The Bounty Hunter's Forbidden Desire. Jean Pichon Thomas

we’re going to have to talk seriously to that man.”

      Haley turned to Chase, explaining, “Our postal carrier is forever mixing up our mail.”

      The neighbor lifted her hand in farewell. “Gotta fly. I promised Eddy I’d be on hand for his soccer game.”

      “Thanks, Phyl,” Haley called after her.

      Chase was prepared to make his own farewell when his gaze was caught by the address on the front of the packet in her hand. The sight of it locked him in place where he stood.

      “Can I see that?” he asked.

      “It is my address,” she assured him.

      “It isn’t that. It’s the handwriting.”

      She passed the brown packet over to him so he could look at it up close. There was no mistaking the familiar scrawl. “This is from Josh.”

      “I never had any occasion to see his handwriting, so I couldn’t have recognized it. You’re sure of that?”

      “Positive.” He gave the packet back to her.

      “You’d better come in, then, while I open it.”

      He made an effort to contain his excitement as she pushed the door open, scooped up the rest of her mail from the floor of the foyer where it had landed from the mail slot and indicated he should follow her into the house.

      It was a modest-sized place. Comfortably furnished, Chase noted, with appointments that spoke of its owner’s tastes. Country-style fabrics, traditional art work on the walls, potted green plants and a minimum of ornaments.

      Chase permitted himself no more than a quick visual sweep. He was too eager to see the contents of the packet to be interested elsewhere. Haley placed her mail on the living room coffee table and perched with the packet in hand on the edge of the sofa while Chase hovered over her. He watched as she slid open one end of the thin package with a sharp fingernail.

      Upending the packet, she shook it to dump out its contents. Three clear, very small plastic envelopes slid out onto the surface of the coffee table. They could have been sealed pill pouches for traveling. But they didn’t contain pills.

      Chase and Haley stared down at them, neither one of them speaking. It was Chase who found his raspy voice first.

      “Seeds! My brother sends you three little pouches of seeds? What in hell! Does this have any meaning for you?”

      Haley could only wordlessly shake her head.

      “There must be an explanation. Look inside the packet. See if there’s something else.”

      Her fingers burrowed into the packet, withdrawing a folded note. She spread it open, scanned it silently and then thrust it at him. “I can’t read this scrawl of his. See if you can make it out.”

      “It’s worse than usual. He must have been in a big hurry when he wrote it.” Chase read it aloud for her. “‘Take care of these for me, will you, sweetheart? Believe it or not, they’re very rare and valuable. I don’t want to take any chances with them. I thought maybe you wouldn’t mind locking them away at the bank in your safety deposit box. Please.’ And that’s underlined.”

      Haley gazed up at him, mystified. “And that’s all? Not even a signature?”

      “Afraid that’s it.”

      “Well, I have to say this is the damnedest gift I’ve ever received. This half brother of yours...he couldn’t be half-baked as well, could he?”

      “I don’t think Josh meant these seeds as any kind of a joke. I think he was totally serious when he sent them.”

      “I’d like to go on sitting here trying to figure out what they mean, but right now my brain could use a stimulant.” She got to her feet. “Would you drink some coffee if I made it? It’ll only take a couple of minutes.”

      “Coffee would be welcome.”

      “Make yourself comfortable. I’ll call you when it’s ready.”

      He watched her walk away toward the rear of the house, the slow sway of her perfectly rounded backside sending a shaft of arousal to his groin. Presumably she was headed to the kitchen, and he was headed to hell if he didn’t learn to control these desires for his brother’s girl.

      He was starting to settle himself on one of the easy chairs when a revelation struck him. A return address! Had Josh included any kind of a return address? Neither one of them had thought to look for that. If he could find a return address, learn where Josh was...

      Chase snatched up the empty brown paper packet from the sofa where Haley had discarded it. He searched both sides of it. Haley’s address was there on the front, yes. But no return address either there or on the reverse of the packet. He even felt inside in case Haley had missed something. Nothing.

      It occurred to him that, considering how rare and valuable Josh claimed these seeds were, he’d been very careless in getting them to Haley. They had arrived by ordinary mail. No special delivery, nothing registered or requiring a signature.

      There was something Chase suddenly realized he was overlooking. A postmark. He turned the packet back over to the front. Yeah, there it was, a little blurred but still readable.

       Anchorage, Alaska.

      Josh was in Anchorage, Alaska! Or had been when he’d mailed this. What in the world was he doing way up in Alaska? And connected with seeds of all things?

      A reasonable theory right about now would have been nice. He didn’t have one. Or even a few seconds to come up with one. He was startled by the sound of breaking glass from the direction of the kitchen, followed by a sharp cry.

      Chase discarded the packet and raced toward the noise.