“Damn straight I’m upset about what those illegals did.” John Stevens scowled around his toothpick in response to Kelsey’s question.
They were sitting in the office of the former sheriff’s sprawling ranch home. After asking the rancher’s permission, Kelsey had gotten out her cell phone that was, as usual, set on record. She checked her list of questions as they talked.
“Exactly what happened?” Kelsey kept her expression professional, but her pulse beat a little faster at the heat in Stevens’s words.
He narrowed his hazel eyes, his scowl deepening. “A group of ‘em passed through the east pasture. Instead of climbing through the barbwire fence, they cut it with wire cutters. Hundreds of my cattle got out.” Stevens clenched his fists and his face reddened. “My herd got into some bad feed and it killed ‘em all. We’re talking thousands of dollars gone to hell.”
Before Kelsey could reply, a phone rang. Stevens withdrew a cell phone from the breast pocket of his plaid shirt and checked the display.
“ ‘Scuse me, ma’am.” He shifted in his seat and glanced toward the doorway. “I’ve got to take this call.”
“I’ll wait in the hall until you’re done.” Kelsey stood and wandered out of the ranch office as she heard Stevens answer the phone, speaking fluent Spanish.
As she waited for him, she studied framed photographs and newspaper articles on the man’s walls. Apparently the rancher was active in local politics. He and Mayor Montano shook hands in one shot. In other clippings, Stevens had posed with men and women who were local politicians and businessmen, according to the various captions.
A few minutes later, Stevens came out to the hall to let her know he was done with his phone conversation, but he’d have to cut their interview short. Kelsey followed him into the office, sat down, and hurried through the remainder of her questions. In some ways she was glad for the earlier interruption. The rancher seemed more relaxed, even jovial, after the phone call, as if he’d received good news.
When she finished the interview, Kelsey gathered her cell phone and laptop, and thanked the rancher. The phone rang again as she was leaving, and she told Stevens she’d see herself out.
As she drove the SUV along the dirt road leading from the ranch, she passed a vanload of people heading toward Sweetwater. The van was traveling so fast that a cloud of dust rose around it, and the driver almost swerved into Kelsey’s vehicle. She bit her lip as she gripped the steering wheel.
The man driving the van barely spared Kelsey a glance, even though he’d almost run her off the road. She clenched her teeth. Some people shouldn’t be allowed to have a license.
In the Turners’ study, Kelsey sat before her laptop computer. She typed in John Stevens’s responses to her questions as she transcribed the recorded conversation.
When she came to the part where she’d left the room and the rancher began to speak in Spanish, she started to fast-forward. She hadn’t even thought about the fact she’d left the phone on record when he took the call. She paused when she recognized one word.
Not a word—a name. Gordo. The same name Dee Carter-Reynolds had mentioned.
Was Stevens speaking to or about someone named Gordo? Or was he talking about something else altogether?
Kelsey’s cell phone rang, indicating a call was coming in and interrupting Kelsey’s train of thought. When she glanced at the display, she saw that it was her editor and put the phone to her ear. “Hey, Theresa.”
“How’s my favorite reporter and shopping bud?” Theresa’s pleasant voice flowed over Kelsey, making her homesick for her friend.
“Wonderful.” Kelsey smiled and sighed. “Couldn’t be better.”
“Mmmm-hmm. You sound awfully satisfied. Does that mean you’ve found yourself a decent man?”
Warmth crept up Kelsey’s neck, and she tried to keep her voice from betraying her. “What in the world makes you say that?”
Theresa snickered. “You can’t fool me.”
No use trying to keep anything from Theresa—talk about an investigative reporter. She’d been one of the best. The woman definitely could scent anything out of the ordinary.
Kelsey settled in the office chair and eyed the door of the den. “His name is Kade and he’s the most incredible man I’ve ever met.”
“Way to go.” Kelsey could picture Theresa’s devilish grin. “So, how’s he in bed?”
A wave of embarrassment swept over Kelsey. “Theresa.”
“I want details. Come on, give it up.”
“Well.” Kelsey glanced at the door again and lowered her voice. “The man is amazing.”
Theresa’s throaty laugh was so loud that Kelsey had to pull the phone away from her ear. “ ‘Bout time you found a real man. You deserve better than that loser you were married to.”
Kelsey picked at a loose thread on the hem of her blouse. “I’ll only be here a short time more.”
“You’re having fun, aren’t you?”
Smiling, Kelsey said, “He makes me feel beautiful.”
“You are beautiful,” Theresa said. “I’ve been telling you that for ages. You should never have listened to a damn word the jerk ever said.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Even though Theresa couldn’t see her, Kelsey brushed off the comment with a wave of her hand. “How’s Calinda? Keeping you company since I’m not there?”
A phone rang in the background as Theresa spoke. “We’re having lunch tomorrow.”
“Tell her hello for me.” Kelsey spun around in the chair. “Did you call just to chat?”
“Of course.” The sound of crinkling paper came over the line, probably Theresa shifting one of the many piles on her desk. “Well, that and I thought I’d check to see how your feature is coming along.”
Kelsey stuck out her tongue as she would have if Theresa were there. “Knew it—you had an ulterior motive.”
“That and to see if you’d found a man,” Theresa said with a laugh.
“Ha.” Kelsey rattled off a summary of what she’d learned so far.
“You rock, girl.” Theresa’s voice sounded more than pleased. “I’ve got one more question.”
Kelsey raised her eyebrows. “What’s that, dare I ask?”
“Even though you hopped in the sack with that hunk named Kade,” Theresa said with obvious mock-seriousness in her voice, “you’re still coming home on the eighteenth.”
Kelsey rolled her eyes. “What do you think I’m going to do? Park myself here permanently just because I met a man who’s incredible in bed?”
“I think that’s as good a reason as any,” Theresa said.
Letting out an exaggerated sigh, Kelsey said, “You’re incorrigible.” Theresa gave a wicked laugh. “Before you return home, just come up for air every now and then, okay?”
After Kelsey said goodbye, she punched off the phone, set it aside, and wandered into the kitchen. She was still smiling when she saw Kade’s mother. “Need help with anything, Sadie?”
“If you’d like, you can help me with dinner, but I won’t be starting it for at least an hour.” Sadie grabbed her gardening gloves off the counter. “I’m going to gather a few squash, tomatoes, and onions out of the garden.”
Trent tore into the room and almost smacked into Kelsey. “Hey, Kelsey. Wanna come outside and play with me in my hideout?” Kelsey looked from Trent to Sadie. “Sure, if your grandmother doesn’t need me in the garden.”
“You two go ahead.” Sadie picked up a wicker basket from the table. “It’ll give my ears some rest.”
Trent took Kelsey by the hand and dragged her through the orchard to where his hideout was hidden in the windbreak. His hand felt small and warm in hers.
Through the trees, Kelsey could see the dirt landing strip where Kade kept his plane, and she shivered. Beyond that, stubby mesquite bushes seemed to go on endlessly to the foot of the mountains. One thing she’d noticed about this part of Arizona was how she could see for miles and miles in the valley. No trees or hills blocked the view, other than those planted around the ranch house.
When they reached the playhouse, she scooted in after Trent and sat cross-legged on the floor.
“Wanna play chess or checkers?” Trent snatched a game board from a pile beside the toy box. “Dad and Grandpa taught me how to play both of those games and I’m really good.”
Kelsey laughed. “You’d probably destroy me at chess, so how about checkers?”
Trent set up the board in record time, and proved to be a great checkers player. She was amazed at the mature strategy he used to beat her.
When it became too dark to play anymore, they packed up the game and went back to the house. As soon as they walked through the door Kelsey saw Kade, his hair wet from his shower. Her pulse picked up and butterflies filled her belly.
“Dad.” Trent ran up to Kade and hugged him. “I beat Kelsey three times at checkers and she only won two times and then it got too dark and we had to come back into the house.”
Kade ruffled his son’s hair. “You’ll have to challenge her to chess next.”
“I did but she said I’d destroy her, so we played checkers.” Trent whirled and headed for the kitchen. “I’m so hungry I could eat ten peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I’m gonna ask Grandma what’s for dinner.”
When Trent raced around the corner, Kade grasped Kelsey’s waist and kissed her long and hard. “I’ve been wanting to do that all day long.”
“I’ve missed you.” She settled her head against his chest, her hands resting on his shoulders, allowing herself to feel wanted in his embrace. “How was your day?”
“Great, now that I’m home, and you’re in my arms.”