Brenda Jackson The Westmoreland Collection: ZaneCanyonStern

by Brenda Jackson

“I’m glad to hear that. I plan to stay in a hotel tonight, and I want to feel safe doing so.”

  “Maybe you shouldn’t say in a hotel, Keisha,” Bella said. “At least not until they find out who trashed your house.”

  “They didn’t take anything of value?” Bailey asked, as if to make sure she’d heard correctly.

  Keisha shook her head. “No, they didn’t. Not my jewelry, my coin collection or anything. It’s pretty darn obvious whoever did it wants to scare me.”

  There, she’d said it herself. The police deputy had said the same thing but this was the first time she’d said the truth out loud. Saying it sent a cold chill through her body. She couldn’t think of one reason why anyone would want to do that. But evidently someone did.

  * * *

  Leaving Beau in the care of Paige, who had gathered the kids together to play several games, Canyon went into the kitchen and grabbed a beer out of Dillon’s refrigerator. It was early, but he needed something stronger than orange juice to calm his libido.

  Every time he glanced over to where Keisha was sitting on the patio with the Westmoreland women, he couldn’t stop his body from revving up into a state of sexual desire. Why did she have to look so damn good? And why did his heart pound like crazy in his chest each and every time she opened her mouth to talk? More than once, he’d been tempted to leave the kids’ play area, cross the yard and pull her into his arms for a kiss. He could just imagine tangling his tongue with hers like they did in the good old days.

  Deciding to make a pit stop at the bathroom before grabbing his beer, he rounded the corner and slowed when he recognized the voices in the hallway. He was about to greet the two people talking, when the words being spoken between them made him stop.

  * * *

  Aiden released a deep sigh and tipped Jillian’s chin up so that she was staring into the depths of his dark eyes. “It’s time we tell them, Jill. I don’t like sneaking around.”

  “I don’t like sneaking around either, but you promised we would wait until I finished medical school. You said you understood,” she murmured softly.

  “I did at the time, but now I don’t anymore. I think Dillon and Pam will be okay to know that we’ve fallen in love.”

  “But you don’t know that for certain. As far as they’re concerned we’re family. Your cousin married my sister, and that makes us—”

  “Legally no kin,” Aiden said in a voice tinged with frustration.

  “But Dillon tells me, Nadia and Paige all the time that we’re part of the Westmoreland family.”

  “Because he married your sister. So to him, and to all of us, you are. But you’re not a blood relative, and I’ve never thought of you as anything other than the woman I love and want. Nothing about that is going to change, Jill.”

  “Oh, Aiden, then promise me you’ll wait a little bit longer. I don’t want to cause a rift within the family.”

  “You won’t.”

  “I might, and I don’t want to take that chance,” she said, fighting back a sob. “Please understand.”

  “Don’t cry, baby. I’ll wait a little while longer because you’re worth waiting for. Always have been.”

  “Oh, Aiden.”

  He pressed a light kiss to her lips but a fierce longing and desire had him pulling her into his arms and taking her mouth with a hunger that sent a rush of need through him.

  When Aiden lifted his head, he stared deep into Jillian’s eyes for a long moment before lowering his mouth to hers once again...

  * * *

  “Damn,” Canyon muttered under his breath as he quietly backed up.

  When had this started? Hell. He didn’t want to be around when Dillon and Pam found out. Dillon probably wouldn’t have much to say because he’d gotten used to Bane and Crystal sneaking around. But Canyon wasn’t so sure how Pam would take the news.

  Jillian had been seventeen when Dillon married Pam and brought her and her sisters to Westmoreland Country. Canyon, the twins and Stern had mostly been away at college, and Bane had already left for the navy. So when had Jillian and Aiden gotten together? Over the holidays? During spring breaks? It sounded serious. He hoped so, for Aiden’s sake. Everyone knew how protective Pam was of her three sisters, and Aiden had always had a reputation for playing women. If Pam thought some funny business had been going on under her nose all this time and that Aiden didn’t mean Jillian any good, then there would be hell to pay.

  Maybe Canyon ought to talk to Aiden. Then, on second thought, maybe he should tend to his own business, which was pretty messed up at the moment. He had a son he’d just found out about and a former lover staying at his house who still hated his guts.

  His plate was full, and he didn’t need anyone else’s problems to add to it. Opening the French doors, he stepped back onto the patio and looked to where Keisha was still sitting and talking to the women in his family. He wasn’t sure what they were talking about, but from their expressions, the conversation looked serious.

  He glanced at his watch. It was almost eleven, and Detective Render was supposed to be at his place to question Keisha at noon. He moved to the playground to get Beau. After thanking Paige for entertaining his son and letting Dillon know he was on his way out, Canyon walked to where Keisha was sitting.

  “I hate to break up this little party but Keisha, Beau and I have to leave,” Canyon said.

  Keisha glanced up at Canyon. He had Beau in his arms and stood tall with his Stetson on his head, which Beau seemed to find fascinating. “All right,” she said, standing.

  “Don’t let her stay at a hotel tonight Canyon.” To Keisha’s surprise, that directive had come from Bailey.

  “I won’t.”

  Keisha frowned at Canyon who merely stared back at her. He’d said it like he could stop her from leaving his home if that was what she wanted to do. She bit her lip to keep from setting him straight in front of his family.

  “I think we should go shopping,” Megan said quickly, as if that was the answer for anything and everything.

  When everyone stared at Megan, she shrugged and said, “I figure you didn’t bring a lot of your things over, and even if the detective says it’s okay for you to return home, it’s going to take a while to clean up the mess...which we’ll all pitch in and help you do, of course. But regardless, Keisha, you’re going to need a few items now.”

  “Whether you stay at Canyon’s place or a hotel,” Bella added, smiling.

  “We can go after church,” Kalina said excitedly, as if the thought of going shopping had stirred her blood. “I need to pick up some more maternity outfits anyway.”

  “Going shopping is a great idea,” Lucia piped in to say.

  Keisha saw she was outnumbered but decided not to make any promises. “We’ll see. Check with me tomorrow.” She then bid everyone goodbye as Canyon led her off the patio.

  Seven

  Keisha checked her watch after putting Beau to bed for his nap. Detective Render would be arriving in a few minutes and since she hadn’t heard anything from Pete, she could only assume the police didn’t have any answers for her yet.

  Canyon hadn’t had much to say on the drive back home from Dillon’s place. No comments and no questions. It was as if he had a lot on his mind or was deliberately ignoring her. She wished she could do the same and ignore him, but there was just something about a man with so much testosterone. He was sexy without even trying to be and her body responded.

  Whenever she’d focused on his hands, which had gripped the steering wheel, she couldn’t help but remember how those same hands had stroked her body, had fondled her and had masterfully caressed her breasts. She’d sat there, crossing her legs and then uncrossing them a number of times before they’d arrived at Canyon’s Bluff. If he’d found her fidgeting in her seat unusual, he made no mention of it.

/>   After freshening up in the bathroom for her meeting with Detective Render, she glanced over at Beau and saw he was still sleeping peacefully. Keisha couldn’t help but smile when she thought about all the fun Beau had had today with his cousins. He’d barely made it back here before falling asleep.

  And she would have to admit that he wasn’t the only one who’d had a good time. Considering her and Canyon’s strained relationship, she had been surprised by just how warm and fuzzy Canyon’s family had made her feel. She hadn’t expected their acceptance and although Canyon had tried to assure her that his family wouldn’t be rude because of what was going on with them, she hadn’t believed it. Everyone had gone out of their way to be kind to her.

  The ladies had even offered to go shopping with her, although she didn’t intend to take them up on the offer. When Beau woke up in an hour, she would pack up the things she’d brought here and check in to a hotel. She would call Mr. Spivey on Monday morning to let him know what had happened and ask for a few days off to return some order to her home. Instead of accepting Canyon’s family’s offer to assist her with that as well, she would hire someone from a cleaning company.

  Although Bailey hadn’t come across as warm and fuzzy as all the others, she had shown concern about Keisha staying at a hotel. But then, she could have been more concerned for Beau’s welfare than Keisha’s.

  Shrugging and deciding not to dwell on it any longer, Keisha moved toward the window to appreciate the beautiful view of the mountains. Canyon’s bedroom view might be of the canyon, but she thought this view was just as breathtaking. A movement made Keisha glance down into Canyon’s yard. She saw him, near the barn, bending down while cleaning his saddle. In addition to teaching her to swim, he’d taught her to ride a horse. Those were two things he intended to teach their son to do.

  And then, as if Canyon had radar where she was concerned, he glanced up to the window and snagged her gaze. Her breath caught. She could still see the anger in the dark depths but now she saw something else. She felt it. In every part of her body.

  Canyon’s look always unnerved her, which was why she never maintained eye contact with him for any length of time...especially when they were sitting across the table from each other during client negotiations. So far they’d never had to face each other in a court of law. And she hoped that time never came.

  She drew in a deep breath as his gaze continued to hold hers like a magnet. Tight. Fixed. Unyielding. It was eerie, stimulating and stirring, in a sensual kind of way—all at the same time. Without breaking eye contact, he straightened. Tall, dark and too handsome for his own good.

  There was such strength and masculinity in his tall form that her heartbeat increased and her nipples transformed to hardened nubs.

  She recalled how he used to unbutton her blouse, undo the front clasp to her bra and suck her nipples between his lips.

  Geez. Why were all her memories of him so sexual?

  Because even though they had enjoyed each other out of bed, their relationship had been sexual. And boy had she enjoyed their bed time. Canyon could stroke her into a climax with just his hands and mouth, but she had really enjoyed those times when he would embed himself within her. Thrust in and out of her as if he had every right to do so, like her body belonged to him and him alone.

  And in a way it had. That was probably why over the past three years, at some of the oddest times, especially late at night when she couldn’t sleep, thoughts of him would inflame her mind, her body and her soul. She would ache with an unquenchable longing. She would whisper his name in want, in need, in desire.

  Even now, she hadn’t made love to another man since Canyon because she hadn’t desired another man...not even a little. That had to be why her body was bubbling over with all these crazy hormones now. Why the desire to mate, to have Canyon buried deep inside of her, was so poignant—to the point that it was becoming an emotional thing. And she had promised never to do the emotional thing with any man ever again.

  Especially not this man.

  Canyon broke eye contact with her, and she followed the direction of his gaze to see a car pulling up the long-winding driveway. She glanced down at her watch. Noon. She moved away from the window. Detective Render had arrived.

  * * *

  After the introductions, Canyon plopped down into one of the living room chairs. Keisha sat on the sofa with her hands clenched together in her lap, and Render sat across from her in another chair. Instead of a notepad, he had opted to use a recorder with Keisha’s permission. The man, who appeared to be in his late forties, seemed all business. He was talking into the recorder, giving the date, his location and the reason the interview was about to take place.

  Under normal circumstances, one of the police department’s sharpest detectives wouldn’t waste his time following up on a blatant case of harassment. Not when there were murders to solve. But with Sheriff Harper being such a close friend of Dillon’s, and Pete being best friends with Derringer, and Render and Rico sharing a close working relationship, it seemed priority had been given to the incident.

  Canyon shifted his gaze from Render to Keisha. As if she’d known the exact moment when he’d done so, she looked over at him. Their gazes held for a long moment and a bond neither of them could deny flowed between them.

  At that moment they both knew there was a deeper connection between them than there had been before. It was the result of the little boy sleeping in the bed upstairs. Before, they’d only been lovers. Now they were parents and that was a link neither could break, even if they wanted to.

  “Now, Ms. Ashford, let’s begin,” Detective Render said, causing Keisha to break eye contact with Canyon.

  “First of all,” Render said, looking at her, “I want to share what I hope is some breaking news. The car that was following you that day as well as the driver of the car have been located. He has been questioned thoroughly.”

  “Who is he?” It was Canyon who asked before Keisha had a chance to.

  Render glanced over at Canyon. “A guy by the name of Shamir Ingram. He has a rap sheet a mile long. We found the car first, with the help of the traffic videos we pulled. And then when an officer recognized the car during a regular patrol, he pulled it over. Ingram was still driving it around with the stolen plate.”

  “Why did he do it?” Canyon asked.

  “Is he the same person who trashed my house?”

  Render chuckled when he looked from Canyon to Keisha and then back over to Canyon. “It might be a good idea, Westmoreland, if you joined Ms. Ashford on the sofa so I don’t get a whiplash.”

  “No problem,” Canyon said, standing and moving to the sofa. He could have put space between them but decided to sit right beside her. Once he was settled in his seat, Render continued.

  “Ingram claims he was paid to follow Ms. Ashford.”

  “By whom?” Canyon asked, feeling anger toward Ingram invade his body.

  “He won’t say,” Render answered.

  “Gone brain-dead, has he?”

  “Seems that way. But his cell phone has been confiscated and we’re obtaining a search warrant for his place so we can go through his belongings.”

  Render shifted his gaze from Canyon to Keisha. “Ingram claims he was only paid to follow you and nothing more. His instructions were to freak you out by bumping into your car and running you off the road, but he was not told to trash your house. He guesses someone else was paid to do that.”

  “I don’t believe him,” Canyon said angrily.

  “I do,” Render countered. “I was there during his interrogation. I saw the look of surprise in his eyes when he was questioned about Ms. Ashford’s house. And he got riled up at the thought that we were trying to pin both things on him.”

  “Yet he won’t tell you who hired him?” Keisha asked.

  “No. He claims he never
met the person. The hire was made through a third party.”

  “What’s the name of the third party?”

  “He won’t say,” was Render’s reply.

  Canyon leaned forward. “Give me some time alone with him and I bet he’ll talk.”

  Render chuckled. “Don’t be so sure. A few bruises from you would be nothing in comparison to what he’d get if he’s labeled a squealer.” Render glanced over at Keisha. “That’s why I need to ask you some pertinent questions. Someone is trying to scare you and I need to know why and who.”

  Keisha nodded. “All right.”

  “At this point we’ll start the recorder,” Render said, turning it on. When he was satisfied the equipment was working properly he said, “Ms. Ashford, I understand you moved away from Denver three years ago. Why?”

  Keisha frowned. “What does that have to do with anything?”

  Render met her gaze without blinking. “I plan to cover all bases and leave no stone unturned.”

  Keisha nodded and then answered, “I decided Denver was not where I wanted to live any longer.”

  Canyon knew she had skirted around the real reason she’d left and he had a feeling Render knew it, too.

  “Yet, you’ve returned,” Render said.

  Canyon felt her tense up beside him before she said, “Yes, I returned. I had to leave my last job and my former boss heard about it and called and offered me my job back here.”

  Canyon snatched his head around and looked at her. “Why did you have to leave your last job?”

  “That’s my question, Westmoreland,” Render said, grinning. “For the record, Ms. Ashford, why did you need to leave your last job?”

  As Canyon and Render watched, Keisha licked her lips nervously. “The law firm was forced to close down.”

  Render arched a brow. “It went bankrupt?”

  Keisha shook her head. “No. The Texas Bar and justice department shut it down.”

  “Why?” both men asked simultaneously.

  Canyon then glanced over at Render and said apologetically, “Sorry.”