Big Sky Dynasty

Dalton pulled over once he was around the block from the knitting shop. He tried to convince himself that Nicci wouldn’t have rented an apartment in the shop where he’d seen her yesterday for fear he’d come back.

But he knew that’s exactly what Nicci would do—and no doubt had because she’d found an ally in Georgia Michaels.

Georgia had no idea what kind of woman she’d taken in. And trying to warn her, he feared would be a waste of time. He could only imagine what Nicci had told the shop owner to get Georgia to lie and cover for her.

Dalton knew he had two choices. He could wait around until Nicci decided to let him in on what she was up to. Or he could stir the pot. He wasn’t good at sitting around waiting for the other shoe to drop.

He hadn’t paid any attention to what kind of vehicle she’d been driving when he thought he’d seen her the other day. But with the closest airport three hours away, that meant she had a rental car parked around here somewhere.

Whitehorse consisted of only a ten-block square, so finding the car shouldn’t be that difficult. Even if it didn’t have a rental sticker or plate, he should be able to spot it in a town that was ninety-percent pickups.

He took off on foot, determined he would cover the entire town if that’s what it took.

His cell phone vibrated.

“So what’s going on?” Lantry wanted to know.

Dalton filled him in as he widened his search for Nicci’s rental car.

“You gave the woman who owns the yarn shop flowers and apologized to her?” Lantry said, scoffing. “If you suspect this woman lied to you yesterday and is harboring Nicci, why the hell didn’t you call her on it? I thought you went into town to find Nicci and demand to know what she wanted.”

“You don’t know anything about women, do you?” Dalton said.

“Excuse me? I didn’t marry evil incarnate,” Lantry snapped.

“I did, and thanks to Nicci I was provided with a lifetime of learning in a very short while.” Ahead, he noticed a nondescript white car. Most people in isolated parts of Montana didn’t buy white cars. A white car in a blizzard was dangerous. If you went off the road in a blizzard, white cars weren’t easy to spot and you could be stranded for days down a snow-filled gully.

“Not all women are like Nicci.”

“Exactly,” Dalton agreed. “Georgia Michaels for one. That’s why she didn’t rat Nicci out yesterday. I’m sure that’s also why she would rent the apartment to Nicci. She feels sorry for her and wants to help her.”

“Okay, but wouldn’t it have made more sense to lay your cards on the table and tell her the truth?”

Dalton chuckled at that. His own brother wasn’t going to like the truth when he finally heard it. A complete stranger, a woman who saved other women in distress? Yeah, sure.

“I can imagine how that would have gone over,” he said. “How are you coming on getting the information you need to file for the divorce?”

“I’m trying to get a copy of your marriage license. You’re sure you were married in Galveston?”

Dalton frowned. “I assumed so.” Was there a chance Nicci had lied about that, too? Maybe the marriage license she’d showed him was a fake. He should be so lucky.

“Nicci Angeles, right? She couldn’t have used another name?”

“She showed me a copy of the marriage license the next morning, but truthfully, I didn’t notice what name she used.”

“She really did drug you?”

“Oh, yeah. She said I drank too much and that’s why I couldn’t remember getting married. I believed her until I discovered the drug she used on me.”

Lantry swore. “What the hell kind of woman did you get tangled up with?”

“A very dangerous one as it turned out.”

“I WASN’T EAVESDROPPING, I forgot my purse.” Nicci walked over to the counter, picked up a white leather bag and swung it over her shoulder.

“I hope you didn’t—”

“Your friend Rory is right,” Nicci said, smiling ruefully. “You don’t know me. Maybe we did become friends too quickly. I have a tendency to come on a little too strong when I really like someone. I’m big on first impressions, but sometimes I’m wrong about a person.” She shrugged. “If you want to cancel the show tonight…”

“No,” Georgia said. “Rory’s been my best friend since we were kids. I think she’s feeling a little left out, that’s all.”

“Well I can understand that. And being pregnant, I’m sure she feels vulnerable as well.” Nicci smiled. “I enjoyed meeting your class and your friend Rory. You wait, we’re all going to be great friends. I need to run a few errands. Can I get you anything while I’m out?”

“No, but thank you. And thank you for being so understanding about Rory.”

“No problem. I know how friends are,” Nicci said with a laugh. “See you later.”

Georgia tried to work. She’d hoped to get it done before the movie tonight with Nicci. But she couldn’t forget what Rory had said about her renter. Nor forget how nice Nicci had been about it. The woman was so gracious.

It was Rory’s pregnancy and jealousy, that was all. It made her imagine things. Like Agnes’s alleged adverse reaction to Nicci. Why would Agnes of all people dislike Nicci, let alone be afraid of her?

Georgia knew she wouldn’t be able to get any work done until she talked to Rory.

“WHY DO I get the feeling there’s more to the story?” Lantry said on the other end of the line.

“Because you’re my brother. I have to go.” Dalton hung up as he reached the white car and glanced inside. Too clean for this part of Montana where there were more dirt roads than paved. Dust boiled up miles away in the summer, letting residents see if someone was coming long before they arrived.

If he was right, this was Nicci’s rental car. It wasn’t as if there were a bunch of rental cars in Whitehorse. He hesitated, considering why Nicci hadn’t gone with an expensive one. She’d gone cheap and nondescript. That alone made him suspicious.

Maybe Lantry was right. Maybe she was broke and that’s what this was about. Or maybe she just hadn’t wanted to stand out. Which in itself was amusing since the woman herself would have a hell of a time blending into a crowd—let alone blending in with the locals in Whitehorse.

A thought hit him like a brick to the forehead. If Nicci had come here to end things, she hadn’t come alone. She would have brought Ambrose.

Dalton scanned the nearly empty street as he thought of the name he’d heard Nicci screaming that night on the boat. Kill him, Ambrose, kill him!

Ambrose was no doubt the same man he’d caught her talking to that day on her cell phone at the hotel before they set sail. He’d definitely been in the large motorboat Dalton had seen following them.

Dalton still couldn’t believe how stupid he’d been and now he had no doubt that Nicci had brought Ambrose with her to Whitehorse. Unfortunately, Dalton hadn’t gotten a good look at Ambrose that night at sea. But he’d bet money the guy would stand out in Whitehorse—just as Nicci had. So where was she hiding him until she needed him?

He shuddered at the thought. Ambrose did whatever Nicci told him to do apparently. Even commit murder for her.

Dalton considered what it would take to bring Ambrose out of hiding. He needed to know what he was up against.

Glancing around, he pulled out his pocket knife, then bent down and stuck the blade into the rear tire. Then he did the same thing to the front tire before walking back to his pickup to wait.