A Most Shocking Revelation (9 page)

Even though he took his hand away, he couldn't seem to completely break away from her. In fact, he moved partially over her, then completely on top of her because he didn't have the will to do anything else. He kissed her again as he fitted himself between her legs, moving his hips in a sorry imitation of the real thing. He wanted the real thing so badly that he physically ached. Valerie complicated matters when she raked her nails down his back and kept going beneath his briefs to massage his bare butt.

He broke the kiss to whisper, “I need to be inside you.”

She moved her hands up to his back again. “You know we can't.”

Never before had Gavin wanted to throw away all responsibility with a woman, but he'd never reacted so powerfully to anyone before Val, either. He lifted his head and looked into her hazy blue eyes. “Is this a bad time? I mean, could you get pregnant?”

“The worst time.”

Clinging to the last of his faltering strength, he rolled onto his back, folded his arms behind his neck and stared at the ceiling.

“I was afraid of that.”

She shifted against his side again and laid her palm on his stomach. “I want to touch you,” she said as she trailed a fingertip down the stream of hair below his navel, heading for hazardous territory.

He caught her hand and brought it to his lips, then turned his gaze to her. “I want to wait until we can do it right.”

She looked offended. “What makes you think I can't do it right?”

“You know what I mean. When we can get there together.”

“Okay.” She rested both her head and her hand on his chest and sighed. “Tonight then.”

He lifted her chin and brushed a kiss across her lips. “All night.”

“For as long as it lasts.”

As far as Gavin was concerned, that served as confirmation Val didn't plan to stay any longer than necessary. And that bothered him a lot. He was getting way too attached to her. Not a good thing, because she would eventually leave him, that much he knew. Unless he worked hard to convince her to stick around, maybe even continue to see him after she found her own place again, provided she didn't leave town. A tough job, but he was definitely up for the challenge.

“I'm going to take a shower now,” he said as he got out of the bed before he changed his mind. Before he lost his mind.

“A long shower, I presume.”

He turned at the door and caught her smiling, looking sleepy
and sexy at the same time. “Nope. Just enough to cool me down a little.”

“That's probably a good idea. Think I'll do the same.”

When she stood, Gavin held up his hand. “If you join me, it's going to be all over but the moaning.”

She folded her arms across her middle. “I meant take a shower in my bathroom.”

“Oh.” He shook his head and grinned. “Guess I just thought you couldn't stand to be without me for a minute.”

She faked another frown. “Egomaniac.”

“Now, darlin', you and I both know we can't stay away from each other for any length of time.”

She took a step toward him. “So you say, lover boy.”

He backed into the bathroom and closed the door partway, leaving the upper half of his body in the bedroom. “Come any closer, Val, and I'm not going to be responsible for anything I do to your person from this point forward.”

She moved right in front of him, challenge in her eyes. “I'll see you tonight.”

He reached out and pulled her mouth to his for another down-and-dirty kiss. “Maybe I'll see if I can clear my schedule and take a long lunch.” Hell, all his friends were having nooners, why shouldn't he?

Val backed away and smiled. “I'll be here,” she said, then turned and sent him a sassy look over her shoulder. “And don't forget the condoms.”

That would definitely be the first order of business for the day, just as soon as he got out of the shower. In about an hour or so.

 

She was getting far too relaxed around him and making promises she shouldn't consider keeping. But Valerie couldn't seem to stop the strong feelings of anticipation, knowing that she would take Gavin as her lover tonight. She had set a course that she couldn't seem to stop. A course she didn't want to stop, regardless of the possible consequences.

All morning she'd been cleaning the house like a crazed
housekeeper on a tight schedule to alleviate her boredom and the ever-present guilt, even though Gavin had told her he had a woman who came and cleaned house once a month. She'd also needed to get her mind on something else other than the sheriff and what he'd done to her that morning. The activity hadn't helped a bit. He was never far away from her thoughts, and those thoughts continued to do things to her body that involved a lot of damp heat and deep longing. And to think they'd gotten so close this morning, well, that was just another example of her lack of control around him. Her lack of good judgment, too. But she wanted to be with him. Needed to be with him.

When she heard the phone ring, Valerie shut off the vacuum cleaner and rushed into the kitchen. Snatching up the receiver, she sucked in a breath before answering with a winded, “Hello,” hoping upon hope to hear Gavin telling her he'd be home for lunch.

“Hey, Valerie, it's Manny.”

Darn it. “Hi, Manny. What's up?”

“I know I said I'd give you a couple of days off, but I'm in a bind. Sheila's not feeling well today and Estelle has the flu. I need you to come in and help out with the Sunday lunch crowd.”

Double darn. “You can't find anyone else?”

“Nope, and it's busier than a bull during mating season around here.”

Valerie didn't appreciate hearing the word
mating
any more than she appreciated the abrupt end to her mini vacation. “Okay. I'll get dressed and get down there.” Then she remembered her ailing car and the lack of keys to Gavin's vehicle. She'd handed them over last night and she hadn't seen them since. “You're going to have to send someone to get me. My car's still in the shop.”

“I'll have Hal pick you up,” he said, referring to the ancient part-time cook who came in to the diner when needed.

The man probably wasn't a day under eighty, and Val worried he handled his truck about as well as he handled the orders. “If that's the only option, guess I'll deal with it.”

“Thanks, Valerie. I owe you for this.”

“Yes, you do.” She'd said it in a teasing tone, when in reality she was sorely disappointed. “See you later. Tell Hal I'll be waiting.”

Exactly what she'd told Gavin that morning should he decide to come home at noon, before her boss's untimely request. Yet Manny had been nothing but kind to her, hiring her on the spot, never asking too many questions. He deserved her help when he needed it, and right now he did. Unfortunately she needed to be with Gavin in the worst way. At least they would have tonight.

“G
ot your message, so here I am.”

When Gavin glanced up to see Connor Thorne walk through his office door, he gestured toward the chair in front of his desk. “Have a seat.”

After he settled in, Connor asked, “What's up?”

Nothing good, Gavin decided. “I got a call from Mrs. Bradford, the widow who lives closest to Jonathan Devlin's house. She told me that she saw someone snooping around yesterday afternoon and she noticed some of the crime-scene tape was down this morning on her way to church.”

“Did she recognize him?”

“Not him. Her. But that's all she could tell because she didn't have on her glasses. She went to get them, and the woman was gone when she returned.”

“She didn't see a vehicle?”

“No, but I imagine she pulled around back.”

“It's Gretchen.”

Exactly what Gavin had decided when he'd received the report. “Yeah, and I'm wondering what she's looking for.”

“Probably to see if she left anything that might implicate her in Devlin's murder,” Connor said. “We found the syringes but the potassium was never recovered. Maybe it's in the house.”

“But we've gone through the house thoroughly several times. If anything's there, we would have recovered it by now.”

“Unless she's hidden it somewhere,” Connor added. “The place is big and it's old with a lot of hiding places. We could have missed something.”

Gavin leaned back and let go a rough sigh. “Could be, but I have a hard time believing it.”

“Do you want me to take another look?”

“No, but I do have a favor to ask.”

“Sure.”

Gavin decided Connor might not be so enthusiastic after he heard him out. “I plan to stake out the place this evening for a while, maybe look around the outside and see if I can find something. If we're lucky, I might even catch Gretchen in the act. If we can hold her on breaking and entering, then we can gather enough evidence to charge her with Durmorr's murder. And we might have enough to compel her to give a DNA sample.”

“Then you want me to go with you?” Connor asked.

“No, but I would like for you to take a second shift, maybe ten until midnight.”

Connor forked a hand through his hair. “Nita's probably not going to like it.”

Gavin didn't doubt that a bit. Connor's new wife had initially involved the Cattleman's Club when the first odd occurrences had started happening on Windcroft land. Even though they now suspected Durmorr had been digging up the property in search of the gold, they hadn't caught him at that time, but Nita Windcroft had definitely caught Connor. Not that Gavin believed for a minute Connor had played too hard to get. “Look, I'm running thin on deputies right now because this flu bug is rampant. I'd ask Logan, but he's got wedding plans to deal with, and Mark's bogged down with self-defense classes. Jake's playing mayor, and Tom and Rose aren't back from their honeymoon yet.”

“So that basically leaves you and me to handle this,” he said.

“Just for tonight. Two of my men should be back tomorrow, and that will help if I put a permanent patrol on the house.”

Connor sighed. “I'll explain to Nita that the sooner we catch Durmorr's killer, the sooner this whole mess will be over and maybe we can put the Devlin-Windcroft feud to rest once and for all.”

That damn feud had gone on too long, as far as Gavin was concerned. “I thought maybe that was calming down since Tom married Rose.”

“It has, but it's been brewing for over a hundred years, so it's not logical to think it will go away in a few days.”

Gavin wished the whole mess would go away, but that wouldn't happen until he put the killer away. And that would mean proving Gretchen Halifax was behind the whole thing. “I appreciate any help you can give me. I'd stay until midnight, but I have something pressing I need to do.” Like finally making love with Valerie. And maybe that should make him feel guilty, but it didn't. If that didn't happen soon, he would continue to be distracted and do a half-assed job on the investigation.

“Did I say something funny?” he asked when Connor's grin widened.

“Just wondering if that pressing business has anything to do with a waitress residing in your house.”

Figured. “You've been talking to Logan and Jake.”

“The whole town's talking about it. You should know by now that nothing's sacred in Royal, especially when it comes to speculating on what happens between a man and a woman when the sun goes down.”

If Gavin hurried, he wouldn't have to wait for sundown. “Well, they can talk all they want. I'm not saying anything other than she's a friend.”

“A real good friend, I'm betting. In fact, we're all betting that—”

“I know about the bet, but I'm not giving any of you any satisfaction by revealing if or when anything happens between me and Val.”

Connor looked more than a little doubtful. “I'll be damned. It's already happened, hasn't it?”

“No, it hasn't.” That was the truth, for now but hopefully not for long. Gavin stood and offered his hand, feeling a strong urge to halt his friend's questions and get home for that long lunch.

“Again, I appreciate this, Connor. Let's hope we can put this to rest by Christmas.”

Connor pushed out of the chair and shook Gavin's hand. “Yeah, otherwise we may have a few wives and girlfriends ready to hang us all up to dry.”

After Thorne left, Gavin picked up the phone to call Valerie and tell her he'd be home for a couple of hours—or three—just as soon as he stopped by the drugstore and bought a box of condoms. A big box.

The phone rang several times, and he assumed she was tied up or didn't feel comfortable answering. He could understand that.

Not a problem. He'd just surprise her. And he suspected she just might surprise him, too.

 

“I should've known I'd find you here.”

Valerie nearly dropped the plate of country-fried steak in Lula Langford's lap before she slid it in front of the poor woman.

“Here you go, hon. Enjoy.”

She didn't give the woman any time to respond before she started toward the kitchen, Gavin following closely behind her. When she was safely behind the counter, she finally faced him. No matter how many times she'd seen him dressed in his sheriff's getup—cowboy hat, boots and jeans—he still took her breath.

“Manny needed me,” she said after slipping the order pad into her apron.

He leaned over and gave her a dark, steamy look. “I needed you, too.”

And she could say the same thing to him. “I know, but this couldn't be helped. Half the town's got a fever.”

His smile arrived slowly. “I've got one, too. In fact, I'm burning up right now.”

Val forced her gaze away from him and leveled it on the faded Formica counter. “Take two aspirin and go to bed, then.”

“Not unless you're in bed with me.”

She frowned. “Mind lowering your voice? Someone's going to hear you.”

“Are you going to get off soon?”

He'd definitely walked right into that one, and she certainly wouldn't miss the chance for a premium comeback. “I would say that's entirely up to you, Sheriff.”

He leaned a little closer. “One more comment like that, and I'm taking you back in the storeroom and having my way with you right here.”

She shivered as if she was outside in the cold, not near the warmth of the kitchen at her back. “Give me a few minutes and you can take me home and have your way with me.”

He pushed off the counter and his expression went serious. “Unfortunately I'm going to be tied up until ten.”

Valerie checked the red clock on the wall. Now nearing 7:00 p.m., she would have to wait to have his attention for another three hours. “Tied up doing what?”

“I've got to do some surveillance at a crime scene.”

“What about dinner?” What about their plans? she wanted to say. How selfish of her to think such a thing, but she couldn't help it. Right now she wanted to stomp her foot and whine like a petulant four-year-old.

“I can grab some coffee to tide me over,” he said. “Right now food's the last thing on my mind.”

From the heat in Gavin's dark eyes, Valerie knew what was on his mind. It was on hers, too. “I can come with you and keep you company.”

“That means sitting in a vehicle basically staring at a house for a few hours. It's going to be cold.”

“We can keep each other warm.”

“Yeah, and that might keep me from doing my job.”

“I'll behave myself.”

He ran a slow finger down her forearm, now resting on the counter. “I'm not sure I will.”

“I'll try not to distract you.”

“That's not possible. But I guess I'll take my chances, as long as you can leave now.”

Valerie untied and took off her apron, then tossed it under the counter. “I'm going, Manny,” she called. “My ride's here.”

Manny stuck his head through the opening of the kitchen. “Who's going to help clean up?”

She hurried to the coat tree and grabbed her jacket. “Hal can help you.”

“Then I'll be here until midnight and…”

Valerie was out the exit before her boss could finish his protest and hurried inside the SUV. Once they were settled in, Gavin looked around, then leaned over and gave her a lingering kiss. He pulled back, but in a moment of weakness, Valerie grabbed his neck and tugged him back to her mouth. She wanted just a little more before he had to go back to being the sheriff. And later tonight she wanted all of him.

“Damn,” Gavin said as he started the engine. “You're determined to make this little trip hard on me, aren't you?”

She smiled. “I don't know. Am I?”

He pulled out of the parking space and headed toward the outskirts of town. “Yeah, real hard.”

“I'll try to be a good girl for the next few hours.”

He reached over the console and took her hand to lay it on his thigh. “You better, otherwise I might have to drop you off at the house so I can do my job.”

As he turned onto the road leading out of town, Valerie asked, “Exactly where are we going?”

“It's not too far from my place, relatively speaking.”

That could mean miles, considering the expanse of land that sometimes divided Royal's rural homes. “Is it a ranch?”

“Not anymore. A few houses have been built around it, but at one time it was all by itself. It backs up to the Windcroft land.
You've probably heard a lot of talk about that place lately. Supposedly there's some gold buried there, although no one's ever found it.”

“I've met Nita Windcroft.” Valerie struggled to keep her tone even in light of the discovery. “She's married to Connor Thorne, right?”

“Yeah, and Connor's going to relieve me tonight.”

Valerie found that very interesting. “Why Connor and not one of your deputies?”

“I'm understaffed at the moment,” he said without further explanation, although Valerie suspected it had something to do with the semisecret society.

“The house we'll be watching belonged to Jonathan Devlin,” he continued. “But it used to belong to Royal's notorious female outlaw, Jess Golden.”

Valerie tried not to look too stunned, even though Gavin had inadvertently revealed another possible piece to the missing puzzle. Little did he know, he was assisting her in finding the answers she'd been seeking. And he was totally unaware he was doing exactly what she'd hoped he would do—lead her to the former home of her great-great-grandmother.

 

Considering what Gavin had seen in his lifetime, not much disturbed him anymore. But the historic house at the end of the pitted road had given him a bad feeling since the first time he'd seen it, even before its owner had been murdered. Of course, Jonathan Devlin hadn't met his death in the house itself, although that's where the process had begun. He'd been finished off in the hospital, with a final lethal dose of potassium chloride that would have gone undetected had it not been for his relatives' suspicions, spurred by a note Devlin had left with his will—a note that claimed he might be a target and nothing more. Now Durmorr, Devlin's killer, was dead, and Durmorr's murderer was still on the loose. And Gavin's gut told him that killer was Gretchen Halifax. Now if only he could prove it.

As he pulled into the drive and parked in the rear, Gavin no
ticed that Val seemed uncomfortable, too. “It looks more intimidating in the dark than it really is,” he told her. “Wait here while I take a look around.”

Gavin had his flashlight in hand and the door open, ready to exit, when Val laid her palm on his arm. “Can I go with you?” she asked, sounding apprehensive.

He considered the request for a moment, then decided he'd rather have her at his side instead of waiting alone in the SUV. “Sure. Just stay close to me.”

“That won't be a problem at all,” she said. “This place makes me nervous.”

When they reached the end of the drive, Gavin lifted the yellow crime-scene tape, allowing Val to move beneath it before he took her elbow to guide her. He aimed his flashlight at the ground, looking for any signs of footprints belonging to an intruder. Nothing out of the ordinary so far, but they could have been covered up by the recent snowfall.

Gavin shone the beam along the house, searching for any obvious signs of finger or palm prints. After putting on a pair of latex gloves, he checked each window, finding one that rose with little effort. “The latch isn't holding on this one,” he said. “Anyone with any kind of strength at all can get it open.” Tomorrow he'd call someone to repair it. Of course, he doubted secure windows would stop anyone who had a mind to get in, namely Gretchen. No use making it easier on her, though.