He surprised her by saying, “I can understand her hesitation. Vince Garduchi doesn't like to be crossed. But she made the wrong choice.”
“Yes, she did. And Vince has made it clear to me that any memory of her is distressful to him. He wants me to relocate and I've decided to do just that.” Even as she spoke the words, she knew she wasn't going to let Vince Garduchi get away scot-free. He'd ruined her life and she was determined to ruin his. She'd leave, but she'd come back in disguise and find a way to nail him.
“I think that's a wise choice. As a cop there are too many ways he can have you killed and never let it get traced back to him.”
She could swear she heard relief in her superior's voice. “I'll be dropping off my resignation, badge and gun sometime tomorrow.”
“Take care of yourself,” he said and hung up.
“Ain't nobody going to weep over my leaving,” she muttered.
“It's for the best.” Boyd had followed her inside and listened to her side of the conversation.
She hid the pain of sending him away behind a mask of cold control. “I thought I told you to go home.”
“Only if you come with me.”
He reminded her of a mountain rooted firmly in the earth on which it stood. She pictured him with a bullet hole in his head and her resolve solidified into granite. “What I'm doing, I'm doing for your good,” she snapped. Then seating herself at her desk, she scribbled out a resignation.
Boyd sat quietly on the couch watching until she was finished. “And now it's time for you to meet my family,” he said.
She tossed him a scowl over her shoulder. “Now it's time for me to take a shower and get a night's sleep. Tomorrow, I start life anew without you. You know where the door is, use it.” Without looking back, she headed down the hall.
Boyd watched her departing back. An uneasiness stirred within him. The Katrina he'd grown to know and love was no quitter. He was certain she planned to go after Garduchi on her own. He couldn't allow that.
While she was in the shower, he retrieved his bag from the car and made certain the house was securely locked. He was again seated on the couch when Katrina came into the living room. He knew she was wearing nothing under her robe and his blood heated.
“You're still here,” she grumbled. “I thought I told you to get out.”
“I'm not leaving you on your own. Not now, not ever. Dominic was right about one thingâyou have too much of a penchant for trouble.”
Too tired to deal with him, she promised herself she'd find a way to get rid of him tomorrow. Going into the kitchen she took a couple more aspirin, then went to bed.
Boyd waited until she was in bed, then took a hot shower. Afterwards, he didn't even debate about whether he should sleep in her room or the guest room. Wanting her to know that he meant what he said no matter what the danger, he went into her room and stretched out on her bed. It took all of his self-control, but he stayed on top of the cover.
Katrina had heard him taking a shower. She'd tried to ignore the sound of the water and go to sleep, but when she'd closed her eyes, she'd pictured him lathering himself and embers of desire sparked to life.
You have to forget him,
she'd ordered herself. But that proved impossible. Tears of frustration burned at the back of her eyes. Why couldn't her aunt have been on the level? Just once, why couldn't something in her life have gone right? Her jaw hardened with determination. She would see Vince brought down even if it was the last thing she ever did.
Then Vince was forgotten as the bed moved and she realized that Boyd had lain down beside her. She'd been too tired to pull on a nightgown and with only the sheet between them, she could feel the heat of his body. The embers that she'd managed to quell blazed to life. Making sure she remained covered, she turned over to tell him to go away. Instead she heard herself saying with a husky edge, “You're a hard man to get rid of.”
He smiled crookedly. “Impossible, actually.”
He made her feel safe and secure and alive with excitement all at the same time.
For his sake you can't weaken,
she fumed and commanded herself to order him out. But the words refused to issue.
What harm could one more night with him do?
she argued. Didn't she deserve some pleasure before she devoted herself to bringing Vince down? The fire he fueled within her grew hotter. “You can stay the night, but tomorrow you definitely have to leave.”
His smile broadened as his mouth found hers. “We'll talk about tomorrow, tomorrow,” he said against her lips.
She drew back a little. “I want your word.”
“You have my word,” he replied, then claimed her mouth fully.
That this would be their last few hours together caused a wave of bittersweetness to wash through her. Then refusing to let anything darken this final precious time with him, she forgot about everything but the moment and let his touch fill her senses.
Boyd was startled by the intensity of his passion for Katrina. Their first night together now seemed like nothing more than an appetizer feeding his hunger. Getting rid of the sheet separating them, he drew her close. “We were meant for each other,” he whispered in her ear.
Every fiber of her being agreed with him. But the urge to protect him was stronger. “Remember your promise,” she returned, barely able to speak as his caress threatened to take her breath away.
“I remember,” he assured her, reveling in the feel of her body beneath his hands.
Telling herself that she had to store memories for a lifetime in this one night, Katrina allowed herself to forget everything but the sweet, delicious sensations of his lovemaking.
Boyd caressed her and kissed each inch of her, marking his claim to all of her.
Each touch, each kiss, Katrina imprinted in her mind like a bouquet she could press in a book and have forever.
So desperate was their desire to enjoy each other to the fullest that together they soared to the heights of ecstacy neither had believed possible.
Afterwards, they fell asleep in each other's arms. Later they woke, ate, made love again, then again fell asleep in each other's arms.
Chapter 15
K
atrina awoke early the next morning snuggled next to Boyd. For several minutes she lay quietly gathering memories for the bleak future ahead without him. Finally, she forced herself to move away from him, but before she could leave the bed, he caught her and pulled her back into his arms.
She considered allowing a final bout of lovemaking but was afraid she would not have the strength to make him go. Putting her hand up between his face and hers to stop him from kissing her, she said, “This is tomorrow. You promised to leave.”
“I promised that we'd talk about it,” he corrected.
She frowned. “That's not what I meant when I asked for your word and you know it.”
“It's what I meant.” His expression turned serious. “You can't possibly believe I would leave you on your own. I know you, my darling Katrina. You're not going to run out of town like a frightened dog with your tail tucked between your legs. You're planning to come back and bring down Garduchi. Well, you're not doing that without me.”
“It's my personal fight, not yours.”
“Yours or mine, it's all the same. We belong together.” Boyd's voice held no compromise.
“No, we don't. Even if Garduchi was behind bars, my name would still carry the taint of what my father, brother and those before them did.” She tried to push away from him.
Boyd's hold tightened. “Leaving you behind would be like leaving a part of myself. That's not going to happen.”
Tears of frustration filled her eyes. “This isn't easy for me, either. But it's for the best.”
“You promised me you would come to Texas and meet my family. You'll see. You'll fit in just fine.”
“Like a skunk among kittens.”
“They make some of the most expensive perfumes from skunk oil.”
Katrina studied the line of his jaw. It was determined. There was clearly only one way to prove to him that she was right and he was wrong. She would go. Not only would her family history turn his family against her, but there also was her vendetta against Garduchi. They were sure to realize that she was no good for Boyd and, for once in her life, she would be grateful that she was not wanted. Keeping him safe was all that mattered to her.
The trip would serve another purpose as well. It would convince Dominic that there was a romantic link between her and Boyd. When she returned alone, she would spread the word that his family hadn't approved of her and she was striking out on her own. Dominic would believe that without any trouble. Besides, it would be the truth. “All right, I'll go to Texas with you. But I don't want to be an unexpected shock. You call and tell your mother about me and my family before we leave.”
“As soon as I've made the reservations, I'll give her a call,” Boyd promised.
“And on our way to the airport, I'll stop by the station and turn in my resignation, badge and gun,” Katrina added.
Boyd smiled triumphantly, then released her and reached for the phone to make the reservations.
A look of purpose glistened in Katrina's eyes as she rose from the bed. Once she and Boyd's family had convinced him that she would never fit into his life, she would return here a free agent to pursue Garduchi on her own.
Â
All the way to the airport, she'd told herself that meeting his family was nothing to worry about. It was simply a necessary gesture to prove to Boyd that they had no future together. Still, she was nervous...too nervous to remain silent. “So which members of your family will I be meeting?” she asked as the plane took off.
Boyd grinned. “First, there's my two brothers, Slade and Jess. One or both will be meeting us at the airport.”
She read the affection he felt for them in his eyes. “I recall you mentioning them. Slade's the older one and a Texas Ranger. Jess is the younger but you never said what he did for a living.” It was amazing, she thought, how she remembered everything Boyd had ever told her and Leona about himself.
Pride mingled with the affection. “Jess majored in animal husbandry and accounting in college. My mom wanted at least one of us to stay home and take over running the ranch.”
“The ranch?” Looking at him in his jeans, shirt and western boots, she could easily visualize him riding and roping. He did, in fact, fit the romanticized image she'd had of cowboys when she was young. But then he'd looked great even in the fake beard and mustache.
Get over it!
she ordered herself. In a day or two he would be out of her life forever.
“My great-grandfather on my daddy's side always said a man needed a place to call home. He purchased a few hundred acres, built a house, bought some cattle and horses, then left my great-grandmother to tend the place and raise their children while he was out chasing bad guys. She did a real good job, same as my fraternal grandmother and my mother.” His smile softened and he kissed the tip of her nose. “The men in my family have always married strong-willed women. You'll fit in just fine.”
Strong-willed women from honorable families, she corrected mentally. “Who else will I be meeting?” she asked, determined to remain indifferent to the negative reactions she was braced for.
“My mother, White Moon, and my maternal grandmother, Evening Flower. Blue Flame, my maternal grandfather has passed away and so have my father's parents.”
Four people isn't very many disapproving faces to face,
she told herself. But as they disembarked from their plane in Lubbock, the indifference she wanted to feel became more difficult to maintain. The only thing that kept her legs moving was knowing that his family's disapproval would be proof that she was right.
Noticing her tenseness, Boyd smiled reassuringly. “You're going to meet my family, not walking to the gallows.”
“Facing the dislike of a family who want to protect one of their own from making a disastrous choice, isn't easy. I'm only doing this to convince you that we have no future together,” she replied stiffly.
“You've got to have more faith in people.”
“I have a lifetime of experience.” The question that had been haunting her since the trip started, demanded to be asked. “So what did you tell them about me?”
“I told them about your father and his family and how you've spent your adult life trying to do good. I also told them I'm in love with you and I'm going to marry you.”
“And how did they react?”
“Cautiously. It's their nature,” he answered honestly.
“I hope you made hotel reservations for me,” she returned dryly.
“No need for that,” a male voice said in an easy drawl. “There's plenty of room at the ranch.”
Katrina turned to see a man in jeans and a blue button-down, western-cut shirt. He looked slightly older than Boyd, but had the same muscular build and similar features. The star of a Texas Ranger was pinned to his shirt. He had to be Slade.
“Good to see you.” The man held out his hand to Boyd, with warm welcome.
“You're looking fit,” Boyd replied accepting the handshake.
The firmness of their grip and the way they smiled at each other told Katrina that these men cared deeply for each other.
Releasing Boyd's hand, Slade's attention turned to her. “And you are obviously Katrina.” He extended his hand to her. “I'm Slade.”
The smile remained on his face but she noticed that it had gone from his eyes. “I guessed as much,” she said, accepting the handshake.
As they shook, he studied her narrowly. His gaze was cool and shuttered giving her no idea what he was thinking. Sure he disapproved of her, she said stiffly. “I shouldn't have come.”
Boyd slipped an arm around her waist before she could head to the ticket counter and book a seat on the next plane out. “Slade has an especially irritating effect on most women. Saw one actually take a swing at him once.”
“I apologize.” Slade removed his Stetson hat in a gesture of respect. “Takes me a while to warm to newcomers. I didn't mean to seem inhospitable.” Returning his hat to his head, he added, “We'd best be picking up your luggage and getting on our way. Mom's expecting us for dinner.”
Katrina followed, but she doubted Boyd's older brother was ever going to warm up to her.
Leaving Lubbock, Slade asked Boyd to fill him in on the details of the Garduchi case. Katrina cringed when Boyd told about how her aunt had drugged them.
Slade shook his head and laughed. “Women. I keep telling you to keep a close eye on them. You never know when they're going to deliver a sucker punch.”
Riding alone in the back seat, Katrina pressed into the corner, wishing she hadn't come.
Boyd gave his brother an impatient look. “Just because you have the kind of effect on women that makes them want to either slap you in the face or give you a hard right to the stomach, doesn't mean they're all untrustworthy.”
Slade glanced over his shoulder to Katrina. “Sorry.” Returning his attention to the road, he added, “I've had some bad luck with women. Makes me a little cynical. Didn't mean any offense.”
“None taken,” she replied levelly, reminding herself that she hadn't expected to be liked.
“So what happened next?” Slade directed the question to Boyd.
“Not much. Leona got herself caught and killed and Garduchi got his books back. So we're back to square one and we've turned the case over to the locals again.”
Again, Slade glanced back at Katrina. “Sorry about your aunt.”
She noted that there was honest sympathy in his voice. “Thanks.”
It disappeared as he added grimly, “But when you ride with the Devil, you're bound to get burned.”
She was certain that warning was directed at her. It was Slade's way of saying he wasn't buying her story that she'd severed all ties with Garduchi. Her shoulders straightened with pride and she narrowed her gaze on the back of his neck. “I didn't come here because I'm hoping to marry your brother. I came here to prove to him that his family would never accept me and that we can have no future together.”
Slade tossed Boyd a dry grin. “Don't reckon what any of us thinks will make any difference. He'll do what he wants to do.” He glanced at Katrina in the rearview mirror and his expression sobered. “But just to set the record right, I was talking about your aunt. Boyd says you're straight and I'm willing to believe him.”
He sounded sincere. Still, she doubted he'd ever approve of her as a wife for his brother.
“So what case are you working on right now?” Boyd asked, turning the conversation to Slade.
“Just helped the Feds round up some bank robbers,” Slade replied, then launched into the details of the chase.
Â
It was nearly an hour after leaving the airport that Slade turned onto a dirt driveway blocked by a swinging gate. While Boyd opened the gate, Katrina's attention was held by the ranch house in the distance, her stomach knotting tighter with each passing moment.
Slade was parking in front of the well-maintained, large, rambling structure when a cowboy rode up. He looked younger than her companions but the features were similar and she guessed he was Boyd's younger brother, Jess.
“You sure can pick'um,” the younger version of Boyd said, giving Boyd a wink as he dismounted in one lithe movement and opened the door for Katrina. Pulling off his gloves, he offered her his hand. “I'm Jess. Welcome.”
He seemed genuinely pleased to meet her and she smiled back. “Thank you.” Then she saw the hint of uncertainty in his eyes and knew that behind his friendly greeting, he too wasn't so sure she was a good match for his brother.
A pretty Native American woman, her black hair streaked with gray, came out onto the porch. Slipping an arm around Katrina's waist, Boyd guided her forward.
The woman's eyes glistened with joy at the sight of Boyd. Coming off the porch as he and Katrina approached, she gave him a hug. “It's good to have you home.”
“It's good to be here,” he replied, his love for the woman written on his face.
Boyd had released his hold on Katrina to return his mother's hug. Now he again slipped his arm around her waist. “This is Katrina, Mom. Katrina, this is my mother, White Moon.”
“I'm pleased to meet you,” Katrina said, noticing the woman's smile cool slightly and her eyes become shuttered.
“As a friend of my son's, you are welcome in my home,” White Moon replied.
Again Katrina wished she hadn't come. White Moon's manner was polite but it was clear that she also was uncertain if she should be pleased to meet Katrina. “I appreciate your hospitality.” Katrina wondered how much more her stomach could tighten before she threw up.