Читать книгу: «Colton 911: Target In Jeopardy», страница 3

Chapter 3

Avery was in the kitchen at four thirty the next afternoon when the phone rang, and seeing the caller identification, she smiled as she answered. “Hey, girlfriend.”

“Hey, yourself,” Breanna Wallace replied. “What’s happening?”

Breanna was one of Avery’s close friends, so close that she knew all about the night the twins had been conceived and who Avery had fallen into bed with.

“A lot,” Avery replied. She told her about meeting Dallas at the courthouse, and that they were now working on building a friendship that would serve the twins well.

“Wow, I’d like to be hanging out with a man as hot as Dallas Colton,” Breanna replied. “Instead I’ve got a two-year-old son who has decided being naked is wonderful, a four-year-old daughter who wants mac and cheese for every meal, and an ex-husband who is paying for his girlfriend’s breast augmentation, but is four months late on his child support.” She stopped and drew a deep, audible breath. “Whew, that was a mouthful and I now want details about you and Dallas.”

Avery laughed. “There aren’t a lot of details to tell you. We went out to dinner together last night and tonight he’s taking me to his place.”

“His place, huh? Any romantic sparks flying between you two?” Breanna asked. “According to what you told me, sparks definitely flew on the night you met.”

“No,” Avery replied quickly. “That’s not what we’re looking for. We just need to build a strong friendship between us so we can effectively coparent together.” Avery didn’t want to think about the moments that Dallas’s smile had shot a wave of heat through her, or the way her heart quickened its beat in his presence.

She watched Lulu disappear out the doggie door and then glanced at the clock on the microwave. In twenty minutes the object of their conversation would be here to pick her up. Thankfully, she was ready to go and so had a few more minutes to visit with Breanna.

They continued to catch up with each other until Avery had to call a halt. “Breanna, I need to go. Dallas will be here any time to pick me up.”

“Go and have a good time,” Breanna replied. “And I want details tomorrow.” As they ended the call Lulu came back into the house and danced directly to the drawer under the microwave where Avery kept her treats. She stared at the drawer and then looked at Avery. She rose up on her back legs and released a bark.

“Okay,” Avery said with a laugh. She got up from the kitchen chair and gave Lulu a treat, and then went into the living room to wait for Dallas.

Despite what she’d told Breanna about this being strictly a mission of building a friendship, she couldn’t help the way her heart beat a bit faster in anticipation of seeing Dallas again. She wanted to like him, just not to like him in any kind of a romantic way.

After Zeke’s death she had decided she was good living alone. If she hadn’t gotten pregnant when she had, eventually she probably would have checked into artificial insemination or adoption.

She could raise her children and give them all the love in her heart, but beyond her babies, she never wanted to care that deeply about another human being again. She would forever shield her heart from that kind of hurt, as best she could. Love outside her children wasn’t an option in her life.

She was eager to see where Dallas lived. He’d said it was an old cabin. What kind of shape was it in? She didn’t care how he lived, but if he took the babies for his turn at custody, she needed to make sure the place was clean and safe and appropriate.

As she saw Dallas’s truck turning onto her street, she bent down and stroked her hands down little Lulu’s back. The length of the soft, curly black fur reminded her that it was past time to take the dog to the groomers.

“You be a good little girl while I’m gone, and I’ll be back later,” she said, and then she grabbed her purse and opened her front door.

She stepped out at the same time Dallas got out of his truck. He walked around to the passenger side and opened the door for her, and then turned to greet her with that wonderful smile of his. “How are you?”

“I’m good,” she replied, and slid into the passenger seat. He closed the door and then walked around the front of the truck to his side.

He looked as handsome as she’d ever seen him. He wore a pair of blue jeans that looked like they’d been especially made to fit his long legs and tight butt. The navy T-shirt showcased his broad shoulders and arm muscles. There was no question the man was hot.

He got into the truck, bringing with him the scent of sunshine and his clean, fresh cologne. “You look nice,” he said, as he started the engine.

“Thank you.” She ran her hands down the rose-and-black blouse. “I have a rather limited wardrobe now.”

He turned to look at her. “Do you need more clothes? I could buy you—”

“Dallas,” she interrupted. “I refuse to buy another maternity blouse this close to giving birth. You just might have to deal with seeing me in the same blouse more than once.”

“I can deal with that,” he replied. “So, how was your day?” he asked once they were on the road.

“It was good, although I have to confess I was a bit of a slug. I slept sinfully late and then I read for most of the afternoon. I did absolutely nothing constructive all day. What about you?”

“Normally I would have been out with the other men doing cleanup on some of the properties that suffered flood damage. But knowing I was having a visitor this evening, I did some cleaning and then went into town and did some shopping.”

“Oh, I hope you haven’t gone to a lot of trouble,” she said.

“I only did what needed to be done,” he replied. “Are you hungry?”

“Always,” she replied with a laugh.

“I hope you like steak.”

“I love a good steak,” she replied.

“What else do you love when it comes to food?”

“I like Mexican and some Chinese, I love pizza and barbecue and I would never turn down a fried chicken drumstick. What about you?” She supposed this was part of the getting to know each other that built a friendship.

“It would be easier to tell you what I don’t like. Brussel sprouts and liver.”

She laughed. “We definitely agree on that, and I will never force the children to eat those two foods.”

“That’s good to know,” he replied.

“But I will insist they eat other vegetables and meat.”

“And I’ll occasionally sneak them a piece of candy.”

Once again they shared laughter and then they fell silent as he left town and continued to head in the direction of the Colton ranch. It was a comfortable silence that she felt no need to fill. Rather, she directed her gaze out the passenger window, watching the passing scenery.

So far she found him very agreeable, but they hadn’t really had the hard conversations yet. Talking about favorite foods and sharing a few laughs over their daily life was all fine and good, but she knew there were more difficult conversations to come.

But nothing had to be sorted out immediately. There was still a month and a half before the babies were actually due to arrive. Right now she just wanted to enjoy spending time with him, and work on a friendship that would make the more difficult conversations a little easier.

They began to pass pastureland. “It’s so beautiful out here,” she said.

“As far as I’m concerned this is the prettiest place on the face of the earth.”

“I’m sure you saw some pretty grim places in your military life.”

A knot formed in his jaw and pulsed for a moment before he replied. “Yes, I did. I don’t really like to talk about my military life. I’m definitely glad I got out when I did, otherwise I wouldn’t have been at the courthouse here in town to run into you and discover I’m going to be a father.”

“Strange how that worked out, isn’t it?”

He smiled at her. “A bit of serendipity at work.”

Serendipity...good fortune...a twist of fate. Whatever it had been, she was just glad that things had worked out the way they had. At least she knew the twins would have a father in their lives. And hopefully he would be a good father, unlike the distant and busy one who had been in her own life.

She relaxed back into the seat. Once again a silence fell between them, but as before, it was a comfortable one. She’d been relaxed all day as she’d slowly processed the fact that there would be no more going to work every day for some time to come. She loved her work, but she was looking forward to being a stay-at-home mom for the next couple months.

They turned off onto the Colton property and drove past the nice house where Josephine and Hays lived. They continued down a dirt road that led them deeper onto the property. They passed several outbuildings before a wooded area appeared, along with a small cabin.

He pulled up and parked in front of it. She got out of the truck and looked around with interest. The only sounds were the faint breeze whispering through the trees, the songs of birds and, from someplace in the distance, a cow mooed.

“What a peaceful place,” she said.

“It is peaceful,” he agreed. “Let’s see if it passes the mommy test for a place to bring the twins.” He opened the door and ushered her inside.

She entered into a nice living room with a neat and clean kitchenette on one side. The overstuffed, brown leather furniture and the stone fireplace invited a guest to sit and relax.

There was a desk against one wall with a computer open on top and papers and other items on one side. The whole room held an implied warmth and welcome, and a cleanliness that was comforting to her.

“This is really nice, Dallas. When you said a cabin in the woods, I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect, but this is quite lovely.”

“Thanks. Let me show you the rest of it.” He led her to a doorway on the right. He opened the door to a bedroom that held a king-size bed with a black-and-gray spread, dresser drawers and two end tables with small lamps.

“Very nice,” she commented.

He closed the door and then gestured to the next one. “This is the bathroom.” He then opened the third one and she walked into a nursery.

It was a small room, but it was almost the mirror image of what she had in her house. There were two cribs, one with blue bedding and one with pink. The only thing really different was the mobiles that hung over each crib. Where she had dancing bears, he had little horses.

Unexpected emotion surged up inside her. The room showed her that he was really serious about being a part of the twins’ lives. The room was a promise both to her and the babies she carried that he intended to be a part of their future.

“When did you manage to do all this?” she asked, speaking around the lump in her throat.

“Today.” He flashed that devastating grin of his. “I took the day off to try to catch up with you.”

“It looks like you definitely managed to catch up with me,” she replied. It truly was a promise that he intended to stick around, and it made her feel closer to him.

“Why don’t we go back into the living room and I’ll start dinner.”

“Sounds good to me,” she replied. Instead of sitting on the sofa, she took a seat at the table for two, which was already set with plates, silverware and drink glasses. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

“I’ve got the grill outside ready to go so all you need to do is tell me how you like your steak.”

“That’s easy. Medium rare.”

“Ah, a woman after my own heart. I’m going to take the steaks outside to cook. I’ll be right back.”

She was almost glad he’d stepped outside because all of a sudden her brain was filled with memories of the night they had shared together.

She remembered the fire of his kisses and the sweet slide of his naked body against hers. His touches had absolutely enflamed her. Even though she’d had too much to drink, it had been the hottest, most intense lovemaking she’d ever had in her entire life.

And why, oh why, was she thinking about it right now? It had to be out-of-whack pregnancy hormones. Memories of that night had nothing to do with the relationship they were building right now, other than the consequences that had occurred. She had to put memories of that night with him out of her mind for good.

She turned in the chair and gazed around the cozy room, trying to change the direction of her thoughts. This was definitely a place her babies could come and spend time in without any concerns.

Was Dallas really in this for the long run? He had created the perfect nursery, a commitment for sure. But babies were like new toys. They were fun to play with for a while, but was it possible Dallas would lose interest as days turned into months and months into years?

Only time would tell.

* * *

Along with the steaks, Dallas had prepared a salad and baked potatoes. “This all looks wonderful,” Avery said, once he had everything on the table.

“This is one of the easiest meals for a man to make. Fling some lettuce into a bowl, toss a couple of potatoes in the oven and throw the meat on a grill.”

She laughed. “I’m sure a little more went into this meal than what you just described.”

He liked the sound of her melodious laughter. She looked particularly pretty tonight, clad in a rose-colored blouse and a pair of black slacks. There was no question that she was hugely pregnant, but he was surprised to realize he still found her very attractive. Maybe it was because he knew she carried his children.

“Have you thought about names?” he asked.

“Yes, I have. After giving it a lot of thought, I’m leaning toward Fred and Ethel.”

He stared at her, momentarily rendered speechless. Was she serious? Fred and Ethel? She wanted to name his children after a couple in a sitcom from the fifties?

She burst out laughing. “Oh, I wish I had gotten a picture of your expression just now.”

“So, you aren’t really serious about Fred and Ethel?”

“So not serious,” she replied with another laugh. “Actually, for the last month I’ve been trying to decide on names, but so far I haven’t been able to pick two. Now it’s something we can decide on together.”

His heart swelled. “I’d like that. You know, I have to admit that there’s still a part of me that finds this all a little hard to believe.”

She gazed at him, her green eyes suddenly dark and solemn. “Dallas, I’d be glad to get a DNA test after the babies are born.”

“Oh God, Avery, that’s not what I meant and I don’t need that from you.” He reached across the table and took her hand in his, afraid that he’d offended her unintentionally. “What I meant was that one minute I was a single man standing in front of the courthouse and the next minute I was a father-to-be to not one, but two babies.”

She smiled and pulled her hand from his. “You’re still a single man. You can date, and that’s something that hasn’t changed.”

“But it has,” he protested. “I have absolutely no desire to date at the moment. All I want is to spend time with you and get to know you better. I want to go to your doctor appointments with you and support you and be an integral part of this amazing experience.”

“I appreciate that, and speaking of doctor appointments, I have one on Monday at two in the afternoon.”

“Then I’d like to take you, if that’s okay.”

Once again she smiled. “It’s more than okay with me.”

For the next few minutes they ate and talked about their views of discipline. He was grateful that they seemed to be on the same page.

They both preferred time-outs to spankings. They believed that open communication was key and keeping strong boundaries and a united front was vital.

“Have you thought about how we should handle the custody issue?” she asked.

“I would definitely like equal custody,” he replied. “But we can worry about the details later.”

She nodded and then set her fork down. “I am stuffed. This was a wonderful meal.”

“I hope you aren’t too stuffed for dessert,” he replied.

She grinned. “I could probably force myself to eat a little dessert.”

“Good, then why don’t you go relax on the sofa and I’ll get it ready.” He got up from the table.

She stood and picked up her empty plate. “At least let me help with the cleanup.”

“Absolutely not. You are my guest tonight and I insist you go sit and relax.” He took the plate from her. “Please.”

“If you don’t mind I’ll just wander around the room a bit.” She placed her hands on her lower back and winced.

He looked at her with concern. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. I just need to stretch a little bit. These kids sometimes ride low in my back.”

As he cleaned up the kitchen, he was aware of her walking around the living room. She stopped by his desk. “What are these?” she asked.

Immediately he knew what she was looking at. He placed the last plate in the dishwasher and then joined her by the desk, where three buttons with unusual markings sat next to his computer. “These were found next to Patrice Eccleston’s body. Do you know about the case?”

“A little, but not much. I was pretty much kept out of the loop due to my condition and the fact that I was going on maternity leave.”

“So, what do you know?” he asked.

“Just that her body was found in the Lone Star Pharma parking lot when they were digging it up due to renovations. I didn’t know her personally, but I do know she was twenty years old and is part of an on-going investigation. What don’t I know?”

“There was evidence that she was bound and that she struggled before she was killed. These buttons were found near her body and the same kind of buttons were found near the mummified body recently found at Maggie Reeves’s house.”

Maggie Reeves was a former beauty queen and cotillion champ, but recently a fully mummified skeleton of a young woman had been found on the outskirts of Live Oak Ranch. Dallas’s oldest brother, Jonah, had helped Maggie investigate and the two had fallen in love. Still, that mummified body hadn’t been the end of the investigation, for Patrice’s body had then been found.

Avery grimaced. “I can’t believe we’re talking about the mummy murders again. I thought that was behind us and they were solved when Elliot Corgan was tried and convicted.”

Approximately forty years ago, seven young women had gone missing. Police finally found all the bodies except one, buried in ditches with red scarves stuffed in their mouths. Because of the condition of the bodies, the killer was dubbed the Mummy Killer.

Elliot Corgan, the brother of a successful rancher in Whisperwood, was arrested for the crimes. And now mummified bodies had shown up again in the small town.

“We all had hoped that when Elliot was arrested that would be the end of it,” he replied. “But now there’s a lot of doubt about who might have been responsible for the murders that occurred forty years ago, and who is responsible for those happening now.”

“So, what are you doing with the buttons?” she asked. She stared at them with a frown and he wondered if he should have told her as much as he had. The last thing he wanted was for her to think about murder and mummified bodies while in her condition.

“The buttons went to the lab, where they tried to lift some DNA evidence, but whatever might have been there was too disintegrated. The forensic specialist, Dr. Octavia Winters, identified them as army standard uniform buttons, so I’ve been asked to do some research to try to find army men who were stationed locally around forty years ago.”

“Wow, that’s going to take some work. Texas isn’t short on army bases and I’m sure the records from that long ago aren’t all that good.” She turned to look at him, a light of excitement in her eyes. “I could help you with this research, Dallas.”

“You don’t need to get involved with any of this,” he replied.

“Dallas, I want to get involved. Since I’m not working right now I have all the time in the world to sit at my computer and help.” She looked at him pleadingly. “Please let me do this.”

“Okay,” he said, relenting. “To be honest, I could use some help with the project. I’ve asked around to get names from people who remember soldiers from that time frame, but now I’m doing internet searches.”

They sat on the sofa and for the next few minutes he told her what sites needed to be checked out to get the names of soldiers. “Unfortunately, you’re right, records from forty years ago aren’t that easy to find,” he said.

“If it helps get a killer off the streets then I’m definitely in on helping however I can,” she replied.

“I just hate like hell to believe any fellow soldier might be involved in these horrific crimes,” he said.

“Soldiers are people, Dallas, and most of them are upstanding and dedicated. But sometimes some people do terrible things.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right, but I still hate to believe a soldier is responsible. Now, enough about all this. You sit tight and I’m going to go get your dessert.”

He got up and went back to the kitchen area. He was glad her back was to him so she couldn’t see what he was doing. He first pulled out the cherry pie he’d bought at the store and cut them each a piece. He topped the pie with whipped cream and then moved on to prepare the dessert he intended to give her before the pie.

When he had it ready, he carried the plate into the living room and set it on the coffee table before her. She stared at the jar of green olives next to the bag of salt-and-vinegar potato chips and then threw back her head and laughed.

He found himself laughing with her. It felt good. He didn’t feel like he’d really laughed for the past year. They both sobered and the gaze she sent him was filled with warmth.

“My favorite dessert,” she said.

“Actually, that’s your take-home dessert. I’ll be right back with the real one.” He was almost grateful to escape for a minute. Because for just a moment he’d wanted to fall into the warmth in her beautiful green eyes. For just a moment he’d wanted to pull her into an embrace and taste her lips once again.

And that made him angry.

It should be Ivy sitting in his cabin. It should be Ivy carrying his children. It should be his wife he laughed with, and her tempting him with her lush lips. Damn fate for taking her away from him.

And damn him for even thinking for one second about kissing Avery.