maybe that’s what is in the box,” Jessica said. Hold on a second. Was it? A memory pricked, like a sudden burst, and then it dawned on her as she brought her hand up to the bandage on her forehead. The bump to her head must’ve confused her and made her forget. “My sister wanted him out of town. She needed to get him out of the way as she investigated something... I can’t remember what. But she told me to go with him and agree to help him find the box. Once we got here, my sister told me she was getting close and to drag this out as long as I could.”
“And that’s exactly what you did,” he said, and there was anger in his eyes.
“Right before I got my head smashed with a rock after telling him I’d tricked him and had no idea what he was talking about.” She pulled the blanket from her shoulders and set it down.
“Feeling like he’d been duped must’ve made a man like Milton angry,” Tyler said.
“He’d rented the ATVs and we were on your property by the time I fessed up. I remember that much. I’d stalled as long as I could. He got so frustrated his face turned red and he started demanding to know where the box was.” She glanced at the bruises on her arms. “I expected him to be upset but I never thought he’d try to kill me.”
Tyler’s grip on the coffee mug intensified.
“He kept hinting at my neck when he talked about the box. I thought he was threatening me, you know, for show, because I never expected him to try to hurt my sister. Now I realize he must’ve been referring to a necklace.”
Tyler’s eyes widened. “I wonder...”
He retrieved his smartphone and pulled up a news story. She squinted at the screen to get a better look at the headline: Infinity Sapphire Stolen from Prominent Louisiana Family.
She quickly scanned the story. “This is the most famous necklace in America that isn’t stored in a museum?”
“Seventy-seven-point-seven carats total weight,” the handsome cowboy added. He stood so close that his scent filled her senses—a mix of woodsy aftershave and warmth, deep and musky—and it stirred up all kinds of inappropriate sensations.
“You know about this necklace?” She took a step back, needing to put a little space between them, and tried not to memorize his unique aroma.
“The couple that owns the necklace attended an art auction hosted by my family recently. I didn’t get a chance to talk to them. I prefer to be outside when all that’s going on.” He paused, turning the phone over and over in his hands. “Forgive the question, but I have to ask. Is there any chance your sister’s a jewel thief?”
“None. Zero. I’d bet my life on it,” she said, and she pretty much already had. “Whatever’s going on can be cleared up as soon as I speak to her. She might not even know how much danger she’s in. I have to find her before Milton or anyone else does.”
Jessica was already up, pacing, when the cowboy touched her shoulder. It was all she could do to ignore the frissons of heat zinging through her.
“We will.” His honest dark eyes seemed like they could see right through her. He was gracious to help her as much as he had already, but this situation had detoured to a very bad place and she didn’t feel right putting anyone else at risk.
“It’s too dangerous for you to be involved. Someone is dead because of this necklace. I can’t ask for your help anymore.”
“Let me be the judge of that,” he said quickly. “Besides, I’m not going anywhere until I know you’re safe.”
Looking into his eyes, she could see he meant it and she figured it was most likely some kind of cowboy code. But she couldn’t let anything happen to him, and especially not since he was being so generous helping her.
She started to protest but he stopped her with that same look.
“This is the situation as I see it. You have no transportation, no purse, and you have no idea who’s after you. To make matters worse, you won’t go to the law. So
“And that’s exactly what you did,” he said, and there was anger in his eyes.
“Right before I got my head smashed with a rock after telling him I’d tricked him and had no idea what he was talking about.” She pulled the blanket from her shoulders and set it down.
“Feeling like he’d been duped must’ve made a man like Milton angry,” Tyler said.
“He’d rented the ATVs and we were on your property by the time I fessed up. I remember that much. I’d stalled as long as I could. He got so frustrated his face turned red and he started demanding to know where the box was.” She glanced at the bruises on her arms. “I expected him to be upset but I never thought he’d try to kill me.”
Tyler’s grip on the coffee mug intensified.
“He kept hinting at my neck when he talked about the box. I thought he was threatening me, you know, for show, because I never expected him to try to hurt my sister. Now I realize he must’ve been referring to a necklace.”
Tyler’s eyes widened. “I wonder...”
He retrieved his smartphone and pulled up a news story. She squinted at the screen to get a better look at the headline: Infinity Sapphire Stolen from Prominent Louisiana Family.
She quickly scanned the story. “This is the most famous necklace in America that isn’t stored in a museum?”
“Seventy-seven-point-seven carats total weight,” the handsome cowboy added. He stood so close that his scent filled her senses—a mix of woodsy aftershave and warmth, deep and musky—and it stirred up all kinds of inappropriate sensations.
“You know about this necklace?” She took a step back, needing to put a little space between them, and tried not to memorize his unique aroma.
“The couple that owns the necklace attended an art auction hosted by my family recently. I didn’t get a chance to talk to them. I prefer to be outside when all that’s going on.” He paused, turning the phone over and over in his hands. “Forgive the question, but I have to ask. Is there any chance your sister’s a jewel thief?”
“None. Zero. I’d bet my life on it,” she said, and she pretty much already had. “Whatever’s going on can be cleared up as soon as I speak to her. She might not even know how much danger she’s in. I have to find her before Milton or anyone else does.”
Jessica was already up, pacing, when the cowboy touched her shoulder. It was all she could do to ignore the frissons of heat zinging through her.
“We will.” His honest dark eyes seemed like they could see right through her. He was gracious to help her as much as he had already, but this situation had detoured to a very bad place and she didn’t feel right putting anyone else at risk.
“It’s too dangerous for you to be involved. Someone is dead because of this necklace. I can’t ask for your help anymore.”
“Let me be the judge of that,” he said quickly. “Besides, I’m not going anywhere until I know you’re safe.”
Looking into his eyes, she could see he meant it and she figured it was most likely some kind of cowboy code. But she couldn’t let anything happen to him, and especially not since he was being so generous helping her.
She started to protest but he stopped her with that same look.
“This is the situation as I see it. You have no transportation, no purse, and you have no idea who’s after you. To make matters worse, you won’t go to the law. So
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