Page 6

Valentine’s Day

Johnny waited as long as he could before driving to Chester Farm. Showing up early for the couples’ dinner and dance would’ve made him look eager, and that was a far cry from what he was feeling this evening.

He chose not to dress up, either. All he did was shower off the farm-fresh smell and put on a clean outfit. Since it was unseasonably cold, he tossed an insulated denim jacket over his plaid shirt and stepped into his favorite pair of black boots. On his way out the door, he clapped on a Stetson.

Anyone who saw him this evening would see one thing only — a dairy farmer. Not Caro Madison’s almost boyfriend. Not a guy working his way toward his first date with Farmer Monty’s new events manager.

The only woman he was working toward a first date with was Ashley Perkins, though his insides twisted at the thought of going on a real date again. Despite his reputation, he was way out of practice with that stuff.

After a short inner debate, he drove his work truck to town instead of his Jeep. He didn’t want to give Caro the wrong idea by anything he said or did this evening. He was already regretting letting Josh strong-arm him into doing this. The closer he got to Chester Farm, the more he was convinced that this was a bad idea.

A mile or so down the road later, his concerns were validated when a series of heart-shaped signs popped into view. Red and white balloons were attached to them, stretching in a colorful line across the final stretch to Chester Farm. The messages on them made him want to do a U-turn and return home.

BE MINE

KISS ME

SAY YES

YOU & ME

TRUE LOVE

You’ve gotta be kidding me! Caro had made it sound like the all-new Valentine event she’d organized was no more than a social gathering for folks in their 20s and 30s. She’d also claimed it was designed for both couples and singles alike, though the signs she’d posted sure didn’t align with that statement. She had no right to bait and switch a guy like that. It felt dishonest somehow.

He was so busy fuming that he almost missed his turn into the farm. Jamming on his brakes, he squealed his tires on the pavement and hung a right at the last possible second. He skidded on the gravel lane, raising a cloud of dust.

It billowed like smoke behind his truck, matching his mood so perfectly that he purposely skidded again as he entered the parking lot. He did a half-donut in the dirt before pulling into his parking spot, which raised an even bigger cloud of dust. As he hopped out of his truck, a mixture of clapping, chuckling, and complaining met his ears.

“Aw, come on, Johnny,” one guy shouted. “My wife made me wear a white shirt tonight!”

Guilt slammed into him, making him holler back an apology. He’d hung so much dirt in the air that he could taste the grit of it in his mouth. It was plumb rude of him, and he wasn’t normally rude.

What’s gotten into me? He lifted his Stetson and ran a hand through his hair, probably rubbing some of the dust into it. He needed to shake off whatever this was so he could do his job.

“Hey, Johnny!” The familiar voice caught him off guard. It was followed by a friendly cuff on the shoulder.

He turned in surprise to face Josh Hawling. “What are you doing here?” Josh was the last person he’d expected to run into this evening. Johnny gave a quick glance around them, but the rugged bull rider hall-of-famer was alone. He angled his head in the direction of the barn that housed tonight’s dinner and dance, beckoning Johnny to follow him.

“Did I miss an important memo?” Johnny kept his voice low.

“Nope.” Josh’s voice was terse. “There’s been an update to the tip the police received, though, one I thought it would be best to deliver in person.” He slowed his steps, falling well behind the group in front of them. “The sheriff reached out to one of his counterparts in Dallas. Long story short, there’s a trail of bodies that may or may not be connected to a business owned by Caro Madison.”

“Sunrise Solutions?” He remembered Caro bragging about owning her own business. He hadn’t thought much about it at the time.

Josh nodded.

Not good. “How many victims are we talking about?”

“Three.” Josh blew out a weary breath before adding, “That we know of.”

Not good at all ! “Are you trying to tell me you sent me to a holiday party to hunt down a serial killer?”

“We’re not sure about anything yet.” Josh didn’t sound too thrilled about the possibilities. “Which is why I’m joining you tonight. No way am I sending you in alone to face whatever this is.”

“I take it we still have no idea who called in the tip in the first place?”

“That is correct.”

Johnny shot a sideways look at Josh’s black jacket, cargo pants, and combat boots. “You aren’t exactly dressed for a party.”

“Neither are you.” Josh jammed a thumb at him. “I came here straight from work. What’s your excuse?”

Johnny’s boots ground to a halt in the gravel. “Believe it or not, I’m not in the mood to party.” Like Ashley, his mood tended to swing into the un-Valentine range this time of year.

“You sure had me fooled.” Josh looked repentant. “Honestly? I thought I was doing you a favor. At least I did before you told me about Ashley.”

“I’m tired of folks assuming I’m single and looking,” Johnny growled.

“Isn’t that what you wanted ‘em to believe?”

“At first, but only because it was easier that way.” Johnny had come to Heart Lake for a fresh start, not looking for sympathy. “But the fact remains, I’m a widower. Not a single guy. And there’s a difference.” A big one.

“Don’t I know,” Josh sighed. “Looks like Gage and I may have butted our heads in where they don’t belong.”

“That’s not what I meant.” Johnny met his gaze. “I’m beyond grateful for the way you butted into my life a couple of years ago and offered me a job.”

“But stay out of your love life, eh?” Josh dropped his hand.

“I didn’t say that, either.” Johnny glanced away, trying to find the right words. “But moving on isn’t as easy as you made it sound the other day. No matter what comes next, I’m still gonna have two headstones up in Wyoming, bro.” His voice cracked.

“I’m sorry, Johnny.” Josh ducked his head. “More than you’ll ever know.”

It felt like flood gates had burst inside of Johnny. “Holidays are my least favorite time of the year. All of them. But especially Christmas and Valentine’s Day.” It felt good to finally say that out loud.

Josh was silent for a moment. “You know what? Maybe you should sit this one out.”

“And leave you exposed?” Johnny wasn’t looking to be sidelined. He just wanted to be heard. “Not on your life!”

Josh’s jaw tightened. “As much as I appreciate you saying that?—”

“I’m not going home!” Johnny couldn’t believe his friend was even suggesting it. “I’ll admit I’ve been messed up in the head for the past three years, but I’ve always managed to get the job done. Nobody at Lonestar would claim otherwise.” Not even you!

“True,” Josh conceded in a grudging voice. “If you stay in the game, what’s your plan?”

He capitulated so quickly that Johnny suspected it had been his mission all along to goad him into sticking it out for the evening. “My plan is evolving now that you decided to tag along.”

Josh grinned. “Brilliant!”

Johnny gave him a sour look before continuing. “I’ll play the part of Caro’s plus one, but only as a friend. Nothing more.” There would be no goodnight kisses. No follow-up dates. No further expectations in that direction from her or anyone else after tonight. He was making that clear to all parties involved, starting with his boss.

“How will you explain my presence?” he demanded.

“I’ll say something about how your wife is always working long hours.”

“Ah.” He nodded sagely. “A pity invite.”

You had it coming. But Johnny chose to keep that thought to himself. “I’ll remind Caro of her claim that this event is for singles, marrieds, and everything in between. Tactfully, of course, while I discreetly ply her for details about her past, present, and future.” He glanced down at Josh’s combat boots. “It’s a good thing you have your dancing shoes on. Prepared, as always,” he noted sarcastically.

Josh bounced experimentally on his heels. “You think I can’t dance in these?”

“Can you?” He was going to need to do more than bounce this evening, and combat boots weren’t going to glide across the floor as easily as cowboy boots.

“Watch and learn, bro. Watch and learn.” Josh broke into a two-step in the gravel, proving he was up to the task on any terrain.

You’re gonna be sweating bullets in there, showoff! “Final part of my plan is this,” Johnny warned. “I’m ditching this joint early. And now that you’re here, you’re part of my getaway plan.”

His employer looked intrigued. “I’m all ears.”

“You’re gonna call or text me near the end of the dinner hour, so I can claim an emergency back at the farm.” He’d be counting the minutes. “Afterward, we’ll hold our debriefing session at a time and place of your choosing.” It was his way of volleying tonight’s shenanigans back on Josh’s side of the court.

“Alright.” Josh clapped his hands. “Let’s do this!” He joined the next cluster of revelers who passed by them and used their momentum to propel him into the barn.

Johnny had to roll his shoulders to work off some of his irritation before following him inside. The building was vibrating with music, voices, and energy. The dance floor was smack dab in the center of the room. The rotating disco lights above it made his temples ache. On either side of the dance floor were rows of round banquet tables. They were covered in alternating red and white tablecloths. Clusters of roses and candles served as centerpieces.

Nothing about the room felt like a friend zone. There was one thing only in the air —romance.

Caro appeared out of nowhere and wrapped her hands around his arm. “There you are, cowboy!" Her gaze swept possessively over him and didn’t appear to find any fault with his outfit, probably because most of the guys present were wearing jeans and boots.

She looked swanky, as usual. Tonight she was in a red satin cocktail dress that hugged her figure. Her matching heels were as high as stilts, bringing them eye-to-eye.

“Sorry about being late,” he muttered, truly hating the thought of putting a dent in her confidence. Pursuing a man she was attracted to wasn’t a crime. He just wished she’d set her sights on someone else. “Got held up with a calf that’s not thriving.” Though Brie’s condition was nothing new, it would be the perfect excuse for cutting out early.

“That’s what you have farm hands for,” Caro trilled back in a sassy southern accent that grew a layer of frost when she added, “Didn’t you just hire a new one?”

You know I did. “My staff is under orders to call the vet first if she gets any worse. And to call me right after they get off the phone with the vet. Just wanted you to know what’s going on.”

She pouted as she tugged him onward to the dance floor. “It sounds like we’d best get our first dance in right away, sugar.”

Every cell in him rebelled at being called sugar by her, but he offered no resistance as she finished dragging him beneath the disco lights. “Nice dress, by the way.”

“Thanks.” She cocked her head in mock consideration of his own outfit. “You don’t look half bad yourself.” There was a dry note in her voice that told him she hadn’t missed the lack of effort he’d put into his appearance this evening.

Good. He wasn’t trying to impress her, but his goal all along had been to lead her to that conclusion for herself. Not crush her with a bunch of unnecessary words. He sensed a strength in her that others probably overlooked, possibly by design on her part. Either way, he was confident she could handle the truth if he fed it to her gently.

He forced himself to shuffle his feet to the music. Though he still hated Valentine’s Day, he genuinely wanted to be her friend, and a friend would at least pretend to enjoy himself.

Caro pasted on a brilliant smile and started dancing beside him. No matter how careful he was, their elbows were constantly bumping and brushing as the dance wore on. The way she kept looking at him and laughing made him worry all over again that she wasn’t getting the message. It was unfortunate. However, he hadn’t been sent here to tiptoe around her feelings. He’d been sent here to find out if she had any connection to the body count piling up in Dallas, and that’s what he intended to do.

The line dance ended, and the band struck the opening notes to a slower song. Caro sashayed around to face him, sliding her arms around his neck. Though his shoulder’s tensed, he reminded himself this was his opportunity to do what he came to do — talk.

He kept his hands on her waist to keep her from plastering herself against him. “Good turnout tonight.” He nodded at the hubbub around them.

“Did you doubt my ability to fill a room?” There was a teasing lilt to her voice.

He ignored the question. “Hope you don’t mind that I brought another one of my friends with me.” It was a subtle reminder that he and she were just friends.

“Not at all.” Her mouth tightened, and her fingers uncurled from behind his neck, settling on his shoulders. “Who?”

“Josh Hawling.” He forced a smirk, trying to make it look like he was enjoying a private joke. “We go way back.”

“No kidding?” She relaxed and glanced around the room in search of him. “Did he bring his wife with him?”

He shrugged, surprised she knew so much about Josh already. “She puts in long hours.” Josh’s wife was the head principal of Heart Lake High School. “They both do. When he told me he was on his own this evening, I felt sorry for him and dragged him along.” He caught sight of his friend and burst out laughing. For real. No pretending required.

Josh was a few strides away from them, slow dancing alone. His miming skills were impeccable. Anyone watching him could practically see the invisible woman he was dipping and twirling with.

His antics weren’t going unnoticed, either. The cozy romantic setting in the barn was soon punctuated with hearty laughter and noisy cheering as his growing audience egged him on.

Caro was the only one in the room who didn’t look amused. “Not what I had in mind for this evening, but okay.”

“Oh, come on,” Johnny cajoled. “Everyone’s having fun. You’re a genius for coming up with this idea!”

She tossed her head airily. “That I am, darling!” Because of her accent, the word came out sounding like dah-ling .

He kept his voice casual. “How long have you been doing this?”

“Only a few months, actually.” It sounded like an honest answer. “When I lived in Dallas, I ran my own business. I think I told you about it.”

“You did.” He nodded eagerly. “Sunrise Solutions, right?”

“Ding. Ding. Ding.” She smiled warmly at him. “You passed the quiz, cowboy.”

“Guess there’s another genius in the room,” he bragged before plying his next question. “What made you decide to switch jobs?”

She adopted a faraway look. “Sheer boredom. My clients in Dallas mostly wanted housekeeping services. The dog walking gigs were few and far between. So were the personal chef orders.” She sniffed. “A girl can only clean so many kitchens and bathrooms before going out of her mind. I was desperate for a change.” Her fingers twined around the back of his neck again.

“Looks like you found it.” It was difficult to keep his voice neutral with the way she was clinging to him.

“Yes and no.” She wrinkled her nose at him. “Farmer Monty just this morning asked if I’d consider trading some light housekeeping duties for room and board.”

Whoa! If his ears were working correctly, Caro was preparing to move in at Chester Farm! This was a big development and vitally concerning. Josh needed to be informed immediately.

He carefully schooled his expression, but it was becoming harder to do so. “Where are your new digs?”

She glanced laughingly up at the ceiling. “Right above us, cowboy. There’s a pretty roomy apartment up there that his foreman just vacated.”

Johnny pretended to scowl at her. “How’d you pull that off? Put a snake in his bed?”

“You’re hilarious.” She rolled her eyes at him. “He decided to get his own place, because he’s getting married.”

“Good for him.” It felt like everyone was getting married all of a sudden. “And you.”

“I thought so.” She looked smug. “As Farmer Monty pointed out, I practically live here already.”

He used her dramatic pause to lather on another compliment. “He thinks the world of you, you know.”

“I do.” Her features softened. “I think a lot of him, too. As cliche as it sounds, he’s the closest thing I’ve ever had to a father.”

A warning bell went off in Johnny’s head at the realization that she might only be painting a scenario for getting closer to the guy. Too close, considering what was at stake.

The dance ended, but Caro didn’t let go of him. She folded her hands around his arm again and led him to the front of the room. “Since you’re my honored guest, you get to sit with me at the head table.”

As they reached their seats, she reached for the wireless microphone waiting for her beside her plate. Turning it on, she called out, “Are y’all having a good time?”

A cheer rose at her words.

She gave the audience a cheery thumbs up. Then she directed their attention to the big screen mounted on the wall. “While our catering staff puts the finishing touches on tonight’s feast, we’re going to play a game.” She paused dramatically. “With prizes!”

More cheering and clapping erupted. She waited until it died down before explaining the rules. The game required taking out their cell phones and following a big heart-shaped QR code to sign in. It turned out to be a trivia game about everything romance — dating stats, what to do or not to do on a first date, top destination weddings, and on and on. Most of the attendees joined the game, leading to a new round of fun and hilarity. The serving line opened soon afterward, and happy couples flooded to the line to fill their plates with chicken cordon bleu, filet mignon, and more sides and desserts than Johnny could keep track of.

The trivia game continued through the dinner hour. Caro didn’t participate in the game, which made sense for a hostess. She turned off her microphone and took a seat next to Johnny, leaning his way in a manner that most folks would likely interpret as intimate.

He mentally shook his head over the quandary he was in. Despite his best efforts tonight to emphasize and re-emphasize their status as just friends, she seemed determined to present a different picture to those gathered around them.

“This is great.” Despite the enticing aromas filling the air, his appetite shrank with each passing moment. “Something tells me this might become a new tradition in Heart Lake.”

“I hope so.” Caro’s voice grew unexpectedly wistful. “I like it here, Johnny. I truly do.”

He gave a dry chuckle. “You keep pulling off successful stunts like this, and they’ll recruit you to a bigger town in two snaps. More opportunities. More money.”

She raised and lowered her shoulders. “Money isn’t everything, Johnny. You can’t put a price on a night like this.” She leaned even closer to him.

“If you say so,” he joked, trying to steer them back toward lighter banter. “But I believe you charged fifty bucks a head for all of this?” Not him, of course, but everyone else.

Her eyes widened defensively. “This feast wouldn’t have catered itself!”

“No, it would not.” The scent of her perfume grew stronger. He leaned back in his chair to carve out a little more breathing room for himself.

His cell phone buzzed in his pocket. Finally! He dove for it, holding in a whoop of relief. As he scanned Josh’s text message, he held his phone at an angle that made it impossible for Caro to read it.

Emergency at the farm, dairy boy!

“Not good.” He made a big show of frowning at the screen. “Looks like I’m going to have to dash.” He glanced up from his phone with an apologetic look.

She pouted some more. “You did warn me.”

“I’m sorry to cut out early.” He pushed back his chair, scowling ferociously.

“It’s okay.” She reached up to smooth her hand over her updo, though he couldn’t see a hair out of place. “I don’t blame you for not wanting to leave things at the farm in the hands of someone so inexperienced.”

Inexperienced? He was surrounded by rockstars when it came to dairy farming. The combined experience that he, Clint, Tucker, and Hawk had was off the charts.

Caro gestured impatiently. “I was referring to the new girl you hired to look after the calves.”

Is that what she thought Ashley had been hired to do? He nodded, deciding to play along. “Thanks for understanding.”

She leaned his way again, adopting a conspiratorial voice. “Between me, you, and the doorpost, I’m not sure how long she’s going to stick around.”

“Oh?” She was clearly in the mood to gossip, and he was most definitely in the mood to listen to anything having to do with Ashley Perkins. However, he was supposed to be heading out to handle an emergency, so he stood and bent closer to invite her to share whatever was eating at her.

Though the noise around them ensured the privacy of their conversation, she cupped a hand around her mouth as she confided, “Things may not be as over with her ex-fiancé as she pretends.”

Johnny wasn’t sure what sort of reaction she was expecting, so he simply gestured for her to continue.

“It’s none of my business, of course.” Caro gave him an arched look. “But she’d be a fool to end things with him for good, considering what she’s got festering back in Dallas. He’s an attorney, you know.”

No, Johnny hadn’t known that. “An attorney, huh?” He whistled.

Unholy glee glittered in her gaze. “If I had a lawsuit brewing, I might be on the hunt for a lawyer boyfriend, too.” She fluttered her eyelashes at him, clearly encouraging him to fly to her defense.

“You’re killing me,” he grumbled as he straightened. “Laying a bomb on me like that while I gotta calf I gotta get home to.”

“If you want to know what else I found out about your new farm hand,” Caro cooed, “call me.”

Smooth. He mentally gave her points for that one. “Thanks for dinner. This was great.” He had no intention of calling her, preferring to get his information directly from the horse’s mouth. His heart thumped harder at the realization that it would give him an excuse to pay Ashley a visit. This evening, if he wanted.

Caro stood and clung to his side as he made his way to the door.

Josh glanced up from a circle of friends and waved goodbye. Though he was laughing, there was a searching quality to his gaze. And concern.

Johnny nodded at him and kept moving. To his relief, Caro relinquished her hold on his arm at the door.

“Thanks for being my plus one, cowboy.”

Johnny held back a grimace. “Thanks again for the invite. Sorry about cutting out early.” He reached for the doorknob.

“We should get together for coffee soon,” she pressed.

“I’ll, uh, have to get back to you about that.” He pulled open the door, more than ready to escape. “See you, Caro.”

“Goodnight, cowboy,” she sang out.

He didn’t look back. He just kept walking. On his way to his truck, he texted what he’d learned from Caro to his employer. He ended it with a question.

What next?