Rancher's Covert Christmas Read online

  Erin caught up and found Dave, sitting on the bed, propped by pillows, with the TV across the room turned on but muted. His casted leg was resting on a large wedge pillow. On the floor, the fluffy brown cat and the smaller black cat were tussling and bapping each other.

  “I’m fine. The hairballs made the bed their landing strip and didn’t mind running into my leg in the process.” Dave sat straighter when he spotted Erin. “Oh, hello, yoga breather.”

  “Yoga breather?” Melissa gave her an odd look.

  She chuckled. “Yes. Better than a mouth breather, huh?

  I just showed him how to stay calm when he was injured by focusing on his breathing.”

  “No ‘just’ about it.” Dave repositioned himself to face Erin more fully. “You were very helpful and a pleasant distraction. Thank you.”

  “Erin would like to talk with you, if you don’t mind? For the article she’s writing about the ranch,” Melissa said, sidestepping when the two cats took off down the hall again at full throttle. The tinkling of glass and tiny bells drifted down the hall, and Melissa groaned. “They’re in the Christmas tree again. I’ll leave you two to chat and go save my ornaments from feline destruction. Call if you need anything, Dave.”

  Melissa pulled the door closed as she left, and Erin took a seat at the foot of the bed. “How are you feeling?”

  “Not bad if I don’t try to move my leg.” He rattled the bottle of pills on the nightstand. “But my pain pills run out in a couple days. Ask me again on Sunday.”

  She pulled an appropriately sympathetic face, then clicked open her pen. “Are you up to a short interview?”

  “If it keeps you here for a little while.” He winked at her.

  She arched one eyebrow. “Does Helen know how much you flirt with other women?”

  He looked mildly chastened but not entirely repentant. “She knows it’s only flirting. Though it does irritate her sometimes.”

  “I’d wager it more than irritates her. If you really care about her—”

  He bobbed his head. “I plan to propose on New Year’s Eve. Or had planned to before this happened.” He waved a hand to his leg.

  “Why can’t you still?”

  “Aw, it messes up the romantic plans I had to take her to dinner then hike up to the lookout over the valley where we had our first kiss.”

  “Speaking as a woman, I think she’ll still be thrilled with a proposal, even if you can’t hike. Give her the ring at dinner. Hide it in a glass of champagne or some cake or...anything.”

  He frowned. “The real problem is I don’t know if I’m gonna be able to work at the ranch anymore. Doc says the break was bad. I can’t ride for at least a few months, and then I have to get therapy in order to walk on it again. It could be six months or more before I’m any use to the ranch. They’ll replace me for sure. And I don’t blame ’em. They can barely pay me a living wage as it is now. They sure won’t be payin’ for me to sit on my duff.”

  Erin bit her bottom lip as she thought about his predicament a moment. “The McCalls strike me as a loyal lot. I’d bet when you can work again, they’ll re-hire you.”

  “And dump whoever they hired to replace me? Come spring, the herd will need tending whether I’m there or not.” He pitched his volume lower, adding, “I already overhead Michael making calls to place an ad about hiring a new hand.” He aimed his thumb to the wall he shared with Michael’s office, and his expression soured. “After everything I’ve done for this place...” He sighed before adding, “I guess I’m learning the hard way that I’m replaceable.”

  Erin drew a breath, prepared to defend the McCalls, but caught the words on her tongue. She had no right to speak for the family, and certainly was ill-advised to bias the interview with her softening feelings toward the family...and Zane in particular.

  A memory of their tangled bodies, Zane’s hands stroking her, his smoldering kisses, caused a flash of wanton heat to wash through her. She struggled for a breath of composure and cleared her throat, almost missing Dave’s next comment.

  “Should have known that after they tossed Karl to the curb last year,” he said with a frown, his voice still quiet.

  A prickle of unease chased down her back as she tried to remember if Michael had mentioned anyone by that name. “Karl who?”

  “Townsen. A guy who used to work here as a hand.”

  The name didn’t ring a bell, but she did recollect Michael had told her about a hand who had left on his own terms and amiably. Could this Karl be the same man Michael mentioned?

  “He was accused of stealing from Michael’s office,” Dave continued, “and Piper fired him on the spot. Family never blinked.” He set his mouth in a grim line, clearly unhappy about that fact. “From what I hear, Karl went to work for another ranch in the area and told them about the plans for an adventure ranch.” Dave scoffed. “The other ranch threw together a competing adventure ranch and is in business today. A sub-par outfit by all accounts, but it sure ticked off Josh and Zane.”

  “I imagine so,” she said, while wondering just how ticked off Karl had been. And why Michael had mis-characterized the hand’s dismissal.

  * * *

  “Was Karl Townsen fired or did he leave on his own?” Erin asked without preface when she found Michael in the stable a few hours later.

  Michael hesitated before answering, blinking and scanning the vicinity as if checking to see if anyone was in earshot.

  “There’s no one else here,” she assured him. “I looked as I came in.”

  He sighed. “Has your investigation led you to him as the culprit?”

  She folded her arms over her chest, both in frustration and warding off the cold. “No, because until this morning when I talked to Dave, I was unaware there was a Karl Townsen, aka fired and disgruntled ranch hand. Did you not think the nature of his firing was worthy of mention?”

  Michael’s brow furrowed. “You told me you wanted only facts, not personal impressions because of bias.”

  She shot him a dubious look. “There was more to the circumstances of his firing than you let on.”

  Michael squared his shoulders, his expression serious and concerned. “Was there? I wasn’t aware that he’d been disgruntled when he left. He and I had a frank conversation. He swore he’d not stolen anything. I gave him the benefit of the doubt and offered to rehire him after Piper let him go. He said he’d already gotten a new position, but to be sure there were no hard feelings, I gave him two weeks’ severance pay. I honestly thought he left on good terms.”

  “Not according to Dave. And I hear he fed information to his new employer about the idea for the adventure company and the other ranch copied the idea.”

  He twisted his mouth in disagreement. “Not exactly. While the base of operation was at the ranch Karl went to, the rival adventure business was started and funded by Gill Carver.”

  Erin tensed. “The banker? Gill the Ass? The guy that has been a thorn in Zane’s side since he was a kid?”

  Michael frowned and nodded. “The same. But, again, you said facts only, and not my personal views. You wanted to form your own opinions about people. But since you mentioned it, Gill has always been a nasty little cuss, looking for ways to stick it to my children.”

  “Does Gill own the ranch Karl went to?”

  “No. He went to the Rockin’ J. That’s Harold Jackson’s place. I’ve no doubt Gill’s bank holds the mortgage.” He held up a finger. “But...I have no proof of that.” He heaved a sigh. “You think Karl is relevant to the sabotage investigation, don’t you?”

  “Could be.”

  He set aside the rake he’d been using to muck one of the stalls and shucked off his work gloves. “I had dismissed him in my own mind because the vandalism started a good year or more before Karl left the Double M. The sheriff’s department talked to him, like they did all our employees, afte
r each incident, and Karl always had a solid alibi.” He lifted one eyebrow. “But that’s why you asked me not to give my personal take, huh?”

  “Based on what I’m learning, I’d say he is a top contender. Gill, too, for that matter, alibi or not.” She rubbed a hand on her leg as she thought. “If Dave is right about Karl’s attitude when he left, I should at least talk to him.” She paused before adding, “From now on, tell me everything, no matter how trivial it may seem to you. I need full disclosure from you if I’m going to do my job.”

  Michael gave her a chastened nod and frown. “Understood.” He ducked his head, his brow creasing as he added, “Do you have any idea how disturbing it has been for me, not only dealing with the practical and financial fallout of the sabotage, but because of the way it has made me doubt the people I love most? It kills me to even think of the people I trust, my family, friends and long-term employees, as being deceitful or vindictive toward me.”

  He rubbed his chest and leaned heavily against the nearest wall.

  Knowing Zane’s father was at high risk for a heart attack because of his high blood pressure and a previous cardiac event, she hated causing him any further stress, but they needed to reach an understanding. “I can understand that. But you have to be completely transparent about all aspects of the ranch history if I’m going to find the truth. And find the person behind the vandalism.”

  He nodded slowly. “I hear you. I never meant to mislead you. I honestly believed I’d represented Karl fairly.” He paused, adding, “I’m also sorry to hear he was unhappy when he left. That’s news to me.”

  “I need to talk to Karl. I need to cover that base. How do I reach him? What ranch did you say he went to?”

  “The Jackson’s place. The Rockin’ J.” Michael sighed. “I’ve known Harold Jackson for forty years. He’s good people.”

  Erin tugged out her notepad and wrote down the name of the ranch. “I’ll let you know what I learn.”

  * * *

  “Erin?” Zane called as he stepped inside the guesthouse and cast his glance around the empty living room. He closed the front door against the December chill and noises from the ranch yard and listened. “Anybody home?”

  The small table in the breakfast nook was littered with food wrappers, a water bottle and scattered notepads and crumpled paper wads. In the middle of the mess, her laptop sat open with a word-processing document glowing on the screen.

  Zane lifted a corner of his mouth. The detritus of the writer at work.

  She couldn’t have gone far if the laptop hadn’t gone to power-saving mode yet. Although he couldn’t say what her settings were. Maybe she let the screen stay lit for hours.

  Shoving aside the thought, he set his Stetson on the back of the couch and moved to the end of the hall that led to the guest rooms. Her bedroom door was closed. “Erin?”

  When he moved a few steps further down the hall, he heard the unmistakable sound of a shower running and a soft humming. He grinned and perked his ears. Yep, she was humming “The Christmas Song.” He was transported back to the top of his truck, the glow of holiday lights from the spruce, and the floral scent of Erin’s hair surrounding him as he’d kissed her and held her close. On the heels of that memory came one of sharing hot chocolate and having his feet rubbed by his own magic elf. And the heated kisses, the tangling of their bodies that followed.

  Later...

  That tantalizing promise of future pleasure sent a burst of sparks through his blood.

  A thunk sounded down the hall, calling his attention back to Erin. The shower. Had she fallen? His heart drummed harder when he considered the possibility. But her humming continued, so...more likely she’d dropped the soap or her shampoo bottle. When he conjured an image of her bending to collect the lost item, his muscles tightened, tingled, and his groin throbbed. He could picture her bare skin, slick with suds, and her naked body, pink from the hot water. The key words being bare...naked. His mouth dried, and his throat felt thick.

  He had two choices. Strip off his clothes and join her, testing her promise of later and ensuring he involved his heart with a woman he wasn’t completely sure he trusted. Or walk away now and preserve his sanity.

  His hand moved to the buttons of his coat. Hesitated. If Josh could throw caution to the wind and enjoy sex for sex’s sake, why couldn’t he? Zane twisted his mouth as he mentally amended. Obviously his brother didn’t do that now that he was engaged to Kate. Josh was faithful. In love. Honorable.

  The shower cut off, and Zane exhaled deeply, giving himself a mental kick in the shin. Erin had taken sex out of the equation until she finished her article, and he had to respect her wishes. Plowing his hand through his hair, he turned back to the front room, deciding he’d wait in the living room for Erin.

  Shrugging out of his coat, he draped it over the sofa, next to his hat, as he strolled toward the kitchenette for a bottle of something to bathe his dry mouth. Bathe...

  He huffed his frustration. Get your mind off Erin and her shower, pal.

  Zane bent at the waist to peer into the small refrigerator and selected a soda.

  He should let Erin know he was there, waiting in the living room, so she didn’t come out of the bedroom underdressed.

  Or not. A wicked, teasing grin twisted his lips before he resolutely dismissed the notion of lurking in the living room without her knowledge. Popping the tab, he tipped the can up for a swallow as he strolled back past the table where her laptop still showed the open document.

  He rolled his eyes. He could open settings and set the power-saver for her. He hesitated by the laptop and groaned. No, no, no. Too intrusive and controlling. He had to resist being that guy.

  But he could recommend the change to her when she came out. Even offer to set it up. Right?

  He took another sip of his drink and almost choked when he noticed the words on the screen. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he peered down at the document Erin had open. The heading read Notes on McCall Sabotage Investigation.

  Heart thumping, Zane set his soda aside and lowered himself into the chair in front of the laptop. He shouldn’t read it. He needed to avert his eyes, close the laptop...something. A moment of guilt tickled him even as his eyes moved back to the screen.

  Interviews with ranch employees and family members. Plenty of opportunity. Any motives?

  “What the hell?” he muttered, scanning further down the page on the screen.

  Roy Summers—drinking problem. Went to rehab. Relapse?

  Dave Giblan—opportunity. Could he have grudge?

  Brady Summers—partner in adventure biz. Illogical to sabotage his own interests.

  Michael McCall—police suspect insurance fraud. Could Melissa be involved?

  Confusion battled with anger, and he tried to keep his cool as his brain scrabbled to make sense of what he was seeing. Maybe this wasn’t something Erin wrote, but a document she’d gathered from someone else for her research, he rationalized. But what did these notes have to do with her feature on the adventure tours?

  Shifting his attention to the scattered handwritten pages on the table, he picked up a sheet with names of his family members and ranch employees with circles and arrows connecting them with side notes such as “has alibi” and “no witness” in the margins. He couldn’t deny what he was seeing. Erin was researching the sabotage, digging deep and looking to pin the blame on someone at the ranch. Fury slammed into him, blurring his vision. Hurt sliced his chest, the betrayal opening a gash through his soul. He gaped at the swimming words on the screen.

  His hand fisted on the papers he held, crumpling them. His jaw tightened, his back teeth grinding so hard a bolt of pain streaked through his head. Anger roiled in his gut, causing his whole body to tremble, and he had to take several deep breaths to regain some control. Slowly he began sorting through the pages of notes on the table. He no longer care
d that he was invading her privacy. The mounting evidence of her lies and treachery justified his actions, he told himself.

  A loud gasp called his attention across the room.

  Erin gave him a startled grin. “Zane, I...” Her smile fell and her brow creased as her eyes darkened. “What are you doing here?”

  She had a towel around her neck that she used to pat the ends of her wet hair, which curled around her bare shoulders. She wore jeans and her bra but little else.

  He rose to his feet, his strength renewed by the adrenaline and fury that pulsed through him. “Who are you and what are you doing at our ranch?”

  Her gaze shifted to the papers and computer before returning to his face. Her expression reflected a kaleidoscope of emotions. “You snooped through my files?”

  “Answer the question,” he repeated, his voice low and deadly.

  She blinked and squared her shoulders. “What are you doing in here? Do you make a habit of breaking into women’s living quarters?”

  “This guesthouse belongs to my family. I’ll enter it whenever I damn well please.”

  She scoffed, and crossing her arms over her chest, she snapped, “Well, thanks for the heads-up on that!”

  “You have one last chance to answer me before I toss you out on your lying ass! Who are you, and why are you here?”

  Something that might have been remorse flickered over her countenance before she firmed her jaw and lifted her chin defiantly. “You had no right to snoop in my—”

  “Answer me!” he roared, and the venom in his tone even surprised him. He curled his fingers into his palms and drew a shuddering breath, fighting not to let his frustration, pain and anger swamp him.

  Erin glared at him silently for several tense seconds. Slowly her rigid stance melted and moisture filled her eyes. “If I tell you, you have to promise to keep it a secret. You can’t tell—”