Page 9 of Will (The Cowboys of Calamity, Texas #3)

Chapter Five

It took less than an hour for them to pack up Will’s motel room and start the thirty-mile trip to Calamity.

“Are you really staying with me until this guy is caught?” Honey took the driver’s seat, a move she hoped to keep in place for the rest of their time together.

She cast a sidelong glance in his direction. Long ago, she’d learned not to let the subject direct the interview, but something told her he wasn’t the type of man to give up control.

“Absolutely,” Will said. “I don’t plan to let you out of my sight.”

Point proved.

She took a deep breath, realizing he’d just given her the perfect opening for negotiation. “Okay, I’ll agree to those terms on one condition.”

“What’s that?”

“You let me interview you and write a profile story about your life.”

He gaped at her. “Are you serious?”

“It’s nonnegotiable for me, Will. If you’re going to move into my life, then I want to know all about yours.”

“It sounds like you already know about me. You even mentioned researching me this morning, remember?”

He paused while he studied her. If this was what it felt like to be a suspect under his scrutiny, she almost felt sorry for the bad guys. Then again, she suspected he didn’t inspect them in quite the same way he was evaluating her.

“Are you stalking me too, Honey? Or is there something else going on here?”

Busted. He would know if she tried to evade his question, so she might as well come clean.

“The truth is, I’ve got a conditional job offer from a regional news syndicate in Austin. But it’s contingent on my turning in the profile story I promised them.”

“So, you’re moving to Austin?”

“Only if I get that story turned in before the deadline, which is only two weeks away.” Her heart pounded. “That’s why this is so important to me.”

There was so much riding on this story, and whether he realized it or not, Will held her future in his hands. She pressed forward. “Before you ask, they won’t let me choose a different person to profile. They said it wouldn’t be fair to the other applicants.”

“Why did you choose me?” Will narrowed his gaze at her, as if debating the cost-benefit ratio and gauging whether she had an ulterior motive. “We haven’t even seen each other in what… fifteen years?”

That was the million-dollar question. Why had she chosen Will as her subject? There had always been something about him that fascinated her. Something that went beyond a teenage crush.

“I can’t explain it,” she said, keeping her eyes on the road. “When I heard about the requirement to write a profile story for this job, you’re the first person who came to mind.”

Aside from the fact that the man, the job, his lifestyle, and his sex appeal will attract the attention of readers of all backgrounds, there was another indefinable element that compelled her to write about him. An unnamed something that had caught her interest and wouldn’t let go.

She could feel her cheeks grow warm, but she wanted him to know the truth. “Sometimes you choose the story,” she said, “and other times the story chooses you.”

Her grip tightened on the steering wheel as a long silence settled between them.

“Okay,” Will said at last. “You can author my story, but what kinds of things will you want to know?”

Excited, she tried not to babble her explanation. “The way it works is that I’ll ask you more questions than will ever appear in the story. Basically, I’ll want to know everything.”

He groaned. “Does this mean you’re going to dissect my entire life?”

“I suppose you could put it that way.”

Then understanding dawned in his eyes. “That’s the real reason you showed up at the bar last night, isn’t it? For this profile story and that’s why you said: You’re just the man I’ve been looking for .”

She nodded. “I have been looking for you for a long time. Then I just saw a photo that showed you bartending at the Crossroads Bar. But I had to check it out for myself and make sure it was really you.”

He flinched at the fact that his image was floating around out there. “You were just doing your job, right?”

“Exactly.”

“And since I’ve agreed to this condition of yours,” he said. “That means you get to do your job the way you want to—and I get to do mine.”

There was something in his tone that made her suspicious. “Maybe you should detail exactly what your job will comprise.”

“Okay, here’s what you can expect.” He stretched out his long legs, leaned back against the headrest, and let his gaze rake over her. “I will be with you day and night, Honey…” he trailed off. “We’ll sleep in separate bedrooms, of course.”

“I only have a one-bedroom apartment.”

“Oh.” He was quiet for a moment, then shrugged. “I can sleep on the living room sofa.”

“Well, I hate to break it to you, but I don’t have sofa, either. Just a love seat.”

“No problem. I can sleep on the floor. You do have a floor, don’t you?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Do you have a sleeping bag?”

“No. But I do have lots of extra blankets and pillows.”

“That works for me.”

Honey wasn’t so certain it would work for her. The idea of seeing Will stretched out on her living room floor every morning was… unnerving.

“I know this situation isn’t easy for either of us,” Will continued, “but I’ve started investigating. I’m tired of waiting around for other people to find the person who threatened me. It’s time for it to end.”

“Person? You mean The Destroyer?”

“Where did that come from?”

“If we’re giving nicknames to villains, then I think The Destroyer is much better than Mr. Whiskey Sour.”

“You’re not wrong. The Destroyer it is.”

She gasped. “That’s it!”

“What’s it?”

“That could be the perfect angle for my story. You’re a natural protector, only this time you’re after The Destroyer. Someone who’s out to hurt you.”

“I’m not sure my story needs an angle…”

Before she could argue with him, her phone rang, and Aunt Cynthia’s photo popped up on the screen.

“Sorry, Will. I should probably get this.” She pushed a button on her audio console. “Hi, Aunt Cynthia.”

“Hello, Honey.” Her aunt’s voice carried through the car speaker. “Where are you?”

“I’m on my way back to Calamity. What’s going on?”

“Can you come over to my house when you get back. It’s important.”

“Of course,” Honey said, noting a strange edge in her tone. “Is something wrong?”

“Ronnie is missing, and you were the last one to see him.”

* * *

“This is it.” Honey parked along the curb in front of her aunt’s home.

Her aunt and Ronnie lived in a modern ranch-style house with natural wood siding and a dark shingled roof. Baskets of pink petunias hung from the top rail of the covered porch roof. The place was always immaculate, inside and out, and today was no different.

She and Will had driven straight here after arriving in Calamity, not wanting to make her aunt wait any longer. Divorced ten years ago, Aunt Cynthia was a proud, independent CPA.

Unfortunately, she hadn’t raised Ronnie to be independent.

Maybe that’s why he was so eager to break free and add some excitement to his life by becoming an investigative journalist. Before he’d graduated from high school, he’d spent so much time indoors playing video games that he’d developed a Vitamin D deficiency.

Honey watched Will climb out of the passenger seat. She was relieved to see that the swelling on his face had reduced considerably, including his black eye but he still looked like a mess. A handsome, sexy mess.

“I’m sorry we skipped lunch.”

He joined her on the sidewalk.

“I didn’t want to make Aunt Cynthia wait since she sounded so upset.”

“No problem.”

In that fleeting glance at her, however, she thought she’d detected a type of appetite that had nothing to do with food.

Under different circumstances, it would have been interesting to let her journalistic curiosity follow that glance with provocative questions, but now was neither the time nor the place.

Taking her cue from Will, she turned her attention back to the issue at hand and let her gaze sweep their surroundings.

The front yards were large and spacious, with lush green lawns and neatly trimmed landscaping.

Dogs barked in the distance and the savory aroma of someone grilling nearby made her mouth water.

The front door opened, then her aunt stepped out onto the porch wearing a simple navy pantsuit and a worried expression. “What took you so long?”

“We just got into town, and you only called me twenty minutes ago. I’m sure it seems longer because you’re worried about Ronnie.”

“It sure does.” Her aunt studied on Will, and her light-blond eyebrows rose in shocked surprise. “Oh, my heavens! What happened to your face?” Before he could answer, Aunt Cynthia placed a hand over her mouth. “Forgive me. That was so rude.”

“Don’t worry about it. I had the same reaction when I saw myself in the mirror this morning, but it feels better than it looks.”

Aunt Cynthia turned to Honey. “I like him. You should keep this one.”

“Will’s just a friend,” Honey said, hurrying to correct her aunt’s misunderstanding. Otherwise, the news about Honey’s new boyfriend would spread across Calamity like wildfire. “Will, this is my aunt, Cynthia Hallgren Baines.”

“Nice to meet you, Ms. Baines.” Will shook her hand.

“It’s nice to meet you, Will. Please, come in.” Aunt Cynthia ushered them inside the house. “I’m sorry this place is such a mess. But I haven’t been fit for company ever since Ronnie disappeared yesterday.”

Mess? The only thing she saw in disarray was a magazine placed at a slightly crooked angle on the end table.

“Tell us what happened,” Honey said as she and Will took a seat on the sofa.

“Well, Ronnie was supposed to be home for supper at six, but he never showed up.” Cynthia sat down in a leather wing chair, then turned to Will.

“You must understand my son never misses a meal. He might be thin as a reed, but he’s hearty eater.

” Then she shook her head. “I guess I shouldn’t say never misses a meal.

Ronnie has disappeared before. He often does it when he’s upset about something. ”

“Do you have any idea where he goes when he disappears?” Will asked.

“Usually, his tree house in the backyard, but I just checked it again, and he’s not there.”

Will furrowed his brow and winced. “How old is he?”

“Twenty,” Aunt Cynthia said. “He’ll be twenty-one next month.”

“So, he might not be missing?” Will asked with a quizzical glance at Honey. “Since he’s an adult.”

“Well, Ronnie’s never been gone overnight before without permission.

” Aunt Cynthia said. “All my calls to him go straight to voicemail and he’s not answering texts or emails either.

I checked with his friends, but none of them have heard from him.

” She clasped her hands together. “I’m just hoping he hasn’t suffered some kind of health crisis. He still has those chronic nosebleeds.”

“How about the police?” Will asked her. “Did you speak to them?”

“They asked a bunch of questions about him, then said they’d follow their usual missing persons protocol and keep me informed but I can’t just sit around and do nothing.” She turned to Honey. “And I don’t blame you , dear. But ever since he took that journalism class from you, Ronnie’s changed.”

“Changed how?” Honey asked, perplexed.

“He’s joined a boxing gym!” Aunt Cynthia said. “And now he’s spending his money on fancy clothes and haircuts. I think he’s even saving up for a sports car.” She put a hand near her mouth. “I’m afraid he might look to find drugs.”

Will shook his head. “I don’t know Ronnie, but it sounds to me like he’s looking for girls. Besides, boxing is a great sport. It builds muscle, discipline, and character. I did amateur boxing in college and still work out with a trainer.”

Honey looked at him in surprise. She’d watched that brief fight Will had with Steed and his pals. Had he pulled his punches?

But Will focused on Aunt Cynthia. “I overheard your phone call in Honey’s car, and you said she was the last one to see Ronnie. How do you know that if you haven’t talked to him?”

“Because he called me from his car when he was done with his workout,” Aunt Cynthia said. “We chatted until he arrived at her apartment building. Then Ronnie said, ‘ There’s Honey, I have to let you go, Mom .’”

Will and Aunt Cynthia both turned to look at her. But Honey couldn’t make herself admit to hiding in a dumpster just to avoid Ronnie. Not in front of his adoring mother. Or in front of Will, who would think she was nuts.

Technically, she could honestly say she hadn’t seen her cousin because of that short time when he’d blocked her dumpster peephole by parking his car in front of it. Instead, she decided to just leave out that whole degrading part in the middle about hiding in the dumpster.

“I did see Ronnie that afternoon,” Honey finally said. “He was driving around the parking lot when I was taking my trash out to the dumpster.” She cleared her throat. “But shortly after that, I saw him drive out of the parking lot, so I didn’t actually talk to him.”

“Well, at least he was okay when you saw him.” Aunt Cynthia breathed a soft sigh of relief. Then she rose to her feet. “Thank you both so much for stopping by.”