Honey Kisses (Romance on the Ranch Series #2) (10 page)

She grasped the door handle and pulled herself
up. Finally her brain chugged and the niggling of a plan sprouted.

* * *

"Ann, are you feeling okay? You've been
looking peaked for a couple of days," Jackson said, concern etching
creases at the corners of his eyes.

Rather than pretend she was okay, she replied,
"I've been feeling a little under the weather."

Jackson lifted the basket of clean linens she
was carrying. I can put these away. You go home and rest and don't think about
coming back until you're better."

Instead of arguing, she nodded, "Okay.
That's probably for the best."

Back at her cottage, she pulled out the tablet
in her nightstand drawer and reread the computer code she'd started writing the
horrid day of the visit from the loan shark. Closing her eyes, she focused on
what she'd been taught by experts and planned her strategy for hacking
Jackson's bank accounts.

The day after Jackson sent her home to rest, Ann
was back at work. He had come to the main house mid morning to check on her and
let her know he was riding out to round up strays. He'd said if she needed
anything she should call him on his cell phone. She'd played the actress,
smiling and wishing him a good day. Now, closing his office door, she quickly
switched on his computer, punched instructions that would record his
keystrokes, switched his machine off again, and hastily left the room.

Two days later, after Jackson left with Sage to travel
to Denver to check out a bull they were thinking of going partners on, she slipped
into his office. Turning his computer on, she punched in the code that would
bypass the normal startup, and went directly to hidden files and folders.
Reading her notes and using her hacking expertise, she printed several pages of
code that had recorded his keystrokes. Shutting the computer off, she took the
pages to the kitchen, poured a cup of coffee, and set about deciphering her
printout. Within two hours she knew Jackson's login code and the IDs and
passwords to his bank accounts.

Inhaling a calming breath, she decided it was
time to call up his accounts and transfer the money to the bad man's account.
Back in his office, she fired up his computer and had no trouble getting past
his login and into his online banking. She did a double-take at his large
balances. He had a ranch account, a renovations account, a retirement account,
a personal account, a savings account, and two investment accounts. She finally
decided on using the renovations account because it had multiple large
transactions with regard to remodeling being done on the ranch hands' living
quarters. She had no illusions that the money would not be discovered missing,
she only hoped it took some time to find out. Slipping the piece of paper with
the bank account number from her pocket, her fingers trembled as she typed the
information. In the notation she wrote, "lumber for renovation." After
checking the transit routing number and account number several times to make
sure she had entered them correctly, she hesitated only a second before pushing
the send button.

Quickly signing off, she ran from Jackson's
office to the bathroom and threw up. Three hours later she received a text that
said, "paid in full."

* * *

Jackson sat behind his computer. The bull he and
Sage had purchased a week earlier was being delivered today. He needed to print
a check for his share of the purchase price. While he waited for his computer
to boot up, he thought about Annie. Something was still wrong. He couldn't put
his finger on exactly what it was, but she seemed preoccupied or spaced out
most of the time. Sometimes he had to call her name more than once before she responded.
He was at a loss as to what to do. He was seriously considering insisting she see
Doc Jones.

Turning his attention to his computer, he signed
into QuickBooks, prepared the check, and then printed it. His contractor for
the remodel had given him a bill for supplies and he decided to check the
balance in that account. He accessed the renovations account through the
internet and blinked. No way had he spent that much money. He began comparing
QuickBooks entries against bank transactions.
What the fu...!

He looked at the detail for the last transaction,
'lumber for renovation'.
What! I don't even remember making a transfer for
that amount.
He looked at the date of the transfer and then at his
calendar.
Shit! I wasn't even here. I was in Denver.

Grabbing his cell phone, he called his bank and
asked for the manager. After a frustrating call, he made an appointment to come
in and personally meet with the bank president. According to the manager, the
transaction had originated from his computer and gone to an overseas account.

When he left his office, he went in search of
Annie. It was suppertime and she was just pulling a casserole out of the oven.

She said, "Oh, there you are. I made
homemade chicken pot pie. I'll just leave it on the sideboard for you. I'm not
hungry so I'll pass on dinner tonight." She looked at him more closely.
"What's wrong?"

"Annie, you know the day that Sage and I
went to Denver, did anyone come to the house?"

"No. Why?"

"I'm not sure what's going on, but it looks
like someone got into one of my bank accounts and stole a large sum of money
that day. The bank manager said the transaction originated from my
computer." Jackson watched Annie's eyes widen.

"Oh my goodness. That's terrible? No one was
here that day."

"I have an appointment with the bank
president tomorrow afternoon. Maybe I can get some answers. If not, I may have
to involve the FBI."

Annie's face paled. "Oh, Jackson, I feel so
bad."

* * *

Ann sat in a wingback chair beside the window in
her darkened bedroom. She'd pulled the curtains open and cranked the window
outward to allow the night breeze in. Absentmindedly, she snuggled Spike and
petted his silky fur while tears rolled down her cheeks. A cloud passed in
front of the moon and an owl hooted. Frogs sang at the river.

Jackson knows he's been robbed.
Ann couldn't remember
ever feeling this bad. At that moment she hated her dead husband. Sweet Jackson
hadn't deserved this, but if she had it to do over again, she'd do the same
thing. She would steal from her own grandmother to keep Jacob and Julie safe. A
sob wretched itself from her restraint and she set Spike on the floor before
clutching her stomach, unable to prevent the sobs bursting forth.

Jackson made a phone call to Alligator and he
answered on the second ring. "Hey Jackson, good to hear from you. Are you
tired of mucking stalls and ready to come back to the Big Apple to wheel and
deal?"

"This isn't a pleasure call. I've been
robbed and I want your help in finding the culprit."

"Whoa. Don't say anything else. You still
got that other phone number I gave you?"

"Yes."

"Call me on it. It's shielded from
voyeurs."

"Okay, give me a few minutes to retrieve
it."

"I'll be waiting."

Five minutes later Jackson punched the number
Alligator had given him a couple years back, saying it was private and asking
him to store it away. Jackson knew his friend worked for the government and
since he was always so hush hush about his work, he figured it had to be with
the FBI, CIA, or something of that sort.

Alligator picked up. "Okay, buddy, tell me
what's up."

"Like I said, I've been robbed."

"How much?"

"Fifty thousand."

Alligator whistled. "When did it
happen?"

"Eight days ago. I've been to the bank and
they said the transaction originated from my own computer. They're doing their
own investigation. Before I make a stink, I want to see what they come up with.
I know you have inside contacts so maybe you can give me some advice."

"Tell me exactly what happened."

Jackson detailed everything he knew. "Annie
said no one came to the house that day. I guess people can figure this stuff
out from a remote site," he finished.

"Er…Jackson, I think you need to sit down
for this."

"What? Tell me what's on your mind."

"I know you have feelings for Annie–"

"What the hell does that have to do with
anything?"

"Let me finish."

"Okay. Okay."

"When I came to visit and you introduced me
to Annie or Ann Hackstetter, the name seemed familiar. After I got back to New
York, I pulled some files. I could only get the basics because my clearance
isn't high enough…but it was enough to find out what I suspected. Anyway, are
you sitting down?"

"Shit, Alligator. I'm sitting down. Spit it
out."

"Ann Hackstetter goes by the handle,
'Hack'. She's a genius at hacking computers. She was a member of an elite
organization called
HFH,
which stands for
Hackers from Hell.
You don't
join that organization unless you're invited…and you have to be the cream of
the crop to be invited. It's her. I saw her picture."

 The cell phone went silent.

"Are you still there, Jackson?"

Silence.

"Do I need to call the paramedics?"

Jackson croaked, "You're bullshitin' me,
right?"

"Wish I were."

"How long have you known this?"

"I finished my investigation about a week
ago."

"Were you ever going to tell me?"

"Yeah, I was just waiting for the right
time."

"Looks like you found it."

"Yeah. I'm sorry. I'll alert my
supervisors. They'll probably have someone from the Denver office pick her up
for questioning."

"No! Don't alert anyone yet."

"What! You've just been ripped off of fifty
G's and you've got a notorious hacker living under your roof who can steal with
her eyes closed, and you don't want to do anything? Are you sleeping with
her?"

"No! I just need time to think. Promise me
you'll keep quiet until I give you the go ahead."

"You are one love sick puppy. Okay, my lips
are sealed for now. Of course, that puts my job on the line if anyone finds out
I'm withholding info."

"I don't know what to say, except
thanks."

"I'll expect a call every couple days so I
know what's going on."

"I understand. I'll talk to you soon."
Jackson terminated the call and ran a hand through his hair.
What the hell
am I going to do?

Ann glanced at the ominous sky. Swirling clouds
released droplets that splattered her forehead as she rushed from her cottage
to the main house. She'd forgotten the bag of snacks she'd promised Spike. Maybe
she could grab them before the rain came down full force.

A thunderbolt ripped the clouds open when she
unlatched the gate and sprinted toward the back door. Hurrying through the mud
room, she pushed the laundry door open and grabbed the kitty snacks. As an
afterthought, she decided to check the refrigerator for eggs to see if she
needed to bring a carton from her cottage in the morning. She entered the
kitchen and stopped dead.

Jackson, bare-footed, naked to the waist, and leaning
against the island, gave her a startled look. His belt was gone and his Levis
road low on his hips. Standing beside him lifting a beer to her mouth and
wearing his shirt, and nothing else, was Pritzy Purvis.

"Hi Annie," said the tall, leggy
beauty, and giggled.

Ann looked from Pritzy to Jackson and her heart shattered
into a million pieces. Any ridiculous hope she'd harbored for the two of them,
no matter how often she'd squashed the feelings, faded with the sight of
Jackson and Pritzy half unclothed. The kitty snacks fell to the ground and she
covered her mouth with her hand. A whimper escaped and she ran back through the
mud room. Pelting rain drenched her and lightning split the sky as she rushed through
the gate. Thunder roared. The pasture had already turned into a mud bowl that
sucked at her feet and legs the same way finding Jackson and Pritzy together
sucked at her soul.

* * *

"Shit!" Jackson shouted.

"Hon, what's the problem? She's just the
housekeeper."

Jackson turned a frustrated look on Pritzy.
"Get dressed and go home! This was a stupid idea, anyway!"

Pritzy opened her mouth in shock, but he was
already running toward the back door. "Go home!" he shouted over his
shoulder.

The sky had opened and was pouring buckets when
he stepped outside. He saw Annie, slipping and sliding in the pasture. She fell
and righted herself. He yelled her name, but the sound was lost in a thunder
clap. He ran through the gate and into the field. She fell again, this time
flat on her stomach. He watched her push to her knees and then freeze in that
position.