She ran a finger along the window casings. At least the locks looked new.
Unpack!
She debated leaving her things in her suitcase, but it could be weeks before the men found out if anyone was out to harm her. She hung up her clothes and put her underwear and socks in the drawers. When she stepped into the bathroom, she halted.
“Wow.” This was some bathroom. The walls were covered in tile and the sink consisted of a bowl on top of the counter. She loved the fact the shower was huge and had two showerheads. Why was that? Her mind jumped to someplace erotic.
Not wanting to keep the men waiting, she hurried back to the living room where they were watching television. As soon as she stepped in, they clicked off the set.
“I put what food you had in the fridge,” Liam said, “but I’m afraid we are woefully under stocked. If you’re up for it, how about we stop at the high school and then hit Pack & Save for some food?”
She loved the normalcy of it all. “Perfect.” She turned to Mason. “Will you be coming?”
He shook his head. “I’m going to head into town to see if Justin needs help with the homicide. From what I’ve learned, murder is not very prevalent in Pleasure.”
“Tell that to Brooke.”
He gave one nod. “True, but the Bozeman police handled that death. Pleasure doesn’t have a crime lab, and since Liam and I worked in Bozeman for a few years, we have contacts in the police department.”
“I’m sure Justin would appreciate the aid.”
He raised his brows. “I’m doing it because I want you safe.”
His words rang of sincerity and heat rose to her face. “Mr. Dunwoody’s murder had nothing to do with me.” I hope. There was no way Harrison Kaplan could have been aware how much she liked the old man. She’d spent less than ten minutes talking with him at the reunion, far less than others.
Could the killer have been there? Now she wished she’d read everyone’s nametag, but many of the women had married men from out of town, or else drove in from another state to attend the reunion.
“Do you want me to ask one of the organizers for a list of attendees?” she asked.
Mason’s face lit up. “That would be awesome. But remember, no one checked our identification, so I’m betting no one really knows who showed up.”
“You were with me.” But a lot of other women brought their husbands or boyfriends and any one of them could be working for Kaplan. Damn. “I do see your point though.”
Liam checked to see if he had his phone and wallet then picked up his keys. “Ready?”
“Yes.”
From the time the men stayed at her place, Liam had done most of the cooking. Nothing fancy, but it tasted good. She followed Liam out to the truck, happy that she wouldn’t be stuck in the house for the next three weeks.
They both slid into their seats, and Liam started the engine. “What are your three favorite things to eat?”
No one had ever asked her that, and it took a moment to think about the answer. “Lasagna, steak, and fried chicken.”
“You’re easy.”
She twisted in her seat. It had been a while since she’d felt this at ease with a man. When they’d asked her out before, she had the sense they were trying to cheer her up. But now Liam seemed more interested in her as a person and she liked that. “How about you?”
“Give me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and I’m good.”
He wasn’t being serious. “Is that what you’re going to buy at the store?”
“You’ll just have to wait and see.”
The first stop, however, was Pleasure High School. As soon as she and Liam stepped into the hallway, her heart turned heavy. While Mr. Dunwoody hadn’t taught here in ten years, she couldn’t help but ache at what Sam and Chrissie must be going through. She turned to Liam. “Would you mind if I see if the counselor is free? I want to check if there is anything I can do for the kids who found the body.”
“Sure.”
When she neared Sandra’s office, the blinds were drawn, indicating she was in with someone. “I’ll come back later.”
“I’m sure the school is doing everything they can for the kids.”
“I hope.”
Her room was on the second floor and it only took a minute to pick up her tests. She wasn’t even sure if she should grade them. The students had enough on their minds and didn’t need any more stress. At least they took the test before the murder.
Liam wrapped an arm around her shoulder and squeezed. “It’ll be okay.”
She hadn’t even seen him move next to her. Spacing out was not good. “I know.” But when would she feel free again to laugh and not constantly look over her shoulder?
The hallways were empty since all of the exams were over with, which was a good thing. If a student had been around and stopped to ask her what happened, she wasn’t sure she could talk about the man’s death without breaking down.
Liam rushed her out of the school, and once she was in the car, she felt better. What she would have done had she been alone, she didn’t know.
“You never mentioned anything about your family,” Liam said. “I don’t recall you having a single conversation after your abduction.”
“I didn’t want to worry them. They know now, but if I had told them what happened right away, I’m sure my dad would have driven here, and he was needed at the hospital. As it was, when I did call, Mom took a few days off and drove out. Once she saw I was safe, she went back home.”
“Your dad’s a doctor then?”
“Yup. So is my older brother, Josh.” Why she didn’t get the super smart genes, she didn’t know.
“And your mom?”
“She’s a public defender. They all live in Billings.”
“You have a very ambitious family.”
“I do. They were all focused on success, which was why they were a little disappointed when I chose teaching.” At least majoring in math gave them some bragging rights. She tried to convince them there was more to life than money, but only her mom seemed to understand.
“Teaching is a noble profession. Maybe more so than being a doctor or an attorney.”
She loved how he became instantly defensive. “I think so, too.”
“I thought you grew up in Pleasure.”
“We did, but a few years ago, Dad got this great opportunity in Billings and the family moved.”
“You miss them?”
“Yes, but after I went to college and started work, our lives drifted apart.”
“That must have been tough.”
“I use Ceci’s parents as stand-ins.” She inwardly smiled. While Mrs. Armstrong focused way too heavily on marriage and kids, she was super nice.
Liam turned left on Lawton Road, heading for Lake Avenue. She liked doing ordinary chores with a man. It made their time together more real. As soon as he drove into the lot, he parked and rushed to her side. When he helped her out, she’d expected him to let go of her hand. Instead, he held it tight. His warm palm was muscled but fleshy, and his grip made her feel secure.
Inside, he grabbed a basket and headed first to the produce department. “I want you to pick anything you want. I’m not sure what you like to snack on, and there will be times when Mason and I are out on a case. Can’t have you starve.”
She patted her belly. “I think I have enough reserve to last a while without eating.”
Liam stopped short, stepped away from the cart, and clasped her shoulders. “Let’s get one thing straight, honey. No putting yourself down or telling us how clumsy or forgetful you are. We don’t see you that way at all.”
Yeesh. He didn’t have to act so stern. “Okay.”
“I’m serious. And so is Mason. We think you are perfect, so if you tell us otherwise, that’s the same as calling us liars.”
Wow. She had no comeback for that, so she kept quiet. Embarrassed by his comment, she pretended great interest in the apples, checking to make sure they were perfect. Lia
m dropped grapes and bananas into the cart, along with a zucchini.
“Do you want a salad?” She might not be a great chef, but she could make a mean green delight.
“Go for it.” His laid-back attitude was rubbing off on her and she liked it.
Next they hit the spaghetti aisle. While he didn’t pick up a can of pre-made spaghetti, he bought a jar of Ragu and a box of spaghetti. Liam trolled the aisles acting as if this would be his last chance to shop.
“Let’s check the deli,” he said.
The deli was expensive. Maybe he’d let her pay for the groceries since she was their houseguest. After he ordered a box of fried chicken, a container of macaroni and cheese, along with some sliced meats, they headed out.
“My stomach is grumbling smelling the fried chicken. You’re spoiling me.”
His grin reached his eyes. “That’s the point. As long as you’re kind of in witness protection, I want you to be happy.”
She didn’t deserve the men. He drove the cart to checker number four. Ugh. This was Debbie Litner’s station. A young high-school-aged kid was bagging. She recognized him, but didn’t remember his name.
When Debbie looked up, her shoulders sagged and she pressed her lips together. “Hey, Sarah. I heard about Mr. Dunwoody.” She sniffled then placed a hand on Sarah’s arm. “How are you holding up? I heard two of your students found him.”
The rumor mill was going full blast. “They did. I still can’t believe it.”
Debbie let go. “Do you think we might grab a coffee some time? It was nice to see you on Saturday. Maybe we can come up with something to say for his memorial.”
“That’s very thoughtful.” She and Debbie probably were the most logical choice, besides his writing partner. “Call me, okay?”
Debbie pulled out her phone and tapped a few buttons. “What’s your number?”
They exchanged their cell information, and then Debbie rang them up. Liam extracted his credit card before she had a chance.
Debbie held out her hand. “Sorry, this machine is broken. It sucks, I know. Cash or check.”
Sarah could have offered to pay but she only carried credit cards. Liam unfolded his wallet, extracted a check and wrote out the amount.
Debbie had to write down his driver’s license number, too. Criminy, but this was a production. Finally, when they were out the door, she soaked in the peace. To her surprise, she was looking forward to preparing a meal with Liam and sitting down to dinner with him and, hopefully, Mason.
She hadn’t realized how much she missed her family—as flawed as they were—until she had the chance to be with Liam. Maybe things weren’t so bad after all.
Chapter Five
Mason came home shortly before dinner, but Liam wasn’t about to ask him to help. Liam had seen a side of Sarah he’d never experienced before. Once they straightened out her fear that he and Mason wouldn’t like her because she thought her hips or ass were too big, she’d relaxed. He’d goofed around in the store, being rather ridiculous about studying the ingredients, but she’d gone along with it, and her lighter side delighted him.
Her slightly floral scent was driving him crazy, though. He couldn’t remember the last time they’d even had a woman over to their house. Between starting Elite Detective Services, trying to take down Harrison Kaplan and his extensive network of drug dealers, neither he nor Mason had had much time to date.
Sure, they were propositioned a few times by some of the local women, but ever since they’d watched over Sarah, neither of them had been interested in anyone else. It was crazy, sure, but it also was the truth. She brought out Mason’s need to nurture and his need to protect. He’d seen the way she handled her students with care and concern. There wasn’t a mean bone in her body.
Even though he and Mason had always been together when they’d taken her out, and her best friend Ceci was in a ménage relationship, Liam wasn’t so sure Sarah was amenable to being with both at the same time. Hell, he wasn’t sure she even was interested in them, period, despite the sly looks she’d given them. Sure, she was working through some rather serious issues right now, but if he’d been kidnapped, he might have nightmares, too. He’d seen enough of that in the war.
“What can I do?” Sarah said.
“You want to fix the spaghetti?”
She smiled. “I can handle boiling water.”
Darn. Maybe she wanted to participate more fully, but he thought she’d like to relax.
Mason came into the kitchen. “What are we having?”
“Spaghetti.” Liam finished peeling the zucchini and sliced it. “Grab me a frying pan.”
He almost laughed at Mason’s expression. Liam bet the only reason his roommate had stepped into the kitchen was to grab something from the fridge. The cabinet doors banged open. There was no way he was going to tell him where the pans were. Let him look like a fool.
Sarah tapped the correct cabinet. “In here.”
“How do you know?”
She chuckled. “I had to do a quick search for the spaghetti pot.”
Mason’s lips firmed, but he said nothing, as he tossed the pan on the stove. He grabbed a beer and pulled a chair up to the island. The man never watched Liam cook. Clearly, he wasn’t the lure.
After Sarah put the water on the stove, she faced Mason. “Did you find out anything?”
“From a quick look at the body, Mr. Dunwoody was hit in the back of the head. We’ll have to wait for the coroner to tell us more.”
She sat down next to Mason as Liam moved over to cook the zucchini before adding it to the sauce.
“Does Justin have any suspect?” she asked.
Mason ran a hand down her back and the tension in Sarah’s face seemed to disappear. That was a good sign.
“Not yet, but he plans to speak with his co-author. Mrs. Dunwoody told us the man’s name. He’s a graduate student at Montana State in Bozeman.”
“The poor woman. Maybe I should go over there and offer my condolences.”
Mason faced her and picked up both hands. “For the time being, I think it would be wise to keep a low profile.” She withdrew her hands from his grasp.
“What? Are saying Mrs. Dunwoody could have killed her husband?”
“No, angel. Not at all. I want you to be safe, that’s all.”
The water boiled and she jumped up and dumped in the spaghetti. She studied the stove.
“What do you need?” Liam asked.
“A timer?”
God, this felt good, being here with her, doing ordinary chores. Sure, they could take a few trips, go to some parties and have a blast, but life was more real than that, and being with Sarah in their house felt right.
He set the timer. “Mase. You want to show Sarah where we keep our dishes? Assuming you know.”
“Fuck you.” He stood and walked over the cabinet that held canned goods.
He opened it, closed it again, and found the plates on the second try. The look Mason shot him was priceless.
By the time Sarah finished setting the table, the food was ready.
She dug in. “Mmm. This is awesome.”
She sounded surprised. As much as he appreciated her moan, he wished it had been under different circumstances—like when he was on top of her sampling her luscious lips. At that image, his cock hardened. That was not good. “So, Sarah, tell us a story about Mr. Dunwoody. You said he was your favorite teacher. Why?” He was pleased with his good catch.
Her face softened. “Yeah, he was.” Her smile said it all. “The man not only had a passion for math, but he could explain a topic five different ways until everyone understood him. I’ve never met anyone who truly wanted the kids to learn math so much.”
“Since you were a math person, I’m guessing you were one of his favorites?”
She smiled. “It was hard to tell. He actually treated everyone equally, but Debbie Litner”—she glanced over at Mason—“she was the one behind the punch bowl who gave you the evil eye, remember?�
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“Yes, I do.”
“Well, she and I were always at the top of the class and would compete. Whether it was just to get the best grade or garner Mr. Dunwoody’s favor, I don’t know.” She shook her head. “I wish I had students like that now.”
Liam set down his glass. “If she was such a math stud, how did she end up working at Pack & Save?”
“Her parents didn’t have the money for college. She married her high school sweetheart by the time she was nineteen, but the man ran off with someone else within the year. Since she was already living away from home, she had to work to support herself.”
“That’s a shame,” Liam said.
“Yeah.” She glanced between them. “I know you told me how you two met in the service and that was why you decided to open a private investigation firm together, but you never told me anything about your families.”
His family saga was a lot more pleasant than Mason’s, so he figured Mase wouldn’t be anxious to share. “I’ll go first.” How did one sum up a life in three sentences? “I was the last of five kids, so by then my parents figured nothing could kill me. Basically, they let me do my own thing. I grew up in Intrigue, Wyoming, where it was hard to get into trouble—other than drinking too much and doing stupid shit.”
Her eyes shone, just like he’d hoped. “Define stupid.”
Mason cleared his throat. “You don’t want to know.”
She glanced between them, looking adorable with her wide eyes. “Tell me.”
Liam put his fork down. “This will not paint me in a very good light, but I should be granted some leeway. I was only ten.”
She smiled. “I teach fourteen- to eighteen-year-olds, so I do understand their judgment has been sorely compromised by hormones.”
“Thanks for understanding. Anyway, me and my friends were mountain biking one fine summer day.”
“Tell her where,” Mason added, seeming to enjoy the tale he’d told a few too many times.
“Up on Candletop Mountain. You might be able to infer by the name that the peak is sharp and a bit craggy. We decided to take our bikes off the path. Long story short, there was a three-foot-wide crack in the mountain that jutted down about fifteen feet.” Sarah was leaning on her elbows, head cradled in her palms, her eyes focused intently on his face. He loved that. “My ‘friends’ dared me to ride my bike across the gorge, as I called it.”
Unexpected Pleasures [Pleasure, Montana 11] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 5
