Ten

CLINT BLACK

FROZEN IN PLACE, I MOVED when I heard Bo shout my name and fled the bathroom right into a solid wall of muscle. Strong arms wrapped around me, followed by Bo’s whispered, “I’ve got you.”

“Clint,” I gasped out, “in there”—I pointed toward the bathroom—“he’s dead.”

Bo didn’t register surprise at my outburst; he just tried to push me behind him and growled, “Go back to the bedroom and wait for me.”

I shook my head. I wasn’t going anywhere without him.

“Baby, I need to take a look at the body, and you need to get dressed.”

He had a point. The police would be called, and naked Sienna wasn’t a good look. “Come with me to get our clothes, and then you can lock me in the bedroom,” I begged.

Nodding, Bo wrapped his arm around my shoulders and led me back into the living room, where he pulled on his jeans. I quickly threw his shirt on to cover my nakedness, then grabbed my clothes from the floor and pulled him back to the bedroom. “I’ll give you your shirt back in a minute,” I said as he started to shut the door. He scanned my body, mumbled, “Keep it. I like it on you,” then shut the door. I locked it behind him and rushed to get dressed. Then I remembered I had my phone in my back pocket and called Devin.

“Yeah?”

“Clint Black is dead. He’s in the bathroom in the large cabin,” I blurted out. “Bo needs you.”

“Jesus Christ,” was his response, then, “on my way,” before he hung up.

When I heard raised voices heading toward the cabin, I unlocked the bedroom door and shouted, “Devin’s here,” as I ran to unlock the main cabin door.

Devin came rushing in, dragging Cali behind him, with Poppy and Nate right on his heels. The cabin exploded in a frenzy of questions, and Bo exited the bathroom looking grim. I tossed him his shirt and he pulled it back on, then got right to the point. “Black’s dead,” Bo bit out.

“This situation keeps escalatin’,” Devin growled.

Bo reached for my hand, turning me toward him. “I don’t want you out of my sight, but I need to check the scene thoroughly with Devin and Nate. Can you ladies stay right here and not touch anything?” I nodded, and he squeezed my hand once before letting me go.

Moving to Cali and Poppy, I huddled with them, watching all three men as they disappeared into the bathroom, trying to keep from freaking out.

“I can’t believe Clint’s dead,” Poppy whispered. I turned to her and nodded, then closed my eyes, trying not to picture him as he lay on the floor. It was no use. He’d died with his eyes open, a shocked look still present on his face, as if his attacker had snuck up on him or someone he trusted had surprised him.

“Was there blood?” Cali asked nervously. “I don’t think I can handle another bloody body this week.”

I shook my head rapidly, trying to push down the panic I felt. “He had a bruise around his neck. Like someone strangled him,” I answered.

Minutes later, Bo exited the bathroom with a furious look on his face. “Window was open, and there’s a dirty footprint on the toilet. Whoever killed him was probably inside when you came in to make sandwiches. They snuck out the window to avoid bein’ seen.”

Cold fear trickled through my veins. “How do you know he was in here when we came in?”

“Because Nate saw Clint when he went into the barn for a hammer. He said it was five minutes tops before you headed here, and he hasn’t seen him since.”

“Then we walked in right after he, he . . .”—I swallowed to keep from crying—“died.”

Bo nodded. “He probably heard you comin’ and dragged Black into the bathroom to hide the body, then crawled out the window to escape.”

“That’s why the chair was tipped over,” I gasped. “Oh, God. He was in here when we made the sandwiches.”

“First the fire, and now Clint?” Poppy gasped. “How do we end up in these situations?”

“And the cattle,” Devin added.

“The cattle? What happened to the cattle?” Cali asked.

“Someone pulled down the fence. That’s how they got out. We assumed it was the old man who lives next door, but considerin’ Black is dead, I don’t believe it now.”

“This is crazy. It’s nuts,” I blurted out. “Who’d want to hurt Boris and Natasha like this?”

Bo’s eyes shot to mine. “What did you say?”

“I said, who would want to hurt Boris and Natasha. You can’t tell me all these things aren’t related. It’s too much. It’s frankly unbelievable at this point. The fire. The cattle. Now Clint . . . NUTS!”

He swung around and looked at Devin. “She’s right. We’ve been lookin’ at this all wrong. This doesn’t have anything to do with Daniels or the Wallflowers, and I’d bet my paycheck that the fire wasn’t Calla’s fault either.”

“You’re sayin’ someone is tryin’ to ruin Boris and Natasha, and what? Black stumbled across them or was involved, and it got him killed?” Devin asked, incredulous.

“That’s exactly what I’m sayin’,” Bo answered and then waited for Devin to come to the same conclusion.

Devin mulled it over for a moment and then nodded. “Would make more sense than some punk biker followin’ the girls up here. That never fit.”

“Wait, then I didn’t burn down their house?” Cali asked, looking hopeful.

Devin shook his head. “Someone’s watchin’ us closely. They used the fact we grilled last night to cover their tracks.”

“But who?” I asked. “Who would want Boris and Natasha ruined enough to commit murder?”

We all looked toward the bathroom, where poor Clint Black was lying on the cold tile floor.

“That,” Bo growled as he grabbed my hand and started leading me out of the cabin, “is what I’m gonna find out. But first, we need to make sure you ladies are safe.”

“I thought you said we were safe as long as we’re with you?”

“You are. But I can’t be in two places at once. We’ll head to town and book rooms at a hotel. You’ll be safe there while we’re figurin’ this shit out.”

I nodded. I was fine with being as far away from the ranch as possible. “We’ll bring the aunts and Natasha as well, right?”

“Yeah,” he growled. “I need to speak with Natasha. Someone has it out for them, and I need to know why.”

“I’ll call the sheriff,” Devin said, pulling out his phone.

“I’ll call Aunt Martine and let her know I’ll be a few more days,” Nate stated, pulling out his own phone. “She’ll be thrilled, since she loves teasin’ the college boys who come into my bar.”

We rounded the corner of the barn and found Bernice, Eunice, and Natasha waiting for us. They were on alert, watching the six of us anxiously.

“We have a situation,” Bo announced.

“Well, spit it out. It can’t be any worse than what I’ve been through in the past twenty-four hours.”

Bo glanced at me, then got right to the point as usual. One thing I’ve learned about Bo, he doesn’t mince words. “Clint Black is dead. Murdered. We think someone’s tryin’ to ruin you.”

Natasha sank down on a step as Cali’s aunts gasped. “I was wrong,” she muttered. “You were able to top the last day.”

Bernice and Eunice sat down next to her, and each took one of her hands in comfort.

“Can you think of anyone who would want to hurt you?” Devin asked.

Natasha shook her head. “We’ve never harmed a soul, keep mostly to ourselves. It’s just Boris, me, and the ranch hands.”

“Has anyone come around recently inquirin’ about the place?” Bo asked.

She shook her head again. Worry pulled at her features, and I became concerned that the stress might be too much.

“We should get them to town. Settle her into a hotel room so she can rest,” I said to Bo.

He nodded in agreement, then turned and looked toward the barn. Then he put his lips to his teeth and blew a sharp whistle.

Troy and Brantley emerged from the shadows as if Bo had trained them to follow his command, and made their way over, looking at us with interest.

“Is somethin’ wrong?” Troy finally asked.

“Black is dead. Murdered,” Bo answered.

Both men blinked, then bit out, “By whom?” at the same time.

“That,” Bo growled, “is the question of the day. We’ll get to that as soon as we settle the ladies into a hotel. Grab two of the vehicles and start loading up their stuff, yours, too. The whole ranch is a crime scene until further notice.”

 

 

Catham County Sheriff, Justin Moore, peeled out of his SUV and stretched, then he scanned the front of the hotel where Bo, Sienna, and the rest were staying. Bo looked at Devin just as his jaw tightened for control. Five days earlier, the same sheriff had interrogated Devin and Calla in the death of Charles Taft, a reporter who was keeping tabs on Devin for Calla’s grandfather. His interrogation of Calla didn’t sit well with Devin, nor did the card he gave her with instructions she should call him any time, no matter the reason.

“Is this gonna be a problem for you?” Bo asked with a grin.

“Nope. ‘Cause he’s not gettin’ Calla alone again.”

Bo rolled his bottom lip between his teeth to keep from smiling.

Moore entered the conference room they’d sequestered for the meeting and scanned the space. Instead of coming straight to Bo and Devin, he walked up to Calla and smiled. Then he turned to Poppy and Sienna, and his smile widened.

“Ladies,” Moore drawled smoothly, then looked back at Calla. “I was more than a little surprised when I saw your name as one of the witnesses.”

“I don’t mean to keep findin’ bodies,” Calla rushed out.

Moore raised his hand to stop her. “I said, surprised, not suspicious.”

“Is he purposely ignorin’ us?” Devin asked.

Bo didn’t answer. He was too busy watching Moore flash his million-dollar smile at Sienna.

“Player,” Bo mumbled.

“Not a player,” Devin answered. “Just cocky as hell.”

Done with introductions, Moore finally turned his attention to the men and put out his hand.

“Detective, good to see you again,” Moore said, then turned his attention to Devin. “Hawthorne, how’s Armstrong treatin’ you these days?”

“Like shit, so I think he’s warmin’ to me,” Devin answered, shaking Moore’s hand.

Moore flashed his smile at both men, then, done with the niceties, ordered, “Run this down for me from the top.”

Devin turned to Bo and raised a brow. “I’ll let you cover this.”

Bo raised a brow in response, then turned to Moore and laid out what he knew.

“Black was found by Sienna Miller,” Bo started. “He’d been dead two hours when she found him. No intruders were seen on the property. Everyone who was supposed to be on the ranch was accounted for. No one had the means or opportunity at the time they were alone. We suspect the fire and release of cattle onto the neighbor’s property are also involved. Either the unknown perp has a score to settle with Boris and Natasha Winkle, or Black was runnin’ from someone, and the rest is pure coincidence.”

Bo expected Moore to ask further questions, but the man turned instead and looked at the table where the Wallflowers were sitting. “Is Miller the blonde or brunette?”

“She’s the taken one,” Bo clipped matter-of-factly. “The brunette’s her friend Poppy Gentry.”

“Poppy’s taken as well,” Devin added quickly when he saw Nate enter the room, “just like Calla.”

Moore grinned, looked back at the Wallflowers, and shrugged. “A man would have to be blind not to notice.”

“Noticin’ is one thing; handin’ out your card in an attempt to keep in contact with her is another. Not when you know she’s got a man.”

Moore raised his hands in surrender. “An oversight on my part. It won’t happen again.”

“What won’t happen again?” Nate asked as he joined them.

“Moore here was just askin’ about Poppy,” Devin lied.

“What about her?” Nate replied, leveling Moore with a look of steel.

Moore turned, then sighed when he realized his eyes were level with Nate’s jaw. “Jesus, Hawthorne. Your point was made,” he grumbled.

“What point was made?” Nate asked, crossing his arms.

“That Moore here is barkin’ up the wrong tree,” Bo said. “Now, do you want to take each of our statements as a group or separate?”

“He wants to take our statements as a group,” Devin rumbled low.

Moore looked at Devin and nodded. “Group is fine. I have no reason to suspect any of you. I’ve spoken with Mrs. Winkle on the phone, and she explained that Black approached her about a job at the hospital. It seems that, once again, you and your friends are at the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“Or we’re exactly where we’re supposed to be,” Bo argued. “Seems to me that a lot of harm would have come to these good people if we hadn’t come.”

“That’s another way to look at it,” Moore agreed. “Let’s get the formalities out of the way so you can be on your way.”

Devin shook his head slowly. “We’re not leavin’.”

Moore glanced at Bo. “Are you steppin’ on my investigation?”

Bo crossed his arms. “We’re here on vacation. Five days of horseback ridin’ and campfires.”

Moore’s mouth twitched. “Right. Then let’s get you back to singin’ Kumbaya under the night sky.”

Nate watched Moore head back to the Wallflowers, then looked at Devin questionably. “Asshole?”

“He’s the sheriff who gave Calla his card,” Bo informed Nate, reminding him of the night at Poe Publishing when Calla had dropped that tidbit of information.

“So, asshole,” Nate replied.

“That about covers it,” Devin grumbled, then moved to sit by Calla, slinging his arm tightly around her shoulders.

“He’s in deep, isn’t he?” Nate said, watching Devin.

Bo caught the smile Moore flashed Sienna as he handed her a pen, and his gut clenched.

“Yeah. He’s in deep. Can’t help but be,” Bo stated as he moved past Nate, ready to pound his chest while he threw Sienna over his shoulder.

“Why’s that?” Nate called out.

Bo turned and decided he’d give Nate a heads-up. “Wallflowers burrow under your skin and wrap around your heart. There’s no escapin’ them once they grab hold. Think about that.”

 

 

“Gin,” Poppy said, grinning.

“What? But you’ve only drawn two cards,” Cali cried out.

I snorted, rolling to my side. I was lying on the bed in Bo’s and my room, chatting with the Wallflowers while he, Devin, and Nate were off hunting down information that would shed light on Black’s murder. Hamburger wrappers littered every surface of our room as the scent of onions mingled with air freshener. After spending two days on the ranch, being shut in a room with one window and no ventilation made me a tad claustrophobic and feeling antsy.

“We need to do somethin’ to help,” I said, sitting up. “I’m not meant to sit around and do nothin’!”

Poppy shuffled the deck, ignoring me, and started dealing out cards.

“Remember what happened the last time we took matters into our own hands?” Cali asked as she picked up each card she’d been dealt.

“We saved you from a mad woman hell-bent on endin’ your life?”

Cali shuddered and shook her head. “I meant the most recent attempt to help.”

“You mean when we found the cows and got them home with nary a scratch?”

“That’s the one,” she answered, picking up a card from the deck. “Didn’t you end up in a fight with Bo for taking chances with your safety?”

I flopped back on the bed. “Yeah.”

“So you’re willing to risk his wrath again?”

“No. But that doesn’t mean we can’t help in a non-life-threatenin’ way. We could, I don’t know, go to the local diner and ask around. Wouldn’t the locals know if someone had it out for Boris and Natasha?”

“Gin,” Poppy called out triumphantly.

“Bullocks,” Cali shouted. “Do you have another deck hidden in your lap?”

I sat up and glared at my two friends. “Aren’t you the least bit curious what the heck is goin’ on?”

Poppy rolled her eyes. “Of course, I am. I’m just waitin’ for you two to grow some twiddle diddles and quit worryin’ about what Bo and Devin will say.”

“Good use of the word twiddle diddles,” Cali smiled.

“Thank you. I’ve been waitin’ to use it in the proper context.”

“As for my twiddle diddles, they’re big enough,” Cali stated, standing from her chair.

“So, you’re in? You’ll go with me to the local diner and see if we can stir up any dust?”

“It beats gettin’ my derriere kicked.”

Poppy snorted. “Let me guess. You can’t say ass?”

“We aren’t startin’ this again,” Cali sighed.

I smiled at Poppy. “She can’t say it.”

“Oh, I can say it,” Cali replied, grabbing her purse.

“She totally can’t say it,” Poppy chuckled, opening the hotel room door.

I started to leave, but thought a note saying where we’d gone might smooth things over with Bo, so I grabbed a sheet of paper from the desk drawer to write him one.

“Two seconds,” I called out. “I’ll just leave Bo a note so he won’t worry.”

“We could call and let him know,” Cali said.

“No. They’d tell us to stay put, and I’ll go stir-crazy if I don’t get out and do somethin’ productive. This way we can’t go against them if they cause a fuss.”

“I’m pretty sure I heard Bo say not to take any risks. Aren’t you goin’ against him now?”

I looked at her, then looked at the note. Then I put X’s and O’s under my signature for good measure, hoping the affection would appease him if he came back before us. Then I wadded it up. He was going to be pissed either way.

“I’ll just tell Natasha where we’re goin’, to be safe. Besides, he told me he didn’t want to change a thing about me, so I’m just bein’ me.”

 

 

The thing about small-town Georgia is . . . people find any reason for a celebration. The church got a new roof, have a barbecue. Little Timmy finished kindergarten; throw a graduation party. It seemed this night it was a wedding. Buck married Bill, so they threw a huge-ass party to celebrate love in all its beautiful forms.

Normally, this kind of celebration would be held at the local church, but seeing as the church was still coming to terms with gay marriage, they held the celebration at the local diner.

This was good news for the girls and me for two reasons. For one, most of the men were gay, so we didn’t have to worry about being hit on. And two, the crowd was large, so our chances of finding someone who could shed light on Boris and Natasha’s situation were good.

Twinkle lights wound around every surface, giving the once chrome and red diner a magical glow, while signs congratulating the happy couple hung from the windows. The cake, featuring two cowboys in denim jeans and western shirts, was a towering feat. Chocolate layers with raspberry filling stood nearly as tall as the happy couple.

The locals pegged us for outsiders the minute we walked in. They eyed us with curiosity and smiles as we pushed our way through the crowd to the cash bar for a glass of wine.

“We aren’t dressed for a weddin’,” Poppy yelled over the music.

“They won’t care,” I shouted back. “Half the people here are in jeans.”

“So, who should we hit up for gossip?’ Cali asked.

A cute teenage girl was walking past us as I scanned the crowd, so I tapped her on the shoulder. “Excuse me.”

The girl turned and looked me up and down. “Yeah?”

“If we wanted to know everything there is to know about this town, who would we talk to?”

She crossed her arms in adolescent defiance, then asked suspiciously, “Who wants to know?”

I looked at the girls and bugged out my eyes. “Um, friends of Boris and Natasha Winkle.”

That must have been good enough for her because she pointed to a woman with shrewd eyes. She looked to be in her late sixties, with silver hair braided into a bun. She was sitting in the corner watching everyone.

“She looks like she doesn’t miss a thing,” I told the girl.

“She doesn’t,” the girl replied, then smiled and walked away.

“Come on,” I said, then pushed through the crowd past the towering cake and the two grooms who were shoving cake into each other’s mouths. We dodged partygoers as they toasted Buck and Bill, and made our way over to the woman.

She looked up from her phone after taking a picture of the happy couple and smiled at us. “Hi,” I shouted over the music. “I’m Sienna Miller and these are my friends, Poppy Gentry and Cali Armstrong. Do you mind if we ask you a few questions?”

“I know who you are,” the woman answered. “You’re the gals helpin’ out Boris and Natasha. Sit a spell and take a load off.”

Poppy grabbed a chair and pulled it to the booth, while Cali and I squeezed into the seat opposite the woman.

“We’re sorry to bother you during a wedding celebration, Ms.?” I said loudly.

“Name’s Irene. Irene Ledbetter. How can I help you?”

I wasn’t sure if the town knew about Clint Black’s murder, or if the sheriff wanted the news spread, so I went with who would want to hurt Boris and Natasha.

“Boris and Natasha have had some trouble at the ranch. We think someone is tryin’ to hurt them, so we thought we’d ask around and see if any of the locals might have information that would shed some light on the situation.”

“You’re speakin’ of the fire and the murder of that drifter.”

“You heard about that?” Cali asked.

“I’m the dispatcher for the volunteer fire department. We got the call on the fire and the murder.”

Bingo. We’d hit pay dirt. I had no doubt she knew where all the skeletons were buried.

“So, do you have any thoughts on who would try to hurt Boris and Natasha?”

“Other than their no-good son?”

“The banker who lives overseas?”

“That’s the one. He left town and never looked back, other than to encourage them to sell the ranch to some friend of his.”

“When was this?” Poppy asked

“Maybe a month ago. He wanted them to liquidate their holdings and retire to Florida. Asked them if he could have his inheritance sooner rather than later, so he could invest in some brokerage firm. He went as far as to have the land surveyed and the boundary markers set to make sure the total acreage was accounted for. It cost him a pretty penny, considerin’ they’re sittin’ on fifteen hundred acres.”

“I take it they didn’t agree?” Poppy asked.

“Nope. They told him they’d think about it, but in the end, Boris said he wanted to be buried on his land. They haven’t heard from him since.”

“What an asshole,” Cali spit out, then gasped and covered her mouth.

Irene let out a cackle of laughter. “No need to worry I’ll be offended. I agree. He is an asshole.”

“Well, we learned two things for sure,” Poppy shouted with a gleam in her eyes. “The son could be involved, and Cali can, indeed, say ass.”

“Hardy har har,” Cali snipped. “But I think you’re wrong about one point. It doesn’t make sense for the son to burn down the house and set the cattle loose. Those are assets. If he wanted money, then he’d be cutting his nose off to spite his face.”

Dang it. Cali was right. Which meant we had nothing.

“Good point,” Irene answered.

“Can you think of anyone else?” Poppy asked.

Irene shook her head. “Not a soul. Boris and Natasha are as kind as they come. I can’t think of anyone who’d want to hurt them.”

“Looks like we’re back at square one,” I sighed. “We can go back to the hotel if you want.”

“Might as well stay and have some cake,” Irene said. “It’s rainin’ now, and the wind’s kicked up. You’ll get drenched.”

I glanced outside. Tree limbs were being blown back and forth as rain swirled around them.

“She’s right,” Poppy said. “We should wait out the storm.”

“This must be the storm Troy was talkin’ about. The reason they wanted the cattle moved.”

“It’s that hurricane that’s been sittin’ off the coast for days,” Irene stated. “It finally came inland. If invitations hadn’t already gone out, Buck would have cancelled, but it was too late to call off the weddin’.”

“Should we be worried?” I asked, staring out the window.

Lightning streaked across the sky like tiny fingers and we jumped. The storm had come out of nowhere. One minute the air was muggy, the next all hell had broken loose.

“Nothin’ to worry about. There’s a shelter beneath the diner. If the sirens go off, we’ll just head downstairs.”

I looked at Cali. “Maybe we should call the men, so they won’t worry.”

She nodded in agreement and pulled out her phone. “The call’s not goin’ through. It says there’s no cell service.”

A resounding crack echoed through the night air, and then the lights went out, covering us in inky darkness. Everyone went still, hushed voices filtering throughout the diner as we waited to see what would happen next. A low moan that increased in intensity and volume broke the silence and everyone began to scatter like cockroaches. A tornado siren was warning us all to take cover.

Cali and I scooted out of the booth, grabbed Poppy and Irene’s hands, and began moving with the crowd as they headed toward the back of the diner. Minutes later, we filed into a concrete bunker with muted lights. We were sandwiched in together like sardines in a can, waiting for the storm to pass.

Fifteen minutes later, when the sirens stopped blaring, we began to filter out from beneath the bowels of the diner with flashlights leading the way. Tree limbs were scattered about the streets willy-nilly, but no damage to the surrounding buildings could be seen. The storm had been all bluster, like a child throwing a tantrum.

“Should we risk it?” I asked the girls.

“Let’s give it ten more minutes and make sure the worst is over,” Cali said.

The lights came back on in a blinding light, causing everyone to cheer as the music blared.

“Generator finally kicked in,” someone shouted. “Took it long enough.”

“Beer’s on the house,” another voice added. “Let’s get this party started.”

The crowd began moving toward the bar in a crush, so I pulled the girls to the other side so we could watch the storm.

“If all the streets are littered with limbs, we might have a hard time driving back to the hotel,” I stated.

“How far is it on foot?” Poppy asked

“Less than a mile,” Cali said.

I shook my head. “Too far to risk. Let’s wait it out and then try to drive there. If we’re lucky, the guys won’t even know we were gone.”

I felt a tap on my shoulder and spun around. Three women stood behind us smiling.

“Can I help you?”

“Take a turn on the dance floor with us,” one with bright red hair said. “Now that the storm has passed, it’s time to have some fun.”

“Take a turn . . . are you askin’ us to dance?” I squeaked out.

“Oh, boy,” Poppy mumbled.

“But we’re not, you know, lesbians,” Cali stuttered.

One of the women, who looked like she pumped weights on a daily basis, grinned knowingly. “We know you aren’t . . . yet.”

Yet? Oh, dear Lord.

“Then why do you—”

“‘Cause we like to dance,” the redheaded woman interrupted, grabbing my hand and pulling me to the dance floor.

This was a first for me. I was uncomfortable, but didn’t want to cause a scene. I also wasn’t sure where I was supposed to put my hands. Was she leading or was I?

Red decided for me, then began leading me around the floor to Jason Aldean’s “She’s Country.” I tripped a few times, giggling nervously and repeating, “I’m so sorry,” before I got the rhythm of the two-step. Cali and Poppy were laughing, too, enjoying the lighthearted atmosphere as they were spun around the floor. On the third pass around the dance floor, I stopped dead in my tracks. Bo, Devin, and Nate were standing at the front of the diner, and Bo’s eyes were locked on me.

I started to wave, relieved to see him, but he shook his head slowly and began making his way through the crowd. When he stopped in front of Red and me, Red scanned him from head to toe, then asked, rather grumpily, I might add, “Is this your man?”

Bo scanned Red from head to foot and back, then took my hand and drew me closer, locking his arm around my neck to keep me close. “I’m her man,” he answered low. “Thanks for keepin’ an eye out.”

Red jerked her head at Bo, then looked at me with a slow, heated smile, and winked. “If you get tired of flyin’ straight, you know where to find me.”

I blinked, and my eyes grew wide. “Right. Good to know. Thank you for the, ah, dance.”

I could feel Bo’s chest shaking, so I looked up. I expected him to be angry, but his eyes were glittering with laughter.

“What?”

“Only a Wallflower would have both sides chasin’ after her.”

Whatever.

I stepped back and crossed my arms. “We told them we were straight, I’ll have you know, but they didn’t listen.”

Bo reached out and snagged my hand with a tug. I slammed into his chest, and he began to dance me around the floor. “You didn’t stay put,” he accused, keeping perfect rhythm with the music. To say I was shocked he could dance was an understatement.

“We didn’t think askin’ questions in a crowded diner was life-threatenin’. Besides, I’m capable of takin’ care of myself.”

“That remains to be seen,” Bo murmured. “Evidence suggests the opposite.”

I narrowed my eyes. He was so damn arrogant, I wanted to, well, kick him hard enough that he’d know he’d been kicked.

“You know, before you came along, I did a pretty good job. I don’t understand why you think I’m some feeble woman who cowers at the slightest noise.”

“You? Cower?” Bo chuckled. “Not likely.”

“Then why do you insist on keepin’ me in a corner while you battle the world?”

“Because I’m a man,” Bo bit out. “It’s my job to keep you safe.”

“Even if I don’t need you to?”

“I need you to,” was his cryptic answer.

“I’m lost,” I replied. “You need me to what, exactly?”

“It’s who I am. I need you to let me be the one who stands between you and everyone else.”

“You’re sayin’ that whether or not I can take care of myself isn’t the point. That because of the type of man you are, you need to be the one who protects me?”

Judging by the look on Bo’s face, you’d think I’d asked him a trick question. He watched me for a moment, taking in my measure, then nodded sharply, replying, “That’s about it.”

I opened my mouth, then shut it. I didn’t know how to respond to such a caveman attitude.

“So you don’t think I’m feeble?”

“Feeble? No. A magnet for trouble? Hell, yes!”

Considering the past few days, he may have a point.

“Okay.”

“Okay, what?”

“Okay, you can protect me.”

“Babe . . . it wasn’t a choice.”

And I was back to wanting to kick him again.

Bo must have decided the discussion was over, because he asked, “Did you learn anything tonight?” as he moved his leg in between mine and spun us around, grinding me down on his thigh.

I gasped and looked up at him. He raised a brow, waiting for me to answer. “We, ah, we spoke to an Irene Ledbetter, who said the only person she could think of who would want to ruin Boris and Natasha was their son.”

With another quick flick, Bo dipped me back fully, then snapped me around until I crashed back into his chest. “But you don’t think it was him,” he rumbled low into my ear. His hot breath on my neck caused my concentration to wander. It was clear he was trying to keep me off balance for some reason, and it was working.

“What?” I asked breathlessly.

Bo ran his nose down the side of my neck, then tasted the skin near my shoulder, asking again, “The son. You don’t think it was him?”

I shook my head. “No,” I groaned out. “Cali pointed out if he’d burnt down the house and set the cattle free, he’d be devaluing the ranch. He’d lose the money he wanted for his investment.”

“Makes sense,” Bo muttered, then undulated his hips, keeping mine pressed close to his. I could feel him hardening through his jeans, and my breath caught. “But it could be it’s the land he wants, not the assets attached.”

It hit me then he already knew about the son. “You already knew, didn’t you?”

Bo dipped me back until my neck was bared, then he leaned down and kissed his way back to my ear. “Yeah, I already knew. But it took diggin’ into records at the courthouse to find out. You got the information in half the time.”

Wrapping my arms around his shoulders, I nuzzled his neck until I heard his own breath catch. Two could play this game. Flattery worked better on men than honey drew bees to a hive. “You’re very resourceful gettin’ into the courthouse after hours. That’s impressive. Did you find anything else?”

He paused for a moment, contemplating his answer, then rumbled low, “Yeah. A geological survey was performed by a company based out of Florida last month. It was filed with a real estate company for any future sale.”

Florida? Something about that clawed at my memory. Then it hit me, and I burst out with excitement, “Clint Black said he was from Florida. That can’t be a coincidence.”

Bo disengaged from me and scanned the room, calling out, “Hawthorne!”

Devin was dancing with Cali on the other side of the floor, so he pushed through the crowd, dragging Cali behind him.

“Black was from Florida,” Bo announced when Devin stopped beside us. “Moore left out that tidbit of information when we called him.”

“The pieces are comin’ together,” Devin replied. “I bet if we dig deep enough, we’ll find a connection.”

“Let’s get the Wallflowers back to the hotel, then head over to the station. We can dig into Shelton Geological and see if Black worked for them.”

“Where’s Nate?” Devin asked, ready to go.

I turned and found him in a corner surrounded by several men, and bit my lip to keep from laughing. He looked ready to bolt.

“Does he know this is a gay weddin’?” I asked, pointing him out for Devin.

“He does now,” Devin chuckled, then whistled between his teeth and waved him over.

“Poppy’s still dancing,” Cali shouted over the music. “And we’ve got our own car. We can find our way back to the hotel. You go on without us.”

Bo looked over his shoulder at the downed limbs on the road, then back at me. “Remember what I said about being a magnet for trouble?”

“You can’t blame us for Mother Nature.”

“With your luck, you should have known somethin’ would happen.”

I bobbled my head back and forth, then nodded. “Your argument does have merit.”

“Do you promise to go straight back?” Devin asked Cali.

She rolled her eyes, then crossed her heart, grinning. “I promise.”

Devin looked suspicious, but nodded, then turned to Nate as he walked up. “We’re headed to the station to see what we can dig up on Shelton Geological.”

“Thank, Christ,” Nate grumbled. “I’ve been hit on three times and got two phone numbers in my back pocket.”

“Were they cute?” Cali asked, then burst out laughing when Nate growled at her and then stormed off toward the door.

Bo watched him leave, chuckling, “It’s the hair. If he cut it, he’d have less trouble.”

Cali and I snorted. “Don’t kid yourself. Hair or not, that man will turn heads,” I shouted over the music.

Bo raised a brow at me, and I smiled innocently. I might be his woman, but I wasn’t blind.

Shaking his head, he curled me into his body, drawling low, “Be safe,” before brushing a kiss across my lips.

“You, too. Remember, you’re the one chasin’ a killer. We’re just fendin’ off women.”

Bo bit his lip to keep from laughing.

“What?”

“Never thought I’d hear you say that.”

“What? Be safe?”

“No. That you’re fendin’ off women with romantic intentions.”

I shoved his arm, and he kissed me again, laughing against my lips.

I watched him leave, wondering how late he’d be, then turned back to Cali. As I searched the room for Poppy, my eyes landed on Red, and she winked at me again. Leering almost.

“Um. Did you see that? The woman is definitely persistent.”

“Oh, yeah. I’ll get Poppy so we can leave,” Cali stated.

“I think I’ll meet you in the car.”

Bo might have thought it was funny I was being pursued by a woman, but Red left me feeling vulnerable.

So vulnerable, the hairs rose on the back of my neck.