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“No—”
“And your sister.” He took another long swallow from his coffee.
“You called Margot?” she whispered, disbelieving.
“No, but my secretary did.”
She believed him, and her heart sank. Finally she realized that this was no joke. He was dead serious. He intended to keep her captive for God-only-knew how long! She slumped onto the nearest bar stool and wrapped her suddenly chilled fingers around the hot cup of coffee. Was he really that worried about Johnston? Licking dry lips, she tried to think and stay rational. “No matter what you think might happen to me,” she said, her voice uneven, “you had no right to bring me up here against my will.”
“I know.”
“But you don’t care,” she said, seeing him wince. She took a gulp of her coffee. It was hot and burned a path to her stomach. Avoiding his gaze, she glanced around the room and noticed the phone jack. “You took out all the phones,” she said. “Afraid I might call for help.”
“Afraid you might do something stupid.”
“Nothing could top this trick of yours,” she said, and to her surprise he laughed.
“I need to make some calls.”
He eyed her speculatively, then finished his coffee in one swallow and walked out of the room and headed upstairs. The floorboards creaked overhead. He was down in a few minutes, cellular phone in hand. “Okay. Who do you want to call?”
She couldn’t believe her good luck. “First the station, then Margot—”
“How about the hospital again? Or Henshaw’s home—I’ve got the number.”
“But—”
“No one else,” he said firmly, his gaze hard. “I brought you up here for your safety and we’re not blowing it.”
Angry, she watched as he dialed a number, then handed the phone to her. Henshaw’s answering machine clicked on, and she left a message that she would call back. Zane connected with Whispering Hills Hospital again, but Henshaw wasn’t available. Again, Kaylie was stymied in her requests about Johnston.
Then it was Zane’s turn. As he drank a second cup of coffee, he called his office and received an update from Brad Hastings.
“Nothing new yet,” Zane said, hanging up. “Look, I know you’re furious with me for bringing you here, but it’s for your own good.” When she started to protest, he held up a palm. “And don’t give me any grief about treating you like a child. I don’t mean to. I—I just don’t want to lose you.”
The honesty in his eyes cut straight to her soul. Her mouth worked, but no sound came out. Don’t, she reminded
herself, don’t trust him again. It’s too easy to get lost in him. All too vividly she remembered just how much she’d loved him; how she’d waken every day looking forward to his kiss, his laugh, his touch…. She cleared her throat as well as her mind. She wanted to tell him that he’d already lost her, but she held her tongue because there always had been and always would be a frail connection between them. Phone in hand, he grabbed hold of the back door. “I have to take care of the stock.”
“The what?”
“Horses and cattle.”
She glanced out the window to the hills. Blue-green pine and spruce were interspersed with thickets of oak and maple. Through a break in the trees she noticed a weathered barn and split-rail fence. “What is this place?”
“It was an old logging camp, then it was turned into a ranch of sorts. I bought it a couple of years ago.” He glanced at her, and one side of his mouth lifted. “Kind of a spur-of-the-moment thing. I decided I needed a place to get away from it all. I knew the guy who owned the property, and we struck a deal.”
“This guy—your friend—did he abduct women against their will and bring them here, too?” she baited, unable to keep from smiling. There was a modicum of humor in this situation, after all.
His grin was slightly off center. “Not that I know of,” he replied, “but you never can tell. Anyway, I sold some of the timber rights, but I decided to keep this house and a few acres for vacations.”
“I didn’t know you knew the meaning of the word.”
“I’m learning,” he drawled, “though no one ever accused me of being quick on the uptake.”
Kaylie couldn’t help but laugh. This was a new side to Zane, a side that was definitely appealing. She’d never thought of him as a person who was willing to kick back. That he, too, needed time to unwind and enjoy life touched her.
She eyed the big kitchen with its hanging copper pots, gleaming brass fittings and butcher-block counters. The room was airy and light, the windows sparkling clean. “So who keeps everything up when you’re not here?”
