Safety In Numbers

by Carla Cassidy

  She’d looked hot, and the fact that she’d seemed unaware of just how good she looked had made her even hotter. Holding her in his arms had been an exquisite form of torture. Flirting with her had been stimulating, but nothing had prepared him for her giving him the go-ahead for a lusty, no-commitment-necessary relationship.

  It had been the burn of desire deep in his gut that he’d tried to anesthetize after she’d left the dance. But no amount of beer had been able to vanquish the simmering heat she’d stirred in him.

  He found her in the kitchen with Smokey and Kathy. The three of them were seated at the table, drinking coffee and chatting about the dance the night before.

  “These are for you,” he said as he entered the kitchen. This morning there was no red lipstick decorating her full, sensual lips, no mascara to darken her long, dark eyelashes. She didn’t appear to have on a stitch of makeup, but she had a face that didn’t need artificial enhancements.

  Once again she was clad in a red flannel shirt and jeans, but he couldn’t help but remember the creamy skin beneath the shirt, the full breasts the material couldn’t quite hide.

  Her eyes widened with a flare of pleasure as he set the box in front of her on the table. “For me?” she said in obvious surprise. She smiled, a gorgeous upturn of lips that renewed the burn in his stomach. He realized she might think the flowers had come from him.

  “They were delivered just a minute ago,” he said. The pleasure in her eyes dimmed a tad, and he suddenly wished he’d bought the flowers for her.

  “Open it up,” Kathy said with excitement. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”

  Chase poured himself a cup of coffee, then joined them at the table as Meredith pulled off the top of the box to reveal a dozen long-stem, deep-coral-colored roses.

  “Oh my, those are lovely,” Kathy exclaimed. “Smokey, why don’t you get her a vase?”

  As Smokey got up from the table, Red came in the back door. “Who got the roses?”

  “I did,” Meredith replied.

  “Who sent them?” He walked over to the sink to wash his hands.

  Meredith frowned. “I don’t know. There doesn’t seem to be a card.”

  Red dried his hands on a towel, then joined them at the table. “Coral roses. That color means desire. I’d say you have an amorous new suitor.”

  Chase didn’t like the sound of that, and from the expression on Meredith’s face she wasn’t overly thrilled. “I’d like to know who the suitor is. I don’t like mysteries.” She carried the box of roses to the counter where Smokey had filled a large crystal vase with water.

  He watched as she arranged the roses, sticking them helter-skelter into the vase. Kathy jumped up from the table. “Here, honey, let me help you with that.”

  When the two rejoined everyone at the table, the talk once again turned to the dance the night before and the crime investigation taking place by the two FBI agents.

  “I heard they were interested in Sheila Wadsworth’s husband. You know he wasn’t from around here,” Red said. “I’d like to think that whoever is behind all this is somebody who isn’t a neighbor or friend.”

  Chase tried to stay focused on the conversation, but a part of his brain was trying to figure out who might have sent the roses to Meredith.

  “Whoever is behind it should have their hearts torn out,” Smokey said, his grizzled brows tugged together in a frown.

  “My fear is that before this is all said and done, it’s going to tear this town apart. Everyone is suspecting somebody else and those suspicions are going to hurt friendships,” Red said.

  Chase took a sip of his coffee, then said, “While I’ve been spending time in town, I’ve heard a few people who think you or one of your sons might be behind this land scheme.”

  “That’s crazy,” Meredith exclaimed.

  Red laughed. “That doesn’t surprise me.” He leaned back in his chair. “Funny thing about being successful, seems along with the money and such, you manage to gain more enemies.”

  “There’s a few in town who would love to see the West family fall,” Smokey said. “Jealous, that’s all they are, just pure jealous.”

  “Besides, what would I have to gain by being the mastermind of such a thing?” Red continued, “I’ve got enough money to keep my children and their children living in comfort for the rest of their lives. I own more land now than I’ll ever know what to do with. I figure when you’re investigating a crime the best way to solve it is to look for motive. Neither my children nor I have a good motive.”

  Chase took another sip of his coffee. He believed Red West. He’d only been in the bosom of the West family for less than a week, but he had found them all to be men of integrity.

  He had a gut feeling that the tips that had been phoned in pointing a finger at the West family had been an attempt to lead the FBI on a wild-goose chase.

  When they’d finished coffee and everyone had taken off in different directions, Chase waylaid Kathy and pulled her into his bedroom.

  “My gut tells me we’re wasting our time here,” he said.

  “I’m certainly not prepared to make that same assessment,” she replied with a hint of stubbornness he recognized all too well. “I think it would be a big mistake to pull out of here too early.”

  Chase wasn’t sure, but for some reason he felt like it was time to go, that they could be used better somewhere else, on another assignment. He had the distinct feeling that if they stuck around too much longer, things were going to get complicated between him and Meredith.

  The adage of familiarity breeding contempt wasn’t working for him. Each moment he spent near Meredith stoked the flames in his stomach a little hotter. “Kathy, the only thing we’re gaining from sticking around here is that you’re getting more recipes from that cranky old man,” he said with a touch of irritation.

  “Don’t be disrespectful,” Kathy exclaimed. “That cranky old man stepped in to fill a void formed from grief. He’s done nothing but give to this family at the expense of him having his own life.”

  Chase stepped back, surprised by Kathy’s quick defense of the crotchety cook. Pink leaped to her cheeks. “All I’m saying is that we’re in a perfect position as guests of the Wests to not only investigate them but to also hear local gossip and keep an eye on other townspeople,” she said.

  He suspected her interest in remaining here wasn’t all about the job, but he didn’t call her on it. “Okay,” he relented. “We stick around another week or so and see what we can come up with.”

  She nodded and left his room. Chase walked over to the bedroom window and stared outside. What Red West said made sense. The Wests owned more land than they needed and had an incredibly successful business. Why would any of them want to become involved in some murderous land scheme?

  Although prosecution of any crime didn’t require the authorities to prove motive, Chase believed too that to solve a crime one had to look at motive. And as far as he was concerned, the Wests had none.

  Sam Rhenquist knew more than he was saying about what was going on. The old man sat on that bench on Main Street day after day, watching and listening to the people who passed by. He knew more than he was telling, but he was afraid of the consequences should he talk. Chase wanted to make him talk.

  And who in the hell had sent those roses to Meredith?

  He heard the door across the hallway close, then soft footsteps leading away. Meredith. He turned away from the window and left his bedroom, knowing he was walking in her wake by the faint scent of her perfume that lingered in the air.

  He found her in the living room talking to her father. “I was just telling Dad that I’m headed into town. I have a lunch date with Savannah,” she said.

  “Mind if I catch a ride?” he asked.

  “Suit yourself,” she replied with a terse tone. She looked at him with a cool distance that made him wonder what was going on in her gorgeous head.

  As he followed her to her car, he thought once again about
the roses she’d received that morning and the look of both surprise and sheer pleasure that had lit her eyes.

  It had been obvious that she wasn’t accustomed to getting flowers. It irritated him that there was a small part of him that wished he’d sent them, that he’d been the one who had brought that smile of pleasure to her face.

  “You have any idea who sent you the roses?” he asked when they were in her car and headed into town.

  “Not a clue,” she replied with a dark frown.

  “Kind of romantic, huh,” he said.

  “Kind of creepy, if you ask me. If somebody feels desire for me, I prefer to know their name.”

  “Allow me to introduce myself,” he said half teasing.

  She didn’t reply, but a faint pink stained her cheeks. They rode the rest of the way in silence. He tried several times to begin a conversation but she didn’t respond and he finally gave up.

  Just like a woman to get all moody and the man not to know what he’d done, he thought. Maybe it was a good thing that she seemed irritated with him. He had a feeling Kathy was getting far too close to Smokey Johnson. His partner was allowing her heart to get all twisted up, and as far as Chase was concerned that was always a mistake.

  Chase didn’t have a heart to get involved with anyone. A father who had professed to love him had beaten the heart right out of him. His biggest, deepest fear was that if he allowed himself to love somebody he’d turn out just like his old man and would eventually beat the heart right out of her.

  Meredith and Chase parted ways in front of the hardware store. “If you want a ride back to the ranch, I’ll be leaving around two,” she said. She half hoped he’d find another way back to the ranch.

  She needed to think. She needed to think about the note that had been left on her car the night before and the roses that had arrived that morning.

  And she needed to think about Chase McCall and the bits and pieces of conversation she’d overhead him having with his mother.

  Checking her watch, she realized it was too early to go to the newspaper office to meet Savannah. She had half an hour to kill before she was to meet her friend at eleven. She thought about heading to the Wild West Protective Services office, but suspected that’s where Chase had been headed. And what she needed at the moment was as much distance as possible from him.

  Instead she crossed the street toward the direction of the floral shop, thinking that just maybe she could learn the identity of her secret admirer.

  Cotter Creek Floral Creations was owned and operated by Mary Lou Banfield, a woman who had been one of Meredith’s mother’s closest friends.

  A tiny bell tinkled cheerfully as Meredith entered the shop. The cloying scent of a variety of flowers hung in the air, each one fighting for dominance.

  Mary Lou greeted her with a warm, friendly smile. “I wondered how long it would take this morning before I’d see you in here. The minute Joe carried those roses out of here for delivery, I knew sooner or later you’d show up.”

  “There was no card with the roses,” Meredith said as she walked over to the counter where Mary Lou was making an arrangement of multicolored carnations and greenery.

  “Whoever sent them didn’t want you to know. It was a cash order written up and left in my mail slot this morning. The order was specific, a dozen orange roses sent to you, no card. I didn’t have orange, but figured coral was close enough. Whoever ordered them overpaid by five dollars.”

  This information certainly did nothing to alleviate the unease that had gripped Meredith since the moment she’d opened the box of roses. “You still have the note that came with the money?” she asked.

  Mary Lou nodded and opened the cash register. “Like I said, I figured you’d be in so I didn’t throw it away.”

  Meredith took the piece of paper from her and read it. It was written in block letters just like the note she’d received beneath her windshield wiper the night before. It simply said, “Deliver to Meredith West one dozen long-stem orange roses.” It was written on plain white bonded paper.

  “I’d say you’ve got yourself a secret beau,” Mary Lou exclaimed.

  “I don’t like secrets,” Meredith replied. “I figure a real man doesn’t stand behind anonymity.”

  Mary Lou smiled and picked up a bright-red carnation. “Your mother would have been so proud of you. You’re just like her, strong and forthright. She was delighted you know, when you came along. Oh, she loved her boys but she desperately wanted a daughter. When you were born she told me that she’d just given birth to a person she hoped would become her very best friend.”

  A lump of emotion crawled into Meredith’s throat as she realized again all she had lost when somebody had taken her mother’s life. She swallowed hard against the lump. “Mary Lou, you probably knew my mother better than anyone in town. Do you think it was possible she was having an affair at the time of her death?”

  “Who on earth have you been talking to that would put such nonsense in your head?” Mary Lou asked scornfully. “Elizabeth loved your daddy with every fiber of her being. She’d no more have an affair than she would have flown to the moon.”

  Even though Meredith hadn’t seriously contemplated the affair angle, Mary Lou’s staunch support of her mother was comforting. “I’ve been thinking about her a lot lately,” Meredith said.

  Mary Lou reached out and covered Meredith’s hand with hers. “I miss her, too. She was a wonderful friend.”

  Meredith nodded, then withdrew her hand. “I’ve got to get out of here. I’m meeting Savannah for lunch.”

  “When are her and Joshua gonna tie the knot?”

  “I don’t know, they haven’t set a date.”

  Mary Lou grinned. “It seems like every other month or so there’s another West wedding to attend.”

  “You don’t have to worry about me following in my brothers’ footsteps. I can’t even get a man who might be interested in me to sign a card.”

  “Maybe he’s just shy. I’m sure when the time is right your secret admirer will reveal himself to you.”

  “I suppose,” she replied, then with a goodbye she left the florist shop and headed toward the newspaper office to meet Savannah.

  So, somebody shy had left her a note and sent her roses. There was no reason for her to feel anxious about it. Like Mary Lou had said, surely eventually he’d reveal himself to her.

  Raymond Buchannan, the owner of the Cotter Creek Chronicles frowned as she walked into the office. “One hour, that’s what Savannah’s lunch break is supposed to be. Last time you two put your heads together over at the café she was an hour late back from lunch.”

  “I’ll make sure that doesn’t happen again,” Meredith exclaimed. “I know how busy she is with all the news stories that are breaking minute by minute in this one-horse town.”

  Raymond’s scowl deepened. He obviously had recognized her sarcasm. Savannah danced out of her office. “Right on time. I’ll be back later, Mr. Buchannan,” she said airily as she pulled Meredith out the front door.

  “I don’t know how you put up with him,” Meredith said when the two hit the sidewalk. “He’s so cranky.”

  Savannah linked arms with her. “I’ll let you in on a little secret. I’m not going to have to put up with him too much longer.”

  Meredith stopped in her tracks and stared at her friend. “Don’t tell me you’re quitting your job. You love being a reporter.”

  “Of course I’m not quitting.” Savannah pulled her into motion again. “But he’s only going to be my boss until we can draw up the contracts.”

  Once again Meredith halted and looked at Savannah in surprise. “He’s selling the paper to you?”

  Savannah’s freckled face wreathed into a smile. “Isn’t it great? He’s retiring and leaving town. We came to an agreement last night, and we’re meeting with a lawyer tomorrow afternoon.”

  “Raymond has been talking about retiring for years, but nobody took him seriously,” Meredith replied.

>   “I know. I was stunned when he approached me and told me it was time, that he was ready to pack his bags and let go of the paper.”

  “What does Joshua think about all this?”

  “He thinks I’m crazy to want all the work and responsibility, but he’s being totally supportive. I sometimes feel like I’m the luckiest woman in the world to have him.”

  The two entered the café and found a booth in the back. “Now, tell me what’s new with you,” Savannah said once the waitress had departed with their orders. “How’s that hunky houseguest of yours? I’ve got to tell you, you two looked like you were going to combust last night on the dance floor.”

  Meredith suddenly remembered the conversation she’d overheard before she’d left the house. “I’m not sure I trust my hunky houseguest.”

  “From the way he looked at you last night, I wouldn’t trust him, either. That man had lust in his heart.”

  “I’m not talking about that,” Meredith said, although a tiny rivulet of heat swept over her as she thought about the way Chase’s eyes had simmered as he’d held her in his arms. She’d never known blue eyes could look so…so…hot.

  She grabbed a napkin and twisted it with her fingers. “I think he’s not just here for a little friendly visit with Dalton.”

  Savannah frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “I overhead a little of a conversation between him and Kathy this morning. First of all, he called her Kathy. Don’t you find it odd for a man to call his mother by her first name?”

  Savannah shrugged. “Not really. I mean, I call my mother The Monster.”

  “That’s different,” Meredith replied. “From everything you told me about your mother, she deserves to be called The Monster. But it’s more than that. I could have sworn I heard Chase say something about being here on assignment.”

  Savannah frowned once again. “Isn’t he a Kansas City cop? What kind of an assignment would bring him here?”

  “I don’t know. But I’m going to find out.”

  “How are you going to do that?”

  Meredith took a sip of her water. “I’m going to ask him.”