by D'Ann Lindun
Kade.
And Emery.
The other girl was so sexy it was hard to compete.
Mesa shook her head to clear her thoughts. She wasn’t in a competition—she was trying to stay alive. She had to focus on that, and only that. The way her heart sped up every time Kade came around had to be ignored.
When Kade returned, Mesa spoke to him. “It’s getting chilly out there. So, warm is a good thing.” She changed the subject. “Did you talk to Joe?”
“Yup. He’ll keep an eye on things while we take your guest for their ride.”
“Good.” Mesa released a breath she hadn’t been aware she’d been holding. “Are you ready?”
He pulled on a pair of sheepskin lined gloves. “I am.”
As she navigated the familiar path to the barn, Mesa was gladder than she wanted to admit having Kade behind her. Her scalp felt tight, and her mouth was dry as they hurried along the snowy walk.
Was Spencer out there, watching them? Waiting to take a shot at her?
Relief filled her when they stepped into the barn, and the familiar smells of horses, hay and leather filled her nostrils. Her team looked over their stalls, bobbing their heads, begging for a handout just like they always did. Mesa held out her hand and allowed both geldings to take an apple from her palm. She also gave one to the pony, who munched it happily.
Kade reached for the horses’ halters. “Do you want me to catch one?”
“You know how?”
He nodded. “Yes. My old man had a team of gray Percherons. Us kids had to harness and work them in the woods near our house. We harvested firewood that way.”
“That’s awesome.” Mesa took one of the halters and opened Bo’s stall door.
“Not so much when you’re five, six, and want to play like other kids,” Kade said from Bob’s stall.
Mesa’s heart twisted at the thought of a small child working like a full-grown man—or having to do any kind of hard labor. Childhood should be carefree, fun. She’d helped her dad in his orchards when she’d been a teen, but the choice had been hers, and she’d made some extra cash by doing so.
Together, she and Kade harnessed the horses in record time.
While she gathered the driving lines, he opened the barn door.
“Get up, Bo, Bob.” With a shake of the lines, she urged the horses forward. Guiding them to the sleigh, she backed them to it. “Good boys.”
Before she could do it herself, Kade hitched the team to the sleigh. “Got it.”
“Thank you.”
He joined her on the seat. “You’re welcome.” The look in his eyes was warm making her tummy dance.
Forcing herself to look away, Mesa clicked at the horses. “Get up, boys.”
The team jogged the short distance to the house and lined up by the front door. In a moment, it opened, and the Chens and the Levore women appeared. Kade hopped off the sleigh and helped the ladies aboard, waiting until Dr. Chen settled next to his wife, before again sitting next to Mesa.
She looked around at her guests, who had snuggled under green and red plaid blankets. “Where is Mr. Pearce?”
“He said he wasn’t coming,” Emery told them. “Said he didn’t feel well. Has a headache and to go along without him.”
“Okay. Thanks. All set, everyone?” When they all said yes, Mesa clicked at the horses and they set off at a quick jog.
In spite of her worries, Mesa couldn’t help but enjoy the day. The sun was shining, the scent of pine filled the air and fresh powder flew up from the horse’s hooves. She had happy guests in her B&B. Best of all, the handsome man seated next to her. Every time his thigh bumped hers a little shot of awareness zinged through her.
Did he feel it, too?
She sobered. He was just here to guard her, not fall in love.
Before that thought could depress her, she guided the horses off the main road and onto a narrow path leading into the trees. At Kade’s curious glance, she said, “Wait. You’ll see.”
The trail was barely wide enough for the sleigh, lined by towering pines and white-trunked quaking aspens. Snow fell in soft plops from the trees as the old-fashioned vehicle brushed by them.
Talk was quiet as the guests seemed to be enjoying the beauty of the day.
When she broke into a small meadow, as she expected, everyone gasped at the picture-perfect scene. Apple trees had been cleared, leaving a small meadow big enough for her to turn the horses around with ease. Covered with snow, it looked like a painting.
Usually, there would be a small waft of smoke lifting toward the sky because Anna would come in from the opposite direction and built a fire. Her SUV would be parked in the trees, almost out of sight. She’d have hot cocoa, cider and marshmallows for roasting.
Today none of those things were happening. The meadow was empty, no sign of anyone.
Where was she?
Probably just held up with something last minute. It wasn’t like her though, to be late. Mesa’s nerves jumped. If anything happened to Anna—
Kade nudged her elbow. “You okay?”
“Anna should be here,” she said in a low voice. “I’m worried.”
“Can you call her?” He reached for the thick driving lines. “I can take the horses.”
She handed him the reins while she dug her phone from her pocket and dialed. It went straight to voicemail. Again, not like Anna. With a frown, Mesa hung up. “No answer.”
Kade’s lips tightened. “We better check.”
Mesa’s heart twisted at his grim tone. “Okay.”
~*~
As they approached the house, Kade’s sixth sense kicked into high alert. Something was wrong—he could feel it. He hated to alarm Mesa more than she already was, but if it were up to him he’d send her guests packing before someone got hurt…if they hadn’t already.
At the circled driveway in front of the house, he leaned close to her. “Let me off here and take them for one more spin while I check things out.”
She nodded. “Okay.”
Before she pulled to a stop, he jumped out with a jaunty wave. “See you folks in a few.”
After Mesa guided the team and sleigh away from the house, Kade drew his service revolver from the holster at his hip and approached the front door with care. It stood slightly ajar, making his scalp tighten.
He pushed the door open and stepped inside. “Anna? Joe? Pearce?”
No response.
A muffled sound came from the kitchen.
Edging that way, he moved with caution.
The muted sound came again.
Kade stepped around the corner with his gun drawn. Anna and Joe sat back-to-back on the floor in front of the stove, both bound and gagged. Joe had blood gushing from a wound on his scalp. Anna’s skin was pasty white, she looked ready to pass out.
Kade quickly untied them and helped them to chairs. “What happened?”
Joe pointed his head. “Someone hit me hard, knocked me out. When I came to I was tied up.”
While he talked, Kade grabbed a dishtowel from the counter and wrapped it around Joe’s head. “You didn’t see the assailant?”
“No.” Joe shook his head and grimaced.
Anna cried softly and held his hands. “Oh, Joe.”
“Did you see who did this?” Kade asked.
She frowned at him. “Pearce. I was gathering supplies to take to the meadow when he came in here with a gun, dragging poor Joe by the collar. When I freaked out, he pointed it at me and kept asking where the money was—” She shuddered. “When I couldn’t tell him, he tied Joe and me together and disappeared.”
“Dammit.” Kade thought the guy weird, but not dangerous. A deadly mistake.
She made an impatient sound. “Joe needs a doctor.”
“I’m okay—”
“No, you’re not.” A sob rocked her. “You might have a concussion.”
“She’s right,” Kade said. “You need to be checked out. Can you drive, Anna?”
“I’
ll be fine.” She took Joe by the elbow. “Come on, let’s go.”
Just as they reached the front door, it swung open. Dr. and Mrs. Chen, followed by Mrs. Levore, then Emery, all crowded through it. All eyes went to Joe.
The doctor took one look at the situation and said, “What happened? Sit down, let me look.” He glanced at his wife. “Get me a pair of gloves, please.”
“Don’t go upstairs alone,” Kade said. “I’ll go with you.”
As she retrieved the doctor’s bag and carried it back downstairs, Kade checked out the upstairs, but no one seemed to be lurking. What had Pearce hoped to accomplish by hitting Joe and tying both him and Anna together? Had he run out of time? Or had he just meant to scare them away?
Deep in thought, Kade joined the others downstairs. Mesa had come in and stood with a sick look on her face. Kade moved beside her. “Looks like Pearce is in on the search for the money. These people have to leave for their health and yours.”
“Thank God Joe isn’t injured worse,” she said in a low, stricken tone. “This is going to ruin me.”
“I’m sorry,” he said sincerely.
Joe sank onto the sofa, and the doctor pulled on gloves and parted Joe’s hair. “You need stitches.”
“I was just taking him to the clinic,” Anna said.
“I can do it here,” Dr. Chen offered. “Just sign a waiver, please.”
“That would be wonderful,” Anna breathed. “Thank you.”
In a matter of minutes, the doctor had Joe sewn and bandaged. He removed his gloves. “I don’t believe you are suffering from a concussion, but I would recommend you go to the hospital for some tests to be sure. In the meantime, take Tylenol for the pain.”
“Thank you,” Joe said. “I think I’ll go lie down for a bit.”
“Wait.” Kade moved to the middle of the room and showed his badge. “Joe’s accident isn’t by chance. There’s a killer on the loose and he might be coming back. The other guest, Pearce, is partners with a convicted killer. Did he say anything to any of you about his plans?”
As expected, they all said no.
Kade glanced at Mesa. “Miss McCurdy regrets this, but you all need to leave. Immediately. Now, please, gather your things and meet back here in fifteen minutes. I’ll have a driver ready to take you to Montrose, or Telluride, whichever you prefer.”
“I’ll refund your credit cards, of course,” Mesa told them.
Marilyn Levore patted her arm. “I’m so sorry, dear. Please stay safe.”
“Thank you.” Mesa sounded near tears.
Joe and Anna waited until the guests left, then he spoke. “We’re not going anywhere without Mesa. This is our home as much as hers, and we aren’t going to leave her here to defend it by herself.”
“She won’t be on her own,” Kade said. “I’ll be here.”
“Somehow, that doesn’t comfort me all that much,” Joe muttered.
“I’m here for one reason, to keep Miss McCurdy from being harmed. Anything else is out of the question.” Kade felt Mesa stiffen beside him. He didn’t mean to hurt her, but he couldn’t get caught in a romantic entanglement that could distract him.
“Go, get some rest, Joe. I’m sorry you were hurt,” Mesa said.
“It’s not your fault,” he said, and Anna nodded. She took his arm, and they went upstairs.
Kade turned to Mesa. “Are your horses secure for the night?”
“Yes. I can’t lock the barn—”
“I don’t think that’s necessary, but we need to make sure every window and door are locked here at the house.”
She wrapped her arms around her middle. “You think he’s coming back?”
“Possibly.” He couldn’t sugarcoat it. “They think the money is here, obviously.”
“It’s not.”
“Until we get these guys rounded up, they will continue to think otherwise. I need to call my chief and let him know I let one slip by me.” He shook his head. “Dumbass rookie mistake.”
“It’s not your fault.” She stepped closer and placed her hand on his arm. “Please don’t blame yourself.”
The heat from her palm or the look in her green eyes made his pulse jump. Suddenly he wanted to kiss her more than he’d ever wanted anything.
Against his better judgment, he dipped his head and captured her lips with his.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Mesa froze for a moment, then sank against the big man. She let him absorb her weight, allowed him to support her. She hadn’t had anyone to lean on for a long time. This wasn’t a friendly peck, though. It was filled with passion and a hot need that left her weak in the knees.
He pried her lips apart with his tongue, then plunged it inside her mouth. Startled for a moment, Mesa froze. But, as Kade continued to twist his tongue with hers, she responded in like. Her nipples pressed against her shirt and one of his legs had slipped between hers.
Mesa pulled away and stared at Kade with wide eyes. “Wow.”
“Wow, good? Or wow, awful?” He grinned.
“Good.” She was prevented from saying more by a banging coming from the kitchen. Her hair stood on end. “What’s that?”
Kade drew his gun. “Stay here.”
Mesa rubbed her arms. “Okay. Be careful.”
In a minute, the banging stopped, but Kade didn’t reappear. Mesa wanted to follow, to make sure he was all right, but his order to stay put rang in her ears. Was Pearce or Spencer lurking, waiting to conk him over the head? Fear skittered up and down her spine. She wrapped her arms around her middle and forced herself to wait.
Finally, Kade returned. “The garage door was open again. I closed and bolted it.”
“Did you see any sign of anyone?” Mesa shivered again.
“No.” Kade moved across the room and threw another log on the fire. “They’re slippery as eels.”
“How do you think Pearce fits into this whole thing?” Mesa walked to the fire and held her hands over the flames.
“A plant, I’d say. Waydell Spencer can’t show his face here, so he sent Pearce,” Kade said.
“Why out himself by hitting Joe and tying up Anna? That makes no sense.”
“Unless he thought he found something,” Kade mused. “Or he got caught snooping.”
Mesa bristled. “I’ve told you a million times, there’s nothing here to find.”
“Simmer down,” Kade said. “I believe you, but did you search absolutely everywhere after your father was arrested?”
Mesa’s rising temper cooled a little. “I’ve said I did, and I can’t think of another place to look.”
Kade nodded. “We know Gonzalez and your father drove off in the armored car, where they stripped it of the money and abandoned it in the woods. Isabella Califano found some of the loot in a downed plane in the woods, so it’s safe to assume Gonzalez planned to take at least his half on the plane and disappear.”
“I’m certain of it,” Mesa told him. “Obviously, Gonzalez got his share onto a plane, probably destined for Mexico, but it crashed in the mountains instead.”
“I wonder why he wasn’t on that plane with his take?” Kade said out loud.
“What if he hid it, had someone else pick it up with plans to meet later?” Mesa suggested.
“That makes sense,” Kade said. “It was unlikely he could get on the plane without being detected.”
“Who was the dead pilot found with the wrecked plane?” Mesa asked.
“I don’t know.” Kade dialed a number on his phone. “Can you tell me who was the pilot on the Gonzalez case?” He waited a few moments, then thanked the speaker and hung up. “He was a guy named Red Wolfe, a guy not known for being exactly on the up and up. He had a lengthy rap sheet for transporting illegal substances to and from Mexico. He’d just gotten out of prison a short time before the Gonzales and your dad robbed the armored car.”
“So, Reuben Gonzalez had it set up for this Red Wolfe to take the money and run, but he crashed instead,” Mesa said. “Isabella o
nly stumbled across it by accident.”
“Sounds right.” Kade stared into the flames. “That all explains Gonzalez’s part in the robbery and what he did with his share, but still not your father’s side of things.” He looked at Mesa. “Have you ever straight-out asked him where it is?”
“No.” Mesa thought back to the trial. “He was offered a lighter sentence if he confessed, but he refused.”
“Odd,” Kade said. “Why, do you suppose he did that?”
“I don’t know.” Mesa shrugged. “None of it from top to bottom makes sense to me. I get his desperation, but to act on it…” She shook her head.
“He got a life sentence?”
“Yeah.” Mesa’s voice caught. “He didn’t kill Gonzalez’s cousin or the guards, but he was an accessory…”
“I’m sorry,” Kade said quietly.
“Thanks.” Mesa sniffed. “I am, too.”
Kade gave her a long, searching look. “What do you think about going to the prison to talk to him?”
Before he’d stopped speaking, she was shaking her head. “No, I can’t…”
“It might be the key to this whole thing,” Kade said. “A face-to-face with your dad might be the way to get to the bottom of it all.”
Mesa opened her mouth to refuse again, then closed it. “I don’t know if he’ll talk to me.”
“Only one way to find out.” Kade waited while she debated.
Finally, Mesa gave a terse nod. “Okay. I’ll try it.”
“I’ll get a sheriff assigned to keep guard over your house and Joe and Anna,” Kade told her. “If you’re ready we can leave right away.”
“Now?” Mesa gulped. She didn’t realize he meant this minute. She needed time to process this, come to terms with seeing her father again.
“Yes. I can arrange to see him tonight. If we leave now, we’ll be there around eight this evening.”
Although reluctant, Mesa nodded. “Okay.”
~*~
Mesa’s legs shook, and she swiped her damp palms on her thighs as she waited for to see her father. Three guards stood along the walls of the circular room. It had gray, concrete walls, with a table in the center, bolted to the floor.
