Taming Deputy Harlow

by Jennifer Morey

  Leaving her to mull over his comment, he walked around to the driver’s side, all but choking back a laugh.

  Chapter 13

  Reese went with Jamie to Virgil and Lavinia’s house on the off chance Virgil had kept something that would identify him as Darius. They’d parked at a trailhead pull-off along the highway that was close to the driveway. She wouldn’t have to work out tonight after walking the distance they’d cover today.

  She noticed Jamie taking in the scenery, sun melting snow from pine trees and south-facing slopes. Jagged peaks in the distance would take longer to melt.

  “I never thought I’d say this, but I like the wilderness almost as much as I like the city.”

  “What is it you like about cities?” She didn’t understand how anyone could think this was worse. “There’s so much noise and pollution.”

  He thought awhile as they hiked up the snowy, icy incline toward Virgil and Lavinia’s house. “I guess I have trouble being still and quiet.”

  In the city he could walk to a variety of things to do. After working for Aesir, the ride down from all that excitement must have contributed to his geographical choice when he returned to the States.

  “Are you turning into a quiet man?” she asked in fun, her tactical boots crunching on snow.

  “I joined an investigation agency named Dark Alley, so I kind of doubt that.”

  She laughed softly. He would not get bored working there.

  Neither would she...

  She caught his playful half grin. He knew what she was thinking.

  Reese walked faster, her boots getting good traction on the icy patches in the shade. “I hope Virgil doesn’t see us.”

  “Nice way to change the subject. We’ll hear a car and get in the woods before he does.”

  They reached the clearing in front of the Church residence and paused by a tree.

  “It doesn’t look like anyone is home,” Jamie said.

  “They parked their car in the garage last time.”

  “Let’s stick to the woods and look for a better place to approach.”

  Reese hiked with him through snow until they reached a clearing where the sun had melted to the ground in places, exposing branches and pine needles. The smell wafted up to her nose and she closed her eyes for an inhale. When she opened them, she saw Jamie watching with heating eyes.

  They left the cover of the woods and ran to the side of the garage. Jamie peeked into the window.

  “No car.”

  She walked with him to the front door. There, they found the door unlocked.

  Reese drew her weapon and pushed the door open. Jamie covered her and she covered him as they entered. The house seemed devoid of life. No sounds indicated any movement. It smelled like bacon grease.

  Reese pointed two fingers toward the hall for Jamie and then pointed to herself before aiming toward the garage.

  He nodded once and headed for the hall.

  She moved through the living room, stepping around a magazine-cluttered coffee table with a half-full cup on top of one. A three-quarters-empty bottle of beer sat on a side table.

  At the garage door, she opened it a crack. She pushed it wide open. Nothing else had been disturbed. Going back to the living room, she spotted Jamie coming back down the hall and inquired with her eyes if he’d found anything.

  “Nothing.” He glanced over the room, seeming distracted.

  “Garage, either. No sign of a previous life, although I didn’t expect to get that lucky.” She glanced at the beer bottle. “Should we ask him to give us a DNA sample?”

  “Yes.” He turned to her and then sighed. “Don’t you think it’s strange the bank was robbed by three men in masks when Virgil appears to be the man in the photos with Eva?”

  “You think they worked together?” How? And, especially, why?

  “I think Bishop or Holcomb broke into your house. They knew about the money. What if Virgil heard them talking, say, over a few beers one night? He may have gone to them or even Stankovich.”

  “Heard them talking about the money I found and struck up a conversation that led to the revelation Virgil, aka Darius Richardson, stole a quarter million more than forty years ago?” That seemed like quite a stretch to Reese.

  “It’s a small town.”

  Reese considered his statement for a moment. Then she nodded lopsidedly. “Virgil could have asked questions about me. Then Holcomb and Bishop could have revealed you worked for Stankovich and he was in town to collect a debt.”

  “Then Virgil, with a keen eye for criminals, felt safe in mentioning there could be more money to be found, that maybe Eva hid it all over the house.”

  She could see how Virgil might make that assumption. Jeffrey hadn’t lived like a man whose wife had that much money. “Why risk including a stranger, especially one as dangerous as Stankovich?”

  “You saw him with Lavinia. Despite their fighting, he loves her. If he killed Eva, he isn’t afraid of men like Stankovich. And remember, he has no criminal record. He’d do anything to prevent exposure. Stankovich assures success and removes scrutiny from him. He could have negotiated a percentage in exchange for the location.”

  She believed it was possible. Virgil, if he was indeed Darius, would do anything to avoid having to leave Never Summer. But a quarter of a million dollars—or even a percentage of it—made the risk worthwhile for a man like him, a man of average, if not meager, means.

  Just then, the sound of the garage door opening alerted them. Reese hurriedly followed Jamie to the front door.

  Carefully going out the door, Reese could hear Lavinia laughing.

  “What a lovely day. I’m a little concerned over the money you spent, but it was like we were young again.”

  “Anything for my love.”

  Those two had a strange relationship. Reese looked up at Jamie, who stood close behind her on the front porch. Lavinia and Virgil stood at the trunk of the car, lifting out bags. They were partially concealed by the house and slightly recessed garage, while a tall juniper tree hid Reese and Jamie. Reese watched through the branches.

  When Lavinia followed Virgil to the inner garage door, Jamie took Reese’s hand and they ran down the dirt road still snow-packed in places until the forest hid them from view. Then Reese walked with Jamie, who didn’t let go of her hand.

  “I used to hike all the time,” he said.

  She noticed him looking all over their surroundings.

  “I used to breathe in the fresh air the way you do. I don’t know why I didn’t think of that until now.”

  “You’ve been too busy facing down insurgents and living in big cities.”

  He grunted a half laugh. “One big city. I thought that was what I needed.”

  “To acclimate to a new life without danger in it?”

  “There will always be some amount of danger. But yes. Acclimate.”

  She watched where she stepped as she imagined him hiking through woods like this as a young man. “Didn’t you say you were from Whitman Park?”

  “I did. But we went camping in the Appalachian Mountains, and when I was stationed at Fort Carson, I spent as much time as I could in the mountains.”

  Just when she thought she had him figured out, he surprised her. “You’re not a city boy, after all.”

  “I was a city boy. It took meeting Kadin, and then you, to realize I wasn’t a city man anymore. I forgot how much I loved the mountains.”

  “And here you are trying to coerce me to move to Wyoming.”

  “There are mountains in Wyoming.”

  He didn’t deny he’d tried to coerce her. How did he make her feel so safe when her mind kept telling her he’d be her ruin if she continued to fall for him? He’d take all she’d worked for and all she planned to
achieve if she let him have his way with her. And yet, when he talked with her like this she felt such a deep and satisfying connection. They could talk about anything and she’d feel connected. Maybe because they thought the same and had similar emotional needs.

  They reached the road, most of the ice melted except in the shady areas, and ended up closer to the truck than she thought. She walked beside him along the road, trying to ignore how her hand felt in his and his big body moving beside her, taking in the clear day with her.

  At the truck, Jamie tugged her away from the door handle and pulled her against him.

  She inhaled sharply, startled but instantly aroused.

  “We’re close to Slumgullion Pass from here,” Jamie said. “There’s an overlook I want you to see.”

  Like the wild horses, his enthusiasm infected her. “Windy Point Overlook?”

  “I don’t remember the name. I only remember the view, and the history.”

  History? She was about to ask what history when he bent for a quick kiss.

  * * *

  During the few minutes he drove along Highway 149, Jamie watched with a glance every now and then as Reese recovered from the kiss. He’d kept it deliberately brief, just enough to remind her they had something special. She responded instantaneously to him. Her reaction only intensified his.

  He also kept an eye on the road, especially behind. He had to stay on the lookout for Stankovich. His nemesis wasn’t finished with Jamie yet. In fact, Jamie wouldn’t be surprised if Stankovich had planned for him to rescue Reese, a perfect distraction while he robbed the bank. Phase one. Phase two...?

  Parking on Windy Point Overlook, he sat back and soaked in the sight—and the memories from so long ago. He’d been such a dreamer back then, believing only good things could happen to him. He’d never considered anything negative would come his way, nothing like Stankovich. Weren’t all young people that way? He’d been a young man full of blind ambition. Invincible. Caution hadn’t mattered until life changed him from a fool to a grown man.

  “I never get tired of it, either,” Reese said.

  She leaned back, her eyes drooping as though she was bathing in warm water at the end of a long day.

  He opened the door and got out, walking to the edge of the lookout. Lake San Cristobal glistened in bright sunlight, the blue-green water shimmering like diamonds.

  “In the right sunlight you can see clouds reflected on the surface,” Reese said. “The Slumgullion Slide formed this lake.”

  “I know. I read all about this area after coming here.”

  “You never told me you’ve been here before.”

  “I am now.” He smiled over at her and then turned back to the view. “You can see where the slide broke and changed the landscape, including creating Lake San Cristobal.” He turned and pointed to the peaks. “That’s Uncompahgre Peak. The Wetterhorn was probably a large volcano at one time. It’s an intrusion with radial dikes.”

  She drew her head back with a breathy, “What? How do you know all of that?”

  “I studied it.”

  “Geology?”

  “I read a lot. I like to read about things like that.”

  “Do you now...?”

  “Sunshine and Redcloud Peaks sit in a caldera.” He pointed again. “They’re comprised of volcanic rock, but the west and south rim of the caldera is Precambrian rock uplifted to form the San Juans.”

  “Are you sure you didn’t want to become a geologist instead of a soldier?”

  “I think I would have wanted both. It’s a hobby, that’s all.”

  “I like to read nonfiction, too, but I don’t study it the way you do.”

  “If you like listening to me talk about it I’d be happy to oblige.” The breeze picked up into heftier gusts, living up to the lookout’s name.

  “I never knew most of this about my hometown. I mean, I knew there were volcanoes and about the caldera, but not in any detail.”

  “Now you do.” He hoped she enjoyed hearing him talk like this, or showing her things like the wild horses.

  He stood behind her and looped his arm across her abdomen, tucking his head close to hers. “It’s getting windy.”

  She didn’t resist or try to pull away, just stood with him and took in the view. After a few moments, he lifted his head enough to see her profile. Beautiful golden-brown eyes, soft with contentment, drooped as they had before. Then they rose to look up at him. Caught by the window of light and vibrancy that was Reese, he lowered his head. Her lips were positioned at just the right angle for a kiss.

  He felt her indrawn breath and the brush of her lips as they parted to receive him. She responded almost automatically, as though her body knew exactly what to do once he touched her.

  Still in the moment the view and geologic history had enchanted them into, he kissed her softly. Turning in his arms, she put her hands on his face as he continued to kiss her.

  When he began to react in a way that would necessitate more privacy, he ended the kiss.

  “A rock might be uncomfortable,” she quipped.

  “Even these rocks.” As much as he admired them...

  * * *

  Reese woke slowly, warm and snuggled in softness. No, some of it was hard. Her hand moved over softness and felt hardness beneath. The remnants of a dream about rocks and sex accompanied her as she came fully awake. She opened her eyes to her hand on a sturdy chest, fingers spanning over a nipple that rose and fell in a restful rhythm. She looked up to see Jamie’s handsome face still slack in sleep.

  With her thigh draped over his hip, she reacted as she always did. Instant heat coursed through her. She didn’t let her conscience interfere. She put her finger over his full lips and traced their outline. His kisses felt so good.

  Because she preferred denial over self-gratification right now, she pushed up onto her hand and knee and slid on top of him. His eyes cracked open. Then his hands went to her thighs and slid up to her hips. He pulled her up a bit, and she felt him growing hard as his eyes opened more.

  Reese bent to kiss him. He sank his fingers in her hair and kept her firmly there, kissing her back.

  She moved against his erection and then reached for the hem of her nightgown. He stopped her with his hands.

  He rolled her onto her back and crawled on top of her. Excitement raced in her veins and fired up her mind. Yes.

  But instead of continuing to make magic with her, he simply gazed down at her.

  She grew confused. What was he doing?

  “Do you need some help?” She took the waistband of his underwear in her hands.

  He grasped her wrists and put them down on the mattress beside her head. “I want more than sex to bring you close to me.”

  Stunned, she watched him climb off the bed and go into the bathroom, shutting and locking the door.

  Reese propped herself up on her elbows and stared at the closed door, battling with feelings of bewildered rejection. He hadn’t minded using sex before. What had changed?

  He must have stronger feelings for her.

  While a deeper part of her melted with the idea and told her to go to him now, right now, another more familiar part prevented her. She was in real danger of being forced to end another relationship she knew wouldn’t last. She didn’t want to hurt Jamie. She didn’t want to hurt anyone. That’s why she had to be careful.

  If Jamie was no longer willing to engage in a casual affair, then she had to end it before it got any more serious.

  No matter how difficult it would be to sever their ties, she had to think of him more than herself. She liked Jamie. She liked his strength and resolve. She liked his mind. She liked so many things about him.

  The word love kept echoing in her head. She dismissed its significance.

  She got off t
he bed and put on her robe. Going into the kitchen, she waited for him to finish in the bathroom. She had coffee made and half of her first cup finished by the time he emerged showered and fully dressed.

  She resisted the left-out feeling she got seeing him. He hadn’t invited her in the shower. He’d locked her out.

  “Jamie, we need to talk.”

  He took a cup from the tray beside the television on the cabinet.

  “Your reaction in there tells me it’s time.”

  With steaming cup in hand, he leaned against the counter. “My reaction?”

  He hadn’t let their passion get out of hand. “Why did you withdraw?”

  When he didn’t respond, she wondered if he was getting too serious.

  “You have to admit, up until now you’ve been playing me,” she said. “Not me. My attraction to you.”

  He sipped his coffee, too calm and too calculating. “I’m courting you. I’ve been courting you on faith that you’ll come around.”

  Come around to marriage and babies and suburbia and...shared bank accounts. “I’m not saying you are, but I feel like you’re trying to...to...trap me into something I’m not ready for.”

  “I haven’t asked you to marry me.”

  Anger was subtly laced into his tone. No, he hadn’t asked her to marry him. Maybe she was overreacting. Maybe she shouldn’t have any expectations about them. They had sex. They were seeing each other. That didn’t mean she had to stay with him for good. A familiar apprehension came over her. She’d been with men who wanted her, knowing she wouldn’t reciprocate. The breakups had been messy. Uncomfortable. She’d been riddled with guilt.

  “I had plans before I met you.”

  “Have I asked you to change them?”

  “No.” She began to wonder if she’d overreacted. Still, things needed to be said. Clarified and understood by both of them. “But it’s more than just that. Eventually our differing paths will drive us apart—me apart...from you.” How else could she say it? A man would derail her plans. Period.

  “I’m not the same as those other guys, Reese, so don’t even go there.” His stern face and tone couldn’t be denied. This man didn’t do anything without confidence.