The Rancher's Return. Karen Whiddon
able to follow, George gave an overly forced chuckle. “Since you’re not here, I’m going to have to break into your house. I’d like to take a look inside, if you don’t mind.”
“No. That’s taking this harassment to a whole new level, isn’t it, George?”
“The only reason I can come up with why you’d object would be that you have something to hide.” The taunt fell flat.
“Really?” Sarcasm dripped from Reed’s voice. “What about invasion of privacy? As well as the harassment I mentioned earlier. This is getting really old, George. You’re going to have to get a search warrant.”
At those words, the deputy sheriff dropped all pretense of pleasantry. “You know, since you’re out of town, you have no way of knowing what I do.” With that, George ended the call.
As Reed stood there, heart pounding from an excess of adrenaline, he wondered exactly how stupid the other man might be. He knew if George did break into his house, he’d make sure and destroy as much as possible. After all, what could Reed do? Call the police?
Furious, he paced from the living room to the kitchen, trying to get himself under control.
“So it begins.” Kaitlyn’s voice washed over him like a soothing salve over a festering wound. “Though I hate it, I’m glad you got me this disguise.”
“Yeah.” Looking at her, with her ridiculously awful hairdo and frumpy, oversize clothes, he felt some of the tightness leave him. “Though George has been hassling me ever since I got out. I imagine he’s thrilled to have a new reason.”
She nodded, her expression serious. “What else did he say?”
“They’re looking for you. You were right about Anniversary being the first place Alex would look.” Clenching his jaw, he glanced away. “George is a bumbling idiot and he doesn’t really suspect anything. Even if he did, no one in town knows about this place, so we ought to be safe for now.”
“Then maybe this disguise isn’t really necessary.”
She sounded so hopeful he almost smiled. “Better safe than sorry. And I’ll tell you honestly, from that news story he’s put out about you being abducted, the FBI is probably already working the case.”
Her eyes went wide. “Crap.”
This time, he nearly laughed out loud. “It’s okay. That’s why you look nothing like yourself.” He’d never tell her, but he’d been stunned to realize that, despite everything he’d done to make her appear ordinary, he still found her shockingly beautiful. “Except of course, you still have those blue eyes.”
“We need to get those colored contacts,” she said. “I don’t want to take a chance on them recognizing me.”
“I agree.” Even with the awful haircut and the dull hair color, her amazing cornflower-blue eyes still blazed from her heart-shaped face. That and her creamy skin, high cheekbones and a mouth made for kissing.
No. Time to cut those thoughts off immediately. Apparently, he couldn’t keep from finding her attractive, but he did have enough willpower to keep from acting on it.
Or so he hoped.
His cell phone rang again. Brock McCauley, his old high school buddy and one of the few people who’d not only visited him in prison, but had stood by him ever since he’d been out.
“Did you see the news?” Brock asked. “Tim’s old girlfriend has been abducted. I didn’t even know she’d taken up with Alex Ramirez, of all people.”
Before he could help himself, Reed snorted. “I saw that. I’m not surprised. Kaitlyn Nuhn was nothing but trouble.”
Next to him, Kaitlyn made a soft sound of protest, which Reed ignored.
“Maybe,” Brock conceded. “But she always was pleasant to me. Zoe liked her, too.
“And she never cheated on Tim,” Brock continued. “Even though he was always fooling around behind her back and bragging about it.”
Reed refused to acknowledge the slow flush of guilt. He’d had three long years to regret what he and Kaitlyn had done. Somehow he’d managed to forget the way Tim always managed to have a girlfriend on the side.
“Do you think she knew?” Eyeing the subject of their discussion, Reed was suddenly glad she couldn’t hear both sides of the conversation.
“About Tim? I doubt it.” Brock sounded contemplative.
“Hey, I really called to see if you wanted to come to dinner tomorrow night. Zoe’s making lasagna, and she knows how much you like it.”
“Like it? That’s the understatement of the year.” Grimacing, Reed declined. “But I can’t. I’m not in town. I’m out at the ranch right now.”
“Even better,” Brock laughed. “You know I’ve been wanting to show Zoe that place. How about we drive up there tomorrow after I close the feed store? We can bring the lasagna, too. We could spend the night.”
Reed winced. Not only was Brock one of the only people who knew about the ranch, they were good enough friends that he didn’t think twice about inviting himself over.
“Not right now,” Reed said. “I have company.”
“Company?” Brock’s voice sounded surprised, and Reed couldn’t blame him. Brock knew Reed didn’t socialize much. Brock also knew that Reed didn’t lie.
“Yeah.” Taking a deep breath, Reed braced himself for his friend’s reaction. “I have, er...a lady friend with me.”
“That’s great!” Brock plowed on. “We’d love to meet her. Unless it’s a first date?”
The question sort of hung there, waiting to be answered. Reed inwardly cursed as he sorted through a possible response that wouldn’t be an outright lie. “It’s too early for anyone to be meeting her. It’s not a date at all, actually. We’re just...hanging out.”
“Well, then, what’s the problem?” One thing about Brock, he’d never been good at taking a hint.
Crap. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Why not?” Brock actually sounded puzzled. “Are you ashamed of her or something?”
“Hell, no.” Reed didn’t even have to think. “It’s not that. It’s...”
“So you’re ashamed of us, then?” From the slight lilt in his voice, Reed realized Brock just might be enjoying this.
“You know better. It’s just too early. Next time, maybe.”
“Okay.” Brock laughed. “It’s incredibly promising that you know there will be a next time. I can’t wait to meet her.” Brock ended the call before Reed could respond.
Slowly, Reed replaced the receiver, startled to realize his palms were sweating. Eyeing Kaitlyn, he shook his head. “That was Brock McCauley,” he said.
Her smile lit up her entire face. Trying to ignore the way that smile affected him, he scratched his head. “He just invited us to dinner tomorrow night. And when I told him I was at the ranch, he wanted to drive on out.”
Her grimace told him what she thought of that. “That’s what you meant when you said you didn’t think that was a good idea.”
“Yep.”
She froze. “Are they coming here? Because even with this disguise, one or both of them is bound to recognize me. I’ve known them for years.”
“I agree. But no worries. I told him now wasn’t a good time. I think he’ll respect that.”
“You think?” Eyes huge, she appeared visibly shaken. “Just in case, maybe you should call him back and tell him you’re sick, or I’m