by R. C. Ryan
“Sure.” Reed walked in and paused at the foot of the bed.
Kyle folded his hands and said solemnly, “Bless my mama. And bless my daddy in heaven. And bless Uncle Archer, so he learns to like us.” He looked shyly toward the tall man who filled his line of vision. “And bless Reed and keep him safe. Amen.”
Ally pressed a kiss to her son’s mouth. “Those were fine prayers. Good night, honey.”
“Night, Mama.”
Reed reached under the covers and pinched Kyle’s big toe. “Good night, little buddy. Thanks for those prayers.”
“You’re welcome. Night, Reed.”
Ally turned off the light and left the door slightly ajar, so that light from the hallway filtered into the boy’s bedroom.
She and Reed descended the stairs in silence.
When they reached the lower level, she said, “You should go now.”
“I know.” Instead of turning toward the door, he paused to look at her. “I don’t like knowing you and Kyle are alone here.”
“Reed, I’ve been alone for most of my life.”
“I understand. But tonight is different.”
She put her hands on her hips. “In what way?”
“Your uncle left in a huff. You’ve had a taste of his temper.”
“He’s gone now. That hot temper will cool.”
“I hope so. But there’s also your coworker who drove a thousand miles to find you without your permission. Now that he knows where you are, who’s to say he won’t come back?”
“Glen isn’t dangerous. He’s just…” She shook her head. “He’s impulsive. He’s annoying. But I honestly don’t believe he’d hurt me.”
“I wonder how many women have said those words and lived to regret them.” He paused before adding, “I’d feel better if you’d let me stay.”
His words had her going very still before she sighed. “I can’t let you stay here, Reed. That little scene in the kitchen ought to be enough to tell both of us that we need some space.”
“All right then. There’s another choice.”
At her arched brow he decided to say his piece. “You could consider coming home with me. You and Kyle would be surrounded by my family.”
A ghost of a smile curved her lips. “Knowing how my uncle feels about you and your family, that sort of thing would certainly guarantee that he and I would never reconcile.”
Reed thought about it before nodding. “I get that you’re between a rock and a hard place. Still, I’m not comfortable leaving you and Kyle alone here.”
“If there’s any trouble, I’ll call you.”
He shrugged. “That’s not enough. I live an hour away.” He indicated her cell phone. “Will you agree to put the sheriff’s number on speed dial?”
“All right.”
As he dictated the number, she programmed it into her phone.
“You promise you’ll call him if you feel threatened in any way?”
“Promise.”
“And call me, as well?”
“I will, Reed.”
“Okay.” He turned toward the door, then turned back and drew her close. Against her temple he murmured, “I could sleep down here. Didn’t I see an old bedroom set over in one corner?”
“You did. And I’m telling you again. You can’t stay. We both know where that will lead.”
“But…”
“Nice try.” She brushed a quick kiss over his lips before stepping back. “Good night, Reed.”
His smile was quick and dangerous. “You’re a tough woman, Red.”
“Yes, I am. And don’t you forget it.”
He let himself out and waited until he saw her turn the key in the lock. With a lift of his hand he sauntered toward his truck.
As he drove away, he watched the lights in the shop go out and a light in the upper bedroom go on.
They could be upstairs together right now. Kyle was asleep. They could…
Bad idea.
Still, he was worried about her.
Though he tried to tell himself he had the noblest of intentions, the truth was, he was no longer sure of anything.
He definitely wanted to ensure that she and Kyle were safe. But there was no denying he wanted her.
And had, he realized, since the first time he’d seen her.
Reed was sleeping so soundly, the phone on his bedside table rang three times before it penetrated the thick layer of fog.
He was barely aware of what he was doing as he snatched it up, hoping to silence the noise.
“Yeah?”
“Reed.”
The sound of his name in that breathy voice had him instantly alert and swinging his legs to the edge of the bed. “Ally. What…?”
“I heard glass breaking downstairs and I—”
The line went dead.
He swore as he pulled on denims, boots, shirt and made a mad dash down the stairs and out to his truck.
While he gunned the engine and tore along the highway, he called the sheriff’s phone. Getting the lawman’s message center, he drove like a madman, grateful there was no traffic on the interstate.
By the time he rolled into town and raced along Main Street, his adrenaline was pumping at a furious rate. He grabbed his rifle, jumped out of his truck, and ran toward Ally’s shop. When he saw the shattered glass of the big display window and noted the front door standing open, his heart nearly stopped.
Inside, Ally, barefoot and wearing a knee-length cotton kimono, her hair in wild disarray, was talking with Sheriff Eugene Graystoke.
Just seeing the sheriff there was enough to have relief surging through Reed.
“Malloy?” The sheriff turned to him with a questioning look.
Reed stepped past him to put a hand on Ally’s arm. “You all right?”
“I’m fine.”
“Kyle?”
She shook her head. “Sleeping.”
He let out a long, slow breath before turning to the sheriff. “I tried phoning you, but you didn’t answer.”
“When Ms. Shaw called, I headed over. Any other calls went to my message center. What are you doing here, Reed?”
“Ally called me.”
“So, you two are friends?” The sheriff looked from one to the other.
Reed didn’t bother to respond. “Did you see who did this? Was anybody hanging around when you got here?”
Sheriff Graystoke shook his head. “The street was empty. No vehicles. I made a visual check of the rest of the building and found no further damage, other than the big front window.”
Reed looked at the damage. Shards of glass cluttered the pretty display and spilled over to litter the floor.
The sheriff cleared his throat. “I’ve asked Miss Shaw for the names of anybody who might have a grudge against her, or who may want to make mischief.”
“Mischief?” Reed’s tone was incredulous.
Eugene pointed. “If someone wanted to break in, they would have forced the door. Instead, they chose a display window. And it doesn’t appear to be premeditated, but rather something done on the spur of the moment.”
“Why do you say that?” Reed studied the display, trying to see it through the eyes of a lawman.
“They used a tan brick.” Eugene pointed to where it sat amid the rubble. “There’s a pile of them just down the street, where Gert and Teddy Gleason are adding some fancy columns to their spa building. I’m thinking that your intruder was hot under the collar, and seeing the bricks gave him the idea to vent some anger.”
Reed turned to Ally. “Did you give him Glen’s name?”
The sheriff answered for her. “Glen Lloyd. Former coworker who lives in Virginia.”
To Ally he said, “You happen to have a picture of this guy?”
She thought a minute. “His photo will be in the company manual. I can bring it up on my computer and send it to your phone or computer.”
Eugene nodded. “Perfect. Once I get it, I’ll send it out to law enforcement agencies around the area. If he’s on t
he run, we’ll find him.”
“And if he’s still in the area?” Reed asked.
Eugene shrugged. “Glacier Ridge is a small town. He should be easy enough to spot if he’s still here.”
Reed looked at Ally. “What about your soon-to-be new employee? Did you check her references?”
“An employee?” The sheriff took out his notebook. “Who would that be?”
“Her name is Gemma York.”
Eugene frowned. “I know her. Dropped out of school. Hangs with a boy…” He thought a minute. “Jeremy Clancy. She was involved in a theft of some money from a family where she was babysitting. The family refused to prosecute, but I’ve always had my suspicion about those two. The last I heard, her mother threw her out of the house and she and the boy were sleeping in his truck.”
Ally had a hand to her mouth to cover her gasp of surprise. “Oh, poor Gemma.”
Eugene’s frown grew. “Don’t be too quick to pity her. Poor Gemma, as you call her, could be the one who caused this damage.”
“She wouldn’t do that.” Ally pointed to the back room. “I suggested that she could work for me and in return she could set up her own little business in there, rent free.”
“Business?”
“Vintage clothing.”
Eugene frowned as he continued writing in his notebook. “Did you at least think to ask for references before hiring her?”
“I did. But there were no names on the sheet of paper she gave me.”
“Uh-huh.” The sheriff nodded.
“While we’re talking about suspects…” Reed looked over at Ally. “Did you tell the sheriff about Archer’s visit earlier tonight? He was furious when he left.”
The sheriff’s head came up sharply. “My deputy? Why would he be visiting you, Ms. Shaw?”
“Archer is my uncle.”
Surprise showed in the sheriff’s eyes. “As far as I knew, he had no kin except an older sister. Dee.”
“Dee was my mother. When I came to town, I lived with him for a few weeks, until I was able to move into the upper apartment of this building.”
“Well, I’ll be.” He shook his head. “Everybody’s been talking about the new business in town. I wonder why Archer never mentioned you two were related.”
Ally flushed. “He never forgave my mother for leaving. And he…doesn’t approve of me. I’d rather you not mention any of this to him. It will only add to his anger.”
Eugene gave her a long, slow appraisal. “Archer may be my deputy, but he’s not above the law. If he paid a call on you and left in a temper, he’d better have a very good alibi about where he was when this went down.”
Ally bit her lip. “Maybe…I could save you confronting him until”—she took a deep breath—“we take a look at the footage from my security camera.”
Reed’s head swiveled, and he started grinning.
Ally started talking faster to cover her embarrassment. “I didn’t want to spend money on expensive equipment for this shop, but I did manage to jerry-rig a camera I took from a toy drone.”
Eugene Graystoke shook his head from side to side while a smile creased his face. “A security camera in Glacier Ridge? That’s a first. Who’d have thought?”
Ally swallowed. “While living in Virginia, I worked in security. It just seemed the most natural thing to do when I opened my shop here. I mounted the camera over the front door. Since it was meant for a toy, I don’t know if it’s capable of capturing anyone beyond the door all the way to the display window, but I can take a look at the video on my computer.”
The sheriff was rubbing his hands together. “Now you’re talking, Ms. Shaw. Would you mind turning it over to me?”
“I’d be happy to. Would you like the information sent to your phone or your office computer?”
“Both. How I love technology.” He jotted down his office computer information and handed it to her. “I’ll head to my office now and review the footage when I get it. Then I’ll be in contact.”
“Thank you, Sheriff.”
“In the meantime, you’ll need to get that window boarded up and see that all your doors are secure.”
“I will.”
He turned to Reed. “I’d like to talk to you outside.”
Reed trailed the sheriff out the door.
The lawman didn’t waste time on small talk. “You and the lady more than friends?”
“Not yet. But if I had my way, that would change.”
“I see.” Eugene thought a moment. “I heard from Barb and Dot that she has a son.”
“Kyle. Four. Or, as he likes to say, almost five.”
A hint of a smile touched Eugene’s lips. “Yeah, I get that. I have three kids of my own. I’ll tell you, Reed. I don’t like the looks of this. There was real anger in that damage. I tried to keep it on the down-low and call it mischief. But it has the look of someone in a fit of fury.”
“You don’t think she’s safe here.”
The lawman shrugged. “The lady is a smart cookie. And careful. That camera was a stroke of genius. But I’m not sure that’s enough to protect a mother and child from someone bent on doing harm.”
“I asked her to come to the ranch. She refused. And I can’t blame her. She has a business here, and a place she’s turning into a home for her and her son.”
“If she can’t stay at your place, how about you staying here, at least for the night?”
Reed nodded. “I’d be happy to. The lady…not so much.”
Eugene looked him in the eye. “You might want to be a little more persuasive. If it comes down to saving her money or her life, I hope she makes the right choice.”
The two shook hands before the sheriff sauntered off.
Chapter Ten
Reed rummaged through the back of his truck and returned to Ally’s shop with some sheets of plywood and a tool belt. Because there was often a repair of one kind or another needed at the range shacks up in the hills, he was prepared for emergencies.
After clearing the window of all the broken glass, he neatly hammered the wood into place around the window frame.
Inside, Ally was busy sweeping up the debris and dumping it into a trash can.
When she finished, she turned toward the stairs. “Come on. I’ll make some coffee.”
Before she could walk away, he came up behind her and put his arms around her, drawing her back against him. “Slow down. Take a minute to breathe.”
“I’m afraid to.”
“Why?” He murmured the word against her ear.
She gave a long, drawn-out sigh. “If I let myself think, I’ll turn into a blubbering baby.”
“Hey.” He turned her into his arms and gathered her close.
“Oh, Reed. When I heard that sound…” Her body trembled with a series of shudders. “I was terrified.”
Though she fought, the tears she’d been holding at bay won. Once started, they flowed like a river.
At last she drew in a deep breath. “This is the second time tonight I got your shirt wet with my tears.”
“I’m not complaining.”
“I am. I feel like such a coward.”
“You?” He held her a little away and stared into her eyes. “Red, you’re the bravest woman I know.”
She dragged in another breath before pushing free of his arms. “Come on. After waking you and dragging you all this way, the least I can do is give you coffee.”
She took his hand and led him up the stairs. Once there, she paused. “First, I need to check on Kyle.”
“You go ahead.”
The minute she was gone, he filled the coffeemaker and plugged it in before rummaging through the refrigerator. A short time later, when she returned carrying her laptop and wearing shorts and a denim shirt she’d tossed on in haste, she looked around with surprise. “Wow. You work fast.”
The table was set with paper plates, cups, and saucers. Coffee was perking, and Reed was turning scrambled eggs onto two plates.
“So do you.” He gave her an admiring look. “Great legs, Red.”
She didn’t bother to respond as she quickly set up her computer.
Reed filled two cups and handed her one before standing behind her to view the video over her shoulder.
They watched several minutes of cars parking and people walking past the shop. There were long stretches of empty film, as dusk settled and the space directly in front of the shop went blank except for an occasional passerby. They saw themselves leave and later return. They watched Gemma and Jeremy leave hand in hand, saw Glen arrive and leave, followed by Archer’s arrival and departure. Reed watched himself walk from the shop. Then darkness filled the video for what seemed an endless amount of time. Suddenly a shadowy figure could be seen approaching, then stepping just out of camera range. Moments later the camera shook violently.
“That’s the moment of impact,” Ally announced.
“Can you play it again?”
She did, playing it over and over. But the shadowy image was so blurred, and just enough out of range of the camera, it was impossible to detect whether it was a man or woman, or even a large animal.
“Can you enhance that?” Reed asked.
Ally shook her head. “With the right equipment, I could. That was something I routinely did in my job. But here, without expensive high-tech backup, I’m afraid this is all I have. A blur of movement, and then that crash.”
Reed pointed to the way the figure approached the door, then ducked back. “It looks as though the intruder caught sight of the camera.”
She nodded. “It’s easy enough to spot. I didn’t try to camouflage it.”
“Still, not everybody would be expecting surveillance in a place like Glacier Ridge.” He put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed.
She closed a hand over his, her gaze still fixed on her computer screen.
He set a plate of toast and scrambled eggs next to her laptop. “Here. Eat.”
She smiled. “Thanks.” But instead of eating, she kept replaying the video.
“How’s Kyle?”
She looked up, distracted. “Sleeping like a baby.”
“Sheriff Graystoke likes my idea.”
“What idea?”
“Of having you and Kyle stay at the ranch.”
She moved her computer aside and simply stared at him. “I have a business to run.”
