Vin stepped out of the car first after she turned off the ignition. They’d both been silent on the drive home from the diner, although he’d reached over and held her hand at one point.
“I’m sure glad that the bicycle contraption fits into the car. I would have hated riding that thing all the way back here. It was bound to throw me at some point.”
Ashley laughed. “You talk about the bike as if it’s a horse.”
She fumbled in the dark for the key to the front door. Her pulse increased when Vin held open the door for her once she unlocked it. He turned on the light in the living room, then their eyes met. The longing in his gaze was clear to see, but also the sincerity that was such a big part of him, which had drawn her to him in the first place.
“It’s late, you ought to get some sleep.” He stepped up to her and, true to his word, gave her a quick peck on the cheek as if the heated kisses they’d shared at the diner had never happened. “I’ll lock up.”
He nudged her toward the hallway, when someone knocked on the front door.
Vin frowned. “Who comes calling at this hour?”
Ashley shrugged and went to the door, but Vin beat her to it.
“Mrs. Filmore, what a surprise.” There was a distinct note of sarcasm in his voice.
“Agnes?” Ashley peered around Vin’s back and came up beside him. “Is something wrong?”
The old woman stood on the front step, dressed in a robe with fuzzy slippers on her feet. Her gray hair was rolled up in rollers like Ashley’s grandma used to have. She glanced from Ashley to Vin, her smile widening with each second.
“No, dear, nothing’s the matter. I just wanted to stop by and thank Vin for saving our neighborhood.”
Ashley’s eyes shot to Vin, who looked at her with a clueless expression.
“Three boys, the ones who’ve been shooting off the fireworks all these weeks, came to my house this evening. They couldn’t stop apologizing, Vin.” Agnes Filmore’s arms reached out, clasping Vin’s hands in hers. “They went door-to-door, saying how sorry they were for causing such a disturbance, and that it would never happen again.”
Vin nodded. “Glad to hear it.”
Ashley’s eyes narrowed. “Three boys? As in, the three boys at the diner who couldn’t get out of there fast enough when you showed up? What did you do, Vin?”
He shrugged. A casual smile spread across his face. “I may have taught them a few lessons in manners.”
Mrs. Filmore giggled. “I’d say he did that, all right,” she said eagerly. “I bet he used that old Winchester rifle that belonged to your grandfather to show them not to mess with this neighborhood again.”
“Rifle? What are you talking about?” Ashley’s eyes narrowed. Clearly, things had been going on around here without her knowledge.
“It’s not what you’re thinking,” Vin said quickly, obviously reading her mind. “I found a rifle in your garage, and I cleaned it up a bit, that’s all. A couple of nights ago, I found three boys looking to set off some fireworks, and I told them they were scaring the old folks in the neighborhood, and if they didn’t want to find out if I was a decent shot or get tangled with the law, they’d better go apologize to each and every one of the neighbors, and then never do it again. And I assured them I’d track them down if they didn’t comply.” He chuckled. “They must have taken me seriously when they saw me tonight at the diner.”
Mrs. Filmore laughed. Ashley glared from one to the other. “You could get arrested for pointing a gun at three kids.”
Vin shook his head. “I never pointed a gun at them. I simply held it while I was talking to them.”
Ashley’s glare intensified. “Talking? I can only imagine what kind of talking you must have done. What if they go to the police?”
Vin shook his head. “Why would they? They knew they were breaking the law, too. If they went to the sheriff, they’d have to fess up about their own behavior. It was easier for them to comply with me.”
Ashley stared at the man she was falling more in love with by the minute. He had a lot to learn about things in this time, but in this case, his old-fashioned ways seemed to work, too.
Whatever he’d said or done with those boys had sure instilled a hefty dose of respect in them, judging by their behavior at the diner. They hadn’t looked as if they’d been roughed up. There was no doubt that Vin was right. The important thing was that no one got hurt, and the neighborhood was peaceful and quiet again.
“Isn’t he just the best thing since sliced bread?”
Ashley stared at Mrs. Filmore, who stood and beamed at Vin. The old woman turned to Ashley, and grabbed her wrist. She took a step forward, and wagged a finger in her face. “I need to get to bed. It’s late, but I just want to say one thing to you, Ashley.”
She paused until Ashley nodded to indicate she was giving Agnes her full attention.
“Finding a nice young man like that, someone polite yet not afraid to take care of business, is rare these days. You hang on to that one, Ashley. They don’t come like that anymore.”
Ashley stared from her elderly neighbor to Vin. She smiled. “I agree, Agnes. Vin’s a real hero, and he’s definitely a keeper.”
Chapter 14
“I hope you don’t mind, but I’ll bring home burgers from the diner again tonight. I’m sure Jim will find a hundred reasons to keep me there late.”
Ashley sipped her morning cup of coffee. She glanced across the table at Vin, who stared at her intently. Heat rose in her face. She’d never blushed this easily before, but just a look from him, and she turned into a pile of mush. It had been this way ever since the night he’d come to the diner a week ago and asked permission to court her.
He’d remained true to his word. As he’d said, things were a bit weird since they lived together, but each evening was like an old-fashioned date. They’d sit together outside, or go for strolls through the neighborhood, holding hands, and enjoy the cooler evenings after the heat of the day, and just talk. No television and no outside distractions. Only the two of them, really getting to know each other.
They talked about their pasts and life’s experiences, and what their hopes and dreams were for the future They both seemed to want the same thing – a place to call home and a feeling of belonging. Ashley opened up to him about her life growing up, and how she’d settled for every loser out of desperation to feel accepted.
Moira had called the other day, saying she would be back in Heartsbridge within the week, and needed her watch returned. The hands still whirred around the face at a relentless pace without any indication that they would slow down. Vin had reassured her that he had no intention of going back to the past, even though it appeared as if he had plenty of time to change his mind.
Scott had also talked to Vin on the phone. He and Amber would be home from their honeymoon within a week. He had convinced Vin to come to Montana, that he would be welcome and a great asset in the outfitting business, unless he wanted to do what he already knew, and work at the Diamond K.
After ending the call, Vin had told her about the conversation.
“Working with Scott might be the right thing for me,” he’d said. “It’ll give us the means to build our future together.” He’d paused. “I know you might think it’s a bit soon, but a courtship doesn’t have to last too long, if I have a way to provide for you.”
Ashley hadn’t said anything. Had he hinted about marriage with that comment?
“You’ll be among family in Montana, Vin. The Kincaids are nice people. The Diamond K Ranch is quite well off.”
Ashley pinched herself every morning. This was really happening. She was in love, truly in love, for the first time in her life, and Vin loved her, too. She was giddy like a little girl before her birthday party. Not even Jim at the diner could change her good mood.
Vin leaned forward over the table. “Once I’m settled in this time, I’m going to make sure that you never have to work for a man like that again.”
He le
ft the table and came up behind her, holding her chair as she stood. He pulled her into his arms, and simply held her while his eyes spoke silently of his love for her.
Ashley gazed up at him. She leaned up for a kiss to remind herself that she wasn’t dreaming. Vin’s hold on her tightened, his hands caressing along either side of her waist.
Vin showered her with respect. He never went further than kissing and light touching. Ashley pulled out of his embrace. She took his hand and headed for the living room.
“I have a little time before I have to leave for work. There’s something I’d like to show you.”
Her eyes rested on her grandpa’s rifle that now hung over the fake fireplace in the living room. Vin had cleaned it up and made it look brand new. He had a special interest in the gun, saying that he’d owned one just like it.
“Then you can have this one, but only for display. We don’t go walking around with rifles anymore, unless you go hunting in the wilderness, far away from the city.”
“What do you want to show me?” Vin’s brows rose when she led him to the couch and indicated for him to sit. She reached for her laptop on the coffee table.
Ashley’s heart pounded faster. She’d stayed up much later than she should have again last night, searching the internet.
“Scott’s phone call the other day made me think about your family.” Ashley glanced over at him after she settled next to him on the cushion. “I know you told me you didn’t care to find out about your family in the past, but I did some digging.”
“Seems like Jack did well for himself, then, after he moved his outfit to Montana. It would appear that Scott and I are distant cousins, after all.”
Ashley shifted in her seat. “That’s what I wanted to show you. I was curious, and I found out a few things that might interest you.” She smiled at him when he looked at her with confusion in his eyes. “I know this won’t change anything, but I believe you were right about your uncle. He had your parents murdered, and I think I know the reason why.”
Vin stiffened next to her. His jaw clenched, and a cold gleam pierced his eyes.
“I already know the reason. He thought my father would demand his part of the inheritance of the Diamond K that my grandfather started.”
Ashley nodded. “Yes, but there’s much more to it.” She hesitated, then said, “Your father was your grandfather’s first choice to run the ranch. Apparently, your father didn’t want any part of it. As you’ve already told me, he fell in love with your mother, and chose to live her lifestyle rather than be a rich man.”
Vin stared at her. His forehead scrunched in a slight frown. “How do you know all this?”
Ashley pulled her laptop onto her lap and opened it. She laughed softly.
“This is probably one of the most difficult inventions to try and explain to you.” She pointed at the screen. “Almost everything you want to know about anything in the world, you can find in here.”
Vin’s brows rose. “Everything in the world?”
“Yes. Almost anything that happens currently, or things that happened in the past. If you search long enough, and if it was ever recorded, you can find it on the internet.” She smirked. “Of course, there’s also a lot of false information to be found, so it’s important to know what to trust and what not to. Just like we can talk to anyone in the world over the phone, we can look up information, or buy things. For instance, if I wanted to buy a plane ticket to fly to Texas, it would be very easy with my computer. Anyway, I’ve spent hours looking, and I found something interesting.”
Ashley clicked through several of her saved pages until she came to the document that Vin should see. She enlarged the image, and pointed.
Vin scrunched his forehead and stared at the screen. “What am I looking at?”
“Read it. It looks to be a letter that your grandfather wrote to a judge. It might have been an early version of his will. I found it while searching old county records. It says that Jonathan Kincaid, Senior – your grandfather – gave his younger son, Jonathan Junior, full control of the Diamond K Ranch. He didn’t want Jack to have any of it.”
She waited a few minutes, then clicked to another document.
“It appears that Jonathan angered his father a little by marrying your mother, but it doesn’t look like he changed his mind. He still wanted Jonathan to have the ranch. Your grandfather didn’t trust Jack’s business practices. Obviously, your father didn’t want anything to do with the Diamond K, and he moved away with his wife, leaving Jack in charge.”
Next to her, Vin’s body grew more rigid. Ashley peered at him. The anger that grew steadily in him was almost palpable. A hard, murderous gleam shone in Vin’s eyes. He stared at the screen one more time, then stood, and began pacing the room.
Ashley closed the computer. Had she done the wrong thing by showing this to him? She stepped in front of him and took his hand. Vin’s body was hard and tense.
“Now I know for sure that Jack killed my father. He was afraid he’d lose everything to him,” he growled. He stared at the rifle on the wall, then looked at Ashley. “I can go back and finally bring Jack to justice.”
A jolt of panic slammed her in the chest and slowly diffused throughout her limbs, making them weak and shaky. Ashley’s eyes widened. Vin’s idea of justice didn’t include calling the police.
“Why do you want to go back to seek revenge on your uncle? It’s not going to bring your parents back.”
“At least it would give me the satisfaction of knowing that he paid for his crimes.”
Ashley shook her head. “He did pay for his crimes, Vin. In a far worse way than if you put a bullet in his head. He suffered horribly and died from mercury poisoning.”
Vin didn’t look at her. The tension in him made his muscles hard as steel. Ashley gripped his arm.
“Do you really want to live the rest of your life as a killer? What about Scott and Amber? If you go back and kill Jack, who knows what would have happened? The entire Kincaid history will change, and an unimaginable number of people will be affected by it.”
Vin pulled away. He moved to the window and stared into the distance. Ashley came up beside him. Annoyance and even anger replaced her momentary panic.
“I had you pegged as someone completely different, Vin. You were the nicest man I’ve ever met, and now you’re bent on revenge? I guess I didn’t know you well at all. If you kill Jack, I doubt you and I will even meet. Scott might not even exist. Have you thought about that?”
Vin turned his head and looked at her. The tenderness in his gaze that had become so familiar was gone. In its place was a faraway look of anguish and indecision.
“You’re going to be late for work, Ashley,” he said absently. “And I have some thinking to do.”
He stepped aside and walked to the front door. Without a backward glance, he left the house and headed for the street. Ashley turned and rushed to her bedroom to get ready for work, or she’d be late. She stared in the mirror, then at the antique watch she kept on her nightstand, its hands whirring around the face as before.
“What have I done?” she whispered.
She reached for her brush, and shook her head as if shaking off the growing fear that she was about to lose the man who was her future.
The house was dark. Ashley fumbled for the light switch in the living room as she closed the front door behind her.
“Vin?”
Only silence greeted her. The feeling of immediate doom slammed her again. Vin was no different from the others, after all. Had he left, choosing revenge over love?
Rather than giving in to her panic, anger began to rise in her. She’d finally, truly fallen in love, and actually believed that it was the real and forever kind, but clearly he hadn’t felt the same. Just when someone who was Mr. Right had come along, it was all taken from her again.
Ashley pulled her phone from her purse. A quick glance at the device revealed that it was past eight o’clock in the evening. Today, she’d put her
foot down and told Jim she couldn’t stay late, that she had somewhere to be. Leaving Vin this morning, when he’d been so visibly upset, had left her with a strange feeling all day, and it had certainly been justified.
Her eyes moved to the spot on the wall where the Winchester rifle had hung this morning. The space was empty. She shook her head, then stiffened when the doorbell rang. Her heart raced in her chest. Would Vin ring the doorbell? No, he’d knock.
On shaky legs, Ashley went to answer the door. She opened it as far as the security chain would allow, and peered out.
“Agnes?”
The old woman smiled brightly. “Yes, dear. Sorry to disturb you. May I come in?”
Ashley unlatched the chain and opened the door wide. Agnes Filmore shuffled into the living room in her robe and fuzzy slippers. She glanced around the empty room.
“Where’s Vin?”
Ashley blinked. She inhaled deeply, and hardened her heart. “He’s not here. He left.” Saying the words made it final.
Agnes’ eyes widened. “Left? What do you mean, he left?”
“He decided he liked it better in Texas, so he left.”
Agnes shook her head. “Oh, no, dear, I can’t believe that for a moment. He stopped by this morning and asked to borrow my bicycle.”
Ashley’s brows rose. “Did he say what for?”
She shook her head. “I invited him inside. I was looking to buy new slippers on the internet, but the page wouldn’t load. When I asked him if he knew how to make it work, he was no help, either.” She cackled softly. “He said he couldn’t make heads or tails of the thing, but that you told him it was possible to buy airline tickets online. We had some fun figuring out how to buy a flight to his home state of Texas. Then he asked me if he could borrow the bike. He hasn’t returned it, so that’s why I’m here to check on him.”
Timeless Hero (Timeless Hearts Book 12) Page 12
