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Icy shards hit the back of my neck. “Is he okay?”
“Yes. He is now, thank God.”
“What happened?”
“His blood pressure dropped really low, and he spiked a fever. The doctors thought he might have an infection, but they got it under control and have him on another course of antibiotics.”
“Do they know what caused it? If it wasn’t an infection?”
“No.”
“Not good enough.”
“I agree, but all they can tell me is that these things sometimes happen during recovery from major surgery.”
“Not good enough,” I say again. “Do you want me to drive into the city?”
“More than ever,” she says, “but you can’t. I need you covering things in town at the city attorney’s office.”
“Mom, Snow Creek will survive without—”
“No, Donny,” she interrupts. “Please. Take care of things in town. I can’t have another worry on top of everything else.”
“Okay, Mom. Maybe Dale can go to the hospital.”
“Diana’s here. Dale has his Syrah to look after, and Bree has classes. I’ll be fine.”
My mother will be fine. She’s as strong as they come. But she depends on me. I’m her rock when Dad’s out of commission. And Dale, Diana, or Brianna can’t take my place.
I’m ready to jump in the car in my pajama pants and rush to Grand Junction.
The same way I rushed back to the ranch when she asked me to become her assistant city attorney. I’ll do anything for my mother.
She’s right, though. I have to take care of things in town. Life doesn’t stop just because of a tragedy. I know that better than anyone.
“All right, Mom,” I say. “But if you change your mind, I’ll be there.”
“I know you will.”
“You want me to call Dale and Bree?”
“No, I’ll take care of that, or I’ll get Marj to do it. You get into the office and make sure things run smoothly while I’m gone.”
“You got it. Anything for you, Mom.”
“You’re a wonderful son, Donny. I love you.”
“I love you too. Give Dad my love.”
“I will. Bye, sweetie.”
I heave a sigh and stare at my phone for a few minutes.
I can’t lose my father. He means the world to me. And damn… It would be ten times harder on Dale.
Dad is fine now, according to Mom. She wouldn’t sugarcoat anything where Dad’s well-being is concerned. If she were more worried, she’d want me there at her side, even if it meant no attorney were in the office in town.
I rise, finally, and stumble into the shower. I make it a cold one as I need to wake up. I hate cold showers, but they do the job—for waking up, at least. Not for blue balls.
Damn.
Blue balls.
Callie.
Callie and I and our fight.
It wasn’t a fight so much as….
I’m not sure what it was.
I know only that I’m in love with Callie Pike, and she’s in love with me.
This should be a time for happiness, joy, euphoria.
Instead?
It’s a time of doubt, of wondering if my father and uncles have been lying to us our whole lives, of knowing mysteries surround our family, the biggest of which is—who shot Talon Steel?
Secrets. Secrets and lies—and it could all come crashing down when we least expect it if I don’t figure out what’s going on.
I turn off the shower and shiver as I wrap myself in a bath sheet. I towel off my hair and open the mirrored cabinet above my sink.
The glasses case.
The safe-deposit box key.
I don’t wear glasses. I don’t have a safe-deposit box. How the hell did it get here?
I don’t have time to go to Denver today, but I sure as hell won’t send anyone else.
Mom and Dad have an alarm system. No one could have gotten into the house unauthorized. What is the name of the company that surveils the house? I have no freaking idea.
I give Dale a quick call.
“Yeah, Don?”
“Hey, do you happen to know the name of the company that monitors the main house? I need some information.”
“Yeah, it’s Monarch Security. What do you need?”
“Someone got in…and into my room.”
“What?” Dale grits out.
Already I feel the anger rising in my brother. I share it. Who was in our house?
“Yeah. I found a glasses case in my medicine cabinet.”
“You don’t wear glasses.”
“Very good, genius. There weren’t any glasses inside, but there was a key to a safe-deposit box in a bank in Denver.”
“You sure it’s not yours?”
“Of course I’m sure. I don’t have a safe-deposit box.”
“You don’t? Maybe you don’t remember opening it. You lived in Denver a long time.”
“For God’s sake, Dale. I’d remember renting a safe-deposit box.”
“Okay, okay. I just thought maybe you had one for client documents or something.”
“My firm took care of all that stuff. Who the hell got into the house?”
“I don’t know. Check with Monarch. They should have video surveillance.”
“Video? It’s not just an alarm system?”
“No. Dad told me about it a while ago when you were still in Denver. The house used to belong to Grandma and Grandpa Steel, as you know. Grandpa Steel had everything installed, and Dad had it updated shortly before you and I arrived at the ranch. All state of the art.”
