“He’s fine. I’m off tomorrow, so it’s not a problem.”
It occurred to Reese that he didn’t know enough about her—like where she worked. But maybe they could set up an arrangement. She appeared to like Cash, and he was gone too damn much to be a really good pet owner. Maybe he could pay her as a pet sitter or something—
“Is there anything else, Detective Bareden?”
“Yeah. Call me Reese.”
More silence.
He gave up. “I’ll let you get back to bed, then. Again, thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” And she hung up.
Frustrating. Confounding. A little annoying…
So then, why was he smiling?
* * *
LOGAN WAITED while Rowdy went through the belongings in his trunk. Though he’d had a motel room, he obviously lived out of his car.
Always ready to bolt at a moment’s notice.
Logan made note of the clothes, food, water, first aid and shaving kit, a few weapons with additional ammo…and a stuffed bear?
While Rowdy rearranged things, Logan lifted the tattered bear. A faded red ribbon remained around the brown bear’s neck. One ear hung loose. Certain spots were worn thin.
A sick feeling twisted his heart.
Glancing at him, Rowdy said quietly, “That’s Pepper’s.”
He’d assumed as much. “She’s kept it?”
Rowdy shrugged. “She wanted me to keep it for her.”
In the trunk, ready to go…in case they had to leave.
What if Rowdy had gotten spooked by his presence? What if he’d uprooted Pepper and taken off? Logan could have lost her before he’d even realized how much she meant to him.
With practiced ease, Rowdy dropped the clip in his Glock, checked that it was loaded, then put it in again. “That shabby little bear is the only toy she’s ever had. She used to sleep with it when she was little. Every so often our folks would…overimbibe, and Pepper would hide the bear.”
“Why?”
“She didn’t want them to take it away from her.”
Meaning they did things like that? Most of the stuffing had settled in the bear’s legs and arms. The middle felt empty, almost flat. “You bought it for her?”
Without looking up, Rowdy gave a crooked grin. “Stole it for her, actually. The folks weren’t big on gifts. Hell, if we got socks or underwear, it felt like Christmas.” He paused, put his hands on the open trunk and looked off in the distance.
Logan understood his mood. “She’ll be safe with me.” It was important for Rowdy to know that.
“Hurt her again,” Rowdy said, “and we’re going to have problems.” Finally he straightened. He took the bear and placed it in a corner, behind the ammo, then covered it with the edge of a spare blanket. After handing Logan three prepaid cell phones, he slammed the trunk and went around to the driver’s seat. “Just so you know, I don’t trust your buddy, Reese, so I’ll be boosting a new car. If you’d thought to track me, think again.”
“Understood.” Logan kept him from closing the door. He leaned in. “And just so you know—I’m trusting you to be as honorable as Pepper thinks you are.”
That made Rowdy laugh with derision.
“Share any info you get before you act on it.” Logan continued to lean into the car. “If you can find out who planted the bomb, if Morton is dead or alive, anything at all, let me know. Under no circumstances will you play vigilante.”
“Sure thing.” Rowdy started the car. “You have my sister, so I’ll call often to check in. And when I do, I’ll want to talk to Pepper, so keep her close.”
That suited Logan just fine. Maybe if he told her Rowdy wanted it that way, she wouldn’t protest too much. “All right.”
Rowdy rested his wrists over the steering wheel and tipped his head at Logan. “You might want to get back inside now. If I know my sister, she’s probably already stirring the pot.”
It seemed with every minute he got a better understanding of the siblings. And with each of those minutes, he gained new respect for Rowdy and a deeper fondness for Pepper. “Drive safe.” He closed the car door and stood back as Rowdy drove away.
The night sky felt like a heavy, oppressive weight on his shoulders. He hoped he was doing the right thing, but he just couldn’t be sure. Since meeting Pepper Yates, the “right thing” seemed more and more like an open-ended idea.
* * *
BAREFOOT, WEARING ONLY an oversize T-shirt that fit like a short dress, Pepper stepped out of the bedroom. She felt both men staring at her, but so what? Since Rowdy stored only the basic necessities at the safe location, she didn’t have the advantage of a big wardrobe. She didn’t even have a swimsuit.
She wanted a swim, she wasn’t a prisoner, so they could stuff their disapproval.
She didn’t care.
Veering into the bathroom, she grabbed a white towel off a shelf and a bar of soap from the sink. When she emerged again, Reese and Dash were both standing, a little incredulous, a lot undecided on how to “handle” her.
Ha! Let them try. “I’m going for a swim.”
Dash sidestepped into her path. “It’s dark.” As if he couldn’t help himself, he dipped his gaze down her body, then shot it right back up to her face again.
“So?” She’d grown up swimming in the river, night and day. More often than not she’d taken her baths in the cool river water. She stepped around him—and almost ran into Reese.