looked at him, only then realizing she’d kept her head down since they’d stopped kissing. “Of course. Okay, then. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
He leaned forward as if to kiss her again, but she sidestepped him and grabbed hold of the truck door handle. Luckily, he caught himself in time and moved away so smoothly no one would have ever guessed his true intent.
“Night.”
He distanced himself further. “Good night.”
Her fingers shook when she tried to insert the key into the ignition, but she made it out of the parking lot without mishap. He was in her rearview mirror until she turned onto Main Street.
Regret didn’t truly hit until she reached the highway.
FOR THE THIRD TIME IN THE PAST fifteen minutes, Tucker had to reread the email from his attorney. The memory of Annie in his arms kept intruding. Followed swiftly by recrimination and doubt.
It was a quarter to eleven, mere hours from when he’d kissed her, and despite the work that was piling up and his assistant becoming increasingly hysterical over Tucker’s botched schedule, he couldn’t get his thoughts straight and figure this mess out. Because he’d crossed a line, for better and for worse.
First and foremost, there was no doubt in his mind that the woman he’d kissed was not some criminal mastermind who’d willfully stolen money that should have gone to charity. However, a lot of questions remained unanswered, and that bothered him.
He was determined to clear his brother’s name, absolutely, but now he wanted even more to understand everything that had happened to the funds and who was behind the embezzlement.
Was there more he could be doing on that score? He put his head in his hands, waited for a brainstorm, for something he’d missed, but George was following up on every thread Tucker had found.
Second, Tucker wasn’t going to inform the D.A. about finding Leanna Warner until he not only understood what had happened, but had evidence to back up the truth. Period. He was not going to wrench her away from Safe Haven until they had some solid information…enough, at least, to get her out of hot water and to clear Christian’s reputation. He may not be able to stay with her until he and George put together a complete picture. But he had his own plane, and flying to Montana wasn’t a hardship. And with telecommuting, he could work from practically anywhere.
Which reminded him that he had to call his mother in the morning, even before he called to check in with George. What Tucker wasn’t sure about was letting her or Christian in on what was happening.
No, he’d stick with his decision. The fewer people who knew about Annie, the better. For now. She wasn’t going anywhere. Not with a new foal coming. And she’d never desert the animals. Not unless her back was up against the wall. He’d seen how much she cared in her eyes, in her plans, in her passion. But more than that, he’d seen it in her actions.
There was so much to distrust about people. Words were easy and glib And to trust blindly was an idiot’s game. Tucker might be a fool for wanting Annie so badly, but he wasn’t being stupid about who she was.
He believed in her. And he would be proven right.
He opened his eyes as an idea came to him. He wouldn’t decide yet whether to act on it, but it was interesting. Very interesting.
His cell, already plugged in and charging, rang. His mother’s name came up on his display, and he couldn’t hit Talk fast enough. It was late, Texas time. “Mom?”
“Are you coming home tomorrow?” she asked quietly.
“No, I’m not. I’m sorry. I’m not certain when I can be back.”
“I see.”
Her sigh felt like a slap. The only kind she would give him, the kind that hurt deep and long. “Did you go out with Andrea tonight?”
“No.” Her quiet shudder echoed in her voice. “She wanted to go for sushi and you know how I feel about that.”
“I do,” he said. “Did you watch a movie?”
“I think so. If I did, it wasn’t particularly memorable. The house creaked a lot. I thought…”
“Were you frightened?”
“Only a little. I let Martha go home early.”
Tucker stood, wishing he could do more, but he couldn’t drop this thing with Annie on the off chance he could make his mother feel better. He understood that grief took all kinds of shapes, that time was relative when it came to mourning. he still felt it himself. He’d loved his father. Missed him. He could have used his old man’s thoughts on this Christian business, but if Michael had still been alive, Tucker had no idea if he and his mother would be involved with Christian at all.
The thought made him ashamed, and that combined with his guilt at leaving her on her own felt like a physical weight on his back. “While I’m away, don’t send the staff home early, all right? Not even Martha.”
“I don’t even know where you are,” Irene said. “Not Dallas.”
“Montana, actually.”
“Do we know people there?”
“We do, but that’s not why I’m here.” He hesitated, knowing in his gut it wasn’t a good idea to tell her anything at this juncture. She’d have too many questions he couldn’t answer. But at least she’d have something to hang on to, and perhaps then he wouldn’t feel so damn guilty. “Now, don’t get your hopes too high, but it’s possible I may have found Leanna Warner.”
Her inhale stopped him. “Oh, Tucker.”
“It’s not certain,” he said, hating the necessary lie. “Nothing is. George is working with me, and we’ll just have to see how this plays out.”
“But if it is her Christian will be so happy. The D.A. will leave him be. He’ll be able to go back to work, wherever he chooses. He could work in Dallas. We could help him find something. You know so many people in the financial world. Oh, Tucker, this will be wonderful.”
His mistake didn’t take long to bite him in the ass. “Mom, I don’t know if it’s her. Not for sure. She may be the woman we’re looking for. Please, don’t get carried away, not yet. It’s just, we can hope, right? I have to ask you not to mention this to Christian. The last thing I want is for him to—”
“Yes, yes. It’s not a done deal. I’m depressed, sweetheart, not stupid. I understand completely. But thank you. I needed a bit of hope today.”
“I’m sorry I’m not there.”
“No. Now that I know what you’re doing, I’ll be fine. Whatever the outcome. You’re trying. It means a great deal.”
“I am trying.” Out of the blue, he thought of the kiss and his chest tightened. “Look, I’ll call you as soon as I can. Tomorrow, if possible.”
“Be careful. I think this woman must be very clever if she could have fooled Christian. Slippery, too.”
He
