Page 34 of Hiding in Montana

“Do me one favor. When we go out this weekend, let’s have a calm and boring adventure, well, except for the part that we’re together.”

Standing on tiptoes, she took off his cowboy hat and placed it on the table. “No promises, Mr. Goodman.”

He chuckled. “Tell you what. Go take a shower and I’ll rustle us up some dinner.”

“All the meat is frozen.” She frowned. “That is one thing I miss, pizza delivery.”

With a snap of his fingers, he said, “I’ve got something better. I’ll call the diner and ask Maggie to put together two dinners to go, including whatever she’s got for dessert, and we can run over and pick it up.” He tapped his wrist where a watch might sit. “Ticktock.”

“Make sure you get two large lemonades. Maggie’s is the best on the planet. Oh, and don’t forget to order one for yourself, too.”

He couldn’t help but laugh again at her cheeky grin as she hurried out of the kitchen. That woman was going to keep him on his toes. Before he could dial, he glanced at the live feed on Polly’s laptop and without hesitation, he strode to the front door and pulled it open.

17

Polly stepped from the shower and towel dried her hair when the murmur of raised voices reached her. She dressed quickly in jeans and a black tee shirt and hurried into the living room barefoot, with her hair dripping. Standing in the open doorway was Clint. She could barely see around him, but that voice was unmistakable. Matthew.

She pressed up against Clint and stepped in between them. “What are you doing here?” She didn’t move to let him come inside. He wasn’t welcome.

“Paulina, I had to make sure you were okay.” He nodded to the living room. “You won’t ask me to come in?”

She weighed her options for a brief moment before nodding. “Don’t get comfortable. This is a brief visit.”

Clint took a few steps back, but she noticed he never looked away from Matthew and then, for a moment, he scanned the area in front of the house. She had to wonder if someone was lurking outside.

Matthew walked in and took a look around. “Nice place.” He flashed her the smile that used to make her smile in return, but not tonight. “Nothing like our old house.”

Sleek and modern had been their home. It was a four-thousand-square-foot, cold, and impersonal house set in an upscale neighborhood. It came complete with a security guard and a gate. Now that she thought about that, if anyone could have broken into their home, they would have had to go to a lot of trouble and be determined. What had Matthew been involved in?

He sat down in a leather chair opposite the floral sofa. Clint waited for her to take a seat before sitting next to her. She wished he’d say something, but he was a man of few words and this situation didn’t call for him to say anything. Yet.

Matthew looked from Clint to Polly. “You won’t offer me a cold drink?”

She wanted to scream. This was so typical of her ex-husband. “No. This isn’t a social call. Clint and I have plans.”

Matthew gave Clint a slow once-over, from the toes of his boots to his short dark hair. “The new guy in your life.” His voice was flat. “What do you do for work?”

Before Clint could answer, she said, “Why did you go out to Grace Star Ranch, Matthew? And the bigger question is, why are you in town at all?”

“I’m worried about you. Things have gotten a little”—he looked out the front window to the street—“complicated. I needed to make sure you were okay.”

Clint’s voice was low and laced with restrained anger. “As you can see, Polly is just fine. She has friends and neighbors who are there for her.”

“When I was coming up the walk, I noticed you have a security camera. If this town is so bucolic, why do you need them?”

Clint leaned forward. “For people who show up unexpectedly.”

Polly placed a hand on Clint’s thigh in an attempt to reassure him this was a brief visit. “Since I got a threatening text message, which I told you about, and you mentioned they were a good idea. I installed the cameras and just last night there was someone lurking outside. Would you happen to know who and why someone was at my home?”

“Right. The cameras.” Matthew clasped his hands and looked at the floor. “Anyway, a former colleague of mine thinks you may have a large sum of money that they feel belongs to them.”

He freaking threw her under a speeding train. She struggled to keep her voice steady as she asked, “How much money?”

“North of half a mill and south of a few.”

She sucked in a breath and didn’t attempt to keep the sarcasm from her voice. “Matthew, do I look like I’m sitting on a ton of money?”

He shook his head and gave her that look like she was a child. “People who usually steal money don’t flaunt it.” He sneered as he looked around. “This place certainly fits that criteria.”

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