Colton Cowboy Hideout

Josie was just about to step outside when a bloodcurdling scream pierced the air.

* * *

Adrenaline pumped through Tanner as he recognized the scream as coming from the housekeeper, Moira. “Excuse me,” he muttered to Josie and turned to race down the hallway toward the master suite.

He was vaguely aware of Aaron, Whitney and the pretty petite Josie following right behind him. Dread coursed through him as he saw Moira standing just outside of the doorway of the bedroom.

She held a trembling finger to her lips and looked every day of her seventy-five years. As she saw Tanner she pointed into the room, horror gripping her features into a tight mask.

At his age, Eldridge wasn’t in the best of health and Tanner’s first thought was that the old man had probably passed away in his sleep.

He flew into the large room and then froze in his tracks in stunned surprise. In an instant his brain registered several things. The window to the gardens was open and the screen had been removed. The lamp on the nightstand was overturned. The covers on the bed appeared to have been dragged off and something that looked like blood was both on the windowsill and on the floor next to the bed.

Eldridge was gone.

“Oh, my God!” Whitney screamed from behind Tanner. “Where is he? What’s happened?” She pushed past Tanner and ran into the adjoining bathroom. “Eldridge honey, where are you?” A wail ensued, letting Tanner know the old man wasn’t there.

Whitney stumbled back into the bedroom, and at the same time Fowler Colton, Eldridge’s eldest son, ran into the room. He was followed by his sister, Alanna.

Bedlam ensued as more of the Colton family appeared on the scene. Zane, Eldridge’s adopted son and head of security, shouted to be heard above Whitney’s hysterical screams.

Within minutes all of Whitney and Eldridge’s children and stepchildren were in the room except one. Aaron held on to his wife, Moira, his eyes misted with tears, and Josie cowered against a wall as if attempting to disappear.

“Everyone out of the room,” Reid Colton yelled above the din. “We need to preserve the evidence.” He attempted to herd everyone back out into the hallway.

“I just called Sheriff Watkins,” Fowler replied. “He’s on his way. In the meantime, I need to take a look around.”

“No, you don’t. You need to get out of here like everyone else,” Reid replied tersely.

“Don’t act like you’re a cop. You just used to be one,” Fowler replied with a raise of his chin. “As I remember, brother, your badge was taken away from you.”

Reid stared menacingly at Fowler and one of his hands tightened into a fist. “Don’t go there, brother.”

“You two, don’t even start,” Whitney cried. She started out of the door and then stopped and stared at Josie. “You! You did this. You brought evil into the house. It’s all your fault. You’re the devil!” She covered her eyes and wept as her daughter Piper placed an arm around her shoulders and quickly led her from the room.

Josie’s hazel eyes were wide and her lower lip began to tremble. Tanner fought the crazy impulse to shelter her with his arm. Instead he motioned for her to follow him out of the bedroom and fought against his worry for the old man he’d looked on like a father.

“Everyone into the parlor,” Fowler instructed. “Sheriff Watkins will want to question everyone when he and his men get here.”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea for Josie to be in the parlor with Whitney,” Tanner said. “I’ll take her into the dining room and we’ll wait there for the sheriff.”

Josie gave him a grateful glance. He didn’t wait for permission from anyone, but took her by the arm and led her in the opposite direction from the rest of the people. The last thing needed at the moment was Whitney’s histrionics directed toward Josie.

As they walked toward the formal dining room Tanner tried to tamp down his fear for Eldridge. What on earth had happened in that bedroom?

It had been obvious that a struggle had occurred. Had it happened that morning? Sometime in the night? Had the old man been kidnapped? Had he been killed? There hadn’t been a lot of blood to indicate a death, but there had certainly been enough for Tanner to be extremely concerned about Eldridge’s well-being.

The formal dining room was a large room with a table that nearly stretched from one end to the other. Several large candelabras were positioned on a black-and-gold table runner and held fat, white pillar candles.

This was where the large family usually gathered to take their evening meal together. Breakfast and lunch were less formal. He gestured Josie into one of the high-backed chairs and then sank down in the chair next to her.

Josie’s scent wafted toward him, a heady combination of spices mingling with a fresh peach fragrance. He’d experienced a swift kick of physical attraction to her the moment he’d first laid eyes on her. Her long dark hair looked silky, and she might be small and petite, but her body was perfectly proportioned. But at the moment that was the last thing on his mind.

He reached up and rubbed the center of his forehead, where a headache attempted to take hold. Loud voices could still be heard coming from the parlor, where the family and other staff members were gathered together.

“Whatever happened in that bedroom, I’m in no way responsible,” Josie said. Her eyes simmered as she held his gaze. He couldn’t help but notice her eyelashes were lush and long.

“I’m aware of that. I just wish I knew what really did happen.”

“There were so many people. Are all of them family?”

He nodded. “Eldridge had two children, Fowler and Alanna, with his first wife, Darla. When Darla died Eldridge married Whitney, who had two children, Zane and Marceline. Eldridge and Whitney had three children together, Thomas, Piper and Reid. Well, actually, Piper was an orphan who they adopted. The only one who wasn’t in the bedroom a few minutes ago was Marceline.”

“Thank goodness I won’t be here long enough to try to keep them all straight,” Josie replied.

“They all have very distinct personalities, so once you’ve been around them for a short period of time it’s fairly easy to figure out who is who,” he replied. It was easier to focus on the Colton family dynamics rather than his fear for his boss and mentor.

The faint shriek of sirens was audible from somewhere outside, and before they halted their cry, Brianna Nugent flew into the dining room.

Tanner jumped out of his chair at the sight of his young nanny. “Brianna, what are you doing in here? Where are the girls?” A new concern whipped through him. Had something happened to them?

“Peggy said she’d watch them for a few minutes,” Brianna replied and tugged on the end of the thick blond braid that fell forward over her shoulder. “What’s going on? There’s so much negative energy in the air. It’s totally upsetting my chakra.”

Tanner drew in a breath and sought some modicum of patience before replying. “Eldridge is missing. I’m sorry about your chakra, but you really need to get back to the girls.”

“Do you mind if I burn some sage in the nursery to clear away some of the bad energy?”

Tanner stared at her in disbelief. “You are not to burn anything in the nursery ever,” he replied firmly. “Now, I’d appreciate it if you’d get back to the twins. The negative air in here is far worse than any in the staff wing.” As Brianna whirled back out of the room, Tanner sat once again and released a deep sigh.

“You have twin daughters?” Josie asked.

Tanner relaxed a bit. It was impossible to feel too stressed out when he thought about his little girls. “Lily and Leigh—they’re eighteen months old. Brianna is their nanny.”

“So your wife works outside of the home?”

“My ex-wife, and she died a little over a year ago.” He fought against the sense of failure that always tried to take hold of him when he thought of Helen.

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Josie replied.

“Thanks.” He leaned forward, tension once again twisting inside of him. “I just hope Brianna doesn’t let her unsettled chakra affect the twins. Kids pick up on grown-ups’ emotions so easily, and the last thing I want is for them to be upset.”

He also knew with a sinking sensation that Brianna, with her slightly crazy new age mentality, was probably going to have to be replaced. Anyone who thought burning sage in the nursery was okay wasn’t the kind of nanny he wanted for his girls.

He shoved the thought aside and looked at Josie once again. “What about you? Are you married? Have children?” Although Josie looked far too young for either, he wanted—needed—some conversation to keep his mind busy until the sheriff or somebody else official came in to speak with them.

“Neither,” she replied.

“Do you have other family?”