Hide and Seek (17 page)

"I care for you and Shawn. I care a hellava lot."

She experienced a plummeting sadness. "I need more than just caring."

Something akin to torment flashed in his eyes. His hands slid down her arms. "I'd never hurt you purposely, but I'm not capable of giving again or making commitments. I can't be what you want."

Long after, she lay between cool crisp sheets with feverish skin that ached for Holt's touch, for his strength. Had she made a mistake? Should she have lived for the moment? Taken what he had offered?

As if to turn away from her regret, she rolled onto her side. Tomorrow she would give the planner to his friend, but unless Holt asked, there would be no reason to stay in Elixir.

****

Holt finished tightening a battery cable on the tractor he used for hauling seven-hundred pound rolls of Coastal Bermuda hay. He tossed the wrench aside and signaled Brian whose lank blond hair and clothes dripped from a cooling dip in a water trough.

"Try it now.”

The teenager jumped up and resettled himself behind the driver’s seat. The engine revved and Brian’s fist shot up. "Yes!"

Holt wiped his hands on a red rag and raised his voice over the engine. "Park her in the equipment building then go home. This heat isn't fit for man or beast."

Brian waved, and the yellow and green tractor pulled away.

Holt stared after the machine, but his thoughts were on home. He pictured luminous, green eyes, kissable lips, and a set of enticing legs. Last night Caprice had lit up in his arms like a road flare. She was hot and passionate with a trusting heart, but his admission of caring had left him shaken long after she had gone to bed.

He reset his hat onto his head. Granted, he wanted Caprice out of control, but surely these strong protective urges were not the same as if he had invested his entire being. No doubt, they were just the leftover fragments of his former self.

In need of a shower, he strode for the house. It was near eleven o’clock and Dan Adder would arrive soon. Despite the lack of electricity, the house remained cool as Holt headed down the hall.

Outside of Caprice's closed bedroom door, he lifted his hand to knock, but heard material swish. Was she removing her clothes? Nude images of Caprice giving herself creatively arrested his breathing. He remembered her fiery kisses, the feel of her in his arms.

Get a grip, LeBerger
. Once Dan saw the planner, Caprice would return to West Virginia.

Holt stepped into his bathroom and soon stood under a cool spray. Surely their parting wouldn't feel like the raw aching he'd experienced after Lilah ran away. He was safe this time because he had not invested the most foolish part of himself...his heart.

Later, Holt half-leaned into the refrigerator. Cheeses, grapes, and sliced cucumbers were all swathed in layers of Saran wrap or zippered bags. Hungry for something substantial, he opened a plastic coffin filled with celery and carrot sticks.

His mood darkened. “Where’s the damned beef?”

"Hello, Holt. You left before I got up. I've been worried all morning."

Like a thick fog burned away by the sun, his exasperation dissipated. Along with an accent that caused his nerves to sizzle, she wore a form-hugging, denim dress dotted with embroidered flowers.

“You look nice, Caprice.”

"Thank you." Her cheeks were flaming patches. Was she remembering the previous night’s kisses as her graceful fingers smoothed the material? "I found this in the duffle bag. With no air-conditioning, it should be comfortable.”

He shut the refrigerator door, his fingers encircling the cold neck of a beer bottle. "That bag holds some pleasant surprises.”

"You look sore."

"Some, but I can tell something’s troubling you," he said, twisting the cap off the bottle.

"What if Alan discovers Shawn is with your sister?"

"Scott always carries his cell.” Holt snatched the phone off the wall, punched Scott’s number then held the receiver toward her. “He knows what to look for, but since you're concerned…"

Within minutes, she replaced the phone in its cradle. The worrisome grooves that had previously etched her forehead had vanished.

Her smile was infectious. "They're having fun."

“Did Melissa say when they would return?"

She shrugged. "At dark.”

The front door bell chimed.

"That must be your friend."

She pivoted to leave, but Holt caught her elbow. "Caprice, be careful. Don’t let Dan’s blue eyes fool you. He’s a viper."

She lifted her chin and shook red-gold locks from her shoulders. "I should watch out for you, instead. You snap and growl like an angry dog."

Holt took a long, lusty swallow of his beer then set the bottle on the granite. "I take my prey down by the neck."

Her gaze widened. "I'm not afraid of you."

He ran his fingertips across the scooped edge of her bodice, over soft, freckled flesh. Her lips parted, and his blood coursed hot through his veins. "Living like this has stretched my nerves to the snapping point." A profound longing washed up inside him. When she leaned close, he wrapped his free arm around her, kissing her hungrily.

The doorbell sounded again, and Caprice stepped away. Her eyes smoldered with passion and promises, making him forget and briefly wish he could be the man she deserved.

"Your friend, Holt."

****

Seconds after Holt made introductions, he wanted to slug Dan who could hardly bring himself to release Caprice’s hand.
Womanizing-sidewinder!
Nevertheless, Holt forced a poker face.

"LeBerger, you look like something one of my barn cats coughed up.”

Caprice studied one man then the other. "Holt said you're old friends. How did you meet?"

"Cattlemen's Association," Dan said and accepted an uncapped beer from Holt. "He donated and solicited funds for my campaign a few years back."

She smiled. "I'll get the planner."

Once she was out of earshot, Dan’s expression turned incredulous. "LeBerger, is her accent for real?”

"She's from West Virginia, born and raised."

"Incredible eyes. Enchanting."

“She bewitches.”

Dan shed his suit jacket, tossed it onto the sofa, and loosened a diamond-patterned tie. "You're pursuing her then?"

"Hell no. Caprice is the marrying kind."

The other man grimaced at the news and yanked. The tie’s silk hissed as it slid from his shirt’s starched collar. "Great legs though."

"She has a son."

Dan settled his lanky frame on the sofa. "A woman with a child would soon snap a brass ring through a man's nose."

“You betcha.”

As the midday sun back lit Dan's blond, good-looks, he lifted the bottle halfway to his lips. "I smell vinegar."

Holt gestured to the sparkling glass on the coffee table. "Sadly, that's one of her many faults."

"Many? Surely you jest.”

Holt shrugged. “She's changed my diet. No beef. And that’s not all...she sleeps in my shirts, then looks all sexy and asks if I mind.”

Dan’s brows rose. “That’s a problem?”

“Okay, so that’s definitely a bonus, but hear this.” Buying time to concoct a believable atrocity, Holt made a production of glancing over his shoulder. “She ruins my razors on her endless legs and snores like a runaway diesel.”

“Yikes! A snoring woman? That’s just wrong.”

“See this.” Holt tapped the cut on his forehead. “She flung a wrench in a vicious fit of temper.”

Dan visibly shuddered, and Holt relaxed. Dan was cured. Soon they were discussing Holt’s marketing strategies for the feed he had developed, while Dan waited to hear about his environmental bill now in Senate committee.

Caprice returned, and Dan patted the sofa, inviting her to sit beside him. "I did some research last night after talking to Holt," he said, studying the planner’s entries. "The FBI found the plane's mechanic in Acapulco. He has agreed to turn state’s evidence. It’s being kept from the media until they can locate Montero though.”

"That's great!" she cried. Her smile illuminated the room.

Dan slapped the book against his palm, his eyes forming narrow slits. "This planner is great evidence. I did legal jurisdiction work for the FBI years back and still have some excellent contacts, but they'll want more information, Caprice. Would you be willing to answer a few questions?"

"Of course." She crossed one long, luscious leg over the other, an unconscious movement, but one Holt knew Adder had appreciated.

After twenty minutes, Holt shifted in his armchair. Dan's questions had become lengthy and redundant. The temperature in the room had risen along with the sun, and Caprice was fanning her chest with a slip of paper.

"Don't you have a meeting somewhere?" Holt asked.

Dan glanced at his watch. "Yes. The Crestview Chamber of Commerce, but they won't mind if I'm tardy. Don't let us keep you from any work, LeBerger. The lady and I can handle anything that comes up."

Comes up?
Holt's good eye narrowed. "The hell you say.”

"Pardon?"

"Stray. Didn’t you mention something about a cow from the Heaven ’n Hell Ranch wandering onto your spread?" For the moment it was the best lie he could concoct.

“Must have been someone else.” Dan’s attention returned to Caprice. "Holt says you have a son."

She nodded and drawled. “Shawn turned five in July.”

Dan shook his head as if waking from a trance. Albeit, Caprice had that effect on men, but Holt wished Dan would leave. "Did you travel with Montero?"

"Yes. Twice to Mexico City."

"Give me dates and names, love."

Holt rested a booted-foot on his knee and drummed his fingers on his thigh. The Adder was trying everything he could to extend his stay. Caprice made a comment, and the other man responded with a bedroom chuckle.

Holt pointed to the large window. "Will you look at that…thunderheads."

Dan’s brows collided. "You're edgy, LeBerger. Of course, that was some beating you took.”

"I'm fine." But he wasn't. He was peevish, and physically ugly with a swollen, anvil-sized nose. "Are your calves still scouring?"

This time Dan’s cheek twitched. "You know I maintain a healthy head."

"You’re hardly ever home. Beats me how you can run a successful operation when you’re absent most of the time.” Holt pursed his lips, avoiding Caprice's warning glare.

“I have knowledgeable people watching my spread. You’re just jealous because I’m breeding Angus into my herd.”

Holt shrugged, and an uncomfortable silence followed until Dan snapped his notebook shut and stood.

He shot Holt a dark look then snatched his tie and jacket from the sofa. “I should make that chamber meeting.”

At the door, Dan handed Caprice a business card. "I wrote my private number on the back. Don't hesitate to call if you think of anything else. Unless, I'm traveling on business, I'm home most evenings."

"Thank you, Mr. Adder."

Holt rested his hand on Caprice’s shoulder. He stroked the soft flesh along her neck with his fingers. "I'll just be a moment."

Stepping outside, Holt shut the door and faced Dan. "Act fast on this. I want Montero to hang from a West Virginia sugar maple. "

Dan's eyes narrowed. "I thought you weren’t interested in the lady."

"I thought you avoided snoring women with family plans, pal."

Dan stared confused and smoothed his blond head. "I do, but surely there’s no harm in asking her to dinner."

Holt shrugged. "Caprice makes her own decisions."

"Excellent. I’ll just be a minute.” When the other man moved, Holt blocked the door. Dan exhaled as he shifted his briefcase to his other hand. "LeBerger, I'm damned tempted to kick your ass."

"And I'd hate for you to bleed all over my porch. Look, Caprice is vulnerable. You'd swallow her head first then spit her out like you have every woman that’s stepped in your coil.”

“My what!”

Holt ignored him. “I want Montero ruined politically, of course, and financially. And…there's something Caprice didn't mention that you might find interesting.”

Chapter Ten

"What?" Dan's tone was cool, his eyes turning to steel.

“Montero suffered a financial crunch at one point during their marriage,” Holt said. “He forced Caprice to sign a sales contract for real estate she had inherited by pointing a pistol at Shawn.”

“Damn.”

“She was interested in leasing the land to secure a steady stream of royalty payments for her future.”

Dan’s brows lifted. "Royalties for..?”

“Oil.”

“Ahh, fee simple estate,” Dan said more to himself. “Caprice would own the surface and mineral rights for shale and gas as well as oil.”

"Keep me posted."

“Right.” Dan turned to leave then stopped, causing the soles of his polished oxfords to scuff the red-brick pavers. His blue eyes stabbed. "In the interim, figure out what the hell has you pawing a hole in the ground like some colicky horse."

****

Standing among the soothing earth-tones in Holt’s living room, Caprice brushed the razored edge of Dan's business card across her lips. The planner was gone. Very soon, Alan would be scrambling, creating more lies to save his political career instead of chasing after her and Shawn.

Holt stepped inside and shut the door. With confident strides, he crossed the room to stand before her. "I see worry in those mint-julep eyes."

"What if Alan tries something before the law catches him?”

"We have routine surveillance from the sheriff’s department.”

She nodded. “I saw a cruiser drive by this morning.”

Holt slipped Dan's business card from her fingers to study it. She stared at Holt's bent head, at the black hair he always kept secured back and restricted just like his emotions. "So, how are you feeling now?" he asked mildly.

"Relieved.”

"Good." He tore the card and let the pieces flutter to the carpet.

"Holt!" She shook, furious with his high-handed tactics. "You were rude to that poor man. I thought you were buddies."

"We are, but he’s a pit viper with women. If you need a friend, come to me."