Page 17 of Dairy and Deadly

“I’ll have her back to you in no time,” Johnny assured. “Just need her to sign some paperwork and give her the key to her cabin.” He beckoned her to walk with him down the gravel aisle toward the rear exit.

“Where’s your visitor?” Ashley kept her voice carefully neutral as she complied with his request.

A loud meow drew her attention to the fact that Can Opener was following them. She reached down to rub the side of his neck.

“Caro’s on her way back to work.” Johnny’s expression darkened. “She stopped by to ask if I’d join them at some Valentine shindig they’re having at Chester Farm.”

Ashley’s heart sank, though all she did was cock her head playfully at him. “And you said?”

“Not much.” He gestured ruefully. “She just assumed it was a done deal.”

“Then you’re going?” She wished she was at liberty to warn him to be on his guard, but she couldn’t without spilling her real reason for being in town. She’d already done what she could by sending an anonymous tip to the police, one she doubted they’d even take seriously.

“Told her I’d think about it,” he grumbled. “It’s an event for folks in their twenties and thirties.” An arrested expression stole across his rugged features. “You could join us.” There was a hopeful note in his voice that tugged at her heart, but she shook her head.

There was no way she was playing third wheel to him and Caro. “Thanks, but no thanks. I’m in more of an un-Valentine mood this year.” She liked the fact that he didn’t sound too thrilled about attending the event. Even though he didn’t fit the profile of Caro’s usual victims, she was still concerned for his safety. Landing in Caro’s crosshairs — no matter the reason — was never a good thing.

Johnny grimaced in disappointment at her response. “Okay. New idea.” He shot a hopeful look over his shoulder at Clint. “One of you could go in my place. Might be a work bonus in it for the first volunteer.”

“Not a chance. Caro’s not my type.” Clint backed away from them with his hands raised in defense. “Not yours, either,” he muttered as he dropped his head back over his work. Neither Tucker nor Hawk bothered answering him.

Ashley gave Johnny a covert look from beneath her eyelashes, but she couldn’t tell if he’d heard his brother-in-law’s words.

As they approached the door, she slowed her steps to watch Tucker and Hawk finish working their way down the rows of cattle, unfastening their milking apparatuses and nudging them toward a side door leading outside. One by one, the cattle mooed, tossed their heads, and lumbered out to the pasture to graze.

Ashley hated the thought of Caro elbowing her way into such a peaceful scene, spilling her personal brand of deadliness over it. Johnny and Clint had been through enough already.

I have, too.

It made her more determined than ever to figure out what The Black Widow was up to in Heart Lake and put a stop to her before it was too late.

Chapter 5: Deadly Warning

“Well, what do you think?” Johnny gestured through the windshield at the cabin he was assigning to Ashley. “Is it up to your city girl standards?” Until this very moment, he’d been exorbitantly proud that the dairy farm he’d purchased had come with three pre-furnished cabins. They’d been recently updated, too, with freshly chinked logs, metal roofs, and brand new covered front and back porches. He tensed as he waited for a reaction from his newest tenant.

She drove her Camaro into the carport, eyes widening as she drank in the sight of her new crash pad. “I think it’s perfect!” Then her smile faded.

He watched her pull her buzzing cell phone from her pocket, scan the screen, and re-pocket it. Since the buzzing sounds were coming through so erratically, he could only presume she was receiving a flood of text messages, not a phone call. Text messages she was choosing to ignore.

“The cabin is seriously gorgeous.” The excitement in her voice sounded a little forced this time, telling him that whoever was pestering her via texts had unnerved her.

It didn’t seem prudent to draw attention to her obvious discomfort, so he stayed on point. “Hope you like the inside as well as the outside.” He pushed open the passenger door, giving himself a mental pat on the back for wrangling a ride from such a smoking hot woman in such a smoking hot car. Normally, he would’ve hurried to her side of the car to open her door for her, but he tamped down on the temptation, instinctively knowing she wouldn’t welcome being waited on hand and foot. It would probably be best to treat her the same way he treated the other farm hands.

She reached into the backseat to yank out a pair of suitcases. “I’ve spent hundreds of hours in my car on stakeouts. Trust me. Your cabin is going to be a major upgrade.”

He was surprised to see her suitcases. “You came prepared.” Had she been that certain he would hire her?

“I’m always prepared.” Her voice was bland as she lugged them up the porch steps and set them down. Her cell phone buzzed again.

He glanced pointedly at her coat pocket. “Do you need to get that?”

“No.” Her voice was flat.

Alright then.Unsure what to make of that, he unlocked the front door for her and held out the key, dropping it into her palm. “I meant what I said about rearranging or tossing whatever you find inside. I’m assuming you have your own stuff in storage?”

“No, this is it.” She angled her head at her suitcases. “I donated everything else to charity.”

He whistled in amazement as he swung the door open for her. “A woman who can fit all her earthly possessions into two suitcases? Nowthat’sa first.” What about her police uniforms? Awards and photographs? Souvenirs from the places she’d visited? The lifetime of junk most people accumulated? Something wasn’t adding up about her.

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