Chapter 7
CHAPTER 7
M id-August, Malone Ranch
Marti sat to the scrumptious breakfast Hetti had made. She was amazed at the woman. She lived there and cooked and cleaned for the Malones, but Marti hadn’t set eyes on her since the first night she and Sophie had stayed at the ranch.
Caleb apparently made his requests known, but how, she wasn’t sure. It might have been in person, but for all Marti knew, they texted each other.
Finally, after having been there for almost a month, Marti’s curiosity got the best of her.
“Caleb, why do I never see Hetti? Is she invisible?”
He sat at the head of the rectangular table capable of seating twelve, but, with the leaves out, sat six comfortably. He laughed. “She’s completely visible, believe me. She just doesn’t like to be intrusive. Even though we’ve all told her that will never happen, she prefers it this way, so we leave it alone. I see her in the evening, usually before dinner, and give her the requests for the following day. If, by chance, I don’t see her, she usually prepares our favorite meals.” He leaned forward. “Don’t tell anyone, but sometimes I avoid her just so I can get my favorite meals the next day. Of course, she might decide to fix Bethany’s or, when he was here, Jamison’s favorites.” He frowned.
She thought he hated thinking of Jamison. The thought apparently was enough to make the day a bad one. Marti reached over and placed a hand on top of Caleb’s. “It’s not your fault. Jamison had a good life here. He had absolutely no reason to get involved with the KT Cartel.”
Marti’s phone rang. She had it sitting next to her plate on the table. She looked down at it and then back up at Caleb. “I don’t recognize the number. This could be Rocket.” She picked it up and swiped across the face. “Hello?”
“A shipment is coming in tonight at eleven o’clock. It will be at the same warehouse where you were before.”
The line went dead.
She told Caleb what he’d said. “So, what do we do? Is the DEA ready to take them down for this one shipment? Or will they follow it and find out who the players are?”
He shook his head and shrugged. “Those are good questions. I won’t know the answer to them until I talk to my boss.”
“Then I guess you’d better get talking. I have to take Sophie to Vacation Bible school anyway.”
“You probably shouldn’t.”
“Caleb, we need to keep the kids’ lives as normal as possible. She’s been looking forward to this all year. Last year, we missed the cut-off, and it was full, so she couldn’t go.”
“I understand, but you really think after getting that threatening note that she should go?”
She chewed on her bottom lip. “We haven’t heard anything from anyone in two weeks. I would have thought they would do something by now, if they were going to.”
“Perhaps, but you haven’t been to the house to see if they left you another note, either. I know I have security there, but things do get missed. Not often, but occasionally.”
She pressed her tongue against her top lip and thought about the situation for a moment. Her stomach churned like she was trying to make butter. Why am I nervous about suggesting I go home for more clothes? Is it because I’ll find another note or because I won’t and then don’t have a plausible reason to stay? “I’ll go home and see what’s what. I need to get us more clothes anyway if we’re continuing to stay here. Sophie wants some of her favorite things and so do I.” She looked at Caleb. They hadn’t indulged in kissing or holding each other since that night three weeks ago. Marti admitted she missed it, missed kissing him, missed having him hold her. But they’d agreed they couldn’t do anything about their attraction right now. They would have to wait until the cartel had been taken down. Then, perhaps, they could revisit the situation. “Do you agree with that plan?”
He furrowed his brows, and his arms were crossed over his chest. “I do, but I want to go. I don’t like the idea of you going alone when we already know they can access the house whenever they want. I want to make sure my people haven’t missed anything.”
She sagged in her chair. Relief flowed through her. “Well, I won’t mind the company.”
He smiled. “I’m glad to hear it. I’ll drive. We can leave when you’ve finished with breakfast.”
Marti managed to eat her scrambled eggs and bacon, but the hash browns were just too much for her churning stomach to handle. “I’m done. Let’s go get this over with.” She stood and headed to her bedroom. “Let me get my purse.”
Caleb nodded. “I’ll pull up out front. Will you need a lot of room for boxes and such?”
“No, but I could use a large suitcase. Mine are pretty small.”
“Sure, I’ll get one now.”
He returned shortly with an enormous suitcase.
“That’s perfect. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Let’s go. I think we’ll take the Camaro this morning. It needs a drive. I take a different one every day, so they all stay in condition.” He started for the kitchen and the door to the garage.
“I can’t imagine having a different car to drive nearly every day of the week.”
“Cars are one of my hobbies. That’s why I have so many, and no two are alike.”
She chuckled. “Well, I guess everyone must have a hobby. Does Bethany drive the cars?”
“She does, though she usually takes the Ford F-350 truck. She’s often hauling stuff like hay for the horses and cows, both in the barn and in the pasture.”
In the garage, Marti’s gaze found the Camaro immediately. It was a gorgeous midnight-blue with sparkles that resembled little stars. The entire car looked like a photo from the International Space Station.
“It’s beautiful. One of these days, you’ll have to let me drive these.” She looked over at him. “But not today. I don’t want to dawdle with getting used to a new car.”
“Thank you for that.”
“Anytime.” She still had a big grin on her face as she pulled on her seatbelt.
They arrived at her rented house about thirty minutes later.
Marti used her key to let them in. When she looked at the table, she spotted another note.
You were warned.
Her hands shook as she handed it to Caleb. “What does it mean? We haven’t done anything since that first stakeout.”
Caleb furrowed his brows as he took the paper from her. “I don’t know. Maybe they found out about that. You haven’t been back here in two weeks, so there is no telling how long the note has been here.”
Marti’s heart pounded, and she had a knot in her stomach as she put her arms around Caleb’s waist. “I’m scared.”
He rubbed her back and then held her closer. “I’ve doubled security at the ranch. Don’t worry, you and Sophie are safe there.”
She leaned back in his arms and looked up at him. “But are we? They said the ranch wasn’t as safe as we thought. Does that mean someone at the ranch has been in league with the cartel?”
“All of my security team is vetted before I hire them. But I’ll check the backgrounds again of anyone hired in the last two months. I want to know if someone is living beyond their means.”
She nodded. “Thank you. You can’t imagine how much being able to stay at the ranch means to me…and to Sophie. I’ve changed my mind about Vacation Bible School. Sophie will just have to miss it again this year. It’s just to dangerous for her to go.”
“You’re welcome and I’m glad you’ve changed your mind about the bible school. Now go pack and let’s get back to the ranch.”
“Right.” She let him take the empty suitcase into her bedroom. She quickly packed clothes for her and more for Sophie. The luggage was full. She was glad Caleb was with her because she wasn’t sure she could have put the bag into the car by herself.
“Don’t panic yet.”Caleb grabbed the full piece of luggage and headed down the narrow staircase.
“I’m trying not to. It’s just after that latest message, I’m not sure what to expect. Sophie and Danny go back to school in two weeks. I need to take Sophie shopping for new clothes but at least we can order their supplies online. How can I take her to get new clothes and keep her safe?”
“You’ll be okay in a large setting like that one.”
“Caleb, we have to do something about this. I think I’ll just order her clothes online. I can return them after this is done.” Nausea threatened to overtake her resistance as she waved the note at him. “How can you protect me when I’m not at the ranch? I have to come home eventually. I can’t just live with you forever.”
Caleb moved to stand in front of her, and then he took her into his arms. “We’ll figure something out. For now, we need to plan on getting to the warehouse early. I don’t want to get caught sneaking in.”
“How early do you want to get there?”
“By nine. That will give me plenty of time to set up the video camera.”
She nodded against his chest. “Okay.”
“I’d rather you didn’t go. It’ll be dangerous.”
“I can shoot a gun. You also know if you don’t take me, I’ll go by myself.”
“I know, but I don’t have to like it.”
She looked up at him. “No, you don’t, but that is the way of things. Let’s go home. I mean to the ranch.”
Caleb grinned. “Yes, let’s go home.” He grabbed the suitcase and carried it out as if it weighed nothing.
Marti followed him, locking the door behind them, though she wondered what the point was. The cartel could get in whenever they wanted. She couldn’t ever come back here to live without at least changing all the locks and adding new deadbolts, too.
As she followed Caleb, she couldn’t help but admire the cut of the man. His wide shoulders and narrow waist were delicious to look at. And the way his shirt stretched over his muscles when he put the suitcase into the car had her practically drooling.
He turned toward her. “Ready?”
“Uh, yeah, let’s go.”
He walked around and opened her door.
“Thank you.” She sat, glad she was wearing jeans and a t-shirt. She didn’t have to get in like a lady.
He pulled out her seatbelt and handed it to her. “Anytime.”
She was quiet on the way back to the ranch. Finally, as they approached the house, she voiced her fears. “I won’t ever be able to live in that house again, will I?”
“No. It doesn’t matter what you do, they’ll get in. As long as the cartel is around, you can’t live in Bozeman. No place will be safe.”He pulled into the garage.
She leaned back against the seat. Her heart felt heavy. She closed her eyes and let out a sigh. When she opened them, she stared at Caleb. “But I can’t stay here forever. Does that mean I’ll have to leave Bozeman and Montana, altogether?”
He wrinkled his forehead. “No. Why can’t you stay here?”
“Because I don’t feel right imposing, and that’s what it would be. Staying for a few weeks, even a month, is one thing. Staying for months or years is another.”
“It wouldn’t be if you marry me.”
Her eyebrows shot up, and she widened her eyes. “Marry you?”
He lifted his hand from the steering wheel and turned toward her. “Hear me out. It would solve both of our problems; you need a safe place to live, and I need a wife, and Danny needs a mother. Bethany’s good with him, and now with Sophie, but she always defers to me for discipline or permission. So, if I’m not here, Danny doesn’t get to do some things he would if I was here. I need someone who can be his mother in all ways. And I think you already love him. I’ve seen the way you look at the kids when they’re together and when they’re apart. Tell me I’m mistaken.”
She shook her head and gazed into her lap. “You’re not wrong.”
“And I think you have some feelings for me, too.”
“I do.”
“So, why not marry me? You might not love me yet, but I think we have a good shot at a happily-ever-after.” He reached over and used a finger to lift her chin and then he lowered his head and took her lips with his in a soul-searing kiss.
Marti didn’t resist. She didn’t have it in her to be a hypocrite, saying one thing and then doing another. Her feelings for Caleb were much more intense than he realized. She wrapped her arms around his neck and took the kiss deeper.
He kissed her back, pulling her toward him, but was foiled by the gearshift. He broke off and cursed under his breath. “We’re continuing this inside.”
Marti sat back in her seat and caught her breath. Oh, yes, they would resume this, but not right now. “The kids are probably inside. We can’t continue this now, but I’d love to make a date for after they are in bed.”
Caleb frowned and then smiled. “It’s a date.”
“We only have until about eight-thirty before we have to leave for the warehouse, so how about after we return?”
Caleb sighed. “We don’t have any choice about that, but we are going out tomorrow night. It’s time we showed our faces again at The Place. Besides, that little alcove gives us privacy we can’t get at home, and I intend to take advantage and kiss you to my heart’s content.”
Marti giggled. “I can’t believe I did that. I never giggle, but I have to admit, I’m excited. I don’t have another dress to wear though. Do you think anyone will notice?”
“Who cares? I love that dress. I can touch you, even if it is just your back. It’s so soft under my fingers.”
Her cheeks flamed, and she smiled before unhooking her seatbelt.
He was around the car faster than she could get her door open, and he opened it. Caleb pulled her to him and kissed her.
Their mouths melded.
Her arms went around his neck of their own accord, like they knew that was where they should be.
She never wanted the kiss to end, but it had to, and she unwrapped her arms. “Caleb.” Her voice was a whisper. She couldn’t make it louder if she tried.
“Marti.” He rested his forehead against hers. “What’ll we do about this…about us? And make no mistake there is an us.”
She nodded and then rested her head against his chest. “I know.” She looked up at him. “I think we need to tell the kids and Bethany. I don’t want to hide. I don’t want to feel like we are doing something wrong when we’re not.”
“I agree. What do you think about telling everyone at dinner tonight?”
“I think that’s a good idea. The sooner, the better. Then, if we get caught kissing again, the only thing that will happen is the kids will tease us.”
He chuckled. “So will Bethany.”
“I guess we’ll just have to see what their reactions are, that we are actually starting a relationship.”
“And if they’re bad?”
“We’ll figure it out.”