RESCUE AT CARDWELL RANCH (7 page)

She’d been completely captivated by the Cardwells, especially Hayes. He had an easygoing way about him that appealed to her. It amazed her that she’d thought there was anything threatening about him. It was his eyes. She’d remembered them from the night of the attack. They had been comforting. Just like his words.
You’re safe now.

Only she wasn’t.

She reminded herself of that as she drove from Big Sky into Bozeman, determined to get on with her life.

“At least let me take you to your open house,” he’d argued.

“You can’t be with me 24/7 and I refuse to hide under a rock. He’s trying to scare me.”

“Until he tries to abduct you again and kill you. McKenzie, he knows who you are.”

His last words had sent an icy chill through her.
He knows who you are.

But she didn’t know who he was. He could have been anyone in that crowd yesterday.

Angry with herself for letting her thoughts take that turn, she told herself she would put the attack behind her. Big words, she thought as she drove up in front of her condo and just sat there, engine running, surprised how hard it was to face going inside. She knew it was crazy. The attack hadn’t even happened here. And yet she had the crazy fear that he would be inside, waiting for her....

Getting out of her SUV, she gripped her keys as she made her way to the front door. She noticed her neighbor had already gone to work. A quiet had settled over the four units. She’d picked this condo because of all the pine trees and the creek that meandered past it.

Now, though, the thick pines made her nervous and the babbling stream quickly put her nerves on edge. She got the key into the lock and pushed open the door.

She wasn’t sure what she’d expected to find. Maybe the place ransacked. Everything looked exactly as she’d left it. She stepped in. An eerie silence settled around her. She’d always loved coming home. The condo had been decorated simply with light colors that made the rooms feel welcoming. She’d always felt at peace here.

Now, however, she opened her shoulder bag and took out the pepper spray she’d bought yesterday. Holding it, she moved quickly through the two-story condo, checking closets and bathrooms and even under beds until she was sure she was alone.

She was trembling more from fear than from the effort of searching the spacious condo. The fear made her angry with herself. She couldn’t keep living like this.

When her cell phone rang, she jumped. Stilling her heart, she took the call. It was her sister.

“How are you doing?” Shawna asked.

“Fine.” The lie seemed to catch in her throat. “Not as well as I’d hoped.”

“If you need company—”

“No, I’m keeping busy. I have an open house today.”

“Work as usual, huh? That’s my little sis. Well, if you need anything, you know to call.”

“I will. Thank you.”

As she hung up, she saw that Gus Thompson had left a message. She braced herself and played it.

“We need to talk. Call me.”

Just the sound of his voice made her stomach ache. What did he think they needed to talk about? And why was he so insistent? She still couldn’t believe he was the man who’d attacked her, but maybe she just didn’t want to. She’d worked with him for years. Surely she would have known he was dangerous, wouldn’t she?

McKenzie quickly showered and changed for her open house, determined not to let Gus or anyone else keep her from her work. She had a business to run. She had to go over everything she needed, afraid that as distracted as she was, she would forget something important. The open house needed to go off just right. This was a major sale for a contractor she liked working with, so she hoped to get an offer before the day was out.

Hurrying so she could get to the house early, she exited her front door and was just pulling the door closed after her when the man stepped out of the shadows.

* * *

H
AYES
SWUNG
BY
the restaurant site before heading to McKenzie’s open house. He wanted to see the traffic flow in the area and take another look around. The other day, he’d been distracted and determined they weren’t buying the space. But after talking to his brother Laramie, he’d tried to reach Austin. He’d been told that Austin was on a case and couldn’t be reached. He couldn’t help worrying about him.

He felt at loose ends. His attempt to talk McKenzie out of hosting the open house today had fallen on deaf ears. Did she really think that by pretending none of this was happening it would stop this bastard? All she had to do was look in the mirror to see just how close the man had gotten to her—again.

He’d been shocked last night after dinner when she’d told him about the open house, but he’d tried not to argue with her. He’d seen the way she could dig her heels in. Look at what had happened yesterday. Maybe his concern
had
put her in more danger. He was determined not to let that happen again.

“Can’t someone else host it?” he’d suggested.

“I could get someone else to do it, but...I can’t.” She’d shrugged as if it was hard to explain.

“I get it,” he’d said. “You’re like my brother Laramie. We’ve offered to help with the load, but...”

“He has it handled.”

“Yep, and he does a fine job of it. I noticed that you own your realty company.” She was young to have accomplished so much so quickly. He wondered if she’d had help and decided not. It was that tenacity about her that intrigued him. But also frustrated him because her determination not to let her attacker interfere with her life put her in danger.

“It was a lot of hard work, but when you want something badly enough...” Her voice had dropped off and he’d realized she was thinking about the man she’d fought off repeatedly the night of her attack. Neither would have given up. If Hayes hadn’t come out of the store when he had...

“What kind of open house is it?” he’d asked to derail her thoughts—and his own.

“A brand-new, state-of-the-art, spacious, three-thousand-square-foot executive home overlooking Bozeman with beautiful views of the Spanish Peaks.”

He’d laughed and she’d joined him. He was glad she could laugh at herself.

“I did sound like a Realtor, didn’t I?” She sighed. “Bad habit.”

“Let me guess. All restaurant-quality appliances and granite countertops in the massive kitchen. I had the flu recently and found myself watching some of those home shows on television. Talk about over the top.”

She’d nodded in agreement. “You do see a lot of...extravagance in some of the homes in this area, too. Gold faucets, heated driveways, dual master suites.”

“You love what you do,” he’d said as if he’d just seen it.

She’d smiled, tears in her eyes. “That’s why I can’t let him stop me.”

“Or me stop you,” he’d said, and she’d nodded before she’d leaned over and gently placed a kiss on his cheek.

Their eyes met and locked and for one breath-stealing moment he’d almost taken her in his arms, even though he knew he wanted a lot more than a kiss. Fortunately, or unfortunately, they’d been interrupted by the kids running in to say good-night as they headed to bed.

The moment had been lost, filling him with regret and relief at the same time. His life was in Houston. He reminded himself of that now.

Determined to get at least the barbecue joint settled, he called Jackson. Ford answered the phone. The five-year-old sounded so grown-up. Hayes tried to remember the last time he’d seen his nephew. It had been too long, that was for sure.

“Hey, kid,” he said. “What have you been up to?”

Ford was a chatterbox on the phone. Hayes listened to stories about sports, the trouble his nephew had gotten into and how they would be flying to Montana for his uncle Tag’s wedding to some girl before Ford launched into an excited story about the horse Dana had picked out for him to ride once he got to Montana.

Finally, Hayes had to ask if he could speak to the boy’s father.

Jackson came on the line.

“How much of that can I believe?” Hayes joked.

His brother laughed. “Ford’s into Texas tall tales I’m afraid, just like his uncles. What’s this I hear about Laramie supporting the Montana restaurant?”

“I talked to him last night. Tag’s convinced him. I have to admit, I’ve weakened, as well.”

“What about this future bride?”

Hayes could hear the concern in Jackson’s voice. He’d gotten burned badly. He didn’t want to see his brother Tag go through a divorce.

“She’s nice. I liked her. She’s got plenty of her own money, a good job, a nice house up on the mountain behind Big Sky. Clearly, they are crazy about each other.”

Jackson snorted. He knew crazy.

“I’m standing in front of the restaurant space right now. I think we should move ahead with this.”

Jackson sounded surprised. “What changed your mind?”

“I actually think it’s a good business decision. Also, I guess I want to do this for Tag.”

“Is everyone else in agreement?”

“Can’t reach Austin. Nothing new there.” But he figured Austin would go along with whatever was decided. He had little interest in the business, too involved in being a sheriff’s deputy and saving the world.

“As long as Tag’s new wife isn’t involved in the business in any way, I’m good with it,” Jackson said. “I still have time to meet her and see what I think before he can get the place open.”

No one was more cynical than Jackson.

“I think this is the right thing to do,” Hayes said, checking his watch. “I’ll tell the Realtor when I see her.”

* * *

G
US
WAS
GLAD
he’d scared her. He took enjoyment in McKenzie’s shock and fear. How did she think he felt being interrogated by the police and suddenly out of a job?

“Gus.”
She said his name on a frightened breath, her hand going to her chest as she stumbled back against her closed condo door.

He’d seen her lock it so he knew she wasn’t going to be able to get back inside away from him until he had his say. He closed the distance, forcing her up against the door, towering over her. She’d cut her hair. It surprised him. He’d always thought she liked it long. He wondered what had precipitated this? Out with the old, in with the new? Had she already replaced him at the agency?

“What do you want?” Her voice actually squeaked. Where was that ball-breaking woman he’d worked for the past six years?

“What do I
want?
” he repeated. “I want to know why you’re ruining my life.”

Some of her steel returned to her voice. “This isn’t the place to talk about this.”

He laughed. “Where would that place be, McKenzie? You’ve taken out a restraining order against me so I can’t go near the office or you.”

Some of the color came back into her face. “It should be obvious why I had to do that.”

“Because you think I’m some kind of psycho? Do you really think I attacked you in a grocery parking lot?”

“I don’t know. Were you at the conference yesterday?”

“Why? Were you attacked again?” He smirked. “Do you really think I can show my face at a real-estate conference right now?”

He could tell she didn’t believe him. “I thought I saw you there.”

“Well, you were wrong. The same way you were wrong to fire me.”

“I’m sure I wasn’t the first person you’ve stalked. You’ve been harassing my receptionist. I told you that if I had to warn you again...”

He looked at her in disbelief. “Maybe I was
interested
in you, did you ever consider that? I came by your house that day to ask you out, but about the time I finally got up my nerve, you saw me. Your expression... Well, let’s just say I knew my answer.”

The woman he’d known was back. Anger flared in her eyes. She moved away from the door, forcing him to take a step back. “It’s too bad you didn’t take no from Cynthia.”

He felt off-balance, something she’d made him feel way too many times. “I don’t expect you to believe this, but she led me on. She liked me flirting with her.”

“Up to a point, I’m sure that was true.”

“And yet you fired
me.
”

“It was a combination of things, Gus, not just a couple of incidents and you know it. You’ve always resented working for me.”

He nodded, finally seeing it. His own anger boiled to the surface. “You were just waiting for my mother to die so you could get rid of me. As long as she was alive, you wouldn’t dare.”

“That isn’t true.” McKenzie looked at her watch, dismissing him. The old McKenzie Sheldon, businesswoman, had come back. “You’re going to make me late for an open house and there really is no point to this discussion. I’m not changing my mind. If you promise to leave me alone in the future, I will write you a recommendation, not that you need one. You’re a great salesman. Just stop trying to sell yourself to women who aren’t in the market.”

“That’s it?”

“You brought this on yourself, Gus.” She slipped past him.

He had no choice but to let her go. As he watched her drive away, he felt as if she’d punched him in the gut. He knew the best thing he could do was leave her alone, take the recommendation and start looking for another job.

But this still felt unfinished to him.

* * *

H
E
STOOD
OUTSIDE
the open house for a moment, wondering who could afford such a home—and what the commission would net McKenzie Sheldon. Probably more money than he made in months. He would never admit that that alone made him want to hurt this woman. The woman was obviously very successful. It would seem small of him to want to destroy her simply out of jealousy.

But a part of him had to admit, he liked to target successful women. He liked bringing them down. He smiled to himself, thinking how many of them he had made beg for their lives. They weren’t so arrogant and sure of themselves then.

People were coming in and out of the open house. Beautiful June days probably brought more people out than stormy, wintery ones, he thought. He waited and fell behind a group of five. Being a salesman at heart himself, he quickly sized them up. The elderly married couple looked serious about home buying. The two women behind them were just gawkers. The lone man who’d led the way looked like another Realtor.