A Trick of the Moon (2 page)

“Not all of us are like you, Dario. I don't fight drug lords, and I don't bed every woman I come across.”

“Neither do I. Well, not the bedding part. I've had a few lady friends, yes, but I don't use women for sex, if that's what you're implying.” Dario held up his hand to stop Declan from answering.

“I'm not implying anything.” Declan pointed to a sign on the side of the road. “Twelve miles to Shiprock.”

“And he changes the subject again. Fine, just don't come crying to me when we're heading back to Albuquerque and things haven't worked out like you wanted them to.”

“Gee, thanks Dad. If I want a lesson on how to kiss a woman, I'll be sure to let you know.” Declan turned toward him. “Can I borrow the car Saturday night?”

“No, I'm using it, and if you don't cut the sarcasm, I'll ground you for the weekend.” They both chuckled. “Listen, I'm sorry. Obviously I know you're not an idiot in the sex department. There was that one night with Sharla.”

“She was soft and warm, wasn't she? I think she enjoyed our little ménage as much as we did.”

“I know she did,” Dario replied with a laugh. “But I'm not talking about pure sex, which that night was. If you truly feel something for this woman, you need to act on it. Time is fleeting, my friend.”

6

Melinda Barron

Dario could almost feel Declan's dismay at his words. “Well, I hate to say it, but you're right. I should have acted on the feelings I have for her. Sucks that I didn't.”

The ringing phone startled them both. “Remember when you could go into a car and get away from everything?” Declan put the earbud in and connected.

As he spoke with whoever was on the other end, Dario turned his gaze to the landscape.

Being away from undercover work was fantastic, and taking a trip into this picturesque countryside just added to the pleasure he'd felt since arriving in Albuquerque a week ago. He'd been undercover for so long that he'd forgotten what it felt like to be able to ride along and not think about keeping up his front, or trying to keep track of dates and buy times to pass on to Ward McGovern, his supervisor at the state police. He'd been on the last job for more than a year and he was thrilled they'd finally pulled him out.

Faking his own death was never fun, but he'd done it twice now. Ward said they needed to be careful about where they assigned him next time. Too much chance of someone seeing “a dead man.” While he did that, though, he was happy to take this minivacation to Full Moon Ranch and help Declan investigate the mysterious kiva.

Being with old friends like Declan was fun. He could kid him about his failure to hook up with a woman he obviously desired and know Declan would not take it too hard. Of course it had been quite some time since Dario himself had been with a woman, so he supposed he wasn't one to talk.

He stayed away from the ladies involved with his drug-dealer targets. That could get too dangerous, too fast. It had been far too long since he'd had a woman. He wondered if Maura had a friend she could introduce him to, so that while she and Declan were hitting the hay, he could maybe do the same thing.

A little harmless, casual sex would be very nice. As long as the lady knew that's what it was. But then again maybe there was nobody but cowboys A Trick of the Moon

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around, and he would be stuck with Rosy Palm and her five sisters at night.

That was a singularly unpleasant idea.

They pulled into Shiprock and Dario looked around at the small town. He turned just as Declan clicked off his phone call.

“Sorry. That was my assistant at the university asking about paperwork.”

“Don't you just love work?” Dario pointed to a convenience store and Declan pulled in. “I thought this area was all reservation land. How does Maura's father own part of it?”

“Not all of it is reservation land,” Declan replied as he opened his car door.

“There is a BIA office here in town, if I remember right, but once we start heading east we travel off the rez. There are no hotels around this area, so Mr.

Atwell does a booming business, or so Maura says.”

They entered the store and loaded up on sodas and snacks. As they checked out, Declan laughed. “It's only about another forty-five-minute drive.

Looks like we're stocking up to cross the Great Divide.”

“Having too much food is never a bad thing,” Dario replied. “I'll have something to eat at night while I'm watching TV and you're getting laid. God, I hope she has a satellite dish. Or a sister?”

He gave Declan a hopeful look, then frowned when his friend shook his head. “Great. I may be heading up to Cortez to stay if I get too bored.”

They were back in the car when Declan's phone rang again. He greeted Maura with a hearty voice and Dario could hear her enthusiastic reply come through the line. They buckled up and Declan started back down the road. As he listened to one side of the conversation about things they might need from town before they left, Dario wondered if coming on this trip might make him the third wheel.

He certainly hoped not, and once again said a silent prayer for a satellite dish.

* * * * *

8

Melinda Barron

Maura Atwell hit the Off button on her phone and looked around the kitchen. She'd bought far too much when she'd been in town last time, preparing for Declan's visit. She'd known his friend was coming, but she still wondered if she'd overdone the purchasing, especially since he'd just told her they'd stocked up at the convenience store.

Tonight's menu was Mexican food: fajitas, nachos, beans and rice, and she would be the chef. There was no food service at the Full Moon Ranch.

Guests cooked in their own cabins and stocked their own cupboards. There were seven cabins, and every one of them was full. That meant Declan's friend, Dario, would be staying with them in the main house.

Not that there wasn't enough room in the house. There was a room that was blocked off as an office. That was the room people registered in when they arrived. It contained the computer and all the other necessities of an office. Her father's bedroom was right next to the office.

The living room, dining room, and kitchen separated that part of the house from the other three bedrooms and two bathrooms. One room was hers, and it had a connecting bathroom. The others would be used for Declan and Dario. She'd hoped to have Declan share her room, but she didn't want things to get awkward with his friend coming with him.

It wouldn't be right to say,
You stay in here and try not to focus on the
noise if we happen to… Well, you know…
She blushed at the thought of taking Declan to her bed, and of Dario listening to her cries of pleasure. She'd always been a little shy, and had hoped he would make a move at some point. But he hadn't done so, and she'd decided to use this time together to take the bull by the horns, so to speak.

Then he'd called to say he was bringing a friend, a cop who was trained to notice things and could help him scout out the kiva and the surrounding area, maybe help to figure out what was happening out there.

It would be great to have an extra set of eyes and hands for the investigation, if that's what this could be termed. She wasn't exactly sure what A Trick of the Moon

9

was happening in the valley. Coming across the kiva had been strange. It was a good thing horses were so sure-footed. One wrong move and one of the mounts might have tripped on the opening. Then she would have had a lawsuit on her hands from the guests she'd been with.

Thinking about that made her think about her father's advice. She'd told him last night that Declan and Dario were on their way, and he'd approved of their coming. But he'd made one tiny suggestion that might change things in the “let's seduce Declan” department.

Of course her father didn't know about Maura's long-standing crush on Declan, and she wasn't about to tell him. He had enough to deal with right now. The nurses at the rehabilitation clinic said he was progressing nicely. She expected him home in a few weeks, and if things went as planned she wanted to return to Albuquerque, and hopefully a relationship with Declan.

Thinking about that made her wonder if now would be the time to try her seduction. Maybe she just needed to make this a time to get reacquainted, and they could try to start the relationship back in Albuquerque.

Maybe he wasn't interested at all. During college it had seemed as if he were, but then he'd never made a move of any sort. Maybe it was all in her imagination that he was interested. Maybe he'd just wanted to be friends and she'd read too much into the slight touches that ended too quickly, or the times she was sure she'd found him watching her and he'd quickly looked away as she gazed his way.

Maybe it was just transference on her part. She wanted him, so she imagined him wanting her. But then again when she'd called a few days ago, he'd been happy to hear from her. She couldn't have imagined that. He'd also made plans to come pretty quickly, which should count for something, shouldn't it?

“Holy crap, Maura, you're a lawyer, not a professional wimp. Grow some backbone.” Her voice rang out in the empty kitchen and she straightened up, ran her hands down her sides. Declan and Dario would be here in a little bit 10

Melinda Barron

and she needed to have something ready for them to drink after their long car ride. Sure, they'd stopped in Shiprock, but it was only polite to offer them tea or lemonade. It was too early in the day for beer, or at least she thought it was.

She opened the refrigerator and glanced at the tea jar. After watching a cooking program on TV last night, she'd dumped the remnants of what had been in the jar and brewed new stuff, adding oranges, some cloves, and cinnamon. She'd tasted it earlier and decided the recipe made for some delicious tea.

That was about all she had, though, and she didn't have enough lemons and sugar to make homemade lemonade. She hurried to the counter and pulled out a container of the powdered mix, then added it and the water quickly to glass jug, and subsequently dumped a bunch of ice cubes into it to help with the cooling process.

She put it in the fridge and had just shut the door when there was the sound of a car pulling up out front. One thing about living in the country was the silence, and the ability to hear things far off. Was this Declan and Dario, or was it one of the hands?

She listened closely as one car door opened and shut, and then another did the same. Two people. It was probably her guests. Her hands began to sweat and her heart went into overdrive.

“You're a grown-up,” she said, taking a deep breath. “Act like a grown-up.”

Her feet wouldn't move, though, and when she heard a knock on the front door she turned, praying she didn't trip over her appendages, which now felt like lead. She walked into the living room just as Declan pulled open the screen door and poked his head inside.

“Hey, you!” The grin on his face made her stomach rumble with nerves.

“Long time no see. Can we come in?”

Oh please do, in more ways than one.

A Trick of the Moon

11

Chapter Two

“Yes, yes, get in here!” She prayed she didn't sound like a lovesick teenager. Heavens above, had he been this gorgeous just a few months ago?

And then she remembered it wasn't a few months ago. It was more than a year ago. “How was your trip?”

“Not bad,” Declan said. He put his arm around her and pulled her into a half hug, then wrapped his other arm around her and pulled her closer. The feel of his hard body against her made her body quicken even more. It went into total overdrive when she saw the man stepping in behind Declan.

Two gorgeous men in her house? What had she done to deserve this?

Whatever it was, she wanted to record it in her mind so she could do it again.

Maura glanced at Declan. He looked just the same as he had the last time she'd seen him. His long, black hair ran to his waist. He usually kept it pulled back, but today it hung loose, framing his full face with its high cheekbones and prominent nose. His dark green eyes were the only facial feature he'd inherited from his Irish mother—well, that and his skin tone. It wasn't as dark as other Native Americans, and he told her that was the one thing that always told others he wasn't full-blooded Indian. The rest of his features came from his father, a Navajo she'd met more than once. Declan's parents were wonderful, and very open. The times she'd spent with them contained many happy memories of joking and laughter.

Today, Declan wore faded jeans and a dark blue T-shirt that worked well with his caramel-colored skin. He pulled her into another hug and whispered,

“It's so good to see you again.”

12

Melinda Barron

“You too.” She wrapped her arms around his neck as he tightened his hold. Hopefully he hadn't noticed the way she'd been staring at him. She looked over her shoulder at the man who stood behind them. He was Hispanic and just as gorgeous as Declan. Like his friend, Dario wore jeans and a T-shirt.

His black hair hung just below his shoulders and was wavy at the ends. He studied her carefully with his deep brown eyes and she wondered exactly what he was thinking. There was a slight glint to his gaze that could have been amusement, or just deep thought, as he seemed to be memorizing her face just like she was doing to his.