by Joanna Wayne
Had she abandoned parents and perhaps siblings somewhere down the line, or had they abandoned her?
And if so, why?
He suspected the answer to that would go a long way in explaining why she’d fallen into a relationship with a man like Scott Hayden.
He pushed thoughts of her past life aside as he entered the kitchen. He had enough on his plate without going there.
His mother pressed a cup of coffee into his hand. “Good morning, and it’s time you joined us. We were about to start without you, or at least Grandma was.”
Tague spotted Alexis at the table with Belle in her arms. She was occupied with spooning runny food into Belle’s mouth and then catching it with the spoon as Belle playfully pushed it out with her tongue.
Her eye wasn’t quite as swollen as it had been last night, but the bruises were even more pronounced. The lump on her head, however, was practically undetectable beneath her slightly disheveled hair.
“I see Mother put you to work,” he said.
“I can’t cook, so I was assigned the one thing I can do. Shovel food into kids.”
“She volunteered,” Carolina assured him.
“I told her she had to work for her food,” he said, making a conscious stab at the light mood that usually came naturally for him.
“Right,” Alexis said. “I was afraid he’d make me milk cows.”
“We grow beef cattle,” he said. “You’d have been milking a long time.”
Pearl plopped a lump of butter inside a flaky biscuit. “Look in the refrigerator and get a jar of those plum preserves your Momma just made, Tague.”
“The preserves are already on the table,” Sybil said. “And it wouldn’t hurt you to wait until we’ve said grace.”
“Plate of what?”
“Wait for grace,” Sybil repeated as she placed the preserves within Pearl’s easy reach.
Carolina carried a platter of bacon and scrambled eggs to the table and set them next to the basket of hot biscuits. Then she returned with Tommy’s sipper cup.
“Why don’t you sit here next to Grandma Pearl, Tommy?” Carolina said. “Your mother can sit next to you.” She placed the cup of milk by Tommy’s plate.
“Wanna go see horseys.”
“Next time,” Alexis said.
“Not next time. Today time.”
“You’re right, buddy,” Tague said. “A promise is a promise. Eat your breakfast and then we’ll go see the horses.”
“I think Belle’s had her fill,” Carolina said. “Why don’t we all sit down and say grace and then I’ll put her in her play chair?”
Alexis wiped Belle’s hands and face with a damp cloth and then kissed the top of her head. Tague watched, amazed that Alexis fit so well into this life when her previous one had been so different.
From a Malibu mansion filled with Hollywood players to a ranch in Texas filled with Lamberts. Either she was a better actress than he’d given her credit for or she had a depth to her he hadn’t expected.
When she sat, he took the seat across from hers. Conversation pretty much ceased until Grandma Pearl had finished her speed version of grace and everyone’s plates were full.
“This is so good,” Alexis said, forking another bite of egg. “Do you always have a huge breakfast like this?”
“Most of the time, except on Sunday,” Carolina said. “Then we eat light so that we can make Sunday school on time.”
“It’s not time for Sunday school,” Pearl said. “It’s Wednesday.”
“It’s Tuesday,” Sybil corrected.
“I know it’s not Sunday,” Pearl said.
Sybil reached for the preserves. “You really should wear your hearing aids.”
“I don’t need them to know what day it is.”
“Usually Damien and Tague have been up and working for a couple of hours before breakfast,” Carolina said, no doubt to change the subject. “They’ve normally worked up quite an appetite by now.”
“Right,” Tague teased, flexing his muscles. “Ordering those wranglers around takes a lot out of a man.”
“Don’t let him kid you,” Carolina said. “He and Damien are both hard workers, just like their father was.”
“I believe it. He was great help to me yesterday. And I can’t thank you enough for your hospitality. I can’t remember when I’ve felt more at home.”
“You’re welcome to stay as long as you like. In fact, I’d love it if you stayed for a few more days.”
“Thank you, but I’ve contacted a friend in Tulsa, and she’s expecting me. I haven’t seen her in awhile so it will be a good chance for us to visit.”
“I just hope that carjacker is arrested soon,” Sybil said. “No one should be afraid that some brute with a gun will break into her apartment.”
“I’m just taking extra precautions,” she said. “No one is going to hurt us. Tommy and I are just fine.”
Fortunately, Sybil got the message and dropped the subject. Tommy might not understand everything, but yesterday had been traumatic for him. He didn’t need reminders.
“You should at least stay long enough for Tague to show you around the ranch,” Sybil said. “You could ride the horses down to the swimming hole and cool off after that.”
“Maybe some other time,” Alexis said. “I have a long drive in front of me and I know Tague does as well. So as soon as we make a quick trip to see the horses, he can drop me off at the car rental agency.”
Carolina turned to Tague. “I didn’t know you had a trip planned.”
Alexis was playing this to perfection, following their mostly impromptu script with precision. He hoped he did as well.
“I’m driving out to an auction in Colorado. The Calloway ranch’s Angus stock is going on the block. I know I told you about it.”
“You mentioned an auction in Colorado. I thought you said it was in August. I was considering going with you and spending some time in Vale to escape this heat.”
“They moved it up a month, but you should still consider a mountain vacation. I’m sure you could get a friend or two to go with you.”
“I may, once Damien and Emma get home. But I’ll fly, not drive. You should fly, too. It would save you a lot of time.”
“And cause me a lot of hassle. Besides, this way I can stop off in Lubbock and spend some time with my buddy Jack. I haven’t seen him since he left the rodeo circuit.”
“That’s a good idea.”
The groundwork was laid. Now there was nothing to do but visit the horses, drive to the hunting camp and kick the investigation into high gear.
His phone vibrated. He pulled it from his pocket and checked the caller ID. Meghan Sinclair.
He excused himself and took the call. “Don’t tell me you already have results to report.”
“Actually, I have,” Meghan said, “but I don’t think it’s what you were hoping for. In fact, you might consider it a game changer.”
The fun had started. “That didn’t take long. Hit me with it.”
Chapter Eight
“Melinda Ryan, or Alexis Beranger, as you know her, is considered a suspect in the murder of Lena Fox Hayden.”
Murder, and not just attempted murder this time. Tague felt like he was sinking in quicksand. He hadn’t anticipated instant gratification, but he hadn’t expected this kind of setback, either.
“Let me be sure I have this straight,” he said. “Lena Fox was Scott Hayden’s third wife, right?”
“Yes, and the mother of the boy Alexis kidnapped.”
“I read that Lena had committed suicide.”
“Originally the death was ruled a suicide, but there’s new evidence to indicate she was murdered.”
“How would you get new evidence at this late dat
e? The autopsy must have been conducted over a year ago, long before Alexis and Scott were married.”
“Lena died twenty-four months ago almost to the day, when her son was only a month old. Everyone attributed the suicide to severe postpartum depression.”
“How long after that did Alexis and Scott get married?”
“Two months.”
“The guy certainly wasted no time on grief,” Tague said.
“And Alexis wasted no time nabbing the rich widower,” Meghan said, keeping it all in disturbing perspective. “Listen, I don’t have all the facts yet, but as soon as I have them confirmed, I’ll get back to you, if you want me to continue with the investigation.”
“Absolutely.” But his confidence in Alexis had taken a serious nosedive. “Find out everything you can. See what part Scott Hayden had to play, and if he’s been involved with any other women since Alexis left him.”
“I can’t promise the news will get any better.”
“You sound as if you’re already convinced Alexis is guilty.”
“Not necessarily,” Meghan said. “But where there’s smoke, there are usually at least a few flames. Alexis is all but smothered in smoke. Nonetheless, I reserve judgment until we have all the facts.”
“What’s our next move?” Tague asked.
“I’m flying to California tomorrow. I want to talk to the renowned director in person.”
“He may not be easy to get to.”
“How hard can it be to get his attention? I’m a woman and he’s a man.”
“Then it’s up to you. By the way, how do you know my brother Durk?”
“You should probably ask your brother that question.”
Tague planned to do just that the first time he saw Durk in private. But right now he had a two-year-old waiting to see the horseys and a suspected killer waiting to put her life in his hands.
The next few days promised to be anything but dull.
* * *
KEEPING PACE WITH a two-year-old tramping through the mud was a refined talent, Tague decided as he tried to get Tommy from the house to the horse barn. Had Tommy not been so cute, the task would have been downright frustrating.
As it was, watching his antics eased some of the tension Meghan’s phone call had produced.
Alexis had wisely pulled bright red galoshes onto Tommy’s feet. Good thinking since Tommy seldom stayed on the stone pathway specifically designed for poststorm treks.
The mud was too tempting. He’d run a few feet on the path and then veer off to chase a butterfly or a dragonfly. To her credit, Alexis let him be a boy. Might as well. There was no way he could go anywhere after this without having a bath and changing clothes anyway.
Tommy stopped when he spotted a nice, gooey patch of mud. He looked back at Alexis, flashed a mischievous grin and then jumped in with both feet. Alexis backed up just in time to keep from being splattered.
“How do you ever get anywhere?” Tague asked as Tommy meandered off in a zigzag pattern in pursuit of a tiny frog.
“If I’m in a hurry, I make him ride in his stroller or I pull him in his red wagon—both of which are in the back of your truck. If we’re in the park, we mostly follow his pace. However, he’s never had this much open space and mud to explore.”
“No wonder he’s mud happy. There will be plenty of wide open spaces at the hunting camp.”
“I can carry him now if we’re in a hurry,” Alexis said. “But you’d have to carry those muddy boots. I’m not getting them anywhere near me.”
“We’re not in a hurry. I figure we have at least until tomorrow before Detective Hampton starts trying to track you down. Besides, the boy probably needs a chance to run and play before we buckle him into his booster seat and make him sit for hours.”
“How long is the drive to the camp?”
“About three hours. But we’ll have to stop for food and supplies. There’s game in the camp freezer and staples in the pantry, but nothing in the way of fresh milk, eggs or produce. We’ll carry a cooler of beef with us. And, of course, you can get whatever Tommy needs in the way of nourishment.”
“Currently that’s milk and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. He tends to limit his menu fare to one dish at a time. But he’ll include apple slices on the promise of a chocolate reward.”
“Wait until he tastes my French fries.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Wow. That’s a healthy alternative. Now if you impress him with broccoli that would be true culinary talent.”
Tommy splashed his way back to the path. “Where horseys?’”
“In that red barn,” Tague said, pointing in front of them.
“You’ll have to hold on to mine or Mr. Lambert’s hand all the time we’re around the horses, Tommy. They are big—very, very big. And they’re real, not painted plastic like the ones on the park carousel.”
Tague scowled. “Carousel ponies? That’s like comparing an anthill to a mountain.”
“That’s the only kind of horse he’s been around.”
“Then he’s in for a real treat if you don’t scare him out of it.”
“I don’t want him to get hurt.”
“Stop fretting. I won’t let anything bad happen to him.” At least not in the horse barn. Her real worry should be the fact that she’d lose Tommy forever if she went to jail for killing his mother.
The discussion about her being a suspect in Lena’s death would have to come sometime today, but not in Tommy’s presence.
“This is it,” Tague announced seconds later when they reached the horse barn. A few welcoming neighs and some tapping of hooves greeted his voice.
“We have to clean the mud off our boots before we go inside,” Tague said as he dragged his right foot across the bristled boot brush. “We don’t want big clumps of mud in the straw. It might make someone slip and fall.”
Mostly he didn’t want the mud on his jeans when he picked Tommy up so that he could see above the stall doors.
Tommy followed suit, though he needed Tague’s steadying hand on his shoulder while he dragged each foot through the bristles several times.
Tague finally reached down and swooped Tommy into his arms. The boy stiffened as if he were about to protest. But the second they stepped into the barn, he became too excited to complain.
Carolina’s favorite mount snorted and pawed the ground a few times, swinging her dark gray mane for attention.
“Horsey loud,” Tommy said.
“That’s because she’s glad to see us. Her name is Silver. She likes apples and ear scratches.” Tague reached over and scratched the horse’s ear.
Tommy gingerly put his fingertips to Silver’s ear. “Me like apples, too.”
“So do I.” Tague looked around for Alexis. She was nowhere in sight. For a second, he thought she’d made a run for it, leaving Tommy behind. Panic hit swiftly. He was already stretching his kid-tending abilities to the limit.
Finally he spotted her, peeking from around the support post.
“Don’t tell me you’re afraid of horses,” he said.
“Of course not. I’m a…I’m a…I’m allergic to them, you know the hair and the hay and the smell.”
“You’re not allergic. Admit it, you’re scared.”
“I’m not scared. I just don’t see any reason to get so close. I can see them fine from here.” She adjusted her sunglasses and produced a fake smile.
It was all he could do to keep from laughing at the spunky fugitive cowering in the shadows. “Come inside,” he said. “I promise the horses won’t hurt you.”
“Won’t hurt you, Mommy,” Tommy echoed. “’M’on in.”
She stepped in cautiously. The smile left his face as the incongruities of the moment and perhaps of their relationship became crystal clear.
She was afraid of horses yet she’d fought a thug twice her size to protect the boy whose mother she was accused of killing. She’d clearly been running scared for months, yet she found a way to make a home for Tommy where he could feel safe.
The only reason she was still here on the Bent Pine Ranch was because Tague had forced her to stay. Yet she fit in like one of the family.
No wonder he couldn’t picture how this gorgeous, spunky, indomitable young mother was the same person as the mentally unbalanced, heartless and dangerous Melinda Ryan.
The best he could do was to try his damned best to keep an open mind.
Alexis sidled up next to him. Her scent held the freshness of a summer rain. He fought the impulse to put his arm around her and pull her closer still.
Okay, he’d have to downgrade keeping an open mind to the number two slot on his priority checklist. Number one was keeping his libido under control.
“Have you ever ridden a horse?” he asked.
“Almost. Sort of.”
“How can you sort of ride a horse?”
“I sat in a saddle once.”
“Was the saddle even on a horse?”
“It was near one.”
“That doesn’t count. Why were you in a saddle without a horse?”
“It was for a movie,” she admitted. “They thought I was an experienced rider so they just brought this horse to where we were shooting a scene and told me to get on.”
“But you didn’t?”
“I tried. The second I approached the giant animal, he rose up on two legs like he was readying for battle. I backed up so fast I tripped over the electrical cords for the lighting. I destroyed the medieval costume I’d just been cavorting in with the rogue duke of somewhere.”
“That must have made an impression.”
“Exactly. The director was furious. I had to beg to keep the role. Another mistake on my part. The film was never seen except on TV and then only by insomniacs. My cut amounted to almost enough to buy a hamburger and fries.”
“Why did they think you were an experienced rider?”
