Swelter

by D. Jackson Leigh

  “You’re not impeding anything. Only two people know where those thumb drives are hidden—me and one other person, who isn’t you.” A cold nose nudged August’s hand, and she stroked Rio’s dark head that rested now on her thigh. Teal must be finished cleaning up after breakfast and the leftover bacon had been consumed.

  “True. But he’s pressuring me to give up where you’re hiding out.”

  “I haven’t told you where I am.”

  He made a rude noise. “Do you really think I haven’t already pinpointed the IP of your computer before I hid it from anyone else trying to find you?”

  “I’m sure you did. Listen to me.” She slowed her words and spoke distinctly to emphasize their meaning. “I haven’t told you where I’m staying.”

  There was a few seconds of silence. “Oh, okay. I’m on it. No matter how many times or ways Walker asks it, that’s what I tell him. ‘Sorry, no. She hasn’t told me where she’s staying.’”

  “I knew you were super smart.”

  “Yeah, yeah.” He yawned. “Sorry. Haven’t been to bed yet. Anyway, I’ve got Walker to agree to our stipulations. You’ll give the copies only to me, and I’ll work with the federal geeks to extract the information to make sure the files don’t erase themselves when they’re opened like the originals did. I don’t understand, though, why you don’t just make copies of the copies.”

  “The further away from the originals you get, the weaker your credibility in the eyes of a jury.”

  “I see. So, do I need to clear my schedule for you to give your copies up to Walker?”

  “Not until that leak is in a jail cell.”

  “Got’cha. Could be in about a week. If you don’t already have a plan for getting them to me or to Walker, you need to be thinking about it.”

  “I might have one.”

  “You’re right. The less we share, the less they can hold me responsible for.”

  “Exactly. I’m calling Pierce next to check in.”

  “Good idea. He’s getting antsy.”

  “Later, dude.”

  “Later, August.”

  She ended the call and checked her watch to time the next one. Even though she’d made it clear each call to him wouldn’t be long enough to be traced, she was sure he was still trying in case she got sloppy and talked a little too long. That’s what she’d do if she were him.

  “Walk—” He cleared his dry throat. “Walker.”

  She smiled. It was almost six thirty and he was still sleeping. “Did I wake you? I’ve had breakfast and drinking my third cup of coffee already.”

  “Reese?”

  “Yeah. Just checking in. But since you haven’t had your coffee yet, I’ll be brief. Steve told me you found your leak. Lock that leak down tight, and I’ll give the thumb drives you want to Steve. Not before.”

  “Lots of coming and going at Reyes’s place, Reese. He might be about to bolt the country. We need something now to keep him from traveling.” She heard his alarm beeping, then a slap and it went silent.

  “Then you better work fast. I’ll call again in three days.”

  “Reese, wait.”

  “You’ve got ninety seconds, Pierce.”

  “Christine wants a deal.”

  “That’s no surprise.”

  “She got a little roughed up in jail. She—”

  August’s gut twisted. “Is she okay?” Damn, she shouldn’t care, but she did. She’d once loved that woman. She’d shared a decade of her life with Christine. Rio whined, sensing August’s concern.

  “A little battered but no serious injuries. She won’t talk about it, but we’re pretty sure it was a message from Reyes. She wants whatever jail time she gets to be done in minimum security. One of those places where they send celebrity tax dodgers.”

  “Are you asking my opinion? Do it.”

  “I’d think you’d want your pound of flesh after what she did to you.”

  “Maybe I’m as guilty as she is. If I’d been giving her the attention she needed, Reyes would have never been able to seduce her into making bad choices.”

  “Before you go soft on me, think about this: would you have fallen into Reyes’s trap if he’d targeted you instead of Christine?”

  “Christine’s not a career criminal, Pierce. You need to let her pay for her mistake and get on with her life.” She glanced at her watch. “I’ll call in three days.”

  She ended the call without waiting for him to reply and absently tapped the cell phone against her chin. Pierce had posed the question because he wanted to make sure she stayed angry enough to nail Reyes to the wall no matter how it affected Christine’s case. Still, she knew he was right. She wouldn’t have been susceptible to sexual advances from Reyes, but he was smart. He could have tried to lure her with flashy cars, money, or introductions to powerful people and sexy, willing women. Yet he’d sensed the weakness, the character flaw in Christine that August didn’t have. No. If he’d approached her, she would have sent him packing. That’s why he chose Christine to do his dirty work.

  “The boys are loading up the fence panels you want. Are you ready to tell us what exactly you’re planning to do with them?” BJ stood in the doorway.

  “Tell them to haul the panels out to the south pasture and start unloading. We’re going to set up chutes to vaccinate, but I want to show the guys a new arrangement that’s less stressful to the animals. I’ve still got a few things to do here, but I won’t be long.” She pressed the tab to boot up the computer.

  “You want us to wait? We’re using the farm truck to pull one of the trailers. You can’t drive that fancy car of yours across the pasture.”

  “I’ll leave Rio with Pops and ride out on one of the four-wheelers.” She typed in her password to bring up her desktop.

  “All right then.” He paused. “Everything okay?”

  August looked up, surprised by the question. “Yeah. Everything’s fine.” She should update BJ, just in case. “John Stutts called to say they’ve filed the deed on the ranch. It might mean nothing, but if Reyes has someone looking, they might turn up my name in a computer search and track me here.”

  “I figured that was going to happen eventually. You need to start wearing that pistol I know you have. I’m going to do the same.” He held her gaze. “What about the boys?”

  “If they don’t know and aren’t armed, then there won’t be a gunfight if Reyes’s men show up. I don’t want any of the guys hurt.”

  “Well, you see, that’s not how we roll around here. It’d be better if they’re armed and alert, because if those thugs do show up and try to take or hurt you, the guys would try to jump them anyway. You should at least give them a fighting chance.”

  August drummed her fingers on the chair’s arm. He knew these men better than she did. “Okay. We’ll put up the fence panels this morning, then come back in here for a late lunch in the bunkhouse. I’ve got a video I want to show them about some changes I want to make around the ranch. I’ll talk to them about this then, too.”

  “Good enough.” BJ gave a curt nod. “Now tell me why you were so quiet at breakfast and Sweet Thing was acting like you were a rattlesnake about to strike. You two have a tiff?”

  “No.” August frowned. “Sweet Thing?”

  “I know you’ve been thrown pretty hard, but I’ve seen you eyeing her.” His eyes softened. “Gals like that don’t come along every day.”

  “She’s got a boyfriend…well, ex-boyfriend.”

  “Well now, come to think of it, she didn’t exactly say her ex was of the male variety. Pops and I just took that for granted, and she didn’t correct us.”

  They stared at each other as she silently chewed over that possibility.

  “She kissed me.” August waited for BJ’s reaction to her quiet admission.

  He raised a questioning eyebrow and drawled out his prompt to continue. “And—”

  She turned back to the computer and opened the inventory program. “I kissed her.”

 
“Is that all one kiss or two separate kisses?”

  She stopped typing and dropped her chin to her chest. “Does it matter?”

  “Julio would say it does.”

  “Julio?”

  “Yes, ma’am. He was one of those Romeo types for sure.” He pointed a finger at her. “I know what you’re thinking. Wasn’t nobody else in his sights when Gus was here, but the months that Gus was in Dallas with your grandmother was another matter. Fair was fair, and Gus understood that.”

  August was surprised. It was the first time BJ had openly admitted there was more than close friendship between Gus and Julio. “So—”

  “So, Julio would say if it was one kiss, then you’re making her take all the chances. But if it was two kisses, then there might be hope for you yet.” He crossed his arms over his chest and gave her a pointed look. “Either way, those looks she’s been shooting you this morning probably mean she’s wondering if you’re regretting those kisses and thinking she should pack up and leave.”

  August blew out a breath. “She’s going to leave anyway, BJ. Her cousin is expecting her.” She closed the inventory program, her thoughts so sidetracked that she’d forgotten what she’d intended to do. “Anyway, it might not be safe for her to stay.”

  “Don’t sound like to me that she’s any safer at her cousin’s place. So, quit making excuses and give her a reason to stay if that’s what you want.” He grabbed his hat from the coat tree just outside the office door. “Don’t take all morning with that paperwork. We’ll have those fence panels unloaded in about an hour.” He disappeared from the doorway before she could answer.

  Was BJ right? Was Teal worried that August was going to run her off because of the kisses they’d shared? Hell, if anything, Teal could sue The White Paw for August pushing her against the wall last night and nearly ravishing her. She closed her eyes, reliving for the tenth time the heat of Teal’s body against hers, the taste of Teal’s mouth, and her low throaty moan. She’d been a willing participant. God, what Teal must think of her right now—kissing her like that, then treating her today like nothing happened between them.

  But Teal was a hundred unanswered questions.

  She was straight, wasn’t she? Was she just curious about being with a woman? Was she a spy for either Reyes or Walker, trying to get close enough to find out where the evidence was hidden? Or was she was just the smart, beautiful woman she seemed? Did August want her to stay? Was their chemistry just two damaged egos needing reassurance? Could they enjoy each other for a short time and walk away friends?

  Scratch that. Teal was a thousand unanswered questions.

  First, she’d start with a question she could actually answer. What new websites had Teal been looking at recently? She logged out of her desktop and back in as “guest.”

  What was this? Teal had logged into the computer last night after their hallway encounter? She’d Googled August again, then browsed through images of her. Despite mixed feelings, she smiled at the thought of Teal checking her out all dressed up for those Dallas society events. Did she like what she saw? The smile faded as she scanned further down the browsing history to a Dallas Morning News article about the investigation into her law practice.

  August didn’t know much about Teal, but they had talked enough for her to know that Teal was no naive farm girl. She was savvy enough about business to give out advice—good advice—on how August could improve her image as boss. What was she thinking after reading that article?

  Hmm. Several more websites. She must have been up for quite a while. August glanced at the open doorway to make sure she was still alone, then clicked on the first of several lesbian fiction websites. Well, well. This was some pretty hot erotica, free for the reading. Before she knew it, she’d lost herself in one of the stories and was shifting uncomfortably in her chair. Damn. She glanced at the time in the bottom corner of the screen. She’d better get moving. She copied that part of the browsing history and emailed it to herself for late-night reading on her iPad.

  As soon as she tapped “send,” she paused. Teal had an iPad, too. She could have looked up the Morning News article on that. Did she want August to know she’d seen it? Yes, she did. Why else would she look up lesbian erotica on a shared computer? Nobody else used the office computer but her and BJ. August quickly deleted the browsing history. Lord, BJ’s old heart might not be able to take it if he stumbled onto it.

  August grinned as realization struck. Teal had figured out the hat gift was the result of August’s computer snooping. This browsing history was a deliberate message. The idea warmed her neck and ears. Her crotch throbbed with a genuine need she hadn’t felt in years.

  That was the second question answered, if she was totally honest. She didn’t want Teal to leave. She stood. Damn it. She had a message of her own to deliver.

  She grabbed her Stetson from the coat tree and headed for the kitchen with Rio on her heels. Her determined strides faltered when Teal, washing a frying pan in the sink, didn’t turn around at the sound of her footsteps. August felt suddenly tentative and cleared her throat. Teal glanced over her shoulder but began to rinse the pan.

  “I wanted to tell you that we’ll have lunch in the bunkhouse, rather than out on the range like we’ve been doing. We’ll probably be about an hour later, too…around one o’clock,” August said. “I want to show the men some videos about grass-fed cattle operations and talk to them about, you know, the Dallas situation.”

  Teal set the frying pan in the drain rack and dried her hands on a dish towel as she slowly shifted to face her. The uncertainty in her eyes stabbed August. She didn’t like knowing she was the cause of it.

  “Yeah. I’m talking about what you read in the article. The guys haven’t said anything, and I don’t know if any of them keep up with Dallas news or just read the local paper, but I want to explain to everyone what I can. That includes you.”

  “Okay.” Teal looked away, nervously biting her lip and twisting the dish towel in her hands, then back at August. “Anything else you want me to know?”

  August hesitated, then fell into those dark eyes, so brave and, for her, unguarded. “Yeah. Just this.” Two quick strides and Teal’s face was cupped in August’s hands. Teal’s mouth was soft and welcoming to August’s tongue. She wanted to forget BJ and fences and cows. She needed to forget Reyes and the trial. She ached to shut out the world and drown herself in this intelligent, beautiful woman.

  August gently withdrew from the kiss, searching Teal’s eyes. They were bright with desire and filled with certainty now. Her message had been received.

  “See you at lunch,” August said softly. She wheeled and scooped up her hat before she bucked off her responsibilities, grabbed Teal, and galloped for the bedroom. “Come on, Rio. Let’s go see Pops.”

  *

  The wranglers had already departed for the south pasture, so Pops was in his rocking chair on the porch of the bunkhouse, enjoying his morning smoke and another cup of coffee. He eyed August. “You okay?”

  She raised an eyebrow. “Yeah. Why?”

  “You look a little flushed, and it ain’t all that hot out here yet.”

  “I’m fine,” she said. “It was sort of warm in the kitchen, you know, cooking breakfast with the stove and oven.”

  He sat forward in the chair. “Pretty, ain’t she? That girl would get my motor running, too, if it could still run.”

  Heat rose up her neck to flood her face anew, and he chuckled. “Yup. I thought so.”

  “Mind your own business, old man, or I’ll take you down to the old folks home and drop you off like a stray dog.” August smiled and ducked her head, stealing all credibility from her threat.

  Pops’s chuckle became a belly laugh, then a coughing fit. Rio laid her head in his lap and whined as she licked his hand.

  August narrowed her eyes at him and scowled, her hands on her hips. “BJ said the doctor ordered you to stop smoking.”

  “I’m too old to stop. Been smoking all my life.
” He scratched Rio’s head and spoke to the dog. “I’m okay, girl.”

  August picked up the pack of cigarillos resting on the arm of his chair. “You could at least smoke something with a filter and try to cut down some.” She smiled as a sudden idea came to her. “How about we let Rio help?”

  Pops eyed her. “Rio?”

  August held out the pack to the dog. “Go hide.” Rio grabbed the pack of cigarillos and took off running for the barn.

  Pops stared after the dog, then at August. “Durn your hide. Where’s she taking my smokes?”

  “She’ll hide them and only go fetch when I tell her. I’ll let you have one twice a day. You’ve already smoked your first. You can have another after supper.”

  Pops waved a dismissive hand. “I’ve got more.”

  Rio returned, her tongue lolling in a big doggie grin.

  “Got a stash, huh?” August held the door to the bunkhouse open. “More, Rio. Go find.”

  The collie disappeared into the bunkhouse, and Pops stared after her suspiciously.

  “I’m headed out to the pasture,” August said. “But I’m going to leave Rio to keep an eye on you.”

  Rio reappeared with a box of cigarillo packs in her mouth.

  Pops frowned at her. “Maybe I don’t want that meddling dog around.”

  “She’ll be good company. Besides, we’ll all be back in for lunch. We’re going to have a ranch meeting after we eat.”

  “A meeting?”

  “Yep. I’ve got a few changes I want to make, and I’m going to lay it all out at one time for everybody so I can answer any questions.”

  He squinted one eye at her, then nodded. “Good enough. I was going to dig potatoes this morning anyway. Since that dog is so smart, maybe I’ll teach her to dig ’em up for me.”

  “All you have to do is show her. You’ll be surprised at what she understands.”

  *

  Teal sagged against the sink and cast about the kitchen. What had she been doing? Lord, she couldn’t remember. August’s kiss had stolen her ability to think, shaken her equilibrium, and quite possibly—she dabbed at her throat with the dishcloth—broken the air-conditioning unit. Last night’s kiss in the dark hallway was one thing, but being kissed like that in broad daylight was another matter. She closed her eyes, reliving the fire in August’s eyes as she strode forward, feeling August’s hands on her face, August’s hips pressing into hers.