Brody (Texas Boudreau Brotherhood Book 3) Read online

  “Camilla, this is Patricia Boudreau, the matriarch of the Boudreau clan. Ms. Patti, this is my friend, Camilla Stewart.”

  “Welcome to Shiloh Springs, Ms. Stewart.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Boudreau. I’ve missed seeing Beth and this little munchkin.” Her fingers dug into Jamie’s sides, and she howled with laughter, squirming to get away from Camilla’s teasing.

  “How long will you be staying in Texas?”

  “Well, I had only planned a day or two. I was bringing some papers the attorneys needed Evan to sign. I offered to bring them, thinking to kill two birds with one stone—make sure my brother signed everything, instead of stalling again, and getting to see Beth and this little troublemaker.”

  Ms. Patti smiled at Jamie’s squeak of protest. “I happen to like troublemakers. They make the best kind of friends.”

  “Jamie, why don’t you go and wash up? Make sure you scrub your hands and face really well.”

  “Okay, Mommy.” She swiveled around on Camilla’s lap. “You’ll be here when I come back, right?”

  “I’ll be here.” She made a cross symbol over her heart. “I promise.”

  Jamie held out her hand, her tiny fingers curled. “Pinky swear?”

  Camilla chuckled, and looped her little finger with Jamie’s. “Pinky swear.”

  Without another word, Jamie scrambled off her aunt’s lap and raced toward the stairs, all three women watching her go.

  “I don’t know how you have the energy to keep up with the whirlwind. I’m exhausted and I’ve only been here five minutes.” Camilla took a long drink of her tea.

  “Jamie only seems to have one speed, and it’s full throttle. She loves the yard at Tessa’s cottage, our new place. Lots of space to run around and play. A big backyard, lots of grass. I haven’t had a chance to meet the neighbors yet, but Tessa said they’re all friendly and they’ll keep an extra lookout for Jamie.”

  “From what little I could see driving through town, it seems charming. I’d love to explore it, if I have the time.” Camilla stood, smoothing down the ruffled cotton maxi-style skirt she wore. “Speaking of which, can you recommend a hotel or motel, some place to stay while I’m here?”

  Beth sucked in a breath of surprise. “Oh, no! Within everything going on with Evan, I totally forgot you were staying with me—us.”

  “It’s okay, Beth. You didn’t plan on having your world turned upside-down by my brother again, and having to leave your home. I’m grateful you have some place safe to stay until the authorities catch him.”

  “You can stay here.” Beth had almost forgotten Ms. Patti was in the room, until she spoke.

  “Ms. Patti, while that would be great, you don’t have the room. Not with Nica and Heath being here, along with me and Jamie. Brody told me Ridge and Shiloh are both going to be here soon. I appreciate the offer, but…”

  Ms. Patti smiled, and Beth caught the calculating gleam in her eyes. She couldn’t help wondering if Ms. Patti was up to something more than simply an offer of a bed for her friend.

  “I actually meant Ms. Stewart could stay at Dane’s house.” She turned to Camilla. “Dane is our son. He runs the day-to-day operations of the ranch, and lives in the foreman’s house here on the property. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind sharing the space with you for a few days. There’s plenty of room, as long as you don’t mind being in a house with a few of my sons. Pretty sure Ridge will bunk there too, since the Big House is full up. Not sure about Shiloh’s plans yet.”

  Beth hid a smirk behind her hand at the Machiavellian manipulation Ms. Patti employed, neatly boxing Camilla into a corner. Camilla’s wild-eyed stare resembled a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming semi, but there wouldn’t be any wriggling off Ms. Patti’s neatly baited hook. Good, she thought. Camilla needed a good shake-up to her life, and being around so many Boudreau men might be exactly what her friend needed.

  “I…um…are you sure they won’t mind my staying? I mean, I’m a stranger. Maybe this isn’t the best idea. I can get a room—”

  “Nonsense. It’s settled. You visit with Beth. I’ll go tell Dane he’s got a new roommate. He or one of my other boys will be by in a bit to take your bag to the foreman’s house.” Ms. Patti grinned before adding, “Welcome to Shiloh Springs.”

  Beth couldn’t hold back her laugh after Ms. Patti got out of earshot. She laughed until her sides hurt, and she was bent over, trying to catch her breath. Camilla looked shellshocked. Beth knew the feeling, because she’d been treated to Ms. Patti’s take-no-prisoners approach more than once when she’d first visited Tessa.

  “What just happened?” Camilla stared through the opening between the kitchen and living area, a bemused expression on her face.

  “You met the real Patricia Boudreau. She likes you. Trust me, if she didn’t, you’d be back in your rental, headed toward Austin.” She hooked her arm through Camilla’s. “Now, no more games. Tell me why you’re really here.”

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  The day had dragged on forever, with one thing after the next pulling Brody away from the one place he wanted to be. With Beth. Questioning Greg revealed little more than he’d already known and did nothing toward pointing him toward who might be behind torching the Summers’ barn. The only enlightening moment had been Greg revealing he’d kept up the insurance payments on the family home and property without his parents knowing. That put an interesting twist on the possibility the arson was motivated by money. And he was well aware people did a lot of crazy things out of greed.

  He’d met Jeff back at the Summers’ barn, and surveyed the added damage, and helped collect new evidence. Jeff had volunteered to drive it to the lab in Austin on Monday. Might be a good idea, because Brody didn’t want to leave Beth, not while Evan remained free. He’d played a part in catching Evan and his buddy, Trevor, when they’d kidnapped Tessa. Whether it was luck or providence or fate, Brody had been the one to witness the two men strong-arm Tessa into their car. He’d been the one to contact Rafe, and followed them to the elementary school where Evan had taken Tessa. He seriously doubted Evan forgot about Brody’s role in his arrest. And Evan didn’t strike him as a forgive-and-forget kind of guy.

  With a sigh, he pulled up in front of the Big House, spotting the white sedan with a rental sticker in the back window. Wonder who’s here?

  He’d barely made up halfway up the walk before Beth opened the front door. The rapid beating of his heart when he saw her sped up even faster at the sight of her smile. He barely refrained from sprinting to meet her at the front door. Instead, he maintained his steady gait, capturing her hands in his, and squeezing them.

  “You look beautiful.”

  “Thanks.”

  He loved the flush of pink in her cheeks at the compliment. “Everything go okay today?”

  “Other than Evan still being out there somewhere, it’s been pretty quiet. Oh, my friend, Camilla, is here. Just so you know, she’s Evan’s sister.”

  He couldn’t quite hide his frown. “What’s she doing here? Did she know about his escape?”

  “She’s here because I invited her to visit. She’d planned to come to Texas anyway, because there were some papers she needed her brother to sign, and he’s been stonewalling her. I don’t know what they are, and I really don’t care. But she was going to stay with me. When she offered to stay at a hotel, your mother graciously offered to let her stay here—at the foreman’s house.”

  Brody didn’t even try to hold back his laugh. “Bet Dane appreciated that bit of news.”

  “I haven’t seen him yet, but Douglas got here a few minutes ago, and he took Camilla over there to drop off her bag and freshen up. They’ll be back in time for dinner. Or as your brother Heath called it, supper. He showed up this morning, and finagled your mother into making chicken fried steak.”

  “Now that I believe. Heath has an unhealthy obsession with chicken fried steak for some reason. I swear he’d eat it for every meal if Momma would make it.”

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nbsp; Hoping for a few minutes together before joining the rowdy bunch he could hear inside, he asked, “Feel like taking a walk before dinner?”

  “I’d love to.” She kept one hand in his as they stepped off the porch. He liked she felt comfortable enough to hold his hand. Maybe their botched first date attempt hadn’t ruined any chance for them, if he was lucky.

  Making a split-second decision, he headed for one place on the ranch he knew she’d never been. It was a special place, one most people outside the family didn’t know existed, and he felt an uncontrollable urge to share it with Beth. See if she felt the undefinable pull toward it—toward him—he felt for her.

  He led her around the side of the house, skirting a patio and continued walking until they came upon a small deck in front of a set of French doors. Decorative urns and pots overflowed with green ferns and vividly colored flowers in pots scattered over the concrete surface. Comfortable-looking chairs and a glass table to the side completed the charming vignette.

  He heard her indrawn breath as soon as she spotted where they were headed. A white-roofed gazebo sat in the clearing, surrounded by tall pine trees. While it wasn’t huge, it was more than large enough to hold a dozen people comfortably. White lattice skirted the bottom, and a circular roof perched over the top. It reminded him of a woodland paradise, a hideaway in the middle of Texas, hidden away from prying eyes. He knew it was incongruent with a working Texas ranch, but his father had made this place, a special gift for his wife many years before.

  Intertwined around the base of the gazebo, climbing pink and white roses and tall ornamental grasses grew in abundance, adding to its ethereal appearance, the air perfumed with the heady scent of the flowers, mixed with the earthy scent of the wooded area surrounding it.

  Inside the gazebo, hidden in its depths was the big reveal, something surprising and unexpected. A well. When he’d been growing up, he and his brothers had called it the wishing well. He’d dropped more than a small amount of his allowance into its depths, hoping against hope for his desires to come true. Smooth stone encased the well itself, polished smooth with the age and the elements. The rocks weren’t shiny and brand new. They were aged and weathered to a natural beauty. It should have seemed out of place inside the wooden structure, but somehow it fit.

  Tiny white lights ringed around the tree trunks and along the inside of the circular roof line of the gazebo. Brody reached inside the entrance and flipped a switch, the lights turned on, illuminating the area in a warm glow, making it feel like something out of a dreamscape.

  “Brody, this is amazing.” Beth’s hand smoothed along the painted wood, her fingertips barely touching it, as if afraid to break the spell of the secret garden.

  “This,” he gestured around, the sweep of his arm encompassing the whole area, “is Momma’s secret garden. Dad built it for her as a surprise a couple of years after they moved here. He cleared the land and built the structure, but she did the rest. Planted all the flowers and the ornamental grasses, stringing the lights, everything.”

  Beth’s face turned up to his, her eyes shiny with unshed tears. “This is an expression of love. You can feel it in every inch. Every flower.”

  He reached up and caught a tear with his thumb. “I didn’t bring you here to make you cry.”

  Shaking her head, she laughed softly. “They aren’t sad tears. It’s just, seeing something like this, knowing the sentiment behind it, I can feel the love. Can’t you?”

  “Yes.” The word broke forth and he knew he meant it, but not in the way she thought. He knew Douglas and Ms. Patti loved each other. Sometimes it was like watching two teenagers, they were so giddy with it. No, he meant it for her. Beth. The woman who’d inched her way into his heart a little bit at a time, until he couldn’t imagine his life without her. Without Jamie. They were a package deal and he wanted them both.

  Beth climbed the step into the gazebo and stood looking down into the wishing well. Dusk had fallen, seeming to wrap them in a cloak of invisibility, where there wasn’t anyone around except him and Beth. He knew there were people in the Big House, within shouting distance, yet right here, right now, they were the only two people in the whole world.

  “Thank you for bringing me out here, and showing me this beautiful place. I hope Ms. Patti won’t mind.”

  “She’ll be fine with you seeing her garden and the gazebo. It’s a place she only shares with people she cares about, and you are definitely one.”

  Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a quarter and handed it to Beth. “Make a wish.”

  Her lips curved up in a smile. “Really? Think it’ll work?”

  “You’ll never know unless you give it a try.”

  She closed her eyes for a few seconds, then tossed the coin. Stepping close to her, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against him, and held her. Simply let the night breeze embrace them, and enjoyed the stillness of the moment. Everything had been crazy for the last few days, and he knew they both needed a moment or two of being able to simply stop and take a deep breath. He was surprised when she leaned back against him, snuggling into his arms.

  “This is nice,” she whispered.

  “Yes, it is.”

  She turned in his arms, and wrapped hers around his neck. “I’m sorry our date got ruined.”

  “It wasn’t your fault. But we’re here now, together.” Reaching up with one hand, he brushed a lock of hair behind her ear, allowing his fingertips to glide across the silky skin of her cheek.

  “Brody, I want…” Her words trailed off and her eyelids lowered, shielding her gaze. “Never mind.”

  He lifted her chin with his knuckle, and her eyes opened, meeting his. “Tell me, Beth.”

  “I want you to kiss me.”

  “My pleasure, sweetheart.” Leaning down, he brushed his lips across hers, gentle at first, but deepened the kiss when he felt her response. He seemed to come alive inside, as if he’d been sleepwalking through life and only now was finally awake. It grew more intimate as his tongue traced along the seam of her lips, and she opened to him, making him feel ten feet tall.

  The kiss ended with a gasp as they pulled apart, and he rested his forehead against hers.

  “Wow.” Her voice was breathless.

  “Wow, indeed.”

  “Seems a shame we waited so long. Maybe we should do it again sometime?” The twinkle in her eyes matched the tone in her voice, light and teasing. A matching grin curved her full, just-kissed lips.

  “Why wait?” He took her mouth in a devouring kiss, his hands cupping her face. Everything inside him seemed to click into place. This was what he wanted, what he’d been searching for without even realizing a piece of him had been missing.

  Lifting his lips from hers, he trailed a line of kisses along her throat. Beth tipped her head to the side, her eyes sliding closed, and she tangled a hand in his hair. He worked his way back to her lips, devouring them, and deepening the kiss until they were both breathless. He drew his mouth along the skin under her ear, and down her neck, over her collarbone. Her skin was soft, silken, and perfect beneath his lips.

  “Brody…” The words were a plea for more and he’d gladly give it. Give in to the desire rocketing through him. Make love to her until—

  “Brody, you and Beth come in. Time for supper.” Ms. Patti’s voice broke them apart, and Beth stepped back, giggling like a schoolgirl who’d been caught doing something naughty. Her hands slapped across her mouth, trying to hold back her laughter.

  “Momma’s timing could use a little work. Though she’s right, we shouldn’t be outside too long. Not with your ex still out there. It’s not safe.”

  Beth leaned her head against his shoulder. “I always feel safe with you, Brody. We probably should go in, though. Thank you for sharing this beautiful place with me.”

  “My pleasure. All of it.” In the glow of the twinkle lights, he watched pink suffuse her cheeks, knew she got the double entendre. “We’ll have to do it again sometime.” />
  “I think I’d like that.”

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Evan pulled the stolen car onto a dirt-and-rock encrusted path, barely visible road out in the middle of nowhere. He’d been avoiding anywhere people might be around, knowing his face was probably plastered all over the news. Anybody owning a television must’ve seen his mugshot by now. Between TV, the internet, and social media these days, he’d be lucky to stay off the grid for any length of time. He hoped it would be long enough to finish what he needed to do.

  He’d wandered through a couple of suburban backyards, definitely well outside the outskirts of town, where houses weren’t close together, spotting a few snot-nosed kids playing behind fences. But then again, he hadn’t seen a lot of fences in this Podunk small town. Guess people didn’t crave the privacy like the bigger cities. Not his cup of tea; he’d much rather live it up with loud music, wild nightlife, big cities, with bars, and lots of liquor. Maybe a couple of hookers. Prison had severely restricted his access to female companionship.

  People must be more trusting in Middle America too, because he’d discovered a whole lot of unlocked back doors while he’d been snooping around, scouting Beth’s location. He’d managed to enter a couple of houses without being spotted, grabbed clean clothes and food. Who’d have figured he’d turn into a halfway decent thief?

  Too bad Beth hadn’t been where she was supposed to be. He’d kept watch over the address of the apartment he’d been given, but he hadn’t spotted her or his daughter. But his luck turned when a woman in a rusty older compact sedan pulled in and started unloading groceries. The idiot obviously didn’t know a thing about the cardinal rule—never leave your keys in the ignition. Of course, he benefitted from her mistake, because he didn’t have a clue how to hotwire a car. Not a skill set he’d ever thought he’d need. When she’d foolishly walked toward the building’s entrance, he sprinted across the parking lot, slid behind the wheel, and sped away, easy-peasy.