Fatal Inheritance (2 page)

She spluttered at its exuberant kisses and wiped off the slobber with the back of her hand. “What’s his name?”

“Tripod.”

“I should have guessed. He moves amazingly quick for having only three legs.”

Josh filled Tripod’s dish, and the pooch demonstrated just how quick. “While the barbecue heats up, let’s take a look at this bump of yours.”

She finger combed her hair as if only just realizing how messy it was.

He resisted the urge to tease. Her honey-brown corkscrew curls had always poked out every which way and been peppered with hay or leaves or twigs, depending on where she’d last played.

Dropping her hand, she fidgeted under his perusal. “That bad, huh?”

“I didn’t say anything.”

She rolled her eyes. “You didn’t have to.”

He didn’t bother to hide his grin. “Show me where you got hit.”

She leaned forward and pointed to the back of her head.

He palpated the area. Her hair was incredibly soft and smelled faintly like citrus. “That’s some goose egg.” He reached into his catchall drawer and pulled out a penlight. “Look at me.”

Her shimmering brown eyes turned to him, framed by the longest lashes he’d ever seen. Natural, too.

Her head tilted. “You planning to do something with that light?”

“Patience,”
he muttered at being caught staring. He flicked the penlight on and flashed it across each eye. “They look good. Equal and reactive.”

“Why, thank you, Josh,” she drawled, batting those long lashes. “That’s the most romantic thing a man’s ever said about my eyes.”

“What?” He blinked, glimpsed her smirk and gave her a nudge. “You’re cute, Bec.” He tossed the penlight back into the drawer. “Now, stand up, arms out from your sides, and touch each hand to your nose.”

She stood and obeyed his directions effortlessly.

“Okay, take a seat.” He opened the cupboard next to the sink and grabbed a glass and the bottle of painkillers. He tipped two from the bottle, filled the glass with water and handed them to Bec. “Take these, and if you want, you can lie down on the sofa until supper’s ready.”

She planted her palms on the table and pushed to her feet. “I can’t let you cook alone,” she protested, then immediately clutched the side of her head.

“As stubborn as ever, I see.” He scooped her into his arms and gently lowered her onto the sofa. “Rest. That’s an order.”

He turned on his heel and did his best to ignore the scent that lingered on his shirt, as it had after their embrace at the funeral home. “I’ll get those burgers grilling.”

She didn’t argue, which worried him. She’d always been a tough kid. Unless she’d changed dramatically in the past fifteen years, whoever had walloped the back of her head had done a serious number on her. Maybe he should ask his sister to come by after her shift at the hospital and check Bec over. It’d be easier than convincing Bec to go there.

He texted Anne a request to stop by and then pulled out the fixings for a decent supper. Sliced potatoes and onions. Peppers, carrots and zucchini for grilling. He dug through the freezer and unburied a couple of burgers that looked more like frozen hockey pucks. Forget it. She could learn to appreciate the good stuff. He tossed the burgers back into the freezer and pulled out a couple of filet mignons.

An hour later, he’d just set the last dish on the table when she meandered to the doorway, rubbing her eyes.

“Dinner is served.” He pulled out a chair and waited for her to take a seat. To humor her, he’d put her steak on a hamburger bun and brought out the mustard and ketchup. If she noticed the ruse, she didn’t comment.

He took the seat opposite her. “How do you feel now?”

“Hungry. This smells amazing.”

He opted to let her nonanswer go. For now. His sister would be there soon enough. He reached across the table and clasped Bec’s hand.

Her eyes widened.

“Let’s pray,” he said quickly, not sure what to make of her reaction. He bowed his head. “Lord, we pray for Your healing touch on Bec and that You’ll comfort her in her grief. Thank You for giving her a safe journey here and for this food and time together. Amen.” When Josh lifted his gaze, she was still staring at him, moisture pooling in her eyes.

“What’s wrong?”

“No one’s prayed for me like that since...Gran and Gramps. I...guess I’d forgotten how nice it felt.”

His throat tightened. She’d still have them if only... He gave her hand a warm squeeze. “Let’s eat.”

They ate in silence for a few minutes, then Bec set down her “burger” and reached for her fork. “What happened to the huge trailer Gramps usually kept the car in?”

“That’s over at Pete’s Garage. Your grandfather had some trouble with the car during the last tour he and your Gran took, so while we worked on finding the problem, he sent in the trailer to have the bearings repacked. I can give Pete a call. Ask him to bring it by.”

“I’m just amazed how clean the car stayed sitting out like that. There wasn’t a bird dropping on it.”

A steak morsel lodged in Josh’s throat. He coughed, swallowed hard. “You mean you didn’t pull off the canvas cover?”

“No.”

He set down his knife and fork. He’d just assumed... He clenched his fist.
A rookie mistake.
After the front-page article the newspaper had run last week about the Graws, every would-be thief in three counties would’ve pegged the whole place as easy pickings until the new owner arrived. But if her assailant had come for the car...

“Are you telling me that Gramps didn’t leave it uncovered?”

Josh surged to his feet and paced to the window that overlooked the rear of the Graw property. Her arrival wouldn’t deter a car thief. He’d have to keep a close watch on the place.

And pray this guy didn’t return when Bec was home alone.

* * *

Becki shrank into the corner of Josh’s couch as he debated with his nurse sister whether she needed to see a doctor.

Even dressed in faded jeans and a black T-shirt, his furrowed brow radiating concern, he exuded a powerful presence. Not to mention he’d grown more handsome than ever. His dark hair no longer curled at his temple the way she remembered, but the trimmed look and broader shoulders reflected a strength and integrity that had clearly deepened in the past fifteen years.

How cruel could God be to let Joshua Rayne find her cowering in the barn as if she was still a twelve-year-old kid?

The kid who’d had a hopeless crush on him—a sixteen-year-old boy who’d had eyes only for her gorgeous older sister.

Not that she’d ever admit to having a crush. Bad enough that she’d tumbled into his arms at the funeral.

Never mind that she’d been a wreck and that when Josh had reached for her hand in the reception line, she’d known, without stopping to think, that
he
understood her sorrow.

She hugged a sofa pillow to her chest. He hadn’t hesitated a second before wrapping her in his arms, which should’ve been her first clue that he was still playing the protective big brother. At the time, she’d barely registered his whispered reassurances. The grief had been too raw. But now...

She pushed the pillow away. She did not want him thinking she was a helpless female who couldn’t take care of herself.

“Can you recite the months of the year in reverse order for me?” his sister asked.

Becki did, then turned back to Josh. “See. I’m fine.”

“Concussions can suddenly take a turn for the worse,” he argued, holding out his hand for her car keys. “Can’t they, Anne?”

“She’s agreed to stay already!” Anne snatched up Becki’s car keys and slapped them into Josh’s hand. “Go get her suitcase so we can finish the tests in peace.” Her eyes were twinkling when she turned back to Becki. “Just humor him for me, okay? I’m getting a free oil change out of the deal.”

“No way! He bribed you to stay the night?”

Anne giggled. “Not exactly. I offered...in exchange for the oil change. He would’ve done it anyway, but this way we set his mind at ease about your condition and I don’t have to drive the car back until morning.”

“What about your husband? Won’t he mind if you don’t come home?”

“Not married.”

“But...” Becki pointed to the wedding band on Anne’s finger.

Anne splayed her fingers and smirked. “That’s to keep the doctors and patients from hitting on me.”

“You’re kidding.”

“Nope. Now, stand on one foot, hands on hips, eyes closed, until I say stop.”

Becki did as she was told. “I’m surprised Josh hasn’t married yet. When I was here as a kid, there was no shortage of girls mooning over him.” Her younger self included, but Anne didn’t need to know that.

“Yeah, well. He never got over being rejected in favor of life in the big city.”

Was Anne talking about Becki’s sister? He’d had it bad for her that last summer they were here, and Sarah hadn’t discouraged him, even though she was two years older.

“He escaped to the military after that,” Anne went on. “Hasn’t dated much since coming back. The pickings are slim around here, and he won’t dare date a wannabe city girl.”

Considering how the city had changed Sarah, Josh was probably smart to hold out for a country girl.

Anne jotted something on her notepad. “Now tell me all the words you can remember from that list I gave you earlier.”

Becki repeated them all. “Now do you believe me?”

“How’s your headache? Any worse? Feeling dizzy?”

“It still hurts, but no and no.”

“All right, yes, I think you’ll be fine, but don’t tell Josh. It’s nice to see him fretting over someone else for a change.”

“What do you mean?”

“Um.” She bit her lip and glanced toward the door as if he might burst through at any moment. “He’d kill me if I told you.”

“We wouldn’t want that,” Becki drawled, remembering how often her own sister used to preface her secrets with a similar remark. How she missed those days.

“Maybe you could help him stop being so hard on himself,” Anne whispered.

“Me?” Becki caught one of her curls, tugging it straight. “Why would he listen to me?”

Becki didn’t know what to make of the expression that flitted across Anne’s face. Perhaps if she knew her better, but she’d never really met her before today. She’d heard Josh had an older sister, but she’d never been around.

Anne leaned forward and clasped Becki’s hand the same way she had when she’d first arrived and expressed her condolences. “Josh feels responsible for your grandparents’ deaths.”

Becki stiffened.

Anne must have felt it, because she quickly added, “He’s not. But your grandfather had complained the day before he died about having a headache, and Josh thinks he should have suspected a carbon-monoxide leak. As if people never get headaches for any other reason!”

Numbness crept over Becki’s limbs. “Gramps never got headaches.”

“Please don’t remind Josh. He’s already beating himself up enough over not questioning that. I mean, your grandparents had a carbon-monoxide detector. And it was the middle of summer. Whoever heard of a hot-water tank causing carbon monoxide?”

The screen door slammed shut, and Josh strode into the room.

Becki and Anne sprang apart, but Josh didn’t seem to notice. He dropped her suitcase at her feet and waved a note in front of her face. “When did you get this?”

She caught his arm long enough to get a look at the paper. “It was in the mailbox when I got here.” She squared her jaw and fought to keep her tone even. “Courtesy of my sister.”

He frowned. “Why would she say you don’t belong here?”

“Because if I sell, she thinks she’ll get more money.”

Anne picked up the envelope that had fluttered to the floor. “Where does your sister live?”

“Toronto.”

Anne flapped the envelope against her palm. “The stamp on this envelope was never canceled. It looks like someone hand delivered it.”

Josh took the envelope from her. “You’re right.” He passed it to Becki.

So Sarah hadn’t been lying. Unless... “She could’ve asked someone to put it in the mailbox for her.”

“Who else knew you were moving in today?”

“I don’t know.” Becki rubbed her worsening headache. “My boss, my roommate, my mom.”

“No one from around here?”

“Not that I know of.”

“Could be those developers,” Anne chimed in.

“What developers?”

Josh blew out a breath and paced. “A conglomerate of investors who want to see our farmland turned into subdivisions and shopping malls.” His scathing tone told her exactly what he thought about their plans. “Have they approached you with an offer to buy?”

“No!” Becki folded her arms over her chest. “Even if they had, I wouldn’t sell to
them.
”

Josh nodded, his expression grim. “The trouble is you couldn’t trust anyone who offered to buy the place not to turn around and pass it on to the developers for a tidy commission.”

“Well, like I told my sister, I’m here to stay.” Sarah had hated being dumped here every summer. Unlike her big sister, Becki didn’t have a life to speak of in the city, and she wouldn’t miss it in the least. She happened to like the slower pace of rural living. Maybe she’d even start writing again in her spare time.

“Where will you work?” Anne asked.

“Huh?” Becki shook her sister’s voice from her head and focused on Anne. “I haven’t figured that out yet. But I’m sure I can find something before my savings run out.”

Anne let out a sigh. “Not many new jobs around since the economic downturn.”

“Never mind that for now.” Josh sat beside Becki on the sofa, and her heart jumped at the touch of his knee. “Who else might have sent this note?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean...who didn’t want you moving here badly enough to attack you?”

She dug her fingers into the seat cushion. “You think the note and incident in the barn are connected?”

Obviously he did. Which meant whoever was slinking around the property had been
expecting
her.

TWO

W
hat would Sarah say if she saw her now, sleeping under Josh’s roof?

Well, trying to sleep. Becki flopped over in the unfamiliar bed. Shafts of moonlight shone through the edges of the drapes, highlighting a pair of 4-H trophies perched on the bookcase of Josh’s old bedroom.

Her sister would probably feel bad to learn that Josh never got over her. That is...if Sarah was who Anne had meant. Maybe not, since he’d still had a couple of years of high school left after their last summer visit. But he’d sure had it bad for her then.

Becki rolled over and punched the pillow. She didn’t want to think of Josh mooning over her sister, especially considering how unreasonable Sarah had been acting lately. Despite her denials, she must’ve sent that note. Who else?

The two of them were the only living relatives.

Josh was blowing the whole situation way out of proportion. The note and prowler couldn’t be connected. She’d probably just surprised a couple of teens who were afraid of getting caught fooling around in Gramps’s car. As a cop Josh must see that sort of thing all the time.

But then why was he getting so worked up?

Josh feels responsible for your grandparents’ deaths.

Becki’s heart clenched. That had to be why Josh wasn’t taking any chances.

If only he’d...

She squashed the wishful thinking. If she let her thoughts go there, she’d never get to sleep.

Closing her eyes, she tried not to think at all. An hour later, she was still awake.

A glass of milk might help. She listened for sounds of Anne and Josh still milling about. Hearing none, she pulled on her bathrobe and stole downstairs.

The computer and desk lamp were on in the otherwise darkened living room, but there was no sign of Josh.

She tiptoed to the desk to see what he’d been working on. His internet browser was open to a page about an antique-car theft. Did Josh really think some sort of theft ring had targeted Gramps’s car?

She skimmed the article but couldn’t see any similarities between that theft and her situation.

A beam of light flashed across the window.

She flicked off the desk lamp and peered past the curtain.

A tall figure disappeared around the corner of the house.

Was that Josh?

The kitchen door banged open.

She shrank deeper into the shadows. It had to be Josh. An intruder wouldn’t be so noisy. The glow of the computer screen cast eerie shadows on the walls.

Tripod bounded into the room, tongue lolling, followed by Josh, his cell phone pressed to his ear. “Hey, Hunter, can I borrow your game cameras for a couple of weeks?” He walked to the desk and flicked on the lamp. His gaze abruptly veered her way. As his eyes landed on her bare toes, his eyes widened, then quickly traveled up to her flaming cheeks.

“Huh?” He half turned and lowered his voice.

“Yeah, the one with night vision and motion trigger,” Josh muttered into the phone. “No, not animals.” He pushed back a corner of the curtain and stared out into the deep blackness of the country night. “I’m looking to catch a human.”

A human!
Becki tugged her bathrobe together more tightly. Why hadn’t she stayed in bed?

At least there she could have blissfully deluded herself into imagining there was nothing to be afraid of.

* * *

Becki woke early the next morning. She might have let Josh evade her questions last night, but today she intended to get answers. She dressed quickly and tiptoed to the stairs. Halfway down, the aroma of fresh-brewed coffee greeted her, reminding her that
early
had a whole other meaning in farm country. She should’ve paid more attention to that rooster crowing
before
the crack of dawn.

“Hey, sleepyhead,” Anne chirped as Becki meandered into the sunbathed kitchen. Anne handed her a mug of coffee. “How’s the head?”

“Good.” If she didn’t count the gazillion questions that had raced around it all night after overhearing Josh’s plan to catch her prowler. “Josh doing chores?”

“They’re long done. He only has chickens to feed these days. He’s changing my oil. Probably almost done with that, too.”

“Will he have to do anything in the fields today?”

“No, he doesn’t farm.” Anne set a covered platter on the table. “The farmer down the road rents the land.”

“But I thought... Josh always talked about running the farm one day.”

“Sometimes childhood dreams don’t look so rosy when you grow up.”

Becki sank into a chair. Her sister had said the same thing. She stiffened her spine. Gran and Gramps’s farm was the only place she’d ever felt truly happy. Sure, it wouldn’t be the same without them, but she couldn’t bear to lose it, too.

“By the time Josh resigned from the military,” Anne continued, “Dad had sold off too much of the farm for Josh to make it profitable again.”

Becki envisioned him wrestling down a burly drug dealer instead of an ornery cow. “So that’s why Josh became a cop?”

“He wanted—”

“To serve and protect,” Josh finished for his sister as he strode into the kitchen and plopped a small cage on the counter.

The “criminal” he’d protected them from emitted a tiny peep, and Becki couldn’t help but giggle.

“What have you rescued this time?” Anne peered around his shoulder.

He stepped aside, allowing them both to see. A tiny sparrow with a broken wing huddled in a corner of the hamster cage.

“Oh, the poor thing.” Becki snagged a piece of toast from the breakfast Anne had spread on the table and sprinkled crumbs into the cage. “Where did you find it?”

Anne rolled her eyes. “The strays always seem to find him.”

“What am I supposed to do? Ignore them?”

His sister tipped onto her toes and planted a kiss on Josh’s cheek. “Nope, you’d never. That’s why I love you.”

Josh pulled Anne into a fierce hug, revealing a depth of feeling that caught at Becki’s heart. His eyes lifted to hers. More brown than green this morning, they held a warm familial affection that Becki could only dream of now that Gran and Gramps were gone.

Anne ducked out of his arms and grabbed her purse from the counter. “If my car’s done, I need to go. Enjoy your breakfast.” Anne shook a finger at Becki. “And no heavy lifting. If you get dizzy or your headache persists, have a doctor check you over.”

“I will. Thank you.”

After seeing his sister out, Josh lifted the lid from a pan of bacon and eggs on the table. “Shall we?”

“Farm-fresh eggs. Mmm. I haven’t had a breakfast like this since the last time I visited Gran and Gramps. Your sister outdid herself.”

Josh spooned out a plateful of scrambled eggs and bacon. “She likes to stay on my good side so I’ll keep her car running.”

“I think you’d do it anyway. You always loved to work on cars.”

“Shh, don’t let her hear you say that.” He raised a jug of OJ. “Juice?”

“Uh, sure.” Suddenly Becki’s insides felt as scrambled as her eggs. To think she was sharing breakfast with Joshua Rayne!

Not only was he more handsome than she remembered; he was as kind as ever. She bet the three-legged dog had been another rescue effort.

She fiddled with her silverware. Obviously the blow to her head had crippled her common sense for her to be thinking up more reasons to still have a crush on the guy. She stabbed at her eggs. It wasn’t as if she would ever be anything more to him than another needy stray.

Her mind flailed about for another topic of conversation. “Funny that I don’t remember you fussing over animals as a teen. That was more my domain.” She struggled to restrain the smile that suddenly tugged at her lips. “Seems to me you were more interested in fussing over my sister.”

He choked on his orange juice.

She batted her eyelashes ever so innocently. “Am I wrong?”

He tipped back his head and laughed. “Nothing got by you.”

Becki shrugged. “If not for you, I doubt Sarah could have stood being away from the malls for two whole months.”

“Not at all like you. You were a farm kid through and through.” Amusement danced in Josh’s green-brown eyes.

The color reminded her of the grassy meadows she’d loved to run through as a child. “No. Not like me.” She shoveled a forkful of eggs into her mouth and then focused on buttering her toast and the non-Joshua reasons she loved being in Serenity. “If Sarah had her way, I wouldn’t stay.”

“These old houses can be a lot of work to upkeep.”

Her butter knife halted midspread. “You don’t think I should stay, either?”

“Not at all. The Becki Graw I remember could do anything she set her mind to.”

“Thank you. That hasn’t changed. So why don’t you tell me about your plan to catch my prowler?”

“Finish up your breakfast, and I’ll show you.”

Becki finished before Josh and started on the dishes.

“Leave those,” he said, tossing the dog his last piece of bacon. “I’ll wash them later.”

“Nonsense. I’ve put you out enough.”

He reached around her and dropped his plate into the soapy water, his outdoorsy scent teasing her nostrils. “No imposition. I enjoyed the company.” He picked up a tea towel and began drying. The graze of his hand as he reached for the mug she’d just rinsed unleashed a flutter of butterflies in her stomach.

Oh, boy.
She seriously needed to get over this schoolgirl crush. She’d seen enough failed marriages to know they never lasted.

Marriage?
She shook her head. Clearly, no worries there. In Josh’s eyes, she was still
little
Becki. She let the water out of the sink and pictured her silly girlhood crush swirling down the drain.

Little Becki grew up a long time ago...the day her parents had announced their divorce.

“Okay, let’s go.” She dried her hands on the edge of his towel. “Show me what you plan to do with those cameras. I need to start unpacking.”

He tossed the towel on the back of the chair and reached over her head to hold open the door. Tripod raced past and out ahead of them. “I’ll carry your boxes into the house.”

“No need. I can handle them.”

“You heard what my sister said.” Josh’s stern tone dared her to argue. “No heavy lifting for a few days.” He led the way to the barn, where he stopped and scanned the nearby trees. “I’m going to set up a couple of motion-triggered cameras so if your car thief comes back, we’ll catch him in the act.”

“Then what?”

“I’ll arrest him for trespassing and attempted robbery and whatever else I can think of.”

“Hmm.” She grinned. “Pretty handy having a police officer for a neighbor.”

His expression sobered. “No telling what time of day or night this guy might show up. If I’m not around, call nine-one-one and stay locked in the house. Don’t try to confront him.”

“Don’t you think he’d run off if he realized he’d been spotted?”

“Some guys would just as soon shoot a witness as run away.”

She planted her hands on her hips. “Are you
trying
to scare me?”

“
Prepare
you.” Tripod bounded up to them, barking happily. “Maybe we should get you a dog.”

Her heart leaped at the suggestion. “What a great idea. I’ve always wanted one. Maybe a big lovable golden retriever who—”

“The idea is to get a dog that will scare a robber off, not show him to the silver.”

She laughed. “Oh, like Tripod here?”

“Yeah.” Josh tousled the scruff on the dog’s neck. “He’s
not
what you want.”

“I like him. He’s sweet.”

“
Sweet
won’t scare away a prowler.” Josh rolled open the barn’s big sliding door. “And you definitely have one. I found a couple of footprints.” He pointed to the dirt-crusted floor. “See those? Too big for your grandparents or you, and the tread pattern doesn’t match anything I wear.”

“You were already over here this morning?”

“The sun rises early.” He winked.

For the first time she noticed dark shadows under his eyes. Had he even gone to sleep last night?

An hour after she’d headed back up to bed the night before, she’d heard the screen door clap shut and figured he was doing another scan of her grandparents’ property. Her property. That trek probably hadn’t been the only one.

A cat bolted from the corner of the barn, and Tripod took off after it.

“Won’t see him for a while.” Josh strode toward the car, which sparkled in the sunlight beaming through the gaps in the boarded walls. “It looks like the guy gave the car a thorough going-over. Both the gear stick and emergency brake lever had been shifted. The toolbox under the seat had been rifled through. Looking for a key, maybe. Best-case scenario, it was a kid playing around.” His tone sounded grim.

“But you don’t think so?”

He shook his head. “I dusted for fingerprints on the door handles, gear shift and steering wheel. They were clean.”

“Clean? As in not even Gramps’s prints were on them?” She failed to keep the wobble out of her voice. No prints meant someone had wiped them away.

“Your grandfather was pretty meticulous about keeping it polished. But kids don’t usually think to wear gloves. Not in the middle of summer.”

She swallowed, forcing calm into her voice this time. “So worst case?” She opened the passenger door, and memories of riding proudly around town with her gramps flooded her thoughts.

“If it’s a professional, he’s got to realize he wouldn’t get far driving this thing out of here before being spotted. So I’m guessing next time, he’ll stash a trailer nearby to drive it into.”

“You really think someone would go to that much trouble?”

Josh raised an eyebrow. “The last Cadillac of this vintage I saw sell at auction went for eighty-five thousand dollars.”

“Are you serious?”

“Trust me.” He buffed a smudge from the hood with a fond smile. “If I could have afforded to buy this car from your grandfather, I would have made him an offer.”

Becki bit her lip. If Sarah found out what the car was worth, she’d demand it be sold for sure.

Becki’s heart lurched at the thought. She didn’t care about the money. The car had been Gramps’s pride and joy. How could she let it go?