Colton's Deadly Engagement

The image that he painted so casually—like he saw it all in his mind’s eye—had that ball of fear rising from her stomach to crawl up her throat. “What are you talking about?”

“Michael Hayden. Your ex-husband, Bo. Bo, I understand. Killing him gave you all this.” He stuck out a hand to gesture toward the room at large before whirling around to stare her down. “But what about Hayden? Did you enjoy your first kill so much you had to go back for more?”

* * *

Demi Colton reached for the small tube of travel toothpaste off the bathroom sink and coated her toothbrush, then added a second swipe for good measure. She scrubbed at the layer of fuzz on her teeth, desperate to remove the sour, sick taste that had been a part of nearly every morning for the past four months.

Four months.

She stared at herself in the mirror as she brushed, still barely able to believe the truth. She was going to be a mother.

To a tiny, helpless baby who was going to be born fatherless.

The panic that had accompanied her at the news she was unexpectedly pregnant with Bo Gage’s child had changed to fierce protection when it became evident Bo wasn’t fit to be a parent. Heck, the man was barely fit to be an adult. His ethics were beyond shaky—a fact she’d discovered a few days before she was going to tell him about the baby. Instead of sharing the joyful news, they’d had a wicked fight that had driven Bo into Hayley Patton’s arms.

Or, at least, that’s what the town thought.

If anyone had bothered to ask her—and no one had since they were all too busy thinking she’d gone and offed the jerk—they’d have known that Bo had already spent more than a few evenings in Hayley’s bed. All while Demi had still blithely believed them to be a couple.

The lightest flutter rumbled in her belly and she pressed a hand there, amazed by the feeling.

Life.

Bo’s child.

Her child.

This baby was hers and there wasn’t anything she wouldn’t do to protect him or her.

Which meant she had to stay on the run, continue to lie low and figure out how to get away from the roving eye of the law long enough to find out who really had it in for Bo. Because the roving eye of the law—one serious blue eye, in particular—certainly had it in for her.

Chief Finn Colton.

She’d always had a strained relationship with the various branches of her family. Her father, Rusty, wasn’t particularly tight with his two cousins, Fenwick and Judson, but they’d all seen to it that the Colton family populated Red Ridge in prolific fashion. Their grudging acceptance of each other had further ensured that their children hadn’t formed particularly close attachments to their cousins.

But even with that distance, it still hurt that Finn had zeroed in on her as one of his prime suspects.

Yes, the evidence looked bad. And, yes, she did have motive against Bo if you counted the jilted-lover routine. And she’d even accept that her experience as a bounty hunter gave her exposure to some of the more unsavory ways to live a life.

But, damn it, she didn’t kill Bo. Only now it was up to her to determine who did.

And why.

* * *

Finn Colton wasn’t a man who intimidated women. But in that moment, the color leeching from Darby Gage’s face as her blue eyes grew bigger and bigger, Finn knew he’d overstepped.

“You not only think I killed someone, but you think I enjoyed it? Enjoyed it so much I killed someone else?” Disbelief and a solid veneer of horror coated Darby’s words, reinforcing what a bastard he was.

But what about that bleach? And the fact that she’d inherited Bo’s home and business? She had no alibi he could verify for either murder and even less reason for inheriting the business.

None of which gave him the right to come into her home and intimidate her.

The near-empty container of bleach still hung from his fingers and he settled the bottle on a small end table at the edge of the couch. His gaze caught on Lotte’s when he did and he could have sworn he saw serious disappointment in her eyes.

Which was ridiculous.

The last time he checked, all his knowledge of canine learning and understanding did not extend to castigating humans for unspoken thoughts.

He could manage that damn well all by himself.

“It’s my job to consider all the angles.”

“You call stomping in here and accusing me of unspeakable things angles?” Where he’d expected her to rant and rail, the stiff shoulders and steady voice suggested something else.

Darby Gage was a woman who could handle crisis. More, she’d obviously had to somewhere in her past. “Chief Colton, am I under suspicion for murder?”

“Do you want the truth?”

“Of course.” Even though the color hadn’t returned to her features, her voice was pure steel.

“You are a suspect in the murders of Bo Gage and Michael Hayden.”

“Because I was in a will I had no clue I was a part of? And because I bought some cleaning supplies.”

“You had motive.”

“Not as far as I’m concerned. But even if I apply your logic to Bo, where do you get off accusing me of harming a man I never met?”

“There are any number of reasons.”

“No, there aren’t. Including the biggest, which is that I’m not a murderer.”

“So you keep saying.”

“If you think that, then I clearly need to get a lawyer.”

“Suspicion isn’t formal charges.”

“Then why do you keep coming to my home?”

Once again, he had to give her credit. She held her own. She’d gone toe-to-toe with Hayley and was standing firm with him. Heck, she’d even settled in with the dog, determined to take care of Penny despite the animal’s loyalty to Bo.

“I told you. I’m doing my job.”

“Then go do your job. Get out on the streets of Red Ridge and find a killer.”

Was he looking in the wrong place? Or was he so anxious to have some lead on the case he was willing to look anywhere? His gaze shot to the bleach once more before flicking back to Darby. “Why are you here?”

“Excuse me?”

“Bo’s house. His dog. You had a life and, by your own admission the other day, you moved on from your marriage. So why come here and pick up your ex-husband’s business?”

“Because there’s no one else to do it,” she snapped.

His interview with her on Saturday had nagged at him throughout the weekend. There was something about Darby Gage he couldn’t define, but couldn’t get out of his head. She was a combination of innocence and knowledge, and had become a complete puzzle to him.

“Hayley presumably would like the job.”

“Hayley wants the house. There’s the difference.”

“And you don’t?”

“I want stability and a future. And as of right now I don’t have either.”

The color had returned to her cheeks throughout their exchange, but at her last comment a flush crept up her neck. Was she embarrassed about something?

“I’d think moving out of your apartment into a home while also becoming a business owner would offer a considerable amount of stability and security.”

“It might have if Bo Gage had possessed a lick of sense.”

Although he wasn’t proud of his behavior, Finn was pleased to see that he’d made a dent in her armor. “That wasn’t a particularly big secret around town.”

“I suppose not.” She took a seat at the small drop-leaf table that sat up against the kitchen window overlooking the backyard. The stiff set of her shoulders loosened, like a balloon deflating, as her gaze drifted toward the yard. “Other than a love for his dogs and a roving eye, I’m not sure the man had much to show for his life.”

“He seemed to think it was a good life. I’d only met Bo a few times but I work with his brother and sister. Bo came around to visit them a few times and he was always a jovial sort.”

“He lived life to the hilt.” Darby pulled her gaze from the window, a sad haze dulling that bright blue. “And took whoever and whatever he wanted along on that ride with him.”

Finn took a seat opposite her, softening his voice. Since she hadn’t responded to his blunt approach, perhaps he’d get further if he slowed down a bit and actually listened to her. “Not a glowing testament to his personality or his life.”

“Sadly, no. But it doesn’t mean he deserved to die for it.” That gaze lifted to his, a blaze of fire igniting. “I didn’t kill my ex-husband. You have to believe me on that. I thought I was done with Bo Gage and have been living my life perfectly happy with that fact. How would I have possibly known the man left me in his will?”

“You were married to him.”

“And the day I filed for divorce, I changed my will to remove any trace of him. I’d have expected he’d do the same.”

“Well, he didn’t.”

“No, he didn’t. And instead of leaving me some sort of fabulous inheritance, he left me with bills, a dog unable to continue breeding and a business I have no interest in owning.”

Bills?

“I thought Bo’s business was strong and solvent. Our K-9 unit buys several of his dogs. I know he’s got others throughout the county who are on a waiting list for Penny’s puppies.”

“Then Bo expanded his business beyond what he could reasonably make.” She shrugged. “Another sign of the Bo Gage mystique. Make people think you’re successful and you are.”

Reluctantly, Finn saw the picture she painted, of a man with too much charm and too little sense. Regardless of the destruction he’d wrought, it was Finn’s job to do right by a murdered man. But that picture did point to someone who might have had more than a few enemies.

None of which explained why Darby needed to be stuck with her ex’s mistakes.

“So why keep the business?” Finn asked.

“Because I made a promise to Bo’s father that I’d try. And because I also feel a debt to Penny. She’s gone through an awful lot and she deserves as much care and attention as I can give her.”

For the first time since he’d seen the bleach bottle dangling from her hands did something ease inside Finn, tilting the scales from suspicion to sympathy. He wasn’t ready to let her off the hook—not by a long shot—but he also wasn’t entirely sure the woman who sat before him was guilty of murder.

Or even capable of it.

Which was when another thought struck him with even more force. It was so simple.

So easy.

And it would allow him to keep an eye on her while doing the necessary work to draw out the Groom Killer.

“What have you heard around town? About the murders.”

“Same as everyone else. The killer seems to have a strange fixation on men who are about to get married. Bo and Michael Hayden were both shot in the chest.” She hesitated the briefest moment before continuing on. “And rumors have been running high that your cousin Demi is responsible. Though I find that hard to believe.”

It was a curious observation, especially as he didn’t think Darby and Demi were particularly well acquainted, if at all. “Why’s that?”

“I know her to say hello. I’ve waited on her several times at the Red Ridge diner. She’s...well, she’s—” Darby broke off before offering up a lift of her shoulders. “She’s just so capable. Her reputation as a bounty hunter is rock solid.”

“Which means she knows her way around weapons.”

“Maybe.” Although her comment seemed to acknowledge the thought, skepticism rode her features, narrowing her gaze.

“Maybe?” Finn asked.

“It’s just that she’s so cool and confident. Demi Colton is not the sort of woman who murders a guy who can’t appreciate her. Especially if that guy was dumb enough to dump her for Hayley.”

“So you think it’s someone else?”

“Yes, I do. And that someone isn’t me,” she added in a rush.

That tempting idea snaked through his mind once more, sly in its promise of a solution to his current dilemma.

Catch a killer and keep an eye on Darby Gage. It’s not exactly a hardship to spend time with her.

“Maybe you can help me, then.”

“Help you how? I thought you were convinced I’m the town murderess.”

“I’m neither judge nor jury. It’s my job to find evidence to put away a killer and that’s what I’m looking to do.”

“Then what do you want with me?” The skepticism that had painted her features was further telegraphed in her words. Finn heard the clear notes of disbelief, but underneath them he heard something else.

Curiosity.

“Fingers pointing at my cousin isn’t all that’s going around town. What began as whispers has gotten louder with Michael Hayden’s murder.”

“What are people saying?”

Finn weighed his stupid idea, quickly racing through a mental list of pros and cons. Since the list was pretty evenly matched, it was only his desperation to find a killer that tipped the scales toward the pro.

With that goal in mind—closing this case and catching a killer as quickly as possible—he opted to go for broke.

“Bo Gage was killed the night of his bachelor party. Michael Hayden was killed the night of his rehearsal dinner. One thing the victims had in common—they were grooms-to-be. And in a matter of weeks half the town has called off any and all plans to get married or host an engagement party.”

“I still can’t see what this has to do with me.”

“If you’re as innocent as you say you are, surely you’d be willing to help me.”

“Help you do what?”

“Pretend to be my fiancée, Darby. Help me catch a killer.”

Chapter 5

She was losing her mind. That was the only reason—surely it was the only reason—that Finn Colton stood in her living room proposing the most absurd thing she’d ever heard.

“Get engaged to you?”

“Pretend. Only pretend until we can lure out the killer.”

“But you think I’m the killer,” she pointed out.

The words chafed—more than she wanted to admit—but they needed to be said. Fifteen minutes ago he was looking at her like she belonged in the state penitentiary doing forty to life and now he was proposing they traipse around town like an engaged couple? Maybe he was the one out of his mind.

“I said you were a suspect.”

“Careful, Chief. You might give me the warm fuzzies.”

The problem was, the man did give her the warm fuzzies. Despite her better judgment—and she liked to think she had her fair share of it—Finn Colton did something to her. The man was too big, too in control, too...too everything.

And it bothered her more than she could say that the prospect of going on a date with him, even if it was fake from start to finish, warmed something way down deep inside her.

“Think of it as a win-win.”

“How’s that?”

“You can prove to me that you’re innocent and I can catch myself a killer. Everyone ends up happy.”

“You actually want to put yourself in the line of fire? The Groom Killer is actually killing the grooms.”

“I’m a cop. I’ll catch the killer before they can do any real harm.”

She mentally added cocky to the attractive list. Bo had been cocky, too. It had been one of the things that had drawn her to him. That bright, shiny grin that smacked of sass and confidence. The swagger that went along with it.

She’d been hooked like a fish and let herself be reeled in by that smile, that confidence and a host of empty promises.

Even as she thought it, it felt wrong to lump Finn in the same category as Bo. The two men weren’t the same, even if her hormones were having a difficult time parsing the differences.

“You’re pretty sure of yourself.”

“I’m pretty sure that this person needs to be stopped. And I’m also sure I need help to do it. Red Ridge is small. No one will believe it if I suddenly begin dating one of my employees at the station. People will believe you and I are for real.”

Once again, those sly fingers of need wove around her spine, gripping hard. “Why do you think that?”

“You’re an attractive woman. Presumably unattached right now?”

She ignored the sting of the presumption and gave him a quietly muttered “Yes.”

“I’m equally unattached. We’ve seen each other around town and decided we each liked what we saw. We got to talking and quietly began dating. I’ve been so wrapped in the case, I haven’t had a chance to take you out good and proper. So, now that it’s the month of love, I’ve resolved to change that.”

The month of love?

Was it possible she’d been so head down for the past few months she hadn’t even realized it was almost Valentine’s Day?

Even as Darby asked herself the question she knew the answer was a resounding yes. Not only had she forgotten it was nearly Valentine’s Day, but she’d long stopped looking for a valentine. Or even a man to enjoy an occasional date. When had she stopped trying?

Or worse, stopped expecting that she could be part of another relationship?

For the longest time she’d convinced herself that she was well rid of Bo Gage. And while it pained her that he was dead, on a very real level, she was better off since their divorce. But had she somehow closed her heart off to believing that she could love again?

Even before the reading of Bo’s will and the revelation of her inheritance, she’d been busy working. She’d had the occasional date or two but when they hadn’t turned into anything more, she hadn’t worried about it. Instead she’d focused on keeping her head down and her meager bank account growing.

Funny how little she had to show for it.

Maybe it was that little spark of defiance. Or maybe it was simply the idea of going out for an evening with an attractive man, no matter the pretense. Whatever the cause, Darby found herself warming to the idea of fake dating Finn, even with the warning bells that jangled like sirens in her mind.

“You want to take me out?”

“Every night, and I want to be as public about it as possible. Dates in the front windows of all the restaurants on Main Street. Walks in Red Ridge park, snuggling with each other for warmth.” He leaned in, his gaze direct. “We’re going to make everyone in town think we’re deeply in love and anxious to get married.”

“No one’s going to believe that.”

“Why not?”

“Because—” Darby scrambled to find some answer but came up empty. “We’re not in love. People can see the real thing.”

“Bo certainly made people think the real thing. He had a string of girlfriends, an ex-wife and a soon-to-be wife, and everyone believed he was as deeply in love with the next woman as the one before.”

“That’s different.”

“How?”

“Bo was...Bo. He was charming and a sweet talker. But none of it was real. There wasn’t any substance beneath the veneer.”

“Yet people believed it. Ate it up hook, line and sinker, best I can tell.”

Finn made a convincing argument—people did see what they wanted to see—but could the two of them really pull it off? And while it was fine for him to brush off the danger of the situation, it was dangerous. He might be a big, bad cop, but he was also as vulnerable to a bullet as the next person.

“You really think this is a good idea?”

“I do.”

“With me?” She pressed the point, unwilling to think too hard about the steady hum of desire that tightened her skin and tingled her nerve endings.

“Absolutely.” That gaze never wavered, but Darby didn’t miss the subtle calculation he couldn’t fully bury. “But I’ll do you one better.”

His gaze shifted then, focusing on Penny before roaming over the kitchen. When he finally looked at her again, all hint of calculation was gone. “You help me with this and I’ll pay off all your debts.”

“You’ll what?”

“Pay it off. All of them. I’ve got solid savings and I’m always open to an investment. You help me with this and I’ll see to it that you’re out from underneath whatever debt Bo Gage managed to run up in his twenty-nine years of living and then inconveniently deposited into your lap.”

It wasn’t possible. Whatever emotions had carried her to this moment, from anger to sadness to frustration, none of them compared to the sheer disbelief at his words.

“Why would you do that?”

“I consider it a fair exchange.”

“But you can’t pay for all of it. The house. The breeding business. I need a new dog because Penny can’t breed another litter.”

“Then I’ll pay for a new dog. I’ll pay for three of them if you want. Tell me what you need to get set up and I’ll do it.”

Three dogs? Not just fixing the business but an expansion, too? A real opportunity to go for it and make something of the business Bo had loved but clearly hadn’t had a head for.

“But why?”

“Why not? It’s my money. More, it’s my town and I want to invest in it. You help me catch a killer and I’ll help ensure Bo’s business continues on under your ownership and management.”

“But—”

“Consider it an offer you can’t refuse.”

That cocky smile was back, along with something warm and endearing that made her think of naughty little boys who swiped extra chocolate-chip cookies then tried to hide the chocolate stains on their fingers.

Only, Finn Colton wasn’t a little boy.

And the stakes were far higher than a possible tummy ache from overeating sweets.

“You want to catch a killer so badly you’ll put yourself in their sights?”

“Yes.”

“That’s the only reason?”

The smile faded, all trace of humor gone. In its place was a sincerity that nearly took her breath away.

“There is another reason. If I’m as wrong about you as you say—” He held up a hand before she could even protest her innocence. “Give me a chance to finish.”

She nodded, willing him to continue. It hurt to hear how little he still thought of her, but she was willing to give him his due. “Okay.”

“If I am wrong about you, and I’m perfectly willing to accept that truth, I’d like to see you end up in a better place. I’ve come to understand Bo Gage a bit better since his murder. It’s abundantly clear he made life easy for one person. Bo.”

It seemed mean to speak that ill of the dead but Darby could hardly argue with Finn’s assessment. Bo had lived life for himself, the rest of the world be damned.

“But the one other thing I’ve learned is that Bo loved his dogs more than anything else in his life. He loved Penny and he loved the litters he ultimately sold to the K-9 unit and beyond. More than once he’d head over to the training center, catching up on how a pup was doing and seeing that he or she performed to their utmost potential.”

“He did love the business. And Penny was as important to him as anyone in his life.”

“Maybe he saddled you with all this because he believed you’d take care of it. That you’d handle it and make something of it all.”

Darby’s gaze drifted to Penny. The dog had eventually lost interest in their conversation and had stretched out near Lotte, her head on her paws and her eyes closed.

“You have no reason to take care of her,” Finn continued. “Yet you’re caring for that dog as if she were your own.”

The compliment—and the glowing kindness—had caught her off guard. Where she’d come to accept the grudging acknowledgment that Finn believed her guilty, it was something else for him to extend such a kindhearted thought.

“She is now.”

“Can you honestly tell me Hayley Patton would have done the same?”

“I try hard not to compare myself to her.”

“That’s wise.” Even though he kept a straight face, there were distinct notes of humor lilting his voice. “You also know I’m right.”

“Maybe I do.”

“So, what do you say? Are you in? Are you willing to help me catch a killer?”

Darby had long known that choices made in desperation usually came out poorly. She needed Finn Colton’s help and she was hardly in a position to say no him.

She should feel trapped. Caged. And thoroughly out of options.

So why was it that she couldn’t feel anything but a clamoring sense of excitement?

“I’m in.”

* * *

Finn took his first deep breath in a month as he walked to his SUV, Lotte at his side. It had taken some convincing, but Darby had agreed with his ploy.