“Well, then. That’s good.”
And Sally supposed it was. Until Molly found out that he wasn’t her neighbor. Being an undercover FBI agent could put a sudden dampener on a relationship, too. Especially for someone who valued honesty above everything else.
Molly picked up her cup. “Have you seen Max since Monday?”
Sally shook her head.
“What about Todd?”
When Sally shook her head again, Molly looked confused. “Why not? I thought you liked him?”
“It’s complicated,” Sally muttered. More complicated than she’d ever known it would be. Over a week ago, he’d kissed her and she’d kissed him. And if that wasn’t enough to worry about, a crazy drug lord was after them and two FBI agents were pretending to be people she knew. There was nothing normal about anything in her life, including Todd Randall.
“Complications aren’t always a bad thing. Tea?” Molly held the teapot toward Sally.
After the week she’d had, Sally decided she deserved to indulge in a drink that wasn’t water. Tea couldn’t be as bad as coffee, or maybe it was? She took a mug from the cupboard and handed it to Molly.
At least having a cup of tea wouldn’t kill her.
***
The first official day of the barn clean-up came around fast. Over the last few days, Todd had been helping to move the machinery, old boxes, and household paraphernalia that had been stored in there for years.
He should have felt happy that they were one step closer to having the wedding out of the way, but he wasn’t. He’d been worried all day. Worried about the strangers on his ranch, worried that someone would get hurt. Worried for the sake of worrying.
He had to keep reminding himself that nothing had happened. Everyone was having a good time, the barn was cleaner than he’d ever seen it, and the sun was shining.
He walked across to a table someone had set up under an oak tree. He smiled at a heavily pregnant woman and took the glass of juice she held out. “Thanks.”
“Help yourself to something to eat,” she said. “I’d recommend the lemon coconut cake.”
The table was laden with cakes, muffins, cookies, and fresh fruit. He chose a slice of cake and ate it as he watched the activity around him.
“It’s going well,” Dylan said from beside him. “Once we give the floor a final clean, we’ll be done for the day. Is everything okay?”
Todd kept his gaze on Sally. She’d been working hard, helping coordinate everyone so they didn’t waste time working over the top of each other. Her two FBI special agents had thrown themselves into the clean-up, too. Between the men Dylan had brought with him and the FBI, the President of the United States couldn’t have been safer.
“Todd?”
He blinked, then turned to Dylan. “Sorry. I was miles away.”
“You okay?”
“Trying to be.” He sighed. “It’s not knowing what’s going to happen that’s the hardest part.”
Dylan touched his shoulder. “It won’t be long now.”
“I hope not.” He watched a group of men walk around the back of the barn with a box of tools. “Wayne was going to turn the generator on and check the fairy lights. Do you know how that went?”
Dylan shook his head. “Haven’t got a clue.”
Sally disappeared back inside the barn with a bucket of water. Apart from saying hello this morning, Todd hadn’t spoken to her for five days. He didn’t know how she was coping with all of the extra security protection, or what she thought of being pulled into his messy life.
Todd glanced at Dylan. “Do you think I was crazy going after Emma and Josh’s killers?” Dylan didn’t say anything. “You do, don’t you?”
“You did what you needed to do. Why are you second-guessing yourself now?”
Todd wasn’t sure how to put into words what was going on inside of him. He was confused, worried, and so stressed that he couldn’t sleep at night. Carolyn and Wayne’s wedding was a distraction, but it was also dangerous. More people on the ranch meant more opportunities for Mitch and his merry men to cause havoc.
Dylan reached for an oatmeal cookie. “The FBI aren’t the only ones that have got Mitch covered. With me and Fletcher Security beside you, he won’t get a chance to get close to you or Sally.”
“I hope you’re right,” Todd said doubtfully.
“Have I ever let you down?”
Even when Todd had called Dylan as a last resort, he’d always dropped everything and helped him. More than once, he’d saved Todd’s life. And more than once, Dylan had called him an idiot. Todd hadn’t argued, because he’d been right. But from here on in he didn’t want to be reckless or unprepared.
One of the FBI special agents looking after Sally came out of the barn. “What do you think their lives are really like?” Todd asked.
Dylan crossed his arms in front of his chest. “I imagine it’s the kind of job you either like or leave. A lot of them have police or Military backgrounds. They’re used to working odd hours, having no family life, and living on the edge of normal.”
“Did you ever consider doing anything other than security when you left the Army?”
Dylan frowned. “When I left the Army I was a mess. It took me over a year to be able to live anything close to a normal life. If it wasn’t for John Fletcher, I probably would have ended up on the street. Where are your bodyguards?”
“One just went inside the barn. The other one’s on the other side of the tree, probably listening to everything we’re saying.”
Jason Elliott poked his head around the trunk of the tree and smiled.
A pager beeped somewhere close to Todd and Jason looked down. The relaxed, easygoing special agent from moments before was gone.
Jason moved quickly around the tree and pushed Todd forward. “Walk toward the house. Now.”
Todd’s body started moving before he’d registered what the special agent had said. He walked fast, looking around trying to see if Sally was following them.
“Move.”
“What about Sally?”
“Don’t worry about her,” Dylan said quickly. “I’ve got her covered.” He tore across the yard, heading toward the barn.
A four-wheeler appeared out of nowhere. Jason pushed Todd onto the back of the bike. Within minutes, he was back at the house, throwing the front door open. Carolyn was standing in the entrance with a container of salad in her hands.
“Is everything okay?” she asked.
Todd glanced at the special agent behind him. “We’re playing hide and seek with a couple of the kids. Don’t tell them where you’ve seen us.”
Carolyn looked between Todd and his bodyguard. “You’ve got my word, but you’d better find somewhere else to stand. They’ll find you in two seconds flat in here.”
The special agent pushed Todd toward the basement. “Down there.”
Todd hadn’t been in his basement for months. He hated dark, musty places almost as much as he hated the thought of dying.
“Where’s your gun?”
“In my room.”
The special agent looked at him as if he was mad. “Get it. I’ll follow you.”
Todd rushed toward his bedroom. He grabbed the gun, unlocked his ammunition cupboard and walked quickly back to the basement. “What’s happening?”
“Two men are coming down the driveway. They weren’t on our list, so until they get clearance, you and Sally aren’t standing outside.”
“You don’t really think Mitch’s henchmen would drive up to a barn clean-up, do you?”
The special agent opened the basement door. “You want to risk it?”
Todd didn’t need to think about his answer. He stepped into the basement and closed the door.
***
Sally walked to the far corner of the loft, terrified to do more than sit. Dominique had pushed her up the stairs faster than she’d ever gone. Someone was coming down the dirt driveway, someone that could be part of the gang that was after her
and Todd.
Dominique had told her not to move until she came and got her. It was hard not to peek out of the dirty window overlooking Todd’s ranch, or move toward the edge of the loft to see what was going on. Dominique and Alastair had already warned her about the stupidity of being here today. But some things couldn’t be changed, and helping a bride was one of them. Everyone had been security checked, it should have been a relaxed day in the sun. Except for the vehicle coming down the driveway.
Sally glanced at the ladder. She could hear raised voices, the sound of everyone else’s friendly chatter and good-natured ribbing getting softer as they heard what was being said. The wooden ladder creaked, and Matthew stuck his head through the gap in the floor.
“You okay?” He hoisted himself up and headed across to her.
Sally nodded. “Is it over?”
“Not yet. One of Dylan’s security guards stopped two guys halfway along the driveway. He’s sent their names and pictures to the FBI. They’re running them through their database now.”
Sally closed her eyes and leaned her head against the barn wall.
“You need to keep away from Todd.”
Matthew’s quiet words hurt something deep inside of her. She opened her eyes and stared at him. “I have been.”
“Why are you here, then? There are plenty of other people helping. You didn’t need to come out to Todd’s ranch.”
Sally looked closely at her brother. He was angry, trying to hold back what was really bugging him. “I’m not letting someone else tell me how to live my life. Some things are more important than being careful all of the time.”
“If you think cleaning a barn counts as something important, you’re nuts.”
She tilted her head to the side. “I’m too tired to get angry with you. Why are you really upset?”
Matthew didn’t say anything, but the softening of his eyes was enough to let her know that he was here because he loved her. “You’re my little sister. I don’t want anything to happen to you.” He walked across the loft and sat beside her. “Todd’s family died because they were close to him. You need to leave him alone. He can sort out his own problems.”
Sally’s eyes misted over. “It’s too late. I’ve kept my distance all week, but it hasn’t made any difference. People like Mitch Zambezi don’t care who they hurt. It wouldn’t matter who I was or where I lived. Todd has a chance of putting this guy away for good. I’m not going to be the person that stops him from testifying.”
“Has anyone ever told you what a pain in the butt you are?”
Sally leaned sideways and nudged her brother’s shoulder. “Yeah, you.”
Matthew’s lips twitched. “I always knew mom and dad should have stopped after they had Sean and I. As soon as I saw your scrawny little body I knew you’d be trouble.”
“Considering I’m only twelve months younger than you, I’d say you must have been a perceptive kid.”
Matthew smiled. “That’s me. I’ve always been advanced for my age.”
Sally rolled her eyes. “That’s not what your girlfriends tell me.”
“Considering I haven’t had a girlfriend in months, I’d say your information is out of date.”
Sally’s gaze locked on Dominique as she hoisted herself off the ladder.
“False alarm. You can go back to the clean-up now.”
Matthew looked between the two women. “That’s it? Who were they?”
“Cousins of the groom-to-be. They had a barbecue and all of the meat in the back of their truck.”
“I can see how that would raise a special agent’s curiosity,” Matthew growled. “You can’t be too careful around barbecue wielding cowboys.”
Dominique gave him a hard stare. “You’re picking on the wrong person. Deal with it. We’re doing our job.”
Sally stood up. “You’d better listen to Dominique. She’s tougher than she looks.”
Matthew glanced at Dominique, and Sally knew what he was thinking. At six-foot tall, Dominique Rodriguez was a sight to behold. With her dark hair and muscular build, she looked more like a pro wrestler than a special agent.
Matthew got to his feet. “Let’s go downstairs and face the masses. As long as no one’s shot the barbecue, we’ll be fine.”
Dominique gave him a withering stare before going down the ladder. Matthew followed her. By the look on his face, he still wasn’t happy about what was going on.
Sally took a deep breath. Before she left the loft, she looked at what they’d achieved. If nothing else, it helped to put the last few minutes into perspective. The floor was almost clean, the cobwebs were less obvious than when they’d started. If the walls of the barn could talk, she knew there’d be a lot of interesting stories to tell.
“Are you okay?” Todd climbed through the hatch into the loft. He looked worried, more worried than Sally had ever seen him.
“I’m fine.” She tried to keep her voice light, not add to the weight sitting on his shoulders. “At least the barbecue guys got here.”
“They thought it was Mitch and one of his gang members.”
Sally nodded. There wasn’t a lot she could say. “How are you feeling?”
“Not good. I keep telling you I’m sorry, but it’s not helping. But I am. Sorry, that is.”
“Matthew told me I should stay away from you.”
Todd stuck his hands in his pockets. “He told me the same thing, too.”
Sally took a step closer to Todd. “I like spending time with you, but I know it’s not safe for either of us. So I’d like to do some forward planning.”
Todd frowned. “I don’t understand.”
“I’d like to ask you out on a date. Not now, but when this is all over. We could go to the movies, or have lunch at a café, or spend the time doing something else. What do you think?”
“I…I don’t know. I haven’t been on a date since I met Emma.”
“It doesn’t matter.” She tried to act as though it was no big deal, that she didn’t care one way or another if Todd went on a date with her. But it did matter. It mattered more than she thought it would.
“Are you sure you want to spend time with me?”
Todd looked so unsure of himself that Sally walked up to him and gave him a quick hug. She stepped away before she got used to being close. “Of course I’m sure. Apart from dad, you’re the only man I know that would have taken two orphaned goats and an Irish wolfhound into your home. That’s got to count for something?”
“It doesn’t make up for a drug lord and murderer on the loose.”
“It does to Max and the nanny goat. And it does to me, too,” she added quietly.
Todd’s mouth tilted into a half-smile. “I guess I’ve got a chance of being redeemed, then.”
Sally grinned back at him. “I wouldn’t go that far. But if you’ve got the room, the shelter’s got a litter of kittens that need a new home?”
Todd frowned. “Maybe two, but that’s my limit.”
“Are you sure you only want two?” Sally reached out and ran her hand along the buttons on Todd’s shirt.
“If I wasn’t so rusty, I’d swear you were flirting with me. It’s just as well I know you like me because I look after your animals.”
“I like you for other reasons, too.”
“You do?”
Sally nodded. “You’re thoughtful and kind. You care about your friends and don’t mind bossy women from The Bridesmaids Club taking over your ranch for the weekend.”
“That’s because I like one of the bossy women in particular.”
Maybe it was the stress of having a criminal after her, or maybe it was because she liked Todd more than she’d told him. Either way, she was incredibly pleased that he liked bossy women.
“And just for the record…” Todd stepped closer. “Nanny and her kid weren’t supposed to be permanent. But I’m always open for negotiation.”
Sally fanned her face with her hand. “I thought you said you were rusty?”
Todd’s smile turned twice as lethal and twice as hot. “I’m a fast learner.”
And then he leaned forward and showed her just how fast he was.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Sally found the casserole dish Annie wanted and passed it to her. “Are you going to put dumplings on top of this one?”
Annie nodded. “I’ll add some mixed herbs and garlic to the dough. Everyone enjoyed them last week.”
For the last three days, Sally had been helping Annie in her commercial kitchen. Mitch Zambezi was somewhere in Montana. The special agents looking after her had told her not to go back to work. The FBI was ready to charge Mitch with a mile long list of felonies, including the murder of Todd’s family. Now all they had to do was find him.
Sally went back to her own mixing bowl. She picked up the spoon she’d left on the counter and started creaming the butter and sugar. “I’m getting better at baking since I’ve been here.”
Annie smiled. “You have. And what’s better is that you’re out of your house and somewhere safe.”
Sally didn’t know how she would have gotten through the last few days without Annie’s help. She’d become paranoid whenever she stepped outside, certain that Mitch, or one of his gang, would be waiting to finish off what they’d come here to do.
Her imagination had worked overtime, keeping her awake at night and grumpy during the day.
“How’s Todd holding out?”
“He’s okay,” Sally said softly. “I haven’t seen him since we cleaned the barn. He called me the other day and said that Max misses me.”
“Are you sure it’s only Max that misses you?”
Sally put an egg yolk and some lemon juice into the bowl. “We like each other, but we’re not like you and Dylan.”
“Everyone has to start somewhere.”
“But not everyone falls in love.” Sally tipped some grated lemon and orange peel into her bowl and beat the mixture until it was light and fluffy. She wouldn’t tell Annie how she really felt about Todd. He was a great guy. He made her happy. He tolerated her addiction to finding homes for unwanted animals. He didn’t even mind her brothers’ over-protective behavior. And if he wasn’t still grieving for his wife and son, he would have made a wonderful boyfriend.
Head Over Heels (The Bridesmaids Club Book 3) Page 12
