Rescue at Cardwell Ranch. B.J. Daniels
been there for her from as far back as she could remember. It made her feel guilty because she felt her sister had been robbed of her childhood. Shawna had been too busy raising their mother’s babies.
“If you need anything...”
“I know.” Sometimes she felt as if Shawna had made a life in Montana so she could watch over her. All the other siblings had left, stretching far and wide around the world. Only she and Shawna had stayed in the Gallatin Valley after their parents had passed.
But her big sister couldn’t always protect her. Before last night, McKenzie would have said she could protect herself. Last night had proved how wrong she was about that.
* * *
GUS THOMPSON WOULD never forget the humiliation he’d been put through at the police department. “Don’t you know who I am?” he’d finally demanded.
They had looked at him blankly.
“My photo is all over town on real-estate signs. I am number one in this valley. I sell more property than any of the hundreds of agents out there. I’m somebody and I don’t have to put up with this ridiculous questioning.”
“You still haven’t told us where you were last night.” The woman cop was starting to really tick him off.
He looked to his attorney, who leaned toward him and whispered that he should just tell them since it would be better than their finding out later. “I went for a drive. I do that sometimes to relax.”
“Did you happen to drive by the River Street Market?”
“I don’t remember. I was just driving.”
“We searched your car... Actually, the car that is still registered to your mother, and we found a gas receipt.” The woman cop again. “You were within a quarter mile of the grocery last night only forty-two minutes before the incident involving Ms. Sheldon.”
“So what?” he snapped. “Aren’t you required to tell me what I’m being accused of? Someone steal McKenzie’s groceries?”
“Someone attacked and attempted to abduct Ms. Sheldon.”
“Trust me. The guy would have brought her back quick enough.” Neither cop smiled, let alone laughed. He raked a hand through his hair. “Why would I try something like that in a grocery-store parking lot when I could have abducted McKenzie Sheldon any night right at the office?”
His attorney groaned and the two cops exchanged a look.
“Come on,” Gus said. “I didn’t do anything to her. I swear.” But he sure wanted to now. Wasn’t it enough that she’d fired him? Apparently not. She wanted to destroy him. Something like this could hang over his head for years—unless they caught the guy who really attacked her. What was the chance of that happening? Next to none when they weren’t even out looking for him.
He pointed this out to the cops. “Get out there and find this guy. It’s the only way I can prove to you that I’m innocent.”
They both looked at him as if they suspected he was far from innocent. But they finally let him go.
Once outside the police station, Gus realized he didn’t know what he was going to do now. Of course, another Realtor would hire him. The top salesman in Gallatin Valley? Who wouldn’t?
Unless word got around about Sheldon’s attack—and his firing. Everyone would think it was because he was the one who’d attacked McKenzie. How long would it take before everyone knew? He groaned. Gossip moved faster than an underpriced house, especially among Realtors.
McKenzie Sheldon better hope she hadn’t just destroyed his reputation—and his career.
* * *
“I’M ANXIOUS FOR you to see the building I found for the very first Big Sky Texas Boys Barbecue,” Tag said later that afternoon. “The Realtor is going to meet us there in a few minutes.”
Hayes had taken a long nap after the breakfast Dana had made for him. He’d awakened to the dinner bell. Dana was one heck of a cook. Lunch included chicken-fried elk steaks, hash browns, carrots from the garden and biscuits with sausage gravy.
“This is the woman who should be opening a restaurant,” Hayes said to his cousin.
“Thanks, but no, thanks,” Dana said. “I have plenty to do with four small children.” As if summoning them, the four came racing into the kitchen along with their father, Hud, the local marshal. The kids climbed all over their father as Dana got him a plate. It amazed him how much noise kids seven to two could make.
Tag’s fiancée, Lily McCabe, came in looking as if she was already family. She declined lunch, saying she’d already eaten, but she pulled up a chair. Introductions were made and five minutes later, Hayes could see why his brother had fallen in love with the beautiful and smart brunette.
“We’d better get going,” Tag said, checking his watch. He gave Lily a kiss then rumpled each child’s hair as he headed for the door. Hayes followed, even though there was no purpose in seeing this building his brother had found for the restaurant.
They weren’t opening a barbecue place in Big Sky. He wasn’t sure how he was going to break it to his brother, though.
The road from the ranch crossed a bridge over the Gallatin River. This morning it ran crystal clear, colorful rocks gleaming invitingly from the bottom. Hayes watched the river sweep past, the banks dotted with pines and cottonwoods, and wished they were going fishing, instead.
At Highway 191, Tag turned toward Big Sky and Hayes got his first good look at Lone Mountain. The spectacular peak glistened in the sun. A patch of snow was still visible toward the top where it hadn’t yet melted. This morning, when he’d driven to the ranch, the top of the peak had been shrouded in clouds.
“Isn’t it beautiful?” Tag said.
“It is.” All of the Montana he’d seen so far was beautiful. He could understand why his brother had fallen in love with the place. And with Lily McCabe.
“Lily was nervous about meeting you earlier,” Tag said now, as if reading his mind. He turned toward Lone Mountain and what made up the incorporated town of Big Sky.
Hayes could see buildings scattered across a large meadow, broken only by pines and a golf course. “Why would she be nervous?”
“She was afraid my brothers wouldn’t like her.”
“What is the chance of that?” Hayes said. He had to admit that Lily hadn’t been what he’d expected. She was clearly smart, confident and nice. He hadn’t found any fault with her. In fact, it was blatantly clear why Tag was head over heels in love with the woman.
But Lily had reason to be nervous. She was backing Tag on the restaurant idea. A math professor at Montana State University in Bozeman, she didn’t want to move to Texas with her future husband. A lot was riding on what Tag’s brothers decided. Their not wanting a Montana barbecue place had nothing to do with liking or disliking Lily.
“Is she going to meet us at the restaurant building site?” Hayes asked, wondering how involved the bride-to-be was planning to be in the barbecue business. After the fiasco with Jackson’s wife, the brothers had decided no wives would ever own interest in the corporation. They couldn’t chance another ugly divorce that could destroy Texas Boys Barbecue. Or a marriage that would threaten the business, for that matter.
“No, she’s doing wedding planning stuff,” Tag said. “Who knew all the things that are involved in getting married?”
“Yes, who knew,” Hayes agreed as his brother turned into a small, narrow complex. He saw the For Sale sign on a cute Western building stuck back in some pine trees and knew it must be the one his brother had picked out.
“Good, McKenzie is already here,” Tag said just an instant before Hayes saw her.
He stared in shock at the woman he’d seen the