Rescue at Cardwell Ranch

At a corner he hadn’t walked past in some time, he saw that another house had gone on the market. But that wasn’t what made him stumble to a stop next to the strip of freshly mown lawn.

There she was! He could never forget that face and now there she was. Right there on the real-estate sign in the yard, smiling up at him as if daring him to come after her.

McKenzie Sheldon of M.K. Sheldon Realty.

* * *

“ARE YOU ALL RIGHT?”

McKenzie nodded, even though she was far from all right. Did she really think she recognized this man? She hadn’t seen the face of the man who’d tried to abduct her so she couldn’t have seen his eyes. This man’s eyes were...familiar and yet she’d never met him before, had she? Would she look at every man she met and think he was the one who’d attacked her?

Hayes Cardwell was staring at her with concern and something else in his expression. Compassion?

It was the very last thing she needed right now. Tears welled in her eyes. She felt lightheaded and groped for the wall behind her for support.

“If you’d prefer to do this some other time,” Hayes said.

She shook her head. “No, I’m fine. It must have been something I ate.” In truth, she hadn’t eaten anything since the day before. No wonder she felt lightheaded. But she’d toughened it out through worse, she told herself, remembering when she’d taken on the agency.

Tag Cardwell hadn’t seemed to notice her no doubt odd behavior. He was busy looking in the windows of the building, anxious to get inside and show his brother the space.

“I think you’re going to like this location for your restaurant,” she said, turning away from Hayes Cardwell’s dark, intent gaze and what she saw there. “Let me show you. It’s perfect for what you have in mind.”

Her fingers shook so hard, she didn’t think she was going to be able to put the key in the lock. A large, sun-tanned hand reached around her and gently took the keys from her.

“Let me do that,” Hayes said. His voice was soft, his Southern accent comforting and almost familiar.

She was going mad. She could smell his male scent along with the soap he’d used to shower that morning. He was a big man—like the man last night who’d attacked her. She touched her bruised throat and closed her eyes against the terrifying memory.

He opened the door and she stumbled in and away from him. Her cell phone rang and she was startled to see that it was the police department.

“I need to take this. Please have a look around.” She scooted past Hayes and back outside, leaving the two men alone inside what had been a restaurant only months ago. Her phone rang again. She sucked in a deep breath of the June mountain air and, letting it out, took the call. As she did, she prayed the man had been caught. She couldn’t keep living like this.

“Ms. Sheldon?” the policewoman asked.

“Yes?”

“I spoke to the man who intervened last night during your attack. He still would prefer to remain anonymous.”

“You’re sure he wasn’t involved?”

“Involved? No. The clerk at the store was a witness. He was leaving the store when he saw the abductor trying to lift you into the trunk of his car. The man saved your life.”

“So why is this so-called hero so determined to remain anonymous?”

“As I told you, he’s in town visiting relatives. He doesn’t want the notoriety. But I can assure you, we checked him out. He just happened to be in the right place at the right time last night.”

McKenzie felt as if she could breathe a little easier. “I’m sorry he won’t let me thank him, but I certainly appreciate what he did. Is there any word on...?”

“No, but we are looking at Gus Thompson. We brought him in. He doesn’t have an alibi for last night.”

“You really think it was him?” She shuddered, remembering. He was about the right size and he had acted more than a little creepy in the past.

Behind her, the door opened. She heard Tag and his brother come out.

“Thank you for letting me know,” she said to the patrolwoman and disconnected. “So what do you think?” she asked, but one look at their faces and she knew Hayes hadn’t liked the place.

Tag had been so excited about the building. She could get it for him at a good price since the owner was anxious to sell. But she could see that Hayes was far from sold.

“We can’t really make a decision until all my brothers see the place,” Tag said. Hayes said nothing.

She could feel the tension between the two men. “Well, let me know. This property won’t stay on the market long. I’ll lock up.” She moved past Hayes to turn out the light and lock the door.

When she came back out, the brothers were leaving. She shivered as she felt someone watching her. Her gaze shot to Hayes, but he was looking off toward the mountains and his brother was busy driving.

I’m losing my mind. Hayes Cardwell wasn’t her attacker. So why, when she thought of his brown eyes, did some memory try to fight to surface?

* * *

GUS THOMPSON WAS going to see McKenzie no matter what anyone said. When he’d come out of the police station and climbed into his vehicle, he hadn’t known where to go or what to do. He had to save his career, and McKenzie was the only one who could do that.

Restraining order or not, he would see her.

He had racked his brain, trying to remember where she said she had a showing today. Something about a listing in Big Sky. A former restaurant. He’d quickly checked to see what commercial restaurant space was under the multiple listings at Big Sky and laughed out loud when he’d found the restaurant with ease.

It didn’t take much to find out what time she was showing the place. He’d called the office, changed his voice and pretended to be the person she was showing the restaurant to. Within minutes, he’d found out that McKenzie would be at the restaurant this afternoon at two to meet the Cardwells.

For a few minutes after he’d hung up, he’d tried to talk himself out of driving up to Big Sky. The last thing he needed was for her to call the police before she heard him out. It appalled him that she thought she could just fire him and he’d go away. Well, she was dead wrong about that.

Unfortunately, the forty-mile drive had taken longer than he’d expected. Summer traffic. He’d forgotten about the damned tourists so he hadn’t been able to beat McKenzie to the restaurant—which had been his intent.

Fifty minutes later, he’d parked next to a small grocery in a space where he had a good view of the restaurant with the M.K. Realty sign out front. He’d arrived in time to see two men pull up in an SUV only moments after McKenzie.

He’d been forced to wait, telling himself it might work out better. He would grab her after her showing. He could get a lay of the land before he did anything stupid. More stupid, he thought, thinking of Cynthia, the receptionist. She wasn’t even that cute.

While he had no patience for waiting, he was surprised when the showing only took a matter of minutes. He had to laugh. Boy, had that not gone well. And now McKenzie had just lost her best salesman. She would definitely regret firing him, probably already did.

He saw his chance when the two men McKenzie had shown the property to got into their SUV and drove away. The restaurant location was somewhat secluded, separated from the other businesses by pine trees.

Once he got her alone, she’d be forced to listen to what he had to say.

As he started his vehicle, planning to park behind her car so she couldn’t get away, he saw her looking around. Was she worried he might show up? Or was she looking for the man who’d attacked her last night? Her gaze skimmed over him in his vehicle where he still sat, motor running. He looked away, glad he’d driven his silver SUV that looked like everyone else’s around here.

When he’d dared take a peek again, she was headed for her car. He couldn’t let her just drive away. His best chance of talking to her was here rather than back in Bozeman.

Gus shifted the SUV into gear. He told himself all he wanted to do was tell her what he thought of her firing him, of accusing him of attacking her, of treating him like an employee rather than appreciating what he did for M.K. Realty.

He just needed to have his say. He wasn’t stupid enough to touch her. Or threaten her. He had the right to have the last word. She couldn’t just get rid of him in such a humiliating way and think he was going to let it pass.