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Thank God she hadn’t been privy to his lustful thoughts throughout their time together. “It was no problem,” he replied easily.
Once again her eyes sparkled with liveliness. “Hey, maybe we should exchange phone numbers. It would be nice to be able to talk to each other occasionally.”
He couldn’t very well say no to her, not with her lips curved into such a wide smile, not with her eyes gleaming so brightly. It took only a minute for them to put their numbers into each other’s cell phones, and then he encouraged her to get into her car and warm it up.
He climbed into his truck and looked down at her number in his phone. Would he ever call her? It was doubtful. She was a temptation he definitely didn’t need in his life.
He was just grateful their night together was over and he could get back to his solitary life, where he could work hard and sleep without dreams.
Since Cass had died in the spring storm, there was really only one woman he now believed in, and he saw her about once a week. He trusted her with the secret that had haunted him for years, and she was the only woman he’d ever allow to have a place in his life.
Chapter 3 (#ubf8d1cbe-b218-5df4-88b5-c52aea6ecee4)
“Hey, handsome,” Mandy greeted Sawyer Quincy with a smile. The copper-haired cowboy was from the Holiday Ranch. “What are you doing in here for lunch all by yourself?”
He swept off his brown cowboy hat and placed it on his lap. “I came in to pick up some supplies and got a hankering for some of Daisy’s chicken noodle soup,” he replied. “How are you doing, Mandy?”
“Good, especially since some of the snow has finally melted. I’m getting off early today and I’m planning on spending the whole evening drifting from store to store and doing some Christmas shopping.”
“That sounds like fun for you,” he replied.
“How about a couple of thick slices of Daisy’s homemade bread with butter to go along with that soup?” she asked.
“That sounds great...and a cup of coffee.”
“Got it,” Mandy wrote on the order pad and then turned to head to the kitchen pass to turn in the ticket.
It had been three days since the overnight snowstorm, and during those days the temperatures had crept above freezing and the sun had shone, making muddy soup out of the snow and ice.
The café was busy. It was as if everyone in Bitterroot had decided it was time to get out of their house to have lunch.
She placed the ticket, poured Sawyer his coffee and then turned in time to see Fred Ferguson being seated at one of her tables. He offered her a small scowl as she approached the table.
“Afternoon, Fred,” she greeted him brightly. “What can I start you off with to drink?”
“Before I order anything, I just want to say I didn’t appreciate your boyfriend threatening me the other morning.”
She looked at him in surprise. “Brody? He isn’t my boyfriend, and what did he threaten you about?”
“He told me if he heard any idle gossip about you and him being in that room together for the night he’d consider me personally responsible. I don’t gossip about what goes on in my motel and I definitely don’t need a big, burly cowboy trying to intimidate me. Now, I’d like to start off with a cup of coffee and then I’ll take the special of the day.”
“Got it,” Mandy replied. She left the table with her thoughts whirling. Why had Brody talked to Fred about keeping their night together a secret?
Had he been trying to somehow protect her reputation? That was almost laughable. Maybe he’d been attempting to protect his own.
This thought hurt more than a little bit, especially considering the fact that the night before she’d called him just to chat for a few minutes and they’d wound up talking for almost half an hour.
It had been nice to have the sound of his deep voice still ringing in her head when she’d finally drifted off to sleep. She now shoved thoughts of Brody away as she hurried to deliver food and take more orders.
She’d worked as a bank clerk until just after Cassie’s barn party. She suspected she’d been let go because she’d worn a red, white and blue sparkly bra to the party. It had been a costume party and she’d gone as a patriot superheroine. The president of the bank, Margery Martin, had not found it amusing.
Mandy’s termination had wound up being a godsend. She belonged working with food. Right now she just delivered it up, but she was hoping she could work her way up to Daisy allowing her to be in the kitchen and then one day owning her own place.
She put every tip in jelly jars under her bed and hoped eventually to have enough to start her own restaurant. What she envisioned wouldn’t compete with Daisy’s café. She’d like to open another café, but knew the competition with Daisy wouldn’t be good. She might decide to open a restaurant that offered more of a fine dining experience.
A dream. That was all it was right now, along with her dream of eventually finding her prince. In the meantime there were orders to be taken and diners to be served.
It was just after six when she went into the back room and took off her apron. She was looking forward to an evening of wandering through the stores and looking at Christmas goodies.
Since her phone call with Brody the night before, she’d wondered what might be good friend etiquette. Would it be too forward for her to buy him a little gift? And if she did, what on earth would it be?
She pulled on her coat, left the back room and headed toward the café’s front door. “Don’t spend too much money on a Christmas gift for me,” Daisy said with amusement. “I’ve got everything I want except a husband and I’m not sure I want another one of those.”
Mandy laughed. “I’ll keep that in mind,” she replied. “I’ll see you at eleven tomorrow.”
“Enjoy your night,” Daisy called after her.
Mandy left the café. It had been an exhausting day and her feet were killing her, but the cold night air and the sight of the cheery red and green lights filled her with a new burst of energy.
It would be nice to have company while she shopped, but she was accustomed to being alone when she wasn’t dating anyone. At the moment she didn’t even feel like dating.
At least she’d taken care of her father’s dinner. Last night she’d made chicken and dumplings and there had been enough leftovers for him to warm himself up a plate this evening.
She had nothing on her mind as she headed for the mercantile store. She went inside, and a bell tinkled merrily overhead. The store smelled of spiced apple candles and evergreens and a variety of scents that spoke of the holiday. She drew in a deep breath. Christmas carols played softly from someplace overhead and Mandy was immersed in the holiday.
The mercantile store always dedicated shelf space not only for Christmas decorations but also for all kinds of gift sets and items that never appeared any other time of year.
She knew her father wouldn’t buy her anything. He even refused to have a tree put up in his house. But tonight Mandy intended to go home to her own apartment and put up and decorate the three-foot tabletop tree she’d gotten a couple of years ago.
She always bought a Christmas present for her mother and her brother. She’d wrap them and put them under her tree, and then a couple of days before Christmas she donated them to charity.
While they were under her tree she’d remember her love for her mother and her older brother, and she’d mourn the fact that her family had fallen apart when Regina Wright had passed away after battling cancer.
She rounded an aisle with her shopping cart and nearly bumped into Dillon Bowie and Cassie Peterson. “Hey, guys. Christmas shopping?”
“Just getting some ideas,” Cassie replied. She leaned into Dillon with a happy smile. “He won’t tell me what he wants, so I’m trying to find out if anything we see sparks his interest.”
“So far she’s told me at least a dozen things that she’d like to have,” Dillon replied with a teasing grin at the petite blonde next to him. “Besides, I keep telling her that I’ve got all I want. I have her.”
“Ah, that’s so sweet,” Mandy replied. Dillon and Cassie were the newest happy couple in Bitterroot. Through all the drama that had taken place at the Holiday Ranch, they had come together in love. Mandy thought it was all wildly romantic.
“Thank goodness most of the snow is gone,” Cassie said.
“It definitely makes it easier to get around,” Mandy replied.
“How’s the kissing booth going?” Cassie asked.
“I think once it’s over Seth is going to be pleased with the money raised,” Mandy replied. “We have some generous people in this town.”
“Bitterroot has always been a charitable town,” Cassie agreed.
The three of them visited for just a few more minutes and then Mandy continued her quest for perfect Christmas gifts. By the time she made her way home, she’d bought a beautiful eternity scarf for her mother, a bottle of cologne for her brother and a black leather wallet for her father. He’d probably hate it, but at least she’d tried.
She’d also picked up a pair of earrings in the shape of reindeer that lit up for Daisy. The flamboyant café owner would get a hoot out of them. With Mandy’s packages in a large shopping bag, she headed home.
The studio apartment above the detached garage had originally been rented out to make extra money, but four years ago the last tenant had moved out and Mandy had convinced her father to rent it to her.
It wasn’t huge, but there was a living room space with a sofa, a chair and a small kitchenette. There was still enough room left over for her queen-size bed shoved against a wall, a dresser and the bathroom.
The Wright ranch was relatively large, with lots of good pasture and a wooded area with beautiful shade trees. But it had been years since her father had actually worked the ranch. Now he preferred either sitting in his recliner and complaining about his life, or heading to the Watering Hole, where he could try to drink away those complaints.
As she prepared to wrap the silky scarf in shiny silver paper, her thoughts turned to her mother. Mandy had only a few memories of the woman who had given birth to her, and all of them were pleasant ones. Her mother had loved music and often sang as she cleaned or cooked. She had also been a beautiful woman and Mandy had been told by people in town that she looked just like her.
Her brother, Graham, had been a terrific big brother until the day he’d left. At first she’d thought he’d come back to get her, but she’d given up on that belief years ago.
By nine o’clock the tree was up on a small table in the living room area and all the presents were wrapped and under the tree. She sat on the sofa for a few minutes and admired the way the little white lights shone on the silver-and-red ornaments.
Christmas could be a little depressing for her since most of the time she celebrated alone. But she always tried to focus on positive things to keep the blues away.
With the tree up and the presents wrapped, she ate a chicken salad sandwich and changed into her pajamas. Finally she got into bed with her cell phone and considered calling Brody.
It would be nice to end the pleasant night as she had the night before, with Brody’s deep voice the last sound she heard before falling asleep. She decided not to call him. She didn’t want to seem too forward and wind up pushing him away.
She slept without dreams and awakened to the sound of her alarm. It was six fifteen. She would have loved to linger in bed, but her father was usually an early riser and liked his breakfast around seven.
She showered and dressed in the yellow T-shirt and black slacks that were her café uniform, then grabbed her purse and headed toward the big two-story house in the distance.
Over the past couple of years she’d tried to convince her father to sell the ranch and move closer to town. He didn’t need the land or the huge house, but he’d refused to consider it. She’d thought about moving into an apartment in town but knew her father depended on her rent money to help pay the bills.
The eastern sky was just starting to light as she unlocked the back door and stepped into the large kitchen. The sound of the television drifting in from the living room let her know her father was already up.
She shrugged off her coat and hung it on the back of a chair at the table, then moved to the coffee maker on the counter. Before greeting him she needed to get the coffee going. George Wright without his morning coffee was definitely an irritable bear.
As she waited, she looked around the kitchen, remembering the old days when they sat at the table as a family, the old days when her mother had been alive and Graham had been home.
When there was enough fresh brew, she filled a cup and left the kitchen. “Morning, Dad,” she said cheerfully as she entered the living room.
She could see the back of his head above the black leather recliner chair that faced the television, but he didn’t answer her.
Great, he wasn’t speaking to her...again. He was probably mad at her for going shopping the night before and leaving him to warm up his own dinner.
“Dad?” She rounded the chair and froze in horror.
Her father’s brown eyes stared blankly forward. His slashed throat gaped wide and blood had splashed down the front of him. There was no question that he was dead.
“No.” The cup of coffee slipped from her hand and crashed to the hardwood floor as a scream released from her.
* * *
Brody lingered over a cup of coffee in the cowboy dining room, listening as Sawyer and Mac McBride discussed the weather and the forecast for a dryer winter than usual.
If it had been springtime the men would already be out of here and doing morning chores in the field, but in winter the schedule was far more lax.
Aside from providing feed and water for the cattle and taking care of the horses, they spent most of their time repairing and maintaining equipment.
He tuned out their conversation and instead found himself thinking about Mandy. He’d been surprised when she’d called him two nights before just to chat. Brody didn’t just “chat” with anyone, but he’d found it impossible to remain stoic and distant with her. She was so bubbly and happy, and he found her remarkably easy to talk to.
They’d discussed the people they knew and their love of the small town of Bitterroot. He’d told her about the latest movie he’d seen and she talked about how many people loved ketchup on their scrambled eggs.
“Earth to Brody,” Sawyer said, pulling Brody out of his thoughts.
“Sorry. What did you say?” Brody asked.
“We want you to talk to Cassie about putting up a new shed first thing in the spring,” Mac said.
“You know we had plans to replace the old one when we pulled down the storm-damaged one, but discovering those skeletons put everything on hold,” Sawyer added. “And as you also know, we need the extra storage space.”
“We can’t do anything before spring, but I’ll mention it to her,” Brody replied at the same time his cell phone rang.
He frowned and dug it out of his pocket, surprised to see Mandy’s number. Why would she be calling him this early in the morning? He didn’t mind her calling him occasionally, but not during work hours. He excused himself, got up and walked away from the men at the table. He then answered.
“Brody, my father is dead.” Her voice exploded over the line, a combination of horror and tears. “He’s...he’s in his chair and somebody murdered him...they slashed his throat and...and blood...there’s so much blood.”
Every muscle in his body tensed. “Mandy, have you called Dillon?”
“I... No, not yet.” There was a long moment of her weeping.
“Mandy, call Dillon and when he arrives, don’t say anything to anyone and don’t touch anything. I’ll be right there.” Brody hung up and hurried over to Sawyer and Mac. “I’m heading out and I don’t know when I’ll be back.”
“What’s going on?” Sawyer asked.
“Mandy Wright’s father has been murdered.” Brody didn’t waste time saying another word. He hurried out the door and ran to the shed that held the cowboys’ personal vehicles.
The cold air was biting, but not as cold as the thoughts that flew through his head. George Wright murdered? There was no way in hell Brody believed Mandy was responsible for her father’s death.
Others would say she had opportunity and some would believe she had motive. Brody certainly wasn’t a lawyer, but she would be the first suspect unless the killer had left a specific calling card.
He knew what it was like to be a suspect. He and all the other men who worked the Holiday Ranch had been suspects first in the seven murders that had taken place so long ago and then more recently when one of their own ranch hands had been murdered. It was easy to appear guilty of a crime even if you had nothing to do with it.
He drove like a bat out of hell, the sound of Mandy’s horrified weeping echoing in his head. He never wanted to hear another woman crying with that kind of pain and terror.
Terror... Oh God, was the murderer still in the house with her? Was she in danger right now? Damn, he should have told her to get out of the house.
He slowed long enough to turn in to the long driveway that led to the Wright home. The morning sun shone bright on the white paint of the two-story house.
He recognized both George’s and Mandy’s cars and realized he had beaten Dillon and his men to the scene of the crime. He parked and hurried out of the truck. He raced to the front door and knocked. It opened and Mandy flew into his arms.
She buried her face in the crook of his neck as deep sobs wrenched through her. He held her tight and stroked her back in an effort to calm her.
