Page 29 of Wyoming Bodyguard
“Your guess is as good as mine. Maybe it’d be better to speak with someone not on the case.” He climbed the few steps and drilled the camera into the siding, just above the door frame. The thick casing would hide the small device if anyone came by, but also give a good shot of any unwanted visitors.
The drill buzzed, sending a nearby hawk into the sky. His shoulder screamed at him to stop. After the work spent moving hay, his muscles already ached. He gritted his teeth, determined not to lower his damn arm before the task was finished. If he couldn’t handle five freaking minutes with his arm above his head, holding only a lightweight piece of equipment, he should close his business and slink away into the sunset now.
“Is there someone else in the department we could contact who isn’t officially on the case who could give us information?” She took a step closer, raising her voice to be heard above the noise.
His mind went blank as he concentrated. Finished, he dropped his arm to the side and closed his eyes for a beat. He lifted his sore shoulder, moving it in a circular motion to lessen the ache.
“Are you okay?” she asked. “Are you hurt?”
His eyes shot open, and she was even closer.
Concern pinched her expression.
“I’m fine. Just a little sore.” He hated the briskness of his words, but he didn’t want her to know of his limitations. He didn’t want her, or anyone else’s, pity. “Finished here. If the camera picks up any activities, I’ll get a notification on my phone. That will help us keep an eye on things without having to come all the way out here again.”
She nodded, but something in her eyes told him she didn’t buy his story about simply being a little sore.
“I can call Deputy Sanders,” he said, rolling over her worry for him. “He’s good friends with my pops. He might be willing to divulge a little more than some of the other deputies. Especially over a game of poker.”
She frowned. “We’re going to ask Deputy Sanders to come over and play poker?”
He couldn’t help but grin at her confusion. “No, we’re going to my dad’s house. The weekly poker game’s tonight. Sanders will be there, as well as some other old-timers from town. Nothing gets past those guys. If there’s any whispering on the street about drug issues, they’ll know. And even though they’d never admit it, they cluck about like a flock of old hens over a game of cards. It’ll be easier to draw out information.”
The corner of Lily’s mouth ticked up. “All right. I’ll go to your dad’s and talk to his friends on one condition.”
He was almost afraid to ask. “What?”
“They let us play.”
“You want to play poker with a bunch of old men?”
“Could be fun.” She lifted a slim shoulder then fit her helmet over her head before straddling the seat of her four-wheeler.
He watched her take off at top speed down the trail. A lot of unknowns weighed him down, but one thing was certain. Lily Tremont was full of surprises.
* * *
After they’d returned to the cabin, Lily managed to grab a quick shower and make herself a little more presentable before heading to the McKay Ranch. And if the look of appreciation shining from Madden’s smoky eyes was any indication, she’d done a pretty damn good job of putting herself together.
Not that he looked too shabby himself. He’d cleaned up but kept the scruff clinging to his jawline. Worn jeans showcased his long, lean legs, and a fresh button-up shirt shoved up to his elbows had her ogling his strong forearms.
“Ready?” he asked.
She forced a smile, hating the icy tone of his voice. They’d broken through so many walls just for them to keep popping up. The last thing she wanted was for his moment of vulnerability—okay, if she was being honest a moment where a simple kiss had shaken her to the core—to create a chasm between them that couldn’t be crossed.
“Sure am. Is your father okay with me coming?”
This time a pure, genuine grin spread on his mouth. “Are you serious? He’ll get a kick out of seeing you.”
She hoped so because her father would never be so accommodating with Madden.
Madden led the way to his truck, opening her door and waiting for her to climb in before he rounded the hood to the driver’s side. Nervous energy had her clutching her hands in her lap. Neither of them spoke as he drove to the ranch she hadn’t seen since she’d been a child.
Driving under the archway that boasted the words McKay Ranch was like driving back in time. As a kid, she’d loved coming to visit Madden and his brother. Spending time on a working cattle ranch had been her version of heaven, a way to show off to the boy whose attention she’d always tried to snag.
When had that changed? When had that innocent friendship and adoration shifted to annoyance and anger? She couldn’t blame it all on Madden’s family selling off part of their land. That had come years after animosity brewed between them.
Remembering Eve’s suggestion to lean into the tough conversations, she stared at Madden’s profile. Studied the hard lines of his face. “When did we start hating each other?”
