done this.”
“Whatever this is,” Colt said. “I’ll see what I can find out about her. Meanwhile, I’ll see what we can do about getting her fingerprints.” He’d have to be careful. He couldn’t let Hud find out that he was investigating his wife’s cousin. If Dana wasn’t so happy having found a cousin she never knew she had, then Colt was sure Hud would be suspicious of Dee by now.
“I want to help.”
“You are going to stay clear of the ranch unless I’m with you. Promise me.”
She promised, but he could tell her concern for her friend was weighing heavily on her. What worried him was that if Dee decided to make a move against her, she would use that concern and Hilde would fall right into the trap.
He finished his beer, saw how late it was and got up to leave. Hilde walked him to the door. As he opened it, a cool breeze blew in, ruffling her hair. He reached to tuck an errant golden strand behind her ear like he’d seen her do the few times she’d worn her hair down.
But the moment he did, his hand slid around to the back of her slim neck. His eyes locked with hers. Her skin felt cool to his touch as he drew her to him.
* * *
T HE KISS WAS gentle and sweet and so unexpected. Just the touch of his lips sent a jolt through her. Colt must have felt her tremble because he pulled her closer. She could feel his heart hammering under the hard muscles of his chest.
Her lips parted and she felt a rush of heat as he enclosed her in his arms and deepened the kiss.
She felt light-headed. No one had ever kissed her like this. She leaned into him, into the kiss. For the first time in days, Dee Anna Justice was the last thing on her mind.
Colt pressed her against the wall. She could feel the passion in his kiss, in his body. She wouldn’t have been surprised if they had made love right there.
Headlights washed over them. Dana pulled in behind Hilde’s SUV. They both drew back as if the lights were ice water thrown on them.
“I should go,” Colt said. He touched her hand, his gaze locking with hers for a moment. Then he sauntered out to his patrol pickup and drove off.
“Are you all right?” Dana cried. “Hud told me what happened.” She turned to look after Colt. “Did I interrupt something?”
“No, it...” She waved a hand through the air. “I’m just glad to see you. Did you want to come in?”
“Just for a moment. I know it’s late, but we were out of milk and I couldn’t sleep without making sure you were all right,” Dana said as she stepped inside. “You’ve been through so much lately.”
“Haven’t I,” Hilde said.
“You found his body? That must have been horrible.”
“You have no idea.” She realized she couldn’t confide in her once best friend.
“Dee is a basket case.”
Hilde tried to hide a smile. “I’m sure she is,” she said.
But Dana knew her too well. “Hilde, the man was her boyfriend. ”
“Was he? Or is that just what she told you? Dana, the only thing you know about her is what she’s told you. How can you be sure any of it is true?”
Dana stood in the middle of the living room, suddenly looking uncomfortable. “I know you don’t like her, but to be this suspicious about everything she says or does—”
“She’s playing you, Dana. You told her about the past six years that you didn’t have your family because of the fight over the ranch, didn’t you?” She saw the answer in her friend’s face. “You are so desperate to have family that you’re blinded by this woman.”
“I don’t understand why you’re acting like this,” Dana said, sounding close to tears.
Hilde tried to stop herself, but she couldn’t. She had to tell Dana everything, had to try to reason with her, to warn her.
“She tried to kill me, Dana. At the falls? She pushed me while you were getting your camera, only grabbing me at the last second before I fell.”
“Why would she—”
“Because she doesn’t want me around you.”
“That’s
“Whatever this is,” Colt said. “I’ll see what I can find out about her. Meanwhile, I’ll see what we can do about getting her fingerprints.” He’d have to be careful. He couldn’t let Hud find out that he was investigating his wife’s cousin. If Dana wasn’t so happy having found a cousin she never knew she had, then Colt was sure Hud would be suspicious of Dee by now.
“I want to help.”
“You are going to stay clear of the ranch unless I’m with you. Promise me.”
She promised, but he could tell her concern for her friend was weighing heavily on her. What worried him was that if Dee decided to make a move against her, she would use that concern and Hilde would fall right into the trap.
He finished his beer, saw how late it was and got up to leave. Hilde walked him to the door. As he opened it, a cool breeze blew in, ruffling her hair. He reached to tuck an errant golden strand behind her ear like he’d seen her do the few times she’d worn her hair down.
But the moment he did, his hand slid around to the back of her slim neck. His eyes locked with hers. Her skin felt cool to his touch as he drew her to him.
* * *
T HE KISS WAS gentle and sweet and so unexpected. Just the touch of his lips sent a jolt through her. Colt must have felt her tremble because he pulled her closer. She could feel his heart hammering under the hard muscles of his chest.
Her lips parted and she felt a rush of heat as he enclosed her in his arms and deepened the kiss.
She felt light-headed. No one had ever kissed her like this. She leaned into him, into the kiss. For the first time in days, Dee Anna Justice was the last thing on her mind.
Colt pressed her against the wall. She could feel the passion in his kiss, in his body. She wouldn’t have been surprised if they had made love right there.
Headlights washed over them. Dana pulled in behind Hilde’s SUV. They both drew back as if the lights were ice water thrown on them.
“I should go,” Colt said. He touched her hand, his gaze locking with hers for a moment. Then he sauntered out to his patrol pickup and drove off.
“Are you all right?” Dana cried. “Hud told me what happened.” She turned to look after Colt. “Did I interrupt something?”
“No, it...” She waved a hand through the air. “I’m just glad to see you. Did you want to come in?”
“Just for a moment. I know it’s late, but we were out of milk and I couldn’t sleep without making sure you were all right,” Dana said as she stepped inside. “You’ve been through so much lately.”
“Haven’t I,” Hilde said.
“You found his body? That must have been horrible.”
“You have no idea.” She realized she couldn’t confide in her once best friend.
“Dee is a basket case.”
Hilde tried to hide a smile. “I’m sure she is,” she said.
But Dana knew her too well. “Hilde, the man was her boyfriend. ”
“Was he? Or is that just what she told you? Dana, the only thing you know about her is what she’s told you. How can you be sure any of it is true?”
Dana stood in the middle of the living room, suddenly looking uncomfortable. “I know you don’t like her, but to be this suspicious about everything she says or does—”
“She’s playing you, Dana. You told her about the past six years that you didn’t have your family because of the fight over the ranch, didn’t you?” She saw the answer in her friend’s face. “You are so desperate to have family that you’re blinded by this woman.”
“I don’t understand why you’re acting like this,” Dana said, sounding close to tears.
Hilde tried to stop herself, but she couldn’t. She had to tell Dana everything, had to try to reason with her, to warn her.
“She tried to kill me, Dana. At the falls? She pushed me while you were getting your camera, only grabbing me at the last second before I fell.”
“Why would she—”
“Because she doesn’t want me around you.”
“That’s
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