that threatened to drown her.
Threatened to steal her heart and never let go.
* * * * *
The telephone’s incessant ring broke into Jarrod’s climax-fogged mind. If it didn’t mean pulling his cock from Catie’s warm depths, he would have reached over and thrown that damn telephone out the window.
“You’re in hot demand, Sheriff.” Catie’s teasing voice murmured in his ear as the answering machine clicked on and she heard a standard message being played. “You gonna get that?”
“No.” The word was a rumble in Jarrod’s chest as he kissed the soft skin of her neck. “Whoever it is can go to hell for all I care.”
The outgoing message stopped, and then Deputy Forrester came on the line. “Sheriff, I need a word with you. It’s about St—”
The moment he heard Forrester’s voice, Jarrod moved so fast that he was able to pick up the phone just as the man said, “Wilds.”
“I’m right here,” Jarrod growled, yanking up his jeans and looking away from Catie’s frown. “What’s so damn important that you had to call me at home on my day off?”
“Uh, well…” The deputy sounded like he was uncomfortable with the news he was relaying. “Kev Grand said he was out checking his fence line the other night. The same night someone tried to mess with that new bull of the MacLeod’s. Claims he saw a horse and rider leaving the Flying M Ranch—and he recognized the horse.”
Jarrod’s gaze flicked to Catie. She was still naked, but now looking at the carvings of old cowpokes that he’d done. “And…” he prompted Forrester.
“Grand says it was Catie Wilds’ appaloosa, and the rider was the same size as Steve.”
“Shit.” Jarrod drew in a harsh breath and Catie’s gaze shot to him. She bit her lower lip and scooped the T-shirt off the floor and left his den, probably to give him some privacy.
“What do you want me to do, Sheriff?” Forrester asked in an even tone.
“Nothing yet. Let me check things out.” Jarrod stared out the door Catie had disappeared through. “You just see what else you can dig up. And don’t narrow the focus. Got me?”
After he hung up with Forrester, Jarrod stroked his hand over his mustache, trying to puzzle through what was going on. Steve Wilds had motive and opportunity, but did he have the connections to rustle all the cattle, then liquidate them for cash?
Although the evidence was starting to point at Wilds, something in Jarrod’s gut told him it was all too neat. There was a hell of a lot going on around here—more than what met the eye.
He picked up the receiver and dialed up Rocky Brogan, a buddy of his that could do some quick, efficient research—beyond anything he could manage to scrape together through the Sheriff’s Department.
“Brogan here,” the man’s baritone came on the line.
“Jarrod Savage.” His eyes remained on the doorway, making sure Catie didn’t come marching through, and he kept his voice low. “I need you to get some down and dirty on a few characters.”
“Shoot, pardner.”
“All currently reside in or around Douglas, Arizona.” Clearing his throat, Jarrod continued, “Steve Wilds, part owner of the Wilds Ranch. Jake Reynolds, Intelligence Agent with Customs, just married the owner of the Flying M, or so my big-mouthed secretary claims. Jess Lawless, foreman for the Flying M. Kev Grand, owner of the Bar One.” Jarrod’s brow furrowed as he gave the last name. “And Ryan Forrester, Cochise County Deputy.”
Brogan repeated all the information and punctuated it with a small grunt. “Give me a couple of days.”
“Thanks,” Jarrod replied. “I’ll look for it Monday.”
After he placed the receiver back on the cradle, Jarrod rubbed his forehead, trying to ease the beginnings of a headache. Damn but he didn’t like the way things were turning. Didn’t like it at all.
Chapter Six
Golden light of a new morning spilled through the shutters and onto Jarrod’s eyelids, but he was too
Threatened to steal her heart and never let go.
* * * * *
The telephone’s incessant ring broke into Jarrod’s climax-fogged mind. If it didn’t mean pulling his cock from Catie’s warm depths, he would have reached over and thrown that damn telephone out the window.
“You’re in hot demand, Sheriff.” Catie’s teasing voice murmured in his ear as the answering machine clicked on and she heard a standard message being played. “You gonna get that?”
“No.” The word was a rumble in Jarrod’s chest as he kissed the soft skin of her neck. “Whoever it is can go to hell for all I care.”
The outgoing message stopped, and then Deputy Forrester came on the line. “Sheriff, I need a word with you. It’s about St—”
The moment he heard Forrester’s voice, Jarrod moved so fast that he was able to pick up the phone just as the man said, “Wilds.”
“I’m right here,” Jarrod growled, yanking up his jeans and looking away from Catie’s frown. “What’s so damn important that you had to call me at home on my day off?”
“Uh, well…” The deputy sounded like he was uncomfortable with the news he was relaying. “Kev Grand said he was out checking his fence line the other night. The same night someone tried to mess with that new bull of the MacLeod’s. Claims he saw a horse and rider leaving the Flying M Ranch—and he recognized the horse.”
Jarrod’s gaze flicked to Catie. She was still naked, but now looking at the carvings of old cowpokes that he’d done. “And…” he prompted Forrester.
“Grand says it was Catie Wilds’ appaloosa, and the rider was the same size as Steve.”
“Shit.” Jarrod drew in a harsh breath and Catie’s gaze shot to him. She bit her lower lip and scooped the T-shirt off the floor and left his den, probably to give him some privacy.
“What do you want me to do, Sheriff?” Forrester asked in an even tone.
“Nothing yet. Let me check things out.” Jarrod stared out the door Catie had disappeared through. “You just see what else you can dig up. And don’t narrow the focus. Got me?”
After he hung up with Forrester, Jarrod stroked his hand over his mustache, trying to puzzle through what was going on. Steve Wilds had motive and opportunity, but did he have the connections to rustle all the cattle, then liquidate them for cash?
Although the evidence was starting to point at Wilds, something in Jarrod’s gut told him it was all too neat. There was a hell of a lot going on around here—more than what met the eye.
He picked up the receiver and dialed up Rocky Brogan, a buddy of his that could do some quick, efficient research—beyond anything he could manage to scrape together through the Sheriff’s Department.
“Brogan here,” the man’s baritone came on the line.
“Jarrod Savage.” His eyes remained on the doorway, making sure Catie didn’t come marching through, and he kept his voice low. “I need you to get some down and dirty on a few characters.”
“Shoot, pardner.”
“All currently reside in or around Douglas, Arizona.” Clearing his throat, Jarrod continued, “Steve Wilds, part owner of the Wilds Ranch. Jake Reynolds, Intelligence Agent with Customs, just married the owner of the Flying M, or so my big-mouthed secretary claims. Jess Lawless, foreman for the Flying M. Kev Grand, owner of the Bar One.” Jarrod’s brow furrowed as he gave the last name. “And Ryan Forrester, Cochise County Deputy.”
Brogan repeated all the information and punctuated it with a small grunt. “Give me a couple of days.”
“Thanks,” Jarrod replied. “I’ll look for it Monday.”
After he placed the receiver back on the cradle, Jarrod rubbed his forehead, trying to ease the beginnings of a headache. Damn but he didn’t like the way things were turning. Didn’t like it at all.
Chapter Six
Golden light of a new morning spilled through the shutters and onto Jarrod’s eyelids, but he was too
Similar Books
