Wrangled and Tangled (10 page)

She wandered through the building. The lodge and dining room were both quiet this time of day, with the guests either outdoors or relaxing in their rooms until cocktail hour. In the past three weeks, Janie had realized the guests didn’t want—or need—a hostess every night. In fact, her presence annoyed those who’d arrived as a group, so she’d ended up with free time in the evenings.

Wild West Clothiers remained busy all week. Harper had hit the ground running after returning from her honeymoon, which hadn’t allowed much time for them to catch up. Janie missed that connection with another female. Besides the nights Tierney had played nursemaid after Janie’s car accident, their daily dealings revolved around business issues.

Abe’s concern for her well-being had continued for two weeks after her car accident. He’d tracked her down at the lodge compound. Chatted with her. Flirted with her. Dropped all sorts of sexual innuendos regardless of who was around. But in the last week? Nada. She hadn’t seen hide nor hair of him, although she heard he’d been at the barn and corrals working with Renner and Hank.

So it’d shocked the crap out of her when Abe had ambled up this morning and planted a steamy kiss on her. A hot, wet, tongue-thrusting, pelvis-grinding kiss that’d make a porn star blush. Then he’d whispered, “Soon,” in that sexy rasp and ambled away.

Which begged the question: why was he screwing with her? Hot. Then cold. Then hotter yet. She wouldn’t have pegged Abe as the vengeful type, but there were times when she wondered if she underestimated his bitterness about her leaving him. Had he created a scheme to get even with her? Seducing her, making her want him and then walking away?

But he’d have to actually be in her physical presence to screw with her. Unless he was screwing with her right now by keeping her off balance. By making her want him. Because there was no doubt: Janie wanted her ex in a bad way.

So if she just happened to run across Abe when she was looking for Renner at the barn . . . she’d give the man a dose of his own medicine. Kiss him and run. Maybe she’d kick up the challenge a notch and blow him and run. That’d shock the hell out of him.

Buoyed by that possibility, Janie grabbed her down-filled jacket, which Harper had christened Little Red Riding Hood because the coat was the color of fresh blood. She kicked off her heels and slipped her feet into a pair of Uggs.

With her hood pulled tight to keep the wind from whistling in her ears, she started down the rocky path to the barn. Jamming her hands in her pockets, she focused on her footing. As she slowly picked her way down the slope, she decided they had to fix this treacherous path or someone would get hurt.

Almost as if she’d willed it, the ground rushed up to meet her face with a brain-jarring thump. Without the use of her hands to brace herself, she hit hard and the impact knocked the wind from her lungs. She rolled down the rock-strewn incline like a runaway log as she fought to breathe, but it was a losing battle when she smacked her head and the lights went out.

When Janie returned to consciousness, Willie was nearly nose to nose with her. Startled, she twitched, wincing at the sharp pain in her skull.

“Miz Janie? You all right?”

She moved her lips, but wasn’t sure if any sound came out.

“You’re bleedin’.”

She attempted to get up.

“Whoa there. Sit tight. Miz Tierney went to fetch Mr. Jackson.”

Now she hoped Abe wasn’t around. He would freak out.

What about you? Are you freaked out? Will you finally admit these accidents are familiar?

Dread weighted her stomach like she’d swallowed a boulder. Fear crawled up her throat. She turned her head and dry heaved. Sweat broke out on her brow and mixed with blood dripping down the side of her face. The throbbing ache increased her dizziness and she cried out of sheer frustration.

Willie’s glove-clad hand awkwardly patted her shoulder. “It’s okay. You took quite a tumble. You oughta be more careful out here. It’s easy to lose your footing.”

Tumble? She hadn’t been clumsy . . . had she? It would have taken a violent push for her body to pound the cold ground like that.

Janie must’ve passed out again, because the next thing she knew, Renner was hoisting her into his arms, amidst Tierney’s admonishment to call an ambulance.

“If it looks like she broke something, then we’ll take her to the ER in Rawlins.”

Tierney tossed out a comment about worker’s compensation, which set off another argument between them.

Too bad she couldn’t pass out at will.

Janie felt the employees’ stares when Renner carried her through the kitchen. When their entourage reached the hallway, she said, “Stop. I can walk from here.”

“You are so damn stubborn.”

“I will not have you carrying me through the main room of the lodge and spooking our guests, Renner. Put me down.”

Seemed to take two hours to climb the stairs and reach the office. Renner settled her on the couch. While he checked her injuries, Tierney brought a warm washcloth and wiped Janie’s blood-caked face. “The cut on your forehead stopped bleeding. Hold still. I’m putting on a bandage. Although, I warn you, it is a Tweety Bird bandage from my personal stash.”

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

She said, “You tired of taking care of me yet?” to Tierney.

“You tired of my subpar caretaker skills yet?” she countered. “Because I’m thinking Renner is about to double-check my bandage application skills.”

Janie attempted a smile at Tierney’s taunting comment.

Tierney fussed with adjusting the collar of Janie’s shirt. “Anything else you need? A glass of water? Aspirin?”

“No. I’m fine.” But she wasn’t really. Neither was Renner. His frustration fairly pulsed through the room.

He didn’t move from her side when he addressed Willie. “What were you doin’ when you noticed her?”

Willie twisted his hat in his big hands. “I was takin’ the garbage out to the Dumpster. I saw something red on the ground, didn’t know what it was and went over to check. That’s when I found her.”

“Did you see anyone else around?”

“Why are you giving him the third degree?” Tierney asked sharply.

Renner shot Tierney a dark look. “I’m just tryin’ to get to the bottom of this. Figure out how long she laid out there before . . .” He sighed, obviously frustrated with the situation. “Look. I’m not accusing anybody of nothin’.”

“I know that, Mr. Jackson,” Willie said evenly. “But weren’t no one around but her. I forgot my walkie-talkie in the kitchen so I ran back up the hill and the first person I saw was Miz Tierney. She went to get you.”

Janie cleared her throat. “Thanks for keeping out an eagle eye around here, Willie.”

“No problem, Miz Janie. If you don’t need nothin’ else, I still got stuff to finish up.”

“Check in before you leave for the day, all right?”

Willie nodded. “I know you folks don’t cotton to some of the mystical stuff we Crow Indians do, but I gotta say, there’s bad spirits around here. Might consider doin’ something about it.”

That was . . . cryptic. And a little freaky. She shivered.

After the door shut behind Willie, Renner was in her face. “Bad spirits my ass. I cannot believe you . . . Christ, Janie. Was it him again?”

“I don’t know.”

“The car accident. Now this.” Those normally twinkling blue eyes turned accusatory. “What else has happened to you since the car crash that you haven’t told me about?”

“Nothing.”

“Tell me what is going on,” Tierney said.

Renner stood. “Janie will explain everything, but you’ll have to wait until Abe gets here so she only has to tell it once.”

“You called Abe?” Janie asked.

“Yes. You should’ve told him the truth after the damn car accident.”

Her stomach roiled. Now the shit would really hit the fan.

Abe’s heart pounded with his every footstep down the hallway. He blew inside the office at the Split Rock and barked, “What the hell happened?”

Janie said, “Abe. Calm down.”

“The fuck I will.” He glared at Renner, then Tierney. “What’s goin’ on around here?”

Tierney gave Renner a frigid glare before focusing on Abe. “I’m as much in the dark as you are. They’ve both promised full disclosure.”

He ignored the
both
portion of her statement and demanded, “Full disclosure? Of what?”

“We’ll explain if you’ll just sit down—”

“I’ll stand.” He pointed at Janie. “Start talkin’.”

But Janie glanced at Renner. Her haunted look put ice in his soul. Abe crouched beside her, taking her hand, trying to find calmness, if only for her, because obviously she needed it. He softened his voice and kissed her knuckle. “Come on, cupcake. It’s killin’ me to see you like this.”

“I think killing me is the point.”

Abe froze. “What?”

She patted the sofa. “Please. Sit.”

He sat in the middle of the couch, draping her legs over his lap, needing to touch her to reassure himself, for the second time in so many weeks, that she was all right. He scrutinized her face. The big, square bandage on her forehead was printed with cartoon characters, but the scene before him was far from funny.

Renner spoke before Janie had a chance. “We think someone might’ve pushed Janie down the path to the barn today.”

“On purpose?”

Renner nodded.

“Who?”

“We’re not one hundred percent sure, but we have an idea.”

“Have you called the sheriff?” he demanded of Renner.

“No. And before you go off on me, Abe, you need to hear the whole story.”

“Then somebody had better start talkin’. Now.”

Janie’s troubled eyes searched Abe’s and his stomach lurched. “I was hoping you’d never have to hear this. It still sounds ridiculous to say out loud.” She swallowed. “About four years ago I dated a guy who seemed normal enough, but little things set off my alarm bells, so I broke it off after six months. Stupid me. I didn’t want to text him or leave a voice mail, so we met face-to-face. But he wouldn’t accept it was over. He said I didn’t know him. I hadn’t given him a chance to prove how well he knew me and how much he loved me.”

Jealousy that another man had confessed love for Janie—
his
Janie—set Abe’s possessive instinct into high gear. But he managed a cool, “He said he loved you?”

She nodded. “So he began to follow me. Sometimes he’d let me see him. But even if I couldn’t see him, I knew he was out there, watching me. Within a month of the breakup, watching wasn’t enough. He approached me in public places, forcing me to acknowledge him. I said nasty things, hoping to piss him off, but he wasn’t deterred.”

“Things escalated. Partially my fault,” Renner said.

“No, you helped me. Dave cornered me in the parking lot of a ranch supply store that’d hired me for an interior redesign, spouting his usual undying love for me bullshit. Renner just happened to see Dave push me against my car. He tried to intervene. So I pretended he was my new boyfriend who’d shown up to tell Dave to leave me alone. Luckily Renner played along.”

“And this stalker, this Dave guy just accepted your relationship with Renner?”

“God no. But Renner did get me out of there in one piece. Dave’s feelings for me turned from adoration to hatred. His actions become violent—not that we could ever prove he was responsible.”

“What type of violence?” Abe asked tightly.

“He slashed my tires. The next time he busted out the windows on my car. Then he whacked off the heads of my flowers, followed by smashing all my planters. The incidents were spread out. I never knew when he’d strike next. Finally he . . .” Janie squeezed her eyes shut.

“He what? Janie, you’ve gotta tell me all of it,” Abe said gently.

“That psycho fucker broke into my condo and cut out the crotch of every pair of my panties. Then he used the string of my desecrated underwear to hang one of those sex toys, a blow-up doll, from the ceiling above my bed. He’d put a black wig on her, and wrote ‘Die Whore Bitch’ across the chest, after X-ing out the eyes.”

Beyond horrified, Abe watched helplessly as tears rolled down Janie’s face.