Wedding at Cardwell Ranch

by B. J Daniels

  “I’ll see to Natalie,” Dana said nearby as she motioned for Jackson and Allie to go.

  Allie looked as if she were in shock. “It just won’t end,” she said in a breathless rush as he ushered her outside. “It just won’t end.”

  “I’m so sorry,” Jackson said, his mind reeling, as well.

  “I was so sure he was alive.” She met his gaze. “I thought...”

  “We both thought he was alive. I’m as floored as you are.” He realized that wasn’t possible. Nick Taylor had been her husband, even if he had been a bad one, she would still be shocked and upset by this news. He was the father of her child.

  “Nick was murdered? How is that possible? They found his backpack and his gun and the grizzly tracks.”

  “We need to wait until we have all the details,” he said as his brothers Hayes and Laramie joined them.

  “We’re headed down to the police station now,” Hayes said. “I’ll let you know as soon as I have any information.”

  “Thank you.” Jackson swallowed the lump in his throat. His brothers had been so great through his divorce and custody battle, and now this. He couldn’t have been more grateful for them.

  “The police will be looking for me,” Allie said, her eyes widening.

  He saw the fear in her eyes and at first had misunderstood it then he remembered what had happened at the psychic’s. “No one believes you killed your husband.”

  “Someone already does.”

  “That’s crazy. How could whoever was behind the séance know that Nick was even murdered unless they did the killing?”

  She shook her head. “Mildred has blamed me for his death all along. Belinda thought I drove him to kill himself. Don’t you see? They didn’t have to know it was true. They just wanted me to feel responsible. Now that it is true... Even dead, he’s going to ruin my life.”

  The last of the sun’s rays slipped behind the mountains to the west, pitching the canyon in cool twilight. Inside the barn, the reception was continuing thanks to Megan and Dana, who had taken over.

  “I need to go back in.”

  “No.” Jackson stopped her with a hand on her arm. “You did a great job. No one expects you to do any more. You don’t have to worry about any of that.”

  She met his gaze. “I don’t understand what’s going on.”

  “My brothers will find out. Allie, I’m sorry I left you the other morning. I...panicked. But I’m not leaving you now.”

  Allie shook her head and took a step back from him. “This isn’t your problem. You should never have gotten involved because it’s only going to get worse.”

  He remembered what Laramie had told him about the insurance policy and realized she was right. The money would definitely interest the police. He looked toward the barn. Some guests had come out into the evening air to admire the sunset.

  “Please, come up to my cabin with me so we have some privacy. There’s something important I need to tell you.” He saw her expression and realized that she’d misunderstood.

  She looked toward the barn, then up the mountain in the direction of his cabin.

  “I just need to talk to you,” he assured her.

  “That wasn’t what I...” She met his gaze. “Jackson, I’ve caused you enough grief as it is. If the Taylors come looking for me—”

  “Let me worry about your in-laws. As for Drew, he won’t be bothering you as long as I’m around.”

  She smiled at that. They both knew that once he left she would again be at the mercy of not just Drew but also the rest of the Taylor family.

  He wanted to tell her he wouldn’t leave her. But he couldn’t make that promise, could he?

  She was on her own and she knew it.

  “Come on,” he said and reached for her hand.

  * * *

  DARKNESS CAME ON quickly in the narrow canyon because of the steep mountains on each side. Allie could hear the fireworks vendors getting ready for the wedding grand finale and glanced at her watch. They were right on time. Maybe she wasn’t as necessary as she’d thought since everything seemed to be going on schedule without her.

  Overhead the pines swayed in the summer night’s breeze. Jackson was so close she could smell his woodsy aftershave and remember his mouth on hers. The perfect summer night. Wasn’t that what she’d been thinking earlier before her mother-in-law had started screaming?

  Nick was dead. Murdered.

  For days now she’d believed he was alive and behind all the weird things that had been happening to her. Now how did she explain it?

  Jackson stopped on the porch. “We can talk privately here, if you would be more comfortable not going inside.” He must have seen the answer in her expression because he let go of her hand and moved to the edge of the porch.

  Inside the cabin she would remember the two of them making love in his big, log-framed bed. Her skin ached at the memory of his touch.

  “Allie, I hate to bring this up now, but the police will ask you...” He leaned against the porch railing, Allie just feet away. “Were you aware that your husband and brother-in-law took out life insurance policies on each other when they started their construction business?”

  “No, but what does that have to do with me?”

  “They purchased million-dollar policies and made the other brother the beneficiary, but Nick purchased another half million and made you beneficiary. He never mentioned it to you?”

  She shook her head, shocked by the news and even more shocked by how it would look. “You think a million and a half dollars in insurance money gives me a motive for killing him.”

  “I don’t, but I think the police might, given that just before your husband went up into the mountains on his hunting trip, he changed the beneficiary of his million-dollar insurance policy from Drew to you.”

  Allie didn’t think anything else could surprise her. “Why would he do that?” Her eyes filled with tears as a reason came to her. She moved to the opposite railing and looked out across the darkening canyon. “Maybe he did go up there to kill himself,” she said, her back to Jackson.

  “Hayes will find out why they think he was murdered. In the meantime—”

  All the ramifications of this news hit her like a battering ram. “What happens if I’m dead?” She had been looking out into the darkness, but now swung her gaze on him. “Who inherits the money?”

  “Natalie. The money would be used for her care until she was twenty-one, at which time her guardian—”

  “Her guardian?”

  “Nick named a guardian in case of your...death or incarceration.”

  Allie’s voice broke. “Who?”

  “Originally Drew was listed as guardian on the policies, but Nick changed that, too, right before he headed for the mountains.” He met her gaze. “Megan, as your next closest kin, even though she isn’t a blood relative.”

  She staggered under the weight of it. She couldn’t deal with this now. She had the wedding. “The fireworks show is about to start,” she said. “I have to finish—”

  “I’m sure Dana will see that the rest of the wedding goes off like it is supposed to,” Jackson said, blocking her escape. “No one expects you to continue, given what’s happened.”

  “I took the job. I want to finish it,” Allie said, hugging herself against the evening chill. “I thought you would understand that.”

  “I do. But—” His cell phone rang. “It’s Hayes.” He took the call.

  She had no choice but to wait. She had to know what he’d found out at the police station. As she waited, she watched the lights of Big Sky glitter in the growing darkness that fell over the canyon. A breeze seemed to grow in the shadowed pines. The boughs began to move as if with the music still playing down in the barn.

  After a moment, Jackson tha
nked his brother and disconnected. She remained looking off into the distance, her back to him, as he said, “Nick Taylor’s remains were found in a shallow grave. There was a .45 bullet lodged in his skull. The trajectory of the bullet based on where it entered and exited, along with the fact that it appears someone tried to hide the body... It’s being investigated as a homicide.”

  She felt a jolt when he mentioned that the bullet was a .45 caliber and knew Jackson would have seen it. Still, she didn’t turn.

  “Megan told me you bought a gun and that it disappeared from the cabin,” he said. She could feel his gaze on her, burning into her back. He thought he knew her. She could imagine what was going through his mind. He would desperately want to believe she had nothing to do with her husband’s murder. “Was the gun you purchased a—”

  “Forty-five?” She nodded as she turned to look at him. “Everyone will believe I killed him. You’re not even sure anymore, are you?”

  “Allie—” He took a step toward her, but she held up her hand to ward him off. It had grown dark enough that she couldn’t make out his expression unless he came closer, which was a godsend. She couldn’t bear to see the disappointment in his face.

  Below them on the mountain everyone was coming out of the barn to gather in the meadow for the fireworks. She suddenly ached to see her daughter. Natalie had been all that had kept her sane for so long. Right now, she desperately needed to hold her.

  What would happen to Natalie now? She was trembling with fear at the thought that came to her and would no doubt have already come to the police—and eventually Jackson. She didn’t want to be around when that happened.

  “With my husband dead, that is three insurance policies for more than a million and a half,” she said. “Mother Taylor is convinced I’ve made up all the stories about someone gaslighting me, as you call it. She thinks I have some plot to make myself rich at her poor Nicky’s expense. I’m sure she’s shared all of that with the police by now. Maybe I did do it.”

  He stepped to her and took her shoulders in his hands. “Don’t. You didn’t kill your husband and you know damned well that I believe you.”

  “Your ex-wife, she was a liar and con woman, right? Isn’t that why you were so afraid to get involved with me? What makes you so sure I’m not just like her?”

  “You can’t push me away.” He lifted her chin with his fingers so she couldn’t avoid his gaze. Their faces were only a few inches apart. “You aren’t like her.”

  “What if I’m crazy?” Her voice broke. “Crazy like a fox?” The first of the fireworks exploded, showering down a glittering red, white and blue light on the meadow below them. The boom echoed in her chest as another exploded to the oos and ahs of the wedding party. She felt scalding tears burn her throat. “What if Mother Taylor is right and all of this is some subconscious plot I have to not only free myself of Nick, but walk away with a million and a half dollars, as well?”

  * * *

  JACKSON COULDN’T BEAR to see Allie like this. He pulled her to him and, dropping his mouth to hers, kissed her. She leaned into him, letting him draw her even closer as the kiss deepened. Fireworks lit the night, booming in a blaze of glittering light before going dark again.

  Desire ignited his blood. He wanted Allie like he’d never wanted anyone or anything before. She melted into him, warm and lush in his arms, a moan escaping her lips.

  Then suddenly he felt her stiffen. She broke away. “I can’t keep doing this,” she cried and, tearing herself from his arms, took off down the steps and through the trees toward the barn.

  He started after her, but a voice from the darkness stopped him.

  “Let her go.”

  He turned to find his brother Laramie standing in the nearby trees. More fireworks exploded below them. “What are you doing, little brother?”

  “I’m in love with her.” The words were out, more honest than he’d been with even himself—let alone Allie.

  “Is that right?” Laramie moved to him in a burst of booming light from the meadow below. “So what are you going to do about it?”

  Jackson shook his head. “I...I haven’t gotten that far yet.”

  “Oh, I think you’ve gotten quite far already.” Laramie sighed. “I don’t want to see you jump into anything. Not again.”

  “She is nothing like Juliet.”

  His brother raised a brow. “I knew one day you would fall in love again. It was bound to happen, but Jackson, this is too fast. This woman has too many problems. Hayes and I just came from the police station. They are going to be questioning her about her husband’s murder. It doesn’t look good.”

  “She had nothing to do with his death.”

  “She owns a .45 pistol, the one they suspect is the murder weapon.”

  Jackson sighed and looked toward the meadow below. It was cast in darkness. Had the fireworks show already ended? “She did but whoever is trying to have her committed, took it to set her up. You know as well as I do that someone has been gaslighting her.”

  Laramie shook his head. “We only know what Allie has been telling you.”

  His first instinct was to get angry with his brother, but he understood what Laramie was saying. There was no proof. Instead, the evidence against her was stacking up.

  “I believe her and I’m going to help her,” he said as he stepped past his brother.

  “I just hope you aren’t making a mistake,” Laramie said behind him as Jackson started down the mountainside.

  He’d only taken a few steps when he saw people running all over and heard Allie screaming Natalie’s name. He took off running toward her.

  “What’s wrong?” he demanded when he reached her.

  “Nat’s gone!” Allie cried.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “She can’t be gone,” Jackson said. “She was with Dana, right?”

  “Dana said the kids were all together, but after one of the fireworks went off, she looked over and Nat wasn’t with them. She asked Hank and he said she spilled her lemonade on her dress and went to the bathroom to try to wash it off. Dana ran up to the house and the barn, but she wasn’t there.” Allie began to cry. “She found this, though.” She held up the tie that had been on Nat’s dress. “Natalie might have gone looking for me. Or someone took her—”

  “Allie,” he said, taking her shoulders in his hands. “Even if she left the meadow to go to the house, she couldn’t have gotten far. We’ll find her.”

  The search of the ranch area began quickly with everyone from the wedding party out looking for the child.

  “I turned my back for just a moment,” Dana said, sounding as distraught as Allie when Jackson caught up with her.

  “It’s not your fault. If anyone is to blame, it’s me. I’ve been trying to help Allie and have only made things worse. I need to know something,” he said as he watched the searchers coming off the mountain from the cabins. No Natalie. “Did you see anyone go toward the house about the time you realized she was gone?”

  She shook her head. “You mean Drew or his mother? They both left earlier to go talk to the police.”

  “What about his sister, Sarah? Have you seen her?”

  Dana frowned. “She didn’t leave with them, now that I think about it, and I haven’t seen her since Nat went missing.”

  Jackson spotted Belinda trying to comfort Allie down by the main house. “How about Megan?”

  She shook her head. “I haven’t seen either of them.” Dana looked worried. “You don’t think—”

  He did think. He ran down the slope toward the house and Allie. “Did either of you see Sarah or Megan?”

  They looked at him in surprise.

  “They left together not long after the fireworks started,” Belinda said. “Sarah said she had a headache and asked Megan to give her a ride.”


  Jackson looked at Allie. “You know where Sarah lives, right?”

  “You think they took Nat?” Allie looked even more frightened.

  “Belinda, stay here and keep us informed if the searchers find Nat. Come on. Let’s see if they have Natalie or might have seen her since they left about the time she went missing.”

  * * *

  EACH BREATH WAS a labor as Allie stared out the windshield into the darkness ahead. She fought not to break down but it took all of her strength. She’d never been so frightened or felt so helpless. All she could do was pray that Natalie was safe.

  “If they took her, then I’m sure they wouldn’t hurt her,” she said, needing desperately to believe that. “Sarah might have thought it was getting too late for Natalie to be out. Or maybe Nat’s dress was so wet—”

  “We’re going to find her.” Jackson sounded convinced of that.

  She glanced over at him. His strong hands gripped the wheel as he drove too fast. He was as scared as she was, she realized. Like her, he must be blaming himself. If the two of them hadn’t left the wedding...

  “Tell me where to turn. I don’t know where they live.”

  “Take a left at the Big Sky resort turnoff. Mother Taylor... Mildred lives up the mountain.”

  “They don’t have that much of a head start,” he said, sounding as if he was trying to reassure himself as much as her.

  “This is all my fault.” She didn’t realize she’d said the words aloud until he spoke.

  “No, if anyone is to blame it’s me,” he said as he reached over and squeezed her hand. “You have been going through so much and all I did was complicate things for you.”

  She let out a nervous laugh. “Are you kidding? I would have been in a straitjacket by now if it wasn’t for you. I still might end up there, but at least I had this time when there was someone who believed me.”

  “I still believe you. You’re not crazy. Nor did you have anything to do with your husband’s death. You’re being set up and, if it is the last thing I do, I’m going to prove it.”