Cameron, Paige - The Billionaire Rancher Buys a Wife [Wives for the Western Billionaires 2] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic) (17 page)

Darting behind a tree, he took a swig of water from the bottle he’d stuck in his pocket. He wet his bandana and wiped his face. He sensed the man had gone. But how had he gotten away?

He hiked quicker through the brush. His rifle ready in his hands. Something silver shone in the sunlight and caught his attention. He turned toward the left, and being very cautious, he crouched and waited. Then he saw the rest of the car hidden partially behind a stand of trees.

“Come out with your hands up,” Drake called out. No one answered. “If you don’t show yourself, I’m going to shoot toward the car,” he warned.

A single bird flew out of a bush, heading toward the clear, blue sky. Drake knew instinctively he was too late. Whoever he was, he’d gone. Still, he moved carefully to the car and checked the area, but didn’t touch anything. He’d ask the sheriff’s office to check for prints. He’d better go to Janice. Hopefully whichever direction he took, he didn’t go to the gas station.

Hurrying now, Drake ran back to his car and swung around to go to Janice. As he swerved around the curves he expected at any moment a sheriff’s deputy’s light to go on behind him. He’d pay the fine. His heart pounded, fearing he’d make another wrong decision and the stalker would have found Janice. When he stopped and she came running through the door, relief washed over him.

* * * *

“You didn’t find him?”

“I found his car. He must have taken off on foot shortly after we left. Did you see anyone hiking along the road?”

She shook her head. “No one came by at all except for one car. A man and his wife, lost. They were looking for a highway east of here.”

“Let’s go to
Jackson
’s. I’m not taking a chance of you staying at the house tonight. Jackson and I will hide out there and hope the guy returns.”

She studied his face as they drove off toward
Jackson
and Samantha’s ranch. “You don’t think he will return, do you?”

“No. Temporarily, we’ve frightened him off. But he’ll try again.” He glanced across at her. “My guess is he has a love-hate type of obsession about you. He won’t give up until he’s stopped, but he’ll go back to familiar territory.”

“
Houston
?”

“Yes.”

“When do we go back?”

“Tomorrow. I’m going to end this so we can concentrate on our wedding.” He smiled at her. “Got any ideas?”

“A few,” she said. Drake turned into the drive to the house. “There’s Samantha waiting at the door.” Janice waved and got out as soon as the car stopped.

“Did you like your surprise?” Samantha asked her.

“Both the ranch, and this.” Janice held out her hand.

“What a lovely ring. I love the older setting.” Samantha gave her a hug. “I’m so happy. I can’t believe we’ll be neighbors.”

“Neither can I. I never saw myself on a ranch, but I’m beginning to think I’ll like it.”

“Come in and have a glass of tea. I see Drake is headed to the barn.
Jackson
must have waved at him. We’ll have time for a cozy talk.”

Janice glanced over her shoulder at Drake. He and Jackson were talking. Drake nodded and pulled out his phone, punching a number.

Samantha tugged at her hand. “Let them do the worrying. They’ll work out the problem.”

“I hope so. I’d looked forward to staying the night in the ranch house until Drake realized we had company.”

“The stalker?
Jackson
told me about him this morning.”

“Drake thinks so,” Janice said. She wanted to tramp across the dusty barnyard and demand to be included in whatever they were discussing. But Samantha kept tugging at her hand until she followed her inside.

* * * *

“Brent, our guy was here. He left the car he’d used to get to the ranch, and took off before I could catch him. You find any new info?”

“We’re getting close. I think I’ve identified the mole. We’ve been checking into the guy who used to work at Janice’s office. Seems her company has cameras in different spots around the building. I got hold of their old tapes and checked the day Janice got the paper with the note on it. Our guy came in early that morning with a paper under his arm and left without it.”

“Wouldn’t he have known about the cameras?”

“No. They put them in about six months after he left. There’d be no reason for anyone to mention them to him. Most of the staff probably forgets they are even there. Where they’re placed isn’t real obvious.”

“That doesn’t seem like much though. He’ll say it was a coincidence.”

“True, but in talking with some of the staff at his office we found out he hates Judge Dedrick and his daughter. He says she got the promotion he should have been given. They say he blames her father and her. Giving this guy information to harass her gets his revenge and keeps his hands clean.”

“Sounds good. What’s the next step?”

“We’ve been working with the police. They’re getting ready to take him in and interrogate him.”

“Maybe if he gets worried enough about himself, he’ll give you all the stalker’s name. We’re heading back tomorrow. I’ll see you then.” Drake snapped his cell phone shut.

“I take it Brent’s closing in on someone?”
Jackson
asked.

“A man that used to work with Janice and has kept close ties with some of the people at Janice’s workplace. He may have given out information to get back at her because of a promotion she got instead of him. Brent and the police are going to confront him.”

“Why not leave Janice here until things are more settled? Samantha would love her company.”

“One, can you see Janice staying behind? And two, he might circle around and try to get her instead of me.”

“I’d be watching, and my men. You’re right though, it’s a moot point, she’d never agree.”

“In my past I’ve dealt with a few men similar to our stalker. He must be boiling about now, and an angry man makes mistakes. We’ve got to be ready to take advantage of them,” Drake said. They strolled toward the house. “She accepted my ring.”

Jackson
stopped in his tracks. “Well damn, I’m going to have new neighbors.” He shook Drake’s hand. “Let’s go have a toast. This calls for barbecued steak and a bottle of my best wine.”

* * * *

The old man had been easy. He’d been the first car to pass by. When the car stopped, he’d immediately pulled his gun and shot the old geezer, dragged him into the weeds, and was headed to the big city,
Austin
.

Good thing he had his bag. He’d packed a disguise and false identification. The guy that did the ID was a professional in his line of work. It had cost him, but was worth it. He’d fly out of
Austin
under a pseudonym, and wear the wig and makeup. They’d never track him. He was too smart for all of them.

They’d try to find his prints on the cars, but he’d worn gloves whenever he touched the door handle or anywhere inside.

The hot air blew in the window. Crappy car, the old man didn’t even have air-conditioning. Well, he’d dump it in the next town and steal a different one to get him into
Austin
, then park at a business close to the airport. He’d find a way, bus or taxi, to get the last few miles.

When he drove into the nearest small town, he found a side street, donned his disguise, and left the car. He strolled along a shaded walkway and stopped at a convenience store, where he bought a drink and sandwich. Taking the bag the guy at the register handed him, he headed out the door, glanced both ways, and began to walk. This time he’d find a car that had air. If you were going to steal, you might as well take the very best.

He could hardly wait to get home. They were nearing the end of this game. His blood pulsed with excitement. The old man had been too easy, but Drake was a challenge. He planned to win the next round.

Chapter Eleven

“Did you and Samantha make all the wedding plans?” Drake teased her as they flew toward
Houston
.

“We didn’t. I must warn you, Mother and Father will insist on a big wedding in our local church. I’d prefer to be married in a small church near the ranch, but since I’m marrying someone they won’t approve of, I need to at least let them have their way in the plans.” Janice smiled at Drake’s groan.

“All right, honey. But I want you to know I’d never go through this for anyone but you.”

“Well, I hope not.” She leaned across the separation of their chairs and kissed him. “I’ll make it worth your effort later.”

Drake raised his eyebrows, “I’m keeping you to that promise.”

Janice laid her head back and closed her eyes. They’d left early. Drake wanted to see Brent, and Janice had to visit her parents. They would not like her news. Instinctively, she knew Drake was not the type of man either of them would have chosen for their daughter. Her father especially wanted her to marry a lawyer that was settled and on his way up. The idea of one that quit the law to run a ranch would be completely incomprehensible to him.

She glanced at Drake. He was reading a magazine on ranching. His dark brown hair fell across his forehead. He’d dressed in a blue shirt that stretched tight across his wide shoulders, and jeans that emphasized his long, muscular legs. Heat began to build in her just observing him. And then he looked up, that sexy twinkle in his eye, a smile softening the hard contours of his face.

“I felt you staring.”

“I love you,” she said.

He got up and came to her chair, lifted her into his arms and settled on the couch with her on his lap. “You’re worried. What’s the matter?”

“Not really, more concerned about my visit to my parents.”

“Why not wait and I’ll go with you tonight? Call and tell them we’ll be by. Don’t mention my name. We’ll do this together. I haven’t told you about the time your father and I met. He isn’t going to like you marrying me.”

“He wasn’t going to like you marrying me if he’d never met you. What happened?”

Drake told her about their brief meeting. “I didn’t bow to him, and his eminence was not impressed with me.”

“Oh, dear. He’s my father, so I love him, but I don’t always like him. He is stuffy and expects perfection.”

“Did he like your first fiancé?”

“Yes, Ted met his requirements. He was serious about his work, and on the way up. Dad approved of his résumé. In fact, I’d never thought about it before, but Dad brought him home right after he hired him and introduced him to mother and me.”

“And you fell in love.”

“Not right then, silly.” She ruffled his hair. “We began to work together, go out with the crowd after work, and then he asked me out. It was a slow process. He was a nice, sweet man. I suppose if I’d married him, we would have been happy.” She brushed her lips across Drake’s. “I’d have never met you, or if I had I’d have been very married by that time. What you haven’t experienced you won’t miss.”

“You mean never having been with me, you’d not know the difference?” Drake asked.

“Yes. I never thought I was a very passionate woman,” she said and smiled. “I expected and thought I wanted a quiet, contented life, busy with my work, and I’m almost certain Ted had the same expectations.”