“You know,” Kade sighed, “my finger is getting tired. It would be really easy to slip and fire off a bullet. How do you feel about your family jewels?”
“You can’t do that. We’re not armed.”
His weapon still trained on the two bungling burglars, Josh turned to Kade. “Are we police?”
Kade shook his head.
“Texas is a castle law state, right? We can shoot anyone trespassing?”
Both Kade and Clint nodded.
Josh, on the other hand, smiled wider. “Then I guess he can. Shoot you, that is.” Not waiting for instruction, Josh grabbed a coil of rope hanging from a screw on the wall and quickly got to hog-tying the one guy.
Kade blinked. “Where’d you learn to do that?”
“I’ll tell you later.” Josh chuckled under his breath. “Don’t you have more important things to deal with?”
“Right.” Kade focused on the other guy still standing there with his hands in the air. “Who were you expecting?”
After a quick glance at his buddy tied up like a calf at a rodeo, he sighed. “Ray’s supposed to be here.”
Working as quickly as he had with the first intruder, Josh twisted the guy’s arms behind his back and made fast work of tying them.
“When?” Clint uttered.
The guy shrugged. “He said he had some business to attend to and would meet us here.”
Shoving the man over by his buddy, in no time, Josh had him tied up nice and neat.
Business. Here. Make noise.The dots connected for Clint and the others at the same time, as all three shouted, “The house!”
“Go.” Josh pointed to the door. “These characters aren’t going anywhere.”
Running full speed ahead like a fox chased by a pack of hounds, Clint took off for the truck. All he could think was he’d left Alice alone. What had he been thinking?
Chapter Fifteen
Something didn’t feel right, but Alice couldn’t put her finger on it. The house felt…odd. Quiet. Too quiet. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been alone in this old house. Kade and his friend had gone to help Clint, Carson and Jess were at work, Mason at school, Cassie was helping Jillian sort through a large order at the candle shop, and even Brady was nowhere to be seen. Probably off with Benny or the others. She should have appreciated a little true peace and quiet, but instead she felt nervous, edgy, and she doubted it had anything to do with why she’d had so much trouble sleeping last night.
Emptying the last of the clean silverware from the dishwasher, the back screen gave a soft, uncertain squeak. Alice didn’t turn right away. Doors breathed all day on a ranch—wind, kids, dogs, life, and yet, she found herself reaching for her phone on the counter. Maybe a quick call to Clint would settle this uneasy feeling.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
She didn’t have to turn to see who the voice belonged to. She’d heard it day in and day out for too many years. Her hand only inches from the phone, she heaved a deep sigh and didn’t bother to turn around. “Ray.”
“Good morning, Mrs. Sweet. Hope I’m not interrupting anything.”
“Morning.” She straightened her shoulders and slowly turned. “You’re trespassing.”
He smiled like she’d told a joke he didn’t mind. “I’m visiting.”
“Unexpected guests bring pie.” She kept her hands where he could see them. And because good manners were free, and she could use a little time for the boys to come back, she forced a smile. “Coffee?”
“Later.” His gaze slid past her toward the hall. “Safe’s still in the office?”
“What does it matter to you?” She lifted her chin in defiance.
“You know damn well what I want. I want my hundred k that you confiscated.”
