Tess leaned back in the seat. Bear had positioned himself comfortably in between her and A.J., and Bear’s head was presently resting in Tess’s lap. She scratched him behind the ears thinking how true it was that pets lowered the blood pressure of their owners.

  It didn’t hurt matters that he’d saved her life, but Bear had wedged his way into her heart. She was going to have to ask A.J. if it was possible for her to stop by just for visitation with his dog.

  A.J. had plugged the center’s address into his GPS. Tech made life a whole lot easier to get around in strange cities, but she could drive this route with her eyes closed.

  Traffic in Austin slowed considerably, starting in Round Rock. She remembered stopping off at a gas station on her way out of town a couple of times and wanted to swing by to talk to the clerk. It was such a long shot that the person working behind the counter would remember her, but she was desperate and willing to try pretty much anything.

  It couldn’t hurt to ask about regulars or see if the convenience store attached sold twine by chance. She tried to pull any other details out that might help. Thinking back, had she stopped off for a soda on her way home any place other than the gas station?

  Tess didn’t think so. She couldn’t be one hundred percent certain that she’d never made a pit stop, but none came to mind. She also tried to think about anyone she’d come into contact with who might want to hurt her.

  The thought was seriously creepy. She’d been working with several unstable men at the center, men who were battling various addictions. There were others who had mental health issues and no insurance. The door was open to everyone and there were days where the line for services and aid looped around the block.

  Eloise, the director, was a saint for taking on the top spot. She was a good person and was probably worried. It was a good thing that Tess was making a personal visit. A few graduates of the program had been offered jobs at the center. There was Bryan Harker, Rhett Daniels, and Joseph Waylon. Bryan did general office assisting. He ran errands and deliveries. Rhett had been given a job as janitor after successfully receiving treatment. He’d taken over for Bryan who’d parlayed his janitor job at the center into a late-night stocking position at a grocery store.

  But if she was talking about nature, her mind snapped back to Rhett. He was a twenty-nine-year-old who’d been through the wringer. He described his walks in the woods as cheap therapy. But then, most people who lived in Austin liked the outdoors.

  There were more interesting hiking spots in and around the capitol than she could ever conquer if she had free time for a year. If Rhett knew what was going on, he’d be worried about her, too. He didn’t like the fact she drove so far, every time she came to work at the center.

  A.J. maneuvered onto Fifth Street and, miracle of miracles, found parking on the same block as the center.

  “Have you thought about playing the lottery today?” she teased, needing to lighten the mood from her heavier thoughts on the way over.

  “Downtown parking must be my thing.” He cut off the engine and put a leash on Bear.

  “You probably just wasted all your luck on finding this spot.”

  “I don’t know, I might be able to score us a couple of the best tacos in Austin, ending the great debate over Taco Deli or Torchy’s once and for all.” Now, he was delirious.

  “I’m not sure I want to know who you think should wear that particular crown.” She climbed out of the truck and then shot him a warning look. “Your answer could drive a wedge in our newfound friendship.”

  “Not you, too,” was all he said as he shook his head.

  “What does that mean?”

  “I don’t eat out much, but I can’t say with the utmost sincerity that I’ve ever eaten a bad taco,” he clarified.

  “Good. Because if you’d picked a side, we might have to part ways.” She smiled and started the short walk toward the center.

  As usual, the line was longer than hours in a day.

  “This place always so busy?” A.J. asked.

  “Afraid so. There’s a lot of need here. It’s one of the things I like best about my work. I’m able to help so many people and from so many walks of life. Of course, I can’t mention names, but I’ve helped treat everyone from once-country and western legends to homeless veterans who served our country. Everyone is treated as equals and we have some of the best services in Austin.” She issued a sharp sigh. “On bad days I would tell you we barely make a dent in the need for our services.”

  “Can I say that I respect you even more now?” His words were spoken with the kind of reverence that sent warmth spiraling through her.

  “That’s a compliment I’ll take, McGannon.” Tess maneuvered them around to the back entrance to navigate away from the line.

  “Is it wrong that I’m concerned about the number and types of people who have to be turned away every day?” His point was valid, and one she’d considered.

  “Not really. I’ve had those thoughts myself. I’ve ran through pretty much every scenario I can think of in my mind on the drive,” she said.

  “Is that why you were so quiet?” He took her hand in his and linked their fingers.

  She’d be lying if she said it felt anything but good to be physically connected to A.J. In fact, good was probably too tame a word for the way her heart danced in her chest every time he was this close.

  They stopped long enough for Bear to do a little business in the back alley. A.J. unhooked the leash to give his dog some leeway and Bear immediately moved to a small patch of grass next to the building, which pretty much left A.J. and Tess standing toe-to-toe.

  “It would be a really bad idea to kiss you right now, wouldn’t it?” she asked.

  “The worst of bad ideas,” he agreed with one of those devastatingly handsome grins.

  But looking into those hazel-brown eyes, she got lost in the moment and in the feeling of his hand in hers—his was rough from working on the ranch. She liked the feel of it.

  Then there was the days’ worth of stubble on his chin. Instead of making him look sloppy, which would be damn difficult to do on a face as attractive as his, it somehow added to his charm.

  In that moment, she wanted nothing more than to feel that roughness against her skin. She wanted to feel the friction burns on her cheek. She wanted to feel alive.

  So, she did the one thing she wasn’t supposed to. She kissed him.

  A.J. groaned against her lips as he looped his arms around her waist. He pulled back enough to say, “I was hoping you’d do this.”

  And that was pretty much all the encouragement she needed to dive deeper into that bad decision. It didn’t help that there was so much heat in the kiss it suddenly felt like she was standing on rubber bands instead of legs.

  That bone-melting feeling traveled all over her body, leaving a scorching trail in its wake and pooling between her thighs. Not one man had made her feel so many sensations with so little touch before A.J.

  She tried to convince herself that the chemistry between them came from a whole lot of years of tangling over property lines and disputes over water. But that would be a lie.

  The simple truth was that A.J. McGannon was hotness times a hundred. He was the real deal. Perfect body. Check. A face that women would literally line up to see. Check. A real person behind the gorgeous face. Double Check. Intelligence. Check.

  The checks were racking up and she was just getting started.

  He also threatened to open spaces in her that she knew she wasn’t ready to shed light on. So, basically, it was going to suck when she had to go back to arguing over moving a tree away from her equipment building before the foundation cracked.

  10

  A.J. needed to power down the attraction that was fast becoming a runaway train. But with her lips pressed to his, it was damn difficult to think rationally.

  He pulled back enough to rest his forehead on hers. He needed to catch his breath before they went inside and, based on her chest heaving in rhythm with his, she needed the same.

  The devil of the situation was that they were neighbors. If she’d been a random person who lived in town, he could deal with dating and the inevitable breakup. He rarely ever went into town so interaction would be at a minimum.

  Getting involved with Tess Clemente was basically shooting himself in the foot. They didn’t get along on a good day. Of course, that was before. Now, they’d established a tentative line of trust.

  And what was he doing? Messing it up by kissing her. Technically, she’d kissed him, but he’d welcomed the move and who’d initiated it was beside the point anyway. Then there was that nagging voice in the back of his mind that kept telling him that he could really like Tess.

  That was probably worse than not liking her, which he’d almost made a profession out of doing for the last decade. She’d become a bigger and bigger thorn in his side. Make her mad and he figured he hadn’t even seen the tip of the iceberg yet when it came to the trouble she could cause him.

  He didn’t want it to matter that he hadn’t shared a kiss that intense in longer than he cared to remember. Making her laugh genuinely made his day.

  Of course, her father hated him even more now despite the fact A.J. had literally saved the man’s daughter’s life. But then, Clementes and McGannons had been gasoline and fire for years. Getting along would take some practice and a whole lot of work. Plus, there were all the ridiculous Romeo and Juliet jokes he’d have to endure from his brothers and cousins.

  Nothing was worth giving them that kind of material to work with.

  Not even a kiss like…okay. He stopped himself right there. Maybe the kiss would be worth it.

  Standing there, breathing in Tess’s jasmine and citrus scent, made A.J. blindly believe all the issues between them and reasons the two of them were a bad idea could be overcome and, somehow, magically everything would work out. Since that was about as practical as driving a tractor from Texas to Vermont, he shoved those unproductive thoughts aside.

  When their breathing returned to a reasonable rate again, A.J. put Bear’s leash back on. “Ready to head inside?”

  “Ready as I’ll ever be.” The flush to Tess’s cheeks caused his heart to take another hit. Much more of this and there’d be no recovering.

  He linked their fingers and followed her inside the back door. The center had a row of offices, five on each side, with walls made of Plexiglas. The implication was privacy without being isolated. He was reminded of the possible dangers of doing this kind of volunteer work.

  A.J. believed he’d seen a deputy’s vehicle out front and realized he was right when he heard a familiar voice. Tuck. It made sense that he was here doing the same thing they were, drumming up leads and investigating.

  A woman who looked to be close in age with Tess came bolting toward her, bringing her into a hug the second she got in range.

  When they broke apart, Tess introduced the woman as Eloise Gates.

  “No relation, by the way,” Eloise said, referring to her famous last name. She shook A.J.’s outstretched hand as he supplied his name.

  Her eyes lit up in the way everyone’s did when they found out he was a McGannon. His last name was associated with one of the biggest fortunes in Texas, and that was saying a whole lot.

  He also had plans to pitch an idea to add AustinCares to their charity list to his brothers and cousins, along with his father when he woke. A.J. couldn’t allow himself to believe any other outcome was possible for his father.

  Clive McGannon had to wake from his coma. Period.

  “It’s so nice to meet you,” Eloise wasn’t wearing a band, so he took her flirting to mean exactly how it came across.

  “Ma’am.” That one word usually shut down those thoughts in the opposite sex.

  Tess cleared her throat, obviously not thrilled with her boss.

  “Your father called. He said you might be stopping by today,” Eloise said. She was a couple of inches shorter than Tess. Five feet, five inches, if he had to guess. Most men would probably consider her attractive. Her hair was blond with a blue streak, which was fashionable. She had blue eyes and a heart-shaped face.

  She paled in comparison to Tess, in his opinion. But Eloise was good looking.

  “He explained why you’ve been out. I’m so sorry that happened to you.” Eloise looked to be almost in tears. She seemed genuine and her concern was real. “First with Aurora and now you.”

  Tess’s forehead wrinkled. “Hold on a minute. Did you know Aurora McKnight?”

  “She used to work here. Don’t you remem—” She froze and then it looked like the answer dawned on her. “Aurora was here before you came back. And her last name was Parks. She quit when she got married and her last name changed to McKnight.”

  “Aurora worked here?” Tess echoed. The shock seemed to hit her at the same time it struck A.J.

  The connection between victims was the center.

  “Yes. But it’s been a while since she left,” Eloise supplied. “And now this happened to you.”

  “How long as she been gone?” A.J. interrupted.

  “Three or four years.”

  “Do you keep the same clientele or do people cycle in and out?” he continued. A picture was emerging.

  “Most people cycle in and out. Our goal is for people not to need us long-term,” Eloise supplied. “Some of our clients move away and then we help others find more permanent services and support. We’re a crisis center and we like to get our clients out of crisis mode.”

  “Would any of your clients have known both Aurora and Tess? Is it possible someone stayed around that long?” he pressed. This was the closest they’d been to getting real answers and he could feel a breakthrough was close.

  “Well, yeah. There’s one.” Eloise turned to Tess. “You know who I’m talking about, don’t you?”

  “I do, but there’s no way.” The wounded look on Tess’s face made A.J. want to reach out to her and pull her closer.

  The front door opened, and Tuck walked in. A.J. waved the deputy over.

  “Rhett Daniels has been at the center for over seven years,” Eloise supplied. “He used to be in the program before we offered him a job as a janitor.”

  “I know Rhett. He wouldn’t…”

  Tuck was making his way toward the trio who were still standing in front of the offices. He introduced himself and after names were exchanged and he was brought up to speed, he said, “Mind if I take a look at Rhett’s office?”

  “Not at all,” Eloise said. “Follow me.”

  She led them to an area that had a small break room. There were bathrooms and then a closet. The final door housed Rhett’s office.

  Eloise tried the handle and all it did was click. “This door isn’t supposed to be locked.”

  She pulled out a keyring with a dozen keys on it, trying one after the other until she found the magic one. She inserted it and then twisted the knob. The door opened and she flipped on the light.

  Stepping inside the small space, A.J. fisted his hands at his sides.

  Tess gasped. Her mind was still reeling from the realization that her father had been hiding a mystery illness from her and now, walking into Rhett’s office, she was immersed in tree limbs and leaves.

  The place was neat, a little too neat actually, but that wasn’t surprising given Rhett’s obsessive nature. And it was no surprise that he loved being outdoors. Camping was his favorite thing in the world to do.

  The extent of the decorations in his office was alarming given the context of someone being killed and an attempt having been made on Tess’s life. Wouldn’t she somehow know if it had been Rhett?

  The short answer was no. She didn’t get a look at her attacker. The blow from behind had come out of the blue. She hadn’t heard him until he’d been right on her. Of course, it didn’t help that she kept a wireless earbud in her right ear that had disappeared along with her cell.

  The word, ritual, came to mind. The perp who could now be referred to as a killer had a ritual that involved nature. Every muscle in Tess’s body pulled taught. A sharp pain between her shoulder blades plagued her.

  She tightened her grip on A.J.’s hand. This startling development caused her stomach to cramp and nausea to slam into her. She had been one of Rhett’s counselors and biggest champions.

  Tuck took the lead, and everyone backed against the wall to make room for him to walk through. Having four of them plus Bear inside the small office was body-to-body tight. Tess also noticed that Eloise positioned herself on the other side of A.J. The director practically glued her body to him.

  Tess rolled her eyes so hard they could’ve gotten stuck. Tucking the bout of jealousy down deep, she immediately searched behind her for Rhett. He wasn’t there. And he would be bothered by the fact so many people were inside his tidy office. He’d be afraid someone would touch something or move an object a hair out of place.

  His anxiety would be through the roof. Whoever killed Aurora and made the attempt on Tess was a sick individual. Only a mentally twisted person could do what he’d done to another human being and then target someone else.

  “There are pictures of both victims with Mr. Daniels on his desk,” Tuck informed. He turned around and made eye contact with Tess. “I need to call this in to the sheriff.” He paused. “Before I do that, I need to speak to Mr. Daniels.”

  Tess led the way, backing out of Rhett’s office. A small crowd had gathered in the hallway.

  “Nothing’s going on. You can go back to what you were doing before,” Eloise said, shooing them away. She stopped in front of A.J. and blushed. “You can wait in my office if you’d be more comfortable.”

  “I’m good. Thanks, though,” he quickly said, not giving her any encouragement and yet Tess still burned.

  It shouldn’t surprise her that her boss’s face would flush every time she looked at A.J. Tess certainly had no claim on the man even if her heart reminded her of the passion in those few kisses they’d shared. It was probably because their lips had been locked less than half an hour ago behind the building and not because her feelings for A.J. were spiraling out of control.

 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14