by Ruth Langan
A beautiful, beguiling puzzle that he wanted to put together, piece by enticing piece, until he knew her as well as he knew himself.
Thad was feeling hot, sweaty, tired and frustrated. He’d been testing a theory, running from a spot beneath Joe Colton’s window to the stable, across the hill to the high meadow and out to the highway.
He checked his stopwatch and swore. Judging by the time the police first logged their arrival on the scene after that second shot was fired, this couldn’t have been the escape route of the gunman. Not unless he was an Olympic runner.
Thad was in top physical condition. It would take a man of extraordinary speed to beat him. Which meant that his entire theory had just gone up in smoke. As had half a dozen earlier ones.
Where had the gunman come from? Where had he gone? And most important of all, when would he strike again?
Thad had no illusions that a man who had made two attempts on Joe Colton’s life would simply give up. Whatever drove a man to attempt to take another man’s life wouldn’t be easily forgotten. Whether the motive was money or revenge, neither would be satisfied until the deed was accomplished.
Which led him back to Jackson Colton.
What if the gunman had no intention of running? What if he’d planned to let himself inside, mingle with the family, and make certain that this time the job was finished to his satisfaction?
He hated the fact that every road led him back to the same suspect. Especially since Joe Colton seemed to have real affection for his nephew. But affection or no, Thad had a job to do. And he intended to see it through to the end, no matter where that end might be.
He trudged back to the house in search of his daughter and was directed to Joe’s office. Inside he found Joe down on his hands and knees beside Heather, who was watching Brittany. All three were laughing as Joe dipped a wand into a jar of bubbles and blew, causing the little girl to reach out wildly trying to catch them.
Each time another bubble disappeared she would call out, “Look. They’re all gone.”
Heather and Joe, like parrots, would repeat the phrase and then roar with laughter.
“Thad.” Joe looked up with a smile that spread from ear to ear. “I’d forgotten how much fun little people can be. Watch this.” He dipped the wand and blew, causing squeals of delight from Brittany as she burst each bubble.
Thad felt all the weariness slowly dissolve. He stood for long minutes watching as his daughter began to chase an errant bubble that floated, drifted, tumbled on a draught of air.
“Look, Daddy.” She caught the bubble, and giggled hysterically when it burst. Then she raced over to him and lifted her arms. “Kisses?”
“Oh, yes. Lots and lots of kisses.” He sighed as her chubby arms wrapped around his neck and her wet lips were pressed to his cheek. This was all he ever needed to feel completely restored. The heat and frustration of the day were forgotten.
He turned to Heather. “I can’t thank you enough. You’ll never know how great it’s been knowing my daughter was close by, and having so much love and attention showered on her.”
“She’s a wonderful little girl, Thad. And it’s obvious she’s been treated with a lot of love in her young life.”
“Yeah. Well, loving her is easy.” He shifted Brittany to his other arm and stuck out his hand. “Thanks for all you’ve done. I’ll spend the weekend finding something more permanent.”
She accepted his handshake, fighting to ignore the heat she knew would follow his touch. “You don’t have to, Thad. I love taking care of Brittany.”
He shook his head, determined to do this. He’d been giving it a great deal of thought. He simply couldn’t impose on Heather and Joe any longer. Besides, he was beginning to feel a little too…comfortable with this arrangement. It was time to sever this connection before it got even more comfortable.
“You two have work to do. And it won’t get done if you’re spending all your time baby-sitting.” He turned to the little girl in his arms. “Can you say thank-you to Heather and Uncle Joe for the grand week you’ve spent with them?”
She dimpled. “Thank you, Heather. Thank you, Uncle Joe.” Then she surprised them by holding out her arms to Heather. “Kisses,” she demanded.
Heather took her from Thad and was immediately covered with baby kisses. She gathered the little girl close, breathing her in, and found herself wondering how she’d lived for so long without something this special in her life.
She never would have believed that something as simple as caring for the needs of a little girl could transform her life so completely. She’d never felt so satisfied as she had this week. How could corporate work compare with the challenge of keeping up with one tiny whirlwind?
When Thad tried to take her back, Brittany’s little arms tightened around Heather’s neck. “No, Daddy. I want Heather to carry me to the car.”
Heather laughed. “I bribed her to say that. Next I’m going to teach her to say she loves me best.”
Thad gave a rumble of laughter. “A word of warning. My patience only stretches so thin. I can tolerate a lot of things, but not that. If I’m not number one in my daughter’s life, I may have to make the life of a certain party awfully miserable until she backs off. Understood?”
“Oh yes. I hear you loud and clear, Detective.” Still laughing, Heather led the way, with Thad following.
Joe crossed his arms over his chest and leaned a hip against his desk, considering. If he didn’t know better, he’d say there was some kind of chemistry between his niece and this hard-boiled detective. Not that he’d mind. He thought the world of both of them. Still, he was pretty sure Heather’s father and mother had other plans for her. Not to mention his brother, Graham, who was hoping for a match between Heather and his son, Jackson.
Joe watched through the window as the couple stood by Thad’s car, the little girl between them. Even from this distance, their body language spoke volumes as Heather handed Brittany over to Thad.
Joe wondered if either of them was listening to what their bodies were saying.
Not that it mattered. They’d hear the whispers in time. Whispers that would grow louder with every passing day.
Suddenly he threw back his head and roared with laughter. Wait until they discovered that love had a way of sneaking up on a couple when they least expected it.
He’d pay a fortune to see the looks on their faces when the knowledge finally dawned.
Nine
Heather was in her room, lost in her favorite futuristic detective novel, when her cell phone rang.
The sound of Thad’s voice caught her by surprise. “Thad, what’s wrong?”
“I’m sorry to bother you so late, but I didn’t have anyone else to turn to. My neighbors all seem to be out. Nobody’s answering their phones. I have this whole network of friends I can turn to in an emergency, but I can’t find any of them just now when I need them.”
“What is it, Thad?” Her heart did a little flip. “Is it Brittany?”
“Yeah. A fever. I just talked to her pediatrician, and I need to run out for some medicine. The only trouble is, I can’t leave her alone, and I hate to take her out when she’s so sick.”
“I’ll be right there. Just give me directions.”
She listened carefully, writing down the directions to his place, before disconnecting and grabbing up her purse. Downstairs she went in search of her uncle and found him still at his desk.
“Thad just called. He needs me to stay with Brittany while he picks up some medicine.”
Joe reached into his pocket and tossed her a set of keys. “Take the Land Rover. It’s parked in the drive.”
“Thanks, Uncle Joe. I appreciate this.”
He waved aside her words. “We have more than enough cars around this ranch. But be sure and take your phone with you, sweetheart.”
She held it up. “I have it. I don’t know when I’ll be back.”
“Don’t worry about a thing. Just take care of that sweet little g
irl.”
She brushed a kiss over his cheek and hurried out the door.
Joe glanced at the clock on his desk. Almost midnight on a Friday night.
If he were a betting man, he’d take odds that this weekend could mark the beginning of a whole new chapter in the life of his niece and Detective Thad Law.
After all, fireworks of any kind were best experienced after dark.
If the fireworks that had been building between these two were dazzling enough, he wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t see her again until Monday.
Thad was standing in the doorway of his apartment when Heather hurried up the walk. In his arms was his little daughter, holding tightly to him.
His face was tight with worry. His voice a growl of frustration. “What took you so long?”
She didn’t bother to tell him she’d broken every speed limit between here and the ranch. And now that she knew him better, she understood that his bark was worse than his bite. Besides, he wasn’t angry. He was scared. Like any father would be. She touched a hand to the little girl’s forehead and could feel the heat radiating from her.
“Have you sponged her?”
“The doctor didn’t say anything about sponging her. He just told me to pick up a fever reducer.”
“All right.” She held out her arms. “Why don’t you see to that, and I’ll sponge her with cool water.” As she took the child from him she asked, “Where’s her room? She needs to be in her bed.”
“Right through that hallway.”
He was already out the door before Heather had time to drop her purse on a nearby table.
“All right now, honey.” Heather carried the weeping child to her bed and realized that the pillowcase was damp with sweat and tears. Working quickly she changed the bedding. “You lie here and I’m going to make you feel cooler.”
By the time Thad returned, Brittany was lying on clean sheets, a cool cloth on her forehead. Heather had dimmed the lights, and a tape of children’s lullabies played softly in the background.
Heather had positioned a chair beside the bed, so that she could hold the little girl’s hand in hers. She was a sea of calm in a scene that had been, just an hour earlier, frantic chaos.
Thad removed a bottle of red liquid from a bag and read the directions before holding the measuring dropper to Brittany’s lips. She swallowed, then surprised him by saying, “That tastes good, Daddy. Is it soda?”
When he nodded, Heather gently corrected him by saying, “What your daddy meant to say is that it’s medicine, honey. And you can only take it when your father gives his permission. Do you understand?”
“Is that right, Daddy? Is it medicine?”
Thad realized his mistake instantly, and felt a wave of gratitude for this young woman’s quick thinking. By suggesting that good-tasting medicine was something as harmless as soda, he could have invited disaster.
“Heather is right, honey. This is medicine to make you feel better. You should never taste it unless I say so.”
“Okay.” In the little girl’s mind, the incident was already forgotten. “Heather was telling me a story, Daddy. Do you want to hear it?”
He sighed, feeling utterly exhausted. After putting in a full day at the ranch, and then finding Brittany burning with an unexplained fever, and having no one nearby to call on, his nerves had taken a tremendous beating. “Yeah. I’d like that.”
“Then you have to lie here beside me and be real quiet, Daddy.” She patted the bed.
With a grin he eased off his shoes and stretched out beside his daughter, gathering her close.
Heather glanced at the little girl. “Do you want me to start over, or just tell you the end?”
“You have to start all over, so Daddy knows the story, too.”
“Okay.” Heather felt a warm glow at the way the child snuggled against her father’s big chest. “Like all good stories, it has to begin with Once Upon A Time.”
Brittany’s voice took up the story. “There was a beautiful princess named Brittany, who lived in the magical kingdom of California. And she had a horse that could fly and a puppy that could talk. In people language.” Hearing her father’s chuckle she turned her head. “Do you already know this story, Daddy?”
“No. I don’t believe I do.”
“Then you can’t laugh, Daddy. You have to listen.”
He studied Heather as she sat beside the bed. She was wearing some sort of gauzy midriff blouse that clung to her curves in the most delicious way. And narrow drawstring pants in the same gauzy material. Between the top and pants was an enticing strip of naked skin. It was, he realized, just enough to make a man drool.
Or make him crazy.
To keep from staring at forbidden fruit he closed his eyes and pressed his lips to his little girl’s cheek. And listened as Heather’s voice washed over him. He’d never felt so relieved, or so relaxed. With his daughter no longer crying, and his fears beginning to dissolve, he let himself drift on a cloud of contentment, while that velvet voice continued to soothe and lull.
It was the last coherent thought he had before he slept.
Heather watched as father and daughter slept side by side. They were such a contrast. This great bear of a man and the tiny, delicate China doll. But there was no denying that Brittany was her father’s daughter. The same raven hair, and those soulful eyes, like deep pools that could, with a single look, pull her in.
They’d both managed to wrap themselves around her heart. And now Heather was bound, as firmly as though she’d been chained to them.
She hadn’t meant for this to happen. In fact, it was the last thing she’d wanted. She’d come here to Prosperino seeking freedom. And a man with a four-year-old child would hardly equal that. Especially one as tough and demanding as Thad Law. But there it was. She’d lost her heart to both of them. It was hard now to remember which one had come first. Had it been Thad, with that tough-guy attitude and that take-charge approach? Or had it been this sweet little charmer who, with a single smile, could move mountains and melt hearts?
She allowed herself to study the man, who looked so different now that he was asleep. The harsh planes and angles of his face softened into a smile. Those long dark lashes cast mysterious shadows over his cheeks. A strand of dark hair fell rakishly over his forehead and she had an almost overwhelming desire to brush it aside.
Instead she leaned forward and touched a hand to Brittany’s forehead. The medicine had done the trick. The fever was gone, at least for the time being. She was sleeping peacefully.
Heather tiptoed out of the room and quietly closed the door.
Then she took the time to look around. The rooms reflected the man and child who lived here. A stack of books rested on the table beside a comfortable chair, the titles reflecting a wide range of interests: Law and Civil Disobedience, Understanding the Criminal Mind, How To Explain Death to a Child.
Heather felt a tug at her heart as she read the last title and glanced at the framed photograph on a shelf. In it Thad stood proudly beside a beautiful blond woman holding a newborn baby who could only be Brittany. The same little turned-up nose, a cap of dark hair and her father’s eyes.
Heather moved closer, to study the woman. She could see no trace of her in little Brittany.
She felt such a wave of sadness at the thought of a baby losing her mother at such a tender age.
To distract herself from such thoughts she turned back to the stack of books. There was a smattering of fiction novels, and several dog-eared children’s bedtime stories.
It pleased her to think about Thad reading to his little daughter. The image of the two asleep in the next room caused her to smile.
Across the room Heather knelt to study a beautiful dollhouse. On closer inspection she realized it had been handmade, the shell constructed of wood. The interior walls had been papered and painted, the floors covered with colorful rugs. It was fully furnished, even down to the pictures on the walls, which looked as though they’d been cut from
magazines and then framed with tiny ribbons.
“The only thing she wanted for her birthday was a dollhouse.”
At the sound of Thad’s voice Heather looked up to see him standing in the doorway watching her.
“Not like the ones in the stores, but a very special dollhouse that she described to me in great detail every night before she fell asleep. It took me the better part of six months, but I managed to have it finished in time for her birthday.”
Heather straightened, feeling suddenly overwhelmed by his presence. “Brittany must have been thrilled.”
“Yeah. It’s her favorite thing to play with.”
“It’s so perfect, I’m…speechless.”
“Because a big clumsy guy like me could make something so delicate?”
She shook her head. “No, Thad. I’m in awe of you. You seem to have this amazing ability to balance your personal and professional life, despite enormous odds.”
He smiled. “The professional life’s easy.” He pulled the bedroom door closed and took a step closer. “As for the personal life, except for Brittany, there is none.”
“Is that the way you want it?”
The way she spoke the words had him going very still. “I’ve learned that I can’t always have what I want.”
“And what is it you want, Thad?”
He remained where he was. Afraid to step closer. Afraid that if he did he might do something foolish.
“What I want for myself doesn’t matter nearly as much as what I want for my daughter.” His tone lowered, softened. “I want that magical kingdom for her. With the flying horse and the puppy that talks people language.”
Heather smiled. “That’s easy. Any place where her daddy is will become her magical kingdom. As for the horse, she’ll be old enough to ride in a few years, and she’ll feel like she’s flying once she takes the reins and sets off by herself across a field.”
“Okay. How about the talking dog?”
She laughed. “Have you ever seen a child and a puppy? Put them together and within minutes they’re speaking the same language.”
