by Sara Orwig
He took another deep breath, trying to tear away his gaze, but he could not stop looking at her round bottom, her smooth legs. She came up, catching her hair up on top of her head to wind the rubber band around it.
He wanted to groan. Now her arms were up, pulling the T-shirt tautly across her breasts. Blissfully unaware of the effect she was having on him, she continued, “I wouldn’t be a good enough shot to protect myself from him, and once Lenny Meskell is gone out of our lives, I don’t want a gun in the house.”
“Would you let me get a dog?”
“I'm so thankful you didn’t make that request in front of the girls! Don’t even mention dogs around them. I was going to wait until Sissy is just a little older so they can be responsible for feeding a pet, but the thought of a kitten is tempting.”
“A kitten doesn’t bark at strangers and alert the family if something is wrong. As far as the girls feeding a pet, Tara’s old enough to feed one, and Sissy would help.”
She laughed, her dimple showing. “Do you own a dog?”
“As a matter of fact, I do. It stays at the ranch—”
“And someone else feeds and waters and cares for it and you play with it when you're there.”
“Okay, okay. Point taken. But think about it. You’d at least have a watchdog.”
She nodded as she picked up a knife. “I better get back to work. This is due by the end of the month.”
When she leaned over the table to cut a piece of glass, he was certain the subject was closed. He gave one lingering glance at her and then walked away to look outside.
* * *
That night, after the girls had gone to bed, Rebecca sat working on her books at the kitchen table when Jake entered. “It’s about time you took a break. How about a glass of iced tea, or some cola?”
“Tea sounds wonderful,” she said, stretching and standing. “My eyes are beginning to blur, but I've paid the bills and balanced my checkbook, and got my billing done.”
Ice cubes clinked when he dropped them into glasses. “I'm impressed!” Jake watched her stretch. The window unit still chugged noisily, but he had switched off the one in the living room over an hour earlier and the house was warming. Rebecca wore a bright green tank top and her cutoffs, and when she stretched he felt his own body warmth increase as the clinging shirt outlined her full breasts.
“I wish I could hire you to do my bookkeeping, pay my bills and balance my checkbook. I hate paperwork.”
“And I would hate arresting people,” she said lightly. He poured the tea and handed her a glass, his fingers brushing hers.
“It’s all to keep people like you safe on the streets,” he said, looking at the tidy stacks of papers spread on the table and the neat rows of columns in her ledger. “I ought to hire you. They've probably turned off my electricity by now because the bills have been neglected.”
“If you could get your bills, I’d do them for you some evening. You have men pick up everything else in town and bring it out here. Have them get your bills.”
“You work enough as it is.”
She wrinkled her nose at him, and he moved away from her, because he was far too tempted to reach for her. Even the light bantering was taking a toll.
“I'll be glad to do them,” she insisted again, “unless you don’t want me in your business.”
“I’d be delighted to have you in my business or in anything else in my life,” he said without thinking, and then shook his head. “Dammit, Rebecca, I'm having as much difficulty with my conversation as you are. I guess it just comes naturally when two people are attracted to each other.”
The words played over her, making her heartbeat quicken. He rubbed the back of his neck. “Why don’t you stop working for tonight?”
“And come in and talk to you instead?” she asked dryly, and he laughed. “We can keep things impersonal if I stay in here and pay bills and balance my checkbook. But I will be through in just a few more minutes.” She sat down again and bent over her bookkeeping, her hair shining in the light. The tip of her tongue was in the corner of her mouth, and he stared at her in fascination. The slightest little thing about her could turn him on. And he was going to have a meltdown and lose control if they didn’t catch Meskell soon.
Frustrated, aroused, he stepped outside and closed the door behind him.
He walked away from the house and the motion-detector lights. If he didn’t keep his mind on his job, not only could Rebecca lose her life, but he could, as well. He stopped at the corner of the house and studied the dark expanse of trees. Wishing he could walk for hours or go to a gym and work off some restless energy, he circled the house several times.
When he returned, he entered the house quickly.
“Everything’s okay outside.”
She nodded and continued working. Jake passed her, curbing the urge to lean down and brush his fingers across her nape, looking at her pale, smooth skin, at the locks of golden hair curling above it.
He gave the house a quick check again and then hovered around the kitchen, watching Rebecca until she finally put down her pen, giving him a radiant smile as she closed her ledger. “All finished for this month!”
“Good. I'll fix more iced tea, and we'll sit in the living room and talk.”
In minutes they sat in the darkened living room, their voices low while Jake watched the yard. It was almost three in the morning before Rebecca went to bed. Nothing moved outside, but he felt tense, because it was time for Lenny to make his move.
Or was Meskell taking perverse pleasure in dragging out the wait?
Leaning his shoulder against the wall, Jake watched the moonlit yard and thought about the girls. Someday, when this was over, he could take them out to his ranch on a Saturday and let them ride his horses.
He realized what he was thinking about and groaned. This whole family was getting to him.
He enjoyed Rebecca’s company, was dazzled by her beauty, and he was even beginning to enjoy the little girls. The last thought really jolted him. He ran his fingers through his hair with a sense of fru-tration.
A whimpering cry made Jake’s heart lurch. He raced toward the bedrooms and heard one of the girls cry out. He drew his pistol and halted.
Both girls were in bed with sheets over them. “Mommy! Mommy!” Sissy cried and rolled over.
Jake tucked his pistol into the waistband at the small of his back. He crossed the room to scoop Sissy into his arms. She was hot and damp, tears streaking her cheeks, yet her eyes were closed, and he realized she must be having a bad dream.
“Mommy!”
“Shh, Sissy,” he whispered close to her ear. “It’s all right. It’s all right.”
She cried and pushed against him, and her eyes flew open. “Where’s Mommy?” she sobbed.
“It’s all right,” he repeated calmly. “Your mother’s asleep,” he said, carrying Sissy across the hall and nudging the door completely open. Rebecca lay in bed, her golden hair spread over the pillow, her long legs stretched out, the shirt hiked up across her thighs, and Jake felt his mouth go dry as he looked at her. “See, she’s asleep and she’s right here.”
Sissy snuggled against his chest, and he carried her to the front room and turned on the air conditioner and prayed he could hear if Meskell tried to break into the house. “Now it'll be cooler in a few minutes. Do you want to sit here with me or go back to bed?”
“Sit here,” she replied in a tremulous voice.
He sat down and held her close on his lap. Her head was against his bare chest, and she ran her small fingers along his jaw. “My daddy’s dead,” she said solemnly, and he hurt for her.
“Your mommy’s here and she loves you.”
“I love you,” Sissy said solemnly, and Jake felt another twist to his heart. He bent his head to brush her forehead lightly with a kiss.
“You're sweet, Sissy,” he said gruffly, knowing she probably wanted a declaration of love in return.
She twisted around to hug him with her
thin arms, her small body pressing against him. “Will you keep that man from hurting Mommy?”
“Yes, I will,” Jake answered, looking into her wide blue eyes and praying he could keep his promise to her.
“Will Mommy be safe? She won’t leave us?”
“Your mother will be right here with you, and she'll be safe.”
With a sigh, Sissy settled on his lap again, seeming satisfied. “Will you tell me a story? I want to hear about the three billy goats.”
“Sure,” Jake said, relishing the cool air that was puffing over them. He spoke softly, relating the old story until Sissy’s head lolled against him and she was asleep. He held her close, smoothing her hair away from her face and finally propping his feet on a chair and falling asleep with her in his arms.
He stirred later and carried her back to bed, lowering her carefully. He smoothed the curls back from her forehead, letting his hand lay against her soft cheek for a moment. He bent swiftly and brushed her cheek with a kiss and then tiptoed from the room.
Feeling uneasy, he circled the house. It was time for Meskell to try to get to Rebecca. As Jake studied the empty stretch of road that passed the house, he tried to think what he would do if he were Meskell. What did Meskell have planned?
* * *
Lenny shifted his weight. He hated sitting out in the woods in the dark. Things rustled, and he tried not to think what might be moving around behind him. He was half a mile from where he had left the car, in the thick brush off the road.
If the cops had the place staked, they would change shifts regularly. He figured he had another hour to wait until it was about the same time as it had been last night when he spotted the car turning off the road.
A forlorn cry floated on the air, and Lenny jumped. He leaped to his feet and whirled around, pistol drawn. “Hellfire!” he whispered. The cry came again, and his skin prickled while he tried to peer through the night.
By the third hoot, he decided it was some kind of bird. He swore and sat down again on the fallen log. His skin crawled and he tried to avoid thinking about what might be moving around him, but it was difficult, because every rustle made him think of animals and snakes.
He was scared to smoke, afraid it would draw the attention of night creatures. He moved restlessly, swearing alternately at Delancy and the woman, finally sitting down to wait.
He heard a motor and moved closer to the road, keeping down in the brush. Headlights swept into view, and he could hear the roar of the engine. The vehicle swept past and he had a good look in the moonlight. It was another black car with a spotlight on the right side. He couldn’t see the left side of the car. But he would have sworn a man was riding in the passenger seat.
Two guys in a black car going the same place every night. He moved up on the road cautiously and stared at the car as it disappeared over a rise.
Lenny began to jog, still hovering on the edge of the shoulder. He watched as the car slowed and turned, spinning off onto rough ground, sending up a cloud of dust.
Lenny stopped. Cops had the placed staked. “Dammit!” A string of oaths came from him as he stomped the ground and waved his fists. Then he stopped and looked around.
Wait and watch and see if a car returned in a few minutes. He crawled down in a gully beside the road while his mind ran over what he would do if they did have the place staked. They were too far from the house to see it except through binoculars. They wanted to pick him up on the road coming in.
He grinned. They were watching the road. If they were concentrating on the house, they would be closer to it. Either way, they couldn’t cordon off every inch around the house.
His grin faded. The thought of going cross-country shook him. He didn’t want to walk through the woods to get the woman. But that might be the only way he could get to her.
He mulled the problem over and then forgot it momentarily when he saw a silvery flash far down the road. In seconds a car swung onto the highway. Lenny slid down farther, because he didn’t want anyone spotting him.
The car roared past and he saw another dark car with a spotlight on the left. As soon as it was gone, he jogged back to his car and climbed in, locking the door and heaving a sigh of relief to be in a car and out of the open. He started the motor and jammed his foot on the gas, running over bushes as he charged up the slight incline and drove back onto the road, his stormy thoughts forming a plan.
* * *
The next few days were stressful. At any moment Jake expected Meskell to come after Rebecca. At the same time, tension was high because of the smoldering attraction he was fighting and knew she felt. They were shut up within the close confines of the house and the barn. He felt his skin crawl several times and he felt Meskell was watching them.
Was there a chance Meskell had learned about the surveillance? Jake raked his fingers through his hair. There was always a chance of anything happening. In his work, things seldom went according to plan.
Late Monday afternoon, thunderclouds piled up on the southern horizon. Jake paced the barn as restlessly as a tiger in a cage, and at half past four received a call from Richard Vance.
Jake stood across the table from Rebecca, and the moment he heard Vance’s voice, he turned his back and walked away from her so that she would not hear the conversation.
“The heat’s breaking and we're in for a big storm,” Vance said.
“So the surveillance might not be as good.”
“Right. We think Meskell’s on to it, anyway. I'm pulling the teams in closer tonight. They can’t watch the roads as well in a big storm. We'll still have McCauley on the place, and the stakeouts on all sides of the house.”
“I'll be careful.”
“Meskell might have spotted someone, so we'll keep the surveillance team closer from now on, but that means he may stand a better chance of getting past us. We won’t be able to see every vehicle that goes down those roads and run a check on them like we used to.”
“I agree with you on moving them. Keep Meskell guessing.”
“I can’t keep this much manpower out there indefinitely. If anything big breaks, you know what I'll have to do.”
“I can’t imagine Lenny going much longer without doing something.”
“Jake, I'm sending Werner out to take your place so you can get some relief.”
Jake stiffened, knowing he should accept Vance’s offer, but wanting to stay with Rebecca. Jake remembered how much he had protested about taking this assignment, but the thought now of turning over Rebecca’s safety to someone else bothered him. He rubbed the back of his neck. “Keep Jay where he is. I want to stay with the Bolens.”
“You would rather stay?” Richard Vance’s voice was filled with obvious curiosity. “You haven’t had a break since this started.”
“You heard correctly,” Jake answered flatly.
“She’s a very beautiful woman,” Vance said after a moment. “You're not going to let anything jeopardize your judgment, are you?”
“If I thought so, I’d ask for Werner. I want her and her girls to come through this safely.”
There was a long pause, and Jake waited patiently. “If that’s what you want, it'll suit Jay and it'll suit me. We'll do our best, but if we cordon this area off completely, or hide her, we never will catch him.”
“Meskell’s wily, but he can’t outsmart the department. We'll get him,” Jake said, feeling certain they would. And he wanted to be there when they did.
“Storms are unpredictable. Be careful tonight,” Vance said, and broke the connection.
Jake turned around to find Rebecca studying him. She had stopped work and was waiting, so he walked back to stand beside her.
“What’s happened?”
“Nothing. That was Richard Vance. They're moving the surveillance teams in closer to the house.”
“Is that bad or good?”
“It’s not much worse or better than what we had before. We won’t know as far in advance if they spot him, but they think he someh
ow caught on to the stakeouts.”
“How could he do that?”
Jake shrugged. “There are dozens of ways he could see someone at the wrong moment.”
“Maybe he gave up and went to Mexico and is laughing at the thought of all you guys searching for him.”
“Not a chance in hell,” Jake said grimly.
“You sound sure.”
“I just know him. I was after him a long time. He cased a store—we got the description and staked out the place. He outwaited everyone. Even when he knew he was running big risks, he waited until we pulled the surveillance and then he hit the place. He did that twice, and both times got away with the crime. The third time we nailed him. He’s stubborn and damned mean.”
“You don’t need to remind me.”
“I just don’t want you to let down your guard,” Jake answered solemnly.
Rebecca studied Jake, wondering if he was warning her about the wrong person. She didn’t think she would ever let down her guard about Lenny Meskell, but she wasn’t doing such a great job of keeping up her guard against Jake Delancy. She thought about the moment in the kitchen at lunch, when he had hemmed her in against the counter and her heart had pounded wildly and she had wanted him to kiss her.
“I'll try to remember,” she said solemnly, and something flickered in the depths of his eyes, as if he guessed her thoughts and knew she wasn’t thinking about Meskell.
“Meskell will be careful, but we'll get him.”
“Is that why Captain Vance called?”
“That, and to warn me about the approaching storm.” Jake glanced through the open barn doors, realizing the sky had darkened in the past few minutes. “We're in for a big one.”
“What difference will that make?”
“It’s more difficult sometimes to see someone moving around at night. It muffles noises and creates noises. If we were to have something really big—wind or flood—it might mean the surveillance teams would have to move. Or if Vance needs manpower for a city emergency, he’d have to pull them.”
