Annabel pulled up to Willard’s Farm. This would be her last day on stakeout. Luis was returning from medical leave at the end of the week, and Annabel was mentally composing her speech on how she would inform Chief Murray that watching Jesse Willard’s farm was a conflict of interest. She couldn’t be objective about Jesse anymore.
Annabel wouldn’t help Jesse hide Regina, but she also didn’t believe he was knowingly concealing her. Though Chief Murray might ask uncomfortable questions, Annabel was prepared to answer them honestly. Well, mostly honestly.
She wouldn’t get into details about their between-the-sheets activities.
She needed to talk with Jesse. Telling him her revelation was best done in person. Though she wasn’t sure how he would respond, she’d tell him that she liked him. Liked him and wanted to move forward with their relationship. No meaningless quickies in the barn and no running out in the middle of the night. She was in this, wholeheartedly.
She climbed out of the car and walked up Jesse’s driveway. How would she start the conversation? What could she say to explain how she felt?
Striding to the front door, Annabel took a deep breath and knocked. Silence. She turned, looking around the farm. Jesse might not be home. He could be working in the fields. Feeling disappointed that her conversation would have to wait, she rang the doorbell, in case he was inside and hadn’t heard her.
She noticed the door was not latched tight, and her heart pounded. Was Jesse inside? Had he forgotten to pull the door closed?
Taking her gun in her hand, she radioed for backup. She might be overreacting, or Regina Willard might be on the other side of the door.
She pushed the door open with her foot. “Jesse?”
No response. She looked around the corner, raising her gun.
Her heart was roaring loudly, and it was hard to hear. She didn’t need an explanation for what was happening in front of her.
Dylan Morris was holding Jesse at gunpoint. Jesse was seated on the couch, and Dylan retreated a few steps, holding his gun between Jesse and her.
“Glad you came in. I told him to call for you. Like a good boyfriend, he refused. Didn’t want to put you in danger,” Dylan said.
If Dylan hurt Jesse, Annabel would kill him. That instinct knocked her off-kilter. She hadn’t felt the urge to harm someone as much as she felt it now when Jesse’s life was threatened. “This has nothing to do with him, Dylan. Let him go.”
Dylan laughed. “After what you put me through, you are in no position to ask for favors.”
What she had done? He was the criminal on the run. “Okay, Dylan. Let’s stay calm and talk about this.”
“I want you to stop following me. Stop stalking me. Stop sending your cop family after me. I want to live my life. I want to enjoy my life. I don’t want to be hounded everywhere I go. Your house blew up, and you still didn’t take the hint,” Dylan said.
He had implicated himself in setting the bomb at her house. Anger coiled around her, sharpening her senses and her thoughts. Dylan seemed oblivious to the fact that he had committed a crime and was a wanted man. She didn’t have the power to stop the Granite Gulch Police Department from looking for him. Her interest in him wasn’t personal. “I understand. The situation is tough. You need to let Jesse leave, and then we can talk.”
Dylan looked from Jesse to Annabel. “He should stay.”
“Then let’s put away our weapons. Shooting a cop won’t get the GGPD off your tail. That will bring every cop in Texas looking for you,” Annabel said.
Sweat dripped from Dylan’s forehead. “Stop talking for a second, so I can think.” He wiped at his face. “Why is it hot in here?” He looked around, and his gun lowered slightly.
Jesse launched himself from the couch and tackled Dylan. The gun went off. Jesse grabbed Dylan’s arm, pinning it above his head. Annabel stepped on Dylan’s arm until he released the gun. She removed it from his reach.
“Dylan Morris, you’re under arrest.” Annabel took great delight in listing his crimes. Jesse rolled him over, and Annabel handcuffed him.
She and Jesse dragged Dylan to his feet.
As they marched him down the driveway, Annabel heard the approach of police sirens.
“He was waiting in my kitchen when I came inside,” Jesse said. “I came in the back door. He must have used the front.”
“I’m glad you’re okay,” Annabel said.
“Were you here for another stakeout?” Jesse asked.
“Yes.”
“Why were you coming to the house?” Jesse asked.
Annabel took a deep breath. “Let’s get Dylan in the car, and we’ll talk.”
When they arrived at her police car, Annabel put Dylan in the backseat. She turned on the engine, letting the air-conditioning blow, and closed the door, locking him in.
She wouldn’t take chances of an escape by cracking the window.
“I was at Ethan’s last night. My brothers were with their significant others. At least, Sam, Ethan and Ridge were. They seemed happy. I was jealous.”
“Jealous of what?”
“They’ve found someone to spend their lives with. Someone who accepts them and cares for them and wants to be with them. They go home and have someone waiting for them. They can build a life and a home of their dreams and share it with someone who cares about them.”
Annabel took a deep breath. “Seeing them made me miss you. I’d been trying to keep you in a box, in a safe place, like you were some guy I was having a good time with. But you’re more than that to me.”
As the police pulled up to the car, Annabel wished she could have five more minutes. Sam and Trevor exited their car and jogged to their sister.
“Are you okay?” Sam asked.
“I’m fine. Dylan Morris was holding Jesse hostage. We worked together to stop him.”
Sam extended his hand to Jesse. They shook hands. “Thank you, Jesse. Thank you for looking out for our sister.”
“Annabel’s a good cop. She handled Dylan like a pro,” Jesse said.
The unexpected praise made her blush. “I did what I was trained to do,” Annabel said.
“You’ve impressed people, Annabel,” Trevor said. “I’ve been busy, but I’ve noticed how you’ve handled yourself in the field.”
“The chief has noticed it, too,” Sam said.
“Ready to take in your collar? The second most wanted person in Granite Gulch?” Trevor asked.
Annabel looked at Jesse. She had more to say, but it would have to wait. She didn’t want to talk about her feelings for him in front of her brothers. “Jesse, I’ll talk to you soon?”
He nodded. “Sure. I’m guessing I’ll need to give a statement to the police.”
She hadn’t meant him discussing his statement. She wanted to finish their personal conversation. No way was she saying that to Jesse in front of her brothers.
She climbed in the car, and Sam slid in the passenger seat. “You’re letting me drive?” she asked.
Sam smiled at her, pride obvious on his face. “Your collar. I’m here to assist.”
Her brothers were finally accepting her as their colleague, and it meant the world to her, but she couldn’t stop thinking about Jesse. They had much to discuss.
* * *
Annabel was greeted like a hero at the police precinct. Her fellow officers and detectives nodded their approval, patting her on the back. She hadn’t before felt like such a part of the team.
Dylan Morris was booked and was taken to questioning. He was smart enough to ask for a lawyer, but Annabel knew he would be charged with a variety of crimes.
“Ethan and Lizzie are making dinner to celebrate. You coming?” Sam asked.
She wanted to return to Willard’s Farm to talk to Jesse, but her family was celebrating her, her accomplishment. Bigger, her accomplishment as a police officer. How could she say she had other plans?
“That sounds great,” Annabel said. “I’ll call Lizzie and let her know I’m coming and see what I can bring.” It didn’t seem fair to infringe on Lizzie’s hospitality again, especially when she was pregnant. She appeared to enjoy being the hostess. Annabel couldn’t offer for the family to come to her burned-out shell of a house.
That evening, Annabel walked into Ethan and Lizzie’s place carrying a tray of fruit she’d picked up from the grocery store. The greeting she received from her siblings and their significant others and her friend Mia was overwhelming. Annabel set the fruit on the table and felt herself getting choked up.
Mia hugged her. “You caught him. That’s amazing.”
Annabel brushed her hair away. “It’s not like I caught the Alphabet Killer.”
“It’s still great,” Chris said. “I feel better knowing he’s off the streets.”
Annabel did, too. “I have other good news. On the drive over, I received a call from my home insurance company. They’ve approved the claim on the house, and renovations start in two weeks.”
Her family cheered.
“I have great news, too,” Sam said. Annabel looked at Zoe, expecting the news involved her. Sam rolled his eyes. “Not that kind of good news. We searched Dylan Morris’s girlfriend’s apartment. We found the supplies used to build the bomb that was set at your house and located seven firearms. One of them is a match to the gun used in the shooting at Willard’s Farm. Ballistics will confirm it’s a match, but my gut tells me the guy is guilty as sin.”
Relief rushed over her knowing the Alphabet Killer hadn’t been taking aim at her or Jesse. Dylan Morris was in custody, and with the mounting evidence, he would be in prison for a long time.
Mia thrust a glass of wine into Annabel’s hand. “To Annabel and the successful prosecution of that scumbag Dylan Morris. May he rot in prison and never hurt anyone again!”
Her family raised their glasses, and then Ridge prompted her. “Say something, Annabel. What’s on your mind?”
She had one prevailing thought. “I wish Jesse were here.”
* * *
Annabel sat across from Chief Murray. Her palms were sweaty, but she had to tell him about her and Jesse.
“Chief, I asked to speak with you today to let you know I’ve formed a friendship with Jesse Willard. Spending time with him, I don’t think I can be objective about the case.”
Chief Murray stared at her for an eternity. Was he thinking about disciplining her? Putting her back on the information desk? Firing her?
“That’s timely. If Regina Willard is planning to hide at Willard’s Farm, she is smart enough to avoid the cops. It’s not a good use of your or anyone else’s time to stake out the farm. I’m arranging for the entire department to do occasional sweeps, in case she shows up and for the safety of Jesse Willard and his staff. But we need to focus on other leads.”
Her shoulders relaxed. She wasn’t in trouble.
“I’ve been pleased with the way you’ve handled yourself in the field, and I want to see you take on more responsibilities. Luis is returning in a couple of days. He’s an experienced cop, and you two make a good team. I plan to give you more challenging assignments. Of course, I’ll still need someone to help Mrs. Granger and Cubbles, but that won’t be your full-time job.”
“Thanks, Chief,” Annabel said. The prospect of helping Mrs. Granger find her cat a couple times a week didn’t seem as bad, knowing she would have other interesting cases to work on.
“Dismissed.”
Annabel saluted and stood, hurrying from the office. It had gone better than she had hoped.
Now, she needed to talk to Jesse. She called his cell phone and left him a voice mail, asking him to call her as soon as he received the message. Then she waited.
* * *
Annabel was not prepared to face her father. She had thought she was. She had believed that she was emotionally capable of seeing him. But now, thinking of the long drive to the prison and what awaited her, she wanted to back out. Ask someone else to go for her. Would her father know who she was? Would her father recognize her?
How much information had Matthew collected on her and her siblings over the years? She believed he didn’t care about them, and that was easier for her to accept than to consider that he did care, that he had made a terrible mistake and regretted it. All criminals regretted being caught. Few regretted their actions.
Jesse hadn’t returned her calls. After visiting her father, she would go see him. Seeing her father would emotionally exhaust her and likely try her patience. Jesse would restore her. Being with Jesse made her feel whole and strong and capable.
Annabel was wearing comfortable clothes. She wasn’t dressing up for her father. He wanted to see his children before he died. He would see her. Could she sit across from him, the bulletproof glass between them, and say nothing, except to demand her clue? Would he try to antagonize her?
She had questions for her father, but she would not ask them. He was incapable of answering them in a manner that was satisfactory. Why give him the pleasure of lording something else over her?
Matthew Colton was dying. These were his last days on earth. Had anything changed? How would she feel when he was dead? Her father had been lost to her years before from the moment he had gone on a murder spree, killing individuals who reminded him of his brother. What she had left was Matthew Colton, like a cruel joke life had played on her, leaving a sick, twisted, bitter man in place of the father she would have liked to have.
Mia was at work. She had offered to stay home with Annabel or to drive with her to the prison, but Annabel could do this. She wanted to prove to herself she was strong enough.
She left the house, checking that she had her keys, phone and badge. She didn’t need her badge, but it was a safety blanket. Though she wouldn’t be so bold, she would have liked to slam it against the glass and show her father that he had created another police officer. She was on the team of people who found and arrested people like her father.
She froze on the sidewalk. Jesse was parked in front of Mia’s place, leaning against his car. All six foot something of his delicious cowboy self, clad in jeans and plaid, his Stetson resting on his head. He removed his hat as she approached.
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
“Came to town for church service. Tom proposed to Grace right after, and she accepted.”
“That’s great news,” Annabel said.
“I’m happy for Tom and Grace, but I’ve been thinking of you. I didn’t plan to come here, but my car had a mind of its own,” he said.
“I’ve been calling you.”
Jesse slipped his thumbs into his pants pockets, and Annabel’s lust hummed louder. “I needed time to figure out what I wanted to say to you.”
“Did you figure it out?” she asked, knowing she might not like his response. Given that she was about to face an emotionally challenging day with Matthew Colton, she should have put Jesse off. But it seemed as if they had been put off too many times and their relationship was too fragile to handle more distance.
“I don’t like dancing around my feelings for you. I don’t like going to sleep with you beside me and waking alone. If we’re going to do this, then we’re going to do it. I want to do this. I want you, and I have from the first moment I saw you.”
Her heart leaped with joy. He wanted to be with her. “I told my boss I couldn’t do any more stakeouts at your farm because we were involved.”
He arched a brow. “How’d he handle that?”
“He accepted it. The chief isn’t planning any more surveillance at your farm. We’ll have police cruisers driving by to ensure your safety, but no one believes you’re guilty.”
“Then you’re not involved in looking for my sister?” Jesse asked.
“No more than any other officer,” she said. They were touching on a delicate topic, but both of them were handling it well. It was welcome progress in their relationship. If they were going to be together, they’d have to face these issues. “As far as the GGPD and I are concerned, I can do this, and it’s not a problem.” She closed the distance between them and slipped her arms around his neck, lacing her fingers. She brought his mouth down on hers in a deep, soul-shaking kiss.
Her mouth coaxed his open, and then her tongue was sliding against his, dueling, tangling. His arms banded around her waist, his hat tapping the back of her thighs.
He broke the kiss. “How about we take this somewhere more private? This might be aboveboard, but I’d like my lady to maintain her reputation in town.”
She laughed. “Your lady?”
“I’d like to give you another name.”
She lifted her brow in question.
“My wife.” He pulled a ring from his jeans pocket. “This is the ring Frank gave my mother. It changed our lives for the better. I hope it does the same for us. Annabel Colton, will you marry me?” He kissed her then, a quick kiss on the mouth.
Emotion swelled inside, and her heart clamored with an immediate response. “Yes, Jesse, I’ll marry you.”
She was prepared to take his hand and follow him wherever he wanted to go, but then reality came down on her hard. “I would love to spend the rest of the day with you, but I have an appointment.”
“With your father.” He must have heard the heavy sadness in her voice.
“With my father.”
“I’ll drive you,” he said.
“I can handle it.”
Jesse frowned. “Don’t start that again. We made it official. We’re a couple, and that means I’m here for you, like I know you’ll be here for me when Regina turns up.”
When Regina was brought to justice, Annabel didn’t want him facing that alone and feeling as if he needed to shut her out. “We’ll do this together.”
He took her hand and squeezed it, bringing it to his mouth and kissing the back of it. “Together.”