Cardwell Ranch Trespasser(16)

“I want to help.”

“You are going to stay clear of the ranch unless I’m with you. Promise me.”

She promised, but he could tell her concern for her friend was weighing heavily on her. What worried him was that if Dee decided to make a move against her, she would use that concern and Hilde would fall right into the trap.

He finished his beer, saw how late it was and got up to leave. Hilde walked him to the door. As he opened it, a cool breeze blew in, ruffling her hair. He reached to tuck an errant golden strand behind her ear like he’d seen her do the few times she’d worn her hair down.

But the moment he did, his hand slid around to the back of her slim neck. His eyes locked with hers. Her skin felt cool to his touch as he drew her to him.

* * *

THE KISS WAS gentle and sweet and so unexpected. Just the touch of his lips sent a jolt through her. Colt must have felt her tremble because he pulled her closer. She could feel his heart hammering under the hard muscles of his chest.

Her lips parted and she felt a rush of heat as he enclosed her in his arms and deepened the kiss.

She felt light-headed. No one had ever kissed her like this. She leaned into him, into the kiss. For the first time in days, Dee Anna Justice was the last thing on her mind.

Colt pressed her against the wall. She could feel the passion in his kiss, in his body. She wouldn’t have been surprised if they had made love right there.

Headlights washed over them. Dana pulled in behind Hilde’s SUV. They both drew back as if the lights were ice water thrown on them.

“I should go,” Colt said. He touched her hand, his gaze locking with hers for a moment. Then he sauntered out to his patrol pickup and drove off.

“Are you all right?” Dana cried. “Hud told me what happened.” She turned to look after Colt. “Did I interrupt something?”

“No, it...” She waved a hand through the air. “I’m just glad to see you. Did you want to come in?”

“Just for a moment. I know it’s late, but we were out of milk and I couldn’t sleep without making sure you were all right,” Dana said as she stepped inside. “You’ve been through so much lately.”

“Haven’t I,” Hilde said.

“You found his body? That must have been horrible.”

“You have no idea.” She realized she couldn’t confide in her once best friend.

“Dee is a basket case.”

Hilde tried to hide a smile. “I’m sure she is,” she said.

But Dana knew her too well. “Hilde, the man was her boyfriend.”

“Was he? Or is that just what she told you? Dana, the only thing you know about her is what she’s told you. How can you be sure any of it is true?”

Dana stood in the middle of the living room, suddenly looking uncomfortable. “I know you don’t like her, but to be this suspicious about everything she says or does—”

“She’s playing you, Dana. You told her about the past six years that you didn’t have your family because of the fight over the ranch, didn’t you?” She saw the answer in her friend’s face. “You are so desperate to have family that you’re blinded by this woman.”

“I don’t understand why you’re acting like this,” Dana said, sounding close to tears.

Hilde tried to stop herself, but she couldn’t. She had to tell Dana everything, had to try to reason with her, to warn her.

“She tried to kill me, Dana. At the falls? She pushed me while you were getting your camera, only grabbing me at the last second before I fell.”

“Why would she—”

“Because she doesn’t want me around you.”

“That’s crazy,” Dana said.

“Yes, it is. And she’s living with you and your husband and your children.”

They stood only inches apart staring at each other, but Hilde felt as if there was a mountain range between them, one neither of them might be able to climb.

“I’m worried about you, Hilde.”

“Really? Because I’m scared to death for you. She killed Rick to keep him from telling me the truth tonight. He’d called me and said he’d tell me Dee’s secrets, but I got there too late.”

Dana was shaking her head and Hilde saw that her friend was never going to believe her. Until it was too late. “I should go.”

Hilde nodded. “Watch her, Dana. I think she’s after Hud.”

Dana gave her a disbelieving look as if Hilde had finally lost her mind, then she turned and left.

Hilde closed the door behind her and leaned against it. She hadn’t even realized she was crying until she tasted the salty tears.





Chapter Eight

“You can’t blame yourself for Rick’s overdose,” Dana said the next morning at breakfast. Hud had left early, called in on some new case. Her “cousin” had been trying to console her. “There are just some people who can’t be helped no matter how hard we try.”

Dee heard something in Dana’s voice. “Like Hilde? I feel responsible for this rift between the two of you as much as I do for what Rick did.”

“Don’t. Hilde has just been under a lot of strain lately. I didn’t realize how much. Then to find Rick like that...”

“So Hilde was the one who found him?” Dee felt her blood pressure rise like a rocket. That bastard. After their horseback ride, he’d threatened to blow her plans out of the water if she didn’t include him. “Why would she go over to Rick’s?”

Dana looked away to tend to one of the kids. “Apparently he was upset after you broke things off with him again. He called Hilde, wanted ten thousand dollars to tell her things about you.”

If she could have killed him again, she would have made this time much more painful. “Why would he do that?” she wailed. “It must have been the drugs talking.”

“I’m sure it was.”

“So what did he say when she got to his motel room?” Dee asked, trying hard not to let her fear show.

“He was already dead.”

Dee tried not to breathe a sigh of relief. “I’m sure he just wanted a shoulder to cry on.”

“But to ask her for ten thousand dollars for information about you...” Dana said, and looked at her.

Dee saw the doubt beginning to bloom and knew she had to nip it in the bud and quickly. “I told you Rick had turned to pills,” she said, and began to cry again. She’d learned to cry on cue so this was the easy part. “Well, the truth is...Rick had a drug habit. I’m so ashamed.”

“You have nothing to be ashamed of,” Dana said, quickly coming to her side.

“How could I have fallen in love with a man like him? I didn’t know for a long time. Once I realized...I tried to help him. But it was too late. He’d blown all his savings on his habit. It wasn’t love that brought him all the way to Montana or me. I was too ashamed to tell you this, but the real reason was to ask me for money. When I turned him down, both for money and his feeble attempt to get me back, I guess he was desperate. He knew Hilde didn’t like me.... She was probably ready to give him the money for any kind of dirt on me she could dig up. Oh, Dana, I’m sorry. I know she’s your best friend.... See why I feel so badly about all this?”

“But you shouldn’t. You haven’t done anything. We can’t control the way other people react.” Dana sounded sad.

“We need to do something to cheer us both up. I would love to go into Bozeman. We could have lunch, maybe do some shopping. What do you say?” She held her breath. She’d seen Hud go off to work this morning and had a pretty good idea that Dana didn’t have anyone to take care of the kids. Couldn’t really call Hilde, could she? Also, she’d heard Dana promise to make pies with the kids today.

“That sounds wonderful,” Dana said. “But I’m afraid it will have to wait.” Mary and Hank came running into the room, as if on cue.

“We’re making pies with Mommy today,” Mary announced.

Dee smiled, but did her best to look disappointed. “As fun as that sounds, Dana, would you mind if I borrowed your truck and went into Bozeman? You probably could use some time alone, and I need to do some shopping.”

“Of course. The keys are in the truck. Please help yourself. And when you come back, there will be pie!” Dana laughed as the kids began to cheer noisily.

Dee couldn’t wait to leave. “I might take the whole day, then,” she said, as she hurried upstairs to get her purse.

* * *

COLT CALLED THE shop the next morning right after Hilde opened. “How are you doing?”

She glanced across the street to the deli, half expecting to see him sitting in his usual place. She was disappointed to see that the table was empty. “I’m okay.”