Page 34 of Rawhide and Ransom

Hawk agreed wholeheartedly. “I take it he didn’t have any chronic health conditions?”

“None.” She shook her head. “He wasn’t even sick the day he died. He woke up early like he always did, gave me a good morning kiss, and headed outside to tackle the daily chores he loved so much. I found him an hour later, stretched out in one of our greenhouses. It looked like he was taking a nap. For a second, I thought he was playing a practical joke on me.” She drew a shaky breath. “But he didn’t answer when I called his name. He didn’t move at all. Ever again.”

“I’m sorry.” Hawk’s heart constricted with sympathy over the shock and grief she must’ve felt that day. The condition she’d found her husband in was proof that whatever had happened to him had happened quickly. “May I ask you a difficult question?”

“You may.” Her gaze narrowed a little. “Depending on how difficult it is, I can’t promise you an answer.”

“Fair enough.” He was pretty good at reading body language, though, so he’d probably get his answer regardless. “Did the attending physician order an autopsy?”

She gave a jerky nod.

“And the findings?”

“Cardiac arrest.” She gave a weary shrug. “I know it’s not much to go on.”

No, it was not. “Do you have any way of accessing the autopsy report?” She’d arrived at his cabin with nothing more than the clothes on her back, and they hadn’t even been her clothes.

“Theoretically.” She spread her hands. “Now that my new driver’s license and social security card have arrived, I can apply for a new copy of Chayton’s death certificate and our marriage certificate. Those items should give me the authorization I need to request a copy of his medical records.” She paused and grimaced. “Assuming whoever hastaken my life as a ransomhasn’t put any roadblocks in place to prevent me from accessing such information.” She looked frustrated. “It’s a process, Hawk.”

He hated hearing the doubt in her voice. “With your permission, I’d like to share everything you’ve told me this morning with Johnny. He’s the P.I. I’m hoping will be assigned to your case. A guy I know and trust.”

“Of course.” Her eyes widened in surprise. “I’ll do anything I can to help Chayton get the justice he deserves.”

Hawk couldn’t resist reaching out to tap her nose. “The justice you and Miley deserve, as well.”

She playfully swatted at his hand.

He used the opportunity to grab hold of her hand and twine their fingers together.

“What are you doing?” She started to pull back. “Miley might see us!”

He held on. “What’s the worst that can happen? I’m not ashamed of the way I feel about you.”

Annalee abruptly stopped trying to pull her hand away from him. “What if she thinks I’m being disloyal to her father’s memory?” There was a quaver in her voice that twisted his heartstrings.

“She’s eighteen, babe. Not eight.” He used their joined hands to tug her closer. “She can handle the truth.”

“You’re right.” She closed her eyes with a weary sigh. “I know you are.”

“Can you?” He ran his thumb over her fingers.

She cracked her eyelids open. “Can I what?”

“Handle the truth about what’s happening between us?” He raised her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to her fingers.

“I’m trying to,” she whispered. “It’s so confusing, though, inside my head right now. There’s still him, but now there’s you.”

He liked the sound of that. He kissed her fingers again. “Something tells me there’s room inside your beautiful heart for both of us.” Someday, she would understand this was what it truly meant to be Comanche — to embrace the past as well as the present. To remember what used to be while reveling in what is. To learn. To grow. To be forever moving toward something better.

Her eyes grew damp. “You say that like my completely messed-up life doesn’t bother you, which I don’t believe for a second.”

He spoke against her hand that he was still holding to his lips. “Yeah, it bothers me that someone is trying to hurt you. It bothers me unbearably that someone tried to hurt Miley, too, and I’m bothered enough to do something about it.” He kissed his way across her knuckles. “Being bothered isn’t always a bad thing.”

Her eyes grew glassier. “When you say things like that, I want to bear hug you to try to soak up all of your confidence. And your strength. And your determination.”

He lowered her hand from his mouth. “Let’s gooooo!”

To his amazement, she did.

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