Dark Horse

He saw Nikki St. James rub her temple where she’d hit the pavement. Even if she’d stepped in front of his pickup on purpose, he grimaced at the thought that he could have killed her. He reminded himself that he’d promised her aspirin, while a part of him wished he’d almost hit the gas harder back in town.

Mostly, he was just anxious to see his father. The only one more anxious, he noticed, was Nikki St. James. His father had no idea what he’d done.

Raised voices came from the house. Had Patricia seen the newspaper article and the increased reward her husband was offering? If so, she was already on the warpath. Even after twenty-five years, there was too much curiosity about their family. So much so that they seldom had guests out to the house. They’d isolated themselves from the world and now his father had invited the worst kind of reporter into their home.

What did his father even know about this Nikki St. James? Had he checked out her credentials? One thing was obvious, Cull thought as he walked with her toward the house. All Hades was about to be unleashed.

He hesitated at the porch steps, noticing something he hadn’t before. Clearly this woman wasn’t from around here, given the way she was dressed—in slacks, a white blouse, pale coral tank and high heels—and the faint accent he hadn’t been able to place. It definitely wasn’t Montanan.

“Hold up,” Cull said to her backside as she continued up the steps.

She stopped midway but didn’t turn until he joined her. She looked pale and for a moment he worried that she was more hurt that she’d let on. She touched her temple. He could see that it was red, a bruise forming, and his heart ached at the sight. No matter who she was or what she was doing here, he hadn’t meant to hurt her. If only he’d been paying attention...

“Maybe you should sit down for a minute,” he suggested.

“I’m fine. Really.”

She didn’t look fine and he felt guilty in spite of how he felt about her being here. He actually felt sorry for her. She had no idea what she was getting into.

“Look, I’m not sure whose idea this was, but it was a bad one. What you’re about to walk into... My family—”

He didn’t get the chance to warn her further, let alone try to talk her out of this before it was too late. His stepsister, Kitten, stormed out of the house and across the wide porch to block their path. Kitten was sixteen and at the age that she thought everything was about her. He could see from the scowl on her face that she’d been arguing with her mother—as usual.

“My mother is impossible,” the teen said around a wad of gum. She was dressed in a crop top and a very short skirt and strappy sandals, as if headed for town, a big expensive leather purse slung over one shoulder. “Can I borrow your truck?”

“No, Kitten,” he said, and started to push past her.

“One of these days you’ll regret being so mean to me,” the girl said, then seemed to see Nikki. “Who’s this?” she demanded, narrowing her eyes suspiciously as she took in the woman next to him. “You finally get a girlfriend, Cull?”

Chapter Five (#u8ed6f4a0-6fc9-5f95-b856-b7f4a49760dd)

Nikki guessed this teenager blocking their way must be Patty’s child, the one she’d brought back with her to the ranch when the girl was just a baby. That would have been about sixteen years ago, making the young woman standing in front of her sixteen, if Nikki’s math was correct.

The nanny, Patricia “Patty” Owens, had left the ranch after the kidnapping only to return nine years later with a baby. The father of the child had never been revealed. Was it possible this teen was Travers’s?

“Back off, Kitten,” Cull said as he and Nikki ascended the rest of the steps. “I’m not in the mood.”

“Why is everyone in such a bad mood today?” the teen demanded, clearly taking it personally.

Nikki stepped through the front door, followed by Cull, then stopped, wanting to take it all in. But she wasn’t given a chance.

“Cull? Is that Ms. St. James with you?” a deep male voice called from an open doorway off to her right. “Please have her come in.”

“I’ll get you those aspirin,” Cull said as Nikki turned toward the open doorway.

Travers McGraw seemed preoccupied, one hand on his forehead, his elbow resting on the large oak desk in front of him.

Nikki stopped in the open doorway, studying him for a moment. She’d seen dozens of photographs of Travers McGraw, most taken right after the kidnapping. He’d been a big, strong, handsome man, dark-haired with the same pale blue eyes as the two sons she’d seen.

The past twenty-five years had not been kind to him. While his hair hadn’t turned as white as his ex-wife Marianne’s, it was shot with gray and there were deep lines etched around his eyes. He seemed to have shrunk in size, his body thin, his shoulders stooped.

But as he looked up, his smile was welcoming.

“Mr. McGraw, I’m Nikki St. James,” she said, stepping forward to extend her hand. “The crime writer.”

He seemed to come alive as he got to his feet. Hope burned bright in his eyes with such intensity that the weight of it hit her hard. He was depending on her to solve the case.

“Please, call me Travers,” he said as he shook her hand, clasping it with both of his. “I’m so glad you’re here. I didn’t hear you come in.” He glanced toward the open doorway. “I thought you were going to call for directions to the ranch.”

“Actually, I ran into your son Cull in town—” literally, she thought “—and he brought me out.”

“Wonderful,” Travers said a little distractedly. “All that matters is that you’re here and you’re going to find out what happened to the twins.” He rubbed his temples as if he had a headache, too.

She hoped she didn’t make it worse. She started to reiterate that she couldn’t make any promises, but she didn’t get the words out before Patty burst into the room.

“Tell me I’m misinformed,” Patricia said, looking from Nikki to her husband, her blue eyes wild with anger. “Tell me you haven’t brought this...this...woman into our home.”

“Patricia.” He sighed, looking defeated again. “This is not the place to—”

“Not the place? This has to stop. I thought we decided—”

“You decided,” he said, looking a little less beat down. “I will never stop looking for them.”

His words fanned the flames of the woman’s fury, but seemed to leave her speechless for a moment.

“We need to talk,” Patricia said to her husband between gritted teeth.

“I’m sure we will,” he agreed as he sat back down behind his desk and motioned for Nikki to take a seat. “But right now I need you to leave and close the door behind you.”

All color drained from the woman’s face. Clearly appalled, she stormed out, slamming the door behind her.

“I apologize for my wife’s behavior,” he said after a moment. “I hope this doesn’t change your mind.”

Nikki shook her head. “Not at all.” It wasn’t the first time she’d run into a relative who didn’t want anyone digging into the past. It wouldn’t be the last.

She hadn’t expected to get much out of Patty Owens McGraw anyway. But if the answers were on this ranch, she told herself she would find them even without the woman’s help.

“You said that I would be allowed the run of the ranch,” Nikki reminded him. “I hope you haven’t changed your mind.”

He shook his head. “If there is even the slightest chance that you might find out the truth... Just let me know what you need from me. I should warn you. My wife isn’t the only one who might be opposed to this.”

“Your sons.”

He nodded. “Also my lawyer and a close family friend who was in the house that night. They both are quite adamant that this is a mistake. I completely disagree with them, understand. But you might find getting information from them difficult, and I’m sorry about that.”

“I’ve worked with families before that were...skeptical,” she said.

He smiled at her understatement of the current situation and raked a hand through his graying hair, looking apologetic. “I had hoped that once you were here it might be easier. Please don’t think I’m a coward for not telling my sons. They don’t want me to be disappointed again and I really wasn’t up to arguing before you got here. With so much time having passed and no new evidence...”