He walked into the kitchen and glanced around, dismissing memories of the last time he’d been there and his focus immediately went to Bella. She was sitting at the kitchen table talking to Pete Higgins, one of the sheriff’s deputies and a good friend of Derringer’s.
Everyone glanced up when he entered and the look on Bella’s face was like a kick in his gut. He could tell she was shaken and there was a hurt expression in her eyes he’d never seen before. His anger flared at the thought that someone could hurt her in any way. The rock may not have hit her but she’d taken a hit just the same. Whoever had thrown that rock through the window had hit her spirit and left her shaken.
“Jason, Zane and Derringer,” Pete said, acknowledging their arrival. “Why am I not surprised to see the three of you here?”
Jason didn’t respond as he moved straight toward Bella and, disregarding the onlookers, he reached out to caress the soft skin beneath her ear. “Are you all right?” he whispered in a husky tone.
She held his gaze and nodded slowly. “Yes, I’m fine. I was on my way downstairs when that rock came flying through the window. It scared me more than anything.”
He glanced at the rock that someone had placed on the table. It was a huge rock, big enough to hurt her had she been in her living room anywhere near the window. The thought of anyone harming one single hair on her head infuriated him.
He glanced over at Pete. “Do you have any idea who did it?”
Peter shook his head. “No, but both the rock and note have been dusted for fingerprints. Hopefully we’ll know something soon.”
Soon? He wanted to know something now. He glanced down at the note and read it.
“I was just asking Ms. Bostwick if she knew of anyone who wanted her off this property. The only people she could think of are her parents and possibly Kenneth Bostwick.”
“I can’t see my parents behind anything like this,” Bella said in a soft voice. “And I don’t want to think Uncle Kenneth is capable of doing anything like this, either. However, he does want me off the land because he knows of someone who wants to buy it.”
Pete nodded. “What about Jason here? I think we all know he wants your land and Hercules, as well,” the deputy said as if Jason wasn’t standing right there listening to his every word. “Do you think he’d want you gone, too?”
Bella seemed surprised by the question and moved her gaze from Pete to Jason. Jason figured she saw remnants of passion behind the anger in his eyes.
“No, he’d want me to stay,” she said with a soft sigh.
Pete closed his notepad, evidently deciding not to ask why she was so certain of that. “Well, hopefully we’ll have something within a week if those fingerprints are identified,” he said.
“And what is she supposed to do in the meantime, Pete?” Jason asked in a frustrated tone.
“Report anything suspicious,” Pete responded drily. He turned to face Bella. “I’ll request that the sheriff beef up security around here starting today.”
“Thank you, Deputy Higgins,” Bella said softly. “I’d appreciate that tremendously. Marvin is getting the window replaced and I’ll be keeping the lights on in the yard all night now.”
“Doesn’t matter,” Jason said. “You’re staying at my place tonight.”
Bella tilted her head to the side and met Jason’s intense gaze. “I can’t do that. You and I can’t stay under the same roof.”
Jason crossed his arms over his chest. “And why not?”
A flush stole into her cheeks when she noted Jason wasn’t the only one waiting on her response. “You know why,” she finally said.
Jason’s forehead bunched up. Then when he remembered what could possibly happen if they stayed overnight under the same roof, he smiled. “Oh, yeah.”
“Oh, yeah, what?” Zane wanted to know.
Jason frowned at his cousin. “None of your business.”