Truth and Dare

by Candace Havens

She slapped his shoulder. “Now who is this beauty you brought in with you?”

  “Hi, I’m Patience Clark.” She held her hand out to his grandmother.

  “Well, you are as pretty as they come,” his grandmother said. “I’m Dorothy Randall, this one’s grandma, and I own this money pit.” She winked. “Everyone calls me GG. Now, how did you meet my grandson?”

  Cade knew what he would say would ruin his grandmother’s good mood, but it had to be done. “GG, she’s the woman who discovered what happened to Dad. She’s helping the sheriff with the investigation.” The last bit came out hoarse with emotion. He still had a hard time believing what had happened to his father.

  GG pressed her lips together and sniffed once. No tears were shed. It wasn’t her way. Then she hugged a surprised Patience.

  “Bless you child for bringing my son back home to me. People been throwing tacks at his reputation ever since he disappeared and now they’re all ashamed. I knew my boy wouldn’t run off. I just knew it.”

  Patience cleared her throat. “Thank you for letting me stay here,” she said as she changed the subject. “I’m not fond of motels, or even hotels, for that matter. You have a lovely home here.”

  His grandmother let go of her and headed behind the front desk in the lounge area. “Damn, money pit. Hailstorm two weeks ago did some damage to the roof, and the toilet is running in room six where you’re staying tonight.” She pointed at Cade. “You’ll have to jiggle the handle.”

  Cade smiled. That was her way of saying he needed to fix the roof and the toilets, and he didn’t mind a bit. “I’ll make a run to Tom’s Hardware later and pick up what we need.”

  “I’ve got Patience in room five, the rooms are adjoining. Is that going to be a problem?” GG had a twinkle in her eye. Was it that obvious he liked the beautiful blonde next to him? Nothing much ever made it past GG.

  He noticed her erasing the fact that she’d originally had Patience in room one, at the other end of the hall. He couldn’t help but laugh to himself. The woman never stopped.

  Patience smiled sweetly. “No, I don’t mind.” She’d missed GG’s intimation and for that he was grateful.

  “I’ll take her bags up and show her the ropes.” He paused. “Is that chicken and dumplings I smell?”

  “Might be, but they won’t be ready until six. Ya’ll look like you’ve been rolling around in a dusty field. Maybe you ought to clean up?”

  “Oh, yes,” Patience said. Once again missing his grandmother’s double meaning. “We’ve been in the basement of the courthouse. If you don’t mind my saying, it’s very dirty down there. The town should better preserve its history.”

  “Ha, I’ll have to talk to the mayor about that,” GG said as she chuckled.

  Cade laughed as he pulled the bags upstairs and motioned for Patience to follow him.

  “What’s so funny?” she asked as they walked along the second floor hallway.

  “GG is the mayor.”

  PATIENCE FACE-PALMED HERSELF. “Great, I’ve insulted your grandmother who is one of the loveliest people I’ve ever met.”

  Cade took the key GG had given him and opened the door. “Nah, she thought it was funny. And I bet the next time we go down to the courthouse basement it will be clean as can be. This is your room,” he said as he opened the door.

  Patience walked in front of him and gave out a small gasp. “It’s beautiful.” The walls were painted a soft cornflower-blue, and everything else was white, the furniture, comforter and linens, even the vase holding the colorful bouquet of flowers on the small nightstand.

  “She’s a tough old broad, but she does have a knack for turning places into homes,” Cade said. “Where would you like your suitcase?”

  “If you don’t mind, by the bathroom would be great. Thanks for carrying everything up.” She suddenly felt awkward. The room was large, but with Cade in there it didn’t seem like it.

  “No problem. So I guess I’ll meet you downstairs in a half hour?”

  “Uh-huh,” she said.

  Cade shut her door to the hallway and then walked through one that adjoined their rooms. He smiled as he closed the door.

  Patience fanned herself. The man did strange things to her body without ever even touching her. Unzipping her suitcase she pulled out her toiletries and clean clothes.

  In the bathroom, she stripped off her dirty clothes and was about to turn on the shower when she heard someone singing. The voice was rich and beautiful, and it belonged to Cade.

  Delicious shivers shot down her spine. She listened for a moment before turning on the shower over the big claw-foot tub. She pulled the curtain around to keep the water from drenching the floor.

  Cade was on the other side of the wall. Even with the water running she could hear his humming. Why did the man affect her so?

  It’s an infatuation.

  How long has it been since you’ve been on a date? Too long.

  Patience showered quickly, turning on a cold blast of water at the end to send her traitorous body a message. She had to focus on what was most important—the case. With the towel wrapped around her she stepped out just as her phone rang.

  It was the sheriff.

  “Dr. Clark, heard you were over at the courthouse this afternoon, thought I’d check up on you.”

  “Thanks, Sheriff. I should have come to see you first. Do you have a minute for me to ask you something?”

  “Certainly. What’s up?”

  She told him about the courthouse. “I was wondering if you might have the files? If so, we’d like to come pick them up.”

  “Sorry, I haven’t seen them, but that is curious. You checked several boxes and those were the only ones you found missing?”

  “Yes,” she said as she shimmied into her panties.

  “I did some digging myself. Joseph Randall, Cade’s father, was the water commissioner back then, but he also worked in the deeds department. At the time, our courthouse was a small operation and everyone helped out when necessary.”

  “Water commissioner? I’d imagine water’s a big deal around here, where there are so many ranches.”

  “Yep,” he said. “You know, those missing files may be in a storage facility outside of town. The old courthouse was a mess five years ago and they moved a lot of stuff out. I’ll check into it and let you know.”

  Before returning to search the records she figured she should speak with Cade’s grandmother to get some background about her son’s business as the water commissioner.

  Well, I’m learning as I go.

  Now, grilling the woman wouldn’t be her best option. Patience wasn’t always known for her tact, but she knew she needed to approach Dorothy with kindness. Maybe she could ask about Cade as a child and what he was like before his father disappeared.

  She stared at herself in the mirror for a moment. You have to be patient. What was it Katie had told her? That one sentence could change the entire way one looked at a case. She needed to keep her ears open and talk as casually as possible with those involved. And not push too hard for answers. People clammed up that way, Katie had reminded her.

  Her friends often joked that her name was a misnomer. In her lab, Patience always took her time, but when it came to the rest of her life—well, she had a way of being abrupt and saying exactly what was on her mind. She didn’t have time for the games people often played. And to be honest she didn’t understand them. Unfortunately, from what her friends had warned, game play was a part of solving cases. Often a cat-and-mouse game.

  Given what she’d seen already, her direct way wouldn’t work to her advantage here.

  There was a knock on the door. “Are you ready?” Cade asked.

  She quickly slipped on her T-shirt. “Yes, I’ll meet you downstairs.” Her mind shifted to the sound of his beautiful voice as he’d been singing.

  She turned toward the shower wondering if she might need another cold spray. Patience was dressed, but she wasn’t sure about being ready for what
ever it was Cade might offer her.

  4

  “I HAVE TO SOLVE THIS CASE quickly and get out of this town,” Patience said as they left the B and B and stepped onto the sidewalk. She picked up speed as she hit the concrete for their walk to the courthouse.

  Cade glanced at her sharply. “Why? I thought you enjoyed dinner. Did GG say something while I was upstairs?”

  Laying a hand on his arm, she smiled. “No, I adore her. The food was incredible, but that’s why. A few more days of eating like this, and you’ll have to roll me out of town. I thought I might pop the zipper on my jeans before we even finished the meal.”

  Your jeans look just fine. The way they hugged her slightly rounded behind and showed off her legs.

  Cade stopped. He shouldn’t be thinking like this. He had to concentrate, get back to Austin. The merger.

  Taking her hand, he tucked it in the crook of his elbow. He had to confess he was relieved by her joking about leaving town. Throughout dinner she’d talked mainly to GG, and Patience had charmed them with her openness and honesty.

  “I love food, too,” Cade said honestly. “I’m usually a nut about eating healthy and exercise. Of course, all that flies out the window when I smell my grandmother’s cooking. But I plan to work it all off at the ranch this trip.”

  “I’d like to see it.”

  “The ranch?”

  She nodded. “I’ve never been to a real working ranch.”

  “Sure, although I don’t exactly have it working just yet. But my foreman and I are at least making some headway. I’ll take you out there anytime you want to go. But no judgments. The old house where I spent part of my childhood looks pretty beat-up on the outside, though the inside really isn’t so bad.”

  The house had been in the family for more than eighty years, and his grandmother and all her sisters and brothers had been born there. His father had also been born and raised in the house.

  Cade had to clear this throat. His father was the good man his grandmother always claimed him to be. She and Cade’s mother were the only people in town who had believed his father hadn’t run off with some woman.

  “Cade?”

  “What?”

  Cocking her head, Patience watched him carefully with those beautiful green eyes of hers. “You look upset.”

  He forced a smile. “Sorry, I was thinking about my dad. His reputation was maligned by most of the town. Eventually, I even believed the rumors. Now I feel so guilty for all the mean words I said about him. I hated him for so long and now—”

  “You were a kid, that couldn’t have been easy.”

  “No, for the first couple of months I caused my mom and grandmother so much grief. Fistfights every day, and I was small so I came home with a lot of black eyes.”

  “You were defending your family and I find that quite honorable.”

  Cade took a deep interest in the dust sprinkling the top of his boots. There was absolutely nothing honorable about the thoughts he’d had about his dad.

  “Every night I prayed he’d come home to us. Then after six months, I just gave up on him.”

  “Like I said before you were—” Patience was interrupted by a loud shriek and then a string of foul words.

  “Sounds like that came from the park.” Cade pulled her along with him as he went to investigate the source. They rounded the corner by Tom’s Hard ware Store and found the park crowded with people working on various booths.

  “What is all this?” Patience asked as they walked down the path to where the booths were being built.

  “The town is getting ready for the annual Firefly Festival,” Cade answered. “Andy was that you howling like a dog in heat?” he joked with his old friend.

  Andy held a towel around his fingers and from the hammer on the ground Cade knew exactly what had happened.

  “Well, Mr. Big Man is gracing us with his presence.” With his good hand he punched Cade in the shoulder. “Great to see ya.”

  “Same here.” Cade smiled at his friend. He hadn’t seen him since they’d had drinks a year ago when Andy had come to Austin for an auction. He and his wife, Celia, who had been one of their high school friends, owned the antique shop on the square in downtown Phosphor.

  “Where is your better half? I thought she banned you from all tools, especially hammers and saws.”

  Andy hung his head. “Why do you have to make me look bad in front of your lady friend? And why—” he faced Patience “—is someone as beautiful as you hanging out with this runt?”

  She laughed and held out her hand. “I’m Patience.”

  Andy held out his left hand for an awkward shake. “Nice to meet you.”

  “Patience is investigating my dad’s case.”

  Andy’s face grew solemn. “I heard about that. I’m sorry. I can’t imagine what you’ve been going through and—” Cade knew Andy must have realized he’d said too much in front of Patience.

  “Sorry,” he said. “My mouth doesn’t work any better than my hands. But I’m glad you finally have the truth. If I can help find the bastard who killed him, you know I’m all in.”

  Cade couldn’t have asked for a better friend, and he felt a world of guilt for letting so much time pass since their last meeting. “I appreciate the offer. I really do. So where is that wife of yours?”

  “You just missed her. I was worried she was getting tired and she looked a little pale.”

  Cade frowned. “Is she sick?”

  Andy’s face widened into the biggest smile Cade had ever seen. “Nah, she’s pregnant. Five months.”

  Cade put a hand on Andy’s shoulder. “That’s one lucky kid.”

  His friend nodded. “Going to be one ornery little ankle-biter with Cel and I as parents. We’re going to spoil the kid rotten.”

  “You look like the happiest man in the world,” Patience said. “Congratulations.”

  “We’d all but given up on having our own and were looking into adopting, so it was quite a surprise.” Andy shook his head. “Celia’s about to bust at the seams she’s so happy.” He rolled his eyes. “Don’t tell her I said anything about busting out. She’s very self-conscious about her weight, but I think she looks more beautiful than ever.” Andy flexed his injured hand.

  “What were you trying to do?” Cade picked up the hammer from the ground where his friend had tossed it.

  “I thought I’d better get some supports up for the booth, before the storm got here, didn’t want the booth flying around like Dorothy’s house in the Wizard of Oz. Figured I could handle three or four two-by-fours.”

  Cade turned to Patience. “I’m going to take a few minutes and help him out.”

  She smiled. “I’ll help him pack up the rest of the tools.”

  “Now that’s right nice of both of you,” Andy said.

  “No problem. I’ve been eating Cade’s grandmother’s food and I feel like I’ve gone up two jean sizes in an hour.”

  Andy laughed.

  Cade picked up the boards and a sack of nails. As he added the supports and fixed the counter in front, he listened to his friend and Patience chat.

  He couldn’t believe his friend was going to be a father, though he hadn’t lied. Andy and Celia would be incredible parents. They were loyal, loving, funny and smart. And some of the best people he knew.

  Cade often invited them to come up to his house on Lake Austin for laid-back weekends. But the past year… He hadn’t made time for anyone, not even his family. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been on a date.

  That had to be why he was so into Patience. It had been a while since he’d been with a woman—a long while.

  Patience stacked the rest of the boards while Andy searched for loose nails. They talked back and forth as if they had been friends for years. Cade felt the same way about her and secretly it pleased him.

  Why?

  Oh, I think you know exactly why.

  Patience was beautiful and smart, and…

  Yep. He was in tr
ouble.

  BACK IN HER ROOM, Patience brushed out her hair and changed into an oversize T-shirt. She sat down on the edge of the bed and opened her laptop. She was so far behind on email it was ridiculous. She replied to the ones that were necessary and then perused her early information on the Randall case.

  A noise from the next room made her jump. Then she realized it was Cade fixing the toilet. A wrench or some tool must have thudded on the wooden floor. There was something about a man who was good with tools. More than once she had caught herself catching a peek at his hard muscles as he worked on the booth for his friend.

  Here was this multimillionaire, known as a shark in the business world, who thought nothing of picking up a hammer to help a friend.

  Her opinion of him had changed so much since they first met. He was a caring, loving grandson and friend. She could tell by the way he communicated with Andy that there was a deep connection there. And honestly, a man didn’t have friends like Andy if he wasn’t good-hearted.

  Patience checked herself. She shouldn’t care anything about the man’s personal life. She was here to solve a case, and that’s where her focus needed to be. It was hard to separate the man from the work, especially when he was right next door. She didn’t date much, but even she was aware of how hard it was to find a man like Cade Randall.

  He’d been so passionate about his ranch, and she’d noticed he smiled more when he discussed what he wanted to do with the place he called the Triple Dare. The idea of restoring the ranch had been something Cade had thought about for a long time.

  She wondered if this was some way of honoring his father or making up for the years he’d been so bitter about his dad’s disappearance.

  Patience knew about being bitter and losing someone you loved. There wasn’t a day she didn’t think about the soul-sucking moment when her life had forever changed.

  5

  CADE’S FIRST THOUGHT WHEN he sat straight up in bed was that someone was crying. Rain beat down on the roof, and he wondered if maybe that was what he’d heard. There was another sob. Taking a moment to get his bearings he determined the noise had come from Patience’s room.