Sherryl Woods - Courting the Enemy

“Where do you think you’re going?” Grady demanded. “You heard what the sheriff said.”

“And you heard what I said-or, rather, what I didn’t say. I’m going to see Maggie Fletcher. And once I’ve had a chat with her, then I’m going to see the Oldhams, just the way we planned. Are you coming with me or not?”

“Is there any way I can talk you out of this?” Grady asked.

He reached out and caressed her cheek, his gaze intent. “Maybe persuade you to rethink your plan?”

His touch raised goose bumps, but she managed to shake her head. “No,” she said flatly. “There’s nothing you can say or do to stop me.”

With a resigned sigh, he reached for his coat. “Let’s go, then. I just hope we don’t bump straight into the sheriff ten minutes after he warned us both to stay out of his way.”

“He’ll be going to the Oldhams. They’re closest. That’s why we’re going to see Maggie.”

“And you don’t think we’ll cross paths on the highway?”

“As long as we’re on the highway and not in her driveway, he won’t be able to prove a thing,” she said airily.

Grady chuckled. “You have a much more devious mind than I’d ever imagined. I like it.”

For the first time all morning, a grin tugged at her lips. “I knew there was some reason you were sticking around.”

“Oh, believe me, darlin’, there are a lot of reasons I’m here,” he said, his gaze locked with hers. “That’s not even close to the top of the list.”

Karen swallowed hard at that. She wanted desperately to ask about that list, but now wasn’t the time. Later, though, she intended to find out what-besides her land-would keep a man like Grady interested in her.

Maggie Fletcher looked exhausted. Her normally ruddy complexion had a gray cast to it. Her short hair was mussed, as if she’d been running her fingers through it in a nervous gesture for hours, if not days. Her eyes, which Grady recalled as a vibrant, glowing amber color, were listless, though they sparked a bit brighter when she spotted Karen emerging from Grady’s truck.

“What are you doing here?” she demanded ungraciously, ignoring Grady completely to focus on Karen.

“We need to talk,” Karen said.

“Why?” Maggie asked, not bothering to hide her hostility.

“Because of Caleb.”

Unmistakable pain darkened Maggie’s eyes before the sparks came back livelier than ever. “I will not discuss Caleb with you. It’s because of you he’s dead.”

Karen winced, but she didn’t back down. “I’m sorry you feel that way.”

“It’s the truth,” Maggie said.

Grady saw Karen’s shoulders sag at Maggie’s refusal to back down from the accusation, but again she stood her ground.

“I know you cared for him,” she said gently.

“I loved him,” Maggie said fiercely. “He and I would have been perfect for each other. That was the way it was meant to be.” Years of bitterness came boiling out as she hurled hateful comment after hateful comment at Karen. “You killed him. Instead of helping him, you drove him into an early grave with your demands.”

“I made no demands on Caleb,” Karen said. “It was his choice to work as hard as he did to save the ranch. That land meant the world to him.”

“But nothing to you,” Maggie accused. “He told me you hated it, that you asked him to sell.”

Karen reeled at that. She reached out for support, but there was nothing there. Grady took a step closer and she latched on to his arm.

“I didn’t,” she whispered. “I never asked him to sell. If he told you that, it was a lie.”

“Oh, really?” Maggie shot back, her tone scathing. “Then why are you with him?” She glanced pointedly at Grady. “Everyone knows he wants that land. I’m sure you can’t wait to take his money and go off on one of those trips you were always going on and on about. Do you know how guilty it made Caleb feel that he couldn’t take you?”

Karen faltered. Her cheeks turned pale. “I…I need to sit down.”

“Then get into your fancy truck and leave,” Maggie said. “There’s no place for you here.”

For an instant, Grady thought Karen might argue, might insist on asking all of the questions she’d had no chance to direct at Maggie, but she didn’t. Looking defeated, she turned toward the truck. He saw that she was safely tucked inside and that the heater was working, before walking back to Maggie himself.

“Just how much time were you and Caleb spending together while he was married to another woman?” Grady inquired. “Were you having an affair, the way you clearly want Karen to believe? Or is that just some spiteful suggestion you wanted to plant in her head to add to her grief?”

Maggie’s expression faltered.

“I thought so,” he said. “You’re a cruel woman, Maggie Fletcher. It’s little wonder that Caleb chose a woman like Karen over you.”

He turned on his heel and headed for the truck.

“Damn you, Grady Blackhawk,” Maggie shouted after him. “And you, too, Mrs. High-and-Mighty Hanson. I hope you wind up in the ground right next to Caleb, and the sooner the better!”

When Grady got into the truck, he took a deep breath before facing Karen. She was visibly trembling, her composure shattered.

“I had no idea,” she whispered.

“It was all lies,” Grady told her. “Caleb wasn’t spending time with her, sharing secrets with her.”

“I know that,” Karen said dismissively, as if the notion had never crossed her mind. “I had no idea she was so angry, so bitter. I knew she resented me, but this…” She shuddered.

Grady reached for her icy hands, clasping them in his until he felt the warmth return.

“She could be the one, Grady. She’s angry enough to do all of those things, even to have killed that bull.”

“If we can see that, Michael will see it as well. Let him deal with her.”

“Oh, you can be sure I won’t be coming back here,” Karen reassured him.

“Good, because she’s just unstable enough to try to hurt you in some misguided attempt at seeking justice for Caleb’s death.”

“She wouldn’t go that far,” Karen said, but she didn’t sound nearly as certain as she might have an hour ago.

“It’s not a chance you can take,” Grady insisted. “Steer clear of her. At the very least, she needs some help.”

Karen sighed and turned to look out the window. She was huddled by the door, looking more dejected than she had since he’d first seen her at Caleb’s funeral.

Making a sudden decision, Grady turned the truck toward Winding River. Karen barely seemed to notice, which only confirmed his opinion that she needed something drastic to cheer her up. And she needed food. There was one place where she could get both-Stella’s.

Karen seemed oblivious to everything until they approached the outskirts of town. She blinked then, and turned to him.

“What are we doing here?”

“We’re going out to dinner at Stella’s. It’s meat loaf night. Any objections?”

“No,” she said dispiritedly.

As soon as they walked into the restaurant, he caught Cassie’s eye. As Karen headed straight for the booth in the back, he called Cassie aside.

“Can you get Gina, Cole and anybody else you can think of in here for dinner? Karen’s had a rough day. She needs some friendly faces and lively conversation.”

Cassie nodded without the slightest hesitation. Nor did she ask a lot of unnecessary questions. It was apparently enough that her friend needed help.

“Emma’s in town, too. I’ll have them here in fifteen minutes and Stella can take over for me.” She studied Grady intently. “You really care about her, don’t you?”

Grady wasn’t entirely comfortable discussing his feelings, not when he hadn’t fully analyzed them himself yet. But the expression on Cassie’s face showed none of the disapproval or suspicion he might have anticipated.