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Sheriff Bud Jeffries strolled into Maggie’s hospital room, acting like he owned the place. He stopped at the end of her bed and eyed her like a cat sizing up a trapped mouse. Then his gaze shifted to Knox and Thorne, and his brown eyes hardened.
Thorne felt an answering disgust rise in his chest. There was no love lost between the sheriff and his family. The man’s incompetence had been on full display after Cody’s abduction—if Knox hadn’t gotten involved, they’d probably still be looking for the boy.
Bud returned his focus to Maggie. “I have a few questions for you, Ms. Lowell. Gentlemen,” he said, not bothering to look at Thorne or Knox again, “I’m going to need you to leave.”
Maggie cast a quick glance at Thorne, her eyes wide. Her distress ignited his protective instincts, and he placed a hand on her shoulder in a show of solidarity. “I’m not going anywhere,” he said, quietly but firmly. He didn’t want to pick a fight with the sheriff, but he wasn’t going to let the man run roughshod over Maggie just because of her connection to the Coltons.
Bud didn’t bother to hide his disdain as he glared at Thorne. “That wasn’t a request.”
Thorne’s blood began to boil, but he clenched his jaw and held his tongue. Jeffries smirked, knowing the barb had hit home.
“I want them to stay,” Maggie said.
Bud glanced at her dismissively. “I’m afraid you don’t have much to say about it.”
Finally, Knox stepped forward. “Sheriff Jeffries, are you here to make an arrest?”
The man’s expression turned sour, as if he’d just bit into a lemon. “No,” he said grudgingly.
“Then, as I’m sure you know, Ms. Lowell’s visitors are not required to leave the room for this conversation.”
“I’ll take her down to the station if I have to.” Bud’s chest puffed out in belligerence, the buttons of his shirt straining to contain his indignation over Knox’s challenge to his authority. Thorne eyed the one right above his belly button and smothered a smile as he imagined the button popping off. The sheriff was already a joke; losing a few buttons would only enhance his resemblance to a clown.
Knox nodded. “That’s one option,” he said agreeably. “But she hasn’t been cleared medically yet, so you’ll probably be waiting awhile. Why don’t you just ask your questions now?”
Bud narrowed his eyes and his voice dripped venom as he spoke. “You’re not a Texas Ranger anymore, Colton. Keep this up, and I’ll arrest you for interfering in an active investigation.”
Knox didn’t respond, but his level stare made it clear he wasn’t impressed by the threat.
Maggie found her voice again. “You said you have some answers.” It was an obvious attempt to change the subject and get things back on track. Thorne gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze in appreciation. Bud Jeffries had felt threatened by Knox ever since Cody’s kidnapping, and the man couldn’t resist baiting Knox into a pissing contest every time the two of them crossed paths. His brother generally refused to engage, but Bud took any response as a challenge.
Better him than me, Thorne thought. Knox’s tolerance for the sheriff was several orders of magnitude greater than Thorne’s. If the shoe was on the other foot and Bud Jeffries was going after him, Thorne didn’t think he would handle it nearly as well as Knox.
After a moment’s silence, Jeffries turned back to Maggie. “Do you have any enemies, Ms. Lowell?”
She frowned and shook her head. “I don’t think so, no.”
“No professional rivals, anyone who views you as competition and wants to see you fail?”
“Not that I know of.”
“What about personally? Anyone angry with you, or want to see you come to harm?”
“No.”
Bud flicked a glance at Thorne. “You sure about that? Because if this is the company you keep...” he trailed off, the implication clear.
Thorne narrowed his eyes at the man, but didn’t speak. He refused to give Jeffries the satisfaction of a response.
“No.” Maggie’s voice was sharp and cold, and Thorne blinked, touched by her unspoken defense of him. It was far more than he deserved, given his recent actions toward her. Further proof that Maggie was far too good for the likes of him.
The sheriff ignored her tone. “All right then,” he said. “That’s all I needed to hear.” He turned and headed for the door.
“Wait,” Maggie called out. “Do you have any suspects?”
Bud paused by the door and nodded. “I sure do.”
“Can you tell me who it is?” Maggie pressed. Thorne’s exasperation grew with every passing second—it was clear Jeffries was dragging out the process, enjoying the drama of the moment. He was a disgrace to the office of sheriff, and not for the first time, Thorne wished Knox would run for the position.
Bud tilted his head to the side, his brown eyes glittering with satisfaction.
“You, Ms. Lowell.”
* * *
The man hunkered down at the edge of the tree line bordering Mac’s farm, careful not to make any sudden moves that might give away his presence. The barn and main buildings were about fifty yards away, so realistically there was little chance anyone would see him, especially with everyone focused on the smoldering remains of the car in the dooryard. Still, best to be careful.
He lifted binoculars to his eyes and peered through the lenses, surveying the aftermath of the explosion. The car was nothing more than a steaming pile of twisted metal, a broken skeleton lying naked in the dirt. Firemen still moved around it, searching for any residual flames among the smoke, but he didn’t linger on the sight.
He was interested in other things.
He turned his gaze to the surrounding buildings, searching for signs of damage amid the breaks in the thick gray smoke polluting the area. The stables were directly in front of the car, but from this angle he couldn’t tell if the explosion had had the desired effect. The supply building to the right of the stables showed gaping black holes where the glass of the windows had shattered. The structure to the left hadn’t fared much better—the wood paneling was scorched and several patches of shingles had blown right off the roof. He felt a small measure of satisfaction as he surveyed the area. It wasn’t quite the Armageddon he’d hoped for, but it wasn’t bad for a first effort.
Unfortunately, his enjoyment was short-lived.
As he watched, Mac emerged from the barn. His clothes were streaked with soot and his face gleamed with sweat, but otherwise he looked fine. Damn him.
He thought he’d timed things perfectly; he’d been watching Mac for weeks, learning the man’s daily routine. Mac was a creature of habit, and he should have been crossing the dooryard from the stables to the supply shed at the exact moment the car detonated.
Instead, he’d still been inside the stables, safe from the brunt of the explosion.
It hadn’t been a total loss, though. A woman had been hurt. He hadn’t recognized her, and she didn’t look like an employee—her blue skirt and wedge sandals were far too impractical for ranch work. For a brief second, he’d thought she might be Mac’s lover. Why else would she have noticed the fire in Mac’s trunk? But then he’d seen the way Thorne had come flying out of the stable after her and realized he was the one who cared about her.
He’d filed that tidbit of information away, knowing it might come in handy later.
As he watched, Mac gave the car a wide berth and walked over to one of the men standing next to the gleaming red fire truck. He pulled a green bandana out of his back pocket and mopped his brow, his lips moving as he spoke to the fireman. The pair of them stood in place for a moment, talking and gesturing to the remains of the car and the buildings. Finally, Mac held out his hand and the two men shook, both of them blissfully unaware of his surveillance.
He couldn’t read lips, especially not at this distance, but it was easy enough to guess that Mac was thanking the men for saving his property. Their timely arrival had spared the nearby buildings further damage and probably saved lives. Mac and that son of his likely thought they had dodged a bullet today, and in truth, they had.
Too bad they didn’t realize what was coming next.
The man smiled as he slipped the binoculars back into their black leather case. He pushed himself off the hard dirt and headed down the gentle slope of the hill, back toward the car he’d parked on the side of one of La Bonne Vie’s abandoned service roads. Today had been a practice run of sorts. He’d discovered the explosives weren’t as reliable as he’d hoped; the initial fire in Mac’s trunk had tipped that woman off and in the future, he didn’t want there to be any warning before he struck. Time to try a different tack for his next move.
He unlocked his car and climbed inside, tossing the binoculars into the passenger seat next to the birding book. The thick tome was his excuse if anyone stopped him and wanted to know why he’d been roaming around the area in the wake of the explosion. He hadn’t seen a large police presence at the ranch, but that didn’t mean they weren’t in the area. Better to be prepared for any eventuality, no matter how unlikely it may be. He had to stay out of trouble, at least until he’d taken care of Mac.
He pointed the car north and headed back into town. Thanks to today’s events, Mac would be on edge for a while. And as much as it pained him, he was going to have to wait to strike again. He needed Mac to let his guard down so he could catch him unawares—it was the best way to ensure he was successful.
“Enjoy your time,” he muttered, glancing in the rearview mirror at the smoky haze rising from the ranch. “You don’t have much more of it.”
Chapter 6 (#uc922640d-38ac-577d-b18d-d49ef35f557b)
Bud Jeffries did his best to slam the door as he left, no doubt hoping to make a dramatic exit. Under any other circumstances, Thorne would have laughed at the man’s pathetically obvious attempt to seem important. But one glance at Maggie’s pale, worried face and his animosity toward the incompetent sheriff melted away.
“I don’t understand,” she said softly, her voice small and scared. “How could he think I would blow up my own car?”
Thorne sat on the edge of her bed and reached for her hand. Even though he had no right to touch her and he knew she might well pull away from him, he wanted—no, needed—to connect with her.
“Bud Jeffries is just being an ass,” he said. She glanced over at him, her expression uncertain. But she left her hand in his, a gesture he didn’t take for granted.
“He’s trying to scare you,” Knox added. “He’s a man on a power trip, that’s all.”
“I’m not so sure,” she said, her tone doubtful. “He seemed pretty serious to me. But why am I his chief suspect? It was my car that was destroyed!”
Knox lifted one shoulder in a dismissive shrug. “It’s not unheard of for people to ruin their own property in the hopes of filing a fraudulent insurance claim. When people need money, they can get pretty desperate.”
Maggie frowned and shook her head. “But surely if he did any actual investigating he’d know I’m not in financial trouble. There’s no reason for me to try something like that.”
Thorne snorted. “You’re assuming the man is capable of doing his job properly.” Jeffries had displayed nothing but incompetence during the search for Cody, and Thorne wasn’t about to give him the benefit of the doubt now. A small kernel of fear formed in his belly. If the sheriff was so shortsighted as to really believe Maggie was responsible for the explosion, he would probably dismiss any evidence to the contrary. That meant the true culprit was free to strike again.
And next time Maggie and the baby might not be so fortunate.
“I don’t want you to worry about this,” Knox said. “I still have some friends on the Shadow Creek police force. I’ll put out a few feelers, see where the investigation stands. It’s going to be okay.” He offered her a reassuring smile. “I’ll go make some calls and check in when I know anything.”
“Thank you,” she said. Thorne saw her body relax into the mattress and felt a flash of gratitude toward Knox for his offer. If anyone could point the police in the right direction, it was his brother. All the more reason for him to run for the sheriff’s office...
“It’s my pleasure,” Knox replied. “I’m happy to help.” He turned to go and Thorne stood up. “Let me walk you out,” he offered. He gave Maggie’s hand a gentle squeeze and let it go. “I’ll be back in a few minutes, okay?”
She nodded, and for a brief second he wondered if she would miss him while he was gone. Probably not. He shook off the thought and walked to the door to join his brother.
Knox turned to him once they were in the hall, the door safely closed behind them. “What’s on your mind?”
“The investigation,” Thorne said shortly. “I’m worried the sheriff is going to let his hatred for our family blind him to the evidence. You and I both know Maggie didn’t do this.”
Knox nodded thoughtfully. “I wouldn’t worry too much about it,” he said. “The guys on the force are pretty sharp. It won’t take long to clear her from the suspect list.”
“That’s not all I’m worried about.” Thorne briefly described his concerns regarding Livia and her goons, and his fears for Maggie’s and the baby’s safety.
His brother stilled, no doubt reliving the horror of his own son’s kidnapping. “Do you think I’m overreacting?” Thorne asked, feeling a little paranoid. After all, Livia hadn’t been seen or heard from in weeks. She was a smart woman; she likely had no desire to get arrested again, so she’d probably gone to ground after sticking her neck out to kill Cody’s kidnapper and Leonor's assailant.
“No,” Knox said flatly. “I don’t think we should discount the possibility that Livia is somehow involved. It would be a mistake to underestimate her.”
“What can we do?” He’d feel better if there was some concrete action he could take to protect Maggie and his unborn baby. But short of wrapping Maggie in Kevlar and locking her in a windowless room, there was no surefire way to keep her safe.
“Stay close,” Knox said. He glanced back at the closed door. “As close as she’ll let you, anyway. I got the impression things aren’t totally smooth between you two?”
Thorne shook his head, reluctant to go into the details. He felt bad enough as it was; he didn’t want his brother knowing just how much of a fool he’d been. “I’m working on it,” he said.
“You want my advice?” Knox continued before Thorne had a chance to respond. “Grovel. A lot. Flowers, chocolates, you name it. But get back into her good graces, and the sooner the better. Both of you are going to experience a life-changing event soon. It’ll be a lot easier if you can face it as a team.”
Thorne nodded, knowing his brother was right. He didn’t think a bouquet of roses would earn Maggie’s forgiveness, but it might help soften the ground. “Thanks.”
“Anytime.” Knox set off down the hall. “I’ll call you,” he said over his shoulder.
Thorne stood by the door to Maggie’s room for a moment, considering his options. They clearly needed to talk. He owed her an apology—had owed her one for quite a while, in fact. Now might be the best time to offer it, while she was stuck in the hospital bed. It was a little cowardly of him to use her situation to his advantage, but he did have things to say and he wanted to make sure she heard them. Since she was essentially a captive audience until the doctor released her, he might as well bite the bullet and plunge ahead, despite the fact that he wasn’t used to trying to explain his actions to someone else. Still, he had to try. He might not get another opportunity like this again.
Nerves jangled in his stomach, making him feel like he’d just jumped off a galloping horse. He took a deep breath and decided to take a page from Knox’s book. Flowers might not be the answer to every problem, but they certainly wouldn’t hurt. And the walk to the hospital gift shop would give him a little time to compose his thoughts.
He glanced around, checking to see if there was a doctor nearby who might be going to see Maggie. He definitely didn’t want to miss the obstetrician’s visit, provided Maggie was okay with him staying in the room. Fortunately, there were no white coats in sight.
He set off down the hall in search of a peace offering. He couldn’t think of the right words to say, but hopefully the flowers would help make up for that.
He’d find out soon enough.
* * *
Maggie sighed and rubbed her eyes, trying to massage away the dull throb of her headache. Now that she knew she was pregnant, she didn’t want to take anything stronger than Tylenol for fear of hurting the little life inside her. She mentally reviewed her actions over the last few months, trying to recall if she’d done anything that may have harmed the baby. Nothing came to mind; she hadn’t so much as had a drink since the beginning of the year. That was good news for the pregnancy, but a rather sad commentary on her social life.
Or lack thereof.
What would her friends say about this news? The last time they’d had a girl’s night had been New Year’s Eve, five long months ago. They stayed in touch with regular texts and a few phone calls, but everyone was so busy it was hard to find time to get together. They all worked too much, and on top of that, Sonia and Amber had families of their own keeping them occupied.
And soon I will, too.
She smiled at the thought. Her life was going to irrevocably change in a few months. Was she ready?
Was Thorne?
He had seemed different somehow when he’d returned to the room with Knox. Still quiet, but she’d sensed a determination there, as if he’d made up his mind about something. And then when Sheriff Jeffries had stopped by to make his nasty allegations, Thorne had practically vibrated with silent indignation on her behalf.
She wasn’t quite sure what to make of this apparent shift in his behavior. Had he experienced a true change of heart, or was this simply a reaction to the explosion and the news of the baby? Would he go back to ignoring her after the shock wore off and life returned back to normal?
Only time would tell. She was going to have to be patient.
A wave of dissatisfaction swelled in her chest. She wanted answers now, not in a few months! But pushing Thorne for a response might actually drive him further away. And while she was going to protect her baby no matter what, she didn’t want to deny her child a father.
An upbeat jingle interrupted her thoughts, and she grabbed her cell phone off the rolling lap desk next to her bed. It was a wonder the thing still worked, but she supposed her body had absorbed the brunt of the impact when she’d been blown across the yard.
“Hello?”
“Hi, sweetie.” Her mom practically sang the words. “Your father and I are taking the RV to Big Bend to do some camping, and we thought we’d stop by on our way out so we could all have dinner together. We should be there in about a half hour.”
Maggie’s stomach dropped. She loved her parents, but her mom had a tendency to overreact. The last thing she needed was for them to find out she was in the hospital—she’d never hear the end of it.
“Oh, this is a surprise,” she said, stalling for time. How could she convince them to skip the visit without raising suspicions?
“Well, it’s not too hot yet, and we’ve been wanting to go for a while. And we haven’t seen you in ages, so I thought it would be a nice chance to catch up.”
“Sure,” Maggie said, trying to sound enthusiastic about the possibility. “Um, but the thing is I’m pretty swamped at work and I don’t know if I’ll be able to get a break for dinner—”
