moment,” Matt said. “Not a particularly pleasant moment but one that has defined us as more than strangers. I’d like to think we could be friends now.”

  Aubrey nodded. “We could be that.” She tapped her toothbrush case against the tube of toothpaste she’d brought with her. “I’ll just put this in my room.”

  Matt nodded. “Me too.”

  They ducked in at the same time and emerged again, as if on cue.

  Matt chuckled. “See? We’re even in sync with each other.”

  Aubrey smiled. “Yes, we are.” Her smile faded. “I’d better be going.”

  “I’m going with you.”

  “I’m not sure that’s a good idea. Mrs. Blair isn’t up to visitors, and she might get flustered having a stranger in her house.”

  “Mrs. Blair?” His brow dipped. “As in Mrs. Blair the high school history teacher?”

  “I believe she was a teacher before she retired.”

  “I had her in high school. She was tough, but good. I actually came out of her class with a good understanding of why we study history and why it’s important.”

  Aubrey checked her watch. “I need to get moving. I’m sure Mrs. Blair wouldn’t remember you from high school. She had a lot of students since you were there. And I’d bet you don’t look like you did back then.”

  “I think she will remember me. I was teacher’s pet for the only time in my life.” He grinned. “I’m going, Aubrey,” he said, his expression serious. “Even if I wait in the Jeep for you to finish up.”

  Aubrey sighed. “I haven’t let anyone push me around since I divorced my husband. And I promised myself I would never let that happen again.” She paused. “That being said, I know you’re only trying to protect me. So, I’ll let it slide this time.”

  She led the way out of the house and climbed into the Jeep.

  Matt got in on the passenger side and buckled his seat belt.

  Aubrey liked making her own decisions, but she was glad Matt was with her. After the shoot-out that morning, she wasn’t sure she could go anywhere on her own without feeling exposed and vulnerable.

  She prayed they found Isabella soon. Aubrey hoped that when they did rescue the little girl, they’d find a way to stop the people who were responsible for Rosa’s death and the kidnapping.

  Chapter Nine

  The drive to Mrs. Blair’s house a couple miles out of town from the ranch took thirty minutes. It was noon when Aubrey pulled up in front of her patient’s home and killed the engine.

  “Let me check with her to see if she’s up for visitors.” Aubrey got out of the Jeep and carried her satchel up to the house. After a brief knock she heard Mrs. Blair call out, “Come in, Aubrey.”

  Mrs. Blair was up with her walker, moving slowly toward the kitchen.

  Aubrey smiled. “Look at you, getting around on your own.”

  “I decided it was time I got back in shape. I’m thinking of competing in one of those Iron Woman competitions. She pulled two cups from a cabinet and set them on the counter. “Do they have categories that go up to my age?”

  “Actually, they do. You’re not that old. You just have some challenges to overcome.”

  “I’ve decided you’re right. And I’m ready to overcome them and rejoin the human race. Only in my case, the human walkathon. The Iron Woman race might be a little out of my league.”

  “Baby steps, Mrs. Blair. You’ll get there with baby steps.”

  The older woman shook her head. “I shouldn’t be this crippled at my age. I’m not even eighty yet. I’ve got a lot of years left in me. Did you know my mother lived to be ninety-nine and three-quarters?”

  “I did not know that,” Aubrey said, pulling her blood pressure cuff out of her satchel.

  “She died a couple months short of her one hundredth birthday. She fell and broke her hip, was laid up and got pneumonia. And I had high hopes of drinking a beer with her at her birthday party.”

  “All the more reason to get back to normal. You can’t have a beer while on some of this medication. Especially the pain relievers,” Aubrey said.

  “That’s good, because I haven’t been taking them. Figured it was time to pull up my big girl panties and make this new hip work for me.”

  Aubrey glanced out the window at her Jeep. “Mrs. Blair, how are you for company today?”

  “I’m great. I’ve got you.”

  “I mean for more than me,” Aubrey said.

  Mrs. Blair’s white brows rose. “You got someone in mind?”

  “As a matter of fact, I have someone waiting in my Jeep. He said he was a student of yours and that you’d remember him.”

  Mrs. Blair grimaced. “I had so many students—they blur in my mind.”

  “That’s what I told him.” Aubrey laughed. “He said you’d remember him. He was teacher’s pet.”

  “The only teacher’s pet I remember was that Hennessey kid. He liked to think he was a badass, but I saw right through him. He was one of the kindest young men I ever had the pleasure of teaching history.”

  “Guess I’ll be eating my words today,” Aubrey said with a grin. “The person out in my Jeep is Matthew Hennessey, your number one teacher’s pet.”

  “You’re not pulling this old woman’s leg, are you?” She aimed her walker toward the front of the house, her gaze on the Jeep. “Why would a handsome young man like that come visit an old lady like me?”

  “He’s accompanying me today.”

  Her gaze turned from the Jeep to Aubrey. “Well, now, that makes more sense. But don’t deprive me of some eye candy. He might have been a student a long time ago, but he’s mighty fine-looking. I’m old, not dead, as far as I can tell.”

  “Promise me you won’t turn backflips when I bring him in?” Aubrey teased.

  “I promise,” the older woman said. “I might pinch him, though. Just to make sure he’s real and not a figment of my imagination.”

  Aubrey went to the door and waved for Matt to come in.

  Mrs. Blair hurried back to the kitchen, as fast as she could maneuver the walker. “I’ll need another cup for tea.”

  “You could let me do that for you, you know,” Aubrey said.

  “I could, but that would defeat my goal of being able to take care of myself.” She fished a cup out of the cabinet. “I’m tired of my own company and ready to start driving and volunteering for something.”

  “Thinking of volunteering at the school? I bet they’d be happy to have you back.”

  “No, I was thinking of something more exciting.” Mrs. Blair set the kettle on her stove
and switched on the gas. “Think they need help at the local food bank, or better yet, the sheriff’s office?”

  “I don’t know. But it wouldn’t hurt to ask. It would give you a good reason to go to town and get some social interaction.” Aubrey opened the door for Matt. “I stand corrected.”

  Matt came in, filling the small house with his broad shoulders and sexy smile. “You remembered me, didn’t you, Mrs. Blair.”

  “Yes, I did. I couldn’t forget my favorite student of all thirty-three years of my teaching career.”

  He went to her and engulfed her in a hug. “It’s good to see you.”

  “And you,” she said. “Are you trying to steal my pretty nurse away from me?”

  “No, ma’am,” he said, making sure she was steady on her feet before he let go. “I just came along for the ride. But when I heard she was coming to see you, I had to come say hello.”

  “I’m glad you did. I’m so tired of these walls. You’re a breath of fresh air in this stuffy old house.” She waved him toward the old-fashioned dinette table with the shiny red cushions. “Sit. I’m heating water. Would you like tea or a coffee? I have to warn you, I only have instant coffee. But I could sweeten it with a jigger of Baileys, if you like.”

  “Contributing to my delinquency, Mrs. Blair?” Matt asked.

  “I can, now that you’re not my student.”

  “Tea is fine with me,” he said. “But why don’t you let me get it while Ms. Blanchard gets your blood pressure.”

  “Oh, well, I guess she does need to do that before I start drinking tea with caffeine. Never could see the purpose of decaf tea,” Mrs. Blair muttered as she shuffled toward the table and pulled out a chair. She sank onto the cushion and held out her arm to Aubrey.

  “Me either. If I can’t get my coffee in the morning, I go for the tea,” Matt said.

  Aubrey enjoyed the banter between Matt and Mrs. Blair. They were easy and comfortable with each other. She envied that closeness and hoped that someday, she’d be accepted as one of the locals.