Mountain Heiress: Mountain Midwife

by Cassie Miles

  Somehow, he had to make it better.

  She’d seemed pleased when he mentioned the road trip. While they were in California, he’d take real good care of her. They’d go for walks on the beach. Or surfing. Or a sailing trip. Or maybe they’d visit his brother. His nieces would love Rachel. He’d show her why living near the ocean was preferable to these damned mountains.

  She rubbed her index finger across her teeth. “I brushed with a washcloth and soap. Disgusting.”

  “As soon as we’re on the road, we’ll buy toothpaste.”

  “Or we could stop at my condo when we get to Granby. I actually own a toothbrush. Might even have a spare for you.”

  He pulled her close and gave her a kiss. Her mouth tasted like detergent, but he didn’t complain. “We can’t go to your condo. That’s the most obvious place for Prescott to arrange for surveillance. And the cops are still looking for us. I just saw my picture on TV.”

  “What about me? Was I on TV?”

  He shook his head. “No mug shot.”

  “I’m kind of surprised. When the sheriff’s men went to the Shadow Mountain Lake house, they must have found my van in the garage. They’ve got to know my identity.”

  “They might consider you a hostage.” He urged her toward the door. “When we’re on the road, you need to turn up your collar and wear the hat with earflaps to hide what you look like. Never can tell where traffic cams might be located.”

  He was glad to be driving away from the motel. Though the owner hadn’t recognized him last night, the guy might remember after seeing the photo on the news. And he might be suspicious if he noticed that Cole had transposed two digits on the license plate when he checked in. He hadn’t wanted to leave a record of Loughlin’s car being here; no point in getting Rachel’s friend in trouble.

  In the passenger seat, she stretched and yawned. “It’s early.”

  “Not a morning person?”

  “But I am,” she said. “I like to start the day with the sun. Look at that sunrise.”

  To the east, the sky was colored a soft pink that reminded him of the inside of a conch shell. Overhead, the dawn faded to blue with only a few clouds. The morning TV news program had said the weather throughout the state was clear.

  He wasn’t looking forward to returning to the mounds of snow left behind by the blizzard in Grand County. “How long do you think it’ll take us to get to Granby?”

  “A couple of hours,” she said. “Jenna probably leaves for school around nine. We’ll get there a little after that.”

  Morning was a busy time in most neighborhoods with people going to work and getting started with their day. Since they were going to break into Jenna’s house, he preferred to wait until after ten when people had settled into their routines. “We’ve got about an hour to kill.”

  “What should we do?”

  “Lay low.” On the road, they risked being seen on cameras. If he went into a diner or a store, he might be recognized.

  “My picture wasn’t on TV,” she said. “Pull into the next store that’s open, I’ll run inside and get supplies. Then we find someplace secluded and park until it’s time to go.”

  As good a plan as any.

  After a quick stop in Nederland at a convenience store, he left the main road and drove to a secluded overlook that caught the morning sun. One positive about the mountains: it was never hard to find solitude.

  Rachel passed him a coffee cup and opened her car door.

  “What are you doing?” he asked.

  “Come with me.”

  Grumbling, he unfastened his seat belt and left the warmth of the car. The mountain air held a sharp chill, but he couldn’t retreat without looking like a whiner. At least, there wasn’t much snow—only pockets of white in the shadows.

  He followed her as she climbed onto a flat granite rock and walked to the edge. Stepping up beside her, he took a sip of his hot black coffee.

  She inhaled the cold air and smiled as she looked down from their vantage point. The sun warmed her face. She was beautiful, at peace with herself and the world. No hidden motives roiled inside her. Seldom had he known anyone who lived with such honesty. When Rachel was scared, her fear came from a natural response to a threat. When she laughed, she was truly amused. The woman spoke her mind.

  Being with her was the best time he’d had in his life.

  Resting his arm on her shoulder, he accepted her vision. Jagged, rocky hillsides filled with trees spread before them. They could see for miles. Sunlight glistened on distant peaks that thrust into the blue sky. Her mountains. Beautiful.

  Rachel leaned her back against his chest as she drank her coffee. She said nothing, and he appreciated her silence. No need for words. The experience was enough.

  In this moment, he knew. There was no denying the way he felt. He loved this woman.

  * * *

  BEFORE THEY HEADED INTO the high country, Cole needed to make one more phone call. There was, after all, the possibility that they ought to go to Denver instead of Granby. He’d been operating under the theory that Jenna Cambridge was Baron’s secretary, but there was another woman in the picture.

  He leaned against the driver’s side door and punched numbers into his cell phone. She answered on the fourth ring.

  “Hello, Pearl,” he said. “How are you doing?”

  “Dog tired. I forgot how much work it was to take care of an infant. Goldie was up twice last night for feedings. If she wasn’t the most adorable creature in the whole world, I’d be really mad at her.”

  “We had some trouble at Lily Belle’s.” His vast understatement didn’t begin to describe Frank’s attack on them and his murder. “The feds might try to contact you.”

  “Well, then, I’m not going to answer the phone unless it’s you. Nobody knows where I’m staying.”

  “It’s smart to keep it that way.”

  Her instinct to avoid law enforcement reassured him. If Pearl had been Baron’s secretary, she’d know about the traitor in the FBI, and she’d use that contact to keep herself out of trouble.

  “I miss Penny.” Pearl’s voice cracked at the edge of a sob. “I keep telling myself that she’s an angel in Heaven, looking down and smiling. But she’s not here. It’s not fair.”

  “It’s not,” he agreed.

  “You said you’d get the man responsible for my daughter’s murder. I’m holding you to that promise.”

  He wanted nothing more than to see Baron pay for his crimes. “I need to ask you about the last time you saw Penny in Black Hawk. Was there a woman with her?”

  “Not that I noticed. That big thug was hanging around, but nobody else.”

  “What casino were you at?”

  “The Stampede. That’s the one that got robbed.”

  Though Cole didn’t think Xavier’s description matched Pearl, he had to ask about the engagement diamond. “Were you wearing any jewelry?”

  “I always wear jewelry. It’s free advertising for the stuff I design. But I don’t recall what I had on. A couple of rings, some earrings.”

  “A diamond?”

  “Definitely not. I don’t use precious gems in my designs.”

  He switched topics. “Have you ever noticed Jenna wearing an engagement ring?”

  “Jenna.” She growled the name. “That girl isn’t married and is never likely to be. She called me last night, and demanded to know why I hadn’t come to her house with the baby. Let me tell you, I gave her a piece of my mind. She should have told me about the older man Penny was dating.”

  “Did she say anything about him?”

  “Not a word. She said she didn’t want to betray Penny. I never should have allowed my daughter to spend time with her. It was inappropriate. Why would a high school economics teacher want to hang out with one of her students?”

  Why, indeed. “Jenna seems to have a lot of secrets.”

  “I never thought so before, but you’re right. She threatened me on the phone, told me that I would
n’t get custody of Goldie because the baby belongs with her father. That’s not true, is it?”

  Not if the father was Baron, a criminal mastermind. “I don’t think you’ll have a problem keeping Goldie.”

  He passed the phone to Rachel so the two women could talk about the wonderful world of baby care. The fact that Jenna had checked up on Pearl gave him cause for worry. Was she acting for Baron? Was he looking for his child?

  No way in hell would Cole allow that bastard to touch one precious hair on Goldie’s head. Her survival was a miracle. She had to be kept safe.

  When Rachel finished talking, she handed him the phone and gave him a familiar kiss on the cheek. “Pearl and Goldie are okay.”

  “For now,” he said.

  She stepped back and regarded him. Her head cocked to one side. Her fists planted on her hips. “Why so ominous?”

  “Baron might take it into his head that he wants Goldie. Think about it. The first thing Prescott asked about was the baby. Now Jenna wants to get her hooks into Pearl.”

  “We can’t let that happen.” Rachel shuddered. “We have to end this now.”

  They got back into the Jeep and drove. Though he was glad for the beautiful clear skies, the weather provided nothing in the way of cover. They were exposed. But no one knew they were driving Loughlin’s car. With their collars turned up and hats pulled down, he doubted there would be facial recognition on traffic surveillance cams.

  When he turned onto U.S. 40, Rachel said, “I have a theory about the engagement ring.”

  “I’m listening.”

  “Penny told me that Jenna referred to Baron as Mister Big. A powerful man. An attractive man. Maybe Jenna is more than a secretary. What would you call it? A secretary with benefits? She might be having an affair with Baron, and the ring is wishful thinking.”

  “If that’s true, she would have hated Penny.”

  “Exactly,” Rachel said. “She might be the one who sent those guys to shoot up the house near Shadow Mountain Lake.”

  Her theory was sound until she got to the shoot-out. “She wouldn’t go against Baron. He’s vicious with people who don’t follow his orders.”

  “Then why?” she asked. “Why would he send his men to kill the gang at the hideout?”

  “The gang screwed up. Almost got caught.”

  Baron ran his organization according to strict rules: do as you’re told, and you’ll profit. Make a mistake, and you’ll pay.

  “But he almost got his own child killed,” she said. “He must have cared something for Penny and she was murdered.”

  “Collateral damage.”

  He didn’t expect Rachel to understand the workings of a criminal mind. A man like Baron made up his own rules. Penny’s murder sent a powerful message to the other people who worked for him. Nobody—not even his pregnant lover—got in his way.

  “When you’re around someone like that,” she said, “how do you keep yourself from showing your emotions?”

  “It’s my job.”

  He couldn’t explain why he was good at undercover work or why he could beat a lie detector test without breaking a sweat. The FBI shrinks called it a skill. Cole was beginning to think he was cursed.

  “Okay.” She shrugged. “What do you think about my theory? That Jenna is in love with Baron?”

  “I like it.” He grinned. “You’re one smart detective, Special Agent Rocky Logan.”

  “It’s about time I did something to prove my worth.”

  “You’re the most valuable part of my investigation. Without you, I could never have saved Goldie. It was your connection with Loughlin that got us this transportation. You’ve helped me. More than you will ever know.”

  She leaned back against her seat. “This is turning into quite a vacation for me. I can’t wait to get to California.”

  “I have plans for what we’ll do when we’re there.”

  In general, Cole considered himself to be good at interrogation and not so much when it came to small talk. But he went at length, telling her about the places he would take her to see and the foods they would sample. “And a sailboat ride on a balmy night. There’s nothing like making love at sea.”

  For once, she didn’t counter with a comparison about how the mountains were better. Instead, she beamed a smile. “I know I’ll love it.”

  The long drive into the snow passed quickly. Before he knew it, they were entering the Granby area. He clammed up. Time to put his game face on.

  As he drove along the street where Jenna’s house was located, Rachel pointed to the address. “That’s a nice little place. If I stay in Granby, I might look for something like that.”

  “If you stay?”

  “I’m keeping my options open.”

  Jenna’s cedar frame house with a two-car garage in front was nothing spectacular. An evergreen Christmas wreath hung on the door, and Jenna hadn’t yet taken down the string of lights that decorated the eaves.

  Cole would have preferred a more secluded location. The house stood on the corner in a residential area with large lots, but the house across the street had a window looking directly at Jenna’s front door. The sidewalk and driveway were shoveled, but there was no way they could sneak up on the house through the mounds of snow left behind by the blizzard.

  He braked for the stop sign, and then drove on. Though there were no other cars on the street, he had the sense that they were being watched.

  “What’s the plan?” Rachel asked.

  “I’m not sure yet.”

  He’d rather not risk being seen, but there didn’t seem to be any approach other than parking in the driveway and marching up to the door. If she didn’t have an alarm system, he could pick the lock.

  Circling the block, he checked his mirrors. Two blocks away, he saw a truck cross an intersection. Nothing else seemed to be moving in this quiet neighborhood. Still, he decided to retreat and consider their next move.

  Several blocks away, he backed into a parking space in a lot outside a supermarket. The snow that had been cleared from the lot made an eight-foot-high pile at the far end. Damn this Colorado snow.

  He passed his cell phone to Rachel. “Call Jenna and make sure she didn’t stay home from work.”

  “You think we might be walking into a trap.”

  “Something isn’t right.”

  “I trust your instincts,” she said. “I still remember how you sensed the attack on the hideout before a single bullet had been fired.”

  Before she could make the call, a red SUV pulled up in front of them, trapping them in the parking space.

  The back door swung open, and Xavier stepped out. His heavy-duty parka was as red as his vehicle. Stealth had never been his strong point.

  He opened the back door to their Jeep and climbed in.

  “Hi, kids.” His gold tooth flashed when he smiled. “Did you miss me?”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Wearing her hat with the earflaps, Rachel doubted she could pull off her supercool undercover identity as Special Agent Rocky Logan. She turned around in her seat and glared at Xavier. “How did you find us?”

  “A good poker player never tells his secrets.”

  Without turning around, Cole growled, “He must have planted a GPS tracker.”

  “Where?” she demanded. “How?”

  Xavier chuckled. “Under your collar, sweetheart.”

  Leaning forward, he patted her shoulder, slid his hand up toward her neck and detached a tiny circular object from her parka. Like a magician, he held it up so she could see. “Ta da!”

  Though she didn’t remember him touching her at the casino, the evidence was there. He had bugged her parka.

  She drew the logical conclusion. “That’s why we didn’t see you tailing us. You knew where we were all the time.”

  Xavier pocketed the device. “If I’d thought you two were going to stop for the night at a motel, I could have arranged for classier accommodations. But then, you might be seen and recognized.
Other people wouldn’t be as understanding as I am about harboring a fugitive.”

  “What do you want?” Cole muttered.

  “To get my money back. The insurance company isn’t going to be understanding about my losses in the robbery, and I can’t afford to be out forty-two thousand bucks.”

  “Is that right?” She heard the anger in Cole’s voice. “Why should I do you any favors?”

  “For old times’ sake. We go back a long way, buddy boy. You know things about me that nobody else does. And vice versa.”

  “You don’t know squat.”

  “Come on, now. There’s no need to be hostile.”

  Cole stared through the windshield at the red SUV, and she followed his gaze. The driver was visible through the front window, but she didn’t see anybody else. “How many men did you bring with you?”

  “Only two. It was never my intention to overpower you. I’ve seen you in action, and I’m too old to recover from a busted kneecap.” Xavier turned to Rachel. “He can be a dangerous fellow. Are you aware of that?”

  Since he wasn’t treating her like an FBI agent, there was no reason for her to try to outbluff this canny old man. “I know him well,” she said. “He’s only dangerous with people who need to be taken down.”

  Behind his glasses, his beady little eyes narrowed. “Be careful about standing too close to the flame, my dear. You might get burned.”

  Cole turned in his seat to face Xavier. “I don’t like the way you followed us. And I’m not making any promises about what happens to the money. But the truth is, I could use some backup.”

  The old man massaged his chin while he considered. Then he said, “Fine. I scratch your back and you—”

  “Here’s the deal,” Cole said. “Rachel and I are going to break into a house. You and your men wait outside. If we don’t come out in ten minutes, it means we need your help.”

  “I’ll do it, and we’ll settle up afterward. Aren’t you lucky that I turned up when I did?” Xavier opened the car door. “You never appreciated all that I did for you back in the day. It takes guts to be a snitch.”