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  Oh, how she hoped and prayed that this had all been some terrible misunderstanding.

  She wanted, more than anything in this world, to see her aunt. To hug her. To hear from her own lips that all was well.

  She needed to stop somewhere and get her emotions in check. And maybe delay her meeting enough that Finn would have time to get to Arvid.

  She pulled off the interstate and followed the signs to a small diner.

  Inside she ordered coffee and sipped it slowly, her mind on overdrive as she thought about how tantalizingly close she was to finding her aunt.

  With Ben and the police chief of Arvid to bolster her courage, she would push until she got the answers to all her questions.

  And then she would have a grand reunion with her sweet aunt, who had been mother, father, and mentor to her for all these long years.

  She owed it to Nola to get to the bottom of this.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Jessie drove through the little town of Arvid without really seeing it. She passed the residential areas, as well as Hal’s Grocery and Vern’s Drugstore, though they held no interest for her today.

  She drove past the elementary school and playground, with its chorus of children’s voices at play, and the new high school, where a group of student athletes snaked along the track. She passed the old stone church with its shiny steeple reflecting the afternoon sun. She paused at the medical clinic to allow an ambulance to turn in front of her before turning into Arvid Bank, with its drive-through window and parking lot on the opposite side.

  By the time she exited the truck and walked to the door of the bank, her heart was beating a tattoo in her chest, and she wondered how she would ever be able to keep breathing.

  Once inside, she took several deep breaths before looking around.

  In the far corner of the bank, behind a wall of glass, she saw the manager, Michael Dumont, at his desk. She recognized Chief Frank Tyler, in his crisp uniform and shiny badge, seated across from him. When she’d first approached Chief Tyler with her suspicions about the danger her aunt was in, he’d listened attentively and promised to look into it. But a day later, after investigating, he’d found no evidence of foul play. Though he’d remained polite, she’d sensed the change in his attitude. She’d had the distinct impression that he thought she was some sort of hysterical female who was wasting his time. She hoped to heaven he’d softened his attitude toward her.

  She took a moment to breathe before stepping into the manager’s office.

  When both men turned to look at her, she realized there was a third man, seated beside the chief. Her view of him had been blocked by the bulky figure of Frank Tyler.

  “Ah. Here you are.” The stranger was smiling warmly as he shoved away from his chair to step close and take her hands in his. “I was just telling Mike and Frank here how eager I was to finally meet Nolinda’s niece.”

  Jessie knew her jaw had dropped. This wasn’t the man in the photo. In fact, this portly man, with his white hair and rimless glasses, his dark suit and conservative blue tie, shoes polished to a high shine, looked for all the world like someone’s grandfather.

  He turned to the bank manager and police chief. “If she isn’t the spitting image of her aunt. I can see why Nolinda loves her so much.”

  “You call my aunt Nolinda?”

  “That’s her name, and I much prefer it to Nola, though I know that’s what you and most folks around here call her.” He blushed slightly. “I hope you won’t hold my little eccentricity against me. A woman as lovely as my Nolinda deserves a lovely name.”

  The bank manager’s smile grew. “Spoken like a man in love.”

  “That I am. And proud of it.” In a courtly manner, Wayne kept Jessie’s hand in his as he led her across the room. He held a chair and waited until she was seated before taking the seat beside her.

  “I’m so sorry your aunt couldn’t come with me. She’s been dying to see you, Jessica. But she’s fighting a virus, and I don’t want her lifting a finger until she’s feeling stronger.” He looked beyond her to the police chief. “I contacted her doctor, and he said with a virus there’s no need for medicine. He advised rest, plenty of fluids, and more rest. And that’s what my sweet Nolinda is doing. I told her she’ll be so rested when this virus runs its course, she’ll probably insist on joining her wranglers up in the hills with the herd.”

  At the mention of that, Jessie’s head came up. “When I went to the ranch, I learned you’d fired her wranglers.”

  “Indeed. And I’d do it again.” He took Jessie’s hand before directing his words to the police chief. “There wasn’t enough proof to file a police report, but Nolinda found little things that didn’t add up. Items missing from the house while we were away. Rumors of the herd being abandoned after dark while the wranglers spent time in town at the bar. You know what they say.” He winked to the two men. “When the cat’s away, the mice will play.”

  Both the police chief and the bank managed nodded in agreement.

  Wayne smiled. “So the first thing I did was install a security camera at the house so Nolinda would know if anyone violated her privacy. Then I hired a new crew. A crew, I might add, that came with excellent recommendations.”

  He caught Jessie’s other hand, forcing her to meet his eyes. His tone softened. A grandfather speaking gently to a grandchild. “As you are aware, your aunt has always worked hard. It’s all she knows. She told me how shocked and saddened she was at the death of her brother and his wife, and how she raised you. As she told the story, she never once complained about doing a job she was totally unprepared for. She generously put you through school and college, without ever taking time for herself. Isn’t that so?”

  Jessie nodded, feeling her eyes fill before she blinked several times to keep from embarrassing herself. The mere thought of her sweet, generous aunt making so many sacrifices on her behalf had her feeling weepy.

  Wayne’s tone sharpened. “But you’re all grown up now, and your dear aunt saw to it that you have all the tools needed to make your own way in the world. I want you to know, Jessica, that your aunt and I will always be here for you should you require our help. But if I have my way, your aunt is going to slow down and become a lady of leisure. I don’t care how many people I have to hire to keep her place running, as long as my Nolinda learns to let go and enjoy her new life as my wife. As I told her, she was a mother before ever becoming a wife. Now that she has me to share the load, I want nothing more than her happiness. She’s never been anywhere but here in Montana. My hopes for a long, lazy honeymoon had to change when she became ill. As soon as she’s strong enough, I intend to take Nolinda on an extended honeymoon around the world.”

  The bank manager gave Jessica a long look. “It sounds like your aunt is one lucky lady.”

  He turned to Wayne. “I’ll need to see some identification, Mr. Stone.”

  “Mike, call me Wayne.” He released Jessie’s hands from his grasp and indicated a manila folder atop the manager’s desk. “You’ll find my passport and birth certificate in there. I had to travel to Europe recently on business. And I have my driver’s license right here.”

  He pulled out his wallet and removed his license before handing it over.

  As the bank managed reached for the documents, he asked, “What business are you in, Wayne?”

  “I own WS Industries. My firm conducts scientific research on improving animal feed. Nolinda and I are hoping to isolate a small herd of her cattle and chart their growth and overall health while they’re fed a special grain my scientists have been testing over the past several years. Nolinda shares my enthusiasm for this project. This final field test will hopefully revolutionize the animal feed industry, and provide hundreds of jobs for the good folks of Arvid and the surrounding towns.”

  “You don’t say?” The bank manager exchanged an excited glance with the police chief. “That would be a godsend for a lot of struggling ranchers who have to work a second and sometimes even a thi
rd job in order to survive.”

  Jessie folded her hands tightly in her lap, while the police chief and the bank manager looked over the various pieces of identification.

  Minutes later, satisfied with what they’d seen, the manager withdrew several documents from a desk drawer and turned them toward Wayne. “I’ll need your signature here…” He indicated the line and watched as Wayne signed with a flourish. “And here.”

  A second document was signed and dated.

  After reading both documents and checking the signatures with those on the passport and license, the bank manager smiled.

  “I’d say everything is now in order, Wayne.” He turned to Jessie. “I’ll need you to sign off on these earlier documents, just to attest that you understand that you are no longer a valid co-signer on your aunt’s bank accounts.”

  Jessie glanced toward the police chief, who was smiling and nodding.

  She peered through the glass enclosure, wishing with all her heart that Finn would come walking in. But there was no sign of him or his brother Ben.

  Though the meeting had gone smoothly enough, and Wayne had answered all the questions to the satisfaction of both the bank manager and the police chief, she had the oddest sensation that she was a bit player in a grand drama; and this was all some sort of carefully rehearsed presentation.

  All her instincts were screaming for more time. She struggled to think of a way to slow things down.

  As she picked up the pen, she turned to Wayne, determined to stick to her decision to challenge him in front of witnesses. “I’m hoping you’ll allow me to follow you to the place where you’re keeping my aunt.”

  “Keeping her?” His smile was benevolent. “She’s the one who’s been keeping me. Keeping me so happy, our days seem to blend together into one long dazzling haze of love.”

  The bank manager and the police chief chuckled.

  Jessie fought to keep her tone friendly. “It isn’t my intention to intrude on your privacy, but I’ve missed my aunt, Wayne. It would give me such pleasure to see her, and to know that she’s recovering from her virus.”

  “Are you willing to risk catching that virus, too?”

  “I’d risk anything. I need to see Aunt Nola. Just to be assured that she’s all right.”

  “Well then, taking you to see her will be my pleasure, Jessica. Although I should warn you, we’re still on our honeymoon. But then,” he added with a wink to the two men, “I intend to see that Nolinda and I remain on our honeymoon for the rest of our days.”

  Jessie was grasping at straws. “Where have the two of you been staying?”

  His smile beamed. “I have a comfortable little place off the beaten track, nestled in the hills about an hour or so from town. It’s proving to be the perfect spot for Nolinda to rest. No neighbors to come calling and tire her out. No church ladies bringing her homemade soup at all hours, and wanting to stay and gossip. And especially none of the wranglers bringing her their troubles with the herd. I’ve made that my responsibility until my Nolinda is strong enough to resume taking charge.”

  He touched a hand to her arm. “But just so you can satisfy your concerns, I’ll be happy to take you there as soon as we’re finished with our business in town.”

  Jessie released a little sigh, hoping with all her heart that Finn or Ben would arrive any minute now and join her. “Thank you. I’d appreciate that.”

  “Well then.” Wayne sat back, and carefully folded his hands.

  The bank manager leaned across his desk to point to the document still in front of Jessie, unsigned.

  Sensing his impatience, Jessie struggled to come up with a reason to delay further. After a few more seconds, she wrote her name where indicated, and sat back as he signed the documents and added his notary public seal. How she wished Finn had been here. Maybe, if he had, he could have come up with something more to ask. As for her, she was fresh out of ideas. This entire meeting had gone in a direction she had never anticipated.

  And grandfatherly Wayne Stone had been the biggest surprise of all.

  While the manager opened a folder and filed the documents, Wayne stood and offered a hand to both the manager and the police chief.

  “A pleasure to meet you, Mike. And you, Frank.”

  The two men were effusive in their praise of how efficiently the meeting had gone.

  The police chief turned to Jessie. “I hope you have a pleasant visit with your aunt, young lady.”

  Young lady, indeed. What he meant, she realized, was young troublemaker. He’d already made up his mind about this. Wayne was the good guy, looking out for his lady love, and she was being overly dramatic, looking for trouble where none existed.

  His voice, she noted, had lost the warmth he’d extended to Wayne Stone. Again, he was putting her on notice that he would tolerate no further waste of his precious time.

  “Thank you, Chief Tyler.” She turned to the bank manager. “Mr. Dumont.”

  As she followed Wayne from the bank, she glanced around the parking lot, hoping to see Finn or Ben.

  Before she could turn to her truck, Wayne had his hand beneath her elbow, steering her toward her aunt’s ranch truck.

  She tried to pull free. “I’d prefer to follow you in my own vehicle, Wayne.”

  With the police chief close enough to hear, Wayne upped the wattage of his smile.

  “Knowing your aunt, you were raised to respect the value of a dollar saved. If she were here, Nolinda would insist that there’s no reason to waste gas on two vehicles when one will do. I’ll take you for a visit, and when you’re ready to leave, I’ll bring you back here.”

  “But then you’d have to leave my aunt alone again. I’ll take my own vehicle.”

  “You’ll do no such thing. I insist.”

  Jessie glanced helplessly at the police chief, but he had his hands on his hips, nodding in agreement.

  Wayne helped Jessie into the truck before circling around to climb into the driver’s side. As they pulled away from the bank, he lowered the window and waved to the police chief. “You have a good day now, Frank.”

  “You, too, Wayne. It was a pleasure to meet you. I look forward to seeing you often here in Arvid. I’m sure the citizens of our town will be grateful for the jobs you bring.”

  “With good folks like you and Mike, I have no doubt it will be a long and profitable collaboration.”

  With another wave, he closed the window and maneuvered the truck around the few vehicles in the parking lot.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Wayne was humming a little tune as he drove away from the bank, in the opposite direction from the interstate.

  Jessie looked around. “Where are we headed?”

  His smile grew. “Nolinda described you as a curious child. Even when you first came to live with her, you wanted to know everything. The why and how of things. How everything worked. How they were fixed. Are we there yet? Why? Why not?”

  She blew out a breath. “I guess I’m still that curious girl. Where are we headed?”

  “To my place. I’m afraid it’s not part of a town, but rather a bit isolated. You can imagine how much your dear aunt loves it. She’s always liked keeping to herself.”

  “You seem to know a lot about her.”

  “That’s a husband’s job. The more I know, the more I can please her.”

  “How did you two meet?”

  He chuckled. “There you go again. How? Where? Why? I’ll leave all that to Nolinda. She can tell you as much or as little as she pleases. Maybe, like me, she’d rather keep some personal secrets locked away in her heart.”

  The more Jessie peppered Wayne with questions, the more he favored her with that bemused smile. “Nolinda warned me you were impatient.” He patted her hand. “You’ll have the answers to all your questions soon enough.”

  Jessie watched as the familiar landmarks of Arvid slipped away as they followed a country road, and found herself questioning all the things she’d been so certain of.


  The man beside her was no handsome, smooth-talking cowboy, capable of sweeping lonely women off their feet. Instead, this courtly grandfather had been a perfect gentleman throughout their introduction. In truth, he was the exact opposite of what she’d expected. If she were being honest with herself, she would have to admit that he was the type of man she would have chosen to be her dear aunt’s companion for the rest of her days. Successful without boasting. Cheerful even when being challenged. And quietly capable of shouldering irksome responsibilities that could prove draining for her aunt alone.

  Still, Jessie couldn’t shake the unsettling feeling that Wayne Stone was almost too perfect to be true. And there was this strange feeling she had in his presence. Fingers of ice along her spine. Little prickles of unease that she couldn’t dispel.

  She sat back and took a deep breath, before plucking her cell phone from her pocket.

  She needed to fill Finn in on all that had happened, and let him know where she was headed. If she was lucky, he was close enough to bypass the town and head directly to the back roads they were now traveling.

  Distracted, Jessie’s head came up sharply as the truck screeched to a stop so abruptly it caused her to be thrust forward, straining her seat belt and causing her to drop her phone. It clattered to the floor of the truck and slid toward Wayne.

  In one smooth motion he scooped it up.

  Jessie turned slightly, her hand extended, expecting him to return her phone. Her smile faded when he tossed it out the window.

  Jessie was outraged. “What do you think you’re doing?”

  “I’m keeping you from passing information to your lawyer.”

  “My…lawyer?”

  “Finn Monroe. Or has he become more than your legal counsel now that you’re living with him and his family?”

  “How would you know…?”

  “I know everything about you, little troublemaker.”