MIDNIGHT SENT A grayish haze across the deserted road that snaked its way along toward the Jemez Mountain that loomed in the distance. Tschicoma—the highest point—stood guard in the night.
A half mile from Gary’s place, Leann shut off the headlights and used the moon to guide her. She could see well enough to stay on the road, although she managed to drive into or over every dip and bump.
Just past Gary’s place, she ran into the biggest obstacle: Gary. He stood in the middle of the road with his flashlight aimed at the ground. Smart man. He didn’t want to blind her. Never mind that she could have killed him.
She stopped her car and waited for him to walk to her window, which she rolled down.
“I heard headlights were invented for a reason,” he mused.
“I kept them off because I didn’t want to risk waking the boys.”
“Seems you missed my place,” he pointed out.
“I wanted to see if everything’s all right up at Russell’s cabin.”
“Alone in the dark?”
Busted. He stared down at her, his eyes unfathomable in the night’s hue. Finally, she opened the door, exited and stood beside him leaning against the side of her car. She wasn’t sure if she was putting off going to Russell’s cabin or acting on the invisible pull she felt whenever she was around Gary.
“Just me, my Glock and the years of experience on the force,” she informed him.
One side of his mouth twitched. She wasn’t sure if he was laughing at her or feeling chagrined. All he said was, “The place was fine at eight when we got the sleeping bags and games.”
Usually, Leann expressed her thoughts quickly and cohesively, but there was something about the shadows of the night running their fingers through the surrounding trees. Either she blamed the shadows or she had to admit that Gary, standing so close to her, had her on sensory overload.
He deserved to know what was going on. Quickly, she told him what she knew about Jace’s being located and the plan for tomorrow.
“I’ve sent Oscar a text to fill him in. I imagine he’ll be getting back to me soon. I even called my mother, but she’s not heard from him either. She says when a Guzman goes on a second honeymoon, he’s bright enough to turn his phone off.”
Leann smiled and pushed away from the car, away from Gary. “Jace might have been to Russell’s while we were at your place. I want to do a check on Russell’s...”
Gary was around the car and entering the passenger side before she could finish.
“You need to stay with the boys.” Unfortunately, her voice cracked a bit, but at least it didn’t squeak. Good. She swallowed and added, “Their safety is my first priority.”
“Agreed. Russell’s with them. He was in the 213th Field Artillery Battalion—”
“Eighth Army,” she finished. “He’s also three times your age.”
She got back behind the wheel. Silently they drove up the curving road. Gravel crunched under the tires as Leann pulled as close to Russell’s house as she could.
She opened her car door and stepped out before Gary could act all gallant. Taking the lead, she headed up the walkway. Thankfully this time, the cabin’s door was locked. Gary produced a key. The house smelled of popcorn and Old Spice, somewhat comforting and definitely Russell.
Nothing seemed out of place. An old newspaper, dated last week, was on the coffee table. Candy wrappers were scattered next to it. Russell’s bed was rumpled. He was as bad as her two boys. A few dishes were in the sink, and a giant convenience store plastic cup was on the table.
“Mine,” Gary admitted, opening the back door.
Both their flashlights played across Russell’s backyard.
“I was more than impressed the other day when we were shooting,” Gary shared, almost sounding apologetic but not quite. “Russell told me about how hard you’ve always worked at building your qualifying numbers.”
“I need to work harder, maybe come up here on my days off while the boys are in school.” If he were anyone else, Leann would have swallowed her pride, asked for him to tutor her. But, he was Oscar’s brother, and she knew why Gary so desperately wanted to get ahold of Oscar. It wasn’t just that the chief had been hurt and they were shorthanded.
“Russell says you have potential,” Gary finally said as they moved past the outskirts of Russell’s yard.
“That’s me, Leann who has potential.”
“Russell also says practice will take you from potential to proficient.”
“Russell talks too much.”
“My brother says the only thing he has over you, when it comes to the promotion, is shooting ability.”
Leann frowned. Now she knew why Gary sounded almost apologetic.
“It’s not the only thing he has over me,” Leann admitted. “He’s got FBI training that allows him to see big-picture details that I miss because I tend to focus on what’s in front of me.”
“Focus is a good thing.”
“If one knows when and how to use it,” she agreed. “Oscar knows how to focus, too.”
“You know, I could maybe help.”
Leann was saved from answering when her knees encountered a small fenced-in enclosure. “What’s this?”
They aimed flashlights and then stepped back, realizing they’d stumbled upon a small, private cemetery. Leann had heard that many Native Americans buried their dead on their property. But, she’d been visiting Russell for years. How had she missed this tiny graveyard nestled in a corner of his property?
“Don’t go in,” she warned.
“Why?”
“It’s not right.”
Instead, they aimed the flashlights on the small markers, noting the one that looked the most recent, which would be Angela’s. Leann could only shake her head as she stared at the graveyard, imagining Russell caring for it with pride and love. They backed away. She listened to the sounds of the night as they walked to Russell’s house.
“Nothing out of the ordinary,” Gary said, reaching out a finger to trace her chin. It wasn’t cold and the weather had nothing to do with Leann’s shiver.
His hand cupped her cheek, and although she knew he wasn’t doing anything magical, the movement seemed to draw her closer.
She reminded herself that, yes, they were opposites, and yes, it would be wiser to run, but her heart answered the pull.
His lips settled over hers: warm, questing. She felt the heat all the way to her knees. Right now, she felt so safe in his arms. She fit there perfectly.
One of his hands curled around the back of her neck. The other gently rubbed across her shoulder blades. It had been so long since she’d felt this way. She reveled in his touch. Her lips responded to his.
Coyotes yipped, and Leann pushed against the desire that had her wanting to get lost in this man. She couldn’t, not now. Out of breath, she whispered, “We shouldn’t be doing this...”
“Why not?”
“I’m—I’m not ready.”
She stepped back, managed to break their connection.
Gary nodded, let go of her hands and grinned. “You did kiss me back.”
“Well, yes, I...” Her throat constricted. She had kissed him back, and more than anything she wanted to do it again.
But, the timing was all wrong, not to mention everything else on her plate. She had house payments, orthodontist bills, a promotion to earn and an ex-husband who was arriving back in town tomorrow.
“I gotta go,” she stammered. Then, she turned and ran to her car, but she had to sit there, wait for him to open the passenger side door and join her. His presence filled the vehicle. Worse, his touch lingered on the back of her neck and his taste was on her lips.
IT WAS COLD. Gary sat in a chair and sipped coffee, thinking that if it weren’t for Russell snoring away in his sleeping bag, that Gary would go inside the camper and curl under a dozen blankets for a real snooze.
Well after eight, Russell finally sat up, looked around and remarked, “I slept through Leann getting her kids. Why didn’t you wake me?”
“No need.”
“How’s the chief of police?”
“As of last night, still the same. They’re monitoring him closely in the hospital. It’s a head injury. I can’t find out anything else.” Gary handed over a cup of hot coffee and gave Russell a moment before saying, “There’s a chance Jace was driving the truck that hit the chief.”
Russell shook his head. “Jace wouldn’t leave the scene of a crime.”
“He was found soon after. He’s on his way to Sarasota Falls from the station in Springer.”
“I don’t believe it. First, Jace knows Tom Riley and would have stopped. Second, Jace has been one with the forest all his life. If he wanted to hide, he’d not be found.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“I am.” Russell set his coffee down on the ground and crawled the rest of the way out of his sleeping bag. Gary hoped he was as nimble at that age. He’d taken longer to get moving this morning, and he felt like he’d not slept at all.
Russell had been making himself at home for weeks. This morning was no different. He headed for Gary’s camper, disappeared for all of two minutes and then emerged to grab the coffee cup and order, “Take me up to my cabin, please.”
Any other day, Gary wouldn’t have blinked. Any other day, Russell would have wanted to talk. Yesterday, while Leann dealt with the situation with Chief Riley, Russell had been the center of attention, keeping the boys’ minds off their missing mother. Gary had been transported back to childhood and catch football, stories and games.
“What are your plans?”
“I need to head to town, find out what’s going on.”
“I’ll drive you,” Gary offered, knowing that if he didn’t, the old man would drive himself.
“I can get there. I’m not that decrepit.”
“Didn’t say you were.” Gary emptied the last of his coffee, stood, stretched and motioned toward his truck. “I’ll take you home first. If you’re going to be looking for a lawyer, you’ll need to shower and change your clothes.”
“Nothing wrong with me or my clothes.” Now Russell was getting annoyed.
“Didn’t say there was,” Gary responded easily. “You already have a lawyer in mind?”
“No.”
“How about we stop by to see my aunt Bianca? If her lawyer’s not the right fit, she’ll have advice on who to recommend.”
An hour later, they made it to the outskirts of town. “I used to know everyone here,” Russell groused. “Now I don’t know anybody.”
“What did your family do?”
“We raised sheep,” Russell said. “You take a look at all of those old trails back behind your place. Most of them are from the days we’d be taking the sheep back and forth from winter range to summer pastures.
“My mother got rid of most of the sheep when she was in her eighties. She said two years with no profit was enough for her. Plus, without us boys to help, her heart wasn’t in it. I’m the only one who survived the war to come back to her.”
“I’m sorry.” Gary thought about his mother, how she’d prayed for him and Oscar when they were both in Afghanistan. She’d practically forbidden Hector to even consider the military.
“It was a long time ago,” Russell said as the tires of Gary’s truck skidded over the gravel that made up Bianca’s small parking area. There were three newish cars parked. Since she had four rooms to rent, Gary hoped it meant she was full.
Gary parked his truck alongside the guesthouse, turned off the engine and went around to help Russell out, help that Russell shook off.
Two families, complete with teenagers and one Chihuahua, were just leaving when Gary and Russell entered the dining room. “Hurry,” one of the mothers urged, “or we’ll miss the train.”
They all waved at Bianca and left.
“When did the train start running again?” Russell asked.
“Today.” Bianca headed for the kitchen, with Gary and Russell right behind. Without asking when they’d last eaten, she fired up the grill and took bacon and sausage from the fridge. “You want hash browns, too?”
“No, ma’am,” Russell said, already scooping the leftover eggs she’d offered onto a plate.
“The city council’s all excited about the historic train bringing more tourists to the area. Gotta say,” Aunt Bianca shared, “I have guests for each weekend the coming month. Course, most of them are friends of the family who are doing the renovation of the train.”
“I rode that train many a day,” Russell said.
“Me, too,” Aunt Bianca shared. “I hear they’re hoping to repair the line all the way to Santa Fe.”
Russell nodded. “That would be something.”
“But that’s not why you’re here.”
Russell stopped eating, wiped his hands with a napkin and said, “I’m hoping you can recommend a lawyer. I don’t think I really need one because it doesn’t make sense what they’re telling me Jace has done, but I want to be ready.”
Bianca moved aside, motioning for Gary to take over. He took over turning both the sausages and strips of bacon. Aunt Bianca and Russell sat at the kitchen nook and Russell told her everything going on.
“Have you spoken to Lydia about how far this has gone?” Aunt Bianca asked when he finally finished.
“I’d rather not.”
“Get out your cell phone. I know you have one.”
“What?” Russell sputtered.
“You heard me. Get out your cell phone. Call Lydia. It’s been a couple of years since her last visit and it’s past time.”
“She’s working and has family—”
“You are part of her family.”
“But—”
“This is for Jace. They were always close. If you don’t call her, she’s going to be hurt.”
Russell took out his cell phone. His fingers shook a bit, but once his granddaughter answered, his forehead smoothed out and he relaxed a bit.
Sitting at the kitchen table, the faint sound of country music in the background, Aunt Bianca said, “You’ve made a good friend there.”
“Yup.”
“I hear you’ve a good friend in Leann.”
“Don’t match-make, Aunt Bianca.”
“Oh,” she laughed, “I don’t need to. You’ve handled it all yourself.”
Gary couldn’t seem to find the words to disagree.