The Cowboy’s Targeted Bride Page 6

  Okay, so in her dreams of long ago she hadn’t envisioned her making a business arrangement with the man she would marry. She hadn’t envisioned her groom being a relative stranger, but none of that took away from the absolute beauty of her wedding.

  After the cake cutting, Carol Jenkins, a fellow teacher and good friend, came up to her. “You lucky girl,” she exclaimed. “I’d had my sights on Jerod for months, and you just quietly move in and scoop him up.”

  Lily laughed. “If you’re waiting for me to apologize for taking Jerod off the dating market, I won’t.”

  Carol pulled her into a hug. “I just hope you two are very happy. You deserve it.”

  “Thank you,” Lily replied once Carol released her.

  Many of the guests had already left when Lily and Jerod finally approached Dillon and Cassie to say good-night and give their thanks once again.

  “I’ll never be able to thank you for everything,” Lily said to Cassie. “You really gave me a night I will never forget.”

  “You two deserve all the happiness in the world,” Cassie replied.

  Then Lily and Jerod got into his truck to head to her house with the understanding they would return the next day to pick up her truck.

  Almost immediately after they left the Holiday Ranch, a new awkward silence grew between them. Nervous tension tightened Lily’s chest as she thought of the night to come. Would he really expect to have sex with her tonight...so quickly?

  Wouldn’t most men anticipate sex on their wedding night? After all, he knew she’d made arrangements for Caleb not to be in the house tonight, leaving the two of them all alone.

  “I can’t wait to get out of these clothes and into something more comfortable,” Jerod said, finally breaking the charged silence.

  “I agree. I’m looking forward to putting my jogging pants on and just relaxing.” If he thought she’d bought some slinky, sexy lingerie for the night, he was sadly mistaken. She would be wearing the same cotton nightshirt she always wore.

  Once again a strained silence built between them as Lily contemplated the night to come. She wished she knew Jerod well enough to know what he was thinking, but she had no clue what might be going on inside his head.

  “It was a nice ceremony,” he said, breaking up the silence once again.

  “I have to admit, the actual ceremony kind of went by in a haze for me,” she replied.

  “Having regrets?”

  She hesitated a moment. “No regrets.”

  He flashed her a quick glance. “You took a moment before answering. You aren’t going to back out on me, are you?”

  “If I was going to back out on you, it would have been before I said, ‘I do.’ Are you going to back out on me?”

  “What do you mean?” Again he gazed at her and then back at the road.

  “Are you really going to go into the bank on Monday and clear up the missed mortgage payments?”

  “Of course I’m going to do that. It was part of my promise to you,” he replied.

  “I’ve had a man promise me a lot of things before, but all those promises were broken,” she replied.

  “I’m not that man. I never break my promises, Lily,” he replied. “And throughout this marriage, I hope to prove that to you over and over again.”

  Despite her nerves about the night to come, a warmth whispered through her at his words. Maybe eventually she would come to trust Jerod, but it was just too soon. And in any case, he’d just turned into the long drive that led to her house, and all she could think of was what would be expected of her when they were alone on their wedding night.

  She’d left her porch light on before she’d left earlier in the day, and the moon overhead was full, pouring down illumination that painted her house in a silvery light.

  She frowned. “What’s that hanging from the porch railing?”

  “I can’t make it out from here, but it’s white, so it’s probably some sort of congratulation decoration.”

  He parked the truck, and together they got out. Jerod grabbed a duffel bag from the back seat and then they approached the porch. “It looks like it’s a bride doll,” Lily said. She took another step closer and then gasped.

  It was indeed, a bride doll, but half of the hair was missing, the eyes had been gouged out and were leaking something that looked like blood, and a knife protruded from the chest. It was gory and horrifying and felt like a personal threat against her.

  “Lily, let’s go inside and I’ll call Dillon,” Jerod said.

  With fingers that trembled, she unlocked the front door and they stepped inside. “Wait here,” Jerod said to her. He then disappeared down the hallway, and she realized he was checking the house to make sure nobody was inside.

  Lily sank down on the sofa. Dear God, what was happening right now? Who would leave such a horrible thing for her? The few moments she had seen the doll, it had felt as if a malevolent energy was radiating from it...a malevolence directed at her.

  Her biggest concern and question before now had been what Jerod would expect of her on her wedding night. Now her biggest fear was that there was somebody out there who hated her enough to leave the mutilated doll. What did it mean? A shiver of fear worked up her spine. It felt like a curse on their marriage.

  And what might happen next? A new, icy shiver raced up her spine.

  Chapter 4

  Jerod sat next to Lily on the sofa to wait for Dillon to arrive. The grotesque doll concerned him, but he could tell it had scared the absolute hell out of Lily. Her features were strained, and her face was pale as her fingers worried a strand of her hair.

  “I’m so sorry, Lily,” he said. “It’s a terrible way to end what had been a great day.”

  “I just... I just can’t imagine who would do such a thing. Why somebody would leave that for me...for us to find.”

  “I sure don’t know who would do something like this. The cowboys at the ranch always play jokes on each other, but they would never do something like this,” he replied.

  “It’s a horrid, terrible thing.”

  “It is, and hopefully Dillon will be able to figure something out.” He wanted to take her hand in his to assure her she wasn’t all alone in this. But he was afraid she might not welcome his touch.

  He’d intended that this night they would just talk and relax and get to know each other better. He certainly hadn’t planned on anything sexual happening with her so soon.

  However right now his biggest concern was Lily and the question of who might have left her such a horrible effigy. “Do you think it’s possible that Brad Walsh left this for you?”

  She dropped her hand from her hair and released a deep sigh. “He would be the first on my short list of suspects. In fact, he’s the only person I can imagine doing something like this. But on the other hand, I can’t imagine him doing something so...so wicked.”

  She had looked so pretty walking down the aisle, and he hated that this was happening, that on their wedding night while she was still clad in her beautiful bridal gown, they were waiting for the chief of police to arrive.

  He not only hated it for her, but he needed to know if this was some kind of a threat against her. She was now his wife, and he would protect her with his life against any danger. He just didn’t know if the doll had been somebody’s idea of a sick joke or if it was meant as a very real threat against his new bride.

  “Thank God Caleb isn’t here,” she said. “I would not want him to see or know about any of this.”

  “I agree. Children should never have to deal with adult issues.”

  “That’s always been my philosophy,” she replied. “Thank God Caleb didn’t see this kind of ugliness.”

  At that moment there was a knock on the door. “That should be Dillon now.” He got up and opened the door, and the lawman stepped inside. Jerod gestured Dillon to the cha
ir, and then he returned to the sofa to sit next to Lily.

  “I think I know why I’m here,” Dillon said. “That doll is a nasty piece of work.” He sat in the chair facing them. “Any idea who might be responsible for it? Lily, is there anyone you’ve been having trouble with lately?”

  “Not really.” She frowned. “Although I don’t think Brad Walsh was overly happy that I was getting married. He’s been asking me out for months, and I’ve always rejected him. But other than that, I can’t think of anyone who would have any reason to do something like this.”

  “What about Caleb’s father? Is he around at all?”

  Her cheeks colored as if with embarrassment. “He hasn’t been around since I told him I was pregnant with Caleb. I don’t even know where he is right now or if he’s even still alive.”

  “Jerod, what about you?”

  Jerod looked at him in surprise. “What about me?”

  “Is there anyone who might be upset that you got married?” Dillon asked.

  He frowned thoughtfully. “Not that I can think of.”

  “Anyone you dated before you started dating Lily?” Dillon asked.

  “I haven’t done a whole lot of dating in the last few months. The only woman I was seeing before Lily was Donna Maddox, and that was only something casual.” He felt embarrassed even to talk about his dating habits before Lily in front of her.

  “Did she know it was just something casual?”

  “I’m assuming she knew,” Jerod replied. “We only went out a couple of times, and then we stopped seeing each other.”

  Dillon turned his attention back to Lily. “Is there anyone you were dating before Jerod who might feel betrayed by you getting married?”

  “Nobody,” she replied firmly. “I haven’t dated anyone for the last ten years.”

  “What about at school? Any angry parents or staff who might have a grudge against you?”

  Lily shook her head. “No, nobody.”

  “Was Brad still at the reception when you two left?” Dillon asked.

  Jerod looked at Lily and then he looked back at Dillon. “I’m pretty sure he’d already left. Most of the guests were already gone by the time Lily and I left,” he replied.

  “That’s what I thought,” Dillion said with a frown. He rose from the chair. “Maybe somebody will get drunk tonight at the Watering Hole and brag about mutilating a bride doll. In the meantime, I’ll do some investigating to try to find out who is responsible, and I’ll take the doll with me.”

  “Good. I definitely want it gone,” Lily said.

  Jerod stood and walked with Dillon to the front door. “Lily, I’ll be right back,” Jerod said and then followed Dillon outside to his car, where Dillon grabbed a pair of gloves and an evidence bag big enough to hold the doll.

  “I didn’t want to say anything in front of Lily, but honestly even if I do find out who did this, there isn’t much I can do about it. The most they could be charged with is possibly trespassing, and I can warn them to stay away from the property from now on.”

  “I’m just concerned about what the doll means in the long run,” Jerod said as the two of them walked back to the porch. “Is it intended to be a threat to Lily?”

  Dillon pulled on his plastic gloves. “I wish I could answer that, but I can’t. Only time will tell us if this is just an isolated incident or not. If I was to guess, this is probably somebody’s idea of a joke. Granted, it’s a joke in bad taste.”

  “I would say so,” Jerod replied drily.

  The doll had been hung by a thick string around its neck. Dillon yanked on it and managed to get it off the overhead beam and into the evidence bag. “I seriously doubt if it’s real blood on it. With Halloween right around the corner, there is lots of fake blood being sold in the stores, but I’ll have it sent to the lab to see exactly what it is.”

  “Thanks, Dillon. We appreciate it,” Jerod said.

  Dillon gave him a rueful smile. “I’m sure this isn’t exactly the way you anticipated this night ending.”

  “Not exactly,” Jerod replied. “But I’m just hoping this doesn’t completely ruin Lily’s wedding day.”

  “I hope not, either,” Dillon said. “Go back in to your bride. I’ll be in touch over the next day or two.”

  The two men said good-night to each other, and then Jerod returned to the house. Lily remained on the sofa, her face still pale. “Is the doll gone?”

  “It’s gone. Are you okay?” he asked.

  “I guess, although I still don’t understand why somebody would leave that doll for me.”

  “Dillon thought it was quite possible it was somebody’s idea of a very bad joke. Unfortunately we aren’t going to get any answers about who left it tonight. Why don’t we both get changed into more comfortable clothes?” he suggested. “Then maybe we can relax and talk for a little while before calling it a night.”

  “That sounds good to me,” she replied. She got up from the sofa and headed for the master bedroom while he carried his duffel bag into the main bathroom to change his clothes. There was no reason to make her even more stressed out by going into her bedroom with her right now.

  He took off the tux and carefully hung it on a hanger. He’d rented it from the local men’s shop and would return it Monday when they went into town to deal with her bank issues.

  He pulled on a pair of worn jeans and a T-shirt, combed his slightly shaggy hair and then carried his duffel bag back into the living room and sank back down on the sofa.

  She joined him there minutes later. She was clad in a pair of gray jogging pants and a light pink T-shirt, but still a worried frown rode across her forehead.

  “Lily, try not to worry about the bride doll too much,” he said. “Maybe it really was just somebody’s idea of a sick joke, or maybe it was Walsh expressing his displeasure with you, but no matter what it means, I would never let anyone harm you. I’ve definitely got your back.”

  The frown smoothed out a bit as she offered him a small smile. “Thank you, that’s good to know.”

  “I don’t want that damned doll to define this day for you.”

  She raised her chin a notch, and her eyes flashed. “I refuse to let it.”

  An unexpected attraction kicked Jerod in the stomach. He’d never noticed before how truly beautiful her eyes were. They were a cornflower blue with unusually long lashes, and right now with them sparking with her anger, their beauty momentarily stole his breath away.

  “It was a beautiful day,” she continued. “It was like something out of a fairy tale for me and nothing like what I expected for a wedding pulled together so quickly.”

  He smiled. “Cassie definitely went above and beyond, but that doesn’t really surprise me. As long as she’s been at the ranch, she’s shown us all many times what a kind, giving and caring woman she is.”

  “You were originally one of Big Cass’s lost boys?” she asked and then grimaced. “I don’t mean to be disrespectful or offensive, but that’s a term I’ve heard used when referring to the cowboys at the Holiday Ranch.”

  “That’s the way we always referred to ourselves, so no offense taken,” he replied.

  “How old were you when you came to the ranch?”

  “I was fifteen. I was living on the streets in Oklahoma City and barely surviving when a social worker talked to me about going to Cass’s ranch and working as a cowboy for her. All I knew at the time was Cass promised there would be a roof over my head and three meals a day to eat, and so I agreed to go.”

  He could tell Lily was relaxing as they talked, and that’s exactly what he’d hoped would happen. This was also part of the getting to know each other on a slightly deeper level.

  “So, why did you run away from home in the first place?” she asked. “If I’m prying, please just tell me.”

  He laughed. “Lily, I’m your husband.
If anyone has a right to pry, it’s you.” He sobered, and his hand rose to touch the slightly raised scar on the side of his face. “I didn’t really have a home to run away from. My mother was a raging alcoholic and drug addict, and most of the time we lived in a series of trashy motel rooms with a series of abusive and trashy men.”

  “Oh, Jerod. I’m so sorry.”

  He shrugged despite the old feelings of pain and betrayal that threatened to rise up. “It was a long time ago. Anyway, I just got tired of living the way we were, and I knew my mother wasn’t going to change. I didn’t want to stick around and watch her kill herself, so one night I packed my clothes and took off.”

  Once again he reached up and touched the scar that had ended his life with his mother. He wasn’t ready to share the true horror of that night with Lily, or with anyone else. It was way too soon to trust her with all the pieces of his past.

  He dropped his hand back to his lap. “Anyway, coming to the Holiday Ranch was the best thing that ever happened to me.”

  “How did you get the scar on your face?” she asked, apparently noticing him touching it.

  “It was just a childhood accident,” he replied. “Now it’s your turn. Tell me about your parents.” He needed to change the subject. He wasn’t ready to tell her the truth about how he had received the scar. He needed to know and trust her more before he told her just how truly dysfunctional his life with his mother had been.

  She frowned. “They divorced when I was six, and for the next twelve years I was the pawn they used to try to hurt each other. The divorce was quite acrimonious, and the issue of the custody of me was even worse. It was pretty miserable for me. I didn’t feel like either of them really loved me. When I turned eighteen, I tried to maintain a relationship with them, but ultimately once I couldn’t be used as a weapon between them anymore, they had very little interest in me and my life. And then, when I was twenty, my mother died in a car wreck.”

  “Oh, I’m so sorry, Lily,” he replied.

  She shrugged. “To be honest, when she died, I grieved for what had never been and the fact that I would never get a chance to have a real relationship with her. But she’d already been absent from my life for several years.”