Fear flickered in Mary’s eyes. “No. I didn’t see anyone or anything. I just saw the flames and had to make sure the horse was okay. Horses and fire are bad news.”
“Where are your parents, honey?” Leigh’s voice infused with the comfort of cookies and milk.
“Uhm. At work. They work nights. I snuck out. I should be getting back. Thanks!” She backed away as if to leave, but he stopped her.
“I don’t think so, young lady. It’s well after midnight. We’ll give you a ride home and make sure your parents know you’re okay.” He looked to Leigh for agreement, somehow knowing instinctively that she’d give it.
Her nod was brisk. “Absolutely. There’s no need for you to walk anywhere. These roads aren’t safe at night.”
Mary wouldn’t meet their eyes. She looked down, seemingly at the holes in her shoes and nodded.
Joe made his way over, a million questions written on his face. He turned his head toward Leigh and, with one nod, she appeared to answer at least a few of them.
“Joe, this is uh, Mary. She stopped by to check on Bonnie when she saw the fire. Mary, this is Joe. He’s my brother.” Leigh continued on as if all of this was a family picnic.
“Nice to meet you, Mary.” Joe looked to his sister, as if following her lead. The two seemed to share some sort of silent sibling communication.
“Rick and I were just going to give Mary a ride home. I’ll check in with you in a bit, okay?” Hidden meaning filled Leigh’s words as she put her arm on the girl’s shoulders in a friendly gesture.
“Sure. Do that.” The tense line in Joe’s jaw belied his easy words.
“Let’s go, kiddo.” Rick gestured toward Trent’s truck and held the door open, watching as the kid acted like she headed to the gallows for sentencing. He shut her in and got in the driver’s seat. Leigh climbed in, buckled her seatbelt and made sure Mary had done the same. “Where to? I’m not from around here, so you ladies will have to tell me what to do.”
“First, if you don’t care I need to make a stop. I’m starving and could really use something to eat. How about you?” She directed the question to him, but anyone could see the poor kid had missed more than one meal. His gut twisted as he thought about what it must be like to be a kid and not know when or where your next meal would come from.
“Yeah, sure. Just point me in the right direction.” He followed Leigh’s directions until they came to an all-night convenience store.
“It’s the only thing open this late. I’ll just run in and get us a few snacks, okay? I’ll be right back.” Smart move. Chances were good that if they left the kid alone for a second, she’d run. He just wished he knew whether it was from fear or guilt.
“Yeah, that works for me. How about you, kiddo?” He shifted the truck into park and tapped his fingers on the steering wheel.
“I really need to go to the restroom. Can I go in?” The girl’s quiet, hopeful request filled the cab with worry.
“Sure.” Unease tightened Leigh’s features.
“I’ll just stay here and watch the truck.” He looked to Leigh to see that she got his meaning and she quickly agreed. He’d watch the front entrance in case Mary ran out the door.
“Perfect. You want anything?” Leigh asked as she opened the door and stepped down.
Their gazes met and locked. He answered with a husky voice. “No, I’m good.”
“I’ll be right back!” Mary climbed out and practically ran into the store and Leigh went right behind her.
Five minutes later, a heartbroken Leigh came back out, empty-handed. He didn’t even ask what happened. The worry on her face was so easy to read.
“There’s a door in the back where the bathrooms are. I asked the clerk, and she told me there were no other exits. Then when Mary didn’t come back I went to look. There was a door. The clerk thought I meant a public door. She thought because it said employees only, that it didn’t count.” She climbed up and sat back, devastation written on her beautiful features.
“It’s a shame we don’t know where she lives.” He ached to wipe the worry from her face, but their situation had no easy fix.
“I think I know where to find her, but there’s no point in chasing after her in the dark. She’ll know this area better than Joe and I combined.”
His throat stayed tight at the pain in Leigh’s voice. He’d never before felt as if he were standing on such uneven ground. He’d always known his next step until now. “Do you want me to take you home or back to Kate’s?”
“Give me a minute, and I’ll let you know. I’ll be quick.” She pulled her phone from her pocket and dialed. “Hey, it’s me. Yeah, she gave me the slip at the gas station. All I wanted to do was put some food in her belly. Please tell me the Caudill’s place has been decontaminated.”
Decontaminated? What the hell?
“Thank God. I’m going to go out there tomorrow. Do you have time to go with me? Shit. Okay, but I’m not waiting. I’ll figure something out. I know. I promise I won’t go alone. Love you too. Bye.” She disconnected. “Turn left up at the stoplight. It’s only about ten minutes to my place and Joe’s got to get back so he can send Mom and Dad home. They came over to watch his daughter while he checked on Kate.”
A sick feeling coiled low in his belly and twisted. “No problem. What did you mean by decontaminated?”
“I’m certain that Mary lives out at the old Caudill place. Her father, Tom was arrested for making meth. That’s where we found Kate’s horse. The mare died of neglect, and Kate took custody of the foal. The meth has a distinct smell, so it’s not uncommon for meth cookers to keep horses and use the manure to mask the aroma.” She smacked the dash in frustration. “God, it makes me sick to think she’s been living out there all this time. There were signs that a child was living there, but we’ve been out there twice and haven’t been able to find her. No one is missing from the elementary, middle or high school. The worry was bad enough when I only thought there might be someone hiding out there. Now that I know for sure, and have a face to go with the knowledge, the worry is going to make me sick.”
“And you’re going back out there tomorrow? To look for her?” He couldn’t grasp the idea that the girl, that any child might live in such a place.
“She’ll hide from me. It’s not like she’s a wild animal I can set a trap for. I’ll have to see who I can get to go with me. Joe usually goes, but he has to be in court tomorrow. He’ll sic Dad on me if I go out there alone, and that is not a pleasant experience.” She visibly shuddered.
“I’ll take you. What time should I pick you up?” He had a million things on his schedule tomorrow, including sleep and digging into Kate’s mess, but he’d make time.
“How about noon? I have to work, but can take a long lunch break. Turn in there, the last door in the row.” She pointed to a row of neat, simple townhomes. “Give me your phone and I’ll give you my work address.” He handed over the phone and parked.
“Thanks.” She handed it back, opened the door and vanished like a witch in the night.
Kate rolled her shoulders and laid her head against the back of the plush couch. A wide yawn stretched her face as purple rays of dawn peaked through the curtains. She’d been awake for nearly twenty-four crazy, chaotic hours. Once they’d dealt with the drama at her house then made the drive to Bourbon County, unloaded Bonnie and gotten her settled, night had come and gone.
She didn’t expect to have much time to rest today either. Joe would be breathing down her neck for an explanation. He knew something was up and would only give her a minute grace period before he demanded answers.
She’d have to check in with the fire department and see if and when she could go inside to see what, if anything, could be salvaged. She’d have to contact her insurance company and figure out how to manage her berries. The county fair was closing in and she’d already made plans to share a booth with a local crafter. Now she might not have any stock to sell. An endless list of errands replayed in a dizzying
loop.
She leaned down to remove her shoes and groaned.
“You okay?” Trent’s fatigue roughened voice whispered through her.
“Just sore. I’m sure it’s from the fall. My ankle is a little tender and my muscles are stiff, but I’ll be fine after a hot shower and some sleep.”
“Here.” He sat beside her and carefully tugged off her shoes. A dull ache spread and throbbed as she tested the sprain. It was sore, but she’d had worse. “It’s a little swollen, are you sure?”
“Yes. I promise. Now, when are you going to explain what’s going on? I find it awfully difficult to believe that you, your friend and the senator just happened to show up at the farmer’s market on the same day. And if it was just a coincidence, then why did you hide from me?”
“You caught that, did you?” He gave her a half-hearted smile and rubbed a hand over his head. She wasn’t sure if it was a touch of guilt or exhaustion.
“I didn’t at first. I thought it was odd to have Bailey appear in Riley Creek and find me more than once. Then when you bumped into him, all I caught was a flash of your hair and your shoulders. There was something there that nagged at me, but between your friend and Bailey, I was too distracted to give it a lot of thought.”
“Wait. What other time did you see Bailey?” She resisted the urge to smooth the frown over his brows with her fingertips.
“A few days ago. He said he was in town and wanted to speak with me. He makes my skin crawl and I brushed him off. He pretended to bump into me at the feed store, of all places. When I asked about his animals, he admitted to not having any and only wanting to see me. Then, when he showed at the market, the awful feeling returned. I guess it’s possible he’s just a lonely widower looking for someone to talk to, but he seems to be going out of his way too much for my comfort.” She shrugged.
“No. For what it’s worth, I think your feelings are on target. We were following Bailey, and he led us to you. We had no idea where he was going after his appointment. The Senator’s former brother-in-law asked Rick to look into his sister’s death. We had no idea you’d be at the market that day.” He idly traced the seam of her jeans running up her calf.
“Which is why you used a shitty disguise. How much did Clay charge you for the used hunting gear?” She smiled as she pictured the gruff and often suspicious Clay haggling with a rushed Trent.
“A small fortune. He must have sensed my desperation.” Trent smiled wryly.
“Probably. He doesn’t like outsiders. Why all the interest in me? I don’t understand.” She’d spent the entire ride into Bourbon County thinking on it and came up blank.
“I don’t know. You’re a beautiful woman, that’s obvious, but I don’t know why he’d fixate on you, if that’s what happened.” His heavy palm rested on her knee and he raised his head to meet her gaze.
“Why would he try to kill me if he wants me? I don’t understand.”
“It may be that there’s no way to explain it. All we know is that there are too many questions, and they all revolve around you.” He tapped her nose with a finger.
“So…this is a job to you?” She had so many questions, but she had to start putting herself first. She owed it to herself.
“Yes and no.” He sighed heavily.
“I don’t know if it’s the exhaustion or your words. I feel like a naïve school girl. Explain.” Yes, he’d done so much for her, but she deserved answers. She couldn’t bear living in the dark a second longer.
“After our date, I had every intention of walking away and never seeing you again. Your actions, your words, you? It was all too good to be true. But when it began to look like you could be in trouble, I couldn’t walk away. When Rick gave me a suggestion on how to get in your good graces so we could both learn more and see if you were truly in danger, I shrugged it off, knowing it wouldn’t work for you. I just knew. And there was not a chance in hell I could walk away if you were in danger.” The sincerity in his voice knocked her off balance. He said all the right things, but should she believe him?
“And how did you think to get in my good graces?” She couldn’t wait to hear his answer.
“Bonnie. Your farm.” He knew her. She had to give him that, at least. But was the knowledge from true emotion on his part, or intelligent calculation? He’d shown nothing but care for her since the first moment they’d met. He’d helped her out of one bad situation after another.
“Do you have a white knight complex?”
“What?” Clearly exhausted, he looked back in confusion.
“You know, do you get off on saving damsels in distress?”
A blank look crossed his face and then he burst into deep, rolling laughter. The sound rumbled through her in waves. “Sweetheart, you are the farthest thing from a damsel in distress I’ve ever seen. Damsels in distress don’t manage a farm, big or small, all on their own. They don’t do home repair or load shotguns. You are no damsel.”
“That’s all I’ve wanted to do, just take care of my animals and be me, I just didn’t know it. I hate asking for help.”
A crooked, wicked, little grin lit his face. A melty-warm, altogether lovely sensation spread low in her belly and something bright bloomed in her chest.
“If it makes you feel any better, remind yourself you never asked. I had to barge in and take over.” He cupped her face in his big, rough palms. “You are a strong, capable, caring, and beautiful woman who has her shit together. That is sexy as fuck. The fact that you are in trouble and need help, does not subtract or add to the attraction I feel for you.”
The brightness in her chest flashed and her breath hitched in a ragged stutter. Deep and powerful emotions gripped her. How could she know if she was capable of wading through them when her head was a mess and her body on the verge of collapse?
“All I know is that your evening started off with a bang and never really slowed down. You were hit with one catastrophe after another.” Maybe it was childish, but she wasn’t ready to deal with the heady feelings. So much had happened so fast, she didn’t know which way was up or down. Maybe it would be best to save the rest of the serious discussion for another time? “Why did you come out to see me in the first place?”
“I had some extra tack that I thought might fit Bonnie. I brought it out to check for fit. At least, if we’re being honest, that was my excuse. I came to check up on you and get closer for Rick’s case.” He shrugged as if his words shouldn’t mean much to her.
“Ah. That makes sense. You didn’t come to see me. You came to visit my horse and for work.” She hoped a dose of sarcasm might lighten the heavy atmosphere.
“Yeah, that’s it. I’m a sucker for the long-legged beauties.”
She met his storm-gray gaze. A dense mix of emotions swirled there, revealing heat and hunger that inspired matching sensations in the deepest parts of her. “Good thing, I’m short then, isn’t?”
“Sweetheart, from where I’m standing, there’s nothing short about your legs. What are you? Five foot five?” His eyes surveyed her from toe to head in a slow sweep.
“Five feet, four and a half inches. Aunt Jeannie never quit despairing over my lack of height. She always held out hope that I would grow at least one more inch.” She straightened her shoulders in her old habit of trying to look taller so her aunt would be happy. It never worked.
“Well, you’ve got enough leg to wrap around a man’s waist and hold tight. That’s all a man needs.” Heated male appreciation stared back at her. Knowing he had noticed her legs or any other part of her body flooded her with languid desire.
Her long day and eventful night exhausted her. She lacked the energy needed to absorb the meaning of his words. And the heat in his eyes? She didn’t know if she’d ever be able to accept or process that kind of passion.
Fatigue pushed her closer to sleep, making both her eyelids and limbs infinitely heavy. Her thoughts became jumbled, yet at the heart of it she knew there was something there she needed to concentrate on.
> “So someone is trying to kill or scare me. I wouldn’t have believed you yesterday, but there’s no denying it anymore, is there?” She fought to string her words together with some semblance of logic.
“No. There’s not. You’re in danger.”
She believed him. Sure, she’d be an idiot not to after everything that happened, but also because his sense of honor was stamped on everything he did.
“So you want me to stay here with you just because you’re a nice guy. Is that what I’m supposed to believe?” The heat of his palm rested on her thigh.
“Sure. You can believe that if you want.” At least for the time being he seemed to allow her denial. She’d have to face the more complicated decisions later when she could focus. She needed to turn off her brain and let exhaustion carry her off to sleep, but she couldn’t make her mouth stop. Encroaching sleep slurred her words and she had trouble completing her thoughts.
“How about if I tell myself that you are only interested in my horse? Can I do that?” She closed her eyes in a slow blink and forced them open.
“Sure, princess, you go right ahead. My only interest is that pretty little filly out in the stables. Tell yourself that all you like.” A lazy grin spread across his face and his hand patted her thigh.
“That’s what I thought.” Incapable of holding her eyes open a moment longer she listed to the side and leaned her head on his shoulder. A low chuckle rumbled through his chest.
All she needed was just a few seconds to rest her eyes.
Something shifted and she lay closer to warmth. A subtle rocking motion swept her away.
He lay Kate on the guest bed and covered her with a light quilt. She didn’t move except to take in a deep breath and settle. While he was used to the long hours, he wasn’t so sure she was. Yes, he’d learned enough about her, he could easily see her rising before dawn and putting in a hard day’s work. To top it off, she’d do it with a smile on her beautiful face the entire time.
Protecting Kate: Dark Horse, Inc: Book 1 Page 13
