Praying for Daylight (15 page)

“Yeah, I guess I was,” he sighed, shaking his head. “And that was a damn good shot.”

“Hey, you two want to make yourselves useful?” We both turned when we heard Millie shouting at us from the porch.

“Sure!” I shouted back.

She waved us over, “I need help preparing lunch.”

Dustin frowned, “Cooking?”

“Come on.” It was my turn to pull him along. “You’ll have fun.”

“Yeah, if I don’t burn the house down.”

I shook my head, trying not to laugh. It might seem a little backward or sexist, but the families here tended to keep to tradition. Men working outside, women working in the house. At least, that’s how it was mostly. Times were changing, and I knew Dustin just sucked at cooking, but he didn’t shy away from house work.

Millie had never been one to work with the cowboys, but she fully encouraged any girl who wanted to…though there were times, like this, when she gathered up all the girls and dragged them into the kitchen.

And sometimes she roped the boys into helping too.

Case in point; I got to watch Dustin make dinner rolls. And although they turned out more like lumpy logs, he did a pretty good job.

“Wow!” Millie peeked out the kitchen window, ignoring Dustin as he started to sneak out of the kitchen. “You never told me Cheyenne caught herself a hunk like that. He reminds me of Jerry in his younger days.”

“A hunk?” Briar laughed, running over to peek out with her.

I glanced up from the cookies I was setting on a tray, “They’re here?”

“Right,” Millie giggled. “They’ve been talking to Jerry for about five minutes now. Oh, and there is Dustin and Chase.”

I wiped my hands on a towel and ran for the door; Briar and Millie were right behind me. “Cheyenne!”

My sister dropped her bags, throwing her arms around me in a tight hug. “Thank God.”

I returned the fierce hug, feeling so much better now that she was here. “How was your flight?”

She pulled back and grimaced, “Ben got sick. He threw up all over Jake.”

I glanced around her at my manager, who, much to my surprise was holding my sleeping nephew in his arms. “Wow, and Jake looks like he isn’t fazed.”

Cheyenne beamed she was so thrilled, “He just cleaned it up and didn’t complain or anything. He was wonderful.”

I waved hi to Jake, so I didn’t wake up Ben, and he sent me a smile and a wink. I noticed Marco was unloading the taxi.

I half expected him to tag along. He went everywhere with us. However, on the ranch surrounded by armed cowboys and miles of wilderness, it seemed like he could have taken some time off.

“I told him we’d be fine without him, but Jake wanted the extra protection ‘til we got here.” Cheyenne grabbed her bag as Millie ushered us all inside. “I figured Jake was right to play it on the safe side. And Marco hasn’t had a vacation in a while, so he’s catching a flight out to stay in Jersey with his family for a week.”

“Well, I won’t argue with extra protection.” Not ever.

“So,” my sister glanced back at Dustin, “He’s certainly grown into his arms and legs. They’re not too long for him anymore.”

“Ha, very funny,” I rolled my eyes.

“No, he’s actually kind of handsome…you know, for a young man,” She laughed. “If I were you, I’d be all over him.”

“Down girl,” I patted my sister’s arm. “There’s plenty of time for that later.”

“Who wants lunch?” Millie asked, with a huge smile on her face. “The more people in this house, the more I like it. I’m counting ten mouths to feed, if I don’t invite everyone on the ranch. I got a pot of beef stew, and sandwiches warming in the oven.”

“I’m starved,” Cheyenne smiled and hooked her arm through mine. “Let’s go help Millie, and she and I can air out the past.”

That sounded like a fabulous idea.

I watched Jake carry Ben upstairs for a nap as Jerry led him to the room he’d be sharing with my sister. Marco carried in the bags, then found the closest chair, and plopped down for a nap. Seemed his vacation was starting early.

“Something wrong?” Dustin asked, coming up beside me, as I hung back while everyone else went into the kitchen.

I glanced at him, “No, everything’s fine.”

“Sure, that’s what you say when everything is not fine and you don’t want to share.”

I glanced around to make sure we were alone, and lowered my voice, “Okay, you know how I said that I had a feeling Death could be someone close to me?”

“Yeah.”

“What if it’s Jake?” I regretted it the instant I said it out loud.

Dustin looked thoughtful for a moment, following my gaze to where Jake had taken Ben. “In my opinion, everyone around you is a suspect that was with you in California. This includes Jake. But you and I know Cheyenne though, and if there was anything about the guy that was the tiniest bit off, she wouldn’t be so crazy about him.”

“I’m thinking the same thing you are.”

“You have any idea what his motive would be?”

I shook my head, starting for the kitchen, “No, nothing. He’s the only person that comes to mind though…unless…”

Dustin stopped when I stopped, his brows pulling together, “What?”

“The other person that I didn’t think to look at as a suspect is Marco.” I breathed deep, my eyes searching the room to make sure no one was listening to us. “He’s in the center of everything going on. He knows everything.”

He stole a glance at my sleeping bodyguard. “Can you think of why he would do something like that?”

I felt overwhelmed as I accepted a plate from Millie and began filling it. “No, I can’t think of one for him either.”

“Then you just have to keep thinking, until you feel like you may have an idea of who it could be.”

“Yeah” I sat at the table with him. I was barely hungry, but still managed to clear half of my plate somehow. I watched Jake, going back to the fact that I knew in my heart that it couldn’t be him. There was no way he could be Death. And Marco. I watched him wake from his nap to follow his nose to the smell of yummy food. He was so nice. He never complained, or had any problems. He had a glowing recommendation from another singer he used to work for…

So if neither of them were Death, then who was?

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Dustin

Later that afternoon, while everyone was socializing and snacking like it was a holiday, Chase and I stole a couple beers from Jerry’s stash and walked out back to the small lake behind the house. We sat on the dock in silence mostly, enjoying our drinks, and watching the dogs run and play in the yard.

“So what are you thinking?” I asked, eyeing the green bottle in my hand.

“About?” Chase tossed a rock in the lake and watched it sink.

“Everything…Jake and Marco?” I shrugged. “I don’t know what to make of it. Kate knows it’s someone close to her.”

“And she’s worried about Jake and Marco.” He said.

“Yeah, I mean, it’s got me wondering too.”

“I like Jake. He seems like a good guy. I can’t get a read on Marco. So I can’t say whether I like him or not.” He nodded, “But I agree, it’s someone close. It could be someone in my house now. I don’t like that at all.”

“Keep your friends close,” I said.

“Enemies closer.”

“Hey boys,” Jake was coming down the dock. He, too, had one of Jerry’s beers in hand, and didn’t say anything to us about ours. “Seems like this is the place to get some peace.”

I nodded, “Yup,”

Jake sat on the edge of the dock on my left, dangling his legs off the side. He looked like he could be a guy’s guy, but right now he was way too polished in his pressed khaki pants and fancy shirt to look anything like he was an ex-marine.

“So…” Jake said. “What’s the topic of conversation?”

I sent Chase a look, one he shared with me. It was of confusion. We didn’t’ know this guy, and he was coming in here, acting like he knew us.

“I don’t’ know what you mean,” I said.

He snorted, “Okay, let’s just lay it all out. I know you and Kate have something going on, I can see it.”

I nodded, “Okay.”

“And Chase, you are like family to Kate, opening your house up to everyone. I’m a complete stranger.”

“Yeah,” he said.

Jake’s eyebrows went up, “So I don’t think you two cowboys are out here, talking about cattle, or whatever it is you talk about. I want to know what’s going on? I’ve been too far out of the loop.”

I took a swig of my drink, choosing my words carefully, “Should I tell you what’s going on?”

“I’m Kate’s manager, and maybe even one day her brother-in-law. I think I deserve to know.”

“Yeah,” Chase agreed. “But I’m not sure we want you to know.”

Jake looked offended at that, “Really, why?”

“Kate seems to think Death is someone close to her. Maybe even you.”

Understanding filled Jake’s face, “So you two are protecting her.”

“Look, I don’t know who is behind this, and this is nothing against you personally. We’re just being careful,” I said, hoping that if Jake was Death, our conversation didn’t piss him off. I didn’t want him going crazy in Chase’s house around his family.

“It’s not me. I know you probably don’t believe me, but I love Katie like she’s my own family. I love her sister, and Ben too. I will do anything to keep my family safe, just like you two. So, if you can find it in you somewhere, to at least hint at what’s going on around here, if there is anything else I should know, I’d really appreciate it.”

I felt like the guy was genuine, and from looking at Chase, he seemed to think so too. It was a risk, but I was thinking we could trust Jake.

“Look, I’m not sure there is much else to know. We’re just trying to figure out who it could be. This person has access to you guys, and knows things that only someone really close would know,” I shrugged, feeling lost. “Kate can’t figure out who it is. The reason she thought it was you, was simply because of how much you know.”

Jake rubbed the back of his neck, “Anyone close to her could be Death.”

“What about Marco?” Chase asked. “How well do you know the guy?”

“Well, he came highly recommended from another one of my clients. It’s hard to think he would have anything to do with this…” Jake glanced behind us and waved.

Jerry was headed down the dock, lugging a case of beer with him. “Hey, thought you boys could use a refill or two.”

I was thinking of hiding my bottle, but Jerry laughed. “Look, you’re working a man’s job, and you’re responsible. I don’t see why you can’t have a man’s drink once in a while.”

Chase laughed, “Don’t’ tell Millie.”

“Ah, she’s all bark and no bite,” Jerry eased onto the dock next to Chase. “So what’s the word?”

“Kate,” I said, taking a fresh beer from Jerry. “And who Death could be.”

“Yeah, that’s going to be a tough one to figure out.” Jerry set his cane next to him and cracked open a bottle. “Poor kid, but it’s good she has her family here now. Cheyenne and Ben, and you Jake. Hell, even Marco.”

“Marco,” I said. “Maybe we should invite the guy out here for a drink?”

“Too late,” Jerry said. “He was leaving as I was coming out to see you.”

“Really?” Jake asked. “His flight isn’t until tomorrow.”

Jerry shrugged, “Said he found an earlier one.”

“One less person we have to worry about,” I glanced at Jake. He knew a part of me was wary about him, but didn’t seem to mind and gave me a nod.

“We can sit here all night if we have to and think,” Jerry said to himself.

“Yeah, I don’t think there is much more to think up.” I finished off my beer and thought about grabbing another.

“Oh, you can tell Jake about the tracking device you planted on Kate,” Jerry smiled. “Brilliant idea.”

Jake looked stunned. “Really? She’s going to hate that.”

I pulled my phone out and logged on to the website with the password Chase had given me. “Yeah, Chase and I figured, since she never takes that locket off, it’d be smart to know where she is at all times, just in case.”

“Yeah, I was telling Marco about it,” Jerry added. “Since he’s her bodyguard and all.”

I glanced at Chase, then Jake. They both seemed to be feeling the same way I was, that maybe that hadn’t been the best idea. But we were on the ranch and there were too many people around for anything to happen.

“Hey, give me that,” Chase took the phone out of my hand and stared at the screen. “Something’s wrong.”

I frowned down at the screen, wondering if the tracker wasn’t working or something. “What?”

Chase pointed at the screen, “According to this, Kate’s not on the property anymore. The tracker’s heading north.”

I took it from him and looked at the map. The little green dot was moving fast. “What the hell? Is it broken?”

Chase stood, and I followed him back up the dock to the house. We went into the living room where Millie was sitting with Cheyenne by a roaring fire. They were flipping through magazines and chatting, nursing steaming cups of tea. They used to do that when Cheyenne lived with the McCrees.

“Hey, where’s Kate?” I asked them.

Millie pointed upstairs. “With Ben. She went to check on him.”

I ran up to the second floor, and was nearly mowed over by Chase and Jake, who were right behind me. I burst into the guestroom to find Ben sleeping soundly, but he was alone.

I glanced down at the phone in my hand, “She’s gone.”

Jake cursed. “You are sure of that?”

“Why else would the tracker be moving so fast?”

Chase grabbed the phone, “No, she’s stopped. Let’s go get her.”

The closest car to the house was the fancy sports car Jake had rented at the airport. We piled in it, and Jake flew down the road. We slowed on a deserted stretch of the highway, and the tracker said Kate was twenty feet from the car.

Only, she wasn’t.

“Are you sure it’s not broken?” I asked. Chase reloaded the page to see if something had changed.

He grabbed the phone out of my hand and got out of the car, walking in the middle of the street until darting to the right, near the shoulder of the highway. He bent over, and lifted a gold necklace out of the grass.

Kate’s locket.

“It was Marco,” Jake cursed, slamming his fist against the steering wheel. “I can’t believe I brought him here. Right to Kate.”