“I’ll get it,” Emma told her as she reached for the ringing phone. “Daniels’ residence.”
Becca watched as Emma’s face went pale. She moved toward her. “Emma? What is it?”
Emma shook her head and hung the phone up, her eyes filled with terror as she turned.
Becca gently shook her. “Emma.”
“He said…” She shook her head and swallowed hard. “He said, ‘tell the bitch to go back to Maryland’.” Emma pulled out a chair and sat down.
Becca inhaled sharply, pulled out another chair, and sat down beside her. “Did you recognize the voice?”
Emma told her she didn’t. Becca pulled out her cellphone and called Sam. She had the man on speed-dial. As usual, he said he’d be right there. She wanted to cry but even more so, there was one man she wanted to call more than anything, but couldn’t bring herself to do it. Jake.
* * * *
Jake lay on a bale of hay in the barn with his arm over his eyes thinking about Becca. He wanted to see her but he knew she didn’t want to see him. She didn’t trust him—not completely. Damn, that hurt. Blowing out a breath, he sat up and rested his forearms on his knees. Staring at the concrete floor, he berated himself for even getting involved with her. Thinking with his other head was nothing but trouble. The one on his shoulders hadn’t been thinking straight since the day he walked into that kitchen and found her standing there with a can of mace pointed at him.
He shook his head as if that would clear thoughts of her from his mind. If he’d been a smarter man, he’d have left her alone that first night. The minute his groin tightened, he should have turned, walked out, and never gone back. But oh no, he had to be an idiot and go over there again with the excuse of lighting a fire for her in case the power went out.
He sneered at his own foolishness. That rarely happened. It wasn’t exactly a lie but wasn’t exactly the truth either. He groaned when he thought of her in the bathtub, and his traitorous body got rock hard. Fuck!
Jake stood with a stomp of his boot and after checking on the horses, he strode across the yard to head for a cold shower but stopped when he heard a siren. Tilting his head, he listened. It seemed too close when it suddenly stopped. He ran to his truck, hoping he was wrong and it hadn’t stopped at Becca’s.
Jake’s heart almost ceased beating when he saw Sam’s SUV parked behind Becca’s. Shutting his truck off, he hurried to the back door and knocked. Emma opened the door for him.
“What’s going on, Emma?” he whispered.
She opened her mouth to answer him, but Sam spoke instead. “It seems the problems have escalated to harassing phone calls.”
“Harassing phone calls?” Jake looked at Sam and then noticed Becca behind him. Her cheeks were wet from crying. Jake stepped toward her, but then hesitated unsure she even wanted him there. “Are you all right, Becca?”
She slowly shook her head then walked to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. At first, Jake tensed but then threw his arms around her and held her tightly to him. He put his cheek on the top of her head. Her strawberry scent tickled his nose in the best way.
Sam raised an eyebrow at him, which he ignored.
“I wish I could do something about this but the person hung up too fast and you don’t have caller ID. I suggest you get it.” After writing down a few things, Sam left to make a report but not before he told Becca that he wanted to be informed of anything she thought was suspicious, and he didn’t care how trivial it seemed.
Jake walked Becca to the living room where they took a seat. “Why don’t you and Emma come stay at my house?”
He knew when he felt her back straighten that he’d said the wrong thing.
“I will not let whoever is doing this, run me out of my home,” she said in a sharp angry tone, eyeing him.
Jake ignored the look and shifted his gaze up at the ceiling. Lord, save him from hardheaded women, he thought. He sighed. “All right. If you need me tonight, call me but I can’t stay. I’m going to Butte in the morning with Gabe and Wyatt.”
“Are you going to the horse sale?” Emma asked.
“Yes. We go every year.” He looked to Becca. “I hate to leave you, though. I could cancel.”
“We’ll be fine, Jake. So far, the coward has only been around when I’m gone and now calling, just to scare me.”
Doubt riddled Jake’s gut because it seemed that the bastard who was doing this was getting bolder. Becca still suspected him no matter how she denied it, and because of that, it worried him she wouldn’t be cautious. He hoped the son of a bitch continued to stay away while Becca was home but he didn’t voice that opinion. It would kill him if something happened to her. He pressed a kiss against her forehead, stood up, and nodded for Emma to follow him out. Once in the kitchen, he halted by the door.
“I don’t like this at all, Emma. Call Stan and let him know what’s going on and get a rifle from him. You know how to use one and if anything happens, call me.” He glanced in the direction of the living room. “I don’t care that I’ll be two hours away, I’ll want to know. Please,” he added.
Emma assured him she would do as he asked and so he left. It was tearing him up to leave. If he didn’t have horses to buy, he wouldn’t be leaving Becca’s ranch until he was sure she was safe.
* * * *
A few uneventful days passed and the weather warmed up even more. Becca and Emma went to the ranch Emma’s father owned to go horseback riding. The sun’s rays felt wonderful and the wind was calm. Becca raised her face toward the sun as her horse, a big sorrel, followed behind Emma’s Palomino. She smiled when Emma turned to look at her.
“I’m still here, don’t worry.” Becca laughed. “I love this horse. He’s so sweet.”
Emma nodded. “Bruno is a gentle giant.”
At a small pond, they dismounted and spread a blanket to sit on and eat lunch. They ate fried chicken, potato salad, and drank iced tea. Even though the trees were still bare, the day was beautiful. Becca tilted her head and watched Emma.
“What? Do I have something in my teeth?” Emma laughed.
Becca smiled. “No. Tell me about Gabe.”
Emma’s cheeks turned red. “What about him?”
“How long have you been in love with him?”
Emma choked on her tea. “I’m not…” Then as if realizing she couldn’t fool Becca, Emma sighed. “It feels like all my life.” She lowered her eyes.
“He doesn’t know?” Becca probed.
“Oh, dear Lord, no. He thinks of me as little Emma Conner. I’ve known him since I was a little girl and that’s how he still sees me. He’s seven years older than I am, so I suppose he sees me as a young girl.”
“But you’re a grown woman, Em, a beautiful grown woman.”
Emma shook her head. “He wouldn’t want me anyway, if he knew the truth about me…”
Becca gave Emma’s hand a reassuring touch. “What’s the truth? You can tell me.”
Emma’s entire face turned red as she blew out a breath. “I’m a twenty-seven year old virgin.”
Becca burst out laughing but quickly sobered when she saw the hurt on Emma’s face.
“Oh, honey, I’m not laughing at you. Until Jake, I’d only been with one other man and I’m twenty-eight, so I don’t think the fact that you don’t have experience is something that would bother Gabe,” Becca told her smiling. “Instinct is a powerful thing when it comes to sex.”
“Every time I see him, my heart slams into my ribs. I love everything about him—his body, eyes, hair, and that sexy moustache. But…he…he scares the bejesus out of me.”
“Jake scares me too. But I love being with him.”
Both women sat daydreaming for more than a few minutes about the men who’d stolen their hearts. Soon they snapped out of it, cleaning up to head back to the ranch before the sun started going down. After putting the horses up, they drove back to Becca’s and upon arrival went into the house through the back door.
Becca h
eaded to the living room with Emma behind her. Becca stopped so abruptly that Emma ran into her backside. Becca stared in shock at the sight in front of her. On the mirror above the mantle, in red lipstick, were the words, GO BACK TO MARYLAND BITCH. The television lay broken on the floor. Becca and Emma slowly backed up into the foyer.
“I need to call Sam,” Becca said, her voice shaking.
Becca turned from Emma to dial her phone when she noticed there was debris lying on the dining room floor. She walked to the doorway, looked in, and gasped. The china cupboard was leaning against the table. Dishes were lying broken on the table and floor. Seeing the little crystal cowboy on the floor and broken, Becca thought she was going to be sick. Placing her hand over her stomach, she dialed Sam’s number.
“The man just needs to move in here,” she muttered.
Sam took pictures and dusted for fingerprints…again. The vandalism did not end there. Becca’s bedroom had also suffered. The vandal had slashed the coverlet and the dresser drawers were hanging open. Her underwear had been scattered all over the floor. No other bedrooms were touched. Becca glanced up when she saw Sam coming down the stairs. He entered the living room and stood in front of her with a grim expression.
“I don’t know who you pissed off, but this is getting out of hand,” he said. “Whoever it is, they’re smart. No fingerprints at all, and I don’t see any forced entry.” He shook his head. “The only way I can think they’re getting in, is one of the doors. The front door is old. You should replace the lock. In fact, go ahead and replace all of them, including the one in the mudroom, even though you don’t use it.”
Becca looked up at him and nodded. “I’ll go tomorrow and get new locks. I’m sorry I keep calling you out here.”
Sam shook his head. “Not much goes on in Clifton. You’re making me earn my money.” He touched the brim of his Stetson and left.
When the phone rang just as Sam’s SUV was heading down the drive, Becca and Emma both jumped and looked at each other. Becca reached for it. “Hello?”
“Becca? It’s Liv.”
The breath Becca had been holding whooshed out and she smiled at Emma with relief.
“Liv. Thank goodness.” Becca realized just then that she hadn’t even checked the caller ID.
“Is everything all right? You sound funny.”
Without hesitation, Becca told her best friend about what she and Emma had found when they returned home. She held the phone away from her ear when Olivia began swearing.
“I think I should close up the shop and come back out there. I don’t like this at all,” Olivia declared in Becca’s ear.
“I would love to have you come back, Liv, but only if you want to,” Becca told her, all the while saying a silent prayer of thanks to the powers that be.
“I’ll call the airlines right now, and I’ll let you know when my flight’s landing. I love you, Becs. Hang in there.”
Chapter Nine
Olivia couldn’t get a flight out for a few days and Emma had to go back to her dad’s ranch to help out because her mom was ill. Becca dreaded being alone so she slept on the couch. The idea of sleeping upstairs terrified her. Although Stan had installed the new locks, she was still scared. Even taking a bath was scary. Call Jake echoed through her head like a chant but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Consequently, she rarely left the house and the only people who came in were Stan, and the deliverymen bringing in the new TV and new recliners.
As she lay reclining on the sofa watching a movie, the phone rang. She checked the caller ID and saw it was the sheriff’s office. “Hello?”
“Becca, this is Sam. I have some good news for you, for once.”
Becca sat up. “Really? What is it?”
“I had a call from an auction house in Billings. It seems they have your horses.”
She jumped up, excitement rushing through her. “Oh my God! Are you serious?”
Sam chuckled. “Yes, ma’am. Luckily, yours and Jake’s horses had microchips. The auction houses always check for them in case the animals are from stolen stock. In your cases, they were. I’m glad now that Jake had convinced Hattie to have her horses chipped.”
“Jake talked her into it?” Becca asked while thinking that if Jake knew that, he’d be foolish to steal the horses and try to sell them at auction. Maybe she was wrong to suspect him at all.
“Yeah, from what I can remember she argued about it but he finally convinced her. Telling her that if something ever happened to her horses, she’d wish then they were chipped.”
Becca laughed. Jake must have been convincing, thankfully. “When will they be here, Sam?”
“They should be at your ranch tomorrow, mid-morning. The thing that gets me is the men aren’t even from around here. They’re from Virginia. That’s a long trip just to rustle some horses.”
“Were the men arrested?” Becca could hear him shuffling papers.
“Yes. There were four of them, just as Jake thought. The men arrested were Martin Smith, Toby Lewis, Richard Wilson, and Charles Harris.”
Harris? That was Steve’s last name. Admittedly, it was a common name but was it just coincidental? Steve couldn’t have something to do with all this, could he? She couldn’t believe that. It didn’t make sense, but the men were from Virginia and Steve from Maryland. Was it possible Steve and Charles Harris were related? Then again, she hadn’t heard from Steve since their last conversation and she’d made it quite clear she didn’t want him to come out here. She figured he’d gotten the message and just given up. She shook her head, pushing the notion from her thoughts. Her imagination was just getting the best of her just as it had with Jake. Jake!
“Does Jake know about the horses?”
“I called him first. He’s as excited as you are.” Sam chuckled.
They spoke a little more and hung up. Becca was so happy to be getting the horses back. She called Olivia, and then Emma. The fact the horses had chips convinced her Jake was innocent in all this. He knew they had chips, so why would he have them stolen? Also, Jake would never destroy Hattie’s precious keepsakes. He’d loved the old woman like family. She was so elated she was sure she wouldn’t sleep but surprisingly, she fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.
The next day, Becca was standing out by the corral talking with Stan and the men when a large truck entered the driveway, pulling a trailer behind it. She jumped up and down, clapping her hands. Stan laughed and Becca hugged him, and then hugged the other men too. They all seemed embarrassed but each had a big grin on his face. She ran toward the truck and waved at the driver. He parked near the barn and stepped down from the cab.
“I suppose these are your horses, little lady?” He smiled at her.
Becca moved her head up and down with excitement, and wondered if she resembled a bobble head doll. He thrust the clipboard at her, showing her where to sign. Once finished, Stan and the men unloaded the horses. The Paints pranced around a little as if happy to be home. Becca looked into the trailer and saw Jake’s horses. She knew he was going to be equally happy to see them. Stan and the men led her horses to their stalls. Becca laughed when she heard Daisy whinny to welcome her friends back. She watched the large truck back down the driveway.
Becca hesitated only a few seconds before she ran to her SUV to follow the truck. She wanted to see the look on Jake’s face when he saw his horses, and to let him know she knew absolutely that he’d had nothing to do with any of the problems.
* * * *
Jake, Gabe, and Wyatt were talking in the barn when they heard the sound of a truck coming up the driveway. Jake grinned and walked out into the sunlight with his brothers following close behind. They stopped at the corral and watched as the truck pulled up and stopped. Jake could hear his horses whinnying, he was sure they were excited to be home and he was happy to have them there. The driver stepped down and handed Jake the clipboard for his signature. Gabe and Wyatt headed toward the back of the truck to unload the horses while Jake spoke
with the driver. When he heard his name called and looked around the truck, he saw Becca running toward him. Her car must’ve been behind the truck and he hadn’t seen her.
“Jake,” she yelled as she launched herself at him.
He caught her, laughing as he spun her around, and then he kissed her fast and hard. Her arms were around his neck and her legs around his waist. Jake stopped spinning her and kissed her long and deep, oblivious to the people around them until Wyatt cleared his throat. Jake broke the kiss but didn’t take his eyes off the woman in his arms. He heard Gabe and Wyatt chuckle. He tore his eyes from Becca and looked at his brothers, raising an eyebrow at them.
“So that’s how it is, huh?” Wyatt smiled.
Gabe laughed as Jake grinned.
“I don’t know what you mean.” He looked at Becca, still in his arms. “Do you?”
She laughed and shook her head. “Nope, absolutely no idea, I’m just happy we have our horses back.”
Jake threw his head back and laughed. He hugged her tighter.
God! He loved this woman and couldn’t imagine her not being in his life. Of course, she wasn’t in it the way he wanted yet, but he wasn’t giving up. He was determined to change that.
* * * *
After the horses were in the barn, Gabe and Wyatt were getting ready to leave when Wyatt sauntered over to where Becca stood.
“Is your friend coming back?” Wyatt asked as if he was inquiring about the weather.
“Olivia?” Becca smiled up at him when he nodded.
“She’s due back tomorrow, actually.”
He nodded. “She’s…feisty.”
Becca burst out laughing. “You have no idea, and she goes after what she wants.”
She gave Wyatt a look that left no doubt, if he was wondering, what it was Olivia wanted.
Wyatt’s mouth twitched. “What about you?” He glanced toward Jake.
Jake (Men of Clifton Montana Book 1) Page 12
