don’t trust your kind,” he clarified, his tone terse. “Alex Santiago was kidnapped, but now he’s been found. Sooner or later he’ll get his memory back and be able to tell us who took him. Why can’t you people drop it and leave us here in Royal to clean up our own messes?”
Bailey glanced toward the hallway, realizing that Cade could return at any moment. “Surely you’re not that naive,” she said quietly. “Because Alex has no memory of what happened to him, trouble could strike again at any time. We have no choice but to track down his abductors. Surely you can see that.”
“What I don’t see is why you think anyone I know is responsible.”
“Alex was well-liked in Royal, though obviously he had at least one enemy. You know a lot of people. Somewhere in the midst of all that I hope to find the truth. It’s my job, Gil. And I’m good at it. All I need is your help.”
Cade popped into the room, the front of his shirt damp from his ablutions. “I’m really hungry,” he said. At a nod from his father, he scooped up two apple slices and started eating.
As Bailey watched, Gil offered her a piece and took one himself. His sharp white teeth bit into the fruit with a crunch. She tried to eat, but the food stuck in her throat. She needed Gil on her side. And she needed him to trust her. Perhaps that would require time.
Biting her lip, she put down her uneaten snack and tried the lemonade instead. As father and son chatted about mundane matters, she strove for composure. Usually it took a lot to rattle her. But for some reason, winning Gil’s approval was important.
When his phone rang, he glanced at the number and grimaced. “Sorry, Ms. Collins. I need to take this in private. I won’t be long.”
Cade glanced up at his dad as Gil stood. “Don’t worry, Daddy. I’ll entertain her.”
* * *
When Gil returned thirty minutes later, he felt a pinch of guilt for abandoning Bailey to his son’s clutches. Not all women were good with children, and Bailey struck him as more of a focused career woman than a nurturer. When he crossed the threshold into the kitchen, he pulled up short. There at the table, right where he had left them, were Cade and Bailey. Only now, they were sitting side by side, their heads bent over Bailey’s phone.
The lemonade glasses were empty, as was the plate that had held apples.
Bailey shook her head. “Remember the angles,” she said. “Don’t just fire it off willy-nilly.”
When Gil’s son gazed up at Bailey, Gil’s heart fractured. Never had he seen a boy so starved for feminine attention. Despite Gil’s best efforts at being a perfect parent, nothing could substitute for the love of a mother. If Gil were not careful, Cade would latch onto Bailey and create an embarrassing situation for all of them.
Gil cleared his throat. “Cade. If you’ll give me half an hour to speak with Ms. Collins about some grown-up business, I promise you we’ll leave for our ride immediately after that.”
Cade never looked up from his game. “Sure, Dad. Let me just finish this one—”
Gil took the phone and handed it to Bailey. “You have permission to use the computer in my study. Now scram.”
“Yes, sir.” Cade gave Bailey a cheeky grin on his way out the door. “Will you say goodbye before you leave?”
Bailey rose to her feet and glanced at Gil.
Cade’s father nodded. “I’ll let you know when we’re done.”
In Cade’s absence an uncomfortable silence reigned. The little boy’s exuberant personality had served to soften the edges of Gil’s aggressive displeasure.
Bailey hesitated, searching for a way to break the ice.
Gil did it for her. He held out an arm. “Since Cade is in my office, we might as well step onto the back porch. If that’s okay with you,” he added stiffly.
Bailey nodded. “Of course.” The January weather was picture-perfect, and as was often the case during the winter, a bit erratic, as well. Last week Royal had endured storms and temperatures in the mid-fifties. Today the thermometer was forecast to hit eighty, almost a record.
As they stepped outside, Bailey had to smile. The Straight Arrow was an enormous, thriving cattle operation. In addition to its efficiency and profitability, every aspect of the ranch’s physical appearance was neat and aesthetically pleasing to the eye. It took money to carry out such attention to detail. But Gil had money. Lots of it. Which was a good thing, because his wealth meant he had the luxury of spending time with his son.
Watching and listening to Cade, Bailey understood how very well Gil had managed to give his son emotional security. The child was bright, friendly and well adjusted. Growing up without a mother was no picnic. But Gil’s parenting had mitigated Cade’s loss as much as was possible.
Gil remained standing, so Bailey followed suit. If she had made herself comfortable in one of the cushioned wicker chairs, he would have towered over her. She suspected he would like that.
Bailey, however, had a job to do. She wouldn’t be cowed by Gil’s fiercely masculine personality. She worked in a world where men still dominated the profession. Self-preservation demanded she be tough on the outside, even if she sometimes felt as if she was playing a part.
Gil fired the first shot. “I thought you went back to Dallas.”
She shrugged. “Only for a week. The case is still open. After I finished the earlier interviews, my boss pulled me to work briefly on another project. But we’re in a lull now, and they want me to do some more digging.”
“You didn’t do so well the last time,” he mocked.
Bailey met his hot gaze with composure. “Investigations take time. And just so you know...I get it, Gil.”
“Get what?”
“You were insulted to be on the suspect list. I impugned your honor, and you’re pissed. Have I hit the nail on the head?” She challenged him deliberately, not willing to play the bad guy indefinitely.
His jaw was granite. “I’d think your time would be better spent questioning the criminal element instead of harassing upstanding members of the community.”
Her lips twitched. Hurt masculine pride was a tricky thing. “I have extensive training in psychological evaluation. And you know very well that you were never a suspect. It was my job to speak to anyone and everyone who knew Alex...to look for clues, for any shred of information, no matter how minute, that might help solve the kidnapping.”
“And yet you came up with nothing.”
She tensed, tired of being under attack. “Alex is back in Royal,” she pointed out.
“No thanks to you.”
His mockery lit the fuse of her temper. She could take what he was dishing out, but she didn’t have to like it. “You have no idea what goes on behind the scenes. And I don’t have to justify myself to you. Can we please get back to the matter at hand?”
“And that would be?”
As
