“She’s your mother,” he said in a deep, tender voice. “You don’t think she’d want to know?”
“It would confirm all her worst fears about Angel Butte. She’d want me to run.”
“Sometimes I think you should, too.” He kept up the massage that made her want to groan with pleasure. “But what if he follows you?”
“Like Blake did.”
“Yeah. Here you have Colin and, because of him, the whole police department.” There was an infinitesimal pause. “And me.”
Cait leaned over to nestle her head against his brawny chest. “I am…so glad I have you.”
Right this minute, she would rejoice in that and not wish for more.
His hand left her neck to unclick her seat belt. “Let’s go in,” he said, voice hoarse.
Suddenly, they were both in a hurry.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
NOAH STARED AT the ceiling. “I didn’t mean to do that.”
Curled against him, Cait stirred. “You mean make love to me?”
“Yeah. I didn’t want you to think—”
“That’s the only reason you had me over?”
He sighed, and her head rode the movement of his chest. “Yeah.”
“You fed me first.”
“Even I’m getting tired of Chandler’s.”
Her laugh made his skin shiver. “About time, there, guy. Maybe we should explore the culinary possibilities of Angel Butte.”
“Like Newberry Inn.”
Cait rose on one elbow to look down at him. Her nose looked cute scrunched up. “Nell’s friend Hailey owns this place—”
“Kingfisher Café. I had lunch there the other day. While I ate, I gave thought to hiring her away, but right now she’s too successful to be bought.” He smiled. “She came out to look me over.”
“Because you’re the competition?”
He snorted. “I think she was warning me not to hurt you. Said Nell’s her best friend and she’s getting to be friends with you, too.”
“Well.” She blinked in surprise. “That’s really sweet.”
He cupped her cheek. “She bakes damn good sweets.”
“Yes, she does.” Cait sat up all the way so she could really see him. “I hate knowing that was your father.”
Noah laid his forearm across his face. The habit of self-defense was hard to break. “I hate it, too,” he said gruffly.
“Did you…suspect he was dead?” she asked, soft and tentative.
He let out a long breath, made himself lift his arm and curve it around her. “Yeah. Once I was making some money, I went so far as to hire a P.I. He came up with zip. Disappearing so completely—it’s not easy to do.”
“Nell did it.”
“Yeah.” He tipped his head in acknowledgment. “And she was only fifteen.”
“She said in a way that made it easier. She wasn’t really on the radar yet, you know? Didn’t have to worry about a job history or references or anything like that. She says, looking back, that the miracle is that no one recognized her given that her face was in all the newspapers every day for a while.”
“She’s a gutsy woman, your sister-in-law.”
A shadow crossed Cait’s face, one he didn’t understand. “I know she is.”
“Your brother must be feeling cursed. What are the odds you and she would both end up in danger?”
She made a face at that. “We’d have both been safer if we’d never come back to this town.”
His heart gave a quick, hard squeeze. He discovered how much he disliked the idea of never having met Cait McAllister.
Those soft gray eyes were looking deep into his. “Will you have a funeral?” she asked.
She was determined to talk about his father, when he didn’t have a clue what he felt. He’d needed to be with her, but not so he’d have to admit to unwelcome emotions.
Or was he lying to himself?
“And who would I invite?” He shook his head. “Once they’re done with his bones, I’ll have them buried.”
“I’d come.”
He tugged her down for a kiss. “Thank you,” he murmured against her lips.
“Do you have pictures of him?”