Southern Star: Destiny Romance (23 page)

‘What is it?’ Amos pressed.

‘Blaze.’ He dialled her landline number. It rang and rang until he stopped it with a stab of his thumb. ‘She’s alone at Sweet Springs and I can’t reach her.’

Heat radiated through the tinted windscreen despite the air conditioning going full tilt, and Blaze felt sweat trickle down her neck as she turned off the road towards Rosmerta. God, she’d be glad to get inside and into a cool shower.

Then she’d find out what the hell had happened to Rowdy and Trent. If her builder had returned to his old ways during her brief absence, she’d —

She slammed on the brakes just centimetres short of ramming Mac’s truck as it barrelled up the drive in the opposite direction.

Mac was out of the truck and wrenching her door open before she could turn off the engine. He did it for her, unclipped her seat belt and hauled her out on to the bitumen, hands cupping her face and turning it from one side to the other as though checking for signs of injury.

‘What . . . Mac, calm down. What’s going on?’ she stuttered.

He said nothing, but ran his hands down her arms, around her back and pulled her close.

‘Are you all right?’ When he eventually spoke, his voice was hoarse, shaking.

‘Apart from being crushed and asphyxiated by my lover, yes,’ she muttered, mouth pressed against his throat. She pushed back the two centimetres he permitted. ‘What happened, Mac?’

‘Nothing,’ he murmured. ‘Everything’s good.’

Footsteps sounded close by and Blaze looked up to meet the worried looks of Amos and Peg.

‘Gawd, ya gave the boss a scare, Miz Blaze,’ Amos said, panting. ‘See, Peg, she’s right as rain.’

‘Yes, I’m fine. Except I wish someone would tell me what’s going on.’

‘You two come on up to the house when you’re ready. I’m making fresh lemonade,’ Peggy said, tugging Amos back towards the house. ‘Come on, Amos. You can tell Beau and the boys the panic’s over while I get busy. Never known a place like this for drama.’

Blaze waited until they were out of earshot to take a step back. This time Mac let her.

‘You left your mobile behind.’ Mac handed it to her.

‘I know. I must have left it there after speaking to . . . the States this morning. Is that what this is all about?’

‘I couldn’t reach you,’ Mac said. ‘I thought something might have happened, and I couldn’t reach you.’

Blaze frowned. ‘I’m sorry, but I’m fine. I can look after myself, you know.’

‘Until the cops have someone in custody, I told you I don’t want you on your own. Not for one fucking minute.’

‘Mac,’ she warned, hands on hips.

‘Non-negotiable,’ he said, mouth a straight line.

‘Oh, is that right?’

Hands on her shoulders, he dragged her close again. ‘Damned right it is.’

Blaze felt his mouth against her temple, the rapid thud of his heart and felt it smooth the edge right off her indignation.

‘I know you were worried but I can’t keep life at arm’s length just in case something happens. It’s as good as telling the creep he’s won.’

Mac sighed. ‘Blaze . . .’

‘And I never intended to be alone. You,’ she drilled her forefinger into his rock-hard abs, ‘took my dog. And then Rowdy and Trent didn’t show up.’

‘Ah, well, Rowdy called you earlier.’ He gave her the message.’

Her mouth dropped open. She looked at Mac and grinned. ‘Wow . . . just . . . wow! I need to get to the hospital.’

‘I knew you’d say that. I’ll take you.’

‘Okay.’ She glanced down at herself as she got back into her car. ‘I need to shower and change first. I’m filthy.’

‘You go on in,’ Mac said, shutting her door and leaning in. ‘I’ll phone Rowdy and see how things are going. You know it might be hours yet before anything happens.’

Blaze kissed him, her mouth lingering. ‘It’s going to be okay, you know,’ she said when they withdrew.

Mac nodded but said nothing, and watched her drive up to the house. Before he got back into his truck, he looked northwards to where the clear blue sky darkened to the colour of a bruise and wished he had her confidence.

As it turned out, by the time they reached Meriwether Hospital, Marianne was the proud mother of a bald-headed, red-faced infant who sported the name Keisha and a pink headband, just in case anyone wasn’t clear as to gender.

Mac watched Blaze closely as they walked into a maternity department. Her hand gripped his just a little more tightly and her face turned solemn for a brief instant as they passed the door to what had been her room. After that, there was no place for solemnity, only joy.

Mac handed her the bouquet of flowers they’d bought from the florist downstairs and waited outside, not wanting to intrude on Marianne’s privacy. Mind you, from the talk and laughter coming from inside, it sounded like they were having quite a party, with Rowdy an unlikely instigator.

A minute later, the door to Marianne’s room opened and Rowdy’s face peeked out. He was beaming from ear to ear as though the baby in his arms was his own personal miracle.

‘Congratulations, mate.’ Mac clapped a hand on the older man’s shoulder. He peered at the baby whose mottled skin and misshapen head made the pink bow the prettiest thing about her. In the circumstances, though, diplomacy was called for.

Rowdy chuckled. ‘She’s a corker, isn’t she?’

‘She is that,’ Mac agreed. Anything that could bring delight to so many people deserved to be called a corker, whatever her looks.

‘She’s going to have a daddy, too. Young Trent’s just proposed.’

‘Busy day.’

‘A real good one.’ The smile dropped a little. ‘Marianne’s mum and dad are visiting this afternoon.’

‘That’s a good thing, isn’t it? She needs all the help she can get.’

‘Her mum’s already made noises about Marianne going back home to live.’ He held the baby just a little closer.

Mac nodded in sympathy. It was clear the old man feared separation from the little family. ‘Don’t sweat it, mate. Just let it play out.’

Rowdy nodded and went back inside, not looking entirely convinced, and a few seconds later he heard Blaze say her goodbyes.

‘All right?’ he asked when she appeared, but he could tell from her glowing face that any thoughts of her own loss were a long way from her mind.

‘She’s so beautiful, Mac.’

He stopped. ‘Seriously?’ Saw she was. ‘Never mind. You want to get something to eat? I reckon we both missed lunch.’

‘Sure.’

‘I’ll call Peg and tell her we’re eating out,’ he said, looping an arm across her shoulder as they walked back towards the Audi. When he got his phone out, he saw the reminder of the unplayed message Ryan had left hours before. After speaking to Peg, he listened to it with growing surprise.

‘What?’ Blaze asked when he’d finished. He opened the door for her and then got in beside her before he answered.

‘Ryan’s arrested Peter Woodall.’

‘The guy you fired?’

‘Yeah. Went around to Woodall’s father’s place where Pete is staying, following a tip-off, and found a lipstick that matches the shade used to write on your bathroom mirror.’

‘Burnt sienna?’

Mac nodded. For a moment he had been so sure that Emily Williams was involved, he’d forgotten all about Woodall. ‘I want to drop by the cop shop. See if Ryan can tell us any more.’

‘But why would Woodall do that? I’ve never met the guy,’ Blaze said as Mac drove out of the car park towards the police station.

He looked at her. ‘Honey, I hope you never have to.’

After Blaze and Mac had waited nearly an hour at the station to speak with Detective Sergeant Ryan, he emerged briefly from interviewing Pete Woodall, looking tired and frustrated.

‘There’s nothing more I can tell you,’ he said, ushering them over to a bank of hard seats. ‘Crime Stoppers got an anonymous tip and one of our guys recognised the make-up brand, but Woodall says he’s not been near Sweet Springs and has no idea how the lipstick wound up in his place.’ He cleared his throat. ‘Apparently, he has been known to book escorts from an agency in town, and says the make-up could have been left behind by one of the ladies, although he says he hasn’t had the cash for it since Mac let him go. I haven’t been able to confirm it with the agency as their lawyer is on his high horse about client privacy. We’re working on it, but it’ll probably be a couple of days before we get access to the files, longer before we get forensic results on the lipstick.’ He looked at Blaze. ‘Not like
Law & Order
. All wrapped up in sixty minutes with time for commercial breaks.’

Blaze raised her eyebrows. ‘I’m not an imbecile, Detective Sergeant.’

He rubbed the back of his neck. ‘Sorry. I wish I could tell you we got our perp, and that he also attacked Peggy Fairchild and the dog. Wrap it up neatly so you guys aren’t looking over your shoulder, but I can’t. We’ll keep him in overnight, though. Have another go tomorrow.’ He stood up.

Mac stood, too. ‘Your best guess, Andy. Is he the one?’

‘Jeez, Mac.’

‘Best guess, that’s all.’

Ryan huffed out a sigh. ‘Look, I can see him for the lipstick stunt and the attack on the dog. His only alibi for the break-in at Sweet Springs is his dad, and the acorn didn’t fall far from the tree in this case, if you know what I mean.’

‘Motive?’

‘Nothing specific, but when has an idiot like Woodall needed a motive for causing mayhem? The attack on Peggy, for which there is motive – assuming he was planning to get back at you, Mac – is still problematic, given he was in custody at the time. Plus, the level of violence involved . . . well, I really don’t know. We’re looking at the possibility he put a mate up to it. Guy mixes with a few real bad types.’

‘We deserve answers, Ryan.’

‘I know, but we don’t have any.’ He gave a wry grin. ‘If there’s some good to come out of this, it’s that my boss has crossed you off the list of suspects, Mac.’

‘Me?’

Ryan laughed. ‘You have . . . close relationships with both Peg and Ms Gillespie, and cops never like coincidences.’

Blaze let out a pent-up breath as she stood. ‘That’s ridiculous!’

‘Not completely,’ Mac said. ‘There is a connection. We just need to work out what it is.’

‘Will you update us tomorrow, Detective Sergeant?’ Blaze asked.

‘Sure.’ Ryan waved goodbye and disappeared.

‘Let’s get out of here,’ Mac said. ‘This place makes me feel guilty by association.’

‘Guilty of what?’ Blaze teased as they walked towards the main restaurant strip.

He laughed. ‘Letting my imagination run away with me, for one. Paddy was still acting out his strange obsession with that cap this morning. Led me on a wild goose chase to an old stockman’s shack. Convinced me our ex-cook had been holed up there, that she —’ He stopped, laughed again. ‘Well, it doesn’t matter now.’

Blaze halted outside a cheerful-looking burger place. ‘Here?’

Mac looked at her. ‘Bob’s Burgers is so not you, honey. I was thinking more about that place.’ He pointed to Yum Sushi, with its upmarket entrance flanked by topiarised plants.

‘You eat sushi?’

‘With a gun pointed at my head,’ he admitted.

Blaze spread her arms. ‘Not armed, and I’m perfectly happy with burgers if they’re good. Can’t really be dating a cattleman and not eat burgers.’

‘They’re good,’ he confirmed, opening the door for her.

Bob, if that was who he was, appeared slightly stunned when they entered but quickly recovered. It was still early, with only a few tables taken, so they were soon seated in a corner by the side window, which gave them privacy from the street.

Blaze forgot about Woodall as she talked about her enthusiasm for the
Siren
script and Nick Houston, even when Mac’s black eyebrows formed into a scowl.

‘He sounded like a sweetheart,’ she told him earnestly after Bob placed the biggest burgers Blaze had ever seen in front of them. ‘I’m sure you’ll love him.’

‘I can guarantee I won’t.’

‘He’s not my type, anyway.’

‘What is your type?’

She put down her burger, met his eyes. ‘Don’t you know?’

His dark eyes glittered, a sign that he was aroused. ‘Yeah, I know.’

Suddenly, Blaze felt she couldn’t play the game a moment longer. She had to tell him she loved him and demand to know if he’d meant what he’d hinted about loving her. She’d given him time, hadn’t she? Given them time. She hadn’t pushed the issue, and had even resisted any attempt to hunt for the ring since she’d been at Rosmerta. But if he wasn’t going to ask her, what was to stop her asking him?

‘You’ve got tomato sauce on your face,’ Mac said. ‘And a strange look.’

‘Mac.’ Her eyes searched his face.

‘What?’

‘You know I —’

‘Everything okay, folks?’ Bob materialised at their table, the wattage of his smile tempered by the sight of their still half-full plates.

‘Great,’ she said. ‘Better than great. Your burgers deserve their reputation.’

Bob looked relieved and backed away. ‘Just holler if you need anything.’

Taking another bite of burger, she chewed with determination, although her appetite had disappeared.

‘You were saying?’ Mac asked.

The moment lost, she shook her head. ‘Nothing important.’

He searched her face for another few seconds, but she maintained her smile until he resumed eating, and changed the subject to how Rowdy would cope with two girls under twenty to care for. When they’d finished, he called for the bill and they drove home in silence, watching the eerie play of lightning to the north.

After the events of the day, Blaze should have slept well that night, but thoughts tumbled around in her head and she was aware of Mac lying sleepless beside her.

Was he, too, thinking that life was too short? Or that saddling himself to the wrong woman was a life sentence?

At one point, in the deep still of night, he stirred and said her name, but she feigned sleep and he pulled her close and finally slept.

Eventually Blaze did, too, but it was an unsettled sleep. Someone was watching her, following her every move with hatred burning in their eyes.

Who loathed her that much? Rick Beatty? One of the people who’d taken the time to write letters railing against her supposed promiscuity? Someone she knew or a complete stranger?

Bitch Blaze Bitch Blaze Bitch Blaze Bitch Blaze Bitch Blaze

She could feel hate feeding on hate, building into a malevolent storm, promising total and utter devastation.