Cardwell Ranch Trespasser(29)

He was surprised. “You’re sure?”

“I had the airline executive double-check. Because I called concerned about Dee Anna Justice, I figure they’ll take her into one of those little rooms and do an entire cavity search,” she said with a satisfied chuckle.

Colt was trying to make sense of this. Dee was really leaving tomorrow? Maybe she was just covering her bets.

“Not only that, Hud announced that he plans to take Dana on a trip to Jackson Hole beginning Sunday. Jordan and Liza are going to stay at the house for a couple of days and watch the kids.”

“You’re sure Dee isn’t going with them?” he asked.

“Definitely not. He said he hoped things calmed down once Dana put Dee on the plane.”

Colt bet he did. “Thanks for doing this, Annie. One more thing. I left a message for Hud—”

“There’s been a break in the burglary case in West Yellowstone. He was up there today and he’s coming back tomorrow. That’s probably why he hasn’t returned your call.”

Either that or he’d seen who’d called and didn’t want to deal with his suspended deputy right now. While Hud had to be having his own misgivings about Dee, Colt knew that the marshal would be skeptical even if Colt gave him the information he’d gathered in Tuttle—until he saw the photograph of Camilla Northland and her brother.

* * *

“YOU’RE IN LUCK,” the woman behind the counter told him. “I have one vehicle left. I’m afraid it’s our most expensive SUV.”

“I’ll take it,” he said, and pulled out his credit card. Getting the paperwork done seemed to take forever. He glanced at his watch. Not quite noon. While he was waiting for the woman to finish the paperwork, he’d checked.

It was twenty-two hours to Big Sky. That didn’t take into account the bad weather ahead of him. He knew he wouldn’t be able to make good time once he reached the snow. He would have to make up for it when he had dry roads.

But he could reach Big Sky by late morning. He just prayed that wouldn’t be too late.

Finally, she handed him the keys. A few minutes later, he was in the leather, heated-seat lap of luxury and headed north.

Hilde had sounded disappointed when he’d called to tell her the news. “But I’m glad you’re on your way. Just be careful. I checked the weather before you called. It looks like that storm is going to stay to the south of us.”

Neither of them had mentioned what they had said to each other earlier.

“I can’t wait to see you,” he said.

“Me, too.”

“I’d better get off and pay attention to my driving.” He’d hung up feeling all the more frustrated that he couldn’t get to her more quickly. Hud still hadn’t returned his call.

He pushed down on the gas pedal, hoping he didn’t get pulled over.

* * *

DEE SAW HOW disappointed Dana was at dinner when Hud told her he had to go up to West Yellowstone the next day. Any other time, Dee would have felt the same way.

She touched the small vial in her pocket. Hud didn’t realize how lucky he was. Now she could implement her plan without involving him. This was so much better.

“I should be back by late afternoon,” Hud was saying. “What do you and Dee have planned?”

“She flies out tomorrow afternoon, so it’s up to her,” Dana said. She and Hud looked at Dee.

“I just want to spend the morning here on the ranch with Dana and the kids,” Dee said. “I don’t know when I’ll get to see them again, so I want to make it last. If it’s nice, I’d love to take the kids on a walk. I saw those tandem strollers you have out there. I thought we could hike up the road, pick wildflowers...”

“That’s a wonderful idea,” Dana said. “I could pack a lunch.”

“You’re not going,” Dee said. “You are going to stay here and put your feet up and relax. You have been waiting on me for days. It’s my turn to give you a break. The kids and I can pack the lunch, can’t we?”

Mary and Hank quickly agreed. “I want peanut butter and jelly,” Mary said.

“Mommy’s strawberry jelly,” Hank added, and Mary clapped excitedly.

“Good, it’s decided,” Dee said. “You aren’t allowed to do any work while we’re gone. When was the last time you had a chance to just relax and, say, read a book or take a nap?”

Dana smiled down the table at her, then reached to take her hand to squeeze it. “Thank you. I really am glad you came all this way to visit us. I’m just sorry—” Her eyes darkened with sadness.

“None of that,” Dee said, giving her hand a squeeze back. “I can’t tell you how thankful I am that you invited me.”

As she sat picking at her food, the rest of the family noisily enjoying the meal, Dee counted down the hours. She could feel time slipping through her fingers, but she was relatively calm. Once she’d decided what she was going to have to do, she’d just accepted it.

She’d learned as a child to just accept things the way they were—until she could change them. There was nothing worse than feeling trapped in a situation where you felt there was nothing you could do.

That had been her childhood—feeling defenseless. She’d sworn that the day would come when she would never feel like that again. It took a steely, blind determination that some might have thought cold.

But the moment she’d lit that match so many years ago, she’d sworn she was never going to be a victim again.





Chapter Fourteen

Hud had been in such a good mood after dinner that he’d suggested one last horseback ride.

Dee couldn’t contain her excitement once she’d heard that it would be just the two of them. Dana had considered calling Liza to see if she would babysit, but one of the twins was teething and cranky, so she’d told Hud and Dee to go and have a good time.

“Oh, here,” Hud had said. “I picked up the mail on my way in. You had something, Dee.” Mail was delivered to a large box with Cardwell Ranch stenciled on the side. The box sat at the edge of Highway 191, a good quarter mile from the ranch house.

She took the envelope with the name Dee Anna Justice typed on it. The trust fund check. She hoped she would never have to use it. But it was always good to have money tucked away—just in case she had reason to leave town in a hurry.

Hud watched her open it, peek inside, then stuff the folded envelope into the hip pocket of her jeans. Having mail come to her in Dee Anna Justice’s name seemed to seal the deal as far as who she was. At least for Hud.

While he went out to saddle two horses, Dee insisted on staying in the house and helping Dana with the dishes. She could tell Hud had liked that.

Hud smiled at her now as she walked out to the corral where he was waiting. She smiled back, warmed to her toes. He seemed comfortable and at ease with her. She wouldn’t let herself think that his good mood had to do with her plans to fly out the next day.

It was the perfect evening, the weather cool but not cold. The sky was still bright over the canyon, the sun not yet set.

Dee let him help her into the saddle, loving being this close to him. She felt comfortable in the saddle. Hud could never love a woman who didn’t ride.

“I think I could get into horseback riding,” she said, as the two of them left the ranch behind and headed up into the mountains.

“You should check into riding lessons when you get home,” he suggested. “I’m sure they’re offered in New York.”

“Yes,” she agreed, reminded again that there was nothing waiting for her back in the city. She’d given up the apartment. Given up that life.

She considered what the real Dee Anna Justice would do once she realized Dee had borrowed her name. The best thing to do was send the check back. Put “Wrong Address” on the envelope. Dee Anna would never have to know.

That decided, Dee began to relax and enjoy the ride and the man riding along next to her. At that moment she was so content, so sure that everything was going to work out the way she’d planned it, that she couldn’t have foreseen the mistake she would make just minutes later on top of the mountain.

* * *

COLT MADE GOOD time, and by seven that night he wasn’t far outside Denver. He stopped for gas and coffee, figuring he had at least another fourteen hours minimum to go.

Hilde answered on the second ring as if she’d been waiting by the phone. “Where are you?”

He told her. “The roads haven’t been bad. I expect they will be worse the closer I get. I should be there by nine or ten in the morning. Get some sleep.”

“What about you?” she asked.

“I’m okay. When I first got into law enforcement I had to work some double shifts. I learned how to stay awake. Anyway, I’ll be thinking of you the whole time.”