Cardwell Ranch Trespasser

chapter Nine

“Dee,” Hud said the moment there was a lull in the conversation.

She’d chosen a private booth at the back of the local bistro and had been doing her best to entertain him with fabricated stories about her life.

He’d laughed at the appropriate times and even blushed a little when she’d told him how she’d lost her virginity. Well, how she could have lost it if it wasn’t for her real life. Her fabricated story was cute and sad and wistful, just enough to pluck at his heartstrings, she hoped. She had Dana where she wanted her. Hud was another story.

She’d noticed that he’d seemed a little distracted when he’d sat down, but she’d thought she’d charmed away whatever was bothering him.

“Dee,” he repeated when she’d finished one of her stories. “I have to ask you. How much do you know about Rick?”

The bastard was dead, but not forgotten. She’d been relieved earlier when she’d stopped by Needles and Pins to learn that Rick hadn’t had a chance to tell Hilde anything of importance. Had he lived much longer, though, he would have spoiled everything.

“What do you mean?” she asked, letting him know he’d ruined her good mood—and her lunch—by bringing up Rick.

“I found three different forms of identification on him in three different names.”

The fool. Why had he taken a chance like that? Because it was the way they’d always done it. So she knew he was planning to start over somewhere else—once he got money from her. If she could have sent him straight to hell at that moment, she’d have bought him a first-class ticket.

“I don’t understand.” It was the best she could do. Now the marshal would look into Rick’s past. It was bound to come out who he really was. Damn him for doing this to her. He really was going to ruin everything.

“Did you suspect he might not be who he said he was?”

She let out a nervous laugh. “He’s Rick Cameron. I met his friends. He even had me talk to his mother one time on the phone. She sounded nice.”

“I think he lied to you,” Hud said gently.

She let him take her hand. His hands were large and strong. She imagined what they might feel like on the rest of her bare skin, and she did her best to look brokenhearted. She even worked up a few tears and was pleased when Hud pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to her.

“Thank you. I don’t know what I would have done if this had happened in New York. I have friends there, but at a time like this it is so good to be around family.” She gave him a hug, but not too long since she felt him tense.

Hilde. The blasted woman had warned him. Of course she had.

“You are so lucky to have such a wonderful family,” she said. “Dana is amazing and the kids...what can I say?”

He nodded and relaxed again. “I am lucky. And Dana is so happy to have found a cousin she didn’t know she had.”

“I feel as if I’m wearing out my welcome, though.” He started to say something. Not to really disagree, but to try to be polite. “I’ll be taking off Saturday. Dana’s invited me back for a week next year. I hope she and Hilde regain their friendship. I know it’s not my fault, but still...”

Hud smiled. “They’ll work it out. I’m just glad you came out to the ranch. You’ll have to keep in touch.”

“I’ll try,” she said, furious that between Rick and Hilde, they’d managed to ruin her lunch with Hud and force her to move up her plan—because she wasn’t leaving Cardwell Ranch.

* * *

WHEN DANA OPENED the door, Hilde saw her expression and felt her heart drop. She thought of all the times she’d stopped by and her best friend had been delighted to see her. Today wasn’t one of those days.

“Hilde?” She looked leery, almost afraid. How ironic.

Hilde wanted to scream, I’m not the one you should fear! Instead she said, “I bought those ice cream sandwiches the kids like.”

Dana glanced at the bag in her hand, but didn’t move.

“I won’t stay long. I just haven’t seen the kids for a few days now. I’ve missed them.”

“Auntie Hilde?” Mary cried and came running to the door. She squeezed past her mother and into Hilde’s arms.

She held the adorable little girl close. Mary looked just like the pictures Hilde had seen of Dana at that same age. Was that another reason Dee had been able to fool Dana? Because there was a resemblance between Dana and Dee, one no doubt Dee had played on?

“We’re making pies!” Mary announced, as Hilde let her go. “Come on, I’ll show you.”

Hilde took the child’s hand and followed her through the house. Dana had been forced to move out of the doorway, but she looked worried as Hilde entered. What did she think Hilde was going to do? Flip out in front of the kids?

“These are beautiful,” Hilde said when she saw the pies. The kitchen looked like a flour bomb had gone off in it. Dana was so good at letting the kids make as big a mess as they had to. She was a great mother, Hilde thought as she looked up at her friend and smiled.

Dana seemed to soften. “Would you like a pie?”

Hilde shook her head. Only a few days ago, Dana would have asked her to stay for dinner and have pie then. Now she seemed anxious that Hilde not stay too long. Dee would be returning.

“We’d better put these in the freezer,” Hilde said, handing Dana the bag with the ice cream sandwiches.

“What do you say to Auntie Hilde?”

“Thank you, Auntie Hilde,” Mary and Hank chimed in. Dana stepped out on the old back porch to put the ice cream in the freezer.

“I’m taking off now,” Hilde called. She said goodbye to the kids, then hurried back into the living room and up the stairs. She assumed Dana had put Dee in the guest bedroom. Hilde had stayed over enough; she almost thought of it as her own.

The door was closed. She opened it quickly and stepped inside. The curtain was drawn so it took her a moment before her eyes adjusted. She knew she had to move quickly.

Dee’s cosmetic bag was on the antique vanity. She hurried to it, trying not to step on the floorboards that creaked. Taking the plastic bags out of her purse, she used them like gloves. They were awkward, but she managed to pick up a bottle of makeup, then spied Dee’s toothbrush. DNA. She grabbed it, stuffed both into her purse again and hurriedly moved to the door.

Opening it, she stepped out and was partway down the hall headed for the stairs when Dana came up them.

“Hilde?”

“I’m sorry, I just needed to use your bathroom. I hope you don’t mind. I drank too much coffee this morning.”

Dana relaxed a little. She, of all people, knew about Hilde’s coffee habit.

“Thank you for letting me see the kids.”

Tears filled her friend’s eyes. “I hate this,” Dana whispered.

“Me, too. But we’ll figure it out. We have to.”

Dana nodded, looking skeptical. Who could blame her?

Hilde smiled and touched her shoulder as they passed. She practically ran down the stairs. Dee would realize her makeup and toothbrush were missing. And knowing Dee, she would figure it out.

As Hilde climbed into her SUV, she saw Dana watching her leave. Colt would be furious. He’d realize what was just sinking in for her. Dee had warned her numerous times. The next time they crossed paths, Dee would make sure Hilde Jacobson was no longer a problem.

Hilde just hoped before that time came that she would have the proof she needed to stop Dee Anna Justice—or whoever the woman was.

* * *

DEE CALLED STACY after her unsuccessful lunch with Hud. Dana had told her that Stacy had a part-time job as a nanny. Dee was hoping that meant Stacy could get away long enough to talk.

“I was just in town and thought maybe we could have a cup of coffee somewhere,” she said when Stacy answered. Dee had gotten her number from the little book Dana kept by the downstairs phone. She’d gotten Hilde’s cell phone number out of the book as well.

“Coffee, huh?” Stacy asked.

“Okay, you found me out. I do have some questions about the family.”

Stacy laughed. “So you called me. Sure, I know where all the bodies are buried. Do you know where the Greasy Spoon is, off Main Street?”

“No, but I can find it. Ten minutes?”

“I’ll have to bring the kids, but they have a play area at the café.”

Dee was waiting when Stacy came in with two toddlers: Ella, who she said was now over a year old, and Ralph, the two-year-old she babysat. Stacy deposited the two kids in the play area and came back to sit down with Dee. She could watch the children from where they sat.

“Who names their kid Ralph?” Dee asked.

Stacy shrugged and helped herself to the coffee and mini-turnovers Dee had ordered for them. “Named after his wealthy grandfather.”

“Then I can see why they love the name,” she said and laughed. “I hope I’m not putting you on the spot.”

Stacy’s laugh was more cutting. “You want to know about me and Dana and Hud, right?”

Dee lifted a brow before she could stop herself. “You and Hud?”

“Dana didn’t tell you?”

She lied. “She hinted at something, but I never thought—”

“To make a long story short, Hud and Dana were engaged. I was strapped for money, and truthfully, I was always jealous of Dana. Someone offered me money to drug Hud and get him into my bed so Dana would find him there. It was during a really stupid part of my life. Thankfully my sister forgave me, but it split Hud and Dana up for five years—until the truth came out.”

“Wow.” Dee hadn’t expected this. “Dana mentioned a rift with you and her brothers after your mother died?”

Stacy’s laugh held no humor. “We were all desperate for money. Or at least we thought we were. So we wanted to sell off the ranch and split the money. Since our mother’s old will divided the ranch between us...”

“But then the new will turned up.”

Stacy nodded. “We treated Dana really badly. Family had always meant so much to her... It broke her heart when we turned against her. I will never forgive myself.”

“Families are like that sometimes,” she said, thinking of her own. “I’m just so glad that Dana found me and I get to be part of yours. I can’t tell you how much it means to me.”

“Okay, now tell me the big secret with your side of the family.” Stacy helped herself to another mini-turnover. “Dana said the family disinherited your father, Walter, because they didn’t like who he married? There has to be more to it.”

Dee had known Stacy might be more outspoken than her sister. She was a little taken aback by how much. Also, the real Dee Anna Justice had never told her about her father, so Dee was in the dark here.

“I had no idea I had other family,” she said. “My father led me to believe my grandparents were dead. Clearly he’d never been close to them.”

“And your mother?”

“She’s a socialite and philanthropist.”

“What?” Stacy cried. “She’s not a tramp?”

“Far from it. The woman was born with a silver spoon in her mouth, can trace her ancestry to the Mayflower and has more money than she knows what to do with.” Dee was offended the family had thought Dee Anna’s mother was a skank, even though it wasn’t her mother and she didn’t like Marietta Justice. The woman was an uptight snob, colder than the marble entry at her mansion. But thanks to her, Dee would be getting her daughter’s trust fund check soon.

“So why did the Montana Justice family disinherit his son for marrying wealth?” Stacy asked. “That makes no sense.”

No, it didn’t. As Stacy said, there had to be more to the story. Dee could only guess. “It’s a mystery, isn’t it?”

* * *

COLT COULDN’T WAIT to get back to Big Sky. He’d been anxious all day and having trouble concentrating on his investigation. It wasn’t like him. He took his job seriously. Just like Hilde.

When he’d finally gotten a chance, he’d called Needles and Pins. The phone rang four times and went to voice mail. He doubted she was so busy waiting on a customer that she couldn’t answer the phone.

So he waited ten minutes and tried again. Still no answer. He’d never known Hilde not to open the shop. His concern grew even more when he tried later in the afternoon.

He’d finally called Dana and asked for Hilde’s cell phone number. “I tried the shop and couldn’t reach her.”

“That is odd,” Dana agreed after she’d given him the number. “She stopped out earlier and brought the kids ice cream sandwiches.”

Colt swore silently. “How did that go?”

“Okay. But she was acting...strange. Is she all right?”

“She’s been through a lot the past few days,” he said. “So she didn’t stay long?”

“No.”

“I’ll give her a call and make sure she’s all right,” he said.

“You’ll let me know if...if there is anything I can do?”

“Sure.” He quickly dialed Hilde’s cell and felt a wave of relief when she answered on the third ring. “You went out to the ranch.” He hadn’t meant for those to be the first words out of his mouth.

“Don’t be mad. I got her fingerprints.”

He bit back a curse. “Hilde.”

“I know. But she stopped by the shop right after I opened this morning.”

If he’d been scared before, he was petrified now. “What did she want?”

“To threaten me. Again. She made it clear that if I didn’t back off—”

“So you went out to the ranch and got her fingerprints. I hate to even ask.”

“I feel like we are racing against the clock,” she said. “I had to do something. She’s more dangerous than even I thought.”

He agreed. “Okay, just do me a favor. Where are you now?”

“I’m at home. I was too antsy to work today.”

“You have the items with her fingerprints on them at the house, right?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, just stay there, lock the doors, don’t open them for anyone but me. I’m on my way from West. I should be there in an hour. You don’t happen to own a gun, do you? Sorry, of course you don’t.”

“You think you know me that well?” she demanded.

“Yep. Are you going to tell me you do own a gun and know how to shoot it?”

“No.”

He laughed. “Go lock your doors. I’m on my way.”

* * *

DEE WAS DISAPPOINTED when she reached the ranch and found out that Hud was working late at the office. He was the only bright spot in a dreary day.

“I see your ankle is better. That’s good,” Dana said when Dee came in with the small presents she’d brought the kids. She hadn’t wanted to spend much, so she’d found some cheap toys. Mary and Hank thanked her, but she could tell she’d bought the wrong things.

Dinner was just the four of them. Dana had fed the twins and put them to bed. The house was deathly quiet since Mary and Hank were practically falling asleep in their dinner plates.

Dee walked around the ranch while Dana bathed the kids and got them to bed. The night was cool and dark. As she walked, something kept nagging at her about earlier at the sewing shop.

She hadn’t been surprised when Hilde had picked up the scissors and lunged at her. Just as she wasn’t surprised the woman was slow and uncoordinated, so much so that it had been child’s play to take the scissors away from her. Often anger made a person less precise, even clumsy, right?

Coming at her with scissors had seemed a fool thing to do, but Dee hadn’t questioned it. Until now.

She recalled how easily it had been to get Hilde to drop the scissors and how surprised she’d been when Hilde had stood there rubbing her wrist as if Dee had broken it.

Hilde hadn’t been trying to stab her. Far from it. Then why—

The truth hit her like a ton of bricks.

The scissors.

She swore, stopping in her tracks, to let out her anger in a roar aimed at the night sky. All the pieces fell into place in an instant. The triumphant look in Hilde’s eyes.

The woman had gotten her fingerprints!

All the implications of that also fell into place. Once she had her boyfriend Colt run the prints...

Dee slapped herself hard. The force of it stung her cheek. She slapped herself again and again until both cheeks burned as she chanted, “You fool. You fool. You fool.” Just as her mother had done.

By the time she stopped, her face was on fire, but she knew what she had to do.

* * *

HILDE COULDN’T REMEMBER the last time she was this excited about a date. Well, not exactly a date, she supposed. Dinner. Still she wore an emerald-green dress she’d bought and saved for a special occasion.

Colt’s eyes lit when he saw her. “You look beautiful.”

She felt beautiful.

“I don’t think you have any idea what you do to me,” he said, his voice sounding rough with emotion. “You make me tongue-tied.”

“I really doubt that,” she said with a small nervous laugh. The desire in his gaze set her blood aflame.

He took a step to her, ran his fingers along one bare arm. She felt her heart jump. Goose bumps skittered across her skin. His gaze moved over her face like a caress before it settled on her mouth. If he kissed her now—

“We had better go to dinner,” he said, letting out a breath as he stepped back from her. “Otherwise...” He met her gaze. “I want to do this right, you know.”

She smiled. “I do, too.”

“Then we’d better go. I made reservations up on the mountain. It’s such a nice night....”

She grabbed her wrap. Montana in the mountains was often cold, even in the summer after the sun went down. She doubted she would need it, though. Being this close to Colt had her blood simmering quite nicely.

They didn’t talk about Dee Anna Justice or the scissors and other evidence locked up back at the house. Colt asked her about growing up in Chicago. She told him about her idyllic childhood and her loving parents.

“I had a very normal childhood,” she concluded. “Most people would say it was boring. How about you?”

“Mine was much the same. It sounds like we were both lucky.”

“So your parents are professors at the University of Montana.”

“My mother teaches business,” he said. “My father teaches math. They’d hoped I would follow in their footsteps, but as much as I enjoyed college, I had no interest in teaching at it. I always wanted to go into law enforcement, especially in a small town. I couldn’t have been happier when I got the job here at Big Sky.”

He had driven up the winding road that climbed to the Mountain Village. There weren’t a lot of businesses open this time of year, but more stayed open all year than in the old days, when there really were only two seasons at Big Sky.

The air was cold up here but crystal clear. Colt was the perfect gentleman, opening her door after he parked. Hilde stood for a moment and admired the stars. With so few other lights, the sky was a dark canopy glittering with white stars. A sliver of moon hung just over the mountains.

“Could this night be more perfect?” she whispered.

When she looked at Colt, he grinned and said, “Let’s see.” His kiss was soft and gentle, a brush across the lips as light as the breeze that stirred the loose tendrils of her hair. And then he drew her to him and deepened the kiss, breaking it off as the door of the restaurant opened and a group of four came out laughing and talking.

“We just keep getting interrupted,” Colt said with a laugh. He put his arm around her waist and they entered the restaurant.

Hilde had never felt so alive. The night seemed to hold its breath in expectation. She could smell adventure on the air, feel it in her every nerve ending. She had a feeling that tonight would be one she would never forget.

* * *

OVER DINNER, they talked about movies and books, laughed about the crazy things they did when they were kids, and Colt found himself completely enthralled by his date.

Hilde was, as his grandfather used to say, the whole ball of wax. She was smart and ambitious, a hard worker, and yet she volunteered for several organizations in her spare time. She loved nature, cared about the environment and made him laugh.

On top of that, she was beautiful, sexy and a good dancer. After dinner, they’d danced out in the starlight until he thought he would go crazy if he didn’t get her alone and naked.

“Is it just me, or do you want to get out of here?” Colt said after they took a break from the dance floor.

“I thought you’d never ask.”

He laughed and they left. It was all he could do not to race down the mountain, but the switchback curves kept him in check.

Once out of the vehicle, though, all bets were off. They were in each other’s arms, kissing as they stumbled toward her front door. Once inside, they practically tore each other’s clothes off, dropping articles of clothing in a crooked path before making it only to the rug in front of the fireplace.

“Hilde,” Colt said, cupping her face in his hands as he leaned over her. He couldn’t find words to tell her how beautiful she was or how much he wanted her. Or that he had fallen in love with her. He couldn’t even tell her the exact moment. He just knew that he had.

Fortunately, he didn’t have to put any of that into words. Not tonight. He saw that she understood. It was in her amazing brown eyes and in the one word she uttered as he entered her. “Colt.”

* * *

LATER, COLT CARRIED her to her bed and made love to her slowly. The urgency of their first lovemaking had cooled. He took his time letting his gaze and his fingers and his tongue graze her body as he took full possession of her.

Hilde cried out with a passion she’d never known existed as he cupped her breasts and lathed her nipples with his tongue until she felt her whole body quake. She surrendered to him in a way she’d never given herself to another man. His demanding kisses took her to new heights.

And when he finished, his gaze locked with hers, she felt a release that left her sated and happier than she’d ever known.

As he lay curled against her, one arm thrown protectively over her, she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep feeling...loved.