Saving Thea

by Melissa Schroeder

  She chewed on her bottom lip for a second or two then apparently thought of the implications. “The whole freaking town would know we were investigating.” She leaned back and sighed. “Okay, so when do we go see him?”

  He raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t say we.”

  She crossed her arms beneath her breasts which immediately drew his attention to them. “If you think you are going without me, you have another think coming, Duncan.”

  “Thea—”

  “No, they were my parents not yours and if you don’t let me help, I’ll tell Jed.”

  From the determined glint in her green eyes, Duncan knew she was serious.

  “He’d be pissed at me,” he said.

  “Yeah. So I get to go.” A little satisfied smile curved her lips. It made him want to throttle her and kiss her at the same time. Distance. He needed some distance.

  He stood and took his plate and cup to the sink. “I’ll run into work today, check on a few things and look up Dailey’s new number. He moved out of the county so it’ll be a day trip.”

  “Okay. I’ll be ready for you when you get home.”

  He paused by the table before heading upstairs. She tilted her head up to look at him.

  “You better take this seriously, Thea. This is not some game.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “Really, so you think this is some game for me? My parents were murdered, someone is stalking me and people I care for are at jeopardy because of me. What do you think?”

  Standing, she pushed her chair back with the back of her legs. Her jersey pants clung to her hips, her cut off long-sleeved t-shirt revealed her rounded belly. She walked over to stand in front of him, her hands on her hips. The militant look in her eyes told him that she was ready to argue this to death. He pulled her into his arms and leaned against the counter, resting his chin against the top of her head.

  “I understand. But I want you to promise not to take it too far. You’ll have some company today.”

  She went rigid and she bent her head back to look at him. “Who?”

  “Officer Michelson from last night.”

  She relaxed. “Just as long as you keep me up to date.”

  He nodded and leaned down for a kiss. The simple kiss turned molten in a heartbeat when her tongue slid into his mouth to tangle with his. Blood heated and traveled to his groin. Backing her up, he gently maneuvered her against the wall, caging her in with his arms, then pressed against her. By the time he pulled away, both of them were breathing heavily.

  He leaned his forehead against hers. “This is probably a really stupid thing to do.”

  “Yeah.”

  “It’ll complicate things.”

  “Probably.”

  She licked her lips and he groaned, swooped in for another taste, and then forced himself to push away. “Drop me off at my house, and then come straight back here. Michelson will be over immediately.”

  By the time eleven rolled around that morning, Duncan was in a raw mood. Everything that could go wrong that morning did. Richard called in sick, Fred, another deputy, had a flat tire on the way in and Gina was in one of her moods. She’d taken a far amount of skin off him when he’d sent Michelson out to Thea’s. His unwillingness to tell her why had resulted in yet another fight. By the time Chase strolled in, Duncan was ready to scream bloody murder.

  “Hey, big brother.” Duncan looked up to find Chase leaning against the doorjamb of his office. “Oh, from the look on your face, you’ve had as bad a day as I have.”

  He closed the door behind him and sat in one of the chairs in front of Duncan’s desk.

  “What brings you by today?” Duncan asked, reading over another report of a dead woman in close proximity to Crocker. This was the third in less than three weeks and something nudged at his brain, something told him there was some connection to something, but Chase’s next words stopped him.

  “Someone messed with my truck last night.”

  Duncan snapped his head up and studied his brother to make sure he wasn’t joking. His serious expression let him know Chase wasn’t.

  “What happened?”

  “Driver’s side window bashed in. Oh, and the taillights were messed with. Thank God I moved away from home or Mom would have thrown a fit.”

  Duncan silently agreed with him. “Any idea of who it might be?”

  Chase shook his head. “No.”

  “Any upset papas or husbands?”

  He scowled. “You know I don’t fool around with married women.”

  That was true, it was the one rule Chase adhered to. Duncan thought about the timing with what went on last night at Thea’s…and the fact Chase had been the one who seemed interested in her at the cookout at his mother’s.

  “I have to tell you something but it has to stay between us.”

  Chase nodded.

  “I have a feeling this might be connected to something Thea is dealing with, and if so, I want you to watch your back.” He quickly explained the history, the stalking, the letters, ending with the fact that Thea had been vandalized the night before.

  Chase’s expression had darkened with each new detail from Duncan. “So you think this bastard might be after me?”

  Duncan nodded. “I want you to stay away from Thea.”

  “But don’t you think she should have some kind of protection?”

  “Of course. I have Michelson over there right now. I was there last night.”

  It took only a second or two before the recognition hit Chase. He narrowed his eyes. “And you think that’s a good idea?”

  Irritated with the situation, and his second thoughts about the previous night, Duncan frowned at his brother. “I know what I’m doing.”

  Chase studied him for a moment longer then nodded. “As long you keep her…and yourself safe.”

  He knew just what Chase’s warning was about. He’d been the one who arrived in Austin, patched him back up after Jessica’s murder. It wasn’t until that moment, when Chase had refused to let him wither away from guilt and pain, that Duncan realized just how much of a pain in the ass his brother was. But he owed Chase his life. He would have never made it without his brother.

  “You might want to find another…love interest.”

  Chase frowned. “Why?”

  “That Cattleman’s Ball is tomorrow night. You should have a date.”

  Chase frowned. “I don’t usually take a date.”

  What his brother meant was going stag would leave his options open. “Well, take someone you know isn’t interested in you.”

  His face split into a grin. “That’s going to be hard.”

  Duncan laughed, but then, a thought formed. “What about Fiona?”

  “Fiona Blackwell, my secretary?” Chase scowled. “That woman…”

  “Yeah. She doesn’t want to have a thing to do with you. Tell her that you will be representing the company.”

  Chase shrugged. “I’ll try, but there is a good chance that she’ll threaten a lawsuit.”

  “You heading over to the office?”

  Chase nodded. “I have to finish up the work on that advertising deal, then I have a meeting with Mom about some land in south Texas she wants to buy.”

  Duncan nodded as he rose and walked out the door.

  “Gina, heading over to Dailey’s about an old case. I’ll have my cell phone and you know his number.”

  “Sure thing,” she said with a smile. Amazing. Five seconds and Chase had her smiling. Chase followed him to his truck. “So, what’s wrong with Gina?”

  “Her and Newhouse had a falling out. Seems he wants exclusive rights or no deal.” Chase chuckled. “I think she may have met her match.”

  “Thea and I are heading out to Dailey’s ranch. I’ll let you know if we find anything out. You need me to help with Fiona?” His back was to Chase and only the sound of Chase’s feet shifting in the gravel reached him. He turned and witnessed his brother blush for the first time.

  “Yeah, I might need so
me help with her. The woman…well she is one icy lady and I don’t want her to think her job hinges on this.”

  Duncan laughed. “She threatened to sue you for sexual harassment, didn’t she?”

  “Not in so many words.”

  “Tell you what. I’ll come by after we hit Dailey’s. We should be back around dinnertime and Fiona always sticks around till you leave, right?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well, with me explaining it, she’ll either believe me or think you really are hard up.” He laughed again at his brother’s crude comment. “We should be back around five.”

  He got in his truck and headed out to Thea’s. When he thought about the tense atmosphere when he left that morning, maybe he shouldn’t be so hasty in his amusement. The ninety-minute drive was going to seem like nine hours if she was in the same mood.

  Thea was packing the picnic she’d put together when the phone rang and she groaned when she saw the caller id. She picked it up and regretted it immediately.

  “Allie, hon, I need your help,” Jason pleaded. “Graham quit without notice and half of the wait staff has gone off to other places. What the hell am I going to do?”

  She gritted her teeth. The man was oblivious. He’d apparently thought running the restaurant was easy. Sure, he’d had some say in what she did, because he had helped her put the down payment on it, but he had never actually worked in the kitchens, or the front of the house for that matter. Other than drinking away some of her profits, and offering free drinks to his friends, he hadn’t really spent any time there. Well, except when he decided to fuck her staff.

  When she’d caught him with one of the hostesses on her desk, Jason had said he’d had no choice. The sight of her sickened him. With her gone and apparently the loss of one of the best-staffed kitchens in Atlanta, Al’s was going down the tube. During the proceedings of their divorce, she’d stifled her anger and pain had twisted new and deep wounds. She’d wanted nothing more than to make him bleed, but the accident and her recovery had made that difficult and by the time the proceedings had started, she just wanted to get home.

  Now, the resentment for what he did to her, to her restaurant, hell to the idiots he cheated with, bubbled to the top and she let go.

  “Listen, Jason, I don’t care if the whole staff, including the ones you screwed, quit. It’s not my problem anymore. You wanted it, you got it. And another thing, don’t contact me here again. I’ll file a restraining order.”

  After clicking it off, she threw the phone on the counter. Damn him for this. A year ago, she would have been thrilled with the attention. Now, it left anger churning in her gut, and the memory of his cheating and lying fresh in her mind.

  “What did that jackass want?”

  She started at the sound of Duncan’s voice. He stood in her doorway, his mouth set in a grave frown, his eyes almost black. She could feel the anger rolling off of him in waves.

  “He wanted help with the restaurant. Seems he’s lost most of the staff.”

  “He calls again, I want to know.”

  She turned back to the basket she was packing. “How could you not know, you’re always here.”

  Making his way across the kitchen, Duncan told himself not to be pissed. But he couldn’t help it. Jealousy and rage had been simmering in his blood since he’d heard her say her ex’s name.

  “You need to tell me, Thea. He could be linked to this somehow.”

  She turned around, her eyebrow raised in question. “I hadn’t planned on keeping it from you but I really think you need to cross him off the list.”

  “And why is that? Still have feelings for him?” He was taunting her and he didn’t care. For reasons he didn’t want to examine, the thought of her still in love with the jackass pissed him off.

  Her face lost all color and her hands fell to her sides. “No. Every bit of feeling I had for the man I lost when I found him fucking one of my hostesses on my desk in my restaurant. If that hadn’t done it, the fact that he blamed me for his cheating would have pushed me over the edge.” She blinked as if trying to hold back the tears shimmering in her eyes.

  “Shit, Thea, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”

  “No. No, I’m the one who is sorry. Sorry I was stupid enough to marry him and believe his lies.” She took a deep breath and angrily brushed away a tear trickling down her cheek. “But he isn’t here which would make it hard for him to be the one stalking me.”

  He knew she was right, but it didn’t change the way he felt. He wanted it to be the ex, because that would make Jason Warren off limits to her, but also it would be solved. She looked so sad, so hurt that all he wanted to do was pull her into his arms, comfort her, kiss her, make love to her. But when he stepped forward, she moved away from him and headed for the stairs.

  “I packed a lunch. Why don’t you take it out to the truck while I grab a pair of shoes?”

  He watched her disappear upstairs wishing they didn’t need to make this trip. Grabbing the basket, he headed for the front door regretting his words but promising he would check it out. The ex had a reason to drive her back to Atlanta, and that was one thing Duncan would not allow.

  The drive was not as unbearable as Thea thought it would be. As they barreled down Highway 83 toward Dailey’s ranch just outside Ballinger, they dined on the sandwiches, chips and fruit. Amazingly, Duncan seemed to want to know about her life in Atlanta.

  “So, what made you decide on Atlanta?”

  “It was an up-and-coming city. At the time I settled there, it was one of the fastest growing cities in the country. I had some contacts down there. I worked for awhile at a few restaurants around the area, built a reputation. My idea.”

  He stole the last chip and laughed when she gave him what she hoped was a mean look. “I’m amazed you came back here.”

  I needed to do this. It’s home. Down in my soul, I am just a small-town girl.”

  “No, what I meant was that you gave up a whole way of life in Atlanta.”

  She thought about his comment for a moment. The people who worked for her, from the sous chef to the busboys, the hectic atmosphere of the kitchen, the egos and nerves that kept it humming…

  “I guess. But I really didn’t give it up. I gave up the restaurant because Jason wanted it to go in an entirely different direction. He wanted to go upscale, I wanted to remain a family restaurant.”

  He grunted as he turned his attention to the road and for the first time in weeks, she thought about her future. What would she do in Crocker? There wasn’t much she could do with her specialized degree but she hadn’t felt so comfortable in years. Maybe open a sandwich shop or a catering company? She really couldn’t think about it. More important things preyed on her mind.

  Duncan drove in silence trying to fight the conflicting forces spiraling inside of him. Why would the thought of Thea moving out of town send panic racing through him? Once they cleared up this mess, she’d be free to move. He was sure she wouldn’t head back to Atlanta but maybe Dallas, or back to New York City where she went to school?

  Why would someone who had been rated one of the top young chefs in the country, settle in Crocker? No reason. Oh, there was Jed, but he’d moved to Austin. Besides, she would want a family of her own. Which meant marrying a man, making love to him, sharing her life with him.

  Pain radiated from his hands and he looked down to realize he’d gripped the steering wheel so tight, his knuckles were white.

  Loosening his hold, he glanced at Thea. He studied her profile while she watched the landscape pass by outside the truck window. The flat west Texas plains were even more barren this time of year than others. November brought a few freezes to the area and killed off any other living vegetation that might have survived the summer. The tangled branches of the mesquite trees presented an almost eerie panorama. The gray skies and occasional drizzles, added to the dismal view.

  “Is that the road up there?” she asked.

  “Yeah. Sort of lives out in the boonies
, doesn’t he?”

  She grinned and it sent of shimmer of something, definitely not lust, crawling through his system.

  “I like it though,” she said. “Sort of quiet. After all that noise in New York City and all the traffic of Atlanta, I like the quiet.”

  He parked the truck behind Dailey’s old Suburban.

  “Did you call him and tell him we were coming?”

  “No,” he said but followed the direction of her gaze. Dailey was sitting in his rocking chair on his front porch. Odd since it couldn’t be more than fifty degrees and rainy. He was wearing the same brown cowboy hat he always did, his ruddy face serious, and his trusty rifle lying on his lap.

  They both got out of the truck and he followed Thea up to the porch. She stopped when she reached the bottom of the stairs.

  “’Bout time you two made it here. Been waiting since Ms. Johnson moved back to Crocker. Guess you want to know who killed your parents.”

  Chapter Eleven

  “You know I’m investigating their murders?” Thea asked Dailey.

  His rheumy blue gaze slid from their study of Duncan to her. He stood with considerable effort. Grabbing a cane, he handed his rifle to Duncan.

  “You have a look about you. Almost the spitting image of your mama. Of course, the eyes… Well come on. I don’t have all day.”

  They followed him into his house. He gingerly limped to the kitchen. The furnishings inside were no-nonsense and plain, heavy wood, faded fabric and twenty years out of date.

  “I’ve just put on some coffee, should be done in a sec. Make yourselves comfortable.”

  He lowered himself into one of the worn, wooden kitchenette chairs. Duncan sat beside him, Thea across the table from both of them.

  “You said you knew my parents were murdered?”

  “Thea, I think I can handle the questioning,” Duncan said in a warning tone. He turned his attention to Dailey. “Now, tell me what you know.”