Cardwell Ranch Trespasser(22)

“I’d love pancakes, but let me make them,” Dee offered, knowing Dana wouldn’t take her up on it.

“It’s no trouble. Anyway, you’re my guest.”

Dee could hear something in Dana’s voice, though. Her hostess was tiring of her guest. Probably all the drama. Dana would be glad when Dee left.

Well, there was nothing she could do about that, because the drama was far from over. Forced to move up her plan, she said, “I’m thinking I’ve stayed too long.”

Dana turned from the stove. “No. I don’t want you to feel that way at all. I’m just sorry. I really wanted you to have a good time.”

“I am having a good time.” Dee went over and gave Dana a hug. “But I need to get back home and look for a job. I can’t be off work for too long.” Sometimes she couldn’t believe how easy lying came to her. She was more amazed by people who couldn’t tell a lie. Maybe it was a talent you were born with.

Or maybe you had to learn it at your daddy’s knee, she thought bitterly.

“I checked this morning about a flight,” she said with equal effortlessness. “I’m booked for Saturday on a nonstop flight to LaGuardia.” She knew Dana and Hud wouldn’t check to see if it was true or not. But Colt might.

Dana didn’t try to get her to change her mind. Yep, it’s time. She just said, “Well, I hate to see you cut your trip short, but you know best.”

“This isn’t my only trip to Cardwell Ranch,” Dee said.

“Well, I insist on paying for your flight.” Dana held up her hand even though Dee hadn’t protested. “No arguments. I want this trip to be my treat.”

“That is so sweet of you. I’m going to pay you back, though, and then some.” By booking the nonstop flight that was available only on Saturday, she had bought herself a little more time. It wasn’t perfect timing, but she’d have to make it work, especially after finding her toothbrush and makeup missing. She’d already put the wheels in motion. Hang on, she thought, because she knew what was about to hit the fan.

Dana looked visibly relaxed now that she knew her guest was leaving. Dee hated Hilde at that moment. The woman had been a thorn in her side from the beginning. If she had just backed off... But it was too late for regrets, she thought, and checked her watch.

Any minute poor Hilde would be crying on the marshal’s shoulder and no doubt blaming her.

* * *

MARSHAL HUD SAVAGE stopped in the doorway of Needles and Pins and demanded, “What are you doing?”

“I’m cleaning up my shop,” Hilde said, as she placed another bolt of fabric back where it went. She was thankful that most of the fabrics hadn’t gotten soiled or ruined. Dee could have torn up the place much worse. Hilde knew she should be thankful for that.

She’d started cleaning up the moment she’d realized who’d done this. At that same moment, she’d known there was no reason to wait for the marshal. Hud wasn’t going to believe Dee had done this. And the only way to try to change his mind would be to show him the scissors and explain why they were a message from Dee.

Hilde couldn’t do that without telling what she’d done to get Dee’s fingerprints and Colt’s involvement. She wasn’t about to drag him into this any more than he already was.

“You shouldn’t have touched anything until I got here,” Hud said behind her. “Hilde—”

She stopped working to look at him. Fueled by anger, she’d accomplished a lot in a short time. “The person broke in through the back. I haven’t touched anything back there.”

He looked toward the back of the shop, where she had a small kitchen she and her staff used as a break and storage room. She’d found a chair moved over against the wall under the open window. There appeared to be marks on the window frame where someone had pried it open.

When she’d stepped outside in the alley, she’d discovered the large trash container pulled over under the window.

Hud went back in the break room, then outside. “Is anything missing?” he asked when he came back in.

“I don’t believe so. I don’t leave money down here. I think it was just a malicious act of vandalism.”

“Looks like it might have been kids, then,” Hud said.

Hilde had stopped to look at him, after restoring almost all of the bolts of fabric to their correct places. She saw him staring at the countertop where the half-dozen new scissors had been stuck in the wood.

“Kids resort to this sort of thing just for something to do, I guess,” he said.

“It wasn’t kids.” She crossed her arms because she was trembling and she didn’t want him to see it. She thought that if she kept calm and didn’t get upset or cry, he might believe her.

“Don’t tell me Dee did this.” He looked as resolute as she felt.

“Okay, I won’t. You don’t want to hear the truth, fine. Kids did it.”

“Hilde,” Hud said in that tone she was getting used to. “Dee went to bed last night before we did. If she had driven into town, I would have known it.”

“Maybe she walked.”

“It’s a couple of miles. She can barely walk around the yard without twisting an ankle. You think she climbed up into that window back there?” He was shaking his head. “I’m sorry this happened. I’ll file a report and you can turn it over to your insurance. I’m glad nothing was destroyed.”

She laughed at that. Dee had destroyed so much—the shop was the least of it.

“Are you going to be okay?”

The concern and kindness she heard in his tone was her undoing. The tears broke loose as if they had been walled up, waiting for the least bit of provocation to burst out.

He patted her shoulder. “Take the rest of the day off. Go home. Get some rest.”

As if rest would make her world right again.

* * *

FORTUNATELY, THE REST of the day was busy at the shop. All the women who’d come in to sign up for quilting classes buoyed Hilde’s spirits.

Dana called midmorning. “Just wanted to say hi.”

Hilde figured she’d heard about the vandalism from Hud. He must not have told her about the allegations against her cousin.

“Fourteen women have signed up for the quilting classes so far,” she told her silent partner in the shop.

“Oh, that’s great. You must be excited to get them started.”

“I am. It’s going to be a good summer.” Hilde said the last like a mantra, praying it was true.

“Dee’s leaving Saturday,” Dana said.

The words should have made her heart soar, but she heard sadness in her friend’s voice. “I’m sorry her visit didn’t go like you had hoped.”

The bell over the door jangled as another customer came in.

Dana must have heard it. “You’re busy. I’ll let you go. I just wanted you to know I was thinking about you.”

“Thank you for calling.” It was the best she could do before Dana hung up.

The rest of the day slipped by. Hilde had moments when she would forget about the break-in. She knew she would have to replace the top of the counter. The scissor holes were a gut-wrenching reminder each time she saw them that it wasn’t over with Dee.

Colt must have called when she was helping a customer by carrying her fabric purchases out to her car. He’d left a message that he hoped he could see her tonight.

She texted back that she was looking forward to it.

And suddenly it was time to close up shop. She gathered her things, trying hard not to look at the top of the counter. Thinking about Dee only made her blood boil.

A gust of wind caught the door as she started to lock up. She hadn’t realized the wind had come up or that a storm was blowing in.

As she turned, she saw that her SUV parked across the street was sitting at a funny angle. Then she noticed the right back tire. Flat.

All she’d been thinking about the past few minutes was going home, taking a nice hot bath and getting ready for when Colt got back from West Yellowstone.

After finding her store vandalized first thing in the morning, she wasn’t going to let a flat tire ruin her mood now, she thought. For a moment, she considered changing the tire herself, but she wasn’t dressed for it, and her house was only a short walk from the shop.

As she started down the street, she saw that the storm was closer than she’d thought. Dark clouds rolled in, dimming the remainder of the day’s light. She’d be lucky to get home before it started to rain, and in April the rain could easily turn to snow.

Hilde laughed, surprised that even the storm didn’t bother her. She was seeing Colt again tonight and she couldn’t wait. The only real dark cloud right now was Dee Anna Justice, and apparently there wasn’t a darned thing she could do about her.

When she looked up and saw Dee coming down the dark street toward her, she feared she’d conjured her. Because of the upcoming storm and the time of the year, the streets were deserted—something she hadn’t noticed until that moment.