Love Inspired Suspense September 2015 #2 (15 page)

“Yeah, but—”

“No buts. I'm tired of this sitting around. I'm coming.”

“Well...all right, then.” There was no stopping Jake once he got his mind set on something and Seth wouldn't even try. “Hey, I've got an idea. We'll add Daniel's Li'l Buckaroo charity to the list and win some money for it. What do you say?”

Jake stayed silent for a long second, then cleared his throat. “I think that would be an excellent thing to do. Daniel would be thrilled we'd do it. I'll tell Monty. I know he'll want to come, too.”

“That sounds like a good plan.”

“Hey, you heard from Tonya?”

“I—” Seth paused. He didn't want to lie, but he wasn't about to tell Jake that she was at the ranch and have his buddy mention that to the wrong person. “I think Tonya's lying low right now until it's all worked out with the guy that was after her.” No sense in saying anything about Hank being in jail. Seth had a feeling that didn't matter, that someone else was interested in getting Tonya out of the picture. Jake didn't need to know that either.

“All right,” Jake said. “Y'all need help setting up?”

“Aaron's part of the crew that's in charge. He's already storing stuff in the barn. We might need your truck to haul some of it to the arena when the time comes.”

“You got it.”

“Hey, while I'm thinking about it, will you get my rope from the storage room? Mia said she hung it there. I want to take a look at it.”

“Sure thing.”

Seth hung up with Jake and pursed his lips. It would be good to have everyone together at the rodeo, but it also made him nervous. “Hank's behind bars. It'll be all right.” But whoever had paid him ten grand wasn't—

“Talking to yourself?”

Seth looked up to find his brother Aaron in the doorway. “I always ask advice from the wisest person I know.” Aaron rolled his blue eyes and smirked. Seth could have been looking into a mirror. All the Starke brothers resembled one another, but Seth and Aaron could have been twins if they hadn't been born two years apart.

“How's the leg?” Aaron asked.

“Fine.” He was so tired of everyone asking about it but knew they just asked out of concern, so he hid his annoyance and ordered himself to be grateful they cared. “What brings you by?”

Aaron jerked a thumb toward the barn. “I've got one last truckload of rodeo stuff to unload.”

“You need help?” Seth started to stand.

Aaron shook his head. “I brought my help. Just wanted to let someone know we were here. Where are Mom and Dad?”

Seth sank back onto the chair. “Think they're doing their weekly grocery run.”

“All right. Dad said he had a horse he wanted me to take a look at.”

“Probably Thunder.”

Aaron nodded. “I'll be in the barn.”

Seth stood. “I might as well come along.”

Seth followed his brother out to the front porch. He descended the steps and headed down the path that would lead to the barn. “How's the veterinary business going?”

“Staying busy, that's for sure. Meeting some interesting people.”

Seth slid a glance at Aaron. “Anyone in particular?”

“Nope.”

“Liar.” Aaron flushed and laughed. They reached the barn and Seth could tell his brother wasn't going to tell him whom he was talking about. “I'll find out, you know.”

“Yeah. Probably.” He waved to the two men sitting on the edge of the back of the loaded pickup truck. “Seth, you remember Randy? And this is Bill. You guys ready?”

“Just waiting on you,” Randy said.

“All right, let's get all this stuff stored in the back of the barn. There's a huge empty area just around the corner from the office.”

The three men got busy and Seth decided to pitch in and do what he could.

It didn't take long for the four of them to get everything loaded and in place with room for more if needed. Seth was grateful his leg didn't bother him more than a few twinges if he moved wrong. “You know, it would be nice if we could just have some sort of storage pod over near the arena. This event gets bigger every year. Pretty soon the barn isn't going to be big enough.”

Aaron shoved a barrel against the wall and turned to face him. “Yep. I suggested that very thing for next year. Hauling all this stuff to two places is downright ridiculous.” When the rodeo had been just a local event, it hadn't been any big deal. Participants had just brought their stuff with them when they got there. Now the bigger names were shipping their gear and it was getting hectic. “This is the last year we're doing it this way.”

“Seth?”

He spun to find Tonya watching the proceedings. She looked beautiful. And contemplative. “You have impeccable timing,” he said, wiping the sweat from his forehead. “We just finished.”

She laughed, but it didn't hold much humor or reach her eyes.

“What's wrong?”

“Nothing, just a feeling I can't shake.”

Seth walked over and placed his hands on her shoulders. “Everything's going to work out fine. You'll see.”

“You're the eternal optimist, aren't you?”

He tilted his head. “Hmm. Only around you. I think you bring that out in me.”

She gave him a small smile. “I came out here to tell you that I'm having second thoughts about tomorrow.”

“Bullfighting?”

“Yes. What if whoever paid Hank uses tomorrow as an opportunity to finish the job?”

“How would he know you're there?”

Tonya propped her hands on her hips. “You signed me up, remember?”

“I sure did.” He winked. “But I didn't use your real name.”

Her eyes widened. “Really? Who am I, then?”

“Betty Benson.”

The laughter escaped her and his heart twisted around itself at the sound. Seth finally had to admit that in spite of all of his mental barriers and adamant protesting, he was falling hard for the rodeo clown. He just wondered how she would react when he told her.

SIXTEEN

T
onya lay in bed, nervous about the show the next day.
God, I just don't know if I should do this. I know Hank's behind bars, but—

She gave a low groan, sat up and threw the covers off. Then she walked to the motor-home window and pushed the drapes aside. A cruiser sat parked in plain sight of anyone driving up the drive. Tonya knew another was behind the house with a good view of the trees and pastureland, should someone decide to approach from that angle. She offered a prayer of safety for each officer and asked God to bless them for their willingness to watch over her while missing out on time with their families.

A faint light caught her attention and she squinted, trying to see through the darkness. The light bounced a couple of times, then disappeared. Should she worry about it? Go investigate? Not by herself, for sure, but she wondered if Seth was still up. His trailer was parked just a few steps from hers. She snagged her cell phone and dialed his number.

It went to voice mail, so she tried again.

“Hello?” He sounded groggy, as if she'd woken him up.

“Seth, I saw a light out by the barn.”

“What? When?”

“Just a minute ago.” Not too much time had passed. “Should we alert the deputies?”

He paused. “Maybe. What kind of light?”

“I don't know. Just a light.” She thought of the brief bobbing motion. “Maybe like someone carrying a flashlight.”

“Well, it wouldn't be one of the hands. They've all gone home.” She heard rustling in the background. “I'll take care of it. You stay put.”

“But—”

“I'll get Ronnie to go with me.”

That mollified her. Ronnie was in the cruiser nearest the house. “All right. Be careful. Please?”

“Of course.”

She hung up and peeked out the window toward the barn again. Nothing. Had she imagined the light? No. She knew she'd seen it. Seth appeared in a T-shirt and jeans and his ever-present boots. He came down the steps of his fifth wheel and headed toward Ronnie's cruiser.

Tonya slipped out the door and sat on the top step. She heard their voices but couldn't catch the words. Rising to her feet, she moved closer, staying in the shadows up close to the side of the motor home. Not wanting to interfere but not willing to sit inside and twiddle her thumbs either. If someone else was involved in this campaign to kill her, she wanted to know who it was.

She tightened her jaw and drew in a deep breath. Seth and Ronnie headed for the barn with Ronnie speaking into his radio. Another officer joined them. The three men disappeared into the nearest door. All remained quiet. She could hear her heart beating a triple-time rhythm. She placed a hand over her chest and waited.

* * *

The barn door creaked when Seth shut it behind him. He stuffed the key in his pocket and tried to figure out how someone could be inside when the barn was kept locked up. The two officers moved in front of him, Ronnie's admonitions about staying outside or going back to his fifth wheel falling on deaf ears. No way. This was his family's property. If someone was here determined to cause mischief or do Tonya harm, Seth was equally determined to stop them.

Ronnie dimmed the flashlight beam to almost nothing. Seth reached for the light switch and felt Lance's hand clamp down on his forearm. “If you flip the lights we're instant targets.”

“Right.”

“Stay here. Don't move. I'm serious,” Lance ordered.

“Got it.”

He dropped his hand and listened. Nothing sounded out of place; nothing
felt
different. The two officers began their search with Seth standing just inside the door. He knew why they didn't want him to move. If something happened and they had to use their weapons, they didn't want him caught in the cross fire. He didn't want that either. What he wanted was to know what light Tonya thought she'd seen. The night-lights in the barn were doing their job and he could see shadows, but up against the wall, he knew he would be practically invisible to anyone looking in his direction.

The horses nickered and blew and stomped at the disruption of their nightly routine. Ronnie and Lance disappeared from view as they searched the barn, turning left at the corner of the L-shaped building. Seth hesitated, almost followed them, then slipped back out of the barn. He made his way across the packed dirt and went straight for Tonya's motor home.

He gave a soft rap on her door, then glanced back over his shoulder.

“Seth?”

He whirled to find Tonya standing behind him. “What are you doing out here?”

“Figured I could see and hear better out here than in there.”

He shook his head. “That's not smart.”

“I know.”

Her subdued tone worried him. “Let's get inside.”

“Did they find anything?”

“Not at the time I left. They asked me to stay put, but I got to thinking about it and didn't want you left alone.”

They moved inside the motor home and she flipped on a small lamp. It was cool and cozy in the vehicle. He sat in the recliner next to the door. She took the couch opposite. “So we wait?”

“We wait. But I also wanted to tell you that we're going to have visitors tomorrow.”

“Visitors?”

“I talked to Jake earlier and he's decided he wants to ride in the rodeo this weekend. Since the cutoff date to register is right up to the last minute, it's not an issue. He and Monty and some of the barrel racers are going to be here tomorrow morning. Some may have even arrived this evening.”

Her eyes went wide. “That's great. I'm so glad.”

He nodded, stood and went to the window to push the curtain aside. Still no movement from the barn. What was taking so long? Had they found something? He glanced at the main house. No lights were on; no one seemed to be disturbed by anything.

He drew in a deep breath and turned back to find Tonya in the small kitchen making a pot of coffee. “I hope that's decaf.”

She glanced at him. “Yep.”

“I'll take some when it's ready, then.”

She nodded and pressed the button to start brewing. “The lights are on in the barn.”

He took a look. “Maybe they found something.”

“Should we go out there?”

“No. Let's just wait.”

She shifted, tapped her foot, paced to the window then back to the kitchen area. She finally sighed and pulled two mugs from the cabinet.

Seth hated that he couldn't do anything about the worry and the tense set of her posture. He walked up behind her, settling his hands on her shoulders. “It's going to be all right.”

“So you keep saying.”

His fingers massaged her, moving in tight circles against the rigid muscles. She didn't pull away and didn't tell him to stop, so he kept it up. She let her head fall back against his chest and closed her eyes. He kept working the muscles, feeling them loosen a fraction, then a bit more. His heart tumbled from caution straight into love. A tremor ran through him and he turned her to face him. She opened her sky blue eyes and he knew he was lost. He might as well give in, because to fight it was a losing battle. “Tonya—”

Her eyes widened; her cheeks grew flushed. She shook her head. “Not yet, Seth,” she whispered. “Don't say anything yet.” Frustration ran through him. But she was right: now wasn't the time. He was beginning to wonder if the right time would ever come.

A knock on the door made them both jump, but Seth beat her to the window. He pushed aside the curtain and looked out. Lance stood at the bottom of the steps. Seth opened the door. “You find anything?”

The deputy shook his head. “We didn't find a person, but do you recognize this?” In a gloved hand, he held up a silver pen with a brown-and-red logo on the side.

Seth moved closer to get a better look. “It's from the rodeo that was canceled last weekend. They have them at all the tables to sign up for prizes and stuff.” He glanced at Tonya. “Did you possibly drop that in the barn when you were helping?”

“No, I didn't even pick one up. Too busy.”

“I didn't either.” Seth leaned back. “So someone who was at the rodeo last weekend was in the barn and dropped the pen.
Tonight.
” He looked at Lance. “Where did you find it?”

“Near the last stall on the right, just before the storage area you've got back there. I turned the lights on to take one last sweep through the place and found this.”

* * *

Tonya rubbed her forehead. “Great. Why would someone from last week's rodeo be in your barn?”

Seth flattened his lips. “Could be someone looking for something he or she shipped here and didn't want to wake us up to ask for it.” He shrugged. “It's common knowledge where their items are stored. Wouldn't be the first time someone's come looking for something.”

She lifted a brow. “In the middle of the night?”

“Okay, yes. This is a first.”

“So what does it mean?”

He grimaced. “Just means someone who was at the rodeo last week was in the barn. At one o'clock in the morning the night before the rodeo.”

“You don't keep the barn locked up?” Lance asked.

“Of course. You saw me unlock it in order to let you guys in.” He kneaded the back of his neck.

Lance nodded. “All right, well, it's all clear out there for now. We didn't hear any engines start up or anyone running away. We canvassed the trees on the other side of the barn, as well, but there's a lot of land out there. If someone was in the barn, it wouldn't be hard to find a good hiding spot.”

“Don't I know it,” Seth muttered.

At Tonya's raised brow, he shrugged. “Childhood memories.”

“So what now?” she asked.

“Go back to sleep. We'll keep an eye on everything, mostly where you two are, and make sure nothing else happens tonight.”

“How did you miss someone going into the barn?” Seth asked with a frown. Lance sighed. “It really wouldn't be hard. Even if we knew someone was coming and also the direction he was coming from, we still might overlook him if he was dressed in black and being careful to avoid any sudden movements.”

“We'll leave the lights on in the barn and the perimeter lights. That'll make that area fairly glow. Nothing I can do about the back of the main house without waking my parents.” Seth glanced at the house. “Can't believe they've slept through this.”

Tonya agreed. But the officers had been quiet and nothing had happened that would wake anyone sleeping. “Thank you again for everything,” she said softly.

Lance nodded. “Oh, by the way, Ronnie and I are transferring Hank to the Nashville prison tomorrow. We thought we were going to have to let him go, but his prints came back on the bomb that was in your cannon, so he's going away for a while. Get some rest—you're going to need it tomorrow.”

The deputy left and Tonya dropped onto the couch. “Tomorrow.” She glanced at the clock. “Which is actually today.”

“All right, if you're good here, I'm going to head back to my place.”

“I'm good. I'm very good. Hank's not getting out of jail for a long time.”

“But there's still someone else out there who wants to hurt you.” He moved close and crouched down in front of her. “You want to move into the main house for the rest of the night?”

“No. I trust Lance and Ronnie. They won't let anything happen. And besides, it would wake up your parents. I'll be fine.” She stared into his deep blue eyes and did her best to ignore the intense feelings his nearness brought to the surface. After their tender moment earlier, she wondered if she should even fight them.

Remember Daniel.

He gripped her hands and kissed her on the cheek. “Good night, then, Tonya.”

She swallowed hard and felt tears surface. She managed to hold them back and give him a nod. He left and she wanted to call him back. Tonya sighed and locked the door after him. Her heart was turning traitor. Her mind ordered it to do one thing and it did the complete opposite. She looked out the window one more time and took comfort in the fact that the officers were there and watching tonight.

But she couldn't help wondering what tomorrow would bring. A Bible verse from Philippians popped into her mind.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

“God,” she whispered, “I'm going to try not to be anxious, but it sure is hard. Thank You for Seth and his family and the men sitting in the cruisers outside. Please, please let them catch whoever is causing all this trouble and keep everyone safe tomorrow.” Tonya left the lights on and moved to the back of the motor home to the bed. She lay down, still fully dressed, and pulled the covers to her chin as she debated how to tell Seth she wasn't going to the rodeo in the morning.

A sudden resolve sat her straight up. Scratch that. She
wasn't
going to run away again. This time Tonya was going to stand her ground. She was going to the rodeo and she was going to figure out who the other person was who wanted her dead.

Or she would die trying.