Chapter 16
16
“W hat are the chances your stepfather is involved in Harrison’s murder?”
The question had to be asked no matter how much it might hurt Nikki. A theory had emerged as Conrad had replayed events in his mind.
“Directly?” She shook her head like she couldn’t even consider the possibility. “None. But I was just speaking to the deputy about the probability one of his workers decided to impress him. My stepfather hasn’t made a secret out of wanting to adopt me.”
“Wait,” Conrad said. “Why?”
“The ship has sailed for my mother to have more children after a hysterectomy five years ago,” she said. “I’m Heath’s only chance at a daughter or son.”
“Would that change your last name?” he asked.
They walked to the kitchen after locking the front door. He led her into the room for more privacy.
“That’s the idea of an adult adoption,” she said.
“And you would be okay with that?”
Nikki’s shoulders tensed. “Would anything be wrong with me if I was?”
Conrad stopped cold.
“Are you telling me that you’ve never considered changing your last name so you wouldn’t be a Sturgess any longer, what with all the stigma that comes along with Beaumont’s last name?” she asked, more of that tension radiating from her as she cleared the table.
“Not once,” Conrad admitted. “For better or worse, it’s who I am. I’m a Sturgess. I’d like to think my generation will make that name count for something besides cut-throat business deals, gambling on horses, then using them up before throwing them away, and philandering.”
Nikki turned her face away from him as though the words hit a little too close to home with her own situation. She busied herself loading the dishwasher.
Damn. He hadn’t intended anything personal.
“What’s right for me isn’t right for everyone,” he added. “I didn’t mean to react so strongly. It’s your call.”
“Do you really think I haven’t churned over this decision? Lost sleep?”
“Why? My version of parenting means unconditional love,” he offered. “Heath clearly loves you. Would he turn his back on that just because you don’t share a last name?”
“Let’s just say that my stepfather makes a strong argument for the change,” she said. “Not to mention, one of my influential law professors shares that opinion.”
Now, he understood. Her last name could taint her professional life, too. They weren’t so different. The deals Beaumont had made over the years had brought in all kinds of shady rich folks based on the research they’d done in the past few months since the man’s death.
“It’s understandable if you feel compelled,” Conrad said. “I just hope you make the decision that’s right for you and turn off all that external noise.”
Nikki released a slow sigh. “It gets so loud sometimes.”
“Believe me when I say that I understand.”
She turned and leaned her hip against the counter. “You’re right, though. This is a big decision. One that I don’t take lightly.”
“I wasn’t trying to come off as an asshat,” Conrad said.
Nikki laughed. The sound was musical. It lit a dozen campfires in his chest, warming him from the inside out.
“You were being honest,” she said. “You’re one of the most authentic people I’ve ever met, and it’s sexy as hell.”
Now, it was his turn to laugh. “I didn’t realize hell was sexy.”
“It’s certainly hot, much like you,” she teased.
“Keep that up, and I’ll be forced to kiss you again,” he said. The words came out without thinking. He shouldn’t make an offer that was a bad idea to follow through on. Only a bad idea because of the situation and not because she didn’t make him crave naked, skin-to-skin contact. Or to bury himself inside in her sweet heat.
“Keep talking, and I’ll force you to follow through with that promise,” she quipped.
They were at a stalemate. Despite Sandy going to the judge on his behalf, there was no guarantee he wouldn’t end up going down for Harrison’s murder.
“Rain check?” he asked. “You need to get a few hours of sleep. We both need to wake up at the crack of dawn for axe games.”
She stood there, holding his gaze for a long, lingering moment before breaking eye contact. She closed the dishwasher and folded her arms across her chest. “Ready to go to bed?”
“Thought you’d never ask.” Again, he smiled.
“On a serious note, will you sleep with me?” she asked. “I’m not comfortable in this big house.”
What was she leaving out? That she feared security would fail again, and one of her stepfather’s workers would break in?
He drew a quick, short breath. “Yes.” The word had never felt so right. Under different circumstances, it would’ve meant something different—something he wanted more than he wanted air. Making love to Nikki would change the game for the rest of his life.
No doubt about it.
Blinds open, the sun spilled into the south-facing bedroom that had been Conrad’s while growing up. Since Beaumont hadn’t believed in wasting money on children, the room had been set up for an adult while Conrad still slept in a crib. The crib had been relegated to the attic a long time ago.
The king-sized bed was large enough for Nikki and Conrad to sleep together. However, sleep was the last thing on Conrad’s mind. Feeling the warmth of Nikki’s body as she’d scooted next to him and, in her sleep, entwined her limbs with his, had been one helluva distraction. The other thing that had kept him awake was the promise of regaining some of his freedom this morning. He’d spent hours processing all the new information.
Conrad untangled himself one limb at a timeand then slipped out of the covers, not wanting to disturb Nikki’s restful sleep.
He closed the blinds so sunlight wouldn’t bother her and then moved into the adjacent bathroom. A few minutes later, he emerged dressed and ready to face the day.
After tiptoeing down the hall, he hit the back staircase, heading toward the kitchen for breakfast and coffee. Dry toast did the trick while his coffee brewed. He poured a cup as the doorbell rang.
Sandy stood on the porch. He scanned her face for signs of good news but came up empty.
“Come on in, Deputy,” he said, leading her toward the kitchen. “Can I get you a cup of coffee?”
“No, thanks,” she responded. “I had one on the way over.”
“What’s the word?” he asked, leaning against the kitchen counter.
“I’m pleased to tell you the judge accepted my request to remove the ankle monitor,” she said.
Relief washed over him. “That is good news.”
He took a seat almost immediately and propped his ankle up on a chair for easier access. A couple of minutes later, he was free of the device.
Rubbing his ankle, he thanked her.
“I’m just doing my job,” she said.
“About that.” He stood up. “Beau is sleeping in the guest suite behind Beaumont’s old office. I’ll grab him so you can do what you need to.”
“Much appreciated,” Sandy said.
She wasn’t much of a talker, which he appreciated. Finally, suspicion was being cast on someone besides him. He was relieved because he hadn’t killed Harrison. It was looking a whole lot more like plenty of folks had reason to get rid of the lawyer.
Conrad excused himself and walked down the hall, stepping a little lighter than he had a few minutes ago. The device itself wasn’t especially heavy. Wearing it had been a constant reminder of the possibility of losing his freedom.
Ideas circulated as he made his way to the guest suite. Lukas Wayne came to mind. He was involved in questionable deals. One of which involved Beau. Conrad didn’t want to believe Beau was capable of setting him up for murder. Still, the idea had to be fleshed out to see if it held any merit. Conrad’s hand gripped the door handle leading to the guest suite.
If there was, Beau was a lying sack of…
The bed looked like no one had slept in it last night. Was Beau up and already in the bathroom?
Conrad stepped into the room. The ensuite door was wide open. No noise came from the adjacent room.
A piece of paper was folded on the pillow. Conrad closed the distance in a few strides. He picked up the note and opened it.
I can take a hint. No one wants me here. I’m sick of being an outcast.
By the way, I didn’t do it.
-Beau
Dammit. Beau was gone.
Nikki stretched her arms and yawned. She immediately noted Conrad’s absence. The bed was cold where his warm body had once been. The room was black as pitch. What time was it?
She glanced over at the nightstand. The digital clock displayed 6:27.
Throwing the covers off, she opened the blinds wide enough to realize it was daylight. No one was outside in the yard. Had the deputy arrived? Was she on her way?
Nikki made a beeline for the bathroom. She wore an old rock-n-roll band concert T-shirt Conrad had provided to bed last night, where she’d slept deeper than she had in months. Years? Ever?
Shaking off the brain fog, she brushed her teeth with the spare toothbrush Conrad had provided last night, threw on jeans, and then ran downstairs.
“What did I miss?” she asked a stunned-looking Conrad as he entered the kitchen from the hallway leading to the office in the front of the massive home.
“Beau’s gone,” he said, glancing from Nikki to Sandy as he rushed over to the window, holding a piece of paper in his hand. “Yep. His truck is gone.”
“What’s the plate?” Sandy asked.
“I don’t know,” Conrad said as Sandy joined him. He handed over the piece of paper and then looked at Nikki. “Said he was tired of being an outsider in the family.”
What the hell?
“Innocent people don’t run,” she said before realizing how hypocritical that sounded coming from her after taking off with Conrad to prove his innocence. “Normally.”
“Agreed,” Sandy said. “This makes it appear that he believes he would fail the test.”
“I didn’t hear him go,” Conrad said.
“He could’ve pushed his truck down the drive,” Sandy offered.
Conrad rattled off the make and model of the truck, along with the color. A blue Ford pickup qualified as a needle in a haystack on the highway. Besides, there was no way to tell how long he’d been gone. Since Sandy had no reason to arrest Beau last night, the best she could do would be to list him as wanted for questioning.
“I’ll call his cell,” Conrad said. He did, then put the call on speaker. Beau’s voicemail came on. “This is Conrad. Call me back.”
“I’ll run this past Travis,” Sandy said, pointing at the note. “See what action he wants to take next. At this point, Beau is a person of interest, which doesn’t mean he’s bound to stay in town. I’ll call him myself and ask him to come back to Saddle Junction to meet me at the sheriff’s office.”
“Do you think he knows where Lukas Wayne is?” Nikki asked.
“It’s possible,” Conrad said. “Are you thinking he’s going to question the trainer?”
“Or alert him,” Nikki supplied.
“Let me know the minute he calls back or turns up here at the ranch,” Sandy said, taking the note as evidence before excusing herself. “We’ll test axe-throwing abilities when I return.”
“I need to let the others know what’s going on and figure out a way to find Beau,” he said.
“Does anyone have a check-in type app on their cell?” Nikki asked.
“No,” he said. “And I can’t imagine they would.”
“I just thought after what happened to Chloe recently that you guys might have decided to grant access to each other in case of emergency,” she said.
“It’s probably not bad advice, but no one around here wants ‘big brother’ watching over their shoulder any more than necessary,” he pointed out. “Those apps can be hacked. The information can probably be sold, too.”
“Fair points,” she conceded with a shrug. Those were the same reasons she hadn’t allowed that type of GPS monitoring on her phone. Not voluntarily. For a split-second, she feared Heath might have a tracker on her cell. More doubts about the man who’d raised her crept in. Would he do something like that?
Could she trust him?
Conrad finished typing on his new cell, and then his gaze met hers. Electrical currents exploded in the center of her chest. He was honest, trustworthy, and the definition of chiseled-jaw Greek god-type good looks.
Was he irresistible?