Accidental Agent (River's End Ranch Book 3) Read online

  Jack nodded. What these women and children would need more than anything was love, and he was glad their families were offering that. Now to see if there was anything, even one small thread, they could follow to unravel this whole mess.

  And as soon as that was underway, he was heading back to Idaho. He had some unresolved business there, too, and the car wasn’t even on that list. It could stay there until it rusted, for all he cared.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Something was off in the atmosphere when Liz came into the diner the next morning. Kelsi seemed distracted, Bob wouldn’t make eye contact, and Joni seemed edgy. Liz felt as though she’d entered some alternate universe where everyone was the opposite of themselves. She filled up the ketchup bottles and made sure the syrup pitchers were ready to go, all the while wondering if someone had died and no one had sent her the memo.

  Customers started trickling in and ordering their usuals, but they seemed a bit off too. It couldn’t be everyone in town—something had to be wrong with Liz, so she decided to ignore it. Her perceptions were probably messed up from lack of sleep, being worried about Jack, and wondering how they were going to staff the restaurant. A massage would help, she was sure, and she made a mental note to head over to the spa after her shift.

  But none of the customers left after eating. Instead, they stayed where they were, chatting quietly, and more came in. Pretty soon, they’d all be sitting on each other’s laps because space was filling up fast.

  Finally, Joni held up her hands, and everyone turned to face her. Maybe now Liz would get some kind of clue about what was going on here. It was creepy.

  “Hey, everyone, thanks for coming in,” Joni said. “Liz, would you step up here, please?”

  Liz glanced around as she walked over to where Joni stood. The customers were watching her curiously, and even Bob had a weird sort of smile on his face.

  “Am I getting another book contract?” Liz asked, and everyone laughed.

  “Well, not that we know of, but we think you’ll like this too,” Joni replied. “So, as you know, on the ranch, we’re like a big family. And like a big family, we want everyone to be happy. So we have a surprise for you. Kelsi?”

  Kelsi stepped forward, a grin on her face. “Liz, you’re officially fired.”

  Liz recoiled. “What?”

  “That’s right—you’re fired. You no longer work here at the café.” She handed Liz an envelope. “Here’s a severance package—we don’t ordinarily offer those, but you’ve been acting as an assistant manager for some time now without any real recognition for it, and I decided it was time to give you that recognition now.”

  “By firing me?” Liz was completely confused.

  “That’s right.” Kelsi gave her a wink and then stepped back.

  Then Gwen came forward, dangling a set of keys in her hand. “It turns out that we can’t store Jack’s car here after all. Wade found out about it and wasn’t too happy. In fact, he strongly recommended that it be returned to California immediately.”

  Things were starting to connect in Liz’s brain. “So someone needs to drive the car down there, I bet.”

  “That’s right,” Joni said. “Someone who doesn’t have a job anymore, so she’s free to go whenever she chooses.”

  “This is your going-away party!” Jaclyn called out from the back of the crowd, and everyone started pushing their way forward to shake her hand or hug her. Most of them pressed money into her hands, saying it was to help her get started in her new life. She wanted to object, saying that they were being too generous—and besides, what if she got down there and decided that she didn’t want to be with Jack after all? Or even worse, what if he didn’t want her? But even as she had those thoughts, she knew that’s not what would happen. Sure, she’d just met him. Sure, they had so much to discover about each other. But life was about discoveries and possibilities, and if she let this one slip by, she’d likely regret it forever.

  As each person came forward, Liz became more emotional until tears were flowing down her cheeks in torrents. “I can’t believe you all did this for me,” she said at last, grabbing a napkin out of the dispenser on a nearby table and mopping up her face. “Thank you so much. But who’s going to run the café? We’re still in the hiring process.”

  “I’m going to take double shifts for a while,” Joni said. “I can use the extra money.”

  “And I’ve started practicing my penmanship,” Lindy added. “I’m going to get this—I promise.”

  “And I’ve told my boss that I need a couple hours off each day,” Jess called out over Simon’s head.

  “Everything will be fine until we get those positions filled,” Kelsi said. “We want you to be happy, Liz, and it’s plain to all of us that you and Jack belong together. What you have is real, even if he was only here for a short time.”

  Fresh tears started to fall. She’d never felt so loved and so supported. “So, it looks like I’m going to California,” she said at last, her voice shaking, and everyone cheered.

  “Now get out of here,” Kelsi said, nudging her shoulder. “You don’t work here anymore, and you’ve got some packing to do.”

  ***

  Liz had never cried so much in her life. When she got back to her apartment, she counted all the money she’d been handed—there was over a thousand dollars, plus a note from Simon offering to buy her car. If she’d leave it at the ranch, he’d come by and pick it up, and he’d wire her eight thousand dollars for it. That was a huge relief—since she’d be driving Jack’s to California, hers would have to go somewhere, and with eight thousand dollars, she could put a down payment on something once she decided where she was going to live.

  Where she was going to live . . . her stomach lurched, and she didn’t know if it was nerves or excitement. Probably both. She’d told Jack that she didn’t want to get involved, but here she was, diving in to the pool of involvement, swimming in it, doing the doggy paddle in it. She could write anywhere she lived, and she could also wait tables anywhere she lived. What she couldn’t do was be with Jack if she stayed in Idaho, and the more she thought about it, the more she knew that’s what she wanted.

  She didn’t mean to think about it, but sure enough, she was reliving their kiss again, and she grinned. She’d loved how she felt in his arms, so beautiful, so protected. Yes, this was the right thing to do. She wanted to feel that way again almost more than anything.

  She dragged out all her suitcases and began to pack. Her uniforms were in the washing machine so she could return them fresh and ready to pass on to someone else. She wouldn’t miss them, not even a little bit, but she’d miss the diner. She packed up everything that would fit, then put the rest of her things in boxes. She’d have Joni ship those to her after she was settled. Most of it was memorabilia anyway, and she wouldn’t need that for a long while.

  Now the question was, when should she leave?

  She opened her laptop. Neither May nor Kaya were online yet, so she sent them a quick email and told them what was going on. Then she googled the drive to Los Angeles. Hmm. It looked like it would take around eighteen hours to get there if she drove straight, but she could get a hotel in Lewiston for the night if she wanted to leave right away. That was a tough call—wait until morning, or leave now? There were definite points to each, but she finally decided to wait until morning. Leaving sooner would take care of the anxiety she felt to get on the road, but when she’d only make it to Lewiston before she’d have to pull over, it just made sense to stay one more night and then take off in the morning when she’d be fresh. If she managed to sleep, of course.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Even though they both knew Liz needed her rest so she could drive safely, she and Joni stayed up and watched one last movie together. They fell asleep in the living room, the TV still on, Cary Grant’s handsome face up on the TV screen, just as it should be. Then Liz woke up, showered, threw the rest of her things into her suitcase, and cried as she said good-bye to her best
friend in the whole world.

  Her drive out to the ranch was so difficult. When she’d decided to leave home and strike out on her own, the Westons had taken her in and sheltered her while also giving her the wings to fly. She stopped in by Wade’s office first, where he gave her the very last paycheck she’d ever receive from the ranch, plus a little unexpected bonus. She hugged him good-bye, taking comfort from his solid strength.

  She took her uniforms in to the diner, hugged Bob and Kelsi good-bye, and then drove over to the RV park. This farewell was going to be equally hard.

  “So, you’re off, are you? I must say, it’s about time,” Jaclyn said.

  “What do you mean? I haven’t been procrastinating,” Liz replied as she scooped up one of the rabbits.

  “We sent you off yesterday morning. What have you been doing all this time?”

  “Packing, paying some last bills, stuff like that.”

  Jaclyn flapped her hand. “You’re too practical. You need to seize the day! Live in the moment!”

  “Well, I couldn’t very well take off without giving you a proper good-bye.” Liz reached out with her free arm and wrapped the older woman up in a side hug. “You’ve meant so much to me while I’ve lived here.”

  “And I’m glad you stopped by.” Jaclyn returned the hug, then looked Liz in the eye. “Go find that young man and let him take care of you. Then take care of him in return. You need each other—you complete each other. You’re independent on your own and I have no doubt that you’d manage all right without each other, but together, you are complete. Now, go. And drive carefully.”

  Liz gave her another hug and then climbed into Jack’s car. She’d left her own parked in front of the bunkhouse, as Simon had requested, and they’d take care of the paperwork and whatnot through the mail. It was time for her adventure to begin. She put the car in reverse, backed out, and then pulled off the ranch, laughing as the sheriff brought his car into line to give her a police escort through Riston. She didn’t know if she was being given a celebratory sendoff or if she was being led off the premises so he could be sure she was really gone. Either way, she loved it.

  ***

  Two days. Two days Jack had spent at the shelter, talking to the women he’d helped free from the warehouse, listening to their stories, wiping tears from the corners of his eyes when they weren’t looking. They’d remembered only a few additional things—snippets of overheard conversations, pieces of names. He sent everything on to Holden, hoping that any of it would help, fearing that it wouldn’t, but knowing that he’d remember this experience forever, what it was like to see these women begin to feel safer. He was worn out clean through, but it was worth it to give the victims a voice.

  He left the shelter and stopped by his apartment, showering and getting something to eat. He was tempted to take a nap, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to relax until he’d checked in. He hadn’t been at the office since he began his interviews, and he felt like he should at least talk to Holden face-to-face once before passing out.

  When the taxi he’d taken pulled into the parking lot at the FBI building, he thought he saw his car along the right side under a tree, but he had to be mistaken. His car was still in Idaho with Liz. A smile flickered across his face. He hadn’t spoken to her in a couple of days either, but her voice was still fresh in his mind. He couldn’t wait to get a break in this case so he could take off for a couple of days and go see her. That would be the ultimate reward for doing his job well—del Gato behind bars, and the woman he loved in his arms.

  He paid the driver, climbed out of the taxi, and took a step toward the building. But then he stopped dead in the middle of the sidewalk. Liz was walking toward him, her skirt billowing slightly in the breeze and kissing her ankles. He blinked to make sure his eyes were working properly and that fatigue wasn’t having a laugh at his expense.

  “Hello, Jack,” she said softly, and his knees nearly buckled. That voice. Her face. Her beautiful hair. She was here—she was really here.

  “Hello yourself,” he said, opening his arms, and she walked right into them without any hesitation. He crushed her into his chest, burying his face in her hair, loving the smell of her shampoo and the way her head melted into the crook of his shoulder. She fit. She belonged.

  They stood that way forever, neither of them moving until he finally took her face in his hands and kissed her. This was right. This was real. This was how it was meant to be.

  When he let her go, she grinned up into his eyes. “It’s rather sad, really. First Kelsi fired me, and then Wade told me I’d better get your car off the property, and then the sheriff escorted me out of town.”

  “Really?” That didn’t sound quite right, but he imagined she’d fill him in.

  “Really. So here I find myself homeless, jobless, driving around in someone else’s car, and in bad need of a fresh start. I wondered if you might know where I could apply for a job around here.”

  “Oh, I could probably dredge up some ideas.” He studied her face. “I can’t believe you’re really here. You have no idea how badly I’ve wanted to get away, but this case . . . I couldn’t leave it.”

  “I understand. I understand completely. What you’re doing here is important—it’s life changing. This is your calling, your purpose. I couldn’t interfere with that or ask you to change it. So . . . I came to you. That is, if you think there’s something here worth pursuing.”

  That she could even ask such a question with doubt in her voice . . . He immediately dropped to his knee. “Not only do I think it’s worth pursuing, I think it’s worth making it official. I don’t have a ring, but I’m going to get one as soon as I hear your answer. Liz, you came into my life at my darkest moment and brought me light. You shook me up, you woke me up, and the fact that you’re here now—the fact that you came all this way to support me in what I’m doing—it just makes me love you all the more. I know this is a risk, but I take risks every day, and I’m not scared of this one. Liz, will you marry me?”

  “You know, I was hoping you’d say that,” she replied, a laugh in her voice. “It would have been really awkward if I’d driven for two days just to get here and find out that you’d changed your mind about me.”

  “Changed my mind? Never. Never in a million years.” He came to his feet and kissed her again, feeling joy all the way down to the tips of his toes. “I just have one question,” he said when he let her go. “It’s actually been bothering me for a while now.”

  “Oh? What’s that?”

  “Well, one day when I was in the diner, I overheard you saying that you needed to dispose of a body. What were you talking about?”

  Her eyes filled with merriment, and she began to laugh. “Oh, no. Oh, wow. Um, yeah, I bet that sounded pretty weird. One thing we haven’t discussed yet—I’m a writer, actually, and I write crime novels. In fact, I just signed my first contract the other day. Joni helps me work out my plots, and we were talking about chapter eight of my newest book.”

  “You’re a writer? That’s so cool. And congratulations!” Jack grinned. “I’m so glad I haven’t fallen head over heels in love with a murderer. That would make things kind of awkward.”

  “Yeah, I imagine it would,” she said, then she grabbed his tie and brought him forward for another kiss.

  THE END

  Other books in the River’s End Ranch series:

  #1. Short-Order Sheriff by Kirsten Osbourne

  #2. Veterinarian’s Vacation by Pamela Kelley

  And now for a sneak peek at Whitewater Wooing, Book #3 by Caroline Lee!

  CHAPTER ONE

  “Ugh. Pizza again?” Kelsi Clapper rolled her eyes theatrically as she stomped into the café’s kitchen. “Don’t you get sick of it?”

  “Nope. And I even ordered one with that pile of hot peppers you like to call ‘toppings’.” Will blew his younger sister a kiss from his spot by the ovens, where he was pulling out stacks of take-out pizza that had been warming. “Although you’ll be the o
nly one to eat it. I don’t even think that husband of yours can stand the level of spicy you can.”

  “Nope!” Kelsi’s cheerful attitude could grate on anyone but her favorite big brother. “Shane tries his best, bless his heart.”

  “So, how’s life?”

  “Stressful!” Kelsi lowered her voice and peeked over her shoulder at the open door. “Since Liz and Jess quit the diner, I need about eight arms. But I’ve got two new gals starting this week, and I think they’ll work out well.” She sighed.

  “Awesome. I hate it when you’re frazzled. You’re harder to tease.” Kelsi made a face at him, so Will decided to start teasing her right then. Nonchalantly, he asked, “And how’s married life treating you?”

  Take-out pizza called for paper plates, and Will found some in one of the cabinets. Bob Blakley, who ran the café’s kitchen when it was open to the public, would’ve been irritated by how freely Will poked around, but it was that or wash dishes, soooo…

  “About the same as the last time you checked, last week.” Kelsi sighed dreamily. “Wonderful.”

  “And any progress on that whole making-me-an-uncle thing?”

  Kelsi blushed a bright pink, just like Will had known she would, and he hid his grin by piling the plates on top of the pizza boxes. “I mean, since it’s going so wonderfully and all.”

  His younger sister slumped against the counter and put her face in her hands. “I can’t believe you’d ask me that. Do you have any idea how mortifying—”

  “Hey, I like Shane. And I like that he likes you. And that you like him.”

  She peeked between her fingers. “I love him.” Her voice was muffled by her palms.

  “Okay, sure. Love. Whatever.”

  “Come on.” Kelsi lowered her hands slightly. “I know you believe in it. Me and Shane, Mom and Dad. Jess and Jake. You see true love all around you!”