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Chapter 1
It was Friday afternoon, and Brody was restless.
Itchy.
All his ranch chores were done, and his foreman Brett was perfectly capable of holding down the fort for a few hours.
So he was in his truck, heading for Helena. He’d have a drink. Get dinner. But first, he’d stop for coffee at Common Grounds. It was Lainey’s go-to coffee shop, and maybe she’d be there for her afternoon coffee.
What the hell was wrong with him? Brody shook his head, disgusted with himself. He was an adult, not some stupid teen with a crush on the prettiest girl in high school. If he wanted to see Lainey, he could stop by her office. Make up an excuse to drop off some receipts. Ask her advice about a purchase. She was his accountant, and he came into town to go over his business with her whenever he could come up with an excuse.
Maybe he’d call and stop by this afternoon.
The number of trips he made from the ranch to her office had increased since he found out she’d filed for divorce from her loser husband. Ron Martin had been a Sheriff’s deputy, and he’d been out to Brody’s Flying J ranch a couple of times. He was an arrogant bully and Brody had disliked him almost immediately. Being Lainey’s husband had made Brody detest him even more.
It was way too soon to start anything with Lainey, but he wanted to be the one to help her through the divorce. The one she turned to for comfort and friendship. Friendship that might, eventually, lead to more.
He’d been infatuated with Lainey from the first time he’d stepped into her office. As he’d gotten to know her, his infatuation had deepened. But he’d been careful not to let her see his attraction. The last thing he wanted to do was make her uncomfortable.
As he drove toward Helena, his thoughts filled with Lainey, Brody spotted an SUV with its front wheels stuck in the mud at the edge of the pavement. He slowed down, looking for the driver, but saw no one until he got close to the abandoned compound. There, he spotted a tall woman with dark red hair emerging from the trees directly across from the compound’s driveway.
Slowing the truck, he pulled onto the cement driveway. Rolled down the window and waited as the woman approached the truck. Brody was pleased she kept at least six feet between herself and his truck.
Smart woman to be wary of a stranger.
“That your vehicle stuck in the mud about a quarter of a mile back?” he asked.
“It is.” The woman studied him, and he had the sense she was cataloguing him for future reference. “A deer ran across the road, I swerved to avoid him, and ended up in that ditch.”
“You need a tow out of the mud?”
“I do,” she sighed. She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and wiggled it in her hand. “No bars. I saw the driveway, and thought maybe someone could call a tow truck for me. The gate was unlocked, but I didn’t see a soul. All the buildings are dark. I knocked and yelled, but no one’s around.”
“Yeah. Place has been abandoned for several weeks.”
“Is it up for sale?”
“No idea, but I haven’t heard it’s on the market.”
The woman frowned. “You know who owns it?”
“Never heard a whisper about an owner. I did some business with the place, but nobody mentioned the owner’s name. The compound housed a paramilitary-type group. We’d see young guys in camo fatigues and polo shirts in Helena on weekends.” He scowled. “Had a couple of murders, too, which hadn’t happened in years before they showed up. One day, they all vanished. Never did find out what it was about or why it closed. Been sitting vacant ever since.
“You interested in buying it?” Brody asked, studying her more carefully.
“Might be. I quit my job and I’m looking for something else to do.” Her jaw tightened, as if just thinking about her old job pissed her off. “Something where I’m in charge.” She jerked her head toward the compound. “That place got me thinking about my options.”
“Good luck.”
“Thanks.” She pursed her lips. “Helena your county seat?”
“Yeah, it is,” Brody said cautiously. “Why do you ask?”
“Property titles are usually registered by the county.”
Brody glanced at his watch. “If you want to do that today, you’ve got about forty-five minutes before the county offices close for the weekend.”
“And how far is Helena?”
