“No way are you backing out on me,” Boyd declared.
Slade placed a hand on her shoulder. “As far as I'm concerned, you're a Logan already.”
“And as far as the rangers are concerned, if I tell them you're all right and Slade and Boyd vouch for you, that should be good enough for them,” Hank Randle said.
Slade released his hold on her as Boyd took her hand. The heat of his touch spread through her and with all her heart she wanted to be with him. “Then I guess I'll be staying here and changing my name to Logan,” she said.
All the men smiled their approval.
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Two weeks later, Katrina was polishing the living room furniture at the ranch. The wedding would be taking place there on Saturday. Meanwhile, Boyd had reported for duty with the rangers. He'd been assigned to Company “C” with Slade and they were both currently stationed in Lubbock.
The day after the meeting with Hank Randle and Gerald Eldridge, she'd returned to St. Louis for a couple of days to turn the house over to a real estate agent for sale and to make certain the movers didn't forget anything when they packed up her things. Now some of her belongings were in storage in Lubbock. The rest had been used to furnish the apartment Boyd had found for them. As soon as her home in St. Louis was sold, she would go house hunting.
She smiled to herself as she recalled the trip to Missouri. Boyd had wanted to accompany her, but she'd insisted she would be safe. She'd told him that her moving out of town was, in Garduchi's eyes, a feather in his cap. He'd not only gotten rid of Leona but he'd run her cop niece out of town. Besides, he had more important matters to worry about. He'd been arrested for conspiracy to commit murder.
But her arguments had fallen on deaf ears. In the end all three brothers had accompanied her. She'd never felt so protected in her life.
Her smile quirked up at the corners. And yesterday Vince Garduchi had finally gotten his just reward. The FBI had been tipped anonymously that the judge assigned to Vince's bail hearing was on Garduchi's payroll and they had arranged to have a different judge preside. When Vince had been denied bail, he'd gotten so enraged that he'd had a heart attack and died.
She drew a deep soothing breath and her smile softened. With the captain, Boyd and Slade on her side and with Garduchi gone, she felt as if her past was finally behind her.
A knock on the front door interrupted her thoughts. Answering the summons she found a delivery man holding a long flower box.
“I've got a delivery for Miss Katrina Polenari,” he said.
“I'm her,” she replied, thinking Boyd was even more romantic than she'd thought.
He grinned. “I hope you enjoy these. We had to special order the orchids, but the sender said that price was no object.” Still grinning, he headed back to his truck.
White Moon came down the hall to join her. “Who was at the door?”
“A delivery man,” Katrina replied absently, staring through the cellophane portion of the box at the array of pink roses and white orchids. “He had some flowers for me.”
“Who are they from?” White Moon asked.
Hearing the concern in her future mother-in-law's voice, Katrina looked up to discover White Moon studying her worriedly. Realizing she was letting her shock show, she schooled her face into a softer expression.
The choice of flowers had to be a coincidence,
she assured herself. Aloud she said, “I don't know, I haven't looked at the card. But they must be from Boyd. I don't know of anyone else who would have sent me flowers.”
“Well, don't just stand there,” Evening Flower said, joining them. “We need to get them into some water.”
She was overreacting to a mere coincidence, Katrina assured herself as the three headed into the kitchen to find a vase and arrange the flowers. As soon as the box was open, she grabbed up the envelope holding the card and took out the message inside. It read:
Congratulations on your upcoming marriage.
May the wings of angels enfold and protect you.
M times CCL hugs.
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Katrina felt the color drain from her face.
“Are you all right?” White Moon demanded anxiously.
Katrina looked to her, unable to speak. The choice of flowers had not been a coincidence. Even though the card was unsigned, there was no doubt in her mind as to who the sender was.
“You're white as a sheet. Sit down.” White Moon pulled out a chair and slid it behind Katrina.
Katrina took a calming breath. “I'm fine. I was just surprised.”
Morning Hawk had been looking around Katrina's arm at the card. “There's no signature.”
“I know who it's from,” Katrina said.
“Nice sentiment,” Morning Hawk commented, studying Katrina narrowly.
“Yes, it is.” Katrina forced a smile.
White Moon frowned. “I think we should call Boyd. Something about these flowers has obviously upset you. Are they from one of those gangsters? A threat or a warning, perhaps?”
“No. Nothing like that.” Katrina laid a restraining hand on White Moon's arm. “The sentiment is meant sincerely. Really, I was just shocked to get something from this particular person. But it's all right. I should have suspected. She was always full of surprises.” She again looked down at the array. “They are beautiful,” she said, her color returning.
In spite of the outward calm Katrina forced herself to display for the rest of the day, her stomach remained knotted. She had thought her past was wiped clean. She'd been wrong.
In bed that night, sleep eluded her. She had to tell Boyd...give him a last chance to call off the wedding. Finally, in the early morning hours, she surrendered to her inability to sleep and rose and dressed. Leaving a note in the kitchen for White Moon saying that she'd gone to the mesa to watch the sun come up, she left the house. Pausing on the porch, she filled the burlap sling with wood, then began her trek. Morning Hawk had told her that if she ever needed to think, she was welcome to go there.
She didn't really need to think. She needed to build up her resolve. She knew Boyd would vow to stand beside her. That was the kind of man he was. But she was determined to do the right thing and free him if she saw any hint of disquiet in his eyes. And freeing him was going to be the hardest thing she'd ever done.
Reaching the mesa, she climbed to the top. The first rays of dawn were coming over the horizon. Choosing not to build a fire, she laid the wood aside, then sat down to watch the sun rise. A tear trickled down her cheek. She wanted so much to stay, but then nothing in her life had ever gone the way she wanted it to. She brushed at the tear. No sense in putting off what had to be done. Boyd was currently on assignment with Slade but they were scheduled to be back in Lubbock sometime this night As soon as she returned to the ranch, she would call him and arrange to meet with him today.
Taking the note that had come with the flowers, she reread it, then shoved it back in her pocket and scowled at the pink-and-purple sky. “So I get the vote for number-one patsy of the year.”
The sound of horses' hooves caught her attention. Rising and looking out in the direction of the ranch, she saw a rider coming her way with a riderless horse in tow. He was approaching at a gallop. Assuming it was Jess, she wondered if something had happened at the ranch. Fear swept through her...or maybe Boyd had been hurt. Quickly making her way downward, she was on the open ledge when the rider reached the mesa and reined his horse in. It was Boyd. The relief and joy at seeing him was abruptly overshadowed by the thought that this might be their last meeting.
Dismounting, he stood looking up at her. “You want to tell me what you're doing out here all alone at this hour of the morning?”
“Building my courage to tell you what I have to tell you,” she replied, continuing her descent.
Boyd scowled. “Don't think I like the sound of that.”
“You're going to like what I have to tell you even less,” she returned.
Boyd's scowl deepened. “There was a message from my mother on my answering machine when I got back to the apartment tonight. She said you'd received some flowers that had upset you. She said the sender hadn't signed the card but you'd said you knew who they were from. She also said you'd told her that the sender meant no harm but you'd turned white as a sheet.”
Katrina had reached ground level. Boyd took a step toward her. Backing against the rock face, she held a hand out in a stopping signal letting him know that she didn't want him to approach any closer. Maintaining her resolve to do right by him was going to be hard enough. If he touched her, it was sure to crumble. “I love you so much. I don't know if I can bear to lose you, but my conscience wouldn't allow me to marry you until you know everything you might be getting into if you go through with this marriage.”
Grudgingly, Boyd respected her unspoken command for him to remain at a distance. “That sounds ominous. But whatever is bothering you, we'll see it through together.”
“The flowers were from my Aunt Leona,” she replied stiffly.
Boyd frowned in disbelief. “Leona is dead.”
Katrina shook her head. “No. They had to be from her. My mother loved white orchids. They were her flowers. She had a small greenhouse where she grew them and there was always an orchid in a vase in her room. In the garden out back, she grew roses. From an early age, I showed a particular fondness for the pink ones and she designated them as my flower. From as early as I can remember, there was always one of those in my room even in the winter. When hers weren't in bloom she would purchase them from the florist. And on my birthday there would be a vase holding one pink rose for each year of my life. After my mother died, my father had the greenhouse torn down. There were no more orchids or roses. Leona is the only one who would remember the flowers.”
Boyd remained skeptical. “You're sure?”
“If I had any doubt, there was the message. âLet the wings of angels enfold and protect you.' My mother used to say that to me when she tucked me in at night. Leona knew that. When I left to go out on my own, those were the last words she said to me.”
“I guess that settles it, then. Leona is alive,” he conceded.
Katrina drew a shaky breath. “There is something else.”
Boyd smiled dryly. “And why am I not surprised?”
“The Roman numerals in front of the hugs at the end of the message.”
“My mother mentioned that there were some sort of gibberish in front of the word âhugs.'”
“Not gibberish. M stands for one thousand. CCL is two hundred and fifty. One thousand times two hundred and fifty equals a quarter of a million.” Katrina met his gaze levelly. “A hug for every dollar. She staged her own death. It must have really hurt her to have to give up her ring, but collecting the reward from Garduchi was more than adequate compensation.”
“Staged her own death and collected the reward herself.” A hint of admiration showed on Boyd's face. “That does sound like Leona.”
Katrina forced herself to continue. “That the flowers arrived here...that she sent them at all...means that she's been keeping an eye on me. Someday, for some selfish reason of her own, she could come back into my life. Marrying me will be the same as putting out a welcome mat inviting trouble to your doorstep.”
“I'm a lawman. Trouble is always at my doorstep.” Approaching her in a long stride, he drew her into his arms. “If Leona shows up, we'll deal with her together. I need you in my life, Katrina. I'm not letting you go just because you're worried about what the future might hold. No one's future is ever guaranteed to run smoothly.”
She looked into his face and saw no evidence of uncertainty. Still... “Are you really sure of that? I want you to have the best life possible. I don't want to be a source of misery for you.”
“I'm a one-woman man. If I can't have you, I'll have to live out my life alone.” He wrinkled his features into a boyishly pleading expression. “You wouldn't want me to grow into a cantankerous, lonely old coot, pining over a lost love. Wouldn't you rather envision me in a rocking chair surrounded by our children and grandchildren with you by my side?”
Tears welled in her eyes. “More than anything in this world,” she admitted, grinning at the playfully pitiful face he was making.
“Good. I'm glad that's settled,” he said, finding her lips for a long, possessive kiss.
Joy filled Katrina. Adding her strength to the kiss, all was forgotten but their love.
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