Within seconds the door unlocked and he made his way into the reception area. Matthew came out of a corridor and met him halfway across the room. “She’s all right, just a bit shaky.”
“Take me to her.” Todd followed Matthew’s fast stride through a double set of doors. He’d been on his way to the veterinary clinic when Matthew called. He’d jammed on his brakes so damn fast that the car behind him almost slammed into his truck. With nothing in his head except making sure Sally was safe, he’d raced across town in record time.
The kitchen was organized chaos. Dylan and another guy were standing beside Annie. A police officer was checking the security footage on the monitor beside them and another two officers were talking quietly. He ignored everyone except Sally. She was sitting beside a woman wearing an orange shirt, sipping a hot cup of something and doing her best not to cry.
When she saw him, Sally’s eyes filled with tears.
He held her gaze as he walked toward her. “Are you okay?”
She nodded. “The police are questioning the driver now.”
He looked quickly around the kitchen. He’d kill the bastard with his own hands if he was in the room. Whoever had been in the pickup had terrified Sally and it wouldn’t happen again.
“He’s not here. They’ve taken him to the police station.” Sally bit her bottom lip. “I thought you were over-reacting with all of the bodyguard stuff. I was wrong. I’m sorry.”
Todd pulled her into his arms and she buried her head in his shoulder. Even though Sally was nearly as tall as he was, she felt small and fragile in his arms. “You’re trembling.”
Her deep shuddering breaths tore at something deep inside of him. He didn’t want her to feel vulnerable or scared. No one except Mitch Zambezi could be behind what had happened. Mitch knew next to nothing about Sally, but he’d pulled her into his deranged world. He’d wanted to send a warning to Todd, and it was a warning he couldn’t ignore.
Sally clung to his shirt for a few more seconds, then stepped back.
He gently wiped the tears from her face. “Do you want something to drink?”
A small smile tugged at her lips. “Matthew made me a cup of coffee as soon as the police arrived. It was the foulest brew I’ve ever tasted.”
“I heard that,” Matthew said from behind them. “It’s just as well I love you. Otherwise, you’d be coffeeless for the rest of your life.”
Todd was glad to hear Sally’s snort of amusement. At least she still had a sense of humor after being scared witless.
A female police officer walked toward them. “Are you Todd Randall?”
The question irritated him. He didn’t know who else Sally would be hugging, but he was damn sure it wouldn’t be anyone who wasn’t related to her.
The police officer waited for his answer. He cut the dialog going through his head into the bare essentials. “That’s me.”
“I’ve got a message for you from Dan Carter, our Deputy Chief of Police. He wanted me to tell you that Detective Munroe is on his way here from New York. He’ll call you when he arrives.”
“Have you arrested the person driving the pickup?”
The police officer’s gaze was steady. “We’ve taken him to the police station for questioning.”
“That’s all?” Todd couldn’t help the anger boiling inside of him. It didn’t matter that he knew they were following due process. A potential killer had been following Sally around for nearly a week. If it were up to him, he would have shoved the driver in a cell and thrown away the key.
“I realize this must be frustrating for you, sir. I’ve taken statements from Ms. Gray and her brother. They’re free to leave.”
He stared at the young police officer. “Aren’t you worried that someone else might look for Sally if the first guy is out of action?”
Dylan stepped away from Annie. “We’ve got that covered. Sally’s staying here with us until lunchtime. I’ll take her back to her parents’ ranch after that. Matthew and Sean are going to keep an eye on her for the rest of the day.”
Todd knew that it was a good plan, the safest they’d get. But he wasn’t happy. He might not have the combat or security experience that Dylan had, but he sure as hell was more street smart than Matthew and his brother.
Sally wouldn’t like what he had to say, but he was damned if he’d let her stay on her parents’ ranch without him. “You’ve got two choices…”
Sally arched her eyebrows.
“You can stay here with Dylan and I’ll pick you up at lunchtime, or you can come back with me to my ranch now.”
Matthew crossed his arms in front of his chest. “What’s wrong with her coming back to our ranch?”
“She’s safer with me.”
“Like hell,” Matthew growled. “If it wasn’t for you, we wouldn’t be here. Sally’s coming home with me, whether you like it or not.”
“Would you two stop it,” Sally hissed. “If you don’t calm down I’ll ignore both of you. I can look after myself.”
Matthew and Todd both started to speak.
Sally glared at them and they shut up fast. “After everything that’s happened, Annie’s behind on her baking schedule. I’m not going into work today, so I’ll help Annie until she’s caught up. Dylan’s going to stay with us. After that, I’ll call Todd and go out to his ranch with him. I haven’t seen Max for a while and I can help clean out the barn for Carolyn’s wedding. Todd can take me back to mom and dad’s ranch for the night. Tomorrow I’m going back to school.”
“We can talk about your job later. But for now, you’re better off staying at our ranch.” Matthew had a stubborn look on his face. “We’ve got more people around.”
Sally glared at her brother. “Here’s a suggestion. If you’re worried about a lack of people on Todd’s ranch, how about you and Sean join us? You can help clean the barn. That way you’ll be able to look out for me and do something useful at the same time.”
Her plan sounded okay to Todd, but Matthew still looked annoyed.
“I don’t like any of this,” Matthew said. “You need to stay away from Todd, not spend more time with him.”
Sally looked straight into her brother’s eyes. “Do you really think it matters where I go? If Todd’s right about the reason the psycho guy’s here, I could move to Florida and someone would still come after me.”
Matthew glared at Todd, then at his sister. “Someone had better tell me why you were being followed in the first place.”
Todd moved forward, half shielding Sally from her brother. “My wife and son were murdered by a drug lord from New York. The FBI is putting a case together against him and it involves me. He must have found out.”
“You’re joking?”
Todd shook his head. “I wish I was.”
Some of the anger in Matthew’s face disappeared, but not all of it. “I’m sorry about your family. But I don’t want the same thing happening to my sister. You need to stay away from her.”
Sally pushed Todd out of the way. “It’s not your decision to make. Now stop acting like Neanderthals and get out of here. Annie and I have work to do.”
Matthew frowned at his sister. “Have you told Annie you can’t boil an egg without burning it?”
Sally stuck her hands on her hips and glared at her brother. “Go away.” Todd started to smile, but she cut the smile off his face quick-smart. “You, too. We don’t need an audience while we catch up with the orders.”
Dylan walked across the room toward them. “You heard the lady. Move…”
Todd glanced at Matthew. Matthew stared back. If Sally’s life hadn’t been in danger, he might have seen the funny side of the situation. But there was nothing funny about the decisions they had to make from here on in. Whether Sally liked it or not, she wasn’t going to have one minute to herself for the foreseeable future.
Matthew must have realized the same thing. “You and I need to talk.”
“No fighting,” Sally warned. “If I see any grazes or bru
ises on either of you, I won’t speak to you again.”
Matthew snorted. “And that’s supposed to stop us?”
“It had better, Matthew Allen Gray, or I’ll tell dad you’ve been acting like an idiot.”
“I’m not the only one,” he muttered.
“Maybe not, but that’s no excuse. You’d better get back to the ranch. Sean will think you’re deliberately trying to get out of work.”
Matthew grabbed his hat off the counter and gave Todd one last stare. “I want an update on how Sally is every hour. You’d better make sure she’s safe.”
Todd nodded.
Matthew glanced at his sister. “And if you don’t listen to Dylan or Todd, I’ll never let you leave the ranch again. And I don’t care what dad would say.”
Sally glared at her brother, but didn’t say anything. Matthew took her silence for what it was and left the kitchen.
She turned to Todd. “You next.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He kissed her quickly on the lips. “Call me when you’re finished.”
If he hadn’t moved fast, he had a feeling Sally would have stomped on his foot. She looked hopping mad and ready to explode. He glanced at Dylan and smiled. “Call me if you need anything.”
And then, against every instinct screaming at him to stay, he left.
***
Sally heaved another shovel full of hay out of the loft. It was eight hours after the black SUV had stopped outside Dylan’s storage facility. She’d been right about one thing. The hard physical exercise had taken her mind off Mr. Scumbag Zambezi and placed it very firmly on her aching body.
“Watch where you’re throwing that stuff,” Matthew yelled from below her. “I’m trying to tie a chain around this damn piece of machinery.”
Sally heard Matthew grunt, then a tractor engine start outside.
“Sean’s going to kill us all with carbon monoxide poisoning,” Sally yelled. “Tell him to move the engine fast.”
All afternoon, Sally, her two brothers, and Todd, had been clearing decade’s worth of trash out of the barn. The only way they’d been able to move the heavy steel machinery was to use a tractor. And that meant plenty of chains, smelly exhaust, and more than one curse when their moving prowess went wrong.
Matthew yelled something at Sean and he cut the tractor’s engine. Sally leaned over the side of the loft. Matthew wrapped a heavy metal chain under the raised edge of the engine in front of him. They were trying hard not to damage the stone floor of the barn, but it wasn’t easy.
“Okay, turn the tractor on and lift slowly.” Matthew held one edge of the engine they were moving, walking alongside it to make sure nothing came unstuck.
The noise of the tractor rattled Sally’s brain, but it was better than having to dismantle the machinery to move it. Each piece of steel was built strong, tough, and heavy. Everything they didn’t want for a quick clean-up.
Once Matthew disappeared out the doors of the barn, she started shoveling again. There was so much hay, that Todd had decided to move it into another lean-to on the ranch.
“How are you going up there, sis?”
Sean must have gotten tired of sitting on his bottom in an air-conditioned cab. “Just fine. How’s the back-breaking work inside the tractor going?”
“Now, now. There’s no need to be jealous.”
Sally dropped the fork she’d been using and picked up a different tool. It had a long wide blade across its base and a solid, wooden handle. With an almighty shove, she pushed a pile of hay over the edge of the loft.
A yelp of surprise filled the barn, followed by a deep, sexy laugh that could only belong to Todd. Damn.
“Are you trying to bury your brother, or teach him a lesson?” Todd yelled up at her.
Sally knew he couldn’t see her because she’d ducked behind another pile of hay.
“Sally?”
She sighed. “Don’t worry. I’m still here.” Sore muscles and a twitchy nose were the least of her worries. Todd, Sean, and Matthew had been constantly checking to make sure she hadn’t disappeared in a puff of smoke.
“Send another pile of hay over the edge,” Todd yelled. “Now that we’ve got the engine out of the way, we can start getting rid of everything else.”
Sally looked at what was left to move. One more pile wouldn’t clear all of the hay, but it looked a darn sight better than it had when she’d arrived. “Okay. It’ll only take me a couple of minutes.” She peeked over the edge of the loft.
Todd stared back. “I wouldn’t try it.”
With his cowboy hat pushed to the back of his head, and a smile that would make any woman nervous, she had to agree. “It never crossed my mind.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some hay that needs moving.”
Before Todd could say anything more, she scooped up a pile of hay and pushed it over the edge. Almost where Todd had been standing. All she heard was his chuckle as he left the barn.
Within minutes, the sound of a small engine filled the loft. Sally pushed another pile of hay overboard and sighed. She’d need a deep, hot bath tonight. One that involved lots of smelly potions and oils. She took another look around and decided she’d done enough for the day.
As she made her way down the rickety ladder, Matthew walked into the barn.
“Todd said we’re ready to clear out the hay. You okay?”
Sally stretched her back. “I’m fine.”
Her brother snorted. “Working in town has made you soft. You need to get back on the ranch to remember what a hard day’s work feels like.”
“I had twenty-three years of learning what hard work feels like, thank you very much. You can tell Sean that the loft is almost empty.”
Matthew looked at the hay piled around them. “Why would anyone want to get married in a barn?”
“That was my question, too,” Todd said.
Sally picked up an old broom and leaned against it. “You both know why. This barn means something to Carolyn.”
“Jake’s Hardware Store means something to me, too, but you won’t see me getting married there,” Matthew said with a frown.
Sally pointed the handle of the broom at her brother. “Where’s your sense of romance?”
Matthew swatted the broom away. “Buried under this hay. You’d better move or Sean’s going to run you over with the tractor.”
Sally looked over her shoulder at the orange tractor rumbling toward her.
Todd grabbed hold of her hand and pulled her out of the way. Little sparks of awareness shot along her skin and left her heart beating far too fast.
Todd didn’t seem to notice her hormonal dilemma, or if he did, he didn’t say anything. “Max is desperate for a walk. Do you want to join us?”
Sally glanced at the barn. She’d be safer with Sean and Matthew, even with all the dust and dirt they were kicking up.
Todd pointed at the mess in front of them. “There’s not much we can do while Sean’s clearing out the hay. We’ll be back in under an hour.”
Sean drove the tractor into the center of the barn. He lowered the bucket and within seconds had a full scoop of hay to get rid of. Sally coughed through the dust and rubbed her eyes. The thought of fresh air was too much of a temptation. So was Todd, but that was a problem she’d tackle another day.
“Okay,” she yelled over the noise Sean was making. She waved at Matthew to let him know she was leaving, then followed Todd out of the noisy barn. As soon as she was outside, she flicked her shirt, trying to get rid of the hay that had stuck everywhere. “Why is Max waiting to go for a walk? He’s got the whole ranch to run around in.”
“He hasn’t got used to living out here yet. Unless he’s chasing something, he won’t go far from the house without me.”
Max ran across the yard, straight at Sally. His big, goofy grin warmed her heart. “Hey, boy.” He skidded to a stop and nearly toppled over. “What have you been doing?” She kneeled down and wrapped her
arms around his body, hugging him tight.
“I guess you’re happy to see each other,” Todd said from above her.
She rubbed Max’s shaggy coat, then stood up and smiled. “I’ve missed him.”
“Yeah, I can see that.” Todd started walking toward the river and Sally and Max followed him.
She would have been happy enough to be out of the barn, but having Max with them was so much better. “Have you been giving Max the vitamins that Chris gave you?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Todd drawled. “I’ve been cleaning his teeth, too.”
“Does he try and give you sloppy kisses?”
“All the time.”
Sally grinned at Max. He lifted his head and his brown doggy eyes crinkled at the corners. It was almost as if he was sharing a secret joke with her. They’d been weekend buddies for the best part of six months before Todd came along. And even though Max was too big for her apartment, she missed his twinkly eyes and sweet, gentle nature.
“You’re too quiet. Should I be worried?” Todd asked.
Sally shook her head. “I was just thinking about Max and when he used to live with me. My apartment’s not the same without him.”
“You can come out here whenever you like.”
Sally wasn’t so sure that was a good idea. “Have you heard from the detective in New York?”
“No, not yet.” Todd walked quietly beside her. “I’m sorry for what’s happened.”
“You didn’t know they’d come after you.”
“I knew when I went to New York the last time that I was running out of options. I deliberately provoked Mitch and now he’s coming here.”
“You don’t know that.”
Todd picked up a stick and threw it into the air for Max. “He doesn’t like leaving things undone. Once the charges against him are official things will get bad, really fast.”
“It’s just as well I’ve got my personal bodyguards then, isn’t it?”
Todd’s face turned to stone. “Don’t underestimate what Mitch and his gang are capable of. They’ve already killed my wife and son.”
“I’m not underestimating them,” she said softly. “I don’t want them anywhere near me.”
Head Over Heels (The Bridesmaids Club Book 3) Page 10
