“I do, and I told them that.” She moved into his personal space, put her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a kiss. “I’m helping you but not binding ourselves legally. I won’t cross that line and never would. But I’m here for you too. I hope you know that.”
His lips applied more pressure to hers, their kiss deepened with the taste of him intoxicating to her blood.
When her hands released their hold on him and went to his waist, he stiffened as she moved to the opening of his jeans.
Only to button him back up, not push them down.
She stepped back with a grin and caught the roll of his eyes.
“I wasn’t sure what you were doing there for a minute.”
“Taking temptation away. But also testing myself at the same time. Next time I won’t be fastening them.”
15
WITHOUT CAUSE
That was a great way to get his mind off of meeting the Ridgeway clan.
He had his laptop with him to take notes if he needed to, but for now it’d be nice to get some feedback on the locals who lived it.
And he’d be asking Ford for those police records. He’d listened to Gale and didn’t take that step just yet. He had enough to occupy him with the court case files.
“Tell me more about your dreams with Rene?” Gale asked as she drove them to her family’s farm.
Maybe it was nice to feel as if he could open up with someone. “Sometimes I wish I could just call her up, but I think she knows that and makes me suffer more.”
“I could almost see that. You know, why make this easy? If it were, she’d tell you who did it.”
He snorted. “I’ve asked her before.”
“What does she say?”
“She doesn’t know his name. That’s all she says. It’s like I can see the fear in her eyes when she talks about it to me. Evenin a dream, I feel her pain. It’s not something either of us has handled well.”
Her hand reached over to lay on his lap. “I’m sorry. I don’t want to get you upset.”
“You’re not. I mean, not any more than my life has been. Don’t think that.”
“I hope you trust me.”
“I do. I haven’t trusted many people, but I do you.”
“I’m glad. You can trust my family. I mean that. They might not always say what I’d like, but they care and are honest.”
“It’s more than I’ve gotten out of other people in the past decade.”
They pulled onto her family’s property. It wasn’t what he expected it’d be.
There was a large gate they’d passed through, looked to have cameras on it, even the barn that they’d gone by for events had more cameras there.
They pulled to a stop past the cafe and even more cameras. What the hell? He wondered if this had to do with what he’d read about Ford’s and Clay’s fiancées and the trouble they’d had or if the family was paranoid.
It was an extensive property, and there were a few businesses on it. Three houses also, though he could only see the huge farmhouse surrounded by apple trees and much more rolling over the hills beyond.
They parked next to a big truck.
“Ford and Reenie are here. My guess is Clay walked down with Meredith, but I could be wrong.”
