“Tessa and Kendall are both at the ranch?” Gavin asked.

  “Not just yet. But seein’s how you’re in town for once, I figured we should get the whole family together, so I called them.”

  “I don’t think Lexie wants to get into the middle of all of that.” Gavin puffed out his chest, his white dress shirt straining at the buttons.

  Irritation shot through her. He’d not only gotten bossy, but he also seemed to think he could make her decisions for her when he had no right.

  “I’ll be glad to come to the ranch,” she said, ignoring Gavin’s disappointed look. “But I want to be sure no one tells Adam about Dad. I want to do it.”

  “Matt’s on duty,” Walt said, mentioning Gavin’s younger brother. “I’ll assign him to pick Adam up. Matt’ll keep it on the down low if I tell him to.”

  Gavin took a sharp intake of air through his nose, his nostrils flaring. He couldn’t have missed his dad’s less-than-subtle message that at least one son listened to him.

  Gavin turned to Lexie. “I’ll round up our horses and we can ride over together.”

  “Little late to be riding, isn’t it?” Walt asked.

  “We both got here just fine on horseback. We can get home the same way.” Gavin eyed his father for a moment as if challenging him to argue.

  Instead, Walt faced Lexie.

  Gavin strode off into the dark.

  “Stubborn boy,” Walt muttered.

  “Gavin’s thirty-five. Not much of a boy anymore.”

  Walt scowled at her and pulled a small notebook from his uniform pocket. “I’m guessing you have a horse trailer nearby as you sure as shootin’ didn’t ride cross-county on your horse.”

  “My truck and trailer are down by the cutoff at Wheeler’s old gas station.”

  “Then I’ll make sure someone escorts you back there at the end of the night and helps you load your horse.”

  One of the things she liked about Walt McKade was that, behind all his bluster and bravado, he had a compassionate side. Despite being ornery at times and tough on his kids, he was a gentleman through and through, and he’d raised his sons to be fine, responsible men.

  “I’m sorry about your father, Lexie,” he said, his words filled with earnest compassion.

  The soft tone coming from such a tough lawman made it even harder to keep tears in check, but Lexie managed it.

  “Thank you,” she said.

  He stroked his salt-and-pepper mustache for a moment as if trying to decide how to move forward. “S’posin you give me the details of what happened tonight.”

  She replayed the night, making sure to include every point she could remember, and he recorded them in his notebook.

  “Did you know before today that your daddy was back in town?” His pen hovered over the page.

  “No. He called after dinner, and that’s the soonest I heard about it.”

  “And he came back just to give you the envelope that was stolen?”

  She shrugged. “The plane was on the ground when I got here, so I don’t know how long he’d been here. He did say he had another appointment, so who knows how many people he talked to before me, or would have after, if he’d lived.” A lump rose to her throat but she swallowed hard. “The shooter mentioned that Dad was going to meet the head of a syndicate.”

  “Syndicate, huh?” Walt made a production of closing his notebook and stowing it with his pen, then tipping his hat back even farther and leaning on the car door. “A syndicate doesn’t on the surface suggest illegal activities, and I’m not at all saying your daddy was involved in something illegal, but being killed in relationship to it is a whole other ball game.”

  She’d been thinking the same thing—that was, when she could forget the horror of seeing him gunned down and think clearly at all. “All I know is it’s not normal for a man to disappear for a month, and when he does resurface, he’s killed.”

  “Agreed. Matt’s already working on tracking down the biker.” He pursed his lips. “We’ve secured the area and I’ve called in the ATF to investigate the explosion.”

  “ATF?” Lexie asked.

  “Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. They investigate bombs and have resources we don’t begin to possess and can pinpoint the type of explosion.”

  “How will that help find Dad’s killer?”

  “Forensic evidence from the bomb could lead us to where the suspect purchased or stole his supplies. Finding that could then lead us to the suspect.”

  “And what will your role be?”

  “My team will work the murder angle and try to locate this syndicate you mentioned. Since we’ve already tried to find a lead as to your father’s disappearance this past month and failed, I’m not sure how successful we’ll be, but I aim to try.” He shifted his duty belt. “I’ll also come up with a plan to make sure you stay safe, sweetheart.”

  “I’d appreciate that.” Her gaze drifted to Gavin, who was standing by the horses, his phone to his ear. She couldn’t help but wish he would stay in town and hunt down this killer. Despite their differences, with his FBI experience, she’d feel safest if he was the one to protect her.

  How crazy was that? He’d walked out on her—left her heart shattered—and here she was, wanting him to protect her. Or was she simply fooling herself? Trying to believe she needed him to keep her safe when in reality she was simply happy to see him again?

  * * *

  Gavin kept Lexie in view as he waited for his supervisor to call back. She still sat in the squad car, but his dad had stepped away. The dome light caught the golden strands of her hair, wavy to her shoulders. Her icy-blue eyes, dark with angst, stared across the field, her arms wrapped around a slender waist. She’d always been a beautiful woman, but it was all he could do not to stare at her and let her know how much simply looking at her impacted him.

  Was she thinking about her father or about their past? He suspected both. Man, he wanted to help her through this, but that was the last thing she would want. He’d hurt her in the worst possible way. He’d acted just like her father and put her second in his life.

  He hadn’t meant for things to end between them, least of all to end so badly. Just like he hadn’t meant to shoot Emily, but he had, and she now had a permanent limp thanks to him.

  His phone rang. Assistant Special Agent in Charge Zachary Harrison’s name flashed on the screen. Gavin quickly answered the call, but took a breath to make sure he displayed the confidence needed for lead agent on the investigation. His first lead. Exactly what he’d planned when he’d taken a series of online business classes so he could be assigned to the white-collar crimes unit, a division with great potential for advancement. Sure, Harrison had made Gavin lead agent on this investigation because of his connection to Lost Creek, but he still felt the need to prove himself.

  He quickly and succinctly explained the latest developments with Dr. Grant. “A syndicate could mean the doctors on our list are connected.”

  “I concur,” Harrison replied.

  “I want to remain in Lost Creek and work with County on the murder investigation. I have the feeling it ties in with the other doctors involved in the Medicaid scam.”

  “You could be right,” Harrison said. “Your connections could very well pay off for us. Making you lead might just be the smartest move I’ve made all week.”

  “If you remember, my dad and I don’t see eye to eye on investigative protocols, so my working with him isn’t as certain as you think.”

  “Still, he’s your father and, from what you’ve told me, he’s a good sheriff. He’d be a fool to reject our help.”

  “Did I mention he’s stubborn?”

  “Then the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” Harrison chuckled.

  Gavin wouldn’t discuss the point further. One way or another he’d find a way to get his dad on his side. Since the job was all he had in his life right now, it was imperative that he advance, and that wouldn’t happen if he failed on this investigation. “I’ll need to fill in my dad and his investigator on the Medicaid case.”

  “Go ahead. Who knows? Maybe working a joint investigation with your father is just the thing you need to learn how to let go of controlling every little thing around you. It could even improve your teamwork.”

  In Gavin’s last evaluation, his skills and abilities received high marks. But being a team player? Not so much. His fault totally. He compensated for shooting Emily by controlling everything and didn’t trust others. If he ever hoped to advance, he needed to change. He’d known it for some time, but hadn’t found a way to do so.

  “Anything else?” Harrison asked.

  “With Dr. Graves’s death, I think his daughter would be more apt to cooperate if I share her father’s suspected Medicaid fraud.”

  “Keep the information superficial, and I’m okay with that.”

  Gavin agreed and ended the call by promising to keep Harrison apprised of the situation.

  He stowed his phone then grabbed Misty and Lightning’s reins and led the pair across the field.

  Lexie flipped up her faux-fur-trimmed hood and started toward him. She wore the same worn red cowboy boots she’d owned for years. Man, he’d loved to tease her about those boots. Her feet were tiny, and she’d had to buy them in the children’s department. Despite the circumstances, he smiled.

  She took Misty’s reins. “Looks like you think something’s funny.”

  “Your boots.”

  She shot him a look, but frustration quickly melted into an impish smile that never failed to tug at his heart. “I know you like to make fun of them, but you wouldn’t laugh so hard if you knew how much less I pay for my boots than the rest of you do. Besides, I look far less comical in my boots than you do getting ready to mount a horse in your city-slicker pants and shiny shoes.”

  Gavin grimaced. Right...his shoes. He’d planned to talk to her, take Lightning back to the ranch for a quick brush-down then head for his motel for the night before he ran into his father. Now here he was, looking out of place with all his old wounds raw and on display for Lexie. She’d seen enough of his ongoing issues with his father over the years. Something he wasn’t proud of. He was a grown man. Old enough to be a father himself, for crying out loud. He sure should be old enough not to let his father continue to push his buttons. Not something he could change standing here.

  “We should get going,” he said. “Let me give you a leg up.”

  Her eyes narrowed for a moment but then she nodded. Misty was getting on in years, so he suspected her agreement was for the mare’s well-being, as a shorter person mounting a horse from the ground was hard on the horse.

  Gavin hoisted her into the saddle then climbed on Lightning. His shoe slipped in the stirrup and he regretted being so hasty in not changing his attire. He’d regretted it even more when his father eyed his shoes and chuckled.

  Lexie set Misty in motion and he directed Lightning to move into position beside her. He kept his head on a swivel, carefully watching the trees dipping in the wind.

  Maybe his behavior was overkill, but he’d learned the hard way that things could go sideways in a hurry. He wasn’t about to make the same mistake again. Not with Lexie’s life in the balance.

  THREE

  Gavin led Lexie under the wood sign stretching over Trails End’s driveway. His ancestors had burned the ranch name and MK brand into the wood that had been erected in 1895 when the ranch was first established. About the time the first McKade had become county sheriff. With minor repairs, it had stood the test of time and always gave Gavin a sense of pride in his family’s long history.

  They trotted down the familiar drive until the two-story home with a long porch holding strings of garland and colorful Christmas lights came into view. Lights glowed from the lower windows, which meant his family was gathered in the living and dining rooms that faced the front of the house. A patrol car sat at the end of a circular drive—Matt’s car, Gavin presumed.

  He veered off shy of the house and dismounted at the corral abutting a large barn and stable. “We’ll leave the horses here. I’ll make sure someone takes care of them.”

  Gavin thought to help Lexie dismount, but he knew she’d balk, so he secured the reins and they made their way up an incline to the house. They’d barely stepped onto the porch when the door flew open and his mother barreled out like a bronc in a rodeo shoot. She was thin and tall, with leathery skin from time spent outdoors, and had a solid look about her as if she’d sunk her roots into the ground like the mighty cypress trees in the area. She’d always worked the ranch with the hands and kids, and never taken a day off.

  “Welcome home, son.” Her arms outstretched, she jerked him to her as if he was a rag doll, and he went willingly.

  After getting her fill, she set him away and stepped to Lexie. “You poor dear. Come here.”

  His mother’s strong arms swallowed Lexie and she started to cry.

  Gavin’s heart ached, and he felt like a dolt standing there when he knew if he hadn’t moved to Houston, she would be crying on his shoulder, not his mom’s. But he didn’t have long to dwell on it as his grandmother burst through the door and made a beeline toward him. She wore a gingham top over a T-shirt, and when she pulled him close, she was soft and squishy and smelled of baking spices. She did all the cooking, and he’d never found a better meal than the hearty ones she served up.

  “Nana.” He hugged her back.

  A clap on his shoulder had him pulling back to look into the sharp blue eyes of his granddad’s lined face. “About time you got here. S’posin your daddy kept you sitting around all this time.”

  “Crime scenes take time to process.” Gavin was surprised he was defending his father.

  His granddad hooked his thumbs in his red suspenders. “In my day, we wouldn’t make a little bit of a thing like Lexie wait around. We’d drive her home and have a civil conversation over a cup of coffee.”

  “Coffee sounds like a good idea.” Gavin’s mother took Lexie’s arm. “We’ll settle you and Adam in the dining room by yourselves, and the two of you can take as long as you want.”

  “Dad will likely have additional questions for Lexie when he gets here,” Gavin said.

  “Then he’ll just have to wait.” His mother’s jaw firmed, meaning his dad would indeed be kept waiting, as Winnie McKade was the only person with the power to make that happen.

  “I’ll see to the horses,” Granddad said.

  “I appreciate that.”

  “Don’t worry so much, Grandson,” Nana murmured. “God is faithful and He will work all of this for Lexie’s good.”

  If only Gavin could be certain about that, but he hadn’t been certain about anything since Emily had been shot other than needing to leave town. He followed his family into the wide foyer holding a towering Christmas tree filled with handmade ornaments dating back as far as his granddad’s childhood.

  Lexie glanced back at Gavin and, if he didn’t know better, he’d think she was begging him to join her to help break the news to Adam. But Gavin did know better. She didn’t want his help. She’d made that perfectly clear. Besides, he’d given up the right to sit by her side in good times and bad, and no matter how much he hated seeing her pain, he wasn’t a comfort to her now.

  He closed the door behind them and headed across the house’s original wide-plank floors. Through a wide archway, he saw the other family members settle in front of a roaring fire, the woodsy campfire aroma he loved mingling with the scent of pine.

  Matt stepped out to meet Gavin in the foyer. Though an investigator, Matt still worked patrol when needed and was dressed in the department’s basic navy patrol uniform. He looked tired and concerned, but had a ready smile.

  He gave a light punch to Gavin’s arm. “You sure do know how to make an entrance in town, bro.”

  “I’m surprised to see you here. I’d have thought you’d be out investigating the murder.”

  “You know Dad. He has to make sure the department is fairly represented. So he’ll be in the thick of this one to make sure we don’t garner any bad press.” Matt frowned, disturbing his pretty-boy face that assured he always had his share of women to date. “And if you must know, I am involved. I’ve been tracking the suspect’s dirt bike.”

  “Any luck with that?” Gavin asked.

  “You know Dad wouldn’t want me to share investigative details outside the department.” A single eyebrow arched, looking so like their dad’s mannerism.

  Gavin had to work hard not to comment. “And I also know you’re going to tell me everything, so why hassle me in the process?”

  “I am, am I?”

  Truth be told, Gavin wasn’t as confident as he’d once been that Matt would spill the beans. His brother had grown up a lot in the last few years. He’d be making a run for sheriff when their dad retired, and Gavin honestly believed Matt, who’d just turned thirty-one, could handle the position.

  “Okay, fine,” his brother said without further prodding. “There’s no harm in telling you that ATF investigators arrived on scene and have taken over. They shooed Tessa away and I hear tell she’s hopping mad.”

  “She had to know it was coming.” Gavin imagined their youngest sibling, who was a sworn deputy along with being a top forensic crime scene investigator for the county, facing off with an ATF agent. She was a nurturer at heart, but let anyone threaten her work domain, and she turned into a tiger.

  “Knowing is one thing. Having a Fed toss you off the scene in your own county is another.”

  “Hey, now. It’s awfully soon in my homecoming to be bashing the Feds, isn’t it?”