She wrinkled her brow. “Because something keeps nagging at me. I can’t quite put a finger on it, but I feel like I’m missing something…a piece of the puzzle.”
“The new owner might now like us showing up. Did you think of that?”
“He won’t even know we’re there. I don’t want to go to the house. There’s a wooded knoll overlooking the house with a big pine tree. I want to go there.”
“All right. I don’t see why, but if that’s what you want, I’ll take you there. I’ll meet you at the stable in an hour. I know you’ll go even if I say no, so I might as well go with you.”
“You do know me, don’t you? Thanks.”
****
As Wes returned to his room, he mulled over what Naomi had told him. His heart ached for her. Losing the baby would have been the final straw for most women. He didn’t understand Naomi’s reasoning for wanting to go out to the Brecker ranch, but he knew her well enough to know if he didn’t go with her, she’d go alone. And the danger was present and real.
After washing up and changing his clothes, he sat down to finish his report to Warden Campbell. As he wrote, he felt as if he was betraying Naomi. But this was part of his job, and he had to do it. Afterwards, with a resigned sigh, he checked his gun and ammunition. No telling what they’d find—or who they’d run into—out there.
Fifteen minutes later, he walked out of the hotel and into the street. Habit took over, and he scanned the street. Everything looked quiet. No hard cases lined the sidewalks. Several women with shopping bags eyed him curiously. He doffed his hat, grinning to himself as they scurried by, sweeping their skirts aside.
As he passed the sheriff’s office, Bert Russell walked out, almost running into him.
“Cooper.”
“Russell.”
“You leaving town?”
“Nope.” Wes pushed by the man. “Sorry to disappoint you.”
“Just hope you know what you’re doing. People here aren’t keen that you’re here with that woman. Could be dangerous.” Russell pushed his hat back.
Wes stopped and locked gazes with Russell. “You threatening me, Bert?”
“Who me? Of course not. Just a friendly warning. Heard tell you and her were over to the old Wainwright House. What were you doing there?”
“That’s none of your business.”
“Everything that happens in Gila Bend is my business.”
“My business is not your business.” Wes paused to make sure Russell got the picture. “That clear?”
Russell’s chest swelled up like a banty rooster. He wanted to say something but evidently thought the better of it. With a shake of his head, he sauntered off. Wes stared at his retreating figure. Bert sure was curious about his plans. He had a hunch that Russell had been involved, in some way, in the death of Roy Brecker.
A glimpse toward the stable showed Naomi waiting at the door. Clad in riding pants and a blue shirt, her honey-blonde hair glowed golden in the light. She’d been through so much, yet she’d hung on—persevered. Finding out that she’d lost her baby in prison cut him to the core. So what if she wanted some of the money for herself? Could he blame her? Maybe she considered that a small payment for the loss of her child.
She turned and smiled at him, sending warmth spreading throughout his body. Every time he looked at her, his heart seemed to fill up. He was in love with Naomi Brecker. He’d fought it for as long as he could. Ethical or not, that’s the way the cards had fallen. So what to do now? The thought of living without her was unbearable. So there was only one thing to do. He’d resign his position as U.S. Marshal, find out who killed Roy Brecker, then take Naomi and leave this hell hole. That is, if she agreed. How did she feel about him? Oh, he knew she desired him, as he desired her. Had even said so. But was it because, as she had said at their first kiss, that, after three long years in prison, she needed some human contact?
Well, it was time to tell her how he felt—and see how she would react.
As he approached her, he touched the brim of his hat. “Naomi, you look beautiful.”
His words took her by surprise. She raised her eyebrows in a silent question. “Why, thank you.”
“Just telling it straight.” He hesitated, wanting to tell her at that moment how much he cared, but two cowpokes sauntered by. He’d do it later when they were alone. “You sure you still want to make this ride?”
“Yes, I’m sure. I guess I’m a little bit touched in the head.” She smiled at him, put her hat on, and mounted her horse. “I asked the stable boy to saddle our horses before he left. I hope that was okay.”
“Sure. I’m ready. Let’s ride.” He climbed into the saddle and turned to watch Naomi. He liked the way her pants fit her rounded derriere and the way her blouse tightened over her breasts. In fact, he liked everything about her.
She led the way out of the stable, and a nudge of his heels sent his gelding after her. As they rode down the street, curious eyes followed them. He noted how she notched her chin up and ignored the people. Good for her.
A couple of hours later, the land rose, heading into the foothills. Pretty land, this piece of the country. Rolling green hills, lush trees, mountains in the distance, and a sky that seemed to reach forever.
Ahead, Naomi reined in her horse and turned to him. “This is where my ranch starts, er, I mean, the ranch I used to own. We can follow the tree line and go around.”
Wes could see the tension in her building. Her posture changed from relaxed to rigid. Her lips thinned, and she worried her bottom lip. Her fists tightened on the reins, sending her horse prancing nervously. For a moment, he regretted bring her out here, but she’d have come on her own. “Good idea. Lead the way.”
She nodded, then steered her horse off the road and up the rise. The land rose, the hills rolling like waves. The trees thickened, and he slowed his horse to a walk. Naomi dismounted and led the way on foot. He slid out of the saddle and followed her. After a few minutes, a huge pine came into view. He glanced at Naomi and saw tears in her eyes.
“I used to come up here a lot when Roy was gone. I loved the fresh scent of pine.” She slid from the saddle, walked to the tree and touched the rough bark. “This was where I had the happiest day of my life,” she whispered. “I had just found out I was pregnant, and I told Roy right here under this tree.”
Wes was at a loss for words. Why she’d felt she had to come back here eluded him. He made it a habit to stay away from painful memories.
“Look,” Naomi said and pointed. “You can see the house from here. It looks almost the same as when I left it.”
Wes moved to stand beside her. “It’s a nice place. Did you run cattle?”
“We had a few, but since Roy was never there, we never built up much of a herd.” She pointed to the side of the house. “I had roses in the front, and I used to have a garden over there.”
“Sorry, honey.”
“It’s not your fault. Look, there’s people coming out of the house.” She leaned forward to get a better look. A gasp escaped her lips, and she slumped against the tree trunk, her face white as a ghost.
Wes rushed to her side. “What’s wrong? Are you all right?”
With a trembling hand, she pointed at the house. Wes glanced in that direction and saw three men had walked out of the house.
“That’s him,” she said and clutched her hand to her heart. “The man in the brown jacket. That’s the man on the stairs, the man in my nightmares.”
Wes shook his head. Had she gone loco? “That can’t be.”
Her eyes widened, and she nodded. “But it’s true. That’s him. I could never forget his face, and those others. They’re the ones who were at the Wainwright House the night Roy was killed. I swear it.”
“You said you never saw the man’s face clearly. So how can you be sure?”
“I don’t know, but that’s him. I can feel…his evil…all the way up here. There’s no doubt in my mind. Wes, I’m telling you the truth. Why don’t y
ou believe me?”
“Naomi, I want to believe you, but the man in the brown jacket, that’s the governor.”
Chapter Eleven
Naomi’s legs threatened to buckle under her. Her heart pounded so loudly she was afraid it would burst from her chest. She stared at Wes. Maybe she hadn’t heard him clearly. “What did you say?”
“That’s the governor.”
“No, you’re lying. Why are you lying to me?” She clenched her hands into fists. “I don’t believe you.”
“Well, it’s true. I didn’t know he was in this area. His office usually lets all U.S. Marshals know when he’s in their jurisdiction.” He took his hat off and slapped it against his thigh. “Besides, if he was in on it, why would he pardon you? Three years later? It doesn’t make any sense.”
Realization slapped her in the face. She grabbed his arm. “Ohmigod, Wes, he pardoned me…to kill me.” She stumbled over to a fallen tree limb and slumped down on it. “He’s the one trying to kill me. That’s how those men knew I was being released that day. I know it. Wes, don’t you see? It all fits.”
His face a mask of confusion, the lawman stared back at her. “Well, for the sake of argument, say it was him. Why?” His brow furrowed and then cleared. “He did run for governor that next year.”
“Maybe that’s how he financed his campaign,” Naomi ventured, “from all the stolen money. What did he do before he was the governor?”
“He was a rancher. Has one of the biggest spreads around. So I can’t see why he’d need the money.”
“But when did he buy this big spread?”
Wes whistled, then sat beside her. “He bought it…after…he became governor. Okay, okay, let’s think about this. Let’s assume he’s the man on the stairs, the man who knocked you out. Why would he pardon you? You were sentenced to life.” He stood up. “Unless—”
“Unless what?”
“I’m just grasping at straws here. Some of the guns stolen from the military have surfaced, turning up in Indian hands. That’s raising a mighty big ruckus around here. Maybe he thought he had everything all tied up in a neat little bow, and now since the guns have shown up, he can’t take any chances. He’s up for re-election soon. He can’t take the chance that you’ll finger him. I just don’t know. That’s stretching it a bit. Hell, Naomi, this just doesn’t make sense.”
“Well, if you don’t want to believe me…”
“I do want to believe you, but—”
“I know, I know. I’m Roy Brecker’s widow, I couldn’t possibly be telling the truth.” Tears threatened to run down her cheeks, and angrily she wiped them away. “Let’s go. I’m sorry for wasting your time.” She ran to her horse and climbed into the saddle. Without a backward glance, she rode from the clearing, not caring in what direction she went, as long as it was away from his disbelieving eyes.
“Naomi, wait.”
But she didn’t stop. Wes didn’t believe her, and it cut her to the core. She was positive the man at her ranch was the man on the stairs, the man who’d clobbered her on the head, and probably even killed Roy and that woman.
Branches slapped at her arms, and briars scratched her legs. A ravine loomed ahead of her to her left, deep and omnibus. A jerk of the reins sent her mount in the opposite direction. The ground cleared, and a jab of her heels sent her mare running away from the sloping ground. She heard Wes behind her, but she didn’t slow down. The mare had the bit in her teeth and was running wild. Naomi sawed on the reins, trying to slow her down but to no avail. Afraid she was going to fall, Naomi tightened her legs around the horse’s belly.
The reins flew from her hands, and she plummeted to the ground. A scream tore from her throat. She hit the ground hard, her breath leaving her in a single swoosh. Stars swirled before her eyes. She lay there for several long minutes, gasping for air and waiting for the pain to subside. Gingerly, she rubbed the back of her head. Something warm and sticky covered her fingers.
She stared vacantly at her surroundings, shaking her head in frustration. She didn’t recognize any of the landmarks. She’d thought she knew every inch of the ranch. Sometimes, she’d ridden for hours when Roy had been gone on one of his trips, but the meadow she found herself in was not familiar. Her stomach tightened into knots. What if that man found her? He’d recognize her—and kill her. Oh, she was an idiot for having run away from Wes.
“Naomi!”
Wes’s voice jerked her back to the moment. She turned and saw him barreling down on her. He dismounted in one fluid motion, ran to her and knelt by her side.
“Are you all right? You could’ve been killed.”
“I’m okay. Really, I am.”
“You crazy fool! Why did you run away from me?”
“Because you didn’t believe me. I told you the truth, and you didn’t believe me.” She swiped a hand across her eyes.
“Well, what did you expect? Dammit, Naomi, I never expected you to accuse the governor—of all people. You caught me by surprise, that’s all.” He pulled his kerchief from around his neck and wiped the dirt from her face.
Physically and emotionally exhausted, Naomi leaned into him, drawing on his strength. She’d felt alone for so long now, and it felt good to have someone else, for what little time it might be.
“I’m sorry, Naomi. Of course I believe you.”
She reached up and caressed his cheek. “Oh, Wes, I’ve never lied to you.” His body went rigid. “You don’t believe that either, do you?” She tried to pull away, but he held her back.
“Naomi, I know about the money. You lied to me about the money.”
“The money? No, I didn’t.” Then it hit her. “Oh, no. You saw me this morning with Mrs. Johnson, didn’t you?”
“Yeah, and I saw the bag of money.”
“Wes, it’s not what it looked like. Mrs. Johnson is Roy’s grandmother. Her name is Brecker, but she’s afraid to use her real name. Her son died, and she settled his estate and brought the money out here to Roy. When she found out he was dead, she saved it for me. I told her I couldn’t take it, that it wouldn’t be right.”
“You mean that wasn’t stolen money?”
“No,” she laughed softly, “but I can see why you’d think that.”
“I’m sorry.” He took her hand and kissed her palm.
Goosebumps skittered down her skin. “Wes?”
“Yeah?”
“Remember what you said?”
“Yeah, I remember. I’m an idiot.”
Hope rose in her breast. “What does that mean?”
“That means I love you, Naomi Brecker. I think I have since the first moment I saw you.” He trailed kisses down her neck, stopping to nibble on her ear lobe.
“You what? What did you say?”
“I love you.”
“Oh, Wes, I love you too. But what about—?”
“My ethics?” A wry smile touched his lips.
“Yeah?”
“I’ve thought about that and made my decision. I’m going to resign my position as U.S. Marshal, and we’re going to get out of here.” He held a finger to her lips. “After we find out who killed Roy and framed you.”
“No! I don’t want you to do that. You’re one of the best lawmen in the whole country. I can’t let you—”
“You’ve got no say-so in the matter. Now kiss me.”
He lowered his head, and Naomi met his mouth with abandon. His tongue probed for entry, and her lips parted as if of their own accord. She met his questing tongue with her own, and a shudder shook her body, warmth infusing every fiber of her being. Never had anything felt more right.
When at last he broke the kiss, Naomi’s body quivered with need. In all her time with Roy, she’d never known such intense wanting and how it could physically make you ache. “Oh, Wes, I love you so much.”
“And I love you, but this isn’t exactly the most romantic spot,” he whispered, his raspy voice caressing her cheek, “to show you exactly how much I care.”
“It
doesn’t matter. As long as I’m with you.”
“Ah, sweet Naomi.” He stood and pulled her to her feet. “I passed a place a little bit nicer…come on.”
She followed him to his horse, climbed up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist, loving the hard feel of him against her softness. Her body burned with desire. He turned his mount to the north and rode through an arch of boulders, then through a strand of trees and brush. In a few minutes, he reined in his mount.
A lovely secluded glade sat before her. A sparkling waterfall cascaded a few hundred feet into a crystal clear pool and flowed downstream in a shallow creek. Green grass led down to the water’s edge. “Oooh,” she cooed. “How beautiful. Why, I didn’t know this place existed. Are we still on my…I mean, my former ranch?”
“I think so.” Wes lifted his leg over the saddle horn, slid to the ground, then held out his arms to her.
As she went into his arms, euphoria wrapped its arms around her. A perfect place for a perfect union. He lowered her slowly to the ground, letting her slide down his body in sensual, tantalizing movements. She stared into his eyes, eyes that glowed blue fire. Her lips parted, inviting him to partake of her. He flicked his tongue over her lips, then plunged his tongue into her mouth. A shudder wracked her body. With her tongue, she fenced with his and sent her need spiraling.
His hand slipped down her back, then cupped her buttocks and drew her next to him. She could feel his arousal, and she pressed against him. She wanted him to feel her need. Her breath left her in a shuddering sigh as she strained against him. He scooped her up in his arms and lay her down in the soft grass by the river bank. As he trailed soft feathery kisses down the slim column of her neck, he cupped her breast, kneading the taut bud.
Naomi writhed beneath him. Slowly, he unbuttoned her shirt, pushing the soft fabric aside and revealing her breast to him. He took its peak in his mouth and tugged gently on it.
A gasp burst forth from her lips, and she cried out his name. “Wes, oh my God, please, please….”
He leaned forward and again laved the coral tip of her breast. Slowly, he undid the remaining buttons on her shirt and tugged it free of her skirt. She shrugged out of it. Then she did the same, ridding him of his shirt. He pulled her next to him. Naomi loved the feel of her soft curves against his hard chest. Such different textures. He stroked her back, exploring, touching every inch of her. Her need rose, sending her to sensual heights she’d never experienced before. His hand traveled up her thigh as he pushed her skirt higher. She trembled beneath his touch and pressed against him.
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