“There aren’t any guarantees, even if I leave the city. Any time you work in law enforcement you’re taking a risk. Being a cop is all I know.”
She laid her cheek against his shoulder. “Still, getting out of the city seems like a step in the right direction.”
His arms tightened. “I want to make love to you right here.”
“So what’s stopping you?” She lifted her face for his kiss. Desire slammed through her as his mouth covered hers, hot and wet. A single kiss ignited her to a fever pitch. She whimpered as she pressed against the bulge in his shorts.
“This is a public trail.” He groaned and cupped her bottom in his hands, drawing her closer still. “Anyone could come along.”
“Daisy will bark if she hears someone.”
Kane glanced at the dog lying in the shade of an old oak tree with eyes half closed. Her tail thumped the ground twice.
“Are you sure?”
“Pretty sure.” When his hand delved into her shorts, she gasped. “Right now I don’t care much. We’ll be quick and hope for the best.”
Kane stripped off her shorts and panties, dropping them in the grass. Tugging his own shorts down, he grasped her hips and lifted her in his arms. Her eyes widened as the length of him settled deep inside her, filling her body, mind and soul. His legs trembled as she jerked against him.
“Oh, my God, Kane. Oh, my God.” She threw her head back and gritting her teeth as the first wave of pleasure crashed over her.
He let out a yell and surged within her, sinking to his knees. They rested in the grass for a long moment, their bodies still joined.
Daisy stood and let out a short bark. Tail wagging, she stared up the trail.
Rachel scrambled into her shorts and stuffed her underwear into her pocket. When a man appeared on the trail above them, she was clothed but disheveled.
“Is everything okay? I thought I heard a shout.” He hesitated for a moment. “Rachel?”
She smiled weakly as he came closer. “Hi, Dennis.”
Dennis Olmstead stopped a few feet away. “I thought you were going into the city today.”
“I did. We just got back a little while ago.”
“Oh.” His eyes glazed as he studied her sweat dampened body and straggling ponytail. “I thought someone was hurt. Guess I was wrong.”
Kane cleared his throat. “Were you following us?”
Dennis’s face reddened. “No, I was out hiking. I hike out here a lot.” His gaze moved from Kane’s bare chest to Rachel’s flushed cheeks. “I won’t keep you, and I won’t bother you anymore. I get the picture.”
“Dennis...”
He left without a backward look.
“That was certainly interesting.”
The man disappeared down the hillside.
Rachel pushed a hand through her hair. “Do you think he’s the one? Do you think he’ll leave me alone now?”
“I wouldn’t count on it. He looked pretty angry.”
“I think it was mostly embarrassment.”
He glanced over. “That, too. I’m pretty sure he knew what we were doing.”
“Oh, God. If he isn’t my stalker, how am I ever going to face him again?”
“You won’t have to. If he isn’t your stalker, he’ll avoid you like the plague. Don’t worry about it.”
“I’ll try not to.” She drew a long breath. “Well, that little encounter certainly killed the mood. We may as well head home.”
Kane pushed a curling strand of hair away from her face. “We’ll get this son of a bitch, Rachel. Whoever he is, I swear to you we’ll get him.”
With her eyes closed, she gave a short nod then opened them and took off running with Kane close behind.
Holiday traffic was heavy on the main road, and Rachel kept Daisy close to her side when they neared town. Kane touched her arm as a sports car and a pickup slowed then sped past. When they reached the house, she collapsed into one of the wicker chairs on the front porch.
“That was quite a run.”
He took the chair opposite hers and smiled. “I can honestly say I’ve never enjoyed exercising more.”
Heat that had nothing to do with exertion suffused her cheeks. “I don’t know what I was thinking, doing what we did. If Dennis had come along two minutes sooner…”
“Hmm…that might be a good idea.”
Rachel pushed to her feet then turned to face him. “What are you talking about?”
“Putting on a show for our Peeping Tom. If we piss him off enough, he may show himself. Then I’ll bust his ass.”
Her eyes widened. “You want to make love while some pervert watches?”
“We won’t take it to that extreme. A little kissing and touching with the curtains open should do the trick.”
“What if he isn’t watching?”
Kane ran a finger down the length of her thigh. “Making out with you isn’t exactly a chore. Since we’ll have to miss the fireworks show tonight, we’ll make our own.”
“I almost hope he doesn’t show up.” She reached down to pull him out of his chair. “Let’s go see what there is to eat. Lunch was hours ago, and I’m going to need sustenance to pull this off.”
* * * *
He stood on his toes and stretched to reach the top shelf of the closet. Moving aside his winter sweaters, he pulled down a plastic box and carried it to the table to open the lid. A revolver rested on the padded lining. The metal of the short barrel gleamed dully beneath the light. His hands shook as he inserted a clip and checked the safety.
Lafferty needed to be taught a lesson. Jordan had looked up at the man and smiled, their bodies damp. His stomach churned, imagining what they’d been doing besides running to get so damned sweaty. He’d been tempted to jerk the steering wheel then and there to end it, but the risk of hitting Jordan instead of her shadow was too great. The cop stuck to her like dog shit on a shoe. Getting Jordan alone would take a drastic move. He’d failed to grab the little girl, but he wouldn’t fail tonight.
The drive to the barn where the battered pickup was parked was a short one. His thoughts whirled as he traded one vehicle for another.
They’d left him no choice. If he wanted a chance with Jordan, he had to get Lafferty out of the way. He’d waited patiently through all the years of her marriage to Bryce Carpenter, and once she was finally free of the philandering asshole, he’d given Jordan a chance to make a new life for herself. He wasn’t interested in a rebound relationship. He wanted forever.
Even a patient man like him had his limits. Right now, he was damned tired of waiting, sick of always losing out to someone else. Never again would he be second best. Once they were together, Jordan would discover Kane wasn’t half the man he was.
Heart pounding, he carefully set the gun on the seat next to him then drove into the approaching darkness.
Chapter 22
A light burned softly in the shadows as Kane and Rachel stood in front of the big living room window. He wrapped his arms around her and dropped a light kiss on her lips.
“Relax. There’s no reason to be so tense.”
“I can’t help it. Do you think he’s out there?”
“If he is, he’ll have to come closer to see anything. The second he does, I’ll hear him.”
“That’s why you opened the windows?”
He nodded and ran his lips down the side of her neck. “Pull my shirt off.”
Rachel let out a breath and smiled. “Better you than me.” Lifting the hem of his T-shirt, she tugged it over his head.
“Now, let’s give him something to think about.”
His lips fastened on hers, and his tongue moved in ways that made her forget all about their possible audience. Finally, he pulled back.
“I wasn’t planning to get this turned on.” His chest rose and fell, pressing against her breasts. “I never had to give chase with a boner before.”
A giggle bubbled up. “Don
’t make me laugh, Kane. This is serious business.”
“Very serious.” He kissed her again.
A cry erupted in the darkness beyond the windows.
Kane’s head jerked up. He turned sharply as something flashed outside. The front window shattered. Spinning, he threw Rachel to the floor then clamped a hand around his arm. Blood seeped between his fingers.
“Oh, my God, he shot you!”
“Stay down and call 9-1-1.” He grabbed his T-shirt off the floor, pressed it hard against his flesh then tossed the shirt aside and ran toward the door.
“Oh, my God. Oh, my God.” Rachel’s hands shook as she picked up the phone off the coffee table and dialed 9-1-1. She scooted behind the couch to answer the operator’s questions.
“Stay calm, ma’am. Help is on the way.”
“Make sure they know my friend gave chase. I don’t want someone to shoot him by mistake.”
“Describe your friend.”
“He’s over six feet tall with brown hair, and he’s not wearing a shirt. His name’s Kane Lafferty. He’s a detective with the SFPD.”
“Thank you, ma’am, I’ll make sure they’re on the lookout for him.”
“I hear a siren. The police just pulled up outside.”
“That’s great. You can hang up now and go talk to them.”
Rachel’s finger trembled as she stabbed the off button. Standing, she hurried to the door just as Deputy Hendricks raced up the porch steps.
“Someone shot Kane. He’s bleeding, but he went after the guy.”
“Was he badly hurt?”
“I don’t think so. I hope not.”
“Go back inside and lock the door. Stay away from the windows. The sheriff should be here in a couple of minutes.”
Rachel nodded. “I’ll be fine. Please go help Kane.”
“Is he on foot?”
“Yes, but I didn’t see which way he ran.”
“Go inside.” The deputy hurried back to his car and backed out of the driveway. The siren wailed and tires screeched as he drove away.
Rachel locked the door as instructed then stroked Daisy’s head. The dog whimpered and pressed against her side. She retrieved the phone from the floor, sat down and punched in her brother’s number. On the third ring, a sleepy voice answered.
“Will, my stalker shot Kane.” Tears welled in her eyes. “He was bleeding.”
“Rachel! My God, are you all right?”
“I’m fine. Kane went after the man. That young deputy was just here, and the sheriff is on his way.”
“Did you call Mom and Dad?”
“No, I didn’t want to worry them.”
“I’ll be right there. Sit tight.” He hung up.
Rachel lowered the phone to her lap and leaned against the couch cushions. Holding a handful of Daisy’s fur in a comforting grip, she closed her eyes and prayed. When flashing lights reflected off the ceiling, she went to the door to greet the sheriff.
His eyes were kind as he patted her shoulder. “Kane’s fine. He’s with my deputy. It’s just a flesh wound. You, on the other hand, don’t look so good. Let’s make a hot cup of tea with lots of sugar. It’ll help with the shakes.” He walked with her to the kitchen, filled the teakettle with water then turned on the burner.
“Did they catch the guy?”
Daisy growled low in her throat when footsteps pounded up the porch steps. The sheriff swung around and reached for his weapon.
Rachel grabbed his hand. “It’s my brother.”
“Why’s he here?”
“I called him.”
“Rachel?” Will’s voice called from the entry.
Daisy’s tail wagged, and she ran out of the room.
“We’re in the kitchen.” She gave Sheriff Walker a feeble smile. “I needed the moral support.”
When Will appeared followed by the dog, Rachel introduced him to the sheriff.
Will took a seat next to her at the table and squeezed her hand. “What happened?”
“She was just about to tell me.” The sheriff settled his bulk onto a chair across the table. “First, I’ll answer your question. The suspect got away in the same pickup as before. The license was obscured by mud, so Kane couldn’t get a number. We have an APB out on the truck. Every cop in the area is looking for it.”
“Is Kane coming back here?”
“He and Brandon are checking something out first.”
Rachel pushed her hair away from her face with a shaking hand. “He should go to the hospital. I don’t care if it’s only a flesh wound.”
“My deputy suggested it, but he’s a hard man to convince.”
“I’ll convince him.” Rachel’s tone was grim.
Sheriff Walker smiled. “I bet you will. Now, let’s hear what happened tonight.”
The kettle whistled, and Will got up to make the tea.
“Kane thought we could flush out my stalker. Unfortunately, the plan worked a little too well.”
Will’s hand stilled with a teabag dangling over the cup before he dipped it a few times. “You set up the whole scenario?”
“Kane wasn’t supposed to get shot. He wanted to provoke the man into exposing himself.”
The sheriff leaned back in the chair. “Exactly what did you do?”
“My stalker has watched the house before, probably on more than one occasion. Kane thought if we could lure him in close enough, he’d be able to catch him.”
Will handed her the freshly brewed tea. “What was the lure?”
Rachel’s cheeks heated. “We turned down the lights and kissed in front of the living room window.”
Walker grunted. “You got more of a response than you bargained for.”
Using both hands, she lifted the cup to her lips to sip the steaming liquid. “That maniac shot Kane. He pushed me out of the way and took off after him. I called 9-1-1. That’s about it.”
“You took a risk.” The sheriff eyed her steadily. “I guess Kane felt it was worth it.”
“He knew he was in danger?” Rachel’s voice rose.
“I imagine so.” Sheriff Walker heaved himself out of his chair. “I’ll go look for the bullet in the living room. I have Pete checking outside for evidence. We should be able to determine where the suspect was standing when he fired.”
Will studied her with worried eyes while she drank her tea. “This is getting to be a regular habit.”
“What is?”
“These late night phone calls. First the flat tire, and now this. You’re playing hell with my sleeping habits.”
Rachel’s eyes widened. Tea slopped onto the table as she dropped her cup. “That’s it!”
“What? What’s wrong?”
“When Ivy described the truck the man was driving, I had the strangest feeling I’d seen it before. Now I know where it was. Do you remember a pickup was just leaving when you arrived to fix my flat tire?”
“You told me someone had stopped to offer help.”
“Yes, he was driving an older, dark pickup.”
Will sat straighter. “What did the driver look like? Could he have been one of the suspects?”
“I don’t know. I never gave him a second thought.”
“Try to remember.”
“It was really dark.” Rachel closed her eyes and forced the memory. “He had on a ball cap and sunglasses. I remember thinking it was odd the man wore dark glasses at night.”
“What color was his hair?”
“I don’t remember.”
“What about his voice? Did any of the men at Granite Lake sound familiar when you first met them?”
“Just Dennis, and that’s probably because I talked to him at school when Lark was one of his students.”
“It wasn’t because he’s your stalker. We can eliminate Olmstead from the mix.” Kane walked into the kitchen.
With a cry, Rachel jumped up and ran to him. “Are you okay?”
&n
bsp; He hugged her to his side. “It’s just a scratch. There’s no reason to worry.”
The scratch was wrapped in a gauze bandage sticky with blood. Kane wore a T-shirt Rachel didn’t recognize.
“I’m taking you to the ER, and I don’t want an argument.”
“You can take him just as soon as we clear up a couple of details.” Sheriff Walker followed his deputy into the room. “Sit down, Kane. You, too, Brandon. Now, let’s hear what you found out.”
Brandon Hendricks cleared his throat and flipped open his notebook, blue eyes bright with excitement. “I found Kane two blocks south of here. Blood ran down his arm, and he was swearing a blue streak.”
“That’s because I lost the bastard. He jumped in that rattletrap pickup and was gone before I reached him. I would have had him if I hadn’t been so damned light-headed.”
“That settles it. You’re going to the emergency room. You might need a blood transfusion or something!”
The sheriff held up a hand. “He isn’t going to keel over just yet. Let’s hear the rest.”
“I called in a description of the vehicle, our location, and the direction the suspect was headed. Then I slapped a bandage on Kane’s arm to stop the bleeding and gave him a spare T-shirt I had in my car. I also offered to take him to the hospital, but he refused.”
Kane sighed. “I wish people would stop harping about a little scratch. I wanted to check on Olmstead. He lives less than a block from where we were. If he was home in bed, then he couldn’t be our man.”
“You went to his house?” Sheriff Walker’s brows rose.
“There was no sign of the pickup anywhere nearby.” Brandon referred to his notes. “It took a while, but Olmstead answered the door when we pounded on it. He was wearing a flannel bathrobe. Kane barged in. The man put up a half-hearted protest, but he didn’t refuse us entry.”
The sheriff hit the table with his fist. “God damn it, Kane, without a warrant any evidence you found would have been thrown out in court.”
“Good thing Olmstead’s only crime is watching porn flicks and yanking his own chain. The movie was on pause on his bedroom TV. It was pretty obvious what he’d been doing.”
Rachel glanced over at Kane. “That’s why he looked guilty when he said he enjoyed movies.”
Every Move She Makes Page 24
