Destiny wiped her hands against the skirt of her sundress, wondering again if she’d lost her ever-loving mind. She must have, because she was wearing a dress—a dress for criminy sake—and she was sitting in a pew in the middle of a church service in Shiloh Springs. The last time she’d been inside a church was so long ago she barely remembered it. Yet here she was, bright and early on a Sunday morning, listening to the choir sing and praying she didn’t fall asleep halfway through the service.
She hadn’t slept a wink after she left Dane’s place the night before, her mind whirling with all the information she’d garnered. It felt surreal, almost like a dream, because the information he’d shared was too farfetched to be true. He couldn’t have surprised her more if he’d lobbed a live grenade into her hands like a hot potato. Yet the facts he’d presented, the data and painstaking research he had done, all led to the same conclusion. An unsolved secret over two decades old. A secret so potentially life-changing, somebody wanted it to stay dead and buried.
Of course, Dane’s revelation explained the huge bounty on his head. Seemed the idiot thought he was invincible. Ten feet tall and bulletproof. The knot in her stomach, the one that’d been there all night, tightened as she pictured him lying in a casket at the front of this church. Balling her hands into fists, nails digging into her palms, she drew in a ragged breath and swore she wasn’t going to let that happen. It would break something inside her to see him pale and lifeless. Not Dane. He was a vibrant, shining light. One she wanted to delve into, bask in its warmth.
She stood when everyone else did, heard the preacher give the final prayer to dismiss the service, and realized she’d missed the whole thing, so caught up in her thoughts to hear a single word.
“Destiny?”
She glanced in the direction of the masculine voice, recognizing it immediately. She gave a rueful smile. “Good morning, Ridge.”
Ridge shot her a curious look, his arm wrapped around his fiancée, Mary Margaret White, lovingly referred to as Maggie. She couldn’t get over how happy he was now that he’d met the love of his life. While working on a case, he’d fallen hard for the woman he was investigating, and helped the DEA catch the real drug smugglers who were using Maggie’s land to funnel drugs through Texas.
“Are you heading over to the Big House for lunch?”
“No. I haven’t been to church in a while and felt the need for a little divine guidance.”
Oops, I probably shouldn’t have said that. Now he’s gonna want to know what’s wrong.
“Anything I can help with?” Ridge’s immediate offer of help didn’t surprise Destiny. All the Boudreaus she’d met were like that. They were the first ones to step up in a crisis and offer help, and they held their friends in the highest regard. She’d felt an immediate kinship with Shiloh from their first interview, and she hadn’t hesitated to take him up on his job offer, though she’d originally started out working for his brother, Ridge. Though she could have worked remotely and stayed in California, she’d loaded everything she owned into a rental truck and headed for Texas without a qualm in the world. Of course, it wasn’t hard when you don’t have roots tying you to any one place, she mused.
“It’s nothing, I promise.”
“Well, if you’re not busy, why don’t you join us for lunch? Dad’s firing up the grill, and we’re all heading up to the Big House.” Ridge issued the invitation with a smile.
“Destiny? It’s lovely to see you here this morning.”
Uh-oh. Busted by Momma Boudreau.
“Good morning, Ms. Patti. It’s nice to see you, too.”
Patti Boudreau wore a pretty shirtwaist dress in a soft blush pink with buttons down the front and matching pumps. Her blond hair was styled in the way Destiny was used to seeing her, teased and backcombed to give it additional volume and added height. Being a petite woman, Ms. Patti always remarked she needed the additional inches to be visible in the sea of Boudreau menfolk, all of whom topped six feet. Destiny doubted anybody with half a brain would be able to overlook or ignore Patti Boudreau. The woman was a ball of energy and determination, with a personality that could dominate any crowd or situation.
“I heard Ridge invite you to lunch. Please come. We haven’t had a chance to really get to know each other, though you’ve worked for this one,” she jerked a thumb at Ridge, “for months now. Besides, we could use a few more women around today. I’m outnumbered and drowning in testosterone, especially with Nica back at school.”
“I appreciate the offer, but I’ve got some work I—”
Before she could finish her sentence, Ms. Patti rounded on Ridge. “You and your brother are working her too hard. Sunday’s supposed to be a day of rest, son. I thought your daddy and I taught you better.”
Ridge raised both hands. “Whoa, don’t blame me.” He shot Destiny a side-eye glare. “As far as I know, she finished what she was working on. I haven’t even had a chance to talk to her about the new assignment—which I was going to do in the morning.” His half-accusatory tone made Destiny wince. It hadn’t been her intention to get her boss in trouble with his mother. Plus, now he was going to start snooping into what she was working on outside her regular work. And she couldn’t afford to have jim start digging. Not after she’d given her word to Dane not to say anything to his family.
“Ms. Patti, when I said work, I didn’t mean job-related stuff. It’s simply a side project I’m doing in my spare time. More of a hobby you might say.”
A satisfied smirk tugged at Ms. Patti’s lips. “Then I guess that means you can come for lunch. We’ll expect you at the ranch.” When she motioned Ridge closer with a crooked finger, he leaned in, and she brushed a kiss against his cheek. Destiny’s gaze caught Maggie’s, who rolled her eyes and grinned. Guess she was used to the way the Boudreaus got what they wanted.
After Ms. Patti walked past, followed by Douglas, Destiny grabbed the small bag she’d shoved her wallet and keys into that morning. It felt odd carrying such a tiny purse when she was used to hauling everything around in a backpack. She’d figured, rightly, the camouflaged patterned backpack wouldn’t jibe with her church clothes, and she’d been right.
“You need a lift to the Big House?” Ridge’s hand lightly touched her arm. She’d almost forgotten he stood there with his fiancée because her mind was already wondering how long she’d have to stay for lunch before she could find an excuse to get back to her computer and dig for more. Information was her lifeblood, the thrill and excitement of digging and uncovering long-hidden and ofttimes forgotten tidbits was like an adrenaline-high to a junkie.
“Thanks, but I’ve got my car.”
“Great. See you there.” He and Maggie walked past her, and she followed behind them, passing Lucas and Jill on her way to the door. Spotting Heath and Camilla, she gave them a brief wave and shuffled out as quickly as she could, finally taking a deep breath once she slid behind the wheel of her nondescript sedan. Closing her eyes, she leaned her head against the steering wheel. A sharp rap on the passenger-side window had her jerking upright, and she stared into the eyes of Dane Boudreau. He motioned for her to lower the window.
“Momma said you’re coming to the Big House for lunch. Mind giving me a ride? It’ll give us a chance to talk.”
Giving him a brief nod, she waited until he climbed in and put on his seatbelt, then headed for Main Street. She didn’t say a word, deciding it would be prudent to let him initiate their talk. After all, the drive to the Boudreau ranch wasn’t a quick one. The sprawling estate—because she really couldn’t call it anything else—was nearly an hour outside Shiloh Springs. At least the official township. The whole thing was part of Shiloh Springs County and had been for generations. The Boudreaus had been part of the founding families of the town, something she had a tough time wrapping her head around. She’d never landed in one place long enough to call it home, much less had the kind of generational history they claimed.
“Sorry I dumped all my mess on you last night.” Dane’s deep voice held a hint of the Texas twang she associated with all the Boudreau guys. Each one of them epitomized the All-American cowboy, from the way they dressed to the way they talked. It wasn’t the stylized kind of metrosexual cowboy persona depicted by Hollywood in the movies. Nope, these guys were the real deal. Every single one of them had grown up working the family’s ranch, and even though they’d gone on to other jobs, professions that took them away from the ranching life, but never too far they couldn’t be counted on to lend a hand when needed.
But Dane, he was the real thing. An honest-to-goodness cowboy from the top of his Stetson to the tips of his boots. He worked the ranch, dealt with the day-to-day minutia. Everything from feeding the herd to branding and vaccines, he could and did do it all.
“I kind of inserted myself into said mess, since I’m the one who found the death threat. After that, it was my choice to keep snooping. I just didn’t anticipate falling nose deep into a decades’ old, real-life murder mystery. Kind of makes me feel like I’m part of the Scooby gang.”
Dane chuckled. “Which one are you, Danger-prone Daphne or Velma the Brain?”
“Definitely Velma. She was a total geek girl, so I feel a kinship. After all, geeks shall inherit the earth.”
“I always liked Velma. The girl had her own unique style and definitely was the brains of the outfit.”
Destiny nodded her agreement. “She definitely knew her way around the facts. So, if I’m Velma, who are you?”
Dane barked a laugh, before answering. “I’m probably the dog. I feel like I’m bumbling and stumbling my way through things, and every clue I uncover digs me deeper and deeper into a scandal I can’t seem to figure out.”
“Hey, don’t rag on the Scoobster. He was totally underestimated, and always figured the mystery out in the end.”
“Somehow I don’t think in my case it’s going to be the old real estate mogul in a monster mask who ends up the villain in our escapade.”
Destiny’s heartbeat fluttered in her chest at his use of our. Guess he really did intend to let her participate in his private investigation. Not that he could have stopped her, even if he refused to work side-by-side. Her curiosity was piqued. Without a doubt, she had to know the answers, because she couldn’t walk away from a puzzle. Especially one involving the hottie in the passenger seat.
“Are you planning on telling Douglas and Ms. Patti?”
Dane scrubbed a hand across his face and gave a weary-sounding sigh. She’d bet he hadn’t gotten much sleep the night before either. Then again, after what he’d disclosed to her, that wasn’t surprising. Simply thinking about it made her want to turn tail and run because once they started digging deeper, uncovering long-buried secrets, secrets somebody was willing to kill for, it wasn’t just Dane’s life that would irrevocably change.
“I know I’ll have to tell them. Hiding the information from them much longer won’t be feasible. I love them you know. I was only six years old when I came to live with them and became part of this amazing family. It was rough, I’m not gonna lie. I was a traumatized kid, ripped away from the only home I’d ever known. I’m quite sure the state labeled me a problem child because I wouldn’t talk. Not a word. I’d lived here for six months before I finally spoke.”
“I didn’t know that. I can’t imagine how hard that must have been on you and Douglas and Ms. Patti.”
“They both have a well of patience and love that’s unending. Douglas never treated me any differently than the others. He simply gave me a safe place to land when I was desperately afraid I’d be cast aside again.” A soft smile curved his lips. “Now Momma, on the other hand, she’s a nurturer, a born mother. She knew a traumatized, scared child when she saw one. In the beginning, she handled me with kid gloves, doing her best to make me feel safe and secure. She inherently understood my fear of losing my place. Even at six, I knew enough to not get comfortable with the things and places around me, because I’d inevitably be yanked from that reality and into another. But, Momma, she never wavered in her devotion to me. Her determination to make me understand that nothing and nobody would ever take me away. I had my place with the Boudreaus, and she promised me it was okay to settle down. To put down roots, and let them anchor me, not only to the land but to the family.”
Destiny blinked back the tears threatening to spill. Dane didn’t need to see her cry, especially since he’d opened up and revealed a bit of his childhood. It was not only refreshingly honest, but it made her like him more because of the devotion and love he showed for his parents.
“They adopted you?”
He chuckled, and the sound chased a shiver across her skin. “As fast as was legally possible. Which, as Momma tells it, wasn’t nearly quick enough. Of course, there were lots of legal maneuverings that had to be done by the state of Texas, since they had no records or knowledge of who I was or where I came from. I was a ward of the court because there was no record of my parents or any next of kin. Ginger, the woman who’d been taking care of me…well, she wasn’t able to give them any information.”
Destiny was smart enough to read between the lines. Besides, after her talk with Dane the night before, she’d looked up Ginger Benson when she’d gotten home. The more she’d read about the young woman, the more she’d liked her. She’d also read that Ginger had been killed by an alleged drug dealer during a score that went wrong. Cops had found her body beside a dumpster in a seedy part of Amarillo and closed the case. The police file she’d borrowed—she refused to call it hacking—made no mention of a child. Meaning they had no idea Ginger was taking care of Dane. Her heart ached for the little boy he’d been, alone and scared, with nobody to turn to.
“Anyway, I think we’re going to have to come up with a reason to give my parents about why you’ll be hanging around my place so much. While we’re working on the case. Otherwise, they are going to get suspicious. And if Nica’s home? My sister is nosy as all get out. If she even suspects something’s going on, she won’t let up until she’s got every juicy detail, no matter what it takes.”
“I hadn’t thought about that. Any suggestions?”
He chuckled and Destiny’s heart skipped a beat. Oh, man, whatever he’s about to suggest—it’s gonna be a doozy.
He gave her a beautiful smile. “Just one. Marry me.”