Page 11 of Wyoming Bodyguard (Sunrise Security #1)

N umbers ran on repeat in Madden’s brain twenty minutes later as he and Lily rode four-wheelers back out to the shed on the edge of her property.

After he and Reid popped inside for a quick drink of water, Lily had called him into the office to show him what she’d found.

He might not have figured out exactly what Kevin Tremont was tracking, but it couldn’t be good.

Lily swung off her ride and removed the dark blue helmet. Dust and wind had created a beautiful mess of her hair and face. “What’s the plan?”

He averted his gaze and bit back a groan.

Just when he thought she couldn’t get sexier, she had to do something so simple and natural that made her look like she’d walked off a movie set.

He wanted nothing more than to comb his fingers through those long, tangled tresses and finish what they’d started earlier.

No, it couldn’t happen. Her reaction after they’d kissed had made her feelings clear. The word shouldn’t from her mouth had been like a bucket of icy water. He’d never pursue a woman after she’d told him no. No matter how badly his body craved her.

Hopping down, he shrugged the backpack off his shoulders and dug inside. “I just need to install a camera on the shed. Somewhere a little hidden.”

After working off his initial burst of irritation and confusion, he’d changed his mind about coming so far out on the property without Lily.

He’d sent Reid back to the office to grab more floodlights and investigate any drug-related crimes in the area then he’d asked Lily to help him with the equipment.

He didn’t really need the help, but she’d agreed quickly enough to tell him he’d made the right call.

“Do you think my dad is involved with selling drugs?” She stared at the old shed as if afraid of the secrets the shingles could tell. Thin, white clouds padded the sky, casting her in shadows.

The tortured tone of her voice gutted him. He couldn’t say he understood what she was going through, but he had lived with a father who’d kept a big secret. A secret that had changed the trajectory of their entire family.

But he couldn’t get caught up in emotions—hers or his own. Doing so before had proven disastrous. Digging into his bag, he grabbed his equipment and scanned the limited nooks and crannies.

“Hard to say. The deposit amounts you found were large and frequent, but we couldn’t track down a bank account.

If those amounts were tied to selling drugs, there’d have to be a lot more than what we found.

The house has been searched, and unless whoever broke in stole his stash, there’d have to either be more drugs somewhere or another place your dad’s hiding them.

Not to mention a connection to the supplier. ”

She stayed rooted to the spot, the long blades of grass and weeds brushing against her legs.

“I spend too much time with him for something so major to go unnoticed. I mean, this isn’t a scene from Breaking Bad .

This is my life. My dad’s life. No way he’s sneaking around, dealing drugs.

And to what end? If he was using, that would have been evident in his blood work at the hospital.

If he was bringing in tons of money, the ranch wouldn’t be limping along so badly. ”

“Could he be spending the money on something else?” Kevin Tremont might not be Madden’s favorite person, but he hated the idea that the man could be using drug money for some other purpose than lessening the burden heaped on his daughter’s shoulders.

Lily stiffened, her mouth pressed in a hard line and eyes narrowed. “Like what?”

“Honestly, I don’t know. I’m just throwing out any and all options right now. I’m sure the sheriff’s department has some ideas. We should sit down with Deputy Hill and Deputy Silver. See if they’ll offer some insight.”

Spotting the best place for the camera, Madden unhooked the stepladder he’d brought along from the back of the four-wheeler and set it on the uneven ground. Thank God he didn’t need to reach any higher. Judging by the look on her face, she might shove the ladder out from underneath him.

“Can they do that? I mean, legally, are they supposed to spill secrets to an open case?”

“Your guess is as good as mine. Maybe it’d be better to speak with someone not on the case.

” He climbed the few steps and drilled the camera into the siding, just above the door frame.

The thick casing would hide the small device if anyone came by, but also give a good shot of any unwanted visitors.

The drill buzzed, sending a nearby hawk into the sky.

His shoulder screamed at him to stop. After the work spent moving hay, his muscles already ached.

He gritted his teeth, determined not to lower his damn arm before the task was finished.

If he couldn’t handle five freaking minutes with his arm above his head, holding only a lightweight piece of equipment, he should close his business and slink away into the sunset now.

“Is there someone else in the department we could contact who isn’t officially on the case who could give us information?” She took a step closer, raising her voice to be heard above the noise.

His mind went blank as he concentrated. Finished, he dropped his arm to the side and closed his eyes for a beat. He lifted his sore shoulder, moving it in a circular motion to lessen the ache.

“Are you okay?” she asked. “Are you hurt?”

His eyes shot open, and she was even closer.

Concern pinched her expression.

“I’m fine. Just a little sore.” He hated the briskness of his words, but he didn’t want her to know of his limitations.

He didn’t want her, or anyone else’s, pity.

“Finished here. If the camera picks up any activities, I’ll get a notification on my phone.

That will help us keep an eye on things without having to come all the way out here again. ”

She nodded, but something in her eyes told him she didn’t buy his story about simply being a little sore.

“I can call Deputy Sanders,” he said, rolling over her worry for him. “He’s good friends with my pops. He might be willing to divulge a little more than some of the other deputies. Especially over a game of poker.”

She frowned. “We’re going to ask Deputy Sanders to come over and play poker?”

He couldn’t help but grin at her confusion.

“No, we’re going to my dad’s house. The weekly poker game’s tonight.

Sanders will be there, as well as some other old-timers from town.

Nothing gets past those guys. If there’s any whispering on the street about drug issues, they’ll know.

And even though they’d never admit it, they cluck about like a flock of old hens over a game of cards.

It’ll be easier to draw out information. ”

The corner of Lily’s mouth ticked up. “All right. I’ll go to your dad’s and talk to his friends on one condition.”

He was almost afraid to ask. “What?”

“They let us play.”

“You want to play poker with a bunch of old men?”

“Could be fun.” She lifted a slim shoulder then fit her helmet over her head before straddling the seat of her four-wheeler.

He watched her take off at top speed down the trail. A lot of unknowns weighed him down, but one thing was certain. Lily Tremont was full of surprises.

* * *

After they’d returned to the cabin, Lily managed to grab a quick shower and make herself a little more presentable before heading to the McKay Ranch. And if the look of appreciation shining from Madden’s smoky eyes was any indication, she’d done a pretty damn good job of putting herself together.

Not that he looked too shabby himself. He’d cleaned up but kept the scruff clinging to his jawline. Worn jeans showcased his long, lean legs, and a fresh button-up shirt shoved up to his elbows had her ogling his strong forearms.

“Ready?” he asked.

She forced a smile, hating the icy tone of his voice.

They’d broken through so many walls just for them to keep popping up.

The last thing she wanted was for his moment of vulnerability—okay, if she was being honest a moment where a simple kiss had shaken her to the core—to create a chasm between them that couldn’t be crossed.

“Sure am. Is your father okay with me coming?”

This time a pure, genuine grin spread on his mouth. “Are you serious? He’ll get a kick out of seeing you.”

She hoped so because her father would never be so accommodating with Madden.

Madden led the way to his truck, opening her door and waiting for her to climb in before he rounded the hood to the driver’s side. Nervous energy had her clutching her hands in her lap. Neither of them spoke as he drove to the ranch she hadn’t seen since she’d been a child.

Driving under the archway that boasted the words McKay Ranch was like driving back in time. As a kid, she’d loved coming to visit Madden and his brother. Spending time on a working cattle ranch had been her version of heaven, a way to show off to the boy whose attention she’d always tried to snag.

When had that changed? When had that innocent friendship and adoration shifted to annoyance and anger? She couldn’t blame it all on Madden’s family selling off part of their land. That had come years after animosity brewed between them.

Remembering Eve’s suggestion to lean into the tough conversations, she stared at Madden’s profile. Studied the hard lines of his face. “When did we start hating each other?”

His body twitched as if her question caused a physical reaction. He kept quiet and maneuvered his truck to park behind an old sheriff’s cruiser. Shutting off the engine, he faced her. “I’ve never hated you.”

She snorted. “Well, you haven’t liked me much. Why? Why did we stop being childhood friends? We went from running around in the woods and riding horses to people who couldn’t stand one another. I honestly can’t remember when things changed.”

A beat of silence stretched in the confined space. “It was after my mom died.”

She blinked at the rawness in his voice and searched for words, trying to recall how the death of his mother had altered the way their relationship would play out for years to come.

“She was in that car accident, passed away, and you never came back to the ranch. Your mama did a few times. Brought food for us. Made sure my pops was all right. Hell, that first year without Mom she even brought over back to school supplies for me and Dax.” He chuckled, low and wistful.

“Good thing too or him and I would have shown up without a damn thing.”

She couldn’t help but smile. “Sounds like her. Always looking out for others.”

“She was a good woman. When she’d stop by, Dax and I would drop everything to see her.

I always hoped you’d be with her, but you never were.

” He twisted his lips to the side, his expression pinched.

“Why’d you stop coming? I needed my friend.

Needed to have every bit of normalcy I could.

Even as a kid I understood nothing would ever be normal again, but I craved that stability.

That routine. Hell, I’m sure that’s why I went into the military once I graduated.

Having my mom ripped away wasn’t her choice, but you chose not to come back.

I guess I held on to that hurt more than I realized. ”

Tears burned the backs of her eyes. Shame nearly drowned her. She searched her memory for what had caused that little girl to stay home. To not run to her friends and be there for them. “I was afraid.”

“Of what?”

She shifted to stare out the windshield.

“I don’t remember really. I just know something about coming here and seeing you, knowing your mom wouldn’t be here, it was too much for me.

I wish I could say I’d been some wise child who understood that some things weren’t about me.

That life hands us situations where we need to rise above our own fears to be there for those we care about.

But I was just a terrified, sad kid who couldn’t comprehend that the big, brave McKay boys would want me around. ”

“The big brave McKay boys were eleven and five and heartbroken.” He sighed and shook his head. “Hell, we’re still heartbroken.”

“I am, too. I was gutted when your mother died. Destroyed when my mom passed a few years later. I suppose some of my anger was from watching her slowly slip away while fighting cancer then seeing you always so carefree and happy. Might sound crazy, but it was like some kind of betrayal. Like how could you find your happiness while I was in a living nightmare?”

She swung her gaze toward him again, and the knots in her stomach loosened.

“I always wondered why you wouldn’t show up when she was in the hospital.

How you couldn’t put away your anger when you more than anyone would know what I was going through.

But why would you when I hadn’t been there for you? I’m sorry, Madden.”

He blew out a long, shuddering breath. “Man, what a bunch of wasted time. But you really did act stuck up in high school. There was no need for that.”

She burst into laughter. A full, belly laugh and damn it, it felt good. “And you walked around that school like you were God’s gift to women. I mean, come on. A little humility wouldn’t have killed you.”

“I guess not, although you were the only one who seemed to mind.” His slight smile melted away. “What brought this on?”

Not wanting to admit she’d called Eve earlier to discuss their kiss, she hurried to create another reason that he’d buy at face value.

“The last couple of days have had their enjoyable moments. Moments when I’ve forgotten my disdain and just enjoyed your company.

Moments when memories of our youth came back.

The ranch’s current issues have taken up so much of my life, I often forget how much history we share. ”

“Maybe we can try and forget the bad parts and remember the good,” he said.

She considered his offer, and as logical as it sounded, it wasn’t possible.

At least not yet. “I don’t think I can do that.

I still can’t wrap my mind around why you and your dad sold your land to developers.

I’m not a child anymore who can’t see past my own needs.

I know the decisions you made are about you and your family, but my family’s livelihood is dying as a direct result of your choice. I need to understand why.”

His body stiffened, and he fixed his attention on the old farmhouse in front of them. “Things happen in life that we’ll never understand, and we have to learn to be okay with it. If not, we’ll drive ourselves crazy.”

Without another word, he climbed out of the truck and slammed the door behind him. Leaving her with nothing but her spiraling thoughts and a deafening silence.