Cardwell Ranch Trespasser(30)

He could hear the smile in her voice when she said, “Same here.”

He stretched his legs and got back into the SUV. He tried Hud again. His call went straight to voice mail. Cussing under his breath, he headed for the interstate.

His thoughts were with Hilde. What Camilla’s aunt had told him had him scared.

“Even when she was a little girl, if another child had a toy she wanted, she’d take it from her,” Thelma Peters had said. “If that child got hurt in the process, Camilla was all the more happy for it. I remember one time scolding her for that behavior. She must have been four or five at the time. She and her family had come for a visit. Her father was often out of work. I’ll never forget the way she turned to look at me. I remember my heart lurching in my chest. I was actually frightened.”

Thelma had taken a moment, as if the memory had been too strong, before she continued. “That child looked at me and said, ‘She should have given the toy to me when I told her to. If she got hurt, it’s her own fault. Next time, she’ll give it to me when I ask for it.’”

“What about her mother and father? They must have seen this kind of behavior and tried to do something about it.”

Thelma had shook her head sadly. “I mentioned what I’d seen to my sister. Cynthia wasn’t a strong woman. She said to me, ‘Leave her be. Camilla’s just a child.’ Herbert? He smacked her around, then would hold her on his lap and pet her like she was a dog.” The aunt had wrinkled her mouth in disgust. “That child worked him. Cynthia was too weak to stand up to her husband or her daughter.”

“And Richard?”

“He idolized his sister, did whatever she wanted. The two were inseparable. I’m not surprised they were together in Montana when he died.”

“There’s a chance she killed him,” he’d told her.

Thelma’s hand had gone to her heart. “It is as if something is missing in her DNA. A caring gene. Camilla has no compassion for anyone but herself. I always wondered what she would do with Richard when she got tired of him.”

“If she was responsible, why did she want her parents dead?”

Thelma had looked away. “I have my suspicions, ones I’ve never voiced to anyone.”

“You think Herbert was abusing her?”

Her face had filled with shame. “I tried to talk to my sister. I even called Social Services. Herbert swore it wasn’t true. So did Camilla.”

“You think your sister knew and just turned a blind eye.”

“That’s why Camilla killed them both,” Thelma had said. “I saw that girl right after the police called and told me about the fire and that my sister and brother-in-law were dead. Richard? He’s crying his eyes out. Camilla? Cool as a cucumber. She waltzes into the house and asks me what I have to eat, that she’s starving. She sat there eating, smiling to herself. I tried to tell myself that we all grieve in our own way. But it was enough to turn my blood to ice.”

* * *

AS THE SUN sank lower behind the adjacent mountains, Dee and Hud reached a spot where aspens grew thick and green.

They reined in and climbed off their horses to walk to the edge of the mountain. This view was even more spectacular than the one she’d seen on the four-wheeler ride into the mountains.

“It’s so peaceful here,” Dee said, as she breathed in the evening. The air was scented with pine and the smell of spring. She hugged herself against the cool breeze that whispered through the trees. Shadows had puddled under them.

Unconsciously, she stepped closer to Hud as she thought of the bears and mountain lions that lived in these mountains. Hud seemed so unafraid of anything. She loved his quiet strength and wondered what her life would have been like if she’d had a father like him. Or even a brother like him.

As she glanced at him, she told herself that life had given her another chance to have such a man to protect her.

“Hud.” Just saying his name sent a shiver through her.

He looked over at her expectantly as if he thought she was about to say something.

She didn’t think. At that moment, she felt as if she would die if she didn’t kiss him. No matter what happened, it was all she told herself she would ever want.

The kiss took him by such surprise that he didn’t react at first. She felt his warm lips on hers as she pressed her chest into his hard, strong one.

One of his arms came around her as if he thought she’d stumbled into him and was about to fall off the edge of the mountain.

Several seconds passed, no more, before he pushed her away, holding her at arm’s length. “What the—” His eyes darkened with anger. “What was that, Dee?” he demanded.

“I...I just—” She saw the change in his expression and knew that Hilde had warned him that she was after him. He hadn’t believed her—until this moment.

Hud shoved her away from him.

She felt tears burn her eyes and anger begin to boil deep in her belly. She wanted to scream at him, Why not me? What is so wrong with me?

Instead, she said, “I’m so sorry,” and pretended to be horrified by what she’d done when, in truth, she was furious with him.

“It was all of this,” she said, motioning to the view. “I just got swept up in it and, standing next to you...” She looked away, hating him for making her feel like this.

“We should get back,” he said, and turned to walk toward the horses where he’d left them ground tied by the aspens.

She tried to breathe out her fury, to act chastised, to pretend to be remorseful. It was the hardest role she’d ever played.

They rode in silence down the mountain through the now dark pines.

Dee thought about the kiss. She’d been anticipating it for days and now felt deeply disappointed. Hud had cut her to the quick. She could never forgive him.

Worse, he would now suspect that everything Hilde had said was true. Good thing she’d made that plane reservation for tomorrow. She couldn’t wait to get away from here.

* * *

HILDE GOT THE text from Dana the next morning as she was starting to open the shop.

u r rght abt D Im so—

She hurriedly tried to call her friend. The phone went straight to voice mail. “Dana, call me the moment you get this.”

Hilde stood inside the shop for a moment. The apparently interrupted text scared her more than she wanted to admit.

She called the sheriff’s office. If Hud was home... But she was told that Hud had been called away on a case in West Yellowstone.

So Dana was alone out at the ranch with the kids...and Dee.

Colt was on his way, but she couldn’t wait for him. She had to make sure Dana was all right.

Locking the shop, she headed for her vehicle, thankful Colt had changed her flat and retrieved it for her. Her mind was racing. The text had her terrified that something had happened. She drove as fast as she could to the ranch, jumping out of the SUV and running inside the house without knocking.

“Dana!” she screamed, realizing belatedly that she should have at least thought to bring a weapon. But she didn’t have a gun, let alone anything close to a weapon at the house or shop other than a pair of scissors. She shuddered at the thought.

Dana appeared in the kitchen doorway looking startled. She was wearing an apron and had flour all over her hands. “What in the—”

“Are you all right?” Hilde said, rushing to her.

“I’m fine. What’s wrong?”

“I got your text.”

“My text? I didn’t send you a text. In fact, I haven’t been able to find my cell phone all morning.”

Belatedly, Hilde remembered who’d answered Dana’s cell just the afternoon before. She looked around the kitchen as that slowly sank in. Dee must still have the cell phone. Dana hadn’t sent the text. But why would Dee send her a text that said she was right unless... “Where are the kids?”

“Hilde, you’re scaring me. The kids just left with Dee for a walk up the road.”

Hilde glanced around, didn’t see Angus and Brick. “The twins, too?”

“She took them in the stroller to give me some time to myself this morning.”

“No one is with her?” She saw the answer in her friend’s face. “We have to find them. Now.”

“Hilde, Dee might have her problems but—”

“Colt called me from Oklahoma.”

“Oklahoma? I thought he went to Denver?”

“He went down there to find out what he could about Rick. The woman you thought was Dee is his sister, Dana. When they were teenagers, the two of them were suspected of torching their house and killing their parents, but it could never be proven.”

Dana paled. “Dee is Rick’s sister?”

“Her name isn’t Dee Anna Justice. It’s Camilla Northland. Or at least it was.”