by Julie Benson
He patted Lu on the neck, slid his hand upward, and clasped her bridle. Then he tried leading her toward the barn, but she dug in her heels. Big brown eyes glared at him as if to say she wasn’t buying what he was selling. “It’s not my fault I’m running late. It’s the mayor’s. You wouldn’t believe how long winded the man is.”
He tried again to lead her, but she became a stubborn, immovable object. Unless he wanted to show up for dinner smelling like sweat mixed with horse, he wouldn’t win this confrontation. Deciding to cut his losses, he walked across the corral. Damned if the horse didn’t follow him this time. He reached for her one last time, but she dodged him. Blasted female. Shaking his head, he opened the gate, squeezed through and shut it before Lulabelle could get her shoulder through.
A few minutes later, after he’d changed, he passed the corral on his way to his truck. Lu whinnied, shook her head, and pawed at the gate. The further away he got, the more irritated she grew. Danged if the horse didn’t start kicking the gate. As he drove off, he added checking the corral fence and the gate to his to-do list. The last thing he wanted was Lu getting loose and wandering around the countryside trying to find him.
When AJ arrived at the Bar 7, Ty answered the door, and nodded toward the flowers he held. “How sweet. You’ve finally brought me flowers after all these years.”
“Any more cracks like that, and I won’t share the wine.”
Ty shrugged. “Fine. I won’t share my Shiner.”
“Damn. I hate when you play hardball,” AJ said as he stepped into the house.
“Are the flowers for Cassie or did you bring them to make a good impression on Grace?”
AJ froze and closed his eyes. He’d thought the rest of his day had been rough. If he’d heard his friend right, his day was about to go from bad to getting thrown off a bucking horse and landing on his head bad. His palms itching, he said, “Please tell me I’m hearing things, and you didn’t say Grace.”
“I hear you ran into her earlier, or rather she ran into you.”
So much for having fun tonight. He should tell Ty to forget the whole thing and hightail it outta here while he could, but would the ribbing be worth it? Considering how long Ty would hold him running off like a scared schoolboy, probably not. He’d have to cowboy up, and make the best of the situation. “You’d better tighten the cinch on your saddle. It could be a rough ride. Grace and I didn’t get off to the best start.”
“You got off on the wrong foot with a woman? How’d that happen? You have more female friends than any man I know.”
AJ cringed. “Thanks for bringing up that pleasant subject, because my day hasn’t been bad enough with my truck getting rear-ended and a three hour meeting with the mayor.”
Whenever he told a woman he worked for the FBI, he usually received one of two responses. The thrill seekers pumped him for information, and lost interest when he couldn’t share juicy work details. But more often the reaction he received was she said she couldn’t handle the stress of dating a man who risked his life at work every day, but she’d be happy to remain friends.
“Sorry. That wasn’t what I meant. What happened with Grace?”
I lost all my common sense and most of my manners the minute I saw her dynamite legs and coffee-colored eyes.
“Hell if I know.” AJ shook his head as the morning’s events replayed in his head. “Her reactions were out of whack for the situation. When I mentioned calling in the accident, she tried to talk me out of it and got nervous. Way too much for the situation.”
“Cassie says Grace never gets riled up. When Cassie moved here Grace was her voice of reason.”
Remaining rational and level-headed was easy when it was someone else’s life that fell apart. The trick was staying in control when a person stood in the middle of her own hurricane. Could be Grace was discovering the fact first hand.
“You wanted an introduction to one of Cassie’s friends.” Ty clapped AJ on the back. “You know what they say. Be careful what you wish for.”
“Smart ass,” AJ snapped.
“Sounds like we missed a good story, Grace,” Cassie said, an inquisitive gaze leveled on both men when the women walked into the living room.
“No good story. Just Ty being an arrogant know-it-all,” AJ said.
“It’s not arrogance when I’m right.”
Ignoring the comment, AJ walked to Cassie, and handed her the flowers, noting how the two women couldn’t be more opposite. Dressed in a long tie-dyed skirt, T-shirt, denim vest, and cowboy boots, Cassie’s easy-going, carefree style reflected her nature.
She kissed him on the cheek. “I’m not sure I believe you, but I’ll let it pass.”
As open as Cassie was, that was how reserved Grace appeared as she stood apart from the rest of them, observing and assessing the situation. Dressed in tailored gray slacks, a silky blouse of a darker shade and heels, she looked impeccable, but an air of inapproachability hovered around her. It was the color. Steel paired with icy undertones. An odd choice considering the fireworks he’d seen from her that morning.
He nodded toward Grace, not sure what to say, aware of the awkward silence stretching between them. His gaze locked on the tiny strips holding her cut together, and then on the purple and green visible under her eye, despite her attempt to conceal it. “How’re you feeling? Great shiner you got there.”
What the hell had he been thinking saying the first thing that popped into his head? Damn, that was stupid. What idiot does that?
“Still the silver-tongued charmer, I see,” Grace responded.
Ty leaned over, and whispered, “I might know why you got off to a rough start.”
He tossed his friend a quick thanks-for-pointing-out-the-obvious glare, and turned to Grace. In an attempt to pull his size thirteen boot out of his mouth, he said, “I didn’t mean you looked bad. You look fine.” He almost winced. “The bruising’s worse since this morning. I didn’t expect that.”
Ty laughed, and glanced at Cassie. “Do you want to ask him or should I?”
“Oh, let me.” She giggled.
“No need. I know where this is going.” He resisted the urge to rub his neck and ears which had grown warm. “You’re going to ask if I want you to take the shovel away before the hole I’m digging gets any deeper.”
Grace glanced between the three of them, clearly confused.
“Let me explain the joke before we look even ruder,” AJ said. “In our squadron at A&M, whenever someone made a bonehead comment, Ty asked if he should take the shovel away before the hole the guy was digging got any deeper. He got the saying from his grandfather, and obviously, Cassie’s adopted it as well.”
Grace laughed, the tight lines on her face eased. “That’s a good one. I’ve got to remember it.”
Nodding toward the wine bottle Ty still held, Cassie said, “You can open the wine, while I put these in water.”
“I’ll help,” Grace offered. “Then the guys can keep talking.”
“You’re a guest,” Cassie insisted, as she nodded toward the leather couch in the living room. “You and AJ get comfortable. We’ll only be a minute.”
Then she practically dragged Ty out of the room. If any other woman had pulled a stunt like that, AJ would accuse her of playing matchmaker, but that wasn’t Cassie’s style.
When their friends left, Grace strode into the living room, and sank into the lone chair in the corner between the couch and loveseat. Though he sensed she’d be happier if he sat as far away as possible, or better yet, left, he settled in the middle of the couch.
“I should’ve guessed this morning that you knew Ty and Cassie, but how weird is it that we’re their best friends?”
“Wonder what those odds are?” He cleared his throat, and resisted the urge to tug at the collar of his shirt. “This afternoon I realized Luke and I both forgot to ask why you were in town. Now I know. Why didn’t you mention you know Cassie?”
“It honestly never occurred to me.”
&n
bsp; He raised an eyebrow at her remark.
“Why’s it hard to believe?” Grace asked. “I hadn’t processed what happened before you were there asking me if I was okay and handing me your shirt for my cut. Then I thought about how my insurance rates would go up. I was also ticked because my car was paid off and insurance never pays enough to replace a totaled car. That means I’ll have car payments again, and I—”
“Enough. I concede your point.” He raised his hands in defeat, and then decided to toss a line in the water to see if he caught anything. “Is there anything else you forgot to mention?”
The tight lines around her eyes returned as she fiddled with the ring on her index finger. “You checked me out on the Internet. I knew you would.” Resignation in her voice and her eyes, she shifted on the couch. “Are you this suspicious with everyone, or is it me? If you are, it seems like a sad way to live your life.”
Her comment knocked him off stride for a minute. One thing he’d prided himself on was being open-minded, but was Grace right? He’d seen some sick shit in his jobs. Had the skills that kept him alive in Afghanistan and with the FBI become second nature and invaded his personal life? Had suspicion become his default response, or was there something about Grace in particular that made him judgmental?
“The New York Times articles were vague.” He tossed the statement out there, hoping she’d elaborate without further prodding. When she remained silent, he added, “What’s your side of the story?”
“Why discuss it when it sounds like you’ve made up your mind.”
“No, I haven’t.”
Grace laughed, the harsh, nervous sound bouncing around him. “No way I’ll believe that. I know your type. You need proof if someone tells you what time it is.”
Not once the person has proved herself.
“What happened in New York is a closed case, and even if it wasn’t, it’s a little out of your jurisdiction.”
“If it’s closed, what’s the big deal about telling me what happened? Is there something you don’t want me to know?”
“What’s going on in here?” Cassie asked, her voice filled with concern mixed with irritation, when she and Ty entered the living room, each carrying two wine glasses. “I could hear your raised voices in the kitchen.”
AJ froze. He’d realized Grace had become animated and loud, but he hadn’t recognized he’d gotten overheated as well.
Grace, lines on her forehead caused by her frown, nodded toward AJ. “He checked me out on the Internet like I said he would, and sure enough, he found the Times articles.”
Arms crossed over his chest, AJ said, “Considering Grace is staying in town, my job requires I ask certain questions after having read the articles.”
Hands on her hips, Grace fired back, “But you don’t have to—”
“I need to know what the details of the case—”
“Enough!” Cassie stomped her foot, the click on her boot heel on the wood floor surprisingly loud for such a tiny woman. “You sound like Ella and her friends arguing.”
AJ avoided her gaze, knowing she was right. How had he let the conversation get so out of hand?
“You two are like family to us. Clearly you have things to work out. Issues I don’t want festering. I will not have our home or our wedding becoming a war zone because you two can’t be in the same room without arguing.” Cassie pointed toward the front door. “Go outside and talk it out. When you can get along, you can come back in, and we’ll have dinner.”
“Outside? You’re kidding, right?” Grace stared wide-eyed at her friend.
Cassie shook her head, a stubborn, refuse-to-negotiate look AJ had never seen before on her pretty face. “Out. I don’t want this much negative energy in the house. It can hang around causing trouble.”
“Really, Cass?” Grace said, the pleading tone in her voice contradicting her still rigid posture. “What if we promise to be good and play nice?”
AJ almost laughed. Grace sat some five feet from him, her beautiful eyes blazing with irritation, her ramrod straight posture radiating pent-up energy. With a burr still under her saddle, no way would she let go of her exasperation any time soon. Play nice? Hardly. He glanced at Cassie. No way would she back down either. His only hope was with his friend. “Come on, Ty. I have to ask the tough questions. You get that, don’t you? Otherwise I’d be derelict in my duties. Back me up here, buddy.”
“Sorry, pal,” Ty said. “If I have to choose between you being pissed at me or Cassie, it’s a no-brainer. You and Grace are going to have to work this out.”
AJ stalked across the room and grabbed the wine glass from Ty. After downing the drink, he returned the empty, and turned to Grace. “Let’s get this over with.”
Chapter Five
The door barely clicked shut before Grace whirled to face AJ. Arms crossed over her chest, her chin raised, she fixed the man with her best I’m-done-with-this glare. “Okay, lawman, listen up, because I’m only discussing this once.”
She reminded herself to keep her voice level and to focus on the facts, as her story tumbled out. How she’d been casually dating a man at work when the FBI contacted her. She shuddered despite the steamy Texas night recalling her first encounter with the agents. “When they questioned me—and I’m using that term loosely—it wasn’t an enjoyable experience. They hammered on the same issues over and over. How could I have missed my boyfriend embezzling from the company we worked for?” Her bitingly sarcastic voice rose at least a pitch, and the hard of hearing couldn’t miss the anger threaded through it.
So much for remaining under control. She took a deep, cleansing breath, and worked to harness her emotions. Calm restatement of the facts. Remember?
“I’ve asked myself that same question countless times.” Pent-up nervous energy pulsed through her clogging her brain. She paced the length of the porch. “I’ve gone over every conversation Derek and I had. I’ve examined every moment we spent together trying to see if I missed anything, and as far as I can tell, there were no signs he was embezzling.”
“Some criminals cover their tracks well,” AJ said from where he leaned against the porch railing. His stance appeared casual and relaxed, but it wasn’t. She guessed very little escaped this man’s notice.
“The agents who questioned me didn’t share your sentiments. ‘Do you expect us to believe he didn’t share details of what he was doing? Surely he mentioned something that didn’t sound right. After all, couples share pillow talk,’ they insisted,” she said, her voice a deep, mocking imitation of the agent’s.
“Most do.”
Out of nowhere an image blasted her. One of her and AJ in bed, his powerful arms wrapped around her, keeping her close as her head rested on his broad chest, their bodies glistening after love making. A flush tore through her in record speed. Was AJ was one of those guys who wanted to chat afterward? She almost laughed. He probably viewed it as an opportunity to interrogate a woman. Where do we go from here? What’s your life’s goal? Blah, blah, blah. No thanks.
The heels of her gray Coach pumps clicked out a rapid staccato on the cedar porch as her pace increased. She shouldn’t have worn these shoes tonight. After all, she was on a cattle ranch for goodness sake. If she ruined them she couldn’t afford to replace them, but when she’d dressed for dinner, she’d felt an overwhelming need to show AJ who she really was. As if putting on an outfit she’d worn to work would turn her back into the confident businesswoman she’d been, and vowed she’d be again.
As she clacked across the porch, her mind spun trying to think of how to respond to his pillow talk comment. She’d claimed her relationship with Derek had been casual, but that was different than saying they never talked about simple things such as their day, or who their friends were. While some of her relationships had been physically intimate, they never were emotionally. She’d never wanted to share soft, tender moments with a man, because when a woman did that, she gave up control. She allowed herself to become vulnerable.
; “The authorities ask about those conversations because what appears insignificant to the average person can often unlock a stalled investigation,” AJ said, breaking the awkward silence.
“If they’d told me that’s why they were asking, it would’ve helped me make sense of what was going on.”
“Good agents would have.”
AJ’s one of the few really good guys. That was what Cassie said. Unlike her best friend, Grace couldn’t tell a good man from a hole in the wall. But as she stood here with him, the dark Texas night surrounding them, keeping their secrets safe, she found she wanted to believe him. But why should she? Cops weren’t the most open-minded people. Why would AJ be any different?
She scanned his features from a safe distance in the dim porch light. His strong turquoise gaze locked with hers, drawing her in. He appeared and sounded genuine, but then she’d been fooled before.
“Not that it’s an excuse, but FBI agents see the worst there is out there,” AJ continued. “They have to be jaded, or they don’t survive.”
A haunted look flashed in his eyes, but was gone so fast she wondered if she’d imagined it. Then she remembered Cassie mentioning AJ had been with the FBI. Was he speaking from personal experience?
No, she refused to let him draw her in. The worst part was the FBI assumed she was involved, and treated her as if she was guilty. She had to prove otherwise. He didn’t know what it was like to have people look at him as if he was a criminal when he hadn’t done anything wrong.
“You’re right. It doesn’t excuse what they did. They were nicer the second time around because they needed me. That’s when they admitted they had no proof I was involved. They also said, while they were positive Derek was guilty, they lacked sufficient evidence to arrest him. The agents asked me to get the proof they needed.”
When she failed to jump at the opportunity, they executed a guilt trip Catholic nuns would envy, and by the time they finished, she’d felt as if she’d gone three rounds with Muhammad Ali in his floats-like-a-butterfly-stings-like-a-bee days, and gladly agreed to do as they asked.
