Bounty (Walk the Right Road) Read online

  “Diane.”

  She jumped as Zac called her name. “Sorry, was just thinking of this case, where to start.” She set a palm over one flaming cheek and rested her elbow on the desk, gazing down at the blank paper, willing herself to get it together. Could they read her? She knew Zac could, and Sam had to have a clue. She still hoped Green would get lost, though. “I have some ideas. There’s a faction south of the border that split off from Bounty. They’re in Idaho, all with FLDS ties.”

  “We’ll have to start with the Boundary County Sheriff for the area,” Zac said. “It’ll be tough because they may not want us coming in there and searching their records. Calls are going to have to be made, Green, which is your job, I believe. For Bounty, across the border, you’ll have to call the RCMP to get their cooperation, as well.”

  Diane glanced up at Zac and noticed from the corner of her eye how uncomfortable Green was.

  “Well, I don’t know how easy that’s going to be,” Green said, sounding way out of his comfort zone.

  Diane didn’t miss the hesitation in his voice. It was amusing to see how he thought he could just dump this on her without having to do anything. The ass-kisser wasn’t as smart as he thought he was, and that had Diane smiling to herself.

  “Green, I know that since Dexter retired and you’re filling in, there are some protocols you are responsible for, not Diane,” Sam said, breaking his long silence. “You know that. It’s your responsibility to pick up the phone and call the sheriffs in these neighboring counties so we’re not tossed out on our ears. It’s a courtesy and a formality, and you have to do it. We need to go in and question people, but it’s not our jurisdiction. Don’t make Diane look like some hick from some backwoods jurisdiction who’s stepping on toes when she shouldn’t have been put on this case to begin with. Pulling her from OPNET was a shitty and underhanded thing to do, so make sure she’s got all the resources she needs,” Sam said with a subtle bite in his southern drawl. His cheek twitched as his gaze connected with Green’s.

  Green had the good grace to at least blush before raising his hands and backing away. “Fine,” he said, backing into his office and shutting the door. They all watched through the glass as he went to his desk and picked up the phone.

  “Wow, maybe we’ll get somewhere and not have to woo these sheriffs ourselves. Thanks, Sam,” Diane said, a little stunned. After all she’d been through the past couple of days, maybe she had been reading Sam’s mood wrong.

  He simply nodded, and she again noticed a shadow of hurt about him, as if he was holding something back. He smiled at Zac, but it was a wary smile that was all political, hiding who he was. “So…”

  Diane cut Sam off. “Why’d you tell Green you were coming back to work with me and not bother to let me know?” She swung around in her seat.

  Zac was watching her, and she wondered for a minute whether he wanted to pull her aside. He frowned and glanced over at Sam again.

  “Actually, Diane, I called your cell a couple times last night, kept getting voicemail,” Sam said. “I left you a message. You’re not checking them now?”

  Whoa. She realized then that she’d left her phone at home after she shot Zac and drove him to his house. She remembered their kiss and could feel the heat as Sam narrowed his eyes—and she blushed, for God’s sake.

  “What were you doing last night and this morning, Diane, that had you so distracted?” he asked.

  She didn’t know where to look, so she set both feet on the floor and yanked out her cell phone, all the while fighting the urge to pull at the collar of her shirt. The screen displayed two missed calls and a voice message. “Sorry, Sam, my bad.” She winced and played the message. Sam’s voice came on, and she quickly deleted it and pocketed the phone. “Well, since you’re both helping me, this should be a piece of cake, right?”

  They both looked at her as if she’d lost her mind.

  “I’m thinking we should head up to Bonner’s Ferry as soon as possible, fly in to Sandpoint, rent a car from there,” Zac said, not moving from where he stood. “Green can make the arrangements.” Both Diane and Sam gave Zac a look that had him saying, “All right, I’ll take care of it myself.” He paused. “Need to pack a bag, Diane. Sam, how soon can you be ready to leave?” He pulled out his cell phone and was typing something in.

  “Marcie’s here in town to see a midwife. I’ll just stop in and get her back on the ferry, and then I’ll be ready,” Sam said.

  “Marcie’s here?” Diane said. “Why didn’t you say so?”

  He didn’t say a word, just pulled out his cell phone and dialed, pressing it to his ear. “Are you done? Yeah, well, I have to go out of town.”

  Diane was stunned as she listened to the awkward one-sided conversation. “Sam, give me the phone.” She snapped her fingers.

  He gave her a look and then said, “Diane wants to talk to you.” He handed his cell phone to Diane, who snatched it and didn’t miss the way Zac was watching her and Sam.

  “Marcie, Sam here didn’t bother telling me you were in town,” she said.

  “Yeah, I had an appointment this morning for an ultrasound,” Marcie replied.

  Diane didn’t miss how down Marcie sounded. She could hear Kyla babbling in the background. “Sam said you were seeing your midwife.”

  She let out a heavy sigh, and Diane got the clear message that there was trouble in paradise. As she glanced up at Sam, he was chatting with Zac, a guy who just yesterday had rubbed him the wrong way.

  “Oh, I’m sure he did,” Marcie finally said.

  Whoa. Diane glanced up at Sam and had to take a breath before responding to Marcie’s sharp remark. Definitely trouble in paradise. “Hey, listen, I’d love to see you before we go. How about Sam swings by to pick you up and bring you to my place? We’re not going anywhere yet. Hang on a second, Marcie.” She covered the mouthpiece. “Zac, how about we leave early this evening? That way, Sam can pick up Marcie and bring her by my place.”

  Zac had an amazing way of giving her all of his attention. Diane found it interesting that he winced before replying, “Sure.”

  “Great. Marcie, did you catch that? I’ll send Sam now to pick you and Kyla up, and I’ll meet you back at my place.”

  “Okay, if he doesn’t mind” was all Marcie said, sounding hesitant.

  “Of course Sam doesn’t mind picking you up. You’re pregnant again with his child; he’s supposed to look after you. Here, I’ll pass you back to Sam.” She handed the phone back, and Sam took it and looked away.

  “Are you done?” He shoved his hand in his pocket and took a couple steps away. “Okay, I’m on my way.” He pressed the button without saying goodbye, that he loved her, anything he would have said before.

  Diane tapped her pencil on the desk. “Zac, since you drove me in, can you take me home?”

  He pursed his lips and nodded.

  “I can take you, Diane,” Sam said.

  “No, you need to get Marcie and Kyla. I’ll pick up some lunch on the way, if that’s okay, Zac.”

  He nodded, glanced at his phone, and said, “Okay, we’re taking a charter out of Port Townsend at six.” He shoved his cell phone in his jacket pocket. “Let’s go.”

  “Should we let Green know?” Sam asked.

  Everyone glanced at the glassed-in office where Green was behind his desk, the phone pressed to his ear. He was laughing with whoever he had on the other line.

  “No, I don’t think so.” Diane shoved her chair in.

  “Well, let’s go,” Sam said.

  Zac pressed his hand into Diane’s lower back and walked her out.

  Chapter 12

  “I can’t believe you’re helping me shop now.” Diane wandered down the produce aisle as Zac pushed a shopping cart beside her. It was such a domestic scene, one she’d observed often as an outsider, each time touching her heart with deep longing. She walked close to him, his frame so tall and large that she wanted to lean into him for just a second. There was something so addi
ctive to just being around him, so new and fresh and alive. He made her feel really good.

  He nodded and firmed his lips, picking up a head of lettuce and setting it down before searching through a stack of romaine, picking out the biggest, freshest head. He tucked it in a bag and set it into the cart.

  “I’m not much of a cook, Zac, so we could pick up some deli meat, bread, make sandwiches.” After she spoke, her hands began to sweat as she realized, in that second, that maybe he was just buying his own groceries.

  “I love to cook, Diane. I’ll make lunch. Besides, you have a great kitchen.” He smiled down at her. Her heart flip-flopped, and an easy smile touched her lips. “You also have a great smile, Diane.”

  He leaned down and touched her lips with his. It was so brief and light that her breath caught somewhere in her throat as she felt herself drowning in the amazing warmth of his blue-gray eyes. Diane swallowed, but the lump in her throat seemed so dry it didn’t want to move.

  “So, tell me about your friends, Sam and this Marcie who’ll be showing up at your house,” he said.

  “You’ll like Marcie. She’s unusual, and she doesn’t worry much about what others think of her. She has a little girl, Kyla, who’s almost two.”

  “So was it my imagination or is there trouble between Sam and Marcie?” Zac reached for a bunch of green onions and then picked through the tomatoes, selecting four of the plumper ones.

  “Yes, well, something is going on between them. I’ve never seen Sam like this. Apparently he asked her to marry him, and she said no.” Diane studied the mysterious man beside her, who didn’t flinch from what she’d said. Most people she knew would question why Marcie wouldn’t jump at the chance to marry a guy like Sam. “Sam thinks she’s hiding something from him, too. I don’t know what’s going on, but maybe they’ve been cooped up together too long on that reclusive island,” Diane said.

  “Which island are they on?” Zac steered them to the bakery.

  “Las Seta. They hop on the passenger-only ferry from Gardiner, and they usually call before they come in. They sometimes stay over at my place.” Diane watched Zac select a dozen ciabatta rolls. He steered her next to the deli and over to the hot precooked chickens, setting one in the cart.

  “That’s pretty reclusive. A lot of odd stuff happens there, too, I believe.” Zac gave her all of his attention and then held up two blocks of cheese. “Havarti or edam, any preference?”

  Diane watched him, wondering what other talents he had hidden away. “None whatsoever. My mouth is already watering from whatever this is you’re creating.” She strode side by side with him while he selected mayonnaise and olives and then led them to the checkout.

  “You’ve relaxed a bit,” he said. “You’re not as stressed. Guess it helps, keeping you distracted with other things, other people’s problems.”

  He unloaded the cart, and Diane shoved her hands in her coat pocket. This was the first time she’d ever gone grocery shopping with a man—a man who did all the shopping. When she tried to pull out her wallet to pay, he shook his head and paid the cashier before carrying the bag out to his pickup, once again waiting for her.

  He even opened her door and set the grocery bag behind her seat. As he helped her in, she couldn’t shake her feeling of happiness at being cared for by a man who saw her as a woman. She realized then, as she glimpsed her boyishly short hair, that she’d been doing everything she could for so long to resemble a boy, to hide everything about herself with a few extra pounds and plain clothes, diverting people’s attention from anything feminine. Even though she was no longer that scared, controlled kid, some things would always stick with her, and resembling a woman, soft and feminine, made her feel weak.

  Zac started his truck and backed out. “You okay? You kind of went somewhere for a minute, there. Did I do something that took you back to that place in your head?” He weaved out into traffic, and Diane leaned back into the cloth seat, wondering how much to say to him.

  “I’ve never tried to look like a girl. I’ve done everything I could to hide, you know? The first thing I did when my dad, Jack, took me home with him, was cut off all my hair. I never wore a dress again. I don’t know how to explain it, Zac.”

  He glanced over at her with just a hint of a smile on his lips. Obviously, he didn’t think she was being silly, and that was nice, having that feeling from him. “I get it more than you think, but you’re still a woman, Diane. And you’re your own woman. You need to be comfortable in your own skin as the strong and capable, smart and desirable woman that you are.”

  Diane’s heart zinged with what felt like electricity shooting through her, rooting her to the spot. No one had ever, not once, said she was desirable.

  Chapter 13

  “Wow, look at you!” Diane hugged Marcie and then patted her rounded belly. She looked so tired, and Diane could see the strain between her and Sam. “How far along are you?”

  “Oh, about five months,” Marcie said and placed both hands over her rounded belly. She was lovely in her long pink maxi skirt, cream tank top, and sweater. Her long brown hair almost reached her waist and was mixed with the highlights of someone who’d spent a lot of time in the sun.

  “Didn’t I just see you last month?” Diane couldn’t figure out why Marcie hadn’t said she was pregnant. They’d talked often by phone, so why hadn’t she told Diane?

  “No, it was a couple months ago,” Marcie replied, sounding kind of distant.

  Diane gave Sam a look, and he shrugged. What was his problem? Just found out she’s pregnant, my ass. He gave Kyla all his attention. She had a curly brown mop and was all smiles, patting Sam’s cheeks.

  “Diane, I’m going to take in the groceries, start lunch,” Zac said, carrying both bags and walking away.

  “Zac, sorry. This is Marcie, Sam’s…ah, significant other.” Damn, she’d almost said “wife.” Now that Sam had told her, she found it awkward, and even Marcie flinched beside her.

  Zac reached over and shook Marcie’s hand. “Marcie, very nice to meet you.”

  Marcie was hesitant to take his hand, but her expression changed to one of interest as she glanced at Diane with a question in her bright blue eyes, one she thankfully didn’t ask out loud.

  “Zac’s going to make us all lunch. You’re hungry, right, Marcie?” Diane draped her arm around her shoulder and walked her into the house behind Zac, who had already opened her door.

  Marcie nodded, her eyes widening as she caught on to the implication of Zac’s familiarity with Diane’s place. “Well, this is a treat,” she said. “Zac, I’m starving and really looking forward to someone cooking for me.”

  “Marcie, Kyla needs changing,” Sam said right behind them.

  Marcie started to take Kyla from Sam. Diane could see the instant she’d gone from semi-relaxed to completely tense. There was no happy honeymoon between them, though Diane remembered a time when they couldn’t have kept their hands off one another.

  “Sam, maybe Marcie is tired. Besides, I’d like to catch up with her,” Diane said. “Why don’t you change Kyla, since you’re taking off in a few hours with us. Give Marcie a break.”

  Sam’s expression changed to something resembling irritation. With the spark he flashed at Diane, well, he was apparently mad at her now, too. He said nothing as he strode down Diane’s hall with the diaper bag over his shoulder.

  Marcie held her jaw at an angle, and for a minute Diane thought she was going to cry. She was blinking rather hard but then forced a pathetic half smile to her lips.

  “Whoa, you two really are having problems. What gives, Marcie?” Diane asked where they lingered outside the front door.

  Marcie turned away and sat on the top step, wrapping her arms around her knees.

  Diane peeked in the house. She could hear Zac in the kitchen, emptying groceries, opening drawers. “Marcie, can I get you some water, tea, anything?”

  Marcie glanced up. “A glass of water would be nice, if you don’t mind.”

>   Diane headed into the kitchen. Zac looked up, and his expression said it all as he glanced up the hallway and toward the front door. “So are you trying to fix a problem, here?”

  Diane lifted a glass from the cupboard. “There’s some trouble. Not sure what’s going on. I’m going to talk with Marcie out front. Is that all right, or do you need my help?”

  He shook his head. “No, go. I’ll set up lunch.”

  She touched his arm. His expression was warm and open as she stepped closer to him. His energy made her feel so young and alive, excited for something.

  “Go talk to your friend,” he said. “You all right?”

  “Yeah.” Diane filled a glass with water from the fridge dispenser. She paused right beside Zac again as he rinsed the tomatoes. “Zac, in case I didn’t say it, thank you.”

  He turned off the tap and set the tomatoes down. The expression on his face kicked up the beat of Diane’s heart. “You’re welcome.”

  Diane heard Sam coming down the hall, and he stepped into the kitchen with Kyla, who was rubbing her eyes. “Diane, do you have that playpen still?” Sam lingered in the doorway.

  “I shoved it back in the closet of the guestroom,” she said. “You’ll have to set it up.”