* * *
CY PULLED THE van in front of Kellie’s town house with a grimace. “Let’s get this done fast.” He didn’t wait for Vic. After he got out and opened the side door to accommodate the hide-a-bed, he headed for her front door. The key was on his ring.
Vic followed him inside. They made quick work of getting the couch out to the van. In a few minutes he’d restored the living room to its former order. “I’ll run upstairs to grab my laptop and any clothes I left.”
“While you do that, I’ll take down the camera from the garage.”
“Good. Be back in a second.”
When he came down with his bag, he went into the bathroom to pack the toiletries he’d left. All was done except to leave the key and garage-door opener.
Cy walked into the kitchen and put both items on the table. That was when his eyes were drawn to the diamond and wedding band he’d given her. They were sitting on a note she’d penned. A vise seemed to close around his chest.
He pocketed the rings before reading it. The last lines stood out. Just know that you will always have my undying gratitude. You saved my life. What greater service can one human do for another?
Kellie had written this before he’d phoned her. Now that the threat to her life was over, she hadn’t been able to remove the rings fast enough. She hadn’t mentioned tomorrow night’s party, not even a hint that she still wanted to go with him.
So what in the hell did those kisses mean the other night when they’d both come close to losing control? Gratitude had nothing to do with the way she’d melted in his arms, kissing him until he felt immortal. She’d been on fire for him. That wasn’t something you could hide.
Vic joined him. “What’s going on, Cy? You haven’t been the same since you walked into headquarters this morning. If I didn’t know better I’d say you’ve seen a ghost.”
Cy lifted his head. “TJ was right. He warned me that pretending to be married meant I’d be walking a very thin line. At the time I didn’t realize how much truth he spoke.” Or how much I wanted it to be real. He turned to his friend. “That’s why he’s the captain. Let’s get out of here.”
He walked out of the house, making sure the front door was locked before he closed it. When they got in the van, Vic turned to him. “Come on, Cy. It’s me you’re talking to. Something’s eating you alive. What is it?”
Cy tossed his head back. “I think I’ve been played.”
“By whom?”
“Who do you think?”
“You couldn’t mean Kellie.”
“Until I read her note, I didn’t think it was possible, either. Gratitude is the last thing I want from her.”
Vic cocked his head. “I take it you two crossed the line.”
“Only one time. After Dan threatened to kill her horse, she fell apart and I comforted her. Things got out of control for a few minutes. That’s all.”
“Apparently it was enough to turn you inside out.”
“Never again,” he vowed through gritted teeth.
“Listen to me, Cy. You’re too close to the situation and not thinking straight. Try looking at this from her point of view. Before my wife died, I learned a lot from living with her. Not everything is what it seems to be. Kellie had to have feelings for you or she wouldn’t have kissed you. But don’t be upset because she’s grateful to you for saving her life. Both emotions can coexist in the same universe.”
He took a sharp intake of breath. “You saw the wedding rings on the table.”
“Now that I think about it, I see you’re not wearing your wedding band, either. How come?”
“You know damn well why.”
“Can’t you believe she took her rings off for the same reason?”
“But did she?”
“Only you can answer that question. Has she left you with no hope?”
Cy rubbed his eyes. “It’s not like that. She said she wanted to cook dinner for me. I knew it was just her gratitude talking. But the other night I told her my sister’s engagement party is on Sunday night. Since I didn’t dare leave Kellie alone, I asked her if she’d be willing to go with me and she said yes. But now that the case has been solved, she didn’t—”
“Didn’t what?” Vic challenged. “Tell you she still wanted to go with you?”
“No,” Cy muttered.
“Did you ask her if she still wanted to go? Maybe she was waiting for you to bring it up. You’ve been joined at the hip for a week in the most dangerous kind of situation, but now that you no longer have to pretend you’re married, I’d say she’s feeling a damn sight vulnerable...and probably nervous.”
He flung his head around. “Nervous—of me?”
“You’ve been in charge all this time, dictating every move. Maybe she fears she’s been played.”
“Hell—”
“Yup. And hell is where you’re going to stay till you get this thing straightened out.”
Stirred up by Vic’s perceptive comments, he started the engine and they took off for the warehouse at headquarters. Once they’d dropped things off, Vic left for home while Cy walked through to his office.
Hell wasn’t the place he wanted to be. He sat down at his desk and phoned Kellie. No doubt she was out riding and it would probably go through to her voice mail. If so, he’d wait until he got a live response, even if it took until he went to bed.
In the meantime he opened the file folder on the new case TJ had given him.
Fidel Ravelo is wanted in connection with the armed robbery of approximately $7 million from a security company in North Austin, Texas, that took place two years ago. He allegedly took three security employees hostage at gunpoint and handcuffed, bound and injected them with an unknown, nonlethal substance to disable them further. The FBI is offering a reward of up to $1,000,000 for information leading to Ravelo’s capture. He’s believed to be in Venezuela, but recent rumors say he’s been seen in Brownsville, where he has ties to family.
After studying the specifics, he’d start by talking to the security employees. Maybe one of them could recall a detail that hadn’t been included in the report. But he couldn’t do any more work today. The captain had told him to go home. Cy decided to take his advice because he could no longer concentrate.
* * *
KELLIE FINISHED SHAMPOOING Trixie and rinsed her off. After putting a little conditioner on her tail and mane, she brushed them to make them silky. Her last action was to use a damp cloth to rub her palomino’s face. Then she gave her a kiss and some Uncle Jimmy’s Squeezy Buns for a treat. She and Starburst chomped them down.
“There! Now you two look beautiful and I’m sure you feel much better.” Both horses stood in the late-afternoon sun while she towel-dried them so they wouldn’t catch cold. On Monday the vet would come out to look them over and check their hooves before the trip to South Dakota.
“All right, girls. It’s time for dinner.” She grasped their lead ropes and walked them to their stalls inside the barn. After removing their bath halters, they could eat from the hay nets and drink water.
The exercise had been good for her, reminding her these horses were her children and her passport to a championship. “See you tomorrow.”
She could hear nickering and walked to Paladin’s stall. Only two days ago Cy had ridden him. The memory of that heavenly afternoon made her ache for him. “You want a treat, too?” Kellie fed him the last of her horsey treats and walked out to clean up the grooming equipment. Once she’d coiled the hose, she headed back to the ranch house.
Today she’d wondered if she would make it through to evening without Cy, but here she was still walking around. And thanks to him, still alive. Somehow she had to get beyond all this. Earlier in the day her father had told her this was a time for debriefing. By working with her horses, it would help put the horror o
f her experience behind her. The passage of time would do the rest, but she couldn’t hurry the process.
Her mind thought about Cy. Every time he solved a case for the agency, how did he put the horror behind him?
She let out an anguished sigh. When she looked to the sun getting ready to set, she noticed the sky was shot through with pinks and yellows. The same sky Cy might be looking at tonight. How long would it take her to stop missing him? Was he missing her right now? Had the magic between them been a figment of her imagination? Those moments in his arms were real enough.
If he were her husband, how would she deal with their separations, knowing that every time he left the house it was possible he might not come back? Under those conditions, how long could the magic last?
“Not very long,” she whispered to the air. Kellie didn’t have the right stuff to live with a hero like Cy. That was what he was. It took a special type of woman who could compartmentalize her feelings in order to deal with that kind of stress on a day-to-day basis.
Once she reached the ranch house, she went upstairs to her old bedroom to shower. Since she had no appetite, she got ready for bed and reached for her laptop. It was time to draft a disclaimer to put on her blog. She’d known this day would have to come. Who knew Cy would solve her case this fast?
Kellie got to work on it. When she’d finished, she read it over half a dozen times, but she needed another opinion before posting it. Since it was only eight thirty, she reached for her cell phone to call her friend Kathie. Seven messages were waiting for her, including one from Kathie. It wasn’t until now she remembered that she’d turned off her phone. The last one was from Cy. He’d called hours ago. She couldn’t believe it.
Her hand trembled as she pressed the button and listened. “Kellie? Call me ASAP.”
The urgency in his deep voice gave her heart the greatest workout of its life. He’d solved her case and was already working on another one. Why was he calling her now? Had he left something at the town house he’d forgotten and didn’t want to be accused of breaking in to get it?
If she didn’t phone him back, she’d never know the answer to that question. His call gave her the excuse to talk to him again. Feeling light-headed from emotions bombarding her body, she pressed the digit for his number.
He picked up on the second ring. “Kellie?”
“Hi.” She was trying to catch her breath.
“Thanks for calling me back.”
“I didn’t know you’d phoned until a minute ago. I’ve been out shampooing my horses and just finished.”
“How lucky for them.”
She chuckled in spite of her angst. “They love it and they were so good for me. They didn’t move.”
“That doesn’t surprise me. They love you. Horses aren’t that different from humans. Rosco P. likes to do tricks for me.”
“Rosco P.?” Kellie was charmed down to her toenails by the revelation. “Was he the horse you rode in the Bandera parade?”
“That’s right.”
“I didn’t know that was his name. Sounds like the bumbling character from the old Dukes of Hazzard television show with Boss Hogg.”
“The very one.”
“I adored that series. The way those brothers drove that car around, driving the Boss crazy, was hilarious.”
“I got a kick out of it, too.”
“What kind of tricks can you get your horse to do?”
“He can bow and do the Spanish walk.”
“You’re kidding!”
“Nope. Most of the time I use a ball to play with him. For incentive I feed him Rounders Molasses treats.”
“Starburst likes those, too.” Kellie almost said that they’d have to get their horses together, but she stopped herself in time. “Cy—I’m probably keeping you from your work. Did you forget something at the town house? Is that why you called me?”
“No. I phoned to ask if you want to go to my sister’s engagement party tomorrow night. We’d talked about it before, but that was when I was protecting you. Now that the threat is over, we can go without worrying about our undercover lie.”
She pressed a hand to her mouth to stifle a cry of joy. He still wanted her to go with him.
“I’d like that very much.”
“If it works for you, I’ll pick you up at your town house at six thirty. It’s a semidressy affair.”
“Thanks for telling me. I live in cowboy boots and forget they’re not suitable for every occasion.”
“Understood. I know you have questions about how everything went down last night. I’ll do my best to answer them. See you tomorrow night. I look forward to being with you again, Kellie.”
Her pulse raced. “Me, too. And you’re right. I’d like a little closure. Good night.” I want to see how serious your injuries are. She hung up in a daze, suddenly motivated because she knew she’d be with Cy tomorrow night.
In the morning she’d clean her one-stall horse trailer and living quarters to get it ready for her trip around the circuit. Kellie had to put fresh feed and hay on board, plus all her gear and plastic barrels.
She had nine or ten different bits and took them with her along with several pairs of reins and halters. In her dressage training routine she felt snaffles were the best, plus the square mouthpiece O-ring, so her horse’s mouth would stay soft and undamaged.
Once the vet came out to check her horses, she and Cody would be ready to go. He and his fiancée would be over on Wednesday to load Starburst and they’d all drive in tandem. What she’d give if Cy were in a different line of work and could travel to the various rodeos with her.
You’re crazy, Kellie.
One phone call from him and her head was in the clouds again. She couldn’t afford to forget what he did for a living. He’d dodged a bullet while protecting her, but what about his next case, and the one after that?
By the time she’d given herself another talking-to, a great deal of her excitement had dissipated. A night out with Cy would be wonderful, but she’d pay a price. She just knew it! But it was too late to cancel on him, and she didn’t want to.
After turning out the light, she crawled under the covers with her mind made up that it would be their final goodbye.
Before she left for South Dakota she’d post her blog piece. But Kathie deserved an explanation over the phone first. She’d been hurt that Kellie hadn’t told her about her marriage. That was something she could fix right now.
Kellie hadn’t really been in touch with anyone since the stalker first approached her in Oregon. Cy had made up her whole world and still did.
Knowing she wouldn’t fall asleep for a long time, she reached for her cell. While they were on the phone, she could run the blog piece by her friend and see if she had any other suggestions before it went out. When Kellie thought about telling everyone she really hadn’t gotten married, she felt so hollow inside, she could hardly stand it.
* * *
BY SIX ON Sunday evening, Kellie had showered and shampooed her hair. There was enough natural curl that she blow-dried it into a wavy bob with a side part. Once she’d applied her lipstick in a tangerine frost color she loved, it was time to get dressed.
She had several outfits, but in the end she chose her sleeveless black flared jersey dress with the high rounded neck. Her tiny black-and-gold puffed teardrop earrings went perfectly with it. On her feet she wore black sling-back high heels. Before she left the bedroom, she reached for her black clutch with the gold fastener.
One last look in the mirror and she realized she didn’t need any blusher. The temperature she was running did it for her. Kellie would be meeting Cy’s family tonight. She needed to look her best for him.
At twenty after six the doorbell rang. Her heart leaped because he was early. She hurried downstairs to let him in. How ironic tha
t only two days ago, Cy had permission to come and go as if he lived here while he carried out his plans to protect her.
When she opened the door, the tall, spectacular-looking male in the midnight-blue suit and lighter blue shirt almost caused her legs to buckle. Kellie had to hang on to the door handle or she would have fallen. She noticed a small bandage on the side of his neck above the collar, but nothing else, thank heaven. He was here—and he was okay.
Chapter Nine
Cy took in the vision before him. Mounted on her palomino, Kellie Parrish in Western attire was a complete knockout. But tonight the champion barrel racer had taken on a different persona. To say she was dazzling in black was an understatement.
She had a glow about her he hadn’t seen before now. The stalker brothers had stolen that radiance from her, but now that they’d been caught, she’d been restored to her former self. Her heart was in those blue eyes, and she was looking at him the way she’d done when they’d kissed each other senseless the other night.
“Hi” was all he could say until his breathing returned to normal.
“Hi,” she answered in a soft voice. “I’m ready.”
“Make sure both doors are locked.”
It brought a smile to her face. “I did.”
“Sorry. Old habits die hard.”
“I forgive you,” she murmured as he walked her to his Audi sports car parked in front of the town house. Once he’d started the engine and they were off, she turned to him. “How long will it take us to get to Dripping Springs?”
“That depends.”
“On what?”
“Maybe we’ll just drive into the sunset. What would you say to that?”
The blood pounded in her ears. I’d go anywhere with you. “I’m not sure your sister would forgive you.”
“What if I told you I’m tired of doing my duty?”
He felt her glance. “Your sister isn’t a duty.”
“True. But the way you’re looking tonight, I’m not sure I want to share you with my family. You look stunning, Kellie.”
The Texas Ranger's Bride (Lone Star Lawmen Book 1) Page 13
