Cait’s heart raced. “RT,” she whispered, his name caught in her throat. The air between them quivered with tension. He’d been gone a month, and she hadn’t heard a word from him.
RT walked toward her.
“I didn’t expect to see you again,” she said.
“I said I’d be back.” His eyes drifted lazily over her.
“Where were you sent this time?”
“You know I can’t tell you.”
Cait tried to appear casual as her gaze swept over him, from the dark stubble on his cheeks and chin to his dusty boots as she looked for signs he’d been injured. When she first met RT in April, he was still recovering from a back injury he’d received while on a mission. As he stood before her now, he looked fearless, brawny, and too damned attractive. Seeing him again left her breathless, yet she managed to ask, “How did your mission go?”
A thin line creased his forehead. “We got the job done.”
She nodded, hating small talk. “That’s good.”
RT reached out and gripped her hand in his, pulling her to him. “Rook told me what’s going on. I’m sorry I wasn’t here for you, but maybe I can help now.”
He smelled fresh and clean, as if he’d just stepped out of the shower. “He said he’d talked to you,” she said.
RT nodded.
“Does he usually know how to reach you?” Cait remembered RT and Rook went back a long way, to when Rook’s younger brother and RT were on a SEAL mission together.
RT’s deep blue gaze locked onto Cait’s. “Not exactly. I called him when I arrived in San Diego three days ago. He told me someone from when you were a cop was stalking you and that you’d shot and killed the guy’s brother. I’ve been given a couple of weeks off. Rook and I will go after this guy.”
“What about Mindy?” She had met RT’s five-year-old daughter when his parents dropped by in April on their way to Utah. “She’s your first priority.”
“She is, but we spent three fun days together, went to Disneyland, reread my books on treasures from the bottom of the sea, rode horseback, and walked through my vineyard.” He smiled broadly. “Before I left San Diego, she asked if I was going to see the pretty lady who lives in Tasha’s yellow house. When I explained why I needed to come here, she wanted to give you a present.”
You’re the only present I need, she thought, but asked, “A present?”
“She picked it out just for you. It’s in my trailer.”
“Oh! June and Jim Hart’s RV is parked there now.”
He laughed. “I know. I saw it. I’m parked in the visitors’ lot. Rook explained everything, about the Harts and that you’ve got a couple of plays going on this weekend.”
“Rook said he’d be here. I was looking for him when I saw you.”
He tugged on one of her dark curls. “You get me instead.”
His touch felt like an electrical charge; his lips hovered over hers.
“This must be the infamous RT,” June said, walking up behind them with Detective Rook.
Cait pulled her hand from RT’s, feeling like a teenager caught kissing behind the school. Her cheeks flared with embarrassment. My God, I’ve never been drawn to another man as I am to RT. Not even my late ex-husband when we first met.
Rook smiled and shook RT’s hand. “You look damn good for someone who’s been on a volatile mission.”
Cait wondered if Rook knew where RT had been for the past month. “RT, this is June Hart, Tasha’s friend. When June and her husband retired, they offered to help me with the festival.”
RT smiled and reached out to shake June’s hand. “I met your husband a few minutes ago. He mistook me for Cait’s stalker until Marcus stepped in and introduced us.”
“Lucky for you Marcus was there,” June said.
Cait looked at Rook. “I promised you lunch. If anyone else is hungry—”
“Nothing for me, thanks,” Rook said. “I had a sandwich at my desk.”
“I stopped for a bite outside of town,” RT said. “I want to hear everything that’s happened since I left, who this guy is, and what kind of security is planned.” He shot Rook a questioning look. “You got a plan to pick this guy out from a couple hundred strangers?”
“I’m working on it,” Rook said.
Cait watched RT, his intense body language and his focused blue eyes, as she thought about the very private world SEALs worked in. He was a warrior; she wondered if he could turn that aspect of himself off and live a normal life.
They settled in the kitchen where Jim, Marcus, Ilia, and Fumié joined them. Detective Rook had briefed RT earlier about Cait’s situation. She filled in the details, including her recent conversation with Shep about the Dillon brothers and his meeting Manning’s daughter.
“Shep is investigating Calder Manning thoroughly,” Cait continued. “He asked Manning’s mother for a picture of her son, but she refused. Because he’s a journalist reporting from war zones, she wanted to protect him from the public and protect his young daughter. Shep didn’t press it because the little girl was in the room.” She looked at RT. “Have you heard of Calder Manning? I’ve only seen a shadowy image of him in fatigues on the Web.”
“Depends on his assignment and the location he’s assigned to,” RT said. “Don’t believe everything you see in the news or the Web. Manning could be working exclusively undercover.”
Her eyes bright with interest, June asked, “You mean like a secret agent?”
One corner of RT’s lips curled. “Anything is possible. I’ll collect on a couple of favors and see what comes up. No guarantees, but I might be able to get a photo of Manning.”
Cait relaxed at the kitchen counter, more content than she’d been since RT left a month ago. If he says he’ll do something, he will.
“I want to meet the actors and stage crew,” RT said, sliding off his stool. “But first, let’s head over to my trailer.” He winked at Cait. “To see your present from Mindy.”
Cait wondered what RT was up to, but she secured the house and walked with the others to RT’s trailer.
Cait stopped and pushed her sunglasses up on her head at the sight of the familiar silver vintage Airstream trailer hitched to RT’s black Hummer. The sun sparkled off the twenty-four-foot 1970 trailer, which was parked in the back of the lot away from cars and trailers belonging to the actors and crew. Seeing his home away from home stirred memories that were best left alone—memories she didn’t want to dwell on, because RT would leave again in a couple of weeks, or sooner if recalled. Never enough time to build a lasting relationship.
“You coming?” RT asked.
She slipped her sunglasses over her eyes and closed the doorway to her emotions. “I’m used to seeing your trailer on the other side of the house.”
“I hope it doesn’t take up too much space,” he said. “I could move it—”
A sudden banging of doors and loud swearing interrupted RT. “Dammit! I’ll have someone’s ass for this!”
Fumié jumped.
“Ray’s blowing off steam again,” June said. “I wonder what’s wrong this time.”
Everyone hurried to a large white panel truck and found Ray Stoltz leaning inside the door. Ray slammed his hand against the truck and continued his ranting. “This place is a damn nightmare. Nothing’s safe.”
“Calm down, Ray. What’s wrong?” Cait asked.
“What does it look like? Someone broke into my truck!” He reached into his shirt pocket for his cell phone. “I’m calling the police. If I were you, Cait, I’d forget all about the festival and hightail it back to wherever you came from. This place is one giant headache.”
“You’d miss me if I left. You wouldn’t have anyone to pick on,” Cait said.
Rook stepped forward before Ray could call 911. “I’m Detective Rook. We’ve met before, but I don’t remember your name.”
Ray stared at the detective for a moment. “I remember you. I’m Ray Stoltz, stage manager of this festival.”
“Was anything stolen?” Rook asked.
“Obviously, or the door wouldn’t be standing wide open like this. I know I didn’t leave it open.”
“You checked to see if anything is missing?” Rook asked.
“No, but I will,” Ray said.
“You do that while I look up front.” Rook opened the driver’s door. “Did you leave the windows down?”
Ray grunted and glanced at Rook. “It’s hot. I left one open a little. The doors were locked. Dammit! My best hammer’s not in the tray where it belongs!” He ducked inside the truck.
“Maybe you left it in one of the theaters,” RT said.
Ray turned. He smiled at RT. “Where did you come from? Maybe you can catch the smartass who stole my hammer.”
“That’s the plan, Ray,” RT said. “Keep looking and let us know if you find your hammer or if anything else is missing.”
“Found scratch marks on the inside of the door,” Rook said. “Looks like someone used a hanger to reach in the window and slip up the lock.” He glanced up with a smile on his face as he held up a gum wrapper. “You chew Dentyne Ice, Ray?”
Ray shot Rook a look as if the detective had lost his marbles. “Never touch the stuff.”
Cait wondered what had gotten into Ray. She’d never seen him this uptight. She watched Rook pull a small plastic bag from his back pocket and drop the gum wrapper inside.
Ilia whispered to Cait, “What do you think is going on with Ray besides his truck being broken into?”
“I don’t know,” she said.
Rook closed the driver’s door. “I’ll be here for awhile. Let me know if you want to file a police report.”
When they went to RT’s trailer, RT said, “Wait here.” He unlocked the door and disappeared inside long enough for Cait to wonder if he’d fallen asleep.
After a few minutes, Ilia knocked on the trailer door. “Need help in there?”
The door swung wide open.
Out jumped a dark brown dog restrained by a leash in RT’s hand.
Cait’s jaw dropped. Nothing could have surprised her more.
RT led the dog over to Cait and handed her the leash. “His name is Niki. He’s a chocolate lab retriever, six months old.” He grinned. “Mindy’s gift to you. She worries about you being alone up here and picked this pup just for you.”