The Texas Ranger's Reward (Undercover Heroes) (6 page)

“In what way?”

“Ever since the July 24 holiday, I’ve been entertaining the
idea of hiring somebody to find out who’s invading our cabin when we’re not
there. I told Dad I’d be willing to help pay for a retired police officer to
stay at the cabin until winter. He said he’d try talking to the police again,
but I feared we’d get nowhere there.”

“I heard about that from my boss this morning,” Travis replied.
“Roman Lufka talked to your father, who told him you’ve got a problem up there.
I’ve agreed to look into it, and understand you’re the one who can help me get
started.”

She leaned against the counter, trying to recover from her
adrenaline rush. “I didn’t know if you’d be involved in another case, but I
thought we should ask for you just the same.”

“Actually, I’d been assigned to a missing person’s case, but my
boss took me off it after talking to your father. It’s the least I can do after
you helped my son realize he didn’t need those crutches. You have a way with
children, Ms. Dalton.”

“Thank you. But would you please call me Melissa?”

“Okay, and you call me Travis.”

“I will. We’re very grateful to you. I, most of all, since I’m
the one who spends a lot of time up there. Fall is one of the most beautiful
seasons in the woods. I’m really angry about what’s happened. We’ve been
invaded.”

“You have every right to be upset. Since you’re free, I’ll come
by for you now and we’ll drive up there.”

“We can take my Jeep.”

“Except that it will be familiar to the culprits if they’ve
been watching your comings and goings.”

Melissa shivered at the idea. “You’re right.”

“My truck won’t raise suspicions. If you have any maps of the
area, bring them.”

“We have a drawer full of U.S. Geological Survey maps at the
cabin. My brother pores over them at every opportunity.”

“That’s even better. I want to see everything inside and out.
We’ll come home in time for me to drop you off and pick up Casey after school.
By then I’ll have a much better idea of how I want to handle your case.”

“I’ll be ready in five minutes.”

“Good. I’ve loaded some food and drinks in my backpack. When we
reach Kamas, I’d like to go on foot from there. I understand your cabin is only
a couple of miles up the mountain.”

“That’s right.” Hiking was one of her favorite things to do in
this world. Waves of delight swept through her. A picnic with a Texas Ranger
among the wildflowers would be like something out of a fantasy. With him around,
no way could she get hurt.

The biggest problem for her would be remembering it was only a
dream. When he’d solved the case, the dream would be over.

“Give me your address.” When she’d done his bidding, he told
her he’d be there in ten minutes. Then he rang off.

She hurried upstairs to the bedroom and removed her robe,
choosing to wear jeans and a peach-colored T-shirt. After putting on her hiking
boots, she went into the bathroom to do her hair. If they were going to be doing
a lot of hiking, she preferred it off her neck, and opted for a French twist,
using a couple of inlaid-wood hair sticks.

After applying a liberal coating of sunscreen, she put the tube
in one of her back pockets with apricot-frost lipstick. In the other one she
stashed her keys and a twenty-dollar bill. That was all she needed. She kept a
lot of art supplies at the cabin. In fact, her bedroom there looked like a
painting studio. If time permitted, she’d do some drawings.

When she was ready, she went downstairs and grabbed two cold
apples from the fridge. He might like one. Making sure the lights were off, she
locked the door behind her and walked out to the drive to wait for him. She
hadn’t taken a day off in a long time. It was almost like being a kid again
playing hooky.

Melissa was feeling so good she feared her latent divorcée
hormones had finally decided to kick in. Until now she’d thought the whole idea
was a myth.

A few neighbors waved on their way to the carport. No doubt
they were surprised to see her out in front eating an apple as if she didn’t
have a care in the world. In another minute a steel-green metallic Silverado
four-door truck pulled into the driveway with Travis at the wheel. She ran
around to the passenger side and climbed in so he wouldn’t have to get out and
help her.

On a scale of one to ten, one being the most like the frozen
Arctic, she decided the blue eyes that met hers were probably closer to a
thawed-out four. The vast improvement lifted her spirits. If he’d really been
turned off by her, he wouldn’t have considered taking this case, no matter what
his boss wanted.

“I brought you an apple, but if you don’t want it, that’s
fine.”

“Thanks.” He took it from her and bit into it, studying her at
the same time from head to toe until she was almost suffocated from inner heat.
The way she’d done her hair seemed to fascinate him. If his wife had worn it
this way, Melissa didn’t want to know about it.

“You don’t have a purse,” he said. ”Do you want to go back for
it?”

She shook her head. “I have everything I need in my
pockets.”

“Incredible,” he muttered. In the next instant he looked around
and backed out to the street. Then they took off. Like her, he’d dressed in
jeans and a T-shirt, but every inch of him was hard lines and sinew. Out of the
corner of her eye she saw his backpack lying on the seat behind him.

“Have you been to Kamas before, Travis?”

“No, but I drove up Parley’s Canyon to Park City to ski with
some coworkers several times last winter.”

“Those places aren’t far apart. Our cabin is two miles beyond
the town, farther up in the forest, at 8,500 feet.”

He finished the apple and tossed the core with hers into the
plastic bag he used for waste. “I thought the Davis Mountains of West Texas were
amazing until I came here and saw the Uintas.”

“All mountains have their own beauty. Unfortunately, there are
lawless people who ruin it for everyone else.” When he didn’t say anything, she
glanced at him and saw that his jaw with its dark shadow had hardened. “I—I’m
sorry if what I said brought back your pain,” she stammered.

“Don’t worry about it. I’ve been living with pain for a long
time. Because of Casey, I’m able to deal with my wife’s death.”

“I know what you mean. The children I work with brought me out
of my depression after my divorce. When they’re around, you have to meet their
needs. In the process, you forget yourself.”

“Yup. The day my wife was buried, I wanted to crawl into the
ground with her. Then Casey whispered that he didn’t feel good and needed to go
the bathroom.”

In spite of her sorrow for Travis, Melissa laughed gently. “The
day I received my divorce decree, one of my young patients caught me crying. She
asked me what was wrong. Not thinking, I told her my marriage was over. She
said, ‘You’re lucky. Now you get to sleep with your mommy.’”

Unexpected laughter burst out of Travis. It gave her a glimpse
into that hidden part of him. She was pretty sure he was a man who’d once
laughed a lot. How would it be to get to know
that
man…?

“Have you been divorced for a while?”

“Six years.”

“You must have been a child bride.”

“Being married at twenty-one does sound young these days. To
make it worse, I was married to a child groom.” One who was Dr. Jekyll to
everyone else, but when they were alone, he became a version of Mr. Hyde, who
watched and knew every move she made until she couldn’t breathe.

“How long did it last?”

“Seven months.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I’m not. It wasn’t meant to be. You know those boxes you have
to check as the primary reason for the divorce?”

He nodded.

“Well,” she continued, “instead of ‘incompatibility,’ the first
one ought to read ‘total and complete immaturity.’”

Her comment produced another laugh from him.

“I can laugh about it now, too,” she said.

She actually could laugh about that part of it, but the other
part… Russ’s dark side… She’d since learned that he’d married again and moved to
California. The news had made her euphoric, but if she ever allowed herself to
think about it, she trembled for his unsuspecting wife.

“You know, I wish I could find that little girl again and tell
her I didn’t end up sleeping with my mommy, but I’m a lot happier now.”

Melissa looked out the side window, knowing Travis couldn’t say
the same thing. Even if his wife’s killer were caught and given the death
penalty, it wouldn’t undo the pain of losing her. The horrific murder had robbed
Casey of his mother. Melissa heaved a sigh. It was all too sad, but to wallow in
it wouldn’t do either of them any good.

“I have several theories about the people breaking into the
cabin,” she said without preamble. “The first one is that they’re probably deer
hunters without permits, checking out their favorite spots ahead of time and
using the cabin as their motel.”

His lips twitched. “That’s a possibility.”

“The second one is that a couple of unemployed high school
dropouts wanted by the police are hanging out where no one can find them.”

“I like that one.”

Apparently she was amusing him, but this was better than
dwelling on his tragic past. “The third one is kind of outside-the-box
thinking.”

“Go on. I’m intrigued.”

“A Sasquatch family has decided our cabin is the perfect
retreat.”

Again, laughter rumbled out of him. When it subsided he said,
“Don’t tell me. You’re a regular listener of the
Stargazer
Paranormal
radio show.”

“I used to be, but the host was replaced so I don’t listen
anymore.”

“You liked Lacey Pomeroy?”

Her eyes widened. “Did you used to listen to her show,
too?”

“A couple of times.”

“Ooh, I wish she hadn’t gone off the air. Sometimes I work late
and I loved to hear her talk about other worlds.”

“Rumor has it she got married and retired into a life of
obscurity.”

“I figured it had to be something like that, but it’s my
loss.”

Travis flashed her a glance. “Does this mean you do a night
clinic?”

“No. I paint.”

His gaze roved over her with new interest. “Am I in the
presence of a famous artist?”

It was her turn to laugh. “I just play at it for my own
pleasure.” She could get lost in it, the best kind of therapy to rid herself of
past demons.

He slowed down to make a turn. They’d be in Kamas soon. “The
art hanging in your office—it’s yours
?
”

“Yes.”

“Why didn’t you sign them?” He sounded surprised. “You’re very
good.”

He sounded as if he meant it. “Thank you. Lest you think I’m
crazy for putting up my own stuff and letting my art remain anonymous, I have my
reasons.”

“You mean besides making your office a place children love to
visit? Casey said he wished he could take home that picture of the superhero
sleeping against the huge bulldog.”

“He did?” That pleased her. “I painted that soon after my
bulldog died.” She’d mourned the loss of him extra hard.

“But he had four legs.”

The man sitting next to her didn’t miss anything. When law
enforcement failed, you called in a Texas Ranger to get the job done. She’d
heard that all her life and couldn’t believe she was actually sitting next to
one.

“My bulldog, Spike, was my
second
dog.”

“Spike?”

“Like the dog in the Tom and Jerry comics.”

“I liked those old cartoons. Still do.”

With those words, her feelings warmed toward him. “So do I.
Anyway, it was my first dog, Cleo, who was missing a leg. She was a white
Bichon. A real cutie. She was a happy little thing, quite unaware she had only
three legs.”

“Do you have a dog now?”

“No. With the hours I keep, it would be alone too much.”

“I know what you mean. We have a part-time housekeeper who
watches out for Dexter.”

“A housekeeper who cleans and cooks is what
I
need, so I can have more time to spend on my
hobby.”

She felt him glance at her. “Lest I think you’re crazy for
exhibiting your talent in public, tell me your real reason for putting it up in
your office.”

His brain was a steel trap.

“Okay. One day I’d like to submit my art to a film company that
makes animated cartoons. In the meantime I’ve brought my art to the office and
mounted it, watching to see which samples appeal the most to my patients. But so
far I’ve received such a wide range of responses, I can’t decide which pieces
would be the best to send to an agent who’ll represent me.”

She thought of her picture of Casey. If she dared put it up,
she’d be fascinated to see if her patients found it more interesting than the
others. But now wasn’t the time to think about that. Melissa turned her head
toward Travis, needing to change the subject. “What are some of your ideas about
the cabin break-in?” Then she corrected herself. “I suppose I shouldn’t say
break-in
—there’s no sign of a forced entry.”

His expression sobered. “Doesn’t matter how they got in. After
tracking criminals since my early twenties, I had quite a few scenarios
springing to mind. But until I pick up some kind of evidence, I’m keeping the
many possibilities open to investigation.”

“That was a good nonanswer.” She said it with a smile.

He shot her an amused glance. “We’re coming into Kamas. Let’s
grab a bite at that fast-food place up ahead.”

“You mean Grampy’s. They used to make awesome hamburgers, but
they’re under new management. I hope the food’s still good.”

“We’ll find out. After that I’ll drive to a church parking lot
to leave the truck and we’ll head out on foot.”

“Why a church parking lot?”

“They’re usually safe places. Anyone looking to hot-wire it,
if
they can open the door, will think twice
about stealing it. There’s usually a custodian around who could walk out at any
time and catch them.”