We sat out on the porch until the moon rose in the sky and a million stars twinkled above. I’d never seen such beauty, not where I live, not anywhere. I was starting to understand why Texans loved the outdoors. I might, too, if I were able to play under this stage of lights.
“It’s getting late, and we need an early start tomorrow.” Nathan held out his hand, and I took it, letting him pull me up from the swing.
“Cassie, you can have your own room,” Mildred called out.
I grinned like a woman on a mission. “It’s fine. You guys might know the truth, but not everyone else does.” I gestured to Ed and Pete.
“Right.” Clayton wiggled his brows. “Keeping up appearances is part of the fun.”
Nathan cleared his throat. “Right, well, good night.”
Nathan guided me upstairs to his room. I grabbed some clothes and changed into a pair of boy shorts and a tank top. I came out of the bathroom, and Nathan was already in bed. He was wearing lounge pants and was shirtless. “I hope this is okay.”
“Sure,” I said, trying hard not to stare at his abs. I flexed my fingers when all I wanted to do was trace the indentions and kiss a path over his body. “No problem.”
I crawled into bed and pulled the covers up. Nathan reached over me and turned off the light. His face was only inches from mine as he stared down at me. “Thanks for coming clean to my dad. I don’t like lying to him.”
“I didn’t like lying to him either.”
He leaned in and pressed a tender kiss to my lips, as if it were a nightly ritual. When he pulled back, he said, “I’m sorry.”
I grinned. “I’m not. Just consider it practice for all of the locals we have to convince.”
“Practice,” he said as his gaze landed on my mouth.
I licked my lips.
He didn’t move and stared down at me. His gaze slowly traveled north to my eyes. “Good night, Cassie.”
Nathan rolled back over onto his side of the bed, proving he had more control than me. If I’d taken the lead, we wouldn’t need separate sides of the bed; then again, we wouldn’t be getting any sleep.
“I appreciate you helping me.”
“If I hadn’t helped Herbert Guillot, he might still be alive,” I said as Nathan turned off the lamp on his side of the bed, plunging the room into darkness.
Another person dying because of my ability had shaken me. Serving subpoenas and notices to appear was one thing. It was only my wellbeing I had to be concerned with. I stared up at the unfamiliar ceiling and, for the first time ever, debated if I’d done the right thing.
Nathan
Chapter 10
Nathan rolled over in the bed to find Cassie had already gotten up. The door to the bathroom stood open, the light off. He rolled out of bed, grabbed a change of clothes, and headed straight for the shower. Cassie’s shampoo and conditioner were sitting on the tub. The scent of strawberries hung in the air. A used towel draped the curtain rod.
He grinned. She’d made herself at home. How had he slept through it?
He showered and dressed and headed downstairs to find Mildred in the kitchen, doing dishes and staring out the window.
“Have you seen Cassie?” Nathan asked.
“You could say that,” she said and gestured to the window.
Cassie was in the field with Nathan’s dad. She was wearing a cowboy hat and was walking around with a can of spray paint, marking different areas in the yard. “What in the world is she doing?”
“Not sure, but I’m surprised William is letting her do it with spray paint.”
A truck pulled up, and a man got out. A smile pulled at Nathan’s lips. “Is that…”
“Your Uncle Dan,” Mildred answered.
Dan and his son, Marty, got out of the truck. Marty headed straight for the barn and horse arena where Amanda was practicing. The two of them had been inseparable growing up. Marty was a good kid. A straight-A kid fresh out of high school. Uncle Dan wasn’t really Nathan’s uncle, but he might as well have been. He and Nathan’s dad were best friends. Uncle Dan ran the town bank. The same bank Nathan’s dad used for his oil business. The same bank Nathan’s mother visited on the day she died.
“Do Marty and Amanda still practice together?”
“If that’s what the kids are calling it these days,” Mildred answered and gestured toward the kitchen table. “I saved you and Clayton some breakfast. The rest of us already ate. Just heat it up.”
“Did someone say breakfast?” Clayton asked, walking into the kitchen. He stepped up to the window and peered outside. “What is she doing?”
“There’s no telling,” Nathan answered.
He and Clayton made plates and took them into the dining room.
“Did you stay up late?” Nathan asked.
“I’ve been researching those flights and rentals.”
“Find anything yet?” Nathan asked.
“Nothing of interest, but I’m only half way though.” Clayton answered.
They were just finishing up when Nathan’s dad, Uncle Dan, and Cassie walked in. She was pulling the hat off her head and using it to fan her red face.
Nathan recognized the hat, and he should. He’d bought it for his mom years ago. It had been her favorite. A hint of pride made him smile. It looked good on her. She looked like she fit right in.
“Well, there you are,” Uncle Dan said, holding out his hand.
Nathan rose and shook it. “Uncle Dan, it’s been a long time.”
“Too long, son, but I’m glad you’re back and that you brought your girlfriend and her friend. The more, the merrier.”
“They came to see Amanda ride, and they’re staying for the Benefit,” Nathan’s dad said.
“I wouldn’t miss either of those for the world. I know how important they are to Nathan, right, baby?” Cassie said as she closed the distance and pressed a tender kiss on Nathan’s lips while proceeding to steal his bacon.
Nathan snagged her around the waist and pulled her into his lap. He kissed her again and smiled into her face. “You look good in my mother’s hat.”
Cassie blushed a pretty pink. She was laying it on thick, and he could play his part. Hell, he wanted to play this part.
“Okay, you guys, keep it PG. There are teenagers outside,” his dad said, stealing another piece of bacon as Cassie had just done. His father patted Nathan’s shoulder. “I’m not kissing you for it.”
Clayton covered and protected his plate from the others and moved to the other side of the table out of reach.
“I reserved our booth at the rodeo. You three should join us,” Uncle Dan said.
“A booth?”
“It’s the VIP area of the arena,” Nathan explained.
“VIP. Now that I can get behind,” Clayton said, pointing with his bacon before biting off a piece.
Clayton oozed manners and charm. Him being an FDG operative made sense. Nathan just hoped the man was as good with people as he was at watching Cassie’s back.
Uncle Dan handed Nathan’s dad an envelope. “All we need to close the deal is your signature to start the process. You can either drop it off at the bank or bring it to the rodeo if you don’t have time.”
“You didn’t have to drive all the way out here to drop it off. I’d planned to come into town, but now that Nathan showed up, I’ve got to be here when the new rig shows up so I can pinpoint where to put it.”
“New rig?” Nathan asked.
William grinned. “New rig.” He chuckled and handed the bacon he’d stolen to Cassie before escorting Uncle Dan to the front door.
“Why does he need a new rig?” Nathan asked.
“I find things. It’s what I do, and it doesn’t just stop at people or missing items. It apparently extends to oil in the ground. Who knew?” She kicked her leg up and rose with the momentum from Nathan’s lap.
Who knew? God forbid if that little secret got out. It wouldn’t be a killer Nathan would be hunting down; it would be kidnappers. “You m
ight want to keep that part a secret so I don’t have to rescue you from kidnappers.”
Her brows furrowed, but she nodded. Men and woman alike down on their luck might be tempted to kidnap someone holding the knowledge of a million-dollar payday if the opportunity arose.
Nathan and Clayton finished eating while Cassie sat on the porch with Nathan’s grandfather. He wasn’t much of a conversationalist, as he was an observer, but it didn’t matter. Nathan could hear the one-sided conversation Cassie was having with the man from inside the house. She was telling him stories about her grandmother’s antics.
When they walked outside to let Cassie know they were ready to go to town, there was a certain spark in his granddad's eyes. An all-knowing spark. He really had been amused.
“Ready for me to show you town?” Nathan asked.
“Absolutely.” Cassie popped up. “It was nice chatting with you, Mr. Murray.”
He lifted his unlit pipe in acknowledgment without saying a word.
“Finally.” Clayton groaned. “Maybe I’ll meet me a cowgirl or two.”
Cassie nudged his shoulder as they crossed the yard heading toward the limo. Nathan headed for his dad’s truck.
“I’m driving,” Nathan said, holding up the keys.
“Why would we take that? It doesn’t even look like it has air conditioning.”
Nathan chuckled. “If we take the limo, we won’t be blending with the locals or the tourists. We take the truck and go unnoticed. Isn’t that the plan?”
“I’m going to need a map,” Cassie said. She hopped in the truck like she’d done it a million times then shrugged at his quick gasp. “My sister Faith has a truck older than this one.”
“We’ll find a map. Maybe this won’t take as long as we’d thought.”
“You got the bill from the heist?”
Nathan pulled it out of his pocket and handed it to Cassie to hold on to.
Chapter 11
The ride into town was just as bumpy as the ride from the airport, although a lot more scenic. What started out as fields as far as the eye could see turned into houses that were getting closer together until a small metropolis grew before our eyes as if hidden by the horizon and miles of farmland.
Before we reached the town, an indoor arena, flanked by two stables, stood on the outskirts. Horse trailers and big rigs were parked in the gravel lot. Cowboys were carrying bales of hay inside the stables. It was a bigger production than I realized.
“Is that where the competition is going to be?”
“Like clockwork every year. Whoever wins in their divisions ends up representing the state in nationals.”
“Let me guess, they get bigger belt buckles as their prizes,” Clayton asked.
I nudged Nathan. “You’ll have to show me your collection.”
His face reddened, making me grin. He was so easy to tease. He probably wouldn’t last an entire day around my sisters.
We arrived in the town proper. There were shops and buildings and people milling around. It was more than just a one horse town. There were neighborhoods and schools, along with restaurants and police and fire departments. This part of their town appeared much more like mine. Families shopped on Main Street, and blue and white awnings offered a nice reprieve from the glaring afternoon sun. Kids riding bikes whizzed in and out of traffic. Everybody seemed in a hurry to do their own thing, which I was betting was unusual in this small town if it weren’t for the underlying effect that the Benefit and rodeo were just days away.
Nathan parked the truck in front of a sign that read Cooper’s Drug Store. “If Coop’s doesn’t have it or can’t get it, then it doesn’t exist in town.”
We all piled out of the truck and headed inside the door. Cool air caressed our faces. This was a hodgepodge-type store. They carried everything from medicines to things you’d see on TV and then some. The store was split into two, sharing space with a western-wear store next door that sold boots and hats.
“His daughter owns the other store,” Nathan whispered as he passed. “Come on, if they have what we need, then it will be over here.”
I followed behind him, smiling at all the strangers who nodded their head as we passed.
“You and Nathan need to restock, Cassie,” Clayton called out from across the store while holding up a box of neon condoms and whipped topping.
I gave him two thumbs-up and smiled. “Get me three of each.”
If he thought to embarrass me, then he must not know my sisters very well at all. Red tinted Nathan’s cheeks as he paused at the rack of magazines and books.
We scanned each shelf. Nothing, nada.
“My eyes must be deceiving me. Is that Nathan Murray, and is he looking at books?” a woman said as she approached with a big smile on her face. She was a knockout about Nathan’s age. Pin-up calendar worthy, blonde hair that hit her waist and big blue eyes. “And here I didn’t think you’d ever be coming back to town, much less read.”
The woman’s gaze went from him to me and back. “I see you brought friends.”
I wrapped my arm around Nathan’s waist and smiled pretty. “He insisted on bringing me home to meet the folks.”
The woman wrinkled her nose. “Is that right, Nathan? Finally slow down long enough to nurture a relationship?”
“Cassie this is Monica Cooper, my ex-girlfriend. Monica, this is Cassie,” Nathan said.
“His current girlfriend.” I smiled for good measure.
Clayton appeared by my side as if sensing hostility from across the store. He handed me the basket with the neon condoms and the can of Cool Whip. “What did I miss?”
Neither of us spoke.
“The past and the present coming together,” Monica answered, holding out her hand. “Cassie, it’s a pleasure to meet the woman who snared his heart.”
“And you too, Monica, the one who molded him into the man he is.”
“I can’t take this,” Nathan said and strolled off.
“If you ever want to compare notes or do lunch to talk while you’re in town, I’m sure I know a few of Nathan’s secrets that he hasn’t shared.”
I grinned. “Nathan secrets sound fun.”
“Can I come?” Clayton asked.
Monica turned her gaze to Clayton. She stared at his expensive shoes and then raised her gaze to his gorgeous eyes. “If you play your cards right, Hollywood.”
“Is that Nathan Murray, or do my eyes deceive me?” the pharmacist called out from behind the counter. The bald man had a lip full of white whiskers and kind eyes.
“Mr. Cooper, it’s good to see you.”
I glanced in that direction. “If you’ll excuse me. It was a pleasure meeting you.”
“You too, Present.”
I crossed the store to where Nathan was shaking the pharmacist’s hand. “I always hear you’ve come back to visit but we never see you in town.”
“Well, my sister is competing, and then there’s the benefit,” he answered. “Mr. Cooper, this is Cassie, my girlfriend. Cassie, this is Mr. Cooper.”
The pharmacist frowned. “Nathan, I’m guessing you didn’t give your girlfriend that black eye, and if you’re here for the Domestic Violence Benefit and Ball, does that mean she’s a guest speaker?”
I reached for my eye and remembered that I probably looked like hell. “Oh, God, no.” I tried for a smile. “No one I loved did this to me. It was a work accident.”
Mr. Cooper’s gaze went from mine to Nathan’s and back again.
“You should find new work.”
I gave him a lopsided grin, unwilling to elaborate. “Mr. Cooper, do you have any local maps?”
“Paper maps? Why would you need one of those when you have a native showing you around?”
Nathan’s mouth parted, and he snapped it closed.
“I collect them. I know it sounds silly, but I collect them from every place I’ve been to. It’s a keepsake of my travels,” I said.
“That’s sweet, dear, but I’m afraid they mig
ht as well be dinosaur fossils. Nowadays people just use their phones when they want to get places, including old men like me.”
I was starting to realize that. I’d tried once to use my crystal with a tablet once, but that didn’t work. I couldn’t get any accuracy with the read. I think it had something to do with it being electronic that was throwing it off kilter. Regardless, this wasn’t looking good.
No map, no scrying. No scrying, no money. No money, no killer.
Chapter 12
He was right. I knew it. My practices were kind of outdated. Nathan, Clayton, and I stepped out into the smoldering Texas heat, where it was hard to breathe. An iridescent shimmer formed on my skin.
“What now?” Nathan asked.
I shrugged. I didn’t know. Normally I had time to prepare. Clients sent me their things in advance, and I had time to do whatever I needed. Sometimes I didn’t even need a map. The crystal would do all the talking, or visions would just pop into my head and point me in the right direction. Just like my recent case of the keys hidden inside a crockpot.
“We old-school it,” I said and glanced up and down the street.
“And what exactly does that mean?” Clayton asked as he and Nathan followed me.
I had my fingers wrapped around the crystal at my neck, trying hard to concentrate on the feelings it was giving off. The strength of the vibration would be my guide. I walked in one direction and then moved back to the store and walked in the other. I grinned and glanced over my shoulder.
“This way. We definitely need to go this way.” When they didn’t move, I returned to them. “What’s the problem?”
“I’m not dressed for this occasion,” Clayton mumbled. “I should have worn my tennis shoes.”
“Here, take the truck back to the house.” Nathan passed him the keys. “I’ll call you when we’re done.”
“Come on. Let’s go. I don’t want to lose the momentum,” I said, already looking back over my shoulder in the direction I wanted to walk.
“You’re just going for a walk around town, right? You’ll call me when you hit on something so I can come back?” Clayton asked.
Pay Dirt (Bennett Dynasty Book 2) Page 5
