station. He didnt mention the strange feeling hed had when the woman had opened her eyes.
Is she all right? Dana asked, clearly shocked.
For months, Tag had been talking up Montana and its low crime rate among all of its other amazing wonders.
She regained consciousness in the ambulance. Last I heard she was going to be fineat least physically. Im not sure what a close call like that does to a person.
Have the police found the man? Dana asked, and hugged herself as if feeling a chill. Hayes thought about what his cousin had been through. She had personal experience with a psychopath who wanted to harm her.
Unfortunately, the police dont have any leads. I wasnt able to get a license plate or even the model or make of the car the man was driving. He felt exhausted and stifled a yawn. Hed been going on nothing but adrenaline and caffeine since last night. Hopefully, the woman will be able to give the cops a description so they can get the bastard.
You look exhausted, Dana said. Ill make you breakfast, then Tag will show you to your cabin. You two dont have anything planned until late afternoon, right?
Right, Tag said. Im taking my brother to see the restaurant space I found.
Then get some rest, Hayes. Were having a steak fry tonight. Our fathers have said they are going to try to make it.
That sounds great. He wasnt sure he was up to seeing his father. Harlan Cardwell had only been a passing figure in his life. Tag, who was the oldest, remembered him more than the other four of them. Harlan had come to Texas a few times, but his visits had been quick. Being the second to the youngest, Hayes didnt even remember his uncle Angus.
Hayes felt emotionally spent, sickened by what hed witnessed last night and worried about the woman. He kept seeing her staring up at him with those eyes. He mentally shook himself as Dana put a plate of silver-dollar-sized pancakes with chokecherry syrup in front of him, along with a side of venison sausage and two sunny-side-up eggs.
He ate as if he hadnt eaten in days. As it was, hed never gotten around to eating that sandwich hed purchased at the grocery store last night. After hed been plied with even more of Danas amazing buttermilk pancakes, his brother walked him out to his rental SUV.
So how are the wedding plans coming along? he asked Tag as they got his gear and walked up a path behind the barn into the pines to his cabin.
Hed flown in a month early to talk his brother out of opening a Texas Boys Barbecue joint at Big Sky. The five brothers had started their first restaurant in a small old house in Houston. The business had grown by leaps and bounds and was now a multimillion-dollar corporation.
All five of them had agreed that they would keep the restaurants in Texas. But in December, Tag had come to Montana to spend Christmas with their father and had fallen in love with both Montana and Lily McCabe. Nothing like a woman and a little wilderness to mess with the best-laid plans.
It was now up to Hayes, as a spokesman for the other three brothers, to put Tags feet firmly back on the ground and nip this problem in the bud.
Its going to be an old-fashioned Western wedding, Tag was saying, his voice filled with excitement. I cant wait for you to meet Lily. Shes like no woman I have ever known.
Hayes didnt doubt it. Hed never seen his brother so happy. All of the brothers had the Cardwell dark good looks. Add to that their success, and women were often throwing themselves at one of them or another. Except for Jackson, none of them had found a woman they wanted to date more than a few times. Theyd all become gun-shy after Jackson had bitten the bullet and gotten marriedand quickly divorced after he found out his wife wanted nothing to do with their newborn son.
Hayes couldnt wait to meet this Lily McCabe to find out what kind of spell shed cast over his brotherand possibly try to break it before the wedding.
* * *
GUS THOMPSON HAD never been so angry. The bitch had called the cops on him. He glanced toward the empty receptionists desk at the front of the real-estate office. It didnt surprise him that Cynthia hadnt come in today. Stupid woman. Did she really think he would blame her?
No, he knew Cynthia didnt do anything without checking with her boss.
So where the hell was McKenzie Sheldon? No matter what was going on, she was usually at work before him every morning. She must have had a rough night, he thought with a smirk.
Where was everyone else? he wondered as he checked his watch. Had they heard about the police coming by his house last night?
When the front door opened, he turned in his office chair, the smirk still on his face since hed
been expecting McKenzie. He felt it fall away as he saw the cops. Hadnt it been enough that an officer had shown up at his door last night, questioning him about stalking the receptionist at the office? Now what?
Mr. Thompson? the policewoman asked. Her name tag read P. Donovan.
Yes? he asked, getting to his feet. He saw them look around the empty office.