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Just the thought of her made him realize how little he had to offer her. He’d saved his money religiously since being hired on at the McKenna Ranch. He’d picked up enough about investing from his father growing up that he’d turned his meager wage into a nice nest egg.
He reined in the thought, realizing with a start how far ahead he’d let his mind wander. He hadn’t even asked Oakley for a date, and he already had them married and him building a house for them on a piece of land he would buy. No wonder Sarah—and no doubt his father—thought him a fool. Maybe he was. He was back here, wasn’t he?
The driver pulled into the circular drive and stopped at the front entry. Pickett opened his door before the driver could and got out, pulling his duffel bag with him. He’d packed just what he needed for a short visit. Not that he owned a suitcase. He’d left home all those years ago with far less.
He had dressed in his Montana formal attire: a pair of newer jeans, a Western snap shirt and a denim jacket. He was wearing his best boots and his Stetson.
He turned to offer the driver a tip, but the man said he’d already been paid and wished him a nice day. He watched the town car pull away before he turned to take it all in. He resented that he’d been forced into coming here and was equally ashamed of himself that he had to be forced to see his dying father. Coercion and blackmail were his father’s weapons of choice, but that wasn’t the kind of man Pickett wanted to be.
He thought of Holden McKenna, the generous, caring, forgiving man he was. Pickett wanted to be more like him as he slowly started up the stone steps to the huge front door.
THESHERIFFHADN’Tseen Abigail Creed since he’d gone to dinner at her place and woke up alone the next morning after being drugged. It had been a drug that didn’t stay in a man’s system long, fortunately. Unfortunately, he now knew that if anyone knew how to knock a man out, it was Nurse Creed.
“Got a minute?” Abigail asked shyly. She didn’t wait for an answer, stepping into his office and closing the door quietly behind her. “I just wanted to apologize,” she said when she finally turned to face him again.
As badly as he wanted to confront her, he asked, “For what?” He was curious to see if the truth would come out of her mouth.
“I was in a rush the other morning. Got called in to the hospital. I should have at least left you a note.”
So that was how they were still going to play it? “I’m the one who feels bad. Falling asleep on your couch the way I did.”
“All is forgiven, then.” Hardly, he thought as she gave him that nothing-here-to-worry-about smile. “I thought you and I might...” Her gaze met his. Did she really think that look would still work on him?
He blamed himself for letting it go this far. Hadn’t he suspected something wasn’t on the up and up the moment he met her? He’d thought he was just being cynical, thinking there had to be something wrong with a woman who was sweet as pie and liked him. Apparently, he’d been right on both counts.
When he said nothing, she spelled it out. “I was wondering if you wanted to get together later? I find myself free.”
He shook his head as if disappointed. In truth, he was. A full confession would have gone a long way with him. “Wish I could, but I’m tied up tonight.”
“Really?” she said, her smile teasing. “Tied up. That sounds interesting.”
He rose from his chair. “Thanks for stopping by. Maybe some other time.”
She nodded, looking disappointed, and he couldn’t help but wonder what she’d had planned for this evening. He hated to think as she opened his office door and left.
As she did, he knew he couldn’t leave it like this. He would have to confront her and find out why she was so interested in Leann Hayes’s death. Why was he putting it off? Unless he was afraid of what she might tell him. Like Cooper, Abigail might be looking for the truth about Leann’s death. She might even know who was responsible for it.
Isn’t that what he was really afraid of?
OAKLEYHADSLEPTat the ranch last night. She’d managed to avoid both her mother and CJ by coming in late through the private entrance. She had never been in the habit of locking her bedroom door, but she did last night. Logic assured her that CJ wouldn’t get up the stairs. But common sense warned her not to trust logic any more than she did her brother.
Early this morning she heard her mother leave. She watched from her bedroom window, anxious to know if she was leaving alone. Apparently, she was, since she took her SUV. The van equipped to load CJ and his wheelchair was still parked outside.
She felt a chill at being alone in the house with him. The staff had their own wing. Her mother was so hard to work for that there was a constant turnover. Oakley wasn’t even sure how many were still employed.
Even though she tried to assure herself that as long as CJ couldn’t walk, she had the advantage. But if he could... She wasn’t entirely convinced that he wasn’t more capable than he wanted anyone to know. Unless, of course, their mother was in on the charade in the hope the chair would keep him out of jail.
Oakley was about to turn from the window when a large black SUV drove slowly up the road toward the house. She got the feeling that whoever was driving had been waiting for their mother to leave. Stepping back from sight, she watched as the SUV stopped and two large men climbed out.
She felt a tremor of fear. Were these the two thugs they’d heard about that the gas company had hired to stop the vandalizing? She held her breath as they reached the front door and waited for the sound of the doorbell.
When she didn’t hear it, she cautiously eased out of her bedroom and padded quietly on bare feet down the hall to where she could watch from the landing at the top of the stairs. The two men were now standing in the living room, looking around as if taking in the place. To rob them? They hadn’t rung the doorbell or knocked that she’d heard.
At the creak of her brother’s wheelchair coming down the hall from the guest room, she started to call out a warning. The only thing that stopped her was seeing CJ’s expression. He knew the men. He’d known they were coming out to the ranch.
She knew he’d been expecting them, even though he greeted them with, “I told you not to come out here, Frankie.”
“Don’t worry. We waited until the head warden left,” the smaller of the two said.
