Read Online CHRISTMAS AT THE CARDWELL RANCH by B.J. Daniels - Free Book Online
Authors: B.J. Daniels
Tags: ROMANCE - - SUSPENSE
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math. Wouldn’t she have to have a PhD to teach math at a university? He let out a low whistle that came out frosty white in the winter air. Beautiful and smart. Everything about Lily McCabe intrigued him.
The temperature was dropping fast, but he hadn’t noticed until he sat down on the pickup seat. It was as cold as a block of ice, hard as one, too.
He got the engine going. The heater was blowing freezing-cold air. He turned it off until the engine warmed up, rubbing his hands together. Even with gloves on, his fingers ached. He really should have gone with the more expensive rental—the one with the heated seats. But he was a Texas boy who’d forgotten how cold it got up here in Montana.
When he reached his father’s cabin, he saw that Harlan hadn’t returned. He couldn’t imagine where he might have gone, so he went inside to wait. Lily McCabe had taken his thoughts off his father and his growing suspicions. But now, standing in his father’s empty cabin, they were back with a vengeance.
He desperately wanted to believe that Hud would find the killer and clear all this up. Unfortunately, he kept picturing his father handing the marshal the thick envelope. What the hell was going on?
At the window, he caught a glimpse of Lone Mountain looming against the cold blue sky and thought about going skiing. But he felt too antsy. Maybe his father had gone over to Uncle Angus’s.
As he started to leave the cabin, he remembered his promise to call his brother. He dialed Jackson’s number and was relieved when he answered on the third ring.
“How’s Montana?” his brother asked.
Tag thought it telling that Jackson hadn’t asked how their father was first. “It’s beautiful. Cold and snowy. I’m thinking about heading up to the ski hill.” Not quite true, but it sounded good.
Jackson laughed. “Glad I’m in sunny, warm Texas, then.”
“As the youngest, you probably don’t have the great memories I do of the canyon. But this place grows on you. Summers here are better than any place on earth.”
“How’s Harlan?” Jackson and their brothers had quit calling him Dad a long time ago.
Tag wasn’t sure how to answer that. “I went down to this local bar last night and listened to him and Uncle Angus play in their band. He really is a damned good guitar player. Mom might have been right about him having a chance at the big time.”
“Yeah, right,” Jackson said, clearly losing interest in this part of the conversation. His brother had thought he was a fool to want to spend Christmas with their father—let alone surprise him.
“You know how he is,” Jackson had said. “I just hate to see you get hurt.”
“I’m not expecting anything,” Tag had said, but he could tell his brother didn’t believe him. As the eldest, he had the most memories. He’d missed his father.
He realized that he’d had more expectations than he had wanted to admit. He’d wanted Harlan to be glad to see him. He’d also wanted Harlan to act like a caring father. So far he was batting zero.
“I need to ask you a question,” Tag said. “When you and Ford saw me off at the airport, did Ford put a thumb drive in my pocket?”
“You mean one of those computer flash drives?”
Tag felt his heart drop. “I thought maybe he’d written me a goodbye letter on the computer and you saved it to one since I found one in my pocket.”
“You do know that Ford is five and doesn’t know how to write goodbye letters, right?”
“Yeah, but what’s on the thumb drive looks like a kid typed it, pretending he was writing a goodbye letter.”
“Sorry, I had nothing to do with it, but I’ll ask Ford if he knows anything about it.” He left the phone, returning a few moments later. “Nope. Ford’s innocent. At least this time,” he added with a laugh. “So, when are you coming back?”
“I’m not sure.” Earlier he’d told his uncle he was leaving right after Christmas. That was before he’d officially met Lily
The temperature was dropping fast, but he hadn’t noticed until he sat down on the pickup seat. It was as cold as a block of ice, hard as one, too.
He got the engine going. The heater was blowing freezing-cold air. He turned it off until the engine warmed up, rubbing his hands together. Even with gloves on, his fingers ached. He really should have gone with the more expensive rental—the one with the heated seats. But he was a Texas boy who’d forgotten how cold it got up here in Montana.
When he reached his father’s cabin, he saw that Harlan hadn’t returned. He couldn’t imagine where he might have gone, so he went inside to wait. Lily McCabe had taken his thoughts off his father and his growing suspicions. But now, standing in his father’s empty cabin, they were back with a vengeance.
He desperately wanted to believe that Hud would find the killer and clear all this up. Unfortunately, he kept picturing his father handing the marshal the thick envelope. What the hell was going on?
At the window, he caught a glimpse of Lone Mountain looming against the cold blue sky and thought about going skiing. But he felt too antsy. Maybe his father had gone over to Uncle Angus’s.
As he started to leave the cabin, he remembered his promise to call his brother. He dialed Jackson’s number and was relieved when he answered on the third ring.
“How’s Montana?” his brother asked.
Tag thought it telling that Jackson hadn’t asked how their father was first. “It’s beautiful. Cold and snowy. I’m thinking about heading up to the ski hill.” Not quite true, but it sounded good.
Jackson laughed. “Glad I’m in sunny, warm Texas, then.”
“As the youngest, you probably don’t have the great memories I do of the canyon. But this place grows on you. Summers here are better than any place on earth.”
“How’s Harlan?” Jackson and their brothers had quit calling him Dad a long time ago.
Tag wasn’t sure how to answer that. “I went down to this local bar last night and listened to him and Uncle Angus play in their band. He really is a damned good guitar player. Mom might have been right about him having a chance at the big time.”
“Yeah, right,” Jackson said, clearly losing interest in this part of the conversation. His brother had thought he was a fool to want to spend Christmas with their father—let alone surprise him.
“You know how he is,” Jackson had said. “I just hate to see you get hurt.”
“I’m not expecting anything,” Tag had said, but he could tell his brother didn’t believe him. As the eldest, he had the most memories. He’d missed his father.
He realized that he’d had more expectations than he had wanted to admit. He’d wanted Harlan to be glad to see him. He’d also wanted Harlan to act like a caring father. So far he was batting zero.
“I need to ask you a question,” Tag said. “When you and Ford saw me off at the airport, did Ford put a thumb drive in my pocket?”
“You mean one of those computer flash drives?”
Tag felt his heart drop. “I thought maybe he’d written me a goodbye letter on the computer and you saved it to one since I found one in my pocket.”
“You do know that Ford is five and doesn’t know how to write goodbye letters, right?”
“Yeah, but what’s on the thumb drive looks like a kid typed it, pretending he was writing a goodbye letter.”
“Sorry, I had nothing to do with it, but I’ll ask Ford if he knows anything about it.” He left the phone, returning a few moments later. “Nope. Ford’s innocent. At least this time,” he added with a laugh. “So, when are you coming back?”
“I’m not sure.” Earlier he’d told his uncle he was leaving right after Christmas. That was before he’d officially met Lily
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