She held back her words, desperate to figure out how they could have everything. The reality was, if she was in the city and he was going back to the ranch, they would have tonight and not much else. They couldn’t build a life on hope; reality would always come knock down its walls.
“I can promise you, it wouldn’t be just this once,” he said, pushing a tendril of hair behind her ear. “You know I’d keep coming back over and over again for you. I can’t stay away.”
Her gaze faltered, not wanting to look into his eyes and see the bleakness, the loneliness echoed inside her. “You can’t do it forever, Marshall. You said it yourself how much you hate being here. How could I ask you to keep coming back?”
Avoiding the question, he pressed his lips against hers in an achingly tender kiss.
“I can’t picture a future without you. I promise you, I’m working on it.”
His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he looked down. Ignoring the sound, he brought his lips back to hers, demanding. She gave in to the embrace, wanting to melt into him and forget any of the logical thoughts that were plaguing her. It was hard to argue when he admitted to seeing her in his future, because her visions were the same. His mouth traveled along the surface of her cheek, down the side of her neck, his warm breath tickling her clavicle.
The buzzing sound stopped and then started up right away again.
“Should you answer that?” she breathed, not really wanting to be disturbed by the real world. Again.
He grunted in protest and straightened, pulling his phone out of his pocket with a huff. “I don’t recognize the number,” he said. He tilted his head, as though a thought occurred to him, and answered, “Hello?”
Itchy and suddenly very aware of how uncomfortable her dress was after a long night, Colette tiptoed to her room to divest herself of the gown. Marshall’s mumbled words floated toward her in the small apartment, and she did her best not to eavesdrop. The caller must have been known to him, since he didn’t hang up.
Gazing longingly at her sweats on the pink chair in the corner of her bedroom, she wondered if she should pose seductively on the bed as she waited for him, or opt for comfort, in casewhatever had interrupted them needed to be discussed. Her decision was made when he strolled into the room, stopping in his tracks as he took in her pale pink bra and underwear set.
“Fuck,” he groaned. “This is gonna kill me.”
“What, what happened?” Colette asked, closing the distance between them. Gathering her up in his arms, he squeezed her in a way that made her heart bleed. He held her as though bracing himself to say goodbye. It was too soon. She wasn’t ready.
“I’m sorry. I have to go,” he said, his green eyes searching hers. “I have a lead, and I need to follow where it goes. This might mean we put an end to all this once and for all.”
“Let me come with you,” she pleaded. “I can help.” Grasping at the crisp cotton of his dress shirt, her brows drew together as she gazed up at him. The idea of him doing this alone sent tremors of fear down her spine.
“I can’t put you at risk like that,” he said, cupping her face with his hands and pressing his lips to hers. “You’re safer here. Let me do this. For the ranch. For us.”
Squeezing her eyelids together, she nodded, painfully aware that he was pulling away. “Tell me where you’re going and what you’re doing. I want to know you’re safe.”
“I will. I’ll let you know when I arrive at the ranch. I’ll be meeting Agnes’s daughter first thing in the morning. She was nervous on the phone, so I have to go while she’s willing to talk to me.” Colette watched him prepare to leave, her body chilled by his sudden absence. He turned as he opened the apartment door.
“Oh? Tell me more about Agnes,” Colette asked. All she knew was that the woman left the ranch finances in a mess and had retired abruptly. Colette understood why this lead needed to be investigated.
“I want more information about what happened to her,” Marshall explained, curling his palms around her shoulders to pull her close.
“Do you have any suspicions about her?” She wrapped her hands around his neck, willing him to kiss her one more time before they parted. “How can her daughter help you?”
“I need to find out why Agnes retired so suddenly. If what I suspect is correct, I’m not sure she retired at all. Her sudden parting may have more serious implications.”
CHAPTER 47
Marshall muffled a loud yawn with his fist as he watched the sun rise over the foothills. After a sad three hours of sleep, he had woken early to finish his morning work before meeting Agnes’s daughter, Callie.
The woman sounded rushed and fretful on the phone. She requested they meet at a coffee shop in town, which was a short drive for her from the town of Brantford. Callie was hesitant to speak to him, making Marshall doubt if she would show up at all.
Arriving at The Buttercup Bakery before the morning rush was the best way to avoid being seen by prying eyes. The streets were still dark under the soft orange light emerging from the east. His footsteps echoed on the pavement, sending a chill running down his spine.
Marshall wondered if he should have contacted the police with his suspicions first, but the reality was that he didn’t have much to tell them. He suspected a crooked accountant of fraud. A sweet older woman near the age of retirement was stealing funds from the ranch using the name of a false company? It sounded far-fetched, even to Marshall; the police would think he had lost his mind. Besides, he had absolutely no clue how this would even link up to Jack. Agnes hadn’t been seen in the areafor a while, which made her an unlikely murder suspect. Were both situations even connected? There were more questions than answers at this point.
The Buttercup Bakery was aglow with lights and laughter, Edna helping out her daughter Imogen with the morning shift as was her habit. Edna had “retired” years ago but still donned the light blue apron every morning and sipped her coffee while she helped with the first baking shift, packaging and displaying the enticing treats. Her face lit up when she glanced at Marshall entering the bakery.
“There he is,” Edna said. “Our handsome rancher, back from the city. I was worried you’d never come back. Especially if your sweetheart is all the way over there now.”
Marshall blushed. “Edna, you know I could never stay away from you,” he teased. “How do you know Colette moved back to the city?”
