“YOU JUMP BAIL and I’ll come after you myself,” Kate said as they drove away from the jail the next morning.
“You know I won’t do that. I appreciate your father pulling whatever strings he did.”
She shot him a sideways look as she drove. “So what’s this about a gun?”
He related what had happened. “The gun is mine, but I sold it before Madeline was shot.”
“Let me guess why you sold it.”
He nodded. “I gave the money to Madeline.”
“Of course you did. Did you happen to tell her where you’d gotten the money?” Kate groaned as if she already knew the answer. “You didn’t happen to mention who you sold the gun to.” She shook her head at his expression. “So she knew and she probably told whoever she was working with so they could go steal it. Perfect.”
He sighed and leaned back into the seat to close his eyes for a moment. “Can you turn left at the next corner and pull over?” He opened his eyes to see her staring at him as if he’d lost his mind. “I’m not mad or going to make a run for it. I need to talk to the person I sold the weapon to.”
“Then you won’t mind if I come along?”
“Why not?” He motioned to a parking place and she slid into it and cut the engine before reading the sign on the office door next to where they were now parked. “You sold it to a lawyer?”
“My best friend.” He opened his door and climbed out.
Kate quickly joined him in front of the business. “I’m confused.”
“Welcome to my world.” He pushed open the door for Kate and followed her into the outer office. Like before, the receptionist’s desk was empty.
He went straight to the open doorway into Jayce’s office. His friend was on the phone, but seeing Tucker, he quickly got off.
“Tuck?” Jayce glanced at the woman with him as he rose to his feet.
“Kate Rothschild,” she said.
“She’s an investigative reporter for a big deal New York City paper and daughter of Clayton Rothschild, Montana congressman,” he said to save time.
Jayce’s eyes widened a little before he took in Tucker. “I heard you’d been...arrested?”
“The pistol I sold you years ago turned up in my pickup,” Tucker said. “I was hoping you could tell me how that happened.”
Jayce looked sick as he motioned them into the chairs and fell back into his own. He shook his head as if he was as confused as anyone in the room.
“Let me tell you what happened,” his friend finally began. Tucker waited patiently, reminding himself that Jayce was a lawyer who was good with words and probably just as proficient with stretching the truth. They’d once been closer than brothers. But that was a long time ago. “The gun I bought from you was stolen only days later.”
“Stolen?” He couldn’t help being skeptical. “You reported it to the sheriff, right?”
Jayce looked down for a moment before he shook his head. “No.”
“I was still in town then. You didn’t bother to mention it to me, either?”
He met Tucker’s gaze. “I’m going to be honest with you. When it happened, I thought you did it.”
“What? Why would you think that?”
“Okay, my first thought was that you’d found out that we set you up with Madeline. You had every right to be angry. I figured I deserved you taking your gun back. It’s why I never said anything.”
“So where was the gun? You hadn’t secured it?”
Jayce shook his head. “It was at home in my bedroom.”
“Not locked up.”
“No. You saw me put it in my desk drawer that day. I forgot about it. I think I expected you to come back for it at some point. You know, offer me money once you were flush again. The saddle is still around somewhere.”
Tucker walked to the window. “You have no idea who took the gun, who even knew you had it?”
His friend groaned. “It wasn’t as if it was loaded and just lying around.”
“You must have mentioned the gun to someone.”
Jayce looked away. “I might have mentioned it to the guys. I was worried about you. It wasn’t like you to sell your gun and your saddle. But they wouldn’t have taken it.”
“So anyone could have taken it since I’m sure you didn’t lock your house,” Tucker said, already knowing the answer.
“Come on, this is Gilt Edge, Montana. No one locks their doors.”
He shook his head. Had he mentioned to Madeline that he’d sold his gun and saddle—and to whom? More than likely. Back then he’d thought that he would be introducing her someday to his best friend—once they there married. He’d been such a fool.
Jayce’s family lived in the country. Anyone could have gotten into the old farmhouse without being seen since both of his parents had jobs in town back then.
“I’m so sorry,” Jayce said. “This whole thing has gotten so crazy. I wish I’d never gotten you involved. When Flint stopped by to question me this morning, I told him I thought you’d taken the gun.”
He looked at his friend. “I didn’t take it, but whoever did is trying to frame me for Madeline’s murder.”
“Murder? I thought she drowned.”
Tucker shook his head. “Someone put a bullet in her skull. The lab work isn’t back yet, but I’m betting it was with my pistol.”
Jayce looked even more upset. He raked both hands through his hair. “Tuck, I’m so sorry. This is all my fault. I should never—”
“It’s water under the bridge,” he said, coming back from the window. “So to speak. I have played right into someone’s hands. But it looks like I could use a good lawyer.”
“Absolutely,” Jayce said, pulling himself closer to his desk to reach for his rotating file. “I know some great ones—”
“I want to hire you.”
“What?” He froze. “No, Tuck, you need one who specializes in homicide litigation.”
“I need someone who believes that I didn’t kill Madeline.”
* * *
TUCKER HAD KATE drive him back to the ranch, where Flint had brought his pickup.
“What now?” she asked as she parked next to his truck.
He turned in the seat to look at her. “You go home until you hear from me.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“Damn it, Kate, it’s too dangerous. You can’t keep digging into this.” He told her about the notes—quoting the lastest one that threatened her before he opened the door to climb out. “They already killed one person. You think they won’t kill to stop you? Thank you for springing me, but go home,” he said and walked off toward his pickup.
She threw open her door and went after him. Catching up to him at his truck fender, she grabbed his arm and spun him around to face her. “They’re scared. We got too close. But now we have to find them. Otherwise, you could be going to prison for murder.”
“You think I don’t know that?” he demanded. “But you’re not getting the whole picture. They are through warning us off.”
She let go of his arm. “What does that mean?”
“These people are dangerous. They are through screwing around. They’re getting serious. We already know that they killed one of their own. You think they wouldn’t kill us?”
She felt a chill ripple across her flesh. She hugged herself. “They aren’t stupid enough to kill either of us. Why frame you if they planned to kill you?” She shook her head. “Like you said, they aren’t stupid. They’ve been getting away with all of this for years, possibly. And they definitely aren’t going to kill me.”
He stared at her as if stunned by her words. “You think you’re bulletproof because of who you are?” He let out a bark of a laugh. “You’re more naive than I thought.”
Kate felt tears sting her eyes. “Is that what you think?” She turned away for a moment. Had he just been indulging her since they’d met?
Tucker swore. “I didn’t mean that. I just want to keep you safe,” he said behind her, his voice low, intimate.
She felt a shiver skitter across the bare skin at her neck. Turning, she found him standing within inches of her. She felt her lips part, saw his gaze go to them. Even before he reached for her, she knew he was going to kiss her. And she knew it would be like no kiss she’d ever experienced.
He dragged her to him, wrapping her in his arms against his hard body, the kiss demanding. She felt his frustration, his need, the heat of his desire, all so much like her own. She opened to him as he deepened the kiss, losing herself in the feel of his mouth on hers. His tongue teased hers and she could imagine his mouth on her breasts. Her nipples hardened, aching at the thought. In his strong arms, she wanted nothing at that moment but this man.
Tucker ended the kiss as quickly as it had begun. “I’m sorry.” His gaze locked with hers. She could see that he was breathing as hard as she was. All the powerful emotions she was feeling shone in his gray eyes.
“I’m not sorry,” she managed to say as she tried to find solid footing again.
He shook his head. “I’m on bail for murder,” he snapped. “Unless I can find out who really killed Madeline, I’m going to prison, probably for life.”
“I’m not going to let that happen.”
He shook his head. “And I’m not going to let you get killed because of me.”
“Well, I’m not going to stop looking for Madeline’s family. Now I have more reason than ever to find out who she was working with. I can’t stop. I won’t stop until you’re free.”
He dragged off his Stetson and raked a hand through his hair. His gaze on her was dark with emotion. “When are you going to realize how dangerous this is?”
“Don’t you think I’ve known since I buried my brother?”
“This is different.”
“Is it? I was the one who found my brother hanging from that beam.”
His handsome face contorted with pain. “Oh, Kate. No. I’m so sorry. I had no idea.”
She looked away, fighting tears, not wanting him to see the rawest of her pain. “I won’t quit, Tucker,” she said, her voice breaking. “I lost my brother. I can’t let them take you, too.”
He stepped to her, taking her shoulders into his hands. “You are the most stubborn woman I have ever met. Can’t you see how worried I am about you?”
“I’m worried about you,” she said, smiling through her tears. “We either do this together, or I look for the Dunns alone. Your choice.”
He let out a curse. “I don’t want you doing anything without me. You hear me?”
She nodded, ignoring the fact that Tucker could be locked up again for Madeline’s murder and then she would be on her own. Even though the sheriff would be racing to find the real killer, she knew he, too, had been hitting a blank wall. No one seemed able to find Melody and her brother, K.O. Dunn.
She could feel the clock ticking. Her fear for Tucker was much greater than her fear for herself and whoever was framing him. She was sticking with this man to the end, whether he liked it or not.
One look in his eye, and she knew he was sticking with her.
* * *
TUCKER LOOKED INTO Kate’s green eyes and knew there was no stopping this woman. He’d been kidding himself if he thought he could keep her from going after a murderer.
He checked his phone and saw that he had several texts. “Want to go meet my new nephews?” he asked Kate. “My sister and sister-in-law had their babies.”
She smiled, nodding.
“We’ll swing by the hospital on our way.”
“On our way?” Kate asked. “I’m going wherever you are if I have to follow you. Or I’ll find K.O. and Melody on my own.” A breeze stirred her hair. She’d pulled it back, but several tendrils of her dark hair had escaped and now framed her striking face.
He was still shaken by the kiss. What had he been thinking kissing her like that? Wasn’t he in deep enough? Had he thought that a kiss would bring her to her senses? If anything, he’d made matters worse because now he wasn’t about to leave her to her own devices. He cared too much and that alone was a huge problem.
The day seemed so normal. Sun shining, blue sky, a light breeze that smelled of pine. Gilt Edge was alive with people going about their business. It seemed so strange that he was facing a murder charge and was falling for a woman who made him crazy with worry, even crazier with desire.
He could feel her waiting and knew she wasn’t bluffing. “I think we should go back to Clawson Creek.”
Kate looked as if she hadn’t expected that. “Why?”
“Just a feeling. I know everyone said the family cleared out almost twenty years ago. But Tammy said people had seen lights on out at the house.” He shook his head. “I want to check it out. We don’t have anything else to go on, so why not?”
“Let’s take my car,” she said. “I’ll drive. You look like you could use some sleep. I suspect the jail cell didn’t have a memory foam bed.”
He smiled. “Not exactly.” He might have argued about her driving, but she was right. He hadn’t gotten much rest last night. They climbed back into her SUV. He tried to tell himself that nothing had changed between them. But it was a lie. That damned kiss.