“If that’s the best we can do.”
Here we go. Firing squad time.
She really wished she’d gotten coffee before he’d showed up. He followed her down the hall and leaned against the counter that ran along one side to the room while she busied herself checking her post-op Great Dane. She gave Caesar one last pat. “You’re doing fine, big guy. Janey’s coming to get you this afternoon.”
“That’s Rollins’s granddaughter’s dog? What happened to him?”
“Gastro-torsion dilatation complex. I got him on the table barely in the nick of time.” She moved on to the next cage. “Want a couple of kittens? I have to find homes for these little cuties.” She looked up at him. The drooping eyes, the faint grayish tone of his skin brought back the fear that had become her companion last spring when he’d had a heart attack. Losing him—she couldn’t bear the thought. “Dad, I’m so sorry.”
“I expect so.” He skewered her with his judge-like glare. “How did he get you to help him?”
“I wanted to prove you hadn’t done anything wrong.” Allie squared her shoulders and looked him in the eye. “He asked me for help and I thought if he found out right away that you weren’t involved, he’d get on with his case and leave.”
“So this courting thing is all pretense?”
Allie busied herself filling the kittens’ water bowl. “He says not.”
Her father’s glare almost smothered her. “And you’re all right with that?”
“Yes.” She nodded without looking at him. “Well, sort of.” She handed him a kitten and leaned against the counter, cuddling the other one.
“Allison, you are an adult. I’ve tried not to pry into things that should be private, but I’m asking you now—what are your feelings for this man? You have a picture of him in your office, you seem to enjoy his company, and you didn’t quibble about helping him…”
“I told you—”
“Yes, I know. You did it for me.” The kitten scrambled up to her father’s shoulder and planted its cold little nose on his ear, making him smile.
All the love, the years of closeness they’d known hit Allie, swamping her. She’d tell him anything. If she could figure out what to say. “I—” Lord, what were her feelings for Zeph? “I like him,” she temporized, concentrating her gaze on the kitten she held.
“Mmm.” Her father gave her The Look and she immediately reverted to age thirteen.
“I could love him,” she admitted.
“Could? Hmph.” He detached his kitten and set it back in its cage. “I’ll ask Martha about the kittens. You came home from Los Angeles looking quite upset. What did he do to you?”
Allie tucked her kitten into the cage and drew a deep breath. “All right, Dad. Short version is, too many other women.” She gave him an abbreviated run-down of That Night at Zeph’s house.
“And you’re still willing to moon after this man?” He bristled, every inch the protective father.
“That’s sweet, Dad, but that’s his past,” she said defensively. “At least, that’s what he says. And he didn’t even flirt with Mabel.”
Her father filled a food dish and set it in the Dane’s cage. “I suppose that’s commendable.”
“He’s really a wonderful person. Even though he says he doesn’t like animals, he never said a word about ruining his shoes the other day at Monty’s. And Wend’s mare really got to him yesterday.” Allie dumped cat litter and refilled the tray. “He’s been a lot of help. We work together like a team without even thinking about it.” She got shivers thinking about what a good team they made. Could make.
“Hmph.” Her father got his stern judge expression, the one he used when digging for truth. “It doesn’t bother you that he justifies sneaking around like a thief?” He took the cleaned litter tray and returned it to the cage. One of the kittens nuzzled his hand and he stroked it with a gentle finger.
Allie turned away from him to hide her face. “Yes,” she had to admit. “It does. But—”
“But apparently he’s effective. Frank thinks he walks on water.”
“He could lose his license over something like last night, couldn’t he?”
“Of course. Also nothing he finds that way is admissible in court. But according to Frank, he always comes up with solid evidence. Apparently these little—excursions—don’t happen often.”
Or he doesn’t get caught often. “He doesn’t take things,” Allie defended while she wiped down the counter and put away the cat litter. “He only looks.”
“He likes living in cities,” her father said.
Right. Like she hadn’t noticed. “I know.”
“Have you asked yourself if you’re willing to move to Los Angeles?”
Only about eighty thousand times.
He took her silence for assent.
“For what it’s worth, Allison, I like him.”
Her world tilted. He liked Zeph? “Even after last night?”
Her father smiled. “Yes, I rather did want to murder him, didn’t I? But on reflection, I like the idea that he considered that his client might be guilty. He’s a smart man. And Frank says that he’s dependable. Reliable. Ethical.”
“Except for that one little quirk?” A smile curled her mouth. Her father returned it, in one of those moments of perfect unity. He liked Zeph. He liked Zeph.
She liked Zeph.
Her dad put an arm around her shoulders. “You’re my girl, Allie. He’s nuts if he doesn’t think you’re wonderful.”
She snuggled her head against his solid warmth and allowed her unruly heart to admit what she felt for Zeph. What she’d been denying ever since he came to town. Ever since That Night.
She wanted the dream, a Zeph who enjoyed animals.
One who liked Stone’s Crossing.
One who loved her.
****
The noon sun beat down on the corral in back of Allie’s clinic where Zeph leaned on the fence. His horse nosed at the hay he’d put out for it. It—she—looked a lot happier. Winn had unloaded her and shown him how to put out feed and water, and how to groom her. Now his horse, if not shiny, at least looked clean. He couldn’t wait for Allie to see.
As if he’d summoned her with the thought, she opened the back door of the clinic. “Zeph? Where are you?” she called.
“By the barn. Come on out,” he yelled.
“Winn said you had something to show me. What’s going on?”
The frost he’d heard in her voice at six this morning had melted away. Something had happened while he and Winn were at Seldon’s. Whatever it was, he’d take it. She stopped abruptly, close enough to him that he could feel her warmth.
But her gaze had zeroed in on the horse. “What’s she doing here? Winn didn’t say anything about her. Is she worse?”
Good thing she’d focused on the horse. He couldn’t have met her gaze. Embarrassment mixed with elation as he explained. “It seemed like the thing to do at the time,” he said sheepishly.
Allie’s mouth hung open. She shook her head and focused on him. “You bought a horse.”
He nodded.
“Didn’t Winn explain that you won’t be able to ride her?”
“Yes.”
“She’s a little large to keep in an apartment. Oh, right. You have a house. With about four square inches of perfectly manicured yard.”
Her level gaze made him want to squirm. “Well, I thought—I hoped—well, maybe she could—ah—”
“Stay here?”
“Well, uh, yeah. At least until she’s better.” The words burst out in a torrent. “I couldn’t leave her there. She’s so patient. And she—she looked at me.” He looked at Allie, prepared to grovel if necessary. Instead of ice and disapproval, he saw definite thawing.
“Well, my God. She got to you.” Allie shook her head. “And here all this time I thought you were nothing but a sneaky sleaze of a detective...”
He hated to say it. “I am. But I had to—”
“You really aren’t an animal hater, are you? You’re a marshmallow.” She threw her arms around his neck. “Zeph, you’re a big softy. I love it.”
He’d buy a whole flock of horses if it got him a response like this. He pulled her close and the familiar frustration of soft, warm woman pressed against him took over. “Allie,” he murmured, but it came out more a groan. A confusion of things he wanted to say roiled inside him, but the heat of Allie so close and willing dried the words to nothing.
He kissed the side of her neck and felt her heartbeat kick up to match his. She pressed closer and he got dizzy. “Allie,” he repeated.
“I give up,” she murmured. “I know you’ll hurt me, but this is too good...”
“There you are,” a voice boomed across the yard.
“Why am I not surprised?” Zeph released Allie and turned to see who had interrupted this time. “Hello, Mr. Mayor.”
“Didn’t mean to interrupt,” Bartelett said, as though he didn’t mean it.
“Of course not,” Zeph muttered.
“No problem,” Allie said.
She didn’t mean it. He hoped.
“What can we do for you?” she continued. “Nothing wrong with Bongo, I hope.”
“No, no, he’s just fine. I believe Margaret’s bringing him in for his annual checkup sometime soon. I really stopped in to have a word with Zeph.”
Zeph raised an eyebrow. Their last parting hadn’t left any warm fuzzy feelings on either side, as far as he knew.
“I’ll leave you two to talk, then,” Allie said. “I’m going to go deal with lunch.”
“Allie cooks?” Bartelett asked.
“Not that I’ve seen.”
“Ah, love,” Bartelett sighed. “When you don’t care about things like that. Well. What I wanted to ask you about is this. I know you do a lot of walking around town, and I just thought—Margaret saw someone in the woods back of our house this morning, and, well, you know how women are. She said he was lurking, and acting suspicious. I wondered…” His voice trailed off as though he didn’t quite know how to say what he wanted.
Zeph shoved the thought of love to the back of his mind and laughed. “If it was me? So I’m a suspicious character?”
“Not at all. But I wondered if by any chance you might have been out there. Just taking a walk, maybe.”
“Nope. Innocent. I was out at Seldon’s with Winn Wentworth.”
Bartelett grimaced. “That worthless—scratch that.” He sighed. “After all, the man is a voter.”
“New at politics, are you?”
“Afraid so. Well, you have an alibi, I’m sorry to say.”
“Sorry?”
“Now I have to face the idea that Margaret might actually have seen a prowler. She gets quite nervous staying alone. I call her every hour or two when I have to be away. And today her car’s in the shop, so she’s stuck there.”
“You might want to call Monty,” Zeph said. “He’d be more likely to solve the case of the mysterious lurker. After all, he knows everyone in town.”
“I suppose.” Bartelett sighed again. “Um...I heard you’re a detective. Could I...uh, hire you to...well, maybe check it out?”
Hell. Everybody did know. And what to do now? He couldn’t say he was already on a case and he couldn’t take on a new job since he really was...double hell. “You don’t have to hire me. Be happy to have a look around.”
When he had gone, Zeph offered his horse the chunk of apple Winn had left with him, careful to keep his palm flat and fingers out of the way as she’d shown him. Not necessary, he realized with pride. His horse was a lady. No snatching or biting for her. She gently lipped the treat from his hand. When she’d finished, he patted her neck again and went into the clinic.
He found Allie in the small kitchen. “Where were we?”
“I think we—” She broke off at the shrill jangle of the phone. “Hold the thought,” she said and answered it.
Damn. If she had to go out on another call... But no.
After a brief chat, she put down the phone and walked into his arms. “We were here, I think.”
“Does this mean I’m forgiven?”
“Forgiven for being good at your job? Yes. I’m sorry I got so mad about last night.”
The kiss that went with the apology fired his blood.
She drew away and said breathlessly, “I thought we might have a picnic.”
A wicker basket sat on the kitchen table, a checkered cloth covering the contents. “Does this mean we’re getting away from the phone?”
“No. I have to take my cell phone. But there’s a great place up there,” she waved toward a nearby mountain, “that’s sheltered and will be nice even on a cold day.”
Zeph’s body surged with the memory of what they’d been doing when Bartelett had interrupted. The surge ebbed when he remembered the temperature. But what the heck. It meant time alone with Allie. He grabbed the basket and headed out the door
She followed, saying, “We’d better take my truck. The road’s pretty steep.”
He couldn’t take his gaze off her as she drove. For the first time since he’d come to Stone’s Crossing, he didn’t care about narrow, winding roads or the sheer drop-offs that lurked around every curve. Pictures of Allie filled his mind. Allie giving him that look, the one that said, “Yes, now.” Allie reaching trembling hands to unbutton her shirt...
Get a grip, man. She packed a lunch, for God’s sake. Sandwiches. A few kisses. Her damned phone ringing, and then back to that paradise, Stone’s Crossing.
With a final roar of the engine, the truck made it up a final, steep rise and stopped. She maneuvered the vehicle around to face back downhill. “There’s a nice spot to eat just up there,” she said, flicking him a shy, apprehensive glance that belied her outward calm.