12
THE COMFORTING SMELL OF COFFEE forced Patience to open her eyes. Her disappointment of discovering Cade was already up was quickly quashed when he came through the door with two mugs of coffee and a huge plate of pancakes on a tray.
“Hi,” she said as she sat up against the headboard and crossed her legs. He set the tray on the bed and gave her a kiss.
Contented, she sighed against his lips. “Wow. Breakfast in bed?”
“Yes. GG was about to close up the kitchen and I didn’t want you to miss out on her chocolate chip pancakes.” He positioned the tray on her lap and she inhaled the chocolatey goodness.
“What time is it?” she asked as she reached for her phone.
“Almost ten-thirty.”
“Why did you let me sleep so long?”
“Well, we didn’t sleep much last night so I thought it wouldn’t hurt for you to stay in bed a while longer.”
He winked at her and she couldn’t hide the grin.
After pouring syrup on the pancakes she took a bite. “Mmm. Your grandmother is one amazing cook, that’s for sure,” Patience said after swallowing a large mouthful of pancake. “So what are you doing today?”
“I’m heading out to the ranch. I was wondering if you might want to come with me.”
“That sounds like fun, but I need to follow up with the sheriff this morning. He left me a message late last night on my cell asking if I wanted to press charges against Harold. That man and his cronies are certainly protective of this town. I’m putting them all on my suspect list.”
Cade coughed. “Really?”
She shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t have anyone else at this point and it gives me a place to start. But before I try to talk to them I need to find out what the dispute was about all those years ago. I have a feeling the records we need are missing for a reason, but I don’t know why. And when I do face those ranchers, I want to have my facts straight. That’s something I’ve learned from my friends Katie and Shannon at Stonegate.
“I should also talk to your grandmother some more to see if she knows who might have inside information into the situation that might be willing to talk to me.” Patience twisted a couple of curls through her fingers.
“I do have an ulterior motive for inviting you to come out to the ranch with me. Although GG did a good job of keeping the inside of the place fairly clean and up-to-date, I’ve always sort of ignored my dad’s office. I was wondering if maybe we shouldn’t check there for some kind of clue.”
Patience brightened at the prospect. “You won’t mind me rifling through your family’s things?”
He shrugged. “Better you than someone I don’t know. I thought you could go through his office while I work on the barn door. I promised Deacon, my foreman, I’d get it fixed this weekend so we can store extra hay for the cattle in there.”
“That sounds like a plan.” She shoveled another forkful of pancake into her mouth.
Cade was staring off into space with a strange look on his face.
She sipped her coffee and the caffeine gave her the jolt her brain needed. “Are you okay?”
He gently tugged a piece of her hair. “Yep, just a busy morning. I’ll let you finish your breakfast.”
Cade gave her a smile that didn’t quite meet his eyes. He stood slowly and left the room.
He was definitely worried about something.
Patience only hoped…
Stop being so damn paranoid.
He’s probably thinking about what he has to do today. Besides, you promised yourself this was a spring fling. Stop taking everything so seriously.
If only her heart would let her.
PATIENCE GASPED WITH DELIGHT and Cade felt an immense sense of pride as they stood in front of the old Victorian. He hadn’t lied about the outside being rough. The place needed a new roof, paint, some new windows and the porch was sagging a little in the middle. But those were all cosmetic and the basic bones of the house were strong.
He followed her as she headed up the porch steps.
She cleared her throat. “Uh, I wasn’t expecting this.” She stepped into the entry.
“Like I told you, it needs work, but it’s a great house.”
“It’s beautiful. It’s so comfortable and at the same time stylish.” She moved to what was the formal living room. “The furnishings could have been bought yesterday. Everything is so timeless and perfect. Did your mother decorate it?”
At the mention of his mother, Cade sucked in a breath. She’d died when he was twelve, but he still missed her. She’d never been quite the same after his dad disappeared. She always had a quick smile and kind word for him, but the sadness had never left her eyes.
“Yes,” he finally croaked out. Everything had been left the way it was when his mother was still alive. Not a single piece of furniture had been moved. GG never explained why, she only said she was keeping the house for Cade when he decided he was ready to return home. “She and my grandmother were the best at making a house feel like a home. I know how corny that sounds. I loved growing up here. Even during the tough times when my dad wasn’t here.”
“Your mom made it a safe haven for you, right?” She moved from one room to the next, peeking inside each one.
“Yeah, I guess so.” He might not know the real reason behind GG keeping the house the same, but he was grateful. It was like traveling back in time. He could almost hear his mother humming in the kitchen and the sound of his dad talking town business on the phone.
“It’s beautiful,” Patience said as she turned around in the foyer. The old chandelier was dusty, but still had all the original crystal. That had been a gift from his father to his mother for one of their anniversaries. There was a split staircase going up to the second floor.
“I can’t believe these hardwoods are still so perfect and the woodwork on the banisters is amazing. There is real craftsmanship here.” She moved her hand along the intricate carvings on the banister.
“Most of what you see is original to the house. It’s several generations old. My grandma and my dad were both born here. Dad was the oldest of five brothers and she gave him the house and several thousand acres when he married my mom. My uncles and cousins own the rest of the land. We have about ten thousand acres all together.”
“That has to be most of the county.” She shook her head. “Well, you’re lucky to have such a strong family history. I never knew much about my mother’s or father’s families, although I sometimes wonder about them.”
Since finding out the truth about his father he’d come to acknowledge his ancestors’ history a great deal. It no longer hurt him to drive onto the property. Six months ago he’d looked at the place as an investment, but now it was once again home.
“It’s a little warm in here,” he said. “I can turn the air on, or we can open the windows.”
“I’ll open the windows. You go ahead and start working on the barn. If I have any trouble, I’ll let you know.”
There was no mistake. He was being dismissed.
“Patience, I—”
She turned and watched him carefully. “Someone took all this away from you, Cade. I’m going to find a way to give it back. I’m on to something here. I know now that I have to trust my instincts and you have to let me do my job.”
“I can help you search in here,” he said, pointing to his father’s office.
She shook her head. “No. I don’t want distractions, and you’re a big one. I need to think through the problem. I told you, it needs a methodical approach. You finish what you need to. I’m finding who killed your father.”
“DAMN,” SHE WHISPERED. She thought about calling Shannon or one of her other friends at SIA, but she didn’t want to bring them into her drama.
Opening the top drawer, she fingered through the papers looking for anything of importance. After going through all of the desk drawers, she stood and made her way around the room. The bookshelves were lined with a mixture of popular novels,
business books and classics.
The room was painted a coppery color, and with the dark woods it was very much a man’s office. For Patience, it gave her context of the man who had lived and worked here. The leather club chairs were comfortable and the art on the walls from talented Texans.
She recognized several pieces, but what surprised her was several framed works of art that were done by tiny hands. There were two stick figures with big smiles standing by a horse with the title “Me and Dad,” the artwork was signed by Cade. She gave a tiny gasp. It was obvious that as a child he’d loved his father so much, and then to have lived the way he did thinking his father had abandoned him.
Her hand flew to her chest. She and her brother had done hundreds of pictures for their dad and he treated each one as if it were a Picasso. Cade’s father had done the same.
Life with her dad wasn’t easy after her brother’s disappearance, but he’d always been there for her. Thinking of her dad and brother brought tears to her eyes, but she pushed them away with her fist.
And Cade’s poor father, he’d loved his young son. A man didn’t hang his child’s artwork in expensive frames if he didn’t care. The Randall family had missed out on so much because of a terrible tragedy. That was something she had in common with Cade. She understood that pain. The kind not even time could take away.
“Patience?”
She whirled around to find Cade shirtless, his brows drawn in worry. “What’s wrong? Did you find something?”
Talking wasn’t possible with the giant frog residing in her throat. She shook her head. Her sadness was forgotten at the sight of him with his low-slung jeans resting on his hips. His body was hard and beautiful.
Cade reached her in three steps, his hands on her shoulders.
His concern didn’t help. She pushed away from him and walked outside. Leaning her hand on her thighs, she gulped the fresh air. He was right behind her.
“Please, tell me what I can do.”
She cleared her throat. “I need some water.”
He jogged to the cooler and came back with a bottle, slipping off the cap for her. She sipped it and then blew out a big breath.
Cade watched her carefully. “Tell me what happened.”
“It’s silly. I promise it isn’t worth discussing. Something I saw in your father’s office reminded me of my dad and brother. It— I guess it caught me off guard. Our situations aren’t so different.”
He reached for her and she let him fold her into his arms. His chest was warm and he had the musky smell of a man who’d been working, mixed with his fresh cologne. The intoxicating scents cut through to her baser instincts. She wanted him, more than she’d ever wanted any man.
When he kissed her head, she lifted her face to him.
“I promise I’m fine.”
“Can I ask what it was you saw?”
“Your artwork in the beautiful frame. My dad used to do the same thing with the drawings my brother and I did.” She lay her head on his chest. “I told you it was silly.”
“It isn’t silly. I’d forgotten about that. My dad loved Texas artists and craftsmen. This was his dream house and always felt like it deserved the best. He was right and that’s why it’s so important for me to get the ranch up and running again. I want to honor that memory.”
“But you started months ago before you even knew that he’d been killed,” she said.
He squeezed her a little tighter. “Yes. One day I realized I’d spent the last ten years running away from this place and this town, but it’s home. It always will be. I never plan to live here full-time, but I feel a sense of comfort when I’m here. My mom loved this place as much as my dad, and what you see in there is her stamp on it. Now that I know the truth, well, it’s even more important for me to keep what they were trying to do alive.”
Extracting herself from his arms, she touched his cheek. “I admire you and what you’re doing here. I’ve done the same sort of thing—running away that is. Only, I haven’t had a home in years. Not one like this.”
Home for her was a beige condo in a high-rise in downtown Austin. Other than a great view of the Capitol building, there wasn’t anything special about it. She even rented the furniture. There were no photos of her family or mementos of her life as a child, though she was certain her father had saved some of those things in boxes. Cade had all of his cousins and GG. Other than texting her dad to let him know she was alive, she had very little contact with him or his new family. She had two stepbrothers and she didn’t even know their ages.
The idea of family, of needing to connect with them, made her want to hop on the next plane out of Austin to go and see them.
Finish this case, and then you can go see Pops.
She turned to look at the barn. The two large doors were off and she saw where he’d been sanding the frame. “You work fast.”
Taking her hand he led her over to the barn. “You aren’t going to believe what I found inside.”
Coming in from the sunshine, it took a moment for her eyes to adjust. The barn was huge, much larger than it looked from the outside. Ten horse stalls lined each side of the structure. Some of the doors were falling off, but she could see the possibilities.
To the right was a huge area for hay, but Cade pointed to the left.
“What kind of car is that?”
“A 1967 Shelby GT-500.”
“Even I know that’s a highly sought after car. You didn’t know it was here?”
“Trust me, I’d already have had the baby restored if I knew it was here. I do remember my dad telling me he bought it the day I was born from some guy who was taking it to the junkyard. He said he wanted to spend the next ten years restoring it so I’d have a cool car to drive to school.
“After he—died…” Cade hesitated, the emotion taking over his vocal chords. “Uh—” he coughed “—we closed up the barn. My mom didn’t want to mess with the upkeep and I’d totally forgotten about it. It’s like finding a treasure chest full of gold. I love cars, and I’ve always wanted one of these.”
She smiled.
“I’ve called the tow truck to come pick it up and take it to Mr. Lindberg’s garage in town. He’ll be able to tell me how much work it really needs.” His excitement grew the more he talked about the car. She was happy for him, truly so. This car had launched an avalanche of good memories for him. His face filled with joy and he hopped from one foot to the other like a small boy in a candy store.
The crunch of tires on the ground alerted them someone had arrived.
An elderly gentleman met them at the door of the barn.
Cade stuck his hand out to shake the man’s hand. “This is my friend Patience. And, Patience, this is the best mechanic in the world, Mr. Lindberg.”
The older man tipped his cap. “Nice to meet you, young lady.”
She smiled as she shook his hand. He wore gray coveralls that had seen better days, he was slightly stooped and his hair white as cotton.
“I wasn’t expecting you to come out,” Cade said. “I thought you’d send Deke or one of the boys.”
“Cade, I had to see this for myself. Isn’t every day you come across a honey of a car like this. Besides we closed early today for the festival.” He followed them inside. “Well, would you look at that beauty… I checked the VIN number you gave me, and she’s registered. This is a gold mine. Let’s check under the hood.”
Patience watched them, fascinated by their adoration for the vehicle. She couldn’t help but smile when they whistled their appreciation after checking under the hood.
“I need you to take her to the shop and keep her locked up for me,” Cade said. “Had to take the doors off the barn. They’re beyond repair, and the new ones don’t arrive until Monday.”
“Not a problem, son. Can you help me push her out to the drive? I’m not going to be able to lift her in here.”
It didn’t take them long to get the car loaded onto the back of a trailer. Mr. Lindberg drove off with a bi
g smile on his face.
“Well, that pretty much made my day.” Cade slapped a hand against his thigh. “Let me get this other side of the frame sanded and we can go back to town. The festival should be gearing up about now.”
“Is there something I can do to help?”
“Would you mind fixing us some lunch? I brought sandwich stuff, and some of GG’s fruit salad.”
“Not at all. Do you want to eat out here or in the house?”
“Out here is great. The house is still kind of musty.”
Patience made the sandwiches while stealing looks under her lashes at Cade. Watching him work was like her own little movie. He was so damn strong and such the opposite of the suit she’d believed him to be when they first met. The rippling muscles in his back made her stomach tighten with need.
“Cade, do you mind if I ask you a few questions about your dad?”
“What do you want to know?” He continued to sand but she noticed the tension lining his eyes.
“If it bothers you, it can wait.”
“No, Patience. Just ask the questions.”
“You were really young, but do you remember anything about the time right before your father died?”
“Some. Can you be more specific?”
“Were there other people around? I haven’t had a chance to talk to any of his friends. Your grandmother told me that most of them have moved away. Then there were those who believed the gossip when he disappeared. But are there certain people you can remember? Or did your dad argue with anyone?”
Cade leaned one arm against the barn. “My uncle Jake was around a lot back then. He was helping my dad out as a foreman during the summers to pay his way through college. They fought all the time but they were brothers and best friends, so I don’t think he counts.”
Patience didn’t want to say it to Cade, but his family members could easily be suspects. The family had seemed so close at the picnic, but she knew better than anyone how easy it was to keep secrets.
“Anyone else?”
“I don’t remember who was in it, but there were ranchers who’d gone in together to buy a large herd of cattle. They pooled their money and split the herd depending on how much they’d contributed. I remember my dad arguing with a few of them but I can’t remember why. We were in town one afternoon and my dad and Moses got into it in front of the hardware store. Half the town was watching and I remember sliding down in the seat of our truck because I was embarrassed. But I’m sorry, I can’t remember what they were arguing about.”
Truth and Dare Page 8
