by Trout, Linda
Sara drew her brows down. “Involved in what?” Would he tell her?
He paused—a little too long. “If you have other plans…”
No, he wasn’t going to tell her. However, the thought of going home to the empty house made her decision for her. She no longer felt comfortable there. Not after the two incidents that left her hurting not only physically, but emotionally.
“Dinner would be nice, but I’d like to change first.” She felt rumpled and dirty, although surprised at how much she didn’t care. Keeping up appearances for the sake of appearances was exhausting.
“What’s wrong with the way you look? You’ve brushed most of the dirt off. Besides, where we’re going, you don’t need to dress fancy. In fact, you’d be out of place. Might still be,” he said as he looked over the torn and dirty designer clothes.
Hmm, the idea of going someplace other than a trendy restaurant or the country club sounded appealing. Before she could change her mind, she said, “Sure. Why not?”
Morgan flashed a winning smile, took her elbow, and turned her back toward the SUV. Sara let her self-doubts slip away as she fell into step with him. He might scare her senseless at times, but she’d never felt more safe than she did right then.
****
Morgan mentally kicked himself for the way he reacted to Sara’s off-hand comment. For a moment there, it was as if she were mocking the legal system, cops in particular. She had no way of knowing what he’d been through and how the system had affected him. In fact, he’d come close to applying to the police academy at one time. Then Reece, and Morgan’s better sense, prevailed. He was good at investigating, but he didn’t have the patience or temperament to become a detective. He worked best “outside” the lines, which would’ve killed any career he might have had in law enforcement.
Except now he could use the extra resources to find out why Andy had died. He glanced over at Sara. Nothing about her demeanor indicated she was a cold-blooded killer, so if she was involved, she was an extremely good actress. For now, he was going to forget about the real reason he was with her and just enjoy the evening.
He smiled inwardly. It’d be interesting to get her reaction to where they were going. Slim’s was about as far from ritzy as you could get. If she was the snob she was purported to be, she wouldn’t even get out of the car, much less actually sit down and eat. He hoped that wouldn’t be her reaction.
He took the river road and headed south. It was the long way around to his destination, but he’d always loved the Arkansas River, so he opted for the meandering two-lane blacktop. “Ever been this way before?”
“Not that I recall. We moved to Riverbend after Jason’s grandfather died and left Jason the company. I never had a lot of time to explore the area, though I would’ve liked to.”
“You’ve never lived here before?” He’d intended the question to come out sounding casual—not as if he were drilling her. He wanted to know more about her personally, not for the investigation, but for himself.
She turned a sharp gaze toward him. “Was the plan to get me out in the middle of nowhere so you could interrogate me? If so, you could’ve poked and prodded all you wanted at the cemetery. Or the police station.”
He slid a glance her way before returning his attention to the winding road. A white-tailed doe and twin fawns were on the road in front of him. He slammed on the brakes, the seat belt biting into his skin as the car skidded to a stop.
He muttered a few choice words, then turned to her. “You all right?”
She blew out a nervous breath. “Yeah… Oh, my. They’re beautiful.”
Totally ignoring the sketchy traffic, the animals leisurely crossed the highway. At the last minute, the second fawn stopped to look at them, then kicked up its heels and bounded after its mother.
Morgan was about to take his foot off the brake when he glanced over at Sara. She had a dreamy expression plastered on her face. On most people it would appear silly. On her…it was enticing as hell. He wanted nothing more than to lean over and kiss her. Long and deep. In an instant, all his blood rushed south. Not good. He cleared his throat in an effort to distract himself. Only she turned her sappy grin on him. Oh, man. I’m in trouble.
“They were fantastic.”
“Sorry if I gave you another bruise, but I couldn’t chance hitting them.” He dipped his head toward her shoulder, trying to not let his gaze slide lower to her chest. He’d lose it for sure if he didn’t watch it.
“Oh, I totally agree. A baby should never be separated from its mama.”
Within the blink of an eye, Sara’s look of wonder evaporated into an expression of longing, replaced by complete isolation. Now, more than ever, he wanted to kiss her. Only this time to make her forget. To forget her husband’s body had just been exhumed, forget her child was missing. No. He would keep his hands to himself. Touching her was not a good idea. Not now. Not ever. He was surprised to see his hand reach out and clasp hers, squeezing in unspoken encouragement.
She glanced down at his touch, then drew her gaze back to his in question. Morgan gave her a half smile and forced himself to put both hands back on the steering wheel. As he released the brake and refocused on the road, the image of her soft skin under his callused hand kept playing through his mind. All business aside, he’d like to feel the rest of her under him. Hot and sweaty and so sated she couldn’t move. Just one time. Then he’d have it out of his system and could go on with his investigation. Besides, it wasn’t like he was emotionally involved or anything. She was just an attractive woman who looked like she could use some lovin.’
That’s all.
“What are you thinking?”
He jerked, managing to keep his eyes on the road, and not look at the temptation sitting next to him. “Why?” The best defense was a good offense.
“Oh, nothing. You just look like the cat who ate the canary, is all.”
No way would Morgan tell her what he’d been thinking, but her cliché caught him off guard. She couldn’t possibly know that licking and eating her from head to toe was exactly what he wanted to do. Here. Now. In the back of the SUV. The windows were tinted dark enough so no one would know what was going on. Except for the rocking. He’d like to… Get a hold of yourself.
What was it about this woman that made him forget everything? And she hadn’t done a thing to warrant this sudden hunger for her. Still, the flowery scent of her perfume wafted through the interior of the vehicle, filling his senses. He stole a glance, his eyes feasting on the rise and fall of her breasts against the silky blouse. The shadow of a lace bra peeked through the thin fabric. A naked woman giving him a lap dance couldn’t have been more erotic. Or enticing.
Trying his best to keep his eyes, and mind, on the road, Morgan inwardly groaned with the vivid image of Sara in nothing but a lacy bra with panties to match, giving him a lap dance. And then what would come after. His fingers itched to reach over and slowly release each button. He wanted to see her reaction, wanted to see her eyes go wide in surprise, then dark with desire. He wanted her writhing beneath him, around him, crying out his name as she came time and time again.
Realizing there was a heavy silence inside the vehicle, he ventured a glance in Sara’s direction. He burst out laughing, all sexual thoughts instantly dissolved. Her back was to the door, her lips twisted into a weird contortion, and her eyes were crossed. When he found his voice—after she finally uncrossed her eyes—he said, “Good, God, woman. Do you do that very often?”
Her smile lit up the day. “Nope. Not allowed in polite company. And everyone is polite company so I keep my funny faces to myself. But it is a good muscle exercise, keeps you from getting a turkey neck.” She tilted her chin to prove her point.
Not that she was old enough to even worry about one.
“Guess you’re right. No turkeys there.” He liked the way she relaxed and giggled at him. He also liked the way she poked fun at herself. She likely kept that particular side of herself hidden from all except
the closest of friends. However, it didn’t appear as if she had many. What was her life like? Did she live in limbo, or secretly wait for the time she could get on with her life sans hubby? After her dreamy expression when she saw the deer, he knew she wanted the kid back, so probably wasn’t involved in the baby’s disappearance. That didn’t mean she wasn’t involved in the husband’s death.
She smiled and turned to face the side window, watching as the river periodically came into view. They rode the rest of the way in silence.
A short time later, Morgan pulled into Slim’s Bar-B-Q, tires crunching on the gravel parking lot. Still early, there were already several vehicles in front of the seemingly run down house. The white paint had long faded, then peeled away in patches, leaving bare wood peeking out. A single neon “Open” sign and a wooden sign out front were the only indication this was an eating establishment.
He opened his door. The tantalizing aroma drifting through the buildings screen door blasted him. His stomach growled, a reminder of how long it had been since he’d eaten. At the moment, though, his biggest hunger had nothing to do with food, and everything to do with the woman beside him.
She didn’t say a word but simply stared at the building. He’d give anything to know what she’d been thinking when she saw the place, but she’d schooled her features into a polite mask.
“Ready?”
She threw him a brief glance, then climbed out, meeting him in front of the Navigator. “Smells good,” her voice rose slightly on the last word.
“Trust me.” His gut clenched as he held his breath. Suddenly he wanted—no, needed—her to trust him. But had he done anything to earn it? Others had trusted him in the past, and he’d let them down, so what was he doing here? He tried to shake the feeling. She was still a suspect, and that’s why he told himself he needed her to relax around him, to open up and make it easier to get to the bottom of Andy’s death. A niggling thought said there was more to it. Which he promptly ignored.
Refusing to question why it mattered so much, he whispered, “Do you?”
She gave him a quizzical look.
“Trust me?”
Ever so slowly, she placed her hand in his.
Chapter Six
“That was the best Bar-B-Q I’ve ever eaten.” Sara adjusted the waistband of her pants. It was dark inside the vehicle, so maybe Morgan didn’t see her squirming, trying to get more comfortable. He turned to her and his grin flashed from the dashboard’s glow.
“Told you.”
She returned his smile. “Yes, I suppose you did. Why do they serve their food on butcher paper?”
“Slim couldn’t afford plates when he first started, and since it was mostly friends and family, he just used what he had on hand, which happened to be butcher paper. Once his clientele picked up, he didn’t see any reason to change. So he didn’t. Kinda adds to the atmosphere, don’t you think?”
“Hmm.” There wasn’t a better way to compliment the atmosphere of the noisy and cramped diner. The one thing going for it, besides the food, was the friendliness of everyone working there. Slim’s employees had greeted each person as if they’d known them all their lives, which impressed her. She was sure if she and Morgan hadn’t been at a table for two, total strangers would have been seated with them as the diner filled to capacity. It dawned on her she hadn’t thought about her problems once the entire time they’d been there. “Are all of the employees family?”
“Mostly. If you catch him on a slow night, he’ll talk your ear off telling about his six kids and hordes of grandkids. You’ll only make that mistake once. If Slim gets to telling tales, he’ll almost forget his meat on the homemade cooker out back. Almost,” he added with a dry chuckle.
“Oh, dear. Thanks for the warning.” She’d have to bring Cat out here. If she could find her way. She’d been day dreaming and hadn’t paid attention to where they were going on the way to the restaurant. Not after Morgan had all but caressed her hand the way he had. She didn’t want to acknowledge the sensations that had zapped through her like a lightning bolt.
It was silly, actually. She’d read about such things in romance novels, but didn’t think it could happen. Not to her, anyway. When she’d fallen in love with Jason, he’d told her how special she was—how much she meant to him. Even back then, though, his touch had never made her skin tingle, nor sent butterflies skittering through her stomach. Her pulse picked up as she lightly rubbed the spot where Morgan had touched her. Goose bumps ran down her arm. When she’d placed her hand in his outside the restaurant… A smile started to form, then she suppressed it. She didn’t want to have to explain, not sure she could if she tried.
Sara forced her hands apart and turned her attention back to what he was saying.
“Yeah, the only thing more important to the man than his meat is his kids.”
Morgan’s voice held a wistfulness she was sure he wasn’t aware of. Did he envy the old man? “Why doesn’t he improve the grounds and building? He’d draw more business.”
Morgan snorted. “Naw. Slim has everything he ever wanted. He won’t get rich, but he sure is happy. Besides, he has all the business he can handle. You should see the place on a Friday night after a ball game. It’s packed. And if you linger too long, they’ll ask you to leave.”
“You’re joking.” She’d never heard of such a thing.
“Honest truth.” He threw her a look, then shrugged.
Sara burst out laughing just thinking of someone physically dumping you out of the chair and telling you to leave. Then going back for the same treatment the next week.
“Slim doesn’t treat his customers any different than he treats his kids. He’s a tough ol’ cuss.”
“Apparently. Everyone loves him, anyway. Right?”
“You got it.” He glanced at her, his white teeth gleaming in the dim interior of the vehicle. His facial features relaxed with his smile as the tough PI image he usually projected evaporated. Laugh lines creased the corners of his eyes, hard muscles stretched the fabric of his shirt, and his lip curled on one side when he grinned. He looked as if he were someone she’d like to know better.
They weren’t taking the river road back to town. Instead, he’d cut over to the Interstate and made good time. When he slowed and took an unfamiliar exit, she frowned. “Where are you going?”
“The cemetery.”
“The…? Oh, yes. I’d forgotten. My car.”
“Unless you want to leave it there overnight.”
“No, thank you. Someone might think that’s an invitation to go joy riding.”
He pulled alongside the pristine white Lexus, put the black SUV in Park, and started to get out. She held up a hand. “That’s okay. It’s only two steps.”
“You sure?” he asked.
“Yes.” He was being such a gentleman, and it felt rather nice. It didn’t slip her notice the difference between their two vehicles, black versus white.
A sudden flash of the old western movies with the bad guy always wearing a black hat flitted across her mind. Where would her husband have fit in? Even with her first impression of Morgan as a bad guy—and he could certainly fit the part when he chose—Sara couldn’t picture him on the wrong side of anything. Not after the events of the afternoon and evening. However, it was like the man was a mixture of both, and she found that a little frightening and reassuring at the same time. Odd.
Jason preferred silver-toned cars, yet allowed Sara to own a lowly white one. He’d still insisted on at least a Lexus. In truth, she didn’t mind the car. It had some nice bells and whistles she enjoyed. Morgan’s vehicle had some nice amenities, too.
She eyed her car. Was white really “good?” Along with everything else in her life, it had to meet certain standards. Even after Jason’s death she was still part of the elite social circle. Sara envied Cat her freedom in choosing her outlandish outfits and driving the bright red convertible. Personally, Sara would like to own a baby blue…something. She didn’t care if it was a Ford
, Chevy, or even a Jeep. As long as she and Kaycee would be comfortable in it. She could even trash it up—as Morgan had done his Navigator. She sighed. That was a different world than the one she currently lived in. Maybe someday…
She glanced at Morgan, who sat patiently behind the wheel waiting on her. Studying her. The evening had been so nice she didn’t want it to end. To her surprise, she’d enjoyed Morgan Daniels’ company. She’d seen a side of him she hadn’t expected, not with his gruff exterior. The man was very good at protecting that soft spot from the world. Which included her.
Swallowing a sigh, she thought of walking into her house. “Um, would you—?”
“I’m following you home, in case you were going to ask.”
Relief coursed through her. “Thank you. I appreciate it.”
He gave her a cocky grin. “No problem.”
Sara slid from the vehicle—hesitated just a moment, thinking she should say something else. How silly. She lowered her gaze, then closed the door. He waited for her to start her car and pull out before falling in behind her. She’d driven the route from her house to the cemetery so many times she didn’t have to think about the direction. Granted, she’d never been to Jason’s gravesite this late—the cemetery took on an ominous sensation after dark. She shook off the feeling, recalling the loud and crowded restaurant with the food served on paper—the drinks in a Mason jar. She couldn’t remember when she’d enjoyed herself more. If she had to compare the restaurants from lunch and dinner, she thought she preferred the more casual one from this evening.
When she pulled into her driveway, the queasiness she’d held at bay during the day returned. As she came to a stop and turned off the motor, she sat a moment, staring at the dark monstrosity she called home. Wasn’t a home supposed to be warm, welcoming? Had this house ever felt that way?
Yes, she decided. When they’d first bought it, then again after Kaycee’s birth. Sara’s world had been perfect. They’d waited so long to start a family. Her daughter’s arrival had been everything Sara could have hoped for. Jason spent more time at home and less at the office. Most nights he was there to help tuck the baby in, even getting up occasionally with a few of the nighttime feedings, bringing her to Sara to nurse. They had reconnected as a couple. Now, with their absence, the structure had become cold. During the course of the last couple of days, it had taken on a different, more unwelcoming note. One that chilled Sara to the bone.
