A County Girl's Heart

by Dena Blake

“Where you goin’?” Virgil picked up the business card.

  “To Austin, to do some research on Victoria Maxwell.” DJ pushed the screen door open. “I’ll be back tonight.” She let the screen door slap against the jamb behind her and headed down the steps.

  She heard the door whoosh open behind her and looked over her shoulder to see Virgil following her. “You gonna tell her?”

  DJ didn’t turn. “If she was with me all night, she probably already knows by now.”

  “Don’t think so. If she’d found out something like that, I’d have gotten an earful this morning.” Virgil looked at the card DJ had given him and then slid it into his shirt pocket.

  “I sure hope not.” DJ gave Virgil a sideways glance and continued to her cabin. She needed a chance to redeem herself.

  Chapter Twelve

  Rebecca Belmont parked her black Mercedes in her usual parking space in front of the Montgomery Building. After taking a moment to check her makeup in the visor mirror, she reached over to the passenger seat to retrieve her leather valise and Gucci purse before opening the door and sliding out. Rebecca adjusted her skirt, then headed to the front entrance of Montco Oil. She swung her hips lazily, knowing that the cut of her Armani suit perfectly accentuated her long, slender legs and shapely hips. This was one of her favorite ensembles. It made her shoulder-length, highlighted, dark hair shimmer in the sunlight against the contrasting midnight-blue color of the jacket.

  “Good morning, Randy.” She smiled at the young security officer, whose usually unruly hair was conspicuously absent this morning.

  He held the door open for her to enter. “Morning, Miss Belmont,” he blurted nervously in a deep voice.

  She stopped and looked at him momentarily. Without the massive mat of amber locks strewn across his forehead, he looked as though he wasn’t old enough to be out of high school yet. “You cut your hair, didn’t you?”

  “Yes, ma’am.” His eyes held hers as his head lowered slightly. “My mom said it was too shaggy.”

  “Well, your mom was right,” she said, smiling slightly before continuing through the doorway. “That face is adorable. You shouldn’t keep it hidden under that mop.”

  As she entered the elevator, Rebecca turned to see the young man smiling broadly, still holding the door as though she hadn’t come through it yet. She rode up to the twenty-fifth floor, stepped off, and headed in the opposite direction of her office.

  “Hi, Joanne. Is Mark in?” she asked the petite young brunette coming out of the corner office.

  “Yep.” She scrunched her nose. “He was here before me this morning.”

  “Really?” Rebecca brushed past her and poked her head just inside the office door. “Hey.”

  Mark’s attention veered from the file on his desk. “Hey.”

  She slipped in and pushed the door closed behind her. “I missed you this morning.”

  “I had a few things to catch up on.”

  Rebecca dropped her bags onto the couch and met him halfway across the office. “What’s the point of me not having to rush off in the morning, if you do it instead?” She touched his lips lightly with hers.

  “I thought you had meetings this morning?”

  She pressed her lips together and shook her head. “No. Now that Daddy’s gone, I don’t schedule anything before ten.”

  Mark smiled at her nonchalance. “Isn’t that a little inconvenient for the staff?”

  “Who cares?” she said with a shrug. “I’m in charge now. I can keep whatever hours I want.” She tugged him to her with his tie and let out a short laugh before covering his mouth with hers.

  “Mmm…I think I kind of like it when you’re in charge,” Mark said.

  “So why can’t I just tell her about us?” Rebecca repeated the same question she’d been asking for the last two weeks.

  “You know your mother has plans for you, and they don’t include me.” He stroked her. “And I don’t think you want to be disinherited, unlike your sister.”

  “I’m tired of all these secrets.” She sighed, letting her head drop against his chest. “I want to go out to eat in public again and take you home to Sunday dinner. I want to sleep over whenever I want.” Rebecca was tired of sneaking around. She was used to being shown off, not hidden like someone’s dirty little secret.

  He cupped her face in his hands. “Your father left you well cared for in his will, but until I take care of all the legal details, we need to be careful.” He brushed a stray strand of auburn hair from her face. “Just keep quiet for a few more weeks, and I’ll make sure you don’t have to worry about anything.”

  “What makes you so sure my mother isn’t going to like you?” She stared into his pale, gray-flecked eyes as she snaked a finger lightly across the front of his powder-blue silk shirt.

  Mark’s hands dropped to hold hers. “It’s not about me, Rebecca. It’s about who your parents may have envisioned in your future.”

  “We should’ve told my father. He would’ve been thrilled.” She twisted her hands free, crossed her arms, and puffed her lips into a pout.

  Mark raised an eyebrow in a gesture of uncertainty. “I’m not so sure about that.”

  “Of course he would’ve. You’re an excellent attorney.”

  “An excellent attorney who worked for him.”

  “So what.” She flopped onto the couch. “It’s not as if you’re some stable hand like Kathryn’s wife.”

  “You’re going to have to let me ease into the picture. Your mother has to believe I’m as much her choice as I am yours.”

  “My mother would never disinherit me. Who would run the company?” She sprang up and paced the office. “Even if she did, I have enough stock for us to live very well for a very long time.” Rebecca had made some wise decisions with her money and was already a millionaire in her own right.

  Mark trailed her across the room and spun her around. “Come on now. Settle down. I know we could do just fine without anything from your mother.” He pinched her chin softly between his thumb and finger. “But that’s not what you want, is it?” His lips brushed across hers. “You like all the perks of living in high society,” he mumbled, his mouth continuing down her neck.

  “After everything’s settled with Daddy’s will, I’m going to tell her about us.” She pouted, standing nonresponsive to his coddling.

  “You love me, don’t you?” Mark’s mouth made its way to hers, teasing her lips lightly.

  “You know I do.” She did love him, but she didn’t like hiding her feelings from everyone.

  “Then trust me.”

  “I’m trying.” She turned, picked up her purse, and slung it over her shoulder.

  “I’ll walk with you.” He took her valise from the couch and motioned her to the door. “How long has it been since you’ve spoken to Kathryn?” He opened the door and followed her out.

  “Not since the day she left.” She glanced at him curiously. “Why?”

  “I suggest you contact her as soon as possible.” He smiled and nodded at a familiar face passing in the hall. “With your father gone, your mother may try to convince her to come back to Austin.”

  “After all these years?” Rebecca couldn’t imagine why her mother would bring Kathryn into the business. Her father had been more than clear about his wishes when she left.

  “You know she’s always had a soft spot for her.”

  “Good morning, Jenny,” Rebecca said, stopping at the desk just outside her office.

  “Good morning, Miss Belmont, Mr. Hamilton.” The tall, slender woman handed Rebecca a stack of mail.

  She thumbed through it, dropped a few pieces of junk mail onto the desk, and then went into her office. “You really think my mother wants Kathryn here in Austin?”

  “It would be wise to cover all your bases.”

  “I thought that’s why I had you.” Smiling coyly, she dropped the mail onto her desk and moved toward him.

  He held her at arm’s length. “Go see your mother an
d find out if she’s up to anything.”

  “You’re no fun anymore.”

  “I’m just looking out for you.” He kissed her on the forehead before backing out the door. “See you tonight.”

  As Mark headed to his office, he took his cell phone out of his pocket and punched in a number.

  “Jumpin’ J, George speaking,” the voice on the other end said.

  “What’s going on out there?” Mark entered his office and went straight to the mirror in his private bathroom to look at himself. He mussed his short, jet-black hair with his fingers and straightened his tie before he turned away, satisfied with his appearance.

  “She’s had a visitor for the last couple of days, some chick by the name of Callen.”

  He looked over his shoulder and shifted the phone to his other ear. “Is she still there?”

  “She was this morning but left around eight.”

  “Any idea where she went?”

  “No, but she didn’t take her bags.”

  “Damn.” Mark paced the office.

  “I’m sure she’ll be back. She and Kat seemed to be getting pretty cozy the last few days.”

  Panic shot through Mark. He hadn’t expected this complication. “Get into her room and find out what she’s doing there.”

  “Already did. Found an envelope with Kathryn’s name on it.”

  “What’s in it?” Mark heard the sound of clinking glasses in the background.

  “Looked like information on her and the ranch.” George’s voice became quieter, and then Mark heard a door slap closed.

  “What’d you say this woman’s name was?”

  “DJ—”

  “Who?” Mark couldn’t hear the name over the rushing wind coming through the line.

  “DJ Callen.”

  “Fuck.” Mark paced his office. “That’s Dani Callahan. What the hell’s she doing out there?” This could throw a huge monkey wrench into Mark’s plan.

  “Looks to be sweet-talkin’ the boss lady.”

  “Find that envelope, make copies of everything in it, and take it over to Victoria. She’ll want to see it.”

  “I’ll do it as soon as my shift’s over in the kitchen.”

  “Go do it now. If she’s up to what I think she is, she’ll be back sooner rather than later. Keep an eye on her when she returns, and let me know if anything changes between them.”

  “Will do,” George said.

  Mark spotted Rebecca standing in the doorway and smiled as he wrapped up the call and slid his phone into his pocket.

  Rebecca frowned, noticing he’d cut his call short when he’d seen her. “What was that about? You sounded upset.”

  He smiled and shook his head. “My ten o’clock just rescheduled. A meeting that needed to happen.”

  “Oh, so you’re free for a while?” Rebecca’s voice rose as she pushed the door closed.

  “Uh-uh,” he said, ignoring her advances. “I still have plenty of work to do.” He swept his arm across her back and moved her toward the door. “And you, my dear, have someone to see.”

  “But I’ll see you tonight, right?” Rebecca’s voice grew lower, and Mark knew exactly what she wanted from him.

  He pushed her up against the door and gave her a scorching kiss. “You can count on it.” When he was sure he’d placated her, he opened the door and guided her out of his office.

  Chapter Thirteen

  It was almost noon when DJ reached the Travis County Courthouse. Since it was around lunchtime, she’d been able to find a parking space close to the door, but she didn’t know if the lady she’d come to see would still be there. She stopped by the drinking fountain on the way in, dug a few ibuprofen capsules from her pocket, and swished them down with a sip of water. She headed down the hallway, hoping to catch Allison Perkins before she went to lunch.

  DJ had met Allison during her days as a law intern. She’d worked in the records department of the county clerk’s office for more years than anyone knew and had proved to be an invaluable resource.

  Allison had blond hair, pretty blue eyes, and a slender build. She had to be in her mid to late sixties by now, but she kept her age a well-guarded secret. Allison had the most radiant smile she’d ever seen. That, and keeping up with the new clothing styles, gave her an ageless look. Allison knew as much about the court system as any lawyer in Austin and even more about the records. If anyone could help her find the land deeds for the property Victoria Maxwell claimed, Allison could.

  “Allison,” DJ said in a low, smooth tone as she poked her head just inside the door.

  Allison’s hands went to her hips. “Well, if it isn’t Dani Callahan, in the flesh,” she said in her distinct Texas drawl. “I haven’t heard from you since you started courtin’ the Belmont girl.”

  “That was short-lived.” She never should’ve considered that fiasco.

  “Here I do all those favors for you, and then some sweet young thing comes along, and boom. You’re gone like the wind.”

  “Forgive me?” She leaned over the counter and smiled sheepishly.

  “I never could resist those rosy cheeks of yours, and where did those adorable curls come from?” Allison’s lips curved into a smile, and she flipped the countertop back for her to enter. “Now what’s on your mind?” she asked, walking to her desk.

  DJ raked her fingers through her hair and followed her across the newly renovated office. She’d forgotten to spike it before she’d come inside. She’d have to remedy that before she saw Elizabeth. “I need to look at a few land deeds.”

  Allison slid into her chair and began to type, her fingers flying across the keys on the computer keyboard. “What’s the current name on the deed?”

  “It should be either Belmont or Montgomery.”

  Allison eyed her sharply as she entered the name. “Francis Montgomery?”

  “Yes. Francis James Montgomery.”

  “The only land in that name was deeded to Kathryn Belmont, who is now Kathryn Jackson.” She glanced up at DJ. “I heard you were working for the Belmonts.”

  DJ stared at the computer screen but couldn’t make heads or tails out of the coded information on it. “I only work for Elizabeth.”

  “You know working for people with that much money can be tricky,” Allison said softly.

  “Don’t worry. I’ll be all right.” DJ touched her shoulder lightly and smiled at her concern. “Has any land been deeded to Rebecca Belmont?”

  “No. There’s nothing at all here in Rebecca’s name.”

  DJ rubbed her chin. “It seems odd that Montgomery would deed land to Kathryn and not Rebecca.”

  Allison frowned. “I’ve been in this office long enough to say I’ve seen much stranger things happen in overly affluent families.”

  “What about the land abutting Kathryn’s just to the north?” She slid her thigh onto the corner of the immaculate desk and sat down.

  Allison punched the keys rapidly and pressed Enter. A message popped up saying the information wasn’t on file. She quickly punched a few more keys, trying a different search, and received the same response.

  “There’s no information on that land in the computer. It hasn’t been transferred yet. I’ll have to pull the microfiche.” Allison jumped up quickly and walked to one of the large filing cabinets positioned against the wall in the back of the room. After she yanked with both arms, the huge drawer rolled out slowly. She thumbed through the files, turned, and with a slight movement of her hip, she pushed the drawer, which clanged shut. She studied a small sheet of microfiche as she crossed the room to her desk.

  Allison held it up to the light. “That’s odd.”

  “What?”

  Allison repositioned it. “Something must have happened to the original fiche.”

  “Why do you say that?” DJ looked it over as Allison held it up in front of her.

  “This particular piece isn’t very old. We didn’t start using this brand until about ten years ago.” Allison indicated the markin
gs along the bottom before slipping it into the viewer and turning it on. “This shows the land abutting Kathryn’s belongs to Victoria Maxwell. A Bartholomew deeded it to her fifteen years ago.”

  “You ever heard of these Maxwells?”

  Allison shrugged. “No. Can’t say that I have.”

  DJ raised an eyebrow. “How come they own all this land, and you’ve never heard of them?”

  “That’s a good question.” Allison turned the viewer off and settled into the chair.

  “I need one more small favor,” DJ said with a smile.

  Allison let out a teasing breath. “What would that be?”

  “I need access to the vault.” DJ knew that’s where she’d find all the answers.

  Locked up deep in the courthouse basement, the vault was a temperature-controlled room where they kept all the archived paper documents. After many years of humidity, combined with oils that collected on the documents from handling, they began to deteriorate unless kept at a constant sixty-five degrees.

  Allison’s fine arched brows flew up quickly. “You want to get me fired?” She took the microfiche from the viewer and slipped it into the paper sleeve.

  DJ followed her across the room to the filing cabinet. “You said yourself the fiche doesn’t look right.” She pulled the huge drawer open for her. “All you have to do is unlock the door. I’ll slip in and out before anyone notices. I promise.”

  “And just what do I gain from this?” Allison swung her hip against the file drawer to close it, just as she had before.

  “Lunch at the best restaurant in town.” DJ flashed Allison her sweetest grin.

  “You’re lucky you have that gorgeous face, Dani Callahan.” Allison gave her a mischievous smile. “If I were just a little bit younger, you’d be in trouble.”

  “If you weren’t already married, that wouldn’t even be an issue.” The compliment rolled smoothly off DJ’s tongue.

  Allison shook her head and let out a low chuckle. “Oh my, you are quite the charmer.” She turned quickly and led her through the door and down the stairs. The temperature dropped suddenly as they entered the brick-encased, refrigerated room. “This should cool you off for a while.” Allison’s voice held a trace of laughter.