I was mothering the little ones in foster care, I’ve never had an opportunity to be around any before today.”
“Then I guess that makes you a natural,” he replied.
Josie stared out the passenger window and considered his words. Was she a natural with children? She had no idea what she was good at or where she was going. Until a month ago she hadn’t believed she had any kind of a future at all.
At the moment her future held only the need to find the watch and take it back to Granite Gulch so she and her siblings could take it to her father in prison.
She only hoped Eldridge Colton didn’t wind up murdered. She’d had more than enough of murder and mayhem to last the rest of her life.
She glanced at Tanner once again. His attention was directed out the window, but a pulse had begun working in his jaw again. She fought against a crazy impulse to lean over and stroke away the knot of tension. “You’re worried about Eldridge,” she ventured.
He flashed another gaze at her from his amazing blue eyes. “I am. He’s a character, and he definitely has enough kids of his own, along with Whitney’s kids that he adopted, but he’s always treated me as a sort of adopted son.
“I lost my parents in a car accident when I was twenty-two and Eldridge hired me on here and helped fill that void. I was honored when he made me foreman four years ago. I wasn’t sure I was ready to take on the responsibility, but he assured me that I was the man he wanted for the job. I care about him deeply.” His masculine voice cracked.
“I hope he’s found safe and sound,” she replied, although she already feared the worst for Eldridge. There was no question that there had been a struggle and there had been blood. Definitely not a good thing.
“There seemed to be a lot of tension between everyone,” she said, breaking the silence that had momentarily risen up between them. “For a minute I thought two of the men were going to have a fistfight.”
“Fowler and Reid,” he replied. “They don’t get along very well. I guess family dynamics can be complicated.”
Nobody knew that better than Josie. Her family dynamics had been strange for almost all of her life.
She focused her attention out the window once again as the truck rumbled over rough terrain. They’d left the smoother pasture behind and were headed toward a heavily wooded area.
A burst of anxiety filled her. The last thing she wanted or needed was to become embroiled in a kidnapping or a murder. She’d believed that all evil was finally behind her and she’d never have to think about anyone’s murder again. She just hoped by the time she dug up the watch, the mystery at the mansion would be solved and she could go back to Granite Gulch and figure out who she really was and what she wanted from life.
* * *
Tanner had a hundred worries on his mind, but in the relatively small confines of the pickup cab his main focus was now on the woman seated next to him.
Something about Josie Colton reminded him that he wasn’t just a single father of twin daughters, but he was also a healthy man who had felt alone long before his wife, Helen, had walked out on him.
He cast a quick glance at Josie. The sleeveless blue button-up blouse she wore enhanced the rich darkness of her thick hair and showcased a trim waist and the thrust of her breasts. Although she was short, her legs appeared long and shapely beneath the bottom of the jean shorts she wore.
His fingers tingled with the desire to curl into the silky strands of her long hair. He wondered if her hazel eyes would turn more green or blue or gold when in the midst of a passionate encounter.
He tightened his grip on the steering wheel. What was wrong with him? What in the heck was he thinking? He was in his midthirties and she looked barely legal. Besides, she was here to dig up an old watch and then she’d be on her way. Apparently the trauma of the morning had his brain firing nonsense in his head.
He was grateful when they reached the area where the truck could no longer travel over the heavily wooded landscape. “We’ll have to go on foot from here,” he said. He shut off the engine and unfastened his seat belt while she did the same.
“Is it far?” she asked.
“About a five-minute walk,” he replied. At least out here the air smelled of trees and nature instead of spices and peaches and Josie.
He frowned down at her pink-polished toenails that peeked out of flimsy-looking gold-trimmed white sandals. “Are you going to be able to walk okay in those?”
She flashed him a cheeky grin. “Women can walk in any footwear, including four-inch heels when necessary. Just lead the way.”
He grabbed the shovel from the pickup bed and then, with her trailing just behind him, he forged ahead into the thick woods.
Other than the faint trickle of the brook that ran through this area and an occasional rustle of a rabbit or another small animal racing to find cover, a pleasant quietness reigned. It was especially pleasant after the utter chaos in the house.
He was grateful Josie didn’t feel the need to fill the relative silence with meaningless chatter. He needed some time to clear his head and calm his racing thoughts.
Sheriff Troy Watkins certainly didn’t have to go far to look for suspects in Eldridge’s case. All he had to do was look at the family and he’d find plenty of people who had motive to want to do harm to the old man.
Would a ransom call come in? Would a note be received demanding money for the return of Eldridge? Had a business rival gone over the deep end and sought revenge? Hopefully Troy would be able to figure it out quickly and get Eldridge home safe and sound.
He glanced over his shoulder and stopped in his tracks as he realized Josie had fallen slightly behind. “Sorry,” she said with a smile. “My legs aren’t as long as yours.”
“No problem,” he replied and tried to ignore how her beautiful smile warmed something in his stomach that hadn’t been warmed for a very long time. “It’s not too far now.” She stepped up beside him and once again he was taunted by her inviting scent.
“This watch must really be important to your father for you to go to all this trouble,” he said. Here in the shade provided by the trees overhead, her eyes gleamed gold-green.
“He wants to be buried with it and my siblings thought it was important to try to get it for him.”
“Are your siblings all younger than you?” he asked.
“No, I’m the youngest.” Her gaze shot ahead, as if eager to get the job done.
And why wouldn’t she be in a hurry? He was sure the last thing she wanted to do was spend any more time in his company. She probably thought he was an old fogy. Hell, he was an old fogy who wanted only peace and stability for his daughters.
He had no desire to hang out in a bar or go dancing at the latest hot spot. He’d rather play on the floor with his daughters than do much of anything else.
They moved ahead and the small stream appeared next to them, babbling musically over the small rocks in its path. Josie threw a glance over her shoulder and then stumbled over an exposed tree root.
He reached out and grabbed her firmly by the upper arm to steady her. Sensory overload instantly threatened to dizzy his head. Beneath the grasp of his hand her skin was warm and soft. A strand of her hair flew across his cheek, a tease of silkiness that caused tightness in his gut.
Once she was stable, he dropped his grip on her and took a step back. “Thanks,” she said, her voice slightly husky.
He gave her a curt nod and once again they walked on. “There it is.” He pointed ahead to an ancient oak that rose up majestically next to the stream. The trunk was huge and marred by a series of old carvings dug deep within the wood.
Tension wafted from Josie. “It’s just like my father described—the