The Coltons: Fisher, Ryder & Quinn

Of course, any pleasure had been wiped out by her son’s surly mood. That morning he had complained about how hard he and Joe had worked the day before until she had pointedly reminded him of how much it had cost for the speeding ticket and repairs.

His cold silence had replaced the complaints during the short ride to the ranch.

When they entered the house to share breakfast with the others, he became slightly more animated, taking a spot by Joe and Sara and striking up a conversation with them.

She watched their camaraderie and was more convinced than ever that Sara had something to do with the speeding and accident.

Her intuition was confirmed when she sat with Ana and Jewel and her boss leaned over and said, “Some of the kids mentioned that they thought Sara wasn’t home when the Sheriff phoned about the accident.”

“She was with the boys?” Ana asked softly, keeping her tone low so that the conversation would remain with them.

“I thought so. Boys, cars and girls just seem to create problems when you mix them together,” Jewel replied and took a sip of her coffee.

Macy ran a finger along the rim of her cup as she considered Jewel’s words, so similar to the thoughts she’d had herself. T.J. had been working hard on restoring the muscle car and quite proud of not only the vehicle’s looks, but the power beneath the hood. And even though she had thought that, she also sensed there was more to it.

Meeting her boss’s gaze, she said, “That may be true, but I would feel a lot more comfortable if we knew more about Sara. About why she’s here and why all three of them would be lying about her being with them that night.”

Jewel paused with her mug in midair, then slowly lowered it to the table. “You know the Hopechest policy. We offer refuge without qualification. Without making any demands that our residents reveal anything.”

She was well aware of the Hopechest policy. They had taken in each of the children and even Ana without question.

She nodded and said nothing else of it as they finished breakfast, instead turning to a discussion of what Jewel wanted them to do that day with the children. As she had done the day before, her boss piled on a load of chores for the two boys and after breakfast, they all went their separate ways.

Despite the work assigned to them, she noticed that the two boys managed to spend their free time with Sara. At the midday lunch break and then again during the afternoon rides at the corral, T.J. and Joe were engaged with Sara, their heads bent together in discussion.

She had hoped to speak to T.J. about it on their way home, but he was exhausted and irritated once again, not to mention smelly from mucking out the mare’s stall. Wrinkling her nose, she said, “Please shower while I make dinner.”

He yanked one iPod earpiece out and angry music blared from it as he faced her. “What if I’m not hungry?”

Considering how hard he had been working, she couldn’t imagine him not needing to refuel his growing body, but she wouldn’t get into a war of words with him.

“Then I’ll eat alone.”

His mouth flopped up and down like that of one of the sunfish they used to pull out of the small pond behind the high school, but he said nothing else.

He did shower as she had asked and met her at the dinner table where he silently shoveled in the burger and fries she had made. He even deigned to sit with her for a slice of a home-baked apple pie, à la mode of course.

But after that, he excused himself, saying that he was tired and planned on going to bed early.

She didn’t argue with him, recognizing that the space might help him get over his pique.

After he left the kitchen, she turned on the small television tucked into a corner cabinet and took her time cleaning up. Washing the pans and dishes by hand, slowly and methodically since she found the simple work relieved her mind of thinking of more complex things.

It was barely eight when she finished, went up the stairs and passed by the door of T.J.’s room. His door was ajar and she peered within. As her son had said, he was in bed and asleep.

Relieved at the momentary peace that his slumber brought, she retired to her room where she changed into her pajamas, slipped beneath the covers and grabbed her book, intending to finish it.

A few hours passed and she was near the end of the novel when she thought she heard a noise.

T.J.? she wondered and eased from her bed to check on him.

He was still tucked safely in bed and she returned to her own, finished off the last few pages, smiling at the ending.

It was with those happy thoughts that she turned off her light and lay down to sleep.

She drifted off in that blissful state, her mind turning to thoughts of happier times. With T.J. and her husband Tim before the cancer had robbed him of life. With Fisher on the one night that had forever changed her destiny.

Her memories muddled together in dreams, becoming ones of her, Fisher and T.J. together until the phone rang beside her, rudely pulling her from her dreams.

Barely awake, she grabbed the phone, raking her sleep-tousled hair away from her face as she realized that it was barely six in the morning.

No good news at such an hour.

“Macy?”

It was Jewel on the line and she came instantly awake.

“What’s wrong, Jewel?”

“Sara’s missing.”

The police combed every inch of the ranch house looking for clues as to Sara’s disappearance.

They questioned everyone on the ranch, including T.J. and Joe who unfortunately, had little to offer as to Sara’s possible whereabouts or why she would run away from the ranch.

When the police had left, Jewel and she had questioned the two teens once again, but they had little information to offer. Sadly, she knew as did Jewel that the two boys were being evasive. Despite that, hope remained within her that T.J. was not involved. He had eaten dinner with her and gone to bed early. She had seen him in his bed last night not just once, but twice.

Twice because she had heard something, she thought.

As she watched T.J. and Joe during the afternoon break, she wondered what it was that she had heard. If there had been more to it that she hadn’t realized.

Her worst fears were confirmed when Deputy Rawlings returned to the ranch shortly after four.

As he walked toward the corral where they were offering the children rides on Papa’s Poppy, she understood it was no social visit and so did the children. They stopped what they were doing and huddled together by the split rail fence. In the corral, T.J. and Joe helped the one child down from the horse and then also stood there, clearly anxious.

Deputy Rawlings dipped his head as she and Jewel approached him and removed his hat. “Miss Jewel. Miss Macy.”

“Do you have news, Adam?” she asked, striving for a friendly tone.

He looked down for a moment, seemingly ashamed before he lifted his face and looked at her directly. “We started asking some of the Hopechest’s neighbors if they had seen anything.”

He continued with his report, his tone hesitant. “About a half mile up the road, one of the neighbors heard a car door slam. It was late so she looked out the window to see who it was.”

A cold chill filled her as he motioned to T.J. and Joe with his hat. “She saw a young girl getting into a car with a dented front fender. From her description of the girl it seemed like it could be Sara. When we showed her pictures of the boys, she picked T.J.”

Jewel laid a hand on her shoulder and stepped closer in a show of support. “You don’t think T.J. had anything to do with—”

“I’m afraid I’ll have to take him into custody. Ask him a few questions and find out why one of your neighbors thinks that she saw him last night with Sara.”

“Can’t you just question him here?” she said and he shook his head.

“There’s procedures to follow and—”

“Jericho wouldn’t do this,” she insisted.

A strong flush of color filled his cheeks and a muscle ticked along his jaw. “Sheriff Yates isn’t here and he left me in charge. There’s procedures I have to follow, Mrs. Ward.”

Without waiting for her, he once again motioned to the boys and called out, “T.J. I need you to come with me, son.”

Her stomach clenched as she waited, hoping that he would be obedient. That he wouldn’t give the deputy anything else to use as ammunition against him.

Blessedly, he did just what Deputy Rawlings asked.

With a worried look that he shot at Joe, who clapped him on the back, T.J. turned the reins of the horse over to his friend and walked to the edge of the corral. Easing beneath one of the rails of the fence, he approached the officer and said, “I haven’t done anything wrong.”

But she realized that with those words, he also wasn’t denying any involvement with Sara’s disappearance.

“Thank you for cooperating, son.”

“I’m not your son,” T.J. said with gritted teeth.

Deputy Rawlings nodded, laid a hand on T.J.’s shoulder and walked him around the side of the house toward the driveway.

Macy glanced at Jewel out of the corner of her eye and said, “I need to follow them into town. Find out what Adam plans to do.”

Jewel squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. “I’ll go with—”

“No, you stay here. The kids will need you to talk about this and so will Joe,” she immediately said, appreciating Jewel’s offer. The children were clearly upset by what was happening which was understandable. Some of them may have had run-ins with the law or been disappointed with the systems put in place to protect them. They would need Jewel’s reassurance about what was happening.

“I’ll call you as soon as I know anything more,” she added and without waiting, rushed after T.J. and the police officer.

As she caught up to them, Deputy Rawlings eased T.J. into the backseat of the cruiser, then he took the wheel.

Macy quickly got settled in her own car and followed a safe distance behind the cruiser. She followed it into the parking lot for the police station and got out of her car, but as she headed toward the door, Deputy Rawlings stopped and faced her.

“It might be best for you to go get a coffee while T.J. and I talk.”

She thought about her son being interrogated by the officer. She didn’t like the thought of it, but she also didn’t want to anger the deputy. Taking a deep breath, she looked away and realized Fisher and his dad were across the street in front of Miss Sue’s.

They watched intently, clearly aware that something was up. A condemning look immediately came to Fisher’s face, but Buck’s features were more supportive. A second later, the older man took a step toward them and after some initial hesitation, Fisher followed his dad.

Shaking her head, she returned her attention to the police officer and decided to voice her concerns. “I’m not sure it’s such a good idea that T.J. speak to you alone.”

Chapter 10

Deputy Rawlings’ lips tightened into an ascetic line as he ripped off his hat, frustration and anger evident in every brusque movement. “Why do you want to make this difficult? I’m not taking T.J. into custody. I just want to ask him a few simple questions.”

“Is there a problem, Macy?” Buck Yates asked as he stood beside her.

She glanced up at Buck, avoiding Fisher when he took a spot just to the right of his dad. “One of the teens has gone missing from the ranch and Deputy Rawlings wants to speak to T.J. about it.”

Buck nodded and pushed his hat back, adopting a stance that was more casual than that of the officer. “I’m sure the deputy understands how troubling this is for both you and T.J. That he needs to handle this carefully. Right, Deputy?”

A muscle clenched along the officer’s jaw, but he nodded slowly. “Certainly, Buck. I know how to deal with this.”

“Good. How about you join Fisher and me for dinner, Macy? Give the deputy and T.J. some time just to chat.”

Protest gathered within her, ready to erupt, but Buck slipped his arm around her shoulders and hugged her so she kept her tongue. When the deputy took her son away, she forced a weak smile at the older man.

“Thank you for the invite, Buck, but I’m not sure I could eat a thing right now.”

“I won’t take no for an answer,” he said and applied gentle pressure to turn her around. He guided her in the direction of Miss Sue’s, Fisher quietly following behind them.

Inside the restaurant they were quickly seated at a booth. Buck took the one bench and sat in the middle, giving her no option but to slide along the vinyl of the other booth bench until Fisher could sit beside her.

The waitress came over and handed them menus.

She had intended not to take one, lacking any appetite, but Buck’s half-lidded look brooked no disagreement.

After a short perusal of the menu, she ordered a soup and a half of a fresh roasted turkey sandwich, earning a satisfied nod from the older man.

Neither Fisher nor he seemed to have any problem with their appetites since they ordered the blue plate specials, which included not only the soup of the day, but chicken-fried steak with white gravy, squash and cheese casserole, green beans and a choice of dessert.

After taking their orders, the waitress brought over tall glasses of iced tea, a dish of summer slaw and a basket heaped with warm corn bread and sweet cream butter.

The enticing smell of the corn bread made her stomach growl. She placed a hand above her belly, but Fisher picked up the basket and offered it to her. “Would you like some?”

She smiled and thanked him. After buttering the corn bread, she took a bite and sighed as the dulcet flavors of the corn and butter filled her mouth.

“This is good,” she said, but then quickly added, “but not as good as that jalapeño corn bread you used to make for us when we were kids, Buck.”

“That was really tasty with your five alarm chili, Pa,” Fisher said, but then stuffed a big piece of buttered corn bread in his mouth.

Buck laughed and forked some of the summer slaw onto his bread dish. “The four of you could sure eat,” he said with a chuckle.

Fisher nodded, recalling the many nights that Macy and Tim had joined his family for a meal. “Those were good times.”

“Yes, they were,” Macy said. A sad sigh followed, however.

“It’ll be okay, darlin’. Don’t worry about T.J.,” Buck offered, but Macy dipped her head down until her chin was nearly burrowing a hole in her chest.

Upset by her dismay, Fisher reached beneath the table and laid his hand over hers. “It will be okay,” he also reassured.

With a long inhale and a sniffle, Macy nodded. “Yes, it will be okay. I’ll make it okay.”

He had no doubt of her sincerity, but worried about whether she could make good on it. T.J. seemed to be bringing her nothing but trouble and possibly the boy needed a man’s influence in his life. A man who would be there for him.

When the waitress brought their meals, he withdrew his hand from hers and they all dug into their dinners, hunger bringing a long stretch of quiet to the table.

Macy finished her meal quickly, but he and his dad had quite a lot to eat. While he ate, he offered Macy a small piece of his steak and she tried it, murmured her approval. Slowly he and his father finished their meals and by the time dessert came, they convinced Macy to get some peach cobbler.

When they were finally finished, Macy offered to pay to thank them for their company, but his father insisted it was their treat and that they should do it more often.

“I’d like that, Buck,” she said.

Then something inside of him—something Fisher didn’t understand and didn’t want to acknowledge—had him saying, “I’ll go with you to the sheriff’s office.”

Her mouth opened as she prepared to refuse him, but then she abruptly snapped it shut. “I’d appreciate that,” she said instead.

In front of the restaurant she hugged Buck and thanked him again before the two of them silently walked side by side to the sheriff’s office.

Inside the police station, one of the other deputies manned the front desk. As he realized who had entered, he sheepishly glanced down at the papers on his desk, but Fisher wasn’t about to be dissuaded.

“You know me better than that, Bill. Where’s Deputy Rawlings?”

Bill shuffled the papers into order before addressing them. “Deputy Rawlings is still with the suspect.”

“The suspect?” Macy nearly croaked. “When did he become a suspect?”

Before the other man could answer, Deputy Rawlings stepped from one of the back rooms. He grimaced when he noticed them standing by the front desk, but swaggered over, his shoulders thrown back. Hands cocked on his hips.

“Macy. Fisher,” he said with a curt nod.

“Evening, Adam. I came to see when I could take T.J. home,” she said, bracing her hands along the edge of the front desk.

Adam looped his thumbs through his belt loops and swayed side to side on his feet for a moment. “I’m sorry, but I’ve decided to keep T.J. overnight while we continue our investigations.”

The other deputy rose from the desk, wisely making himself absent for the discussion that would follow.

“Excuse me,” Macy said, her voice rising with each syllable, prompting Fisher to reach over and place his hand on her shoulder to try to calm her.

“We need to be sure there’s no foul play,” the deputy said and beneath his hand, the tension escalated in Macy’s body.

“Come on now, Adam. There’s no reason—”

“A young girl is missing. We have a witness who claims to have seen your son with her on the night she disappeared.”

Macy inched up on her toes, ready to erupt, but he applied gentle pressure to keep her in control. Macy didn’t normally have a temper, but when it involved her family, he didn’t doubt that she would tenaciously defend her son.

“You know Jericho wouldn’t do this,” she urged and he had no doubt about that. Jericho would not be handling this situation as badly as Deputy Rawlings, but he could see that the man was not responding well to being challenged.

He opted for a different approach, hoping that he could calm the deputy until his brother returned in a day or two. “No one doubts your concerns, Deputy, but wouldn’t it be possible to release T.J. into his mother’s custody? I’m sure she can—”

“Handle him?” The deputy chuckled harshly and shook his head. “Mrs. Ward hasn’t done a very good job of controlling T.J. so far. Until we know that there’s been no foul play, I’m going to hold him overnight. Maybe even longer.”

Macy’s body trembled beneath his hand, but she somehow kept her cool. “Please don’t do this, Adam. I promise to bring T.J. back in the morning—”

“I don’t think so,” the deputy said and Fisher was about to jump in and offer his assurances, but bit the words back. He knew little about T.J. other than that both his brother and dad believed he was good, but confused. Worse yet, he knew nothing about how to deal with the boy and even if he did…

He would be gone in another couple of weeks.

Becoming involved in their lives not only made little sense, it would be cruel since he could promise nothing of permanence. But he needed to help Macy now.

“Let’s go, Macy. We’ll come back in the morning.”

Macy shot a worried look at him and while glancing her way, he said, “The deputy knows what he needs to do. He’ll take good care of T.J.”

He faced the other man and left no doubt about his words. “You will take good care, right?”

Adam stalked the remaining distance to the front desk and leaned over the barrier toward him. “That’s not a threat, is it?”

“Just a reminder,” he said, dipped his head and smiled, making sure that the other man understood it was a promise of what might happen if T.J. wasn’t cared for. Then he urged Macy back from the desk. “We’ll see you bright and early, Adam. Have a nice night.”

Slipping his arm completely around Macy’s shoulders, he steered her out the door of the station and onto the steps, where she shrugged off his touch and wrapped her arms around herself.

“Jericho wouldn’t do this. He would know that T.J. could never hurt that girl,” she said.

“But is T.J. involved in her disappearance?” Fisher asked, but as Macy’s face paled at his words, he cursed beneath his breath.

“I’m sorry,” he said and took her into his arms.

She was tense at first, but then she slowly relaxed and embraced him. Laying the side of her face on his chest, she said, “Thank you. I was a little tired of going it alone.”

He suspected that up until her cockamamie idea to marry Jericho, she had been going it alone ever since Tim’s death nearly six years earlier.

As she raised her face and her brown eyes, shimmering with unshed tears met his, he wanted to tell her that she didn’t need to go it alone anymore. That he would be there for her, but he couldn’t. But he also couldn’t resist the pull of that emotional gaze or the desire to soothe the spot on her lower lip that she was worrying with her teeth.

He bent his head as she rose up on tiptoe. Licked the abused spot on her lower lip before covering her mouth with his.

She pressed into him, cupping the back of his head with her hand and he dug his fingers into the silky lushness of her shoulder-length brown hair.

When she opened her mouth to his, he pressed on, sliding his tongue along the perfect edge of her teeth before dancing it against her tongue. He wrapped his one arm beneath her buttocks and brought her full against him and with that dangerous full body contact, sanity returned.

They pulled apart abruptly, both of them breathing hard and obviously shocked by the intensity of the emotion they had unleashed with one simple embrace.

“Macy, I’m—”

She raised her hands to stop him. “Please don’t say you’re sorry because I’m not. There’s no need for apologies or regrets. All I want to say is thank you for being here for me.”

He dragged a hand through the short-cropped strands of his hair and held back on telling her what he wanted—that he wanted her again. Wanted her next to him. Wanted her lips beneath his, opening to his invasion. Inviting him to take it further.

Instead, he took a deep breath and stuffed the tips of his fingers into the pockets of his snug jeans to keep from reaching for her again.

“You’re welcome. I’ll see you home.”

She wrapped her arms around herself once more and shook her head roughly, sending her hair into movement with the action. “You don’t need to do that—”

“I do. Until Jericho is home, I want to make sure you’re okay.”

She looked away then, but he couldn’t fail to see the tear as it slipped down her face and she said, “I understand, Fisher. I won’t mistake what just happened for anything else.”

He longed to take her into his arms and shake her until she did understand, only he wasn’t sure he knew why they were both standing there, trembling with desire. Hungry for another taste, but fighting it.

Because of that confusion, he said, “How about I just watch you walk to your car. If you need me in the morning—”

“I’ll call,” she said, but as she walked away, he understood that she wouldn’t.

Chapter 11

Macy spent the night tossing and turning, worried not only about T.J., but about the kiss that shouldn’t have happened. The kiss that had rocked her world, reminding her how Fisher continued to move her. That she was still immensely attracted to him.

But she wouldn’t call him.

Her life was complicated enough without adding Fisher to the mix. But the little voice in her head kept buzzing in warning. Guilting her that Fisher should know T.J. was his son. Urging her to explore the emotions he roused.

She ignored that stubborn buzz and focused on what she had to do that morning.