Chapter Nine
CHAPTER NINE
As Cade watched the white SUV head off down the quiet country road, he let out a heavy breath. He was sure Karen had been lying to him. When he’d asked the simple question about what happened to her phone, she’d looked panic-stricken, then rattled off an excuse that sounded implausible.
Striding into the house, he continued thinking about the odd conversation as he fed the dogs then showered and changed. Whenever he left the ranch to work with Annie she sent over one of her security guards. As if on cue, Cade was pulling on his jacket when he heard a car rolling to a stop outside his door.
“Come on you two,” he called to the happy retrievers. “We’re off to see Annie and your friends.”
The two dogs always joined him when he worked with Annie. She adored them, and they loved playing with her two her dogs, Bella and Merlin. As he hurried outside, Jack and Diane jumped into the bed of his truck while he waved at the security guard and climbed behind the wheel. But as he rolled away from the house he wanted to drive straight to the cottage, confront Karen and ask her what was really going on. Fighting the temptation, he made the short trip to Annie’s home.
The studio was at the back of the property near the base of the Smoky Hill forest. Pulling to a stop at the gate, he punched the code into the keypad, then drove past the house and came to a stop in the parking area .
“Hi, Cade,” Annie called, stepping outside with Bella and Merlin running ahead of her. “I thought we could leave the wild beasts out here to play for a while.”
“Good idea,” he replied with a grin as Jack and Diane jumped from the truck and ran across to meet their friends. But as he walked into the studio with Annie his smile quickly faded.
“Do you want a beer? Though, from that worried look on your face maybe you need something stronger,” she remarked. “What’s up?”
“Is it that obvious?”
“Uh, yeah. I’ve known you for a hundred years.”
“True,” he muttered with a sigh. “One of Helen’s friends is here and she spent the afternoon at the ranch with me. She’ll be takin’ lessons in exchange for helpin’ around the place.”
“Is that a problem?”
“No, not at all, except—something odd happened. She was leavin’, and when I said we should exchange numbers she panicked.”
“What do you mean?”
“She said she didn’t have a phone. She claimed she’d driven over it in her car.”
“Maybe she did.”
“I don’t think so—it didn’t ring true, and for a moment I thought she looked terrified.”
“I don’t like the sound of this,” Annie muttered with a frown. “Cade, did she tell you why she was visiting Smoky Hill?”
“Now that you mention it, no, she didn’t. All I know is that she’s stayin’ at Helen’s cottage on her family’s estate. What are you thinkin’.”
“She might have ditched her phone, or even destroyed it in a panic so it couldn’t be tracked, and she hasn’t had time to get a new one.”
“What? Destroyed it? That sounds a bit dramatic, and so does bein’ tracked. Why would someone do that?”
“That’s what I did when I was running away from my maniacal manager.”
“Damn! Are you thinkin’ she has some psycho stalker, or maybe an ex-boyfriend is after her?”
“That would be my guess, and you need to find out. I know how horrible it is to feel alone with a monster chasing you. I felt completely helpless and I was scared all the time.”
“What would you suggest? Should I push her for answers? That might be a bit much. We only just met, though after spendin’ all day with her I feel like we’re friends already.”
“Why don’t you bring her over here? I might have a better shot at getting her to open up.”
“She’d love to meet you. When would you suggest? I know how busy you are with this new project.”
“Not as busy as I used to be. I’m not under the same kind of time pressure I used to be. Why don’t you bring her with you tomorrow night when you come? She can watch, and when we take a break you can make yourself scarce.”
“That sounds perfect. I just hope you’re wrong.”
“Me too, but I have a feeling she has a problem, a big one.”
* * *
When Karen arrived at the cottage she immediately called Cade, gave him the number, then hurried into the bathroom to run a hot bath. After dropping in some bubble bath, she peeled off her clothes, pinned her long hair on top of her head, then climbed in and sank into the enveloping foam.
As she closed her eyes and let out a long sigh, she flashed back to the moment she’d fallen in the mud. Cade had been angry, and when he’d suggested she work for him in exchange for lessons it was the last thing she’d expected.
Now thinking back to the moment, she realized their attraction had been mutual. And apparently still was. He wouldn’t have reminded her to be there early in the morning if it wasn’t. Feeling herself beginning to drift away, his handsome face floated through her mind and a smile crossed her lips.
Silent minutes ticked by…then she suddenly saw herself in the hay loft picking up a flake of alfalfa to toss down to Astro.
“Karen, what are you hidin’,” he asked sternly. “You can’t stay here unless you tell me what’s goin’ on.”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“Lie to me again and I swear I’ll spank your ass.”
“You wouldn’t!”
“I always keep my promises, and I’m tired of this cat and mouse game you’re playin’. What really happened to your phone? Why did you panic when I asked you about it? Why are you here in Smoky Hill?”
“I just needed some time off so I decided to visit Helen.”
“That was a lie,” he grunted, then abruptly stepped forward, grabbed her wrist, bent her over and began slapping her backside.
Her eyes popped open.
The vision had seemed so real.
“Would you do that?” she whispered. “Oh, my gosh! I think you just might!”