Tying You Down (15 page)

His eyes darkened but he kept his expression and his voice smooth. “Charlee is old enough to make her own choices in how she wants to invest her inheritance.”

Sudden, harsh anger rushed through her. David was after Charlee’s money. It was so clear he planned to take advantage of her innocent, naïve younger sister.

“So help me, David,” Jo said in a low, hard voice, fury making her blood hot. “If you take money from my sister or hurt her in any way, I’m going to bury you in an anthill and pour honey over you. That’s after I castrate you.”

He blanched, but he said, “Why are you acting that way towards me, Jo? I’d never hurt Charlee.”

Jo didn’t know if she was being irrational, but the certainty that David was after her sister’s money was so strong it made hair prickle on the back of her neck and caused her skin to feel hot.

“You’d sure as hell better not, in any way, shape, or form,” Jo said, narrowing her eyes. “And you’d better not touch a dime of her inheritance. Ants will be eating out your brain if you even try.” She didn’t give him a chance to say anything. She got to her feet. “You know where I stand, David. As long as we’re clear with that, I’m done.”

Resisting the urge to dump her hot chai into his lap, she turned and walked out of the coffee shop. She still wondered if she was overreacting, but she couldn’t help it. David had as much as said he was going to go after Charlee’s money, and that was something Jo would do everything in her power to keep from happening.

* * * * *

Jo walked into her bar, still steaming several hours after her meeting with David.

She’d arrived about half an hour before Jo-Jo’s opened. She went behind the bar for an inspection, which was something she did regularly to make sure her place was always up to her high standards. Sometimes she inspected the place before the bar opened, like now, and sometimes later in the evening. Everything gleamed and had been polished before her staff left for the night. She didn’t find any smudged fingerprints, dust, or spots on the floor, and she nodded to herself in approval.

Tonight Jo wore a russet-colored sequined dress and heels, and her hair was pulled back in a knot. She wore silk stockings with garters that she knew Tate would appreciate.

The new bartender, Leslie, came in through the door from the kitchen. She always wore her dark hair in a braid when she worked and today she had it in a single plait that lay over one shoulder. A white bar towel was over her opposite shoulder and she was dressed in a black blouse and tight black skinny jeans.

“Careful or I’ll put you to work back here tonight,” Leslie said, speaking in her usual fast pace. “Thomas called in sick.”

Jo liked her new bartender who was a quick thinker and a hard worker. “Did you call Janice to see if she can cover for him?” Jo asked.

Leslie gave a nod. “She can’t come in until ten, but she’ll be here.”

Jo liked how she didn’t have to tell Leslie to call for a replacement or expect Jo to do it. She had initiative.

“If you need help, then I’m your woman,” Jo said.

“Sorry.” Leslie’s gaze held a hint of humor. “I don’t swing that way.”

Jo grinned. “That makes two of us.”

Leslie ducked down to the refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of maraschino cherries, a container of cocktail onions, and a bottle of green olives, and set them on the counter. She picked out a couple of limes, a lemon, and an orange and placed them on a cutting board along with a sharp knife. She moved as fast as she talked and quickly prepared everything to be ready for opening time.

The front door swung open, letting daylight slice into the dim bar. Jo glanced up and saw Charlee walk through the door. Jo’s sister wore a short cowl neck red sweater dress that softly draped over her breasts but didn’t diminish them. In fact, if anything her breasts looked larger.

The only thing that marred the look in Jo’s mind was the fact that Charlee was dressing for David. After today, the way he’d all but said he was going after Charlee’s money for his investments, Jo was certain he was a louse.

“Aren’t you the hot and sexy one,” Jo said with a smile when Charlee reached the bar.

“You’re not the only one who can dress up sexy.” Charlee returned Jo’s smile as she slid onto a stool on the other side of the bar.

“Haven’t seen you around for a few days.” Jo folded her forearms on the polished wood bar and looked at her sister. “What have you been up to?”

Charlee shrugged, but a light blush tinted her cheeks. “Just seeing a lot of David when I’m not working. It hasn’t left time for much else.” She glanced at the door then back to Jo. “I’m meeting him in half an hour but wanted to stop and see you first.”

“I’m glad you did.” Jo studied her sister. “I’ve been wanting to talk with you.”

Charlee tilted her head to the side. “Is something wrong?”

“A couple of things.” Jo let out her breath. “I saw David on Sunday with a woman and three kids.” She hesitated. “He said they were his brother’s wife and children.”

“David told me he saw you.” Charlee looked puzzled. “His brother passed away and David goes to church with them. Why would that bother you?”

“That’s what he told me, too.” Jo braced her hands on the bar. “But something feels off to me.”

With a frown, Charlee said, “It’s because he’s so much older than me and you don’t approve. That’s what this is about.”

“It’s true that I think fifteen years is too big a gap,” Jo said. “But that’s your choice.”

“Then why are you concerned?” Charlee asked.

“It was his familiarity with the woman.” Jo took a deep breath. “And he called her sweetheart.”

“So.” Charlee’s eyes held a hint of anger. “It’s just his brother’s wife. There’s no reason to not trust him.”

“There’s something else.” Jo took a deep breath. “David called me to meet him today. He wanted me to invest in his project.”

Charlee looked surprised but said, “That was generous of him.”

“He wanted half of a million.” Jo shook her head. “That’s a lot of money to ask of someone you don’t even know.”

“I’m sure he was just offering you an opportunity.” Charlee shrugged. “You have the money.”

Jo tried to control her breathing. “He’s going to ask you to invest your inheritance in his project.” She pleaded to Charlee with her gaze. “Whatever you do, don’t give him any money.”

Anger flashed across Charlee’s face. “My inheritance is my business, Jo. I can invest it in any way I want to.”

Jo wanted to argue. Her desire to protect her sister was so strong that she almost let loose her concern in a stronger wave. But she could tell all she’d do was chase Charlee away. It was true that there wasn’t enough proof to be concerned, but some kind of instinct told her something was wrong.

But then again, Jo knew her instincts had been off in the past. Just not in this way.

What she needed to do was find proof that David Smith was trouble.

Instead of voicing anything else, all Jo said was, “I just want the best for you and I worry about you.”

“Well, don’t worry.” Charlee still looked upset. “I’m a big girl. You might be a lot older than me, but I’m not stupid.”

Jo wanted to bang her head against the bar top. “I happen to think you’re a very intelligent woman.”

“You have a funny way of showing it.” Charlee scowled. “I need to go meet David now.”

Jo nodded. “I’ll see you at the nail salon tomorrow.”

Charlee slid off the stool. “I’ll be there.”

Jo watched Charlee leave then rubbed the corner of her eyes with her thumb and forefinger. Damn but she hoped she was wrong about David, for Charlee’s sake.

Jo braced her palms on the bar as she considered everything. First things first. She needed to have someone look into David Smith.

She tapped her long fingernails on the wooden bar top as she considered the problem. Who could handle something like this? Maybe Tate would know. She pulled her cell phone out from her purse that she’d stashed beneath the bar. As she straightened she selected his phone number from her contact list and the phone began to ring.

“Hi, honey.” His deep drawl and the way he called her honey made her feel all squishy and nice inside.

“Hey there.” She walked around the long bar out onto the floor to make sure their conversation was private.

“How’s your evening?” Tate asked.

Feeling like she needed to get it off her chest, she told Tate about David asking her to meet with him and the conversation, ending with the fact that the man probably intended to get Charlee to invest her money in his scheme. Because that’s what she thought it was. A scheme.

Tate remained silent as he listened to her. When she finished he said, “Something doesn’t sound right.”

“It sure doesn’t.” And she didn’t know what to do about it. She decided to change the subject. “Are you coming to Jo-Jo’s tonight?” she asked, looking down at her sparkly dress.

“I was planning on calling you,” he said. “I’ve got a downed fence line and cattle to round up that are on the neighbor’s land. It’s going to take some time to do that and then repair the fence. But I’ll be there tomorrow.”

“Okay.” She was disappointed but she smiled. “Tomorrow, then.”

“Yep,” he said. “I’ll pick you up at ten in the morning. I have more fun planned for the two of us.”

“I can’t wait.”

“See you then, honey,” he said.

When she disconnected the call she put her phone away and leaned against the bar. She smiled and let out a little sigh as she thought about the time she’d been spending with Tate and realized that she felt happier now than she’d felt in a long, long time.

Chapter 21

A light wind tugged at Tate’s clothing. He was on his ranch, outside at the corrals, and had just disconnected from the call with Jo. He looked at his phone and thought over what she’d said about David Smith.

Something was off with the man, and that had been bugging Tate from the beginning. He’d chalked his feeling up to his belief that David was too damned old for a young, sweet girl like Charlee.

He didn’t know whether or not David had some secret life in Phoenix like Jo thought he might, or if he was after Charlee’s money. But Tate’s gut told him he couldn’t just let it go. He’d call Garrett McBride, one of his cousins who was a PI, to see if Garrett could do a little research on David Smith.

Tate pulled up his contacts on his phone and pressed the number for Garrett. He held the phone to his ear and waited as it rang.

After a few rings, Garrett answered, “Tate, haven’t heard from you in a while. What the hell’s going on with you?” Clearly Garrett had Tate’s name and number programmed into his phone, too.

“One of these days we need to get together for a beer,” Tate said.

“We sure do,” Garrett said. “But I take it you called me for something else.”

Tate nodded to himself. “I’ve got someone I want you to look into.”

“You’ve got it.” Shuffling noises, like paper being moved around was in the background as Garrett spoke. “Okay, I’m ready. Is it someone local?”

“No.” Tate gripped his phone as he looked at the clear autumn sky. “His name is David Smith and he says he lives in Phoenix while he’s commuting here during the week. Apparently he’s involved in residential and commercial development. He’s probably late thirties, brown hair, blue eyes, maybe five-eleven.”

“Can you give me any other information to go on?” Garrett asked. “Like how I can track this guy down?”

“He’s dating Jo Burke’s younger sister, Charlee, if that helps you any.”

Tate could almost hear the frown in Garrett’s voice. “You said this guy’s late thirties? Isn’t Charlee Burke pretty damned young? She went to school with one of my nephews. They graduated the same year.”

“Yeah.” Tate felt a burn in his gut. “Robbing the cradle.”

“No problem looking into this guy,” Garrett said. “If he’s hanging around Charlee, I’ll find him.”

“I appreciate it,” Tate said.

“I’ve got a stakeout this weekend and another case I’m working on,” Garrett said. “I can start tracking this guy down on Monday.”

“Good.” Tate adjusted his western hat with his free hand. “He goes to Phoenix on the weekends, so he won’t be back until Monday, anyway.”

After they ended the call, Tate started toward the barn when he saw a car coming up the road kicking up dust in its wake. He paused and waited for the car he didn’t recognize to drive up.

It was a silver car and the waning light glinted off the windshield. The driver parked the car near the house and Tate walked in that direction.

The driver’s side door opened and a petite blonde stepped out of the car.

Daphne.

He held back a frown. What was she doing here?

“Tate.” Daphne walked toward him, a smile on her pretty features. She was wearing a western blouse, Wranglers, and western boots. She’d grown up on a ranch like he had, and it suited her. It looked so much better on her than the buckle bunny getup she’d been wearing in the bar in Phoenix after the bull riding event.

“Hi, Daphne,” he said as he reached her.

The little blonde flung her arms around his neck, catching him by surprise, and she pressed her slender body against his. “How’re you doing, cowboy?” She said it in a low tone laced with sex. Before he could respond, she pulled him down as she stepped on his boots to give her some height, rose up on her toes, and gave him a kiss.

He took her by the shoulders and set her apart from him, breaking the kiss as soon as she’d planted it on him. “Hold on,” he said.

She gave a small pout. “You used to love it when I did that.”

“Key words,” he said. “Used to.”

“I meant it at the dance. We can start all over again.” She looked up at him as she braced her hands on his forearms. “We were so good together.”

“And I meant it when I said no.” He kept his tone firm.

She bit her lower lip before she said. “I understand how you felt when I left you,” she said quietly. “He did the same thing to me.”

The pain in her voice and in her expression caught Tate off guard.

She looked away for a moment before she returned her gaze to his and tears glittered in her eyes. “The biggest mistake I’ve ever made was leaving you.”