After the girls left, Mitchell looked at Evan. “So why do you think Ginger could be pregnant?”

Evan rubbed his hand down his face. “Let’s just say we had a fun weekend. And during our fun, her patch fell off.”

“Patch?”

“Birth control patch.”

“Oh shit. Please tell me y’all found it and used a rubber.”

“Oh yeah, we found it…Saturday night after multiple rounds of sex.”

“So you didn’t wrap up?”

Evan leveled Mitchell with his stare. “Do you with Kayla?”

“Hell no! Why would I? She’s it for me, man.”

“Exactly. And Ginger’s it for me, with or without a baby.”

“So is she? Pregnant?”

“We won’t know for another two weeks. She called her doctor’s office and spoke with his nurse. She said to use another form of birth control until her period. If it doesn’t start, then she can take a pregnancy test.”

“How do you feel about the possibility of being a father?”

“I’m nervous as hell, man. I can’t fuck this up. Ever since she told me, I’ve been thinking about Mom and Dad. Would they’ve been pissed or happy? What advice would Dad give me? Hell, I haven’t even met her parents yet.”

“I get that. Mom and Dad always loved Mak, so I think I’m good there. So did you tell her about Ruby before the picture yesterday because she didn’t look too surprised when you told me.”

“Yes, we used the alone time to talk about our pasts. Telling her was the only way to explain the note.” He shrugged his shoulders, “Now I get why you told Kayla about Vegas. For the first time, I want a relationship with no secrets.”

Mitchell nodded. “What about her stalker?”

“What about him? I’m gonna strangle the motherfucker as soon as I get my hands on him.”

“Any idea who he is?”

“No. At first we thought it could be her ex, but we’ve ruled him out. Now we’re just waiting on him to make another move.”

“You aren’t a patient man. How long can you wait?”

“I don’t know, but this little project will help keep me busy,” Evan said pointing to the picture of the ranch.

They focused on a preliminary plan for the security company to look at. What seemed like a few minutes was really an hour when Evan glanced at his phone and realized the girls had been gone too long, so he looked to see if Ginger had sent him a text. There wasn’t anything from her, so he pressed her speed dial as he walked out of the office. He approached the door and heard his ring tone coming from their room, so they went in search of the girls.

* * *

As Ginger and Kayla pulled up to the grocery store, an angry Evan and Mitchell were sitting on the tailgate of Mitchell’s truck. “How long were we gone, Kayla?”

She looked at her phone. “Too long.”

Before they could get out of the car, their men were opening their doors. As if they’d rehearsed it they asked, “Where the hell have y’all been?”

Before either of them could answer Evan said, “I distinctly remember saying to get what we need and get your asses back. I told you I’d worry.” He hugged Ginger tight and kissed the top of her head.

“I know, but…”

Now that he knew she was safe, Evan pulled out his phone to look at text messages. “I don’t see a message, so I don’t understand how there can be a but. Oh, because you left your phone at home.” The anger in his voice couldn’t be mistaken.

“Evan, it’s my fault. We met Cat at the café for lunch. Ginger didn’t know anything about it until we were already in the car,” Kayla said.

“If you think Evan’s mad because you didn’t tell him about your little detour, then how do you think I feel for not knowing in the first place? I still see that car trying to run you over, baby. Let’s not forget that was only a few weeks ago,” Mitchell said.

“I know, but Masterson Investments is gone,” Kayla said as she placed her hand on Mitchell’s cheek and kissed him. “I can’t be stuck at the ranch. I need to get out, too.”

“We’ll talk about it when we get home,” Mitchell mumbled.

“Yeah, we have some things to tell y’all too,” Kayla said.

“What kind of things?” Evan asked without taking his eyes off Ginger.

“Let’s get done in the store. I don’t want to do this in a parking lot. People are starting to stare,” Ginger quietly said.

Evan growled before they locked her car and escorted the girls inside. Fifteen minutes later, Mitchell was putting Kayla in the truck while Evan joined Ginger. Without him asking, Ginger gave her keys to him. He’d been quiet throughout the store, and had worn an expression that caused people to give them a wide berth. Kayla was right, quiet Evan wasn’t good. As soon as they were tucked in her car he asked in a barely audible voice, “What happened today?”

Ginger explained her and Kayla’s routine of going for a drive or out to lunch when one of them needed to talk. She told him how she opens up more when she has something else to focus on, and not just the topic at hand.

Evan listened attentively before he said, “So tell me what happened at lunch.”

“I’m going to tell you but Kayla knows everyone better than I do so I want her with me when I do. Since Mitchell needs to hear part of it, I thought we could wait and talk with them,” she said with a nervous look.

The rest of the drive was quiet. Evan continually glanced at her, but didn’t say anything. As soon as he parked her car, he was out and opening her door. He helped her out, but kept her between him and the car. Ginger wasn’t sure he’d spoken, but he had an expectant look on his face. “What?”

“Did someone touch you?” He spoke a little louder, but his lips barely moved.

His eyes move back and forth between hers. The longer she took to answer, the angrier he became. “No.”

“Let’s wait on them in the living room,” Evan softly said.

Movement caught Ginger’s attention as Mitchell and Kayla pulled in beside them, and Mitchell looked to be in the same mood as Evan. When they actually heard what happened, fireworks would begin, and not the good kind. They grabbed the bags of groceries and Evan opened the door for her to walk in ahead of him. “Evan, you’ve got to calm down. I’m going to tell you everything. I promise.”

“The fact that you want Kayla here tells me I’m not gonna like your story.” Evan scowled.

“Mak, the last time you insisted I remain calm you told me about some assholes seeing you in a towel right after someone tried to run over you in front of me. So forgive me for not getting all happy when you make that statement,” Mitchell said as he slid the groceries onto the island.

Evan watched Ginger as she started, “When we got there, we met Cat. We were talking and giggling–just having fun. We may have been a tad loud, since a few heads turned toward us.”

“So what happened?” At least Evan’s tone was normal. Ginger felt good about that.

“Sally happened,” Kayla said. She had Mitchell’s full attention.

“What does that mean?”

Kayla described the scene for Mitchell and Evan. The more she talked the tighter Mitchell’s fists became. “Fuck! Mak...are you okay?” Kayla showed Mitchell the bruise forming on her wrist. “Dammit, I thought we’d handled this in the bar that night. Baby, I’m sorry,” Mitchell kissed her wrist and held her close. “Is that all that happened?”

“To me, yeah.”

“So something happened to you?” Evan pointed at Ginger.

“Yeah, the good news is my sense of being watched has returned. The bad news we don’t know who he was.”

Evan narrowed his eyes as he waited for Ginger to speak. “After Sally left and we sat to eat, one of Kayla’s cousins stopped by to congratulate her on her engagement. When she moved away, there was a woman staring at me so I asked Cat who it was.”

“It was Ruby,” Kayla filled in.

“She was there on a date,” Ginger said, then went on to explain what happened with Chief Taylor. By the time she had recapped the conversation, she felt embarrassed and Evan was quiet again.

“I’m gonna rip his fucking tongue out. Anything else?” he asked.

Ginger looked at Kayla expectantly, but she just nodded for her to continue. “Chief Taylor walked out to meet another man. When I looked up he was putting his phone away. They walked down the sidewalk, but when we got in my car to leave, the man was across the street watching me. As soon as he saw me looking, he turned away. I tried to catalog his features. I know how important that is.”

“Darlin’, the important thing is y’all are okay. You looked shaken up when you parked your car.”

“I was, but I’m better now.” She reached out for him.

Evan wrapped his arms around her. “If you saw a picture, do you think you could recognize him?”

“I don’t know. I could try. The first time the chief partially blocked him, the second time he was across the street.”

“It’s too late to get a sketch artist. I’ll see if we can find some photos.”

“Do you think you may know who he was?” Ginger asked hopefully.

“Maybe. Did he have a beard or was he clean shaven?”

“Not a full beard, but not clean shaven either.”

“Hat? Long hair or short hair?”

“No hat. His hair looked like it was supposed to be short, but needed a haircut.”

“Have you seen him before?”

“No.”

“What are you thinking, Evan?” Mitchell asked.

“It’s either our photographer or someone Ginger hasn’t seen before. Kayla, did you see him?”

“I didn’t have a clear view. Like Ginger said, Curtis was in the way. I saw less than she did. When we got to the car, I was hugging Cat when she saw him again.”

“Are you sure that it was the same man?”

Ginger closed her eyes trying to focus on the man, or men. In her mind’s eye she worked her way down their bodies. Both had dark hair, both were white, both had on gray T-shirts, jeans, and boots. She wrinkled her nose before her eyes popped open. “The man across the street had sunglasses and his beard was fuller.”

“Do you think Cat had a better view of the man outside the café?”

Kayla sent Cat a text. As they waited for her response, they cuddled on the sofas. A few minutes later, Kayla’s phoned pinged. “She said the man outside the café was Deputy Frank Smith, and she knows him from the bank. She saw the man across the street, but didn’t know who he was.”

With the adrenaline wearing off Ginger said, “Do y’all mind if I go lie down? Since my belly is full, I can’t hold my eyes open.”

The concern on Evan’s face was evident. “Ginger?”

“Would you lie down with me?”

“Sure darlin’.” As he stood with Ginger he said, “Kayla, after today we’re even. Got me?”

“Even for what?”

“Vegas,” he said over his shoulder as he followed Ginger down the hall. “Gin, you did good today. You watched the people around you and picked up that you felt uncomfortable.”

“I like to enjoy my surroundings, not feel the need to be on the lookout for something to happen.”

“You’re not looking for something to happen. You’re just being cautious. That’s smart. God, I don’t know what I would’ve done if something happened to you. I’m not so sure I wouldn’t have killed Curtis.” He pulled her in tight for a hug.

“Do you think one of them wrote that note?”

“I don’t know, darlin’, but I’m glad we’re leaving soon.”

* * *

Once Ginger fell asleep, Evan searched of pictures. Curtis’s wasn’t hard to find. His picture was in several editions of the Riverton Crossing Gazette. Frank Smith was harder. Somehow he managed to keep his face out of recent papers. Evan wanted Ginger to make sure that was who she saw. Unless she could identify the other man, Evan had no way of finding him. For the first time in a while, he missed working out with Nathan because he needed to punch something.

It was late afternoon by the time Ginger woke up. Evan and Mitchell had decided on the security plan and were out by the pool with Kayla. When Evan saw Ginger staring out the French doors, he walked inside with her. She didn’t make a move to open the doors, just stared outside. “Andy hasn’t left yet. He’ll saddle a couple of horses if you want to go for a ride. We can walk along the river.” Evan rested his chin on the top of her head.

“I’d like that.”

“While he gets them ready, I’ve printed off some pictures I’d like you to look at.”

He called Andy as they walked into the office where he showed her the pictures. “Some of these are about a year old, some more recent. I need you to tell me if any of these men are who you saw today and in what context.”

“Obviously, that’s Chief Curtis Taylor. He’s the one who made the comments about Ruby. Even though this man is younger, he was the one with the phone outside the café. I don’t see the other man.”

“You sure this was the man outside the café?”

“Yes.”

“Cat was right. That’s Deputy Frank Smith. Now, let’s go get some fresh air.”

The rest of the evening was uneventful. Ginger was quieter than Evan was used to, and he knew it was because she was thinking about the other man. He also knew if it wasn’t for the earlier picture, Ginger would’ve never thought twice about him.