Defending the Rancher's Daughter

by Carla Cassidy

  He opened the front door and stepped out onto the porch.

  “I know it’s early, but I figured you’d be up,” Dalton said in greeting.

  “I’m up, but Katie isn’t.”

  “Want to talk out here?” Dalton reached the porch and Zack saw the thick folder of paperwork he carried with him.

  “Nah, come on in. As long as we keep our voices down, we shouldn’t disturb her.” He opened the screen door to allow his older brother to enter ahead of him.

  As Dalton got settled at the table with a cup of coffee, Zack went down the hallway and checked on Katie, who appeared to be sleeping soundly. Good. She’d needed to sleep. She’d gotten precious little since the night of the fire.

  He lingered for a moment in the doorway and stared at her. In sleep her strong features were soft and vulnerable. He knew beneath the sheets she was naked and the impulse to forget Dalton and crawl back into bed with her was strong. He muttered a soft expletive and turned away from the door.

  He returned to the kitchen and refilled his own coffee cup, then joined his brother at the table.

  “Got some preliminary information for you and thought you’d want it sooner rather than later,” Dalton said.

  “Definitely,” Zack agreed. “So, what have you got?”

  “Some surprises.”

  “Really? Like what?” Zack leaned forward with interest, glad to focus on business instead of the woman sleeping naked in the other room.

  “The men who worked for Gray don’t all have pristine records,” Dalton replied. “I doubt if it’s a surprise to you that Brett Cook has seen the inside of the Cotter Creek jail probably as regularly as he changes his underwear. Mostly drunk and disorderly charges, a couple of assault charges that were eventually dropped.”

  “No real surprise there,” Zack agreed. “So, surprise me.”

  “Know a man named George Cochran?”

  Zack nodded and thought of the man who had snored in front of the television the one night Zack had bunked in the bunkhouse. “Older guy, real quiet.”

  “Also was a guest of the Oklahoma Corrections Institute for fifteen years on the charge of second degree murder.”

  Zack raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Really? Who’d he kill?” The information reminded him that it was impossible to judge a book by its cover. The last man he would have guessed capable of committing a crime of violence would have been George.

  “From what I’ve been able to learn, he killed a girlfriend in some kind of domestic dispute.”

  “Who killed his girlfriend?” Katie’s voice came from the doorway.

  Instantly, tension stiffened Zack’s shoulders as he saw her. She was clad in a long, lightweight robe that covered her adequately, but her hair was sexy and tousled and he found himself wishing she were a woman who awakened with sleep-creased skin and swollen eyes, with tangled hair and a drool-stained chin.

  Zack was grateful Dalton was there so that he and Katie wouldn’t sit across from each other at the table, sipping coffee and rehashing the events of the night. He didn’t even want to think about the night before, let alone talk about it.

  “Good morning, Dalton. You’re an early bird this morning,” she said as she moved gracefully across the kitchen floor to the counter holding the coffeemaker. “So, who killed his girlfriend?”

  “George Cochran,” Zack replied.

  “That’s old news,” she said, then turned her back on the men to pour herself a cup of coffee.

  “So, your dad knew about George’s murder conviction?” Zack asked.

  “Yes.” She joined them at the table.

  “Nothing worse than domestic abuse.” Zack said harshly, then drew a deep, audible breath. “Okay, so you knew about George’s criminal record. What about Mike Wilton?”

  “What about him?” she asked with interest. She raked a hand through her hair, the strands rippling with burnished color in the morning sunshine.

  “He’s not a stranger to the legal system,” Dalton said, his attention still focused on the papers. “He’s been in and out of prison for a multitude of charges, mostly fraud.”

  “I don’t think Dad knew about that,” she said.

  “What did you find out about Jake Merridan?” Zack asked.

  Dalton flipped through his papers and withdrew a sheet from the stack. “Jake Merridan. Nothing. Not even a speeding ticket in his past.” Dalton took a drink of his coffee and shoved the papers toward Zack. “Pretty much all I’ve got here are the criminal background checks on the men. I’m planning to start on work history later today.”

  “Thanks, Dalton. I really appreciate this,” Zack said.

  Katie placed a hand on Dalton’s arm. “Yes, I can’t thank you enough. I truly believe that whoever killed my father was not a stranger, but rather somebody he knew and trusted.” A dainty frown creased her forehead. “I hate to admit it but my gut instinct tells me it’s got to be somebody who works here, or worked here in the recent past.”

  “If he’s on the list you gave me of employees, then we’ll find him,” Dalton said. “We’ll do whatever we can to help. We all thought a lot of your father.” He stood and looked at Zack. “Anything else you need from me?”

  “Actually, there is something else I’d like for you to do.” Zack stood, as well. “I’d like you to cross-check the names of Katie’s employees with anyone who was working the Wainfield ranch before Joe passed away.” He felt both Katie’s and Dalton’s intrigue at his suggestion.

  He shrugged. “It may be nothing, but I’d just like to know besides Jake Merridan if anybody else worked for Joe before coming here to work.”

  “I’ll do what I can to find out for you,” Dalton agreed, then checked his watch. “Anything else?”

  Zack frowned thoughtfully. “Yeah, check out our local pesticide salesman, Bill Garrett. He and Katie exchanged some heated words at a town council meeting.”

  “The man is a worm,” Katie exclaimed.

  Dalton flashed her a smile. “Then I’ll check out the worm. I’ve got to get moving. Katie, don’t get up, I can see myself out.”

  “Thanks again, Dalton,” Katie said, her attention on the papers he had left behind.

  “I’ll walk with you,” Zack replied.

  Together the two brothers left the kitchen, walked through the living room and out onto the front porch.

  “You doing okay?” Dalton asked the minute the two men were alone.

  Zack knew his brother wasn’t asking about his well-being on this particular case, but rather about his emotional health overall.

  When Zack had come back from his last assignment he’d been a mess. Melissa’s death had nearly destroyed him. For nearly a month he’d isolated himself from his family and spent his days and nights drinking too much, brooding too much.

  “I’m fine. Even though I swore I wouldn’t work for Wild West Protective Services again I have to admit it feels good to be doing something constructive. Have you heard from Tanner?”

  Dalton nodded. “He called to check in last night. He and Anna are somewhere in Europe and plan on returning here sometime next week. He sounded happy. Marriage apparently agrees with him.”

  Zack shook his head as he thought of his eldest brother. “I still can’t believe he’s married.”

  “Yeah, me, either.” Dalton looked out over the land, then looked at Zack. “You have any idea what’s going on here?”

  “None.” Zack frowned. “I still haven’t figured out a motive for Gray’s murder or why somebody would want Katie dead.”

  “You know you need anything, we’ll use all the resources we have at Wild West to help you.”

  “I know. I just don’t know where to go from here.” Zack swallowed a sigh of frustration.

  “What’s the deal on the Wainfield ranch?”

  Zack shrugged. “Just a desperate grasp. Joe died in an accident and accidents seem to be a regular occurrence around here.” He looked at his older brother. “Actually, there’s one more thi
ng I’d like you to do. I know Joe’s son and daughter-in law live in Oklahoma City. Could you get me their addresses and phone numbers? I’d like them as soon as possible. I think maybe Katie and I are due for a road trip.”

  “I’ll call you with the information.” He stepped off the porch, then turned back to Zack. “You think it’s a good idea for you to go back to Oklahoma City?”

  Zack’s stomach knotted at thought of returning to the city where Melissa had been murdered, but once again he shrugged. “It’s just a city. I’ll be fine.”

  The two brothers said their goodbyes and Zack watched as Dalton returned to his little sports car. Zack stood on the porch until the car had disappeared from sight.

  He wasn’t sure which would prove more difficult, returning to the city where he’d lost a cherished friend to murder or returning to the kitchen and facing the aftermath of the mistake he’d made the night before.

  Kate couldn’t remember a time in her life when she’d felt nervous. She’d experienced anger, frustration, happiness and all the other myriad human emotions, but nervousness wasn’t one she usually indulged.

  As she waited for Zack to return to the kitchen, nerves fluttered like butterflies in her stomach and uncomfortable frenetic energy raced through her veins.

  She had no idea what to expect from him after the night they had shared. Was he now regretting their lovemaking? She certainly wasn’t. Even though she still harbored years of resentment toward him, despite the fact that she often found him utterly maddening, she couldn’t regret her night in his arms.

  She also had no idea if she would have made love to him if she hadn’t found that damned appraisal. The thought that her father had intended to sell the ranch had stunned her, had nearly devastated her.

  In her heart, she’d always worried that her father hadn’t thought her smart enough, committed enough to work the land he’d loved. She’d always believed he’d have preferred a son…a son just like Zack.

  She looked up as he entered the kitchen, but he didn’t meet her gaze. He grabbed his cup from the table and went to the counter to refill it.

  “Dalton was an early bird this morning,” she said when he returned to the table. She wanted to break the silence, test the waters. He’d certainly been pleasant enough to his brother, but he had yet to direct a comment to her.

  “He’s been an early bird all his life. Even as a kid he was always the first one up no matter how late we’d been up the night before.”

  “You and he were close growing up?” she asked.

  “Not really.” His gaze met hers, distant and with a hint of coolness. “Tanner and Dalton as the two oldest were close. Clay and Joshua as the youngest were close. Now, enough about my family history, I need to look over this information.”

  “Okay,” she replied slowly. So, it was going to be like that. It was obvious from his curt tone of voice and the remoteness in his eyes that he not only regretted making love with her the night before, but he also intended to subtly punish her for it.

  Fine with her. She could take whatever Zack West dished out to her. She’d spent a good portion of her life dealing with his disdain.

  “While you’re reading over the paperwork would you like me to make you some breakfast?” Just because he intended to be unpleasant didn’t mean she intended to be.

  “Don’t go to any trouble on my account,” he replied, not looking up from the papers.

  “No trouble. Scrambled eggs and toast all right?”

  He nodded and she got to work making the meal. As she beat a bowl of eggs, she tried not to get worked up about his attitude.

  She really shouldn’t have expected anything different from him. He was a jerk. He’d always been a jerk, albeit a sexy, handsome one. But, he hadn’t made love like a jerk. He’d been exciting and giving as a lover.

  Although he appeared to be absorbed in the reading material several times while she worked, she felt his gaze on her, but when she’d meet that gaze he’d frown and quickly return his attention back to the work in front of him.

  She’d just placed breakfast on the table when the telephone rang. “I’ll get it,” Zack said as he jumped up from the table. “I’m expecting a call from Dalton.”

  As he grabbed the phone, Kate sat at the table, fighting a surge of irritation. She certainly hadn’t expected morning kisses and hearts and flowers.

  So, what did you expect? a little voice whispered in her head.

  It disturbed her that no answer was forthcoming. She’d led with her heart and with a healthy surge of hormones last night and hadn’t taken a moment to consider the consequences of her actions.

  As she nibbled on a piece of toast, her gaze went to Zack, who was making a note on a piece of paper. Although he had apparently showered before she’d gotten out of bed, her skin still wore his scent. If she focused on it long enough she had a feeling it would evoke a renewed simmer of desire for him in her.

  He hung up the phone and returned to the table. “After you eat breakfast you might want to shower and get dressed. We’re going to take a road trip.”

  She looked at him in surprise. “Where are we going?”

  “To Oklahoma City.” He picked up his fork and tackled his eggs with single-minded focus.

  “What’s in Oklahoma City?”

  “Jimmy Wainfield. I want to talk to him about his father’s accident.”

  A sense of disquiet swept through her as she digested his words. “So, you think this is bigger than just my father and me?” The very thought made her appetite wane.

  “I don’t know what I think,” he said, dark frustration evident in his voice. “I just want to appease my own curiosity where Joe’s accident is concerned and the best way to do that is talk to his family.”

  “Couldn’t you accomplish what you want by just calling Jimmy?”

  The scowl on his face deepened. “I have no desire to be cooped up inside the house all day long waiting for something to happen.”

  She had a feeling he didn’t want to be cooped up with her all day long. Fine, she wasn’t particularly looking forward to being his prisoner for the day anyway. “What time do you want to leave?”

  He looked at his watch. “Around nine. That will get us into the city by noon.”

  “Then I’ll be ready by nine.”

  They ate their breakfast in silence. Zack remained focused on the papers and she remained focused on Zack.

  Making love with him hadn’t stilled the resentment that she’d felt for him as a young girl. When Zack entered the picture, her worst fears that her father wanted a son had been realized. Zack had garnered Gray’s attention like Kate had never been able to do.

  “Daddy, look at me!” had become her battle cry as she’d done every crazy thing in her power to steal Gray’s attention away from the handsome young cowboy.

  She’d ridden her horse at breakneck speed across the front yard, she’d jumped from one of the highest branches of a tree near the front porch. She’d climbed the porch columns to the roof and a variety of other things to prove to her father that she was worthy of his love…far more worthy than Zack West.

  The hollow ache in her chest was back, produced by thoughts of her dad. She finished eating then carried her plate to the sink and rinsed it.

  The hollow ache wasn’t the only thing she felt at the moment. Her thoughts had brought back all her resentment toward Zack. His treatment of her this morning had intensified her feelings.

  She left the kitchen without saying anything to him. Two could play at the cool, silent treatment. Besides, she was eager to shower and wash away the scent of him.

  Last night had been a mistake she certainly had no intention of repeating.

  Chapter 11

  By nine o’clock they were under way. Zack kept his attention focused on the road, refusing to be distracted by how pretty Katie looked.

  Dressed in a sleeveless white blouse and a pair of navy shorts, with her hair pulled back in a ponytail that exposed the slende
r, graceful column of her neck, she looked fresh and beautiful.

  Since the moment Dalton had left the house the tension between Zack and Katie had grown. He knew he was responsible for most of it, but that didn’t make it any easier to handle.

  Still, he had to distance himself from her, needed to protect himself from any sort of emotional attachment. It was the only way he could do his job effectively. It was the only way he could survive the assignment.

  He knew this trip was probably a wild-goose chase, but he hadn’t wanted to spend the day in the house with her, had felt oddly vulnerable to his own desire where she was concerned.

  As they passed the Wainfield ranch, Zack noticed the place looked deserted with the grass nearly knee-high and weeds starting to take over everything. It had been more than a month since Joe’s death. Where were the new owners of the property?

  “Do you know who bought the Wainfield place?” he asked, breaking the silence that had grown to mammoth proportions.

  “I don’t have a clue,” she replied, then turned her head to look out the passenger window, apparently unwilling to contribute any more to the conversation.

  Zack made a mental note to check with Sheila to find out who had bought the place. It was odd that in the month since Joe’s death nobody had moved in.

  He checked his rearview mirror to make sure they weren’t being followed by anyone. He didn’t want any surprises on the road.

  It was much easier to keep Katie safe by keeping her imprisoned in her house. By taking her out, the risk was greater. He was reassured by the fact that nobody appeared to be following them.

  “I can’t imagine what Joe’s accident would have to do with what happened to my dad or with the attempted stampede and threat on my life,” she said after they’d driven in silence for fifteen minutes or so.

  “Truthfully, I can’t imagine, either,” he replied. “But when you mentioned Joe’s accident last night it got me wondering what exactly happened to him and if there were any signs of foul play.”

  “Surely, if there had been signs of foul play, Jim Ramsey would be investigating it.”