to leave soon and then—”
A knock at the door prevented her from finishing.
Rodney stood and opened the door. Matt and Mark stood in the threshold. She glanced at the clock. After their late-night argument, she and Rodney had slept in. It was nearly eleven o’clock.
“Still in bed, sleepyhead?” Matt asked.
Rodney came to her defense. “We had a bit of a rough night. Thought we’d treat ourselves to a lazy morning.”
Mark walked in to the room, concern written on his face. “More bad dreams?”
She shook her head. “No. It was nothing really. Everything’s better today.”
“Good,” Matt said, entering the room and lifting up a basket. “Because we’re taking you on a picnic.”
“A picnic?” She laughed. “It’s February. And freezing outside.”
Mark shrugged, unconcerned. “Where’s your sense of adventure?”
“Inside, where it’s warm,” she joked.
Matt shook the basket lightly under her nose, the scent of fried chicken causing her hungry stomach to growl. “Seems a shame to waste this big lunch.”
“Where are you taking her?” Rodney asked.
Mark never missed a beat. “It’s a secluded place on the James Ranch, Rodney. No one will see her there. Promise.”
Rodney seemed appeased by his answer. “Sounds like fun, Bridge. You should go.”
“What about the ranch? The horse training. Surely you haven’t finished all your chores.”
Matt picked up her jeans from the floor and tossed them to her. “There’s a local guy who helps out sometimes whenever one of us is sick or we need a day off. All work and no play…”
Mark headed back toward the door. “Get dressed. We’ll wait for you downstairs.”
“Okay.” Her head chastised her heart, which was racing at the thought of spending an entire afternoon alone with the handsome twins again. She’d been so determined last night to avoid them, to keep them safe.
The door closed and she looked up, surprised to find Rodney still there.
“You okay?” he asked.
“I’m weak-willed and stupid.”
He walked over and sat down beside her once more. “No, you’re not. You’re a beautiful woman who’s falling in love.”
“I don’t deserve to fall in love. Not after what happened with Lyle. If I hadn’t insisted that he bring me that information instead of going to the cops—”
“Stop,” Rodney said firmly, his voice laced with anger. “Don’t you ever say that again. You were not responsible for Lyle’s death. He called you. He offered you the information.”
“I should have told him no. Told him to go straight to the police. Instead, all I could think about was myself. I wanted that damn promotion so badly. God, I screwed it all up. I should have insisted we meet in public instead of that abandoned warehouse. I should have put my recorder somewhere where it would have actually picked up voices. I should have insisted we take backup.”
“You can’t live your life based on should have , Bridget. Lyle was a grown man. He knew what he had. His death was not your fault. Lucian Thompson killed him. Not you. You’re a good friend. You’ve put your life on hold for months so that you can see that murderer brought to justice. You’re risking your life to find the information that can bring down God knows how many more criminals as well.”
Rodney’s words were comforting, though she couldn’t quite let them penetrate the part of her that would always feel responsible for Lyle’s death. Still, she appreciated his effort. “Thanks.”
“Go on your picnic. Have fun. Hell, one of us may as well try to get laid.”
She laughed. “What will you do today?”
“Same old, same old. The Ellie Parker lead was a bust. Struck up a conversation with her while she was making my root beer float. Her given name is actually Ellison. She gets offended when someone calls her Ellen. Really? I’m pretty sure there’s an Ellen somewhere in this damn town. I’m going to find her. Tell you what. I’ll meet up with you
A knock at the door prevented her from finishing.
Rodney stood and opened the door. Matt and Mark stood in the threshold. She glanced at the clock. After their late-night argument, she and Rodney had slept in. It was nearly eleven o’clock.
“Still in bed, sleepyhead?” Matt asked.
Rodney came to her defense. “We had a bit of a rough night. Thought we’d treat ourselves to a lazy morning.”
Mark walked in to the room, concern written on his face. “More bad dreams?”
She shook her head. “No. It was nothing really. Everything’s better today.”
“Good,” Matt said, entering the room and lifting up a basket. “Because we’re taking you on a picnic.”
“A picnic?” She laughed. “It’s February. And freezing outside.”
Mark shrugged, unconcerned. “Where’s your sense of adventure?”
“Inside, where it’s warm,” she joked.
Matt shook the basket lightly under her nose, the scent of fried chicken causing her hungry stomach to growl. “Seems a shame to waste this big lunch.”
“Where are you taking her?” Rodney asked.
Mark never missed a beat. “It’s a secluded place on the James Ranch, Rodney. No one will see her there. Promise.”
Rodney seemed appeased by his answer. “Sounds like fun, Bridge. You should go.”
“What about the ranch? The horse training. Surely you haven’t finished all your chores.”
Matt picked up her jeans from the floor and tossed them to her. “There’s a local guy who helps out sometimes whenever one of us is sick or we need a day off. All work and no play…”
Mark headed back toward the door. “Get dressed. We’ll wait for you downstairs.”
“Okay.” Her head chastised her heart, which was racing at the thought of spending an entire afternoon alone with the handsome twins again. She’d been so determined last night to avoid them, to keep them safe.
The door closed and she looked up, surprised to find Rodney still there.
“You okay?” he asked.
“I’m weak-willed and stupid.”
He walked over and sat down beside her once more. “No, you’re not. You’re a beautiful woman who’s falling in love.”
“I don’t deserve to fall in love. Not after what happened with Lyle. If I hadn’t insisted that he bring me that information instead of going to the cops—”
“Stop,” Rodney said firmly, his voice laced with anger. “Don’t you ever say that again. You were not responsible for Lyle’s death. He called you. He offered you the information.”
“I should have told him no. Told him to go straight to the police. Instead, all I could think about was myself. I wanted that damn promotion so badly. God, I screwed it all up. I should have insisted we meet in public instead of that abandoned warehouse. I should have put my recorder somewhere where it would have actually picked up voices. I should have insisted we take backup.”
“You can’t live your life based on should have , Bridget. Lyle was a grown man. He knew what he had. His death was not your fault. Lucian Thompson killed him. Not you. You’re a good friend. You’ve put your life on hold for months so that you can see that murderer brought to justice. You’re risking your life to find the information that can bring down God knows how many more criminals as well.”
Rodney’s words were comforting, though she couldn’t quite let them penetrate the part of her that would always feel responsible for Lyle’s death. Still, she appreciated his effort. “Thanks.”
“Go on your picnic. Have fun. Hell, one of us may as well try to get laid.”
She laughed. “What will you do today?”
“Same old, same old. The Ellie Parker lead was a bust. Struck up a conversation with her while she was making my root beer float. Her given name is actually Ellison. She gets offended when someone calls her Ellen. Really? I’m pretty sure there’s an Ellen somewhere in this damn town. I’m going to find her. Tell you what. I’ll meet up with you
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