“I’ll bring Nicki’s things,” Jackson said to his uncle. “You show her to her room.”
“By way of the kitchen,” Harold said with a wide grin. “I don’t know about you two but I haven’t had breakfast yet.”
“Let her get settled,” Jackson warned. “She’s had a rough morning already.”
Nicki let the older man take her arm and lead her into the living room, where Titan arose from his bed at one end of the sectional sofa and greeted them like long-lost friends.
They paused long enough to give the big Lab a pat before Harold asked, “What kind of a rough morning?”
“I don’t know if I’m supposed to talk about it,” Nicki was saying just as Jackson joined them.
“Might as well fill him in,” the K-9 detective said. “Knowing Harold, he’s already heard most of it on his scanner.”
“A harmless little vice of mine,” Harold admitted. “Never could break myself of wanting to know what all was happening around here. Besides, somebody has to keep an eye on that dog and his partner.”
“I imagine you worry a lot when they’re on duty,” Nicki said. The expression on Jackson’s face at that moment was so serious, it caused her to frown. Had her innocent comment about worry touched a nerve?
When the time came that she was finally alone with the older man, she was going to ask about Jackson’s background. Even if Harold refused to answer, she’d still know more than she did thus far.
Nicki changed the subject. “Tell you what. Why don’t I start by looking over the kitchen, and make a shopping list? That way, when Jackson goes to work he can stop at the grocery store in town and pick up what I’ll need.”
“I wasn’t planning on leaving today,” he countered.
His uncle laughed. “Don’t be silly. Nicki and I will get along just fine. You go on. And take that chowhound of yours with you before he eats us out of house and home.” He turned to Nicki with another wide grin. “The kitchen’s through there. I’ll go fetch you a pencil and paper.”
“I think I’ve been accepted,” she said with relief.
Jackson nodded. “Yeah. Looks like it.” He was scowling and making no effort to hide his unpleasant attitude.
“I thought you wanted me here. Why are you acting as if you don’t?” she asked.
“Forget it. It’s not important.”
If Jackson had been the only one involved, she might have pressed him for an explanation then and there. Since he was not, she figured she could take her time. Harold was no fool, in spite of his joking demeanor, but he could probably be counted on to talk too much if she simply asked the right questions.
One thing she wanted to know was if the police truly suspected her. Another good question would be, what was bugging Jackson? If he didn’t want her to stay at the ranch, she certainly was not going to force him to employ her. She’d had to endure enough feelings of alienation thanks to Bobby Lee after she’d told him about the baby. Nobody was going to have that power over her again. Nobody was going to get the chance to dump her like yesterday’s garbage. If she wasn’t wanted here, she would leave.
Where will you go? she asked herself. Bobby Lee isolated you from all of your friends, and if you simply leave town, the police will think you’re even more guilty.
Unfortunately, Nicki had more questions than answers. One thing she did know, however. She was innocent of everything except being too gullible.
And that had led to a sin that would have lifelong consequences.
SEVEN
“You got her settled?” Slade McNeal asked Jackson when he reported for duty later that morning.
“Yeah. Harold’s making her feel right at home.” He arched a brow. “What’s new around here? Did any more lab results come in?”
Slade shook his head solemnly. “Nothing useful. We already knew that ballistics on the bullet that killed Andrew Garry didn’t match the ones they dug out of one of the low-level thugs and his buddy a couple of months ago.”
“What about the gun Derek Murke used to shoot Lexi?”
“No match there, either. I wish we could pin the murders on him, but if he did shoot those others, he used different pistols.” The captain leaned back in his desk chair and laced his fingers behind his head. “I hope you have better results getting info from that cook.”
Jackson huffed. “I’ll be thankful to get a word or two in edgewise. Harold is really taking his so-called assignment seriously. He’s running around armed to the teeth. I wouldn’t be surprised to find out he’s wearing an ankle holster, too.”
“At least he’s had the right training to keep from shooting himself in the foot.”
“That is my fondest hope,” Jackson said with a wry smile. “If there’s nothing special you need from me right now, I thought I’d take Titan out to the training yard and polish his skills a little.”
“Fine with me. Lee’s out there working Kip.”
“Good. Thanks.”
Jackson was looking forward to talking with his old friend, Lee Calloway. They’d been buddies for so long it seemed as if they had always known each other. However, now that Lee was spending every spare minute courting the amnesia victim who’d finally been identified as Lucy Cullen, they didn’t have many chances to just hang out.
Lifelong commitment was starting to look like an epidemic among his peers. First Austin Black fell for Eva Billows while the K-9 teams were searching for her kidnapped son, Brady. Then Lucy and Lee got together, followed by Valerie Salgado and FBI agent Trevor Lewis. There was so much romance in the air, it was getting annoying, particularly since Jackson had made up his mind long ago, after a series of failed romances, that marriage and a law-enforcement career didn’t mix.
He pushed open the rear office door, led Titan through the kennel area and exited onto the lawn of the fenced training yard. He ordered Titan into a holding crate so he could set up a test in the field, then hailed his old friend with a wave as he approached.
Kip, Lee’s black-and-white border collie, was lying on the grass in the shade, panting and obviously taking a well-deserved break.
“Hey, Lee. How’s it going?”
“This dog’s better than ever.” The sandy-haired, muscular officer shook Jackson’s hand. “He should be, considering all the practice he’s had finding cadavers lately. I’m almost afraid to take him for a walk around town these days.”
“Yeah, I know what you mean. Every time Titan sits down, my heart starts to pound and I expect an explosion—even when he’s not supposed to be working.”
“At least we got to the Munson woman before she died.”
“A lot of good that did. We still haven’t figured out what her last words meant.”
“You will. The captain tells me you’re working to gain her cousin’s trust. I should think Ms. Johnson would be delighted to confide in you after you saved her skin.”
“Yeah, well, I hired her to cook at the ranch but so far we haven’t had time to talk much.”
“It’s sure pretty out there this time of year,” Lee said with a contented sigh. “Lucy and I really enjoyed our picnic out there a while back.” He brightened. “I have a great idea. Why don’t you host a barbecue get-together for our team and we can all check out your new cook.”
“That might not be a bad idea. I’ll see what McNeal says. I know it would do his kid a lot of good to be around our dogs more. Caleb really misses Rio since he was taken.”
“Yeah, I know. Having Rio’s sire, Chief, around is nice, but it isn’t the same. Caleb never bonded with him the way he did with Rio. They were kind of raised together.”
“True. You through training Kip or do you want me to hide and play dead?”
“You smell too good to make a practical dummy,” Lee quipped, slapping him on the shoulder. “I know you’re not wearing aftershave to impress me.”
“No. Of course not.”
“I thought maybe you were sprucing up to impress your new cook.”
“Don’t be silly
. Just because you’re in love and acting silly doesn’t mean it’s catching.”
Lee’s grin widened and his dark eyes gleamed. “Who said anything about love, bro?”
The warmth spreading up Jackson’s neck and coloring his face was telling. It was also very embarrassing. His mind might be made up about staying single for the rest of his life but obviously his heart wasn’t so sure.
Suddenly, the urge to return to the ranch and check on Nicki in person hit him like a sucker punch. He stood stock-still, absorbing the unsettling thought and trying to make sense of it.
Was he crazy?
Or was the Lord trying to tell him something?
He hadn’t been a particularly faithful churchgoer, but his belief system was strong.
It had also occurred to him, more than once, that he might have been pushed into her life in order to help her, to protect her from whatever evil forces were lurking in and around Sagebrush. There were plenty to choose from. He sure wished he could put names and faces to their deeds, and make sure those who were responsible were locked up.
Leaving Lee and Kip and heading back toward the kennels for privacy, Jackson pulled out his cell phone and dialed the ranch. Nicki probably wouldn’t pick up the house phone, but Harold was there.
At least he was supposed to be. Nobody answered.
After counting ten rings, Jackson hung up and tried Nicki’s cell—with similar negative results. The hairs at the nape of his neck prickled in warning. His intuition had been right—something had gone wrong.
He unfastened the latch on Titan’s kennel box door and ran back into the office with the faithful dog at his heels. Passing the day secretary, Lorna Danfield, he shouted, “I’m headed for my ranch. Taking the SUV. Page me if you need me.”
The middle-aged, blonde woman merely waved as if it was normal to see someone racing out the door.
Jackson was thankful that nobody had tried to stop or question him because he wouldn’t have lingered to talk.
Harold should have answered the house phone even if Nicki chose to ignore her cell, Jackson reasoned. His jaw clenched. If anything bad had happened to either of them, he was never going to forgive himself.
* * *
Nicki had shared coffee and toast with Harold while making a list of necessities for the ranch kitchen. “I’m not a fancy chef and don’t pretend to be,” she told him. “I hope that’s going to be okay with you and your nephew.”
“Fix lots of meat and potatoes, and you’ll get no complaints from us,” he said with a smile. “The freezer’s full but I never know what to do with anything except put burgers or steak on the barbecue.”
“I think I can manage a little variety and still keep my job,” Nicki murmured. “Shall we go to the store?”
His bushy gray brows knit and he shook his head. “Best not leave, at least not ’til Jackson gets home, or he’ll have a cow.”
“All the more livestock for this ranch,” she gibed. “Is that where the rest of these cattle came from?”
“Funny.” Harold chuckled. “Actually, we bought most of ’em at an auction up in Odessa. The bull’s purebred Hereford but the cows are crosses. Gives ’em hybrid vigor.”
“So I’ve heard.”
“Are you into ranching?”
“No. I used to date a cowboy.” Sobering, she folded her arms across her torso.
“I take it he wasn’t a keeper. Did he hurt you bad?”
“Bad enough,” Nicki admitted. There was a sweetness behind the older man’s question, and kindness in his gray eyes. “I may as well tell you since it’s going to be obvious soon enough. I’m pregnant.”
“I kinda figured it was something like that.”
“You did?”
“Yeah. I’ve never seen my nephew so protective of anything, man nor beast, before. He may not know it but he’s got a soft spot for helpless things.”
Nicki’s jaw dropped. She was about to insist she was far from helpless when she realized he could have meant her unborn child. In that case, there was no reason to take offense. “The baby, you mean?”
“’Course. I’ve seen him risk his life in weather that would’ve kept any sensible man inside, just to go lookin’ for one lost calf.”
“I don’t know my Bible very well, but that sounds like something Pastor Eaton preached about recently.”
“One lost sheep, you mean? I guess that could represent all of us. You a believer, Nicki?”
“Yes. I hit bottom after Bobby Lee dumped me, and the only way to go was up. When I turned my life over to Jesus, I thought things would get better, though.”
“Maybe they have and you just haven’t seen the outcome yet,” Harold offered. “Tell you what. Why don’t we leave the kitchen chores for now and take a tour of this spread? Jackson and I are pretty proud of the way we’ve fixed up the place.”
“I’d love to see it all.” She patted the cell phone in her pocket to reassure herself it was still there before she smiled and said, “Let’s go.”
* * *
The flatbed ranch truck was sitting next to the barn where he’d last seen it. Harold’s private mini-pickup sat nearby and Nicki’s car was out front by the covered porch, right where the tow truck had dropped it.
When Jackson arrived, he stopped in the portion of the yard farthest from the buildings. Leaving Titan behind for the present, he stepped out and drew his sidearm. He didn’t want to call undue attention to himself in case there was trouble. He also didn’t intend to get caught unprepared.
His boots crunched lightly on gravel as he crept closer, and peeked in the windows at the north side of the main house. There were no signs of a struggle. There was also no one visible.
Jackson kept his gun pointed to the sky as he proceeded around to the rear. Loose chickens were scratching and pecking the ground. They didn’t seem upset, but that didn’t mean a whole lot since hens were far from intelligent.
Still, he mused, they might be acting flighty if there was trouble brewing.
Pausing to listen carefully, Jackson thought he heard voices in the vicinity of the barn. He was certain of it by the time he’d reached the outside of the front sliding door.
That was Nicki. Laughing. And Harold was chuckling along with her.
Furious, Jackson burst in on them.
His uncle’s initial reaction was to make a grab for his own sidearm before he realized who had just popped through the door. A moment later, he started to grin. “Whew! You sure know how to make an entrance, son. Put that gun away. We’re fine.”
Jackson holstered his weapon but not his temper. “Where were you?”
“Right here. Just like I promised we’d be. Who put the burr under your saddle?”
Instead of answering, Jackson glared at Nicki. “Where’s your cell phone?”
“In my pocket.”
“You might try answering it when it rings.”
“It didn’t. Ring, I mean.” She pulled it out and held it in her palm. “I’ve had it with me the whole time. See?”
He grabbed it, flipped it open and checked. “How long has it been since you charged this thing?”
“I don’t know. Is the battery low?”
“Low is not the word for it. It’s dead.”
“Then that’s why I didn’t answer it,” she said nonchalantly. “It never rang.”
Jackson felt as if he were a deflating balloon. These two were acting as if he was overreacting while he was barely able to keep from shouting at them for their carelessness.
“No harm done,” Harold said brightly. “As you can see, we’re just fine.”
“Well, I’m not,” Jackson countered. “You scared me out of my mind. When neither of you answered your phones, I thought...”
Nicki laid a hand gently on his forearm, her touch warm through his sleeve. “I’m sorry. We both are. But since you’re here, would it be possible to make a grocery run?”
“How can you even think about shopping?”
“Somebod
y had better,” she countered. “If you expect me to prepare a week’s worth of food without running back and forth to town, I’ll need a properly stocked kitchen.”
“Fine. Fine,” Jackson grumbled. He knew he sounded peeved but that was just too bad. His heart was racing, even now, and perspiration dotted his brow. If he hadn’t been so thankful that he could barely think straight, he knew he’d still be shouting.
“Harold and I will take my car, then,” Nicki said. “That way I won’t be alone coming home with the groceries, and you can go straight back to work. You do need to do that, don’t you?”
“Yeah, sure.”
What he wanted to do was grab her by the shoulders, stare her down and make her understand how desperately worried he’d been. The possible tragic scenarios that had filled his mind as he’d raced to the ranch had seemed so real, he’d been sure one of them would come true.
Yet there stood Nicki, smiling sweetly, and behaving as if he were the one with the problem.
I am, Jackson realized with a start. Something about this pretty young woman had brought out the gladiator in him...and he didn’t know what to do about it. Only one thing was certain at this point. If he didn’t keep a lid on his feelings, he was not only going to be less effective at his bomb-detecting job, he was going to lose his objectivity.
Turning away, he gritted his teeth. He had ceased being impartial with regard to Nicolette Johnson the moment he had met her. And things were only getting worse.
* * *
“If we swing by my old apartment on the way home, I can run in and get the charger for my phone,” she told Harold and Jackson as they loaded sacks of food into the trunk of her old blue sedan.
When neither man commented, she added, “It’ll only take me a second.”
Jackson frowned. “Tell me where it is and I’ll go up and get it.”
“Wish I could. I think it’s in a kitchen drawer but I’m not positive.” She smiled. “Besides, I want to pick up the potted plants outside on the fire escape, too. They’ll add some color to your front porch. It certainly needs it.”
“You had this in mind all along, didn’t you?”
Explosive Secrets (Texas K-9 Unit) Page 7
