"Stevens, Amanda - Last Chance Cafe" - читать интересную книгу автора (Stevens Amanda)

Last Chance Cafй

by

Amanda Stevens

Chapter One

"Just what every ghost town needs," Leni Crowe said dryly as she wiped down the counter in the rundown cafй she’d inherited from her father, along with the general store next door. "A real, live ghost."
But Rio Rancho, located off a lonely stretch of I-10 in West Texas, wasn’t technically a ghost town. Not all the locals had followed the exodus to greener pastures when a five-year drought had bankrupted area ranchers and closed down most of the businesses. There were still some old-timers who clung to their shriveled land and a dying way of life — and a few newcomers who were hiding out from their pasts and maybe even from the law.
Then there were folks like Leni, who had left Rio Rancho a long time ago only to slink back years later, tails tucked between their legs, when the outside world hadn’t treated them any too kindly.
"So what do you think he’s up to, out there on that old broken-down ranch all by his lonesome?" Darlene persisted. "Think he’s a drug smuggler? A criminal? A sex fiend?" she added hopefully.
"Maybe he’s just looking for a little peace and quiet." Leni wasn’t much in the mood for her friend’s gossip. A sudden storm had forced a lot of truckers off the road, not to mention some agents from a special DPS unit who were in town investigating the death of a local rancher, and Leni was exhausted. She waited and bussed tables while her cook, Luis, fried burgers over a red-hot grill. He wasn’t complaining, but Leni knew he was anxious to get away as well. He was young, it was Saturday night, and the Mexican border was only a few miles away.
As for Leni, all she wanted to do was get home to a hot bath, but unfortunately, the storm showed no sign of letting up, and neither did Darlene.
"Now, Leni, you can’t tell me you’re not the least bit curious about that stranger," she needled. "You may live in Rio Rancho, but you ain’t dead, girl."
Just the next thing to it, Leni thought.
"Curious about who?" Glen Riordan sauntered over, hitching up the khaki trousers of his deputy sheriff’s uniform before straddling the barstool next to Darlene. "Y’all talkin’ ‘bout that feller who bought the old Foster place?" he drawled.
Leni cringed. It wasn’t that she didn’t like Glen. What was not to like? He was a nice-looking, soft-spoken, salt-of-the-earth-type guy who would have made some girl a great husband, but unfortunately, he’d set his sights on Leni. He didn’t know that her heart had been broken so badly she had no intention of allowing him, or anyone else, to pick up the pieces.
Everyone in Rio Rancho assumed her widowhood was the reason she was so gun-shy about relationships, but Leni’s pain went back farther than the tragic death of her husband. It went all the way back to the slow decline of her marriage, the dissolution of all her dreams, and it had culminated on the night she’d asked her husband, Danny, for a divorce. The same night he’d died in a fiery car crash that Leni still had nightmares about.
Danny was the reason Leni wasn’t interested in Glen Riordan, or any man. She never would be. If her marriage to a man she’d loved with all her heart and soul had failed, what hope could there be with someone else?
She started to turn and check on her orders, but the front door opened, and a gust of cold, wet air swept through the cafй. A man stood silhouetted in the doorway, a hat pulled low over his eyes and a black rain poncho billowing out behind him.
He hardly seemed more than a shadow at first, but then he lifted his head and his gaze met Leni’s. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end, and an icy chill shot through her as the stranger stepped inside the Last Chance Cafй.

Chapter Two

Or maybe it was the scars on his face, the pain in his eyes that intrigued her even as something about him almost frightened her.
He wasn’t handsome. In fact, on another man, his features might have been considered homely, but on the stranger, the battered face, the nose that had obviously been broken and not all that successfully repaired, the mouth that gave an odd little twist at one of the corners, were almost mesmerizing.
He was big, at least 6’2", with broad shoulders and a toughness about him that was formidable.
Leni found she’d been holding her breath. She let it out slowly as the stranger removed the rain poncho and hung it on a rack near the door. He took off his hat and coat, too, but he left on his gloves. Moving with a slight limp which, oddly enough, did nothing to impair his grace, he took a booth in a far corner, away from the main flow of traffic in the cafй, and waited for Leni.
"Oh, my gawd," Darlene said beneath her breath. She placed her hand over her heart and sighed. "Now, that is what I call a real man. How do you suppose he got his face messed up like that? Fighting over a woman, I bet."
"What makes you think that?" Leni asked, hardly able to tear her gaze from the stranger.
"Because a man like that always has a woman in his past." Darlene picked up a menu and shoved it toward Leni. "Hurry up. Go take his order. Strike up a conversation. Find out what you can about him and report back to me."
Leni snatched the menu from Darlene and gave her an exasperated look. "Yes, ma’am!"
Glen caught Leni’s arm as she walked by him. "Be careful, Leni. I don’t like the looks of that guy. His kind usually spells trouble."
"His kind?"
Glen shrugged. "He’s been around. You can tell that just by looking in his eyes. Almost gives a body the willies," he murmured, then caught himself, squaring his shoulders in a manly gesture. "Just be careful, that’s all. Lot of dope smugglers around here."
Glen meant well, he always did, but his warning irritated Leni for some reason. It wasn’t like he had a claim on her or anything, and it sure wasn’t like she didn’t know how to take care of herself. She’d been married to a cop, hadn’t she? A narc, no less. She knew about drug trafficking, and yes, it was always a danger this close to the border. But it wasn’t like every stranger in town was a smuggler.
Still, there had been a lot of activity in the area lately, more than usual, and everyone in Rio Rancho was a little on edge since Ned Barnes, one of the old-timers, had been found shot dead on his ranch a few days ago. That, of course, was why agents from the Texas Confidential, a highly specialized division of the Department of Public Safety, were hanging around, although they’d never admit it. They were here undercover. No one in town besides Leni knew their true identities.
To the outside world, they worked as ranch hands on a nearby spread, but Leni had been made privy to the organization a year ago when they’d needed her cafй as a cover for a drug sting. She and Brady Morgan, one of the agents, had gone to the same college, and later, Brady and her husband had been cops together in Dallas. When Brady had asked for her help, Leni hadn’t hesitated, and since then, she’d established a close friendship with all the agents.
Their presence now, however, filled her with foreboding. Poor old Ned had been shot because he’d seen something he shouldn’t have. But what?
And now a stranger was in town. He’d bought the Foster place, a rundown ranch in a remote area of the county. Just what was he doing out there all alone? Leni wondered.
Filling a glass with ice water, she headed toward the booth in the back. The stranger watched her approach. His eyes were cool, gray, and very distant. His other features — the crooked nose, the scars, the thick, dark hair — Leni hardly noticed. But his eyes...
The water glass trembled in her hand. Her breath left her in a painful rush. Oh, my God, she thought in shock.
His eyes reminded her of Danny’s.

Chapter Three

The scars caught people off guard. Repulsed them. He understood. It had been a long time after the accident before he’d been able to look at himself in the mirror.
He understood, but he’d been hoping for more from her.
Which was crazy. He hadn’t come to Rio Rancho to strike up a relationship. He’d come to Rio Rancho because after three years of drifting, it had seemed like the only place on earth he could find a measure of peace.
Despite his appearance, he was still human. And the woman who stood staring down at him was gorgeous. Tall, graceful, with fiery red hair and provocative green eyes, she’d undoubtedly fueled more than one trucker’s fantasies.
Not to mention the deputy sheriff who’d been hanging all over her.
But in the few moments Cade had been inside the cafй, it seemed to him that all the customers, mostly male, treated her with the utmost respect. She had the air of a woman who would not put up with anything less, and that made her even more appealing.
She set the glass on the table in front of him, sloshing water over the rim. "Sorry," she muttered, wiping almost frantically at the spill.
"No problem." His voice was low and raspy, still unfamiliar to him after all this time. With an effort, he resisted touching the scar at his throat.
She glanced down at him nervously. "What can I get you? Cup of coffee to start?"
"Sounds good." Cade noticed that her hands were trembling a little. Had she been that affected by his face, or was she upset for some other reason? Dare he hope she might even be a little attracted to him?
Yeah, sure. If she was partial to horror movies.
"It’s a cold night," he said.
"Not fit for man nor beast," she agreed, and then her expression turned horrified. Her gaze slipped over his face. "I mean, it’s cold and rainy and...wet," she stammered.
He almost smiled at her embarrassment. She wasn’t used to being rattled, he thought, and her discomfort made her cling to the menu as if it were a lifeline.
"Any recommendations?"
"Oh, sorry." She handed him the menu. "Luis makes a great burger if you like them well done. If not, I’d stick with the chili."
"Chili it is." He gave her back the menu without opening it, then glanced around the cafй. "Looks like you’ve had a busy night, Leni."
Her mouth dropped. "How did you know — "
His gaze fell on the name embroidered on her uniform. "Unusual name," he murmured.
"It’s short for Lynnea."
Old-fashioned, but it suited her. "Cade Walker," he said, but he didn’t extend his hand.
She nodded and started to turn away, then glanced back down at him. "Not that it’s any of my business, but what brings you to Rio Rancho? I guess you’ve noticed we’re not exactly the garden capital of world. Especially this time of year."
He shrugged. "Seemed as good a place as any to settle down."
"I guess that depends on your perspective," she said with a wry smile. "You have folks here?"
He hesitated. "No. Not anymore."
She shook her head. "Hard to imagine anyone picking this place for the climate. Or the view, for that matter."
"If it’s so bad, why do you stay?"
She frowned down at him. "That should be pretty obvious, even for a stranger. I’m here for the same reason everyone else in this godforsaken town is. I don’t have anywhere else to go."

Chapter Four

Cade Walker.
He’d finished his chili and a second cup of coffee 30 minutes ago, but he seemed in no hurry to leave. He didn’t smoke, so he wasn’t lingering over a cigarette. He wasn’t drinking, so he wasn’t waiting for last call.
Just what the heck was he doing? Waiting to catch Leni alone?
Okay, she thought. Now he’s giving me the willies. And that wasn’t a feeling she particularly liked. Normally, she wasn’t the nervous type.
She walked over to the table of agents and handed them their bill. "Why don’t you fellas take this party on down the road."
"Trying to get rid of us, Leni?" Cody Gannon, the youngest at the table, asked with a grin. He was an ex-rodeo star who had one of the most disarming smiles Leni had ever come across. Good thing she was several years his senior and immune to good-looking men to boot.
"Matter of fact, I am," she said bluntly.
"What do you say I get rid of these two losers and stick around while you lock up?" Rafe Alvarez had a smile, too, but it wasn’t disarming like Cody’s. It was downright dangerous, and he knew it.
"Tell you what," Leni said. "You close up for me, Rafe, and I’ll go on home, slip into my best flannel nightie and my sexy wool socks and I’ll be waiting for you in front of the TV."
Rafe winced. "Flannel nightie? Wool socks? Don’t take this the wrong way, Leni, but I think I’ll pass."
"I thought you might."
They all tossed money on the table and stood, gathering coats, gloves, and hats. As Cody and Rafe left the cafй, the oldest of the group, Jake Cantrell, stayed behind. He cast a wary glance toward the booth in the back, where the stranger sat waiting. But for what?
"I don’t like leaving you here alone while that guy’s still hanging around," Jake said in a low voice. "Do you know him?"
"No, but don’t worry. Luis is still here." Although they both knew Luis would be no match for the stranger. The cook had a reputation across the border as a fiery, passionate lover — or so he said — but he wasn’t much bigger than a minute.
Trying to diffuse Jake’s concern, she said brightly, "Hey, I saw Brady the other day. He came in just after dawn with some woman." It was a small world, Leni sometimes thought, the way she and Brady had both ended up in West Texas, what some people considered the ends of the earth. "The woman was a real looker," she said. "Sort of the Shania Twain type."
Something flickered in Jake’s eyes before the shutters came down, confirming Leni’s suspicion that Brady’s involvement with the woman was more than just personal. But before she had time to question Jake further, she saw the stranger rise from the booth and walk toward her.
Turning to face him, she felt Jake’s hand on her back, as if to reassure her he was still there. But the moment her gaze collided with Cade Walker’s, Leni forgot all about Jake’s presence, Cody Gannon’s smile, and Rafe Alvarez’s charm. She forgot about Brady Morgan and his female companion.
And for a moment, she even forgot about Danny...

Chapter Five

And the next.
Leni’s heart bounced like a ping pong ball off the wall of her chest as she watched him remove his hat and coat and head toward the back booth. Like always, he’d left on his gloves. She couldn’t help wondering why. Were his hands scarred, too? Or was he worried about leaving his fingerprints around?
Chiding herself for her wild imagination, she picked up a menu. It was a Monday night. The cafй wasn’t particularly busy, but there were a couple of locals sitting at the bar chewing the fat, and the Texas Confidential agents, still in town investigating Ned Barnes’s death, were gathered around a corner table. No one would suspect they were anything more than three friends, having a cup of coffee together and shooting the breeze.
Leni still couldn’t shake a dark premonition that something sinister was going on in Rio Rancho. She could feel it, and she couldn’t help wondering if her sense of foreboding was somehow tied to Cade Walker.
Ignoring a sudden chill down her back, she filled a water glass and headed for the back booth. "Evening," she greeted him, annoyed that her voice sounded so breathless.
He looked up at her with those eyes. Gray. Piercing. Soulful.
So like Danny’s.
Stop it! Leni admonished herself. This man was nothing like Danny. Danny was dead. He wasn’t coming back. She had to stop seeing him every time she looked into Cade Walker’s eyes. Because if she didn’t...
If she didn’t, she might find it a little too easy to forget that Cade Walker was a stranger.
"Another cold night, " he said softly.
Leni shivered at the sound of his voice. "I guess spring’s still a long way off."
"Yeah, but it always comes. Sooner or later."
His words seemed prophetic to Leni. For a long time now she’d been living in a perpetual winter. But Cade Walker made her think of warmer days. And even warmer nights.
She mentally shook herself and handed him the menu. "Need a few minutes to decide what you want?"
"No. I already know what I want."
As his gaze met hers, a thrill of excitement shot through Leni, but she tried to keep her voice even. "What’ll it be then?"
He hesitated only fractionally. "I think I’ll try one of Luis’s burgers tonight."
She arched a brow. "You must like to live dangerously."
"Don’t you?"
"No," she said frankly. "I don’t have an adventurous bone in my body. I’m more the hearth and home type."
"Then why aren’t you married?" His voice was low and raspy. Intimate.
"Actually...I was married," Leni confessed.
"What happened?" If possible, his gaze grew even darker.
"He died." Her tone was matter of fact, but her insides trembled, as they always did, when she thought about Danny.
"I’m sorry." Something flickered in Cade’s eyes, a look of regret, as if he truly were sorry for her loss. Somehow Leni thought that he was.
"It was a long time ago," she said sadly. "And the marriage was already over."
"I’m sorry," he said again. And then without warning, he reached out and touched her hand. He’d taken off his gloves, and Leni could see that the back of his right hand was crisscrossed with thin, jagged lines.
Something horrible had happened to him in the past, she thought. Something had scarred him terribly, but she had a feeling the wounds on the outside were nothing compared to those on the inside.
Her eyes stung with sudden tears, and for no reason Leni could explain, she wanted to lift his marred hand to her face, to trace each and every scar with her lips, to soothe away his pain — and maybe her own — even for a little while.
Instead, she took a step back from Cade Walker. He dropped his hand from hers, and the moment was over.
"I’d better see to your order," she murmured, then turned and fled toward the kitchen.

Chapter Six

He’d left the cafй a few minutes ago, heading for his truck, but he knew he’d been followed out. He turned and saw one of the three men who had been sitting at the corner table start across the street toward him. Cade didn’t see the other two, but he knew they were around, just as he knew all three of them were the law. He’d known it the moment he first laid eyes on them in the cafй on Saturday night.
They weren’t cops, though. At least not local boys. Not like the deputy sheriff Cade had seen sniffing around Leni that first night. In another few years, the deputy would have the same physique as the Pillsbury Doughboy if he wasn’t careful. These guys were in top shape, which told him they trained. They were pros.
He waited beside his truck for the man to catch up to him. When he drew even with Cade, they eyed each other in the darkness. Finally the man stuck out his hand. "Jake Cantrell."
"Cade Walker." They shook hands, sizing one another up.
"I hear you bought the old Foster place," Cantrell remarked casually. But Cade wasn’t fooled. There was nothing offhand about the question. "What brings you to West Texas?"
Cade started to tell him it was none of his damn business, but trouble with the law, especially this man’s kind of law, he didn’t need. "I like the peace and quiet."
"Plenty of quiet out here all right," Jake said. "It’s not too peaceful, though. There was a murder a few days ago, a rancher named Ned Barnes."
"Is that right?" Cade said carefully.
"He was a harmless old man, shot dead with a high-caliber rifle. As a matter of fact, his ranch borders yours up near the foothills."
Cade became extremely wary. A murder. A stranger in town. He didn’t like the way Jake Cantrell appeared to be adding things up.
"We think he may have seen something he shouldn’t have," Jake said. "Lot of drugs coming across the border around here. They need places to hide the stuff until the shipments can be dispersed to points east and north."
"You sound like a cop," Cade said.
Jake laughed, a low sound, not menacing exactly, but none too friendly. "I’m not a cop. I work on a spread not too far from here. We don’t like drugs coming across the border, and when someone gets murdered, we’re all concerned."
Yeah, Cade thought. There was concern, and there was concern.
"Just thought I’d give you a friendly warning," Jake said. "So you can be on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary."
Cade had seen some strange things already, but he wasn’t going to admit it. He’d come here to start a new life, not to get dragged back into his old one. "I haven’t been here long enough to know if something is out of the ordinary or not."
Jake nodded. "Fair enough. But if you do see anything suspicious, we’d appreciate it if you’d get in touch with the authorities."
Cade turned to leave, but Jake said quietly, "One other thing, Walker."
"Yeah?"
"I can’t help noticing you’ve been hanging around Leni’s place since you got to town."
Cade shrugged. "I’m not much of a cook. I have to eat somewhere."
"Leni have anything to do with your choice?"
"Not particularly," Cade said, but a spark of anger ignited inside him. What business was this of Jake Cantrell’s? "Why? Do you have a claim on her?"
"No claim," Jake said easily. "She’s a friend, and she hasn’t had an easy time trying to make a go of this place. We all look out for her, that’s all."
Cade’s gaze went back to the window, where he could see Leni silhouetted in the light. Even going about the menial task of cleaning up the cafй, she looked strong and capable. A woman in charge. A woman who didn’t need a man to look out for her.
But then again, it might depend on the man.

Chapter Seven

But Leni lingered, not anxious to go home to a cold, empty house. A lonely house. Sighing, she moved to the tiny office in the back and changed from her uniform into a pair of jeans, a thick wool sweater, and boots. Even though it only took her a few minutes to get to her house, she’d freeze in this weather if she didn’t bundle up.
Fighting off a growing melancholy, she walked over and lowered the shade at the door and turned the sign to read Closed. She was just about to turn out the lights when a knock on the door caused her to jump.
Normally, she wouldn’t have been so skittish, but Ned Barnes’s murder had made everyone in town a little edgy.
The knock sounded again, and cautiously Leni drew back the shade on the door. The neon sign was still on, and Cade Walker’s battered features stood out starkly in the garish, flickering light.
"Sorry to bother you, but I forgot my gloves," he said through the glass.
Leni hesitated. It was never a good idea to let a stranger into the cafй this time of night when she was all alone, especially one who seemed as mysterious as Cade Walker. But the weather was brutal outside. He’d need his gloves.
"Look," Cade said, as if sensing her trepidation. "I don’t have to come in. I’ll go stand next to the windows, where you can see me, and you just slip the gloves outside."
Leni couldn’t find an objection with that. She nodded.
Locating the gloves in the back booth where he’d left them, she headed back toward the door. She could see his towering silhouette outside the front windows, and for a moment, she paused, staring out at him. Her heart thudded against her chest in spite of herself. She didn’t want to be drawn to Cade Walker, but she was. She didn’t want to find his beaten features attractive, but she did. And she certainly knew better than to let him come inside the cafй. But she wanted to.
She opened the front door and stepped out into the cold night.
"Cade?" When he didn’t answer, she took a few steps away from the door. "Cade? I found your gloves."
Too late, she realized he was no longer by the windows. He’d come up behind her, blocking her path to the door. She started to scream, started to run, but she could do neither because he grabbed her roughly, wrapping his arm around her throat as he shoved a gun barrel against her temple.
"Scream and you die," he said in her ear.

Chapter Eight

Whatever the reason, Cade was pretty certain they hadn’t counted on his instinct for survival, honed even more sharply after three years of looking over his shoulder.
They hadn’t counted on the fact that he’d recognized one of them, either. Out of the corner of his eye, before he’d gone down, Cade had caught a glimpse of one of his attackers. And though the heavy coat disguised the man’s size, the white hair hanging down his back and the paleness of his skin had been unmistakable.
Cade had seen him a few days ago, on the northern edge of his property. The man had been on foot, heavily bundled up against the weather, except for his head which had been left bare. The wind had whipped his white hair straight back, exposing a face that seemed eerily devoid of color. He’d been carrying a rifle. To the casual observer, he might have been taken for a hunter, but through his binoculars, Cade had noted the way the man’s gaze darted about the landscape, the stealthy but purposeful way he made his way over the craggy terrain.
He’d been up to no good. Cade had realized that immediately, but he’d kept out of sight because he hadn’t wanted any trouble. He hadn’t wanted to get involved in something that was no longer his business.
He hadn’t known then that Ned Barnes had been murdered. Or that the white-haired man might pose a threat to Leni.
Leni.
The thought of her spurred Cade to his feet. Tentatively, he probed the knot at the back of his head. He’d bled some, and the pain was pretty intense. Cade knew he probably needed stitches, but there was no time for that. Besides, he’d learned a long time ago how to handle pain. He gritted his teeth and staggered toward the cafй.
The lights were off, but the front door was open. Cade backtracked and got his gun out of his truck before entering the darkened restaurant. He waited several long minutes in the doorway, listening to the dark, before he moved inside and turned on the lights.
There was no sign of a struggle, no evidence of foul play. It seemed as if Leni might have just gone home for the evening, but Cade knew that she hadn’t. She was a careful person. She would never have left her front door unlocked.
He walked over to the cash register. It hadn’t been touched, but there was a tissue lying on the floor. It was dotted with blood.
Leni’s blood?

Chapter Nine

She still had no idea why she’d been kidnapped, but she knew her predicament was dire. Before they’d left town, her two captors had forced her to open up the general store next to the cafй, and they’d loaded up with medical supplies, food, and blankets. Leni prayed they’d let her go once they had what they wanted, but instead, she’d been taken hostage.
Her split lip ached where the white-haired man had hit her. The pain made her angry, but she was scared, too, and she knew she had to control her temper. She was no match for two armed men. All she could do for now was bide her time.
The inside of the mine was dimly lit by a lantern hanging from a wooden rafter. The light stirred in a draft, and huge shadows danced across the cavern. But even in the faulty light, Leni had no trouble seeing a third man lying on the floor. His face was blanched, and he was shivering uncontrollably.
The white-haired man, who seemed to be the leader, thrust the bag of medical supplies toward her. "Here," he said. "See what you can do for him."
Leni glanced at him in shock. "Me? I’m no doctor!"
"Maybe not." His pale eyes were like red flames in the lantern light. "But you’re the closest thing we got."
He shoved her toward the man on the floor, and Leni sank to her knees. Up close, the man looked in even worse shape than she’d first thought. Gingerly she pulled back the blanket that was spread over him. The man’s clothing was covered in blood. She recoiled in horror.
"He needs to be in a hospital!" she said on a gasp. "There’s nothing I can do for him!"
The white-haired man walked over and placed his gun against her temple, cocking the trigger. "You got my brother sent to prison last year. You and those agents you work for. Nothing I’d like more than to put a bullet in you right now, but I’m giving you a fighting chance. You save this man’s life, I’ll let you go."
Leni looked up into those cold blues eyes and shivered. I’m a dead woman, she thought. He’s never going to let me go.

***

Cade knew where they’d gone. Even if he hadn’t recognized the white-haired man, he would have had a pretty good idea, because in spite of what he’d told Jake Cantrell, he had been seeing some unusual activity the last few days. Strange vehicles using an obscure road on the border of his property. Lights moving around in the foothills of the mountains.
Cade had become suspicious, so he’d gone to investigate. He’d traveled every square inch of his property, the need to know his surroundings inside and out a deeply ingrained compulsion.
When he’d come across the abandoned mine, he’d known immediately that it was the perfect hideout. The perfect place to stash drug shipments coming across the border. It was remote, well hidden, and extremely difficult to get to.
He’d explored the tunnel just far enough so that he knew another way in and another way out. In his old life, learning where all the exits were located could have meant life or death, and although he’d left that persona behind him three years ago, old habits died hard.
He’d been a fool, Cade realized now. He thought he could shut his eyes to whatever was going on in that mine. He thought he could leave behind a way of life that had robbed him of everything. But he’d been wrong. Ned Barnes had been killed, and now Leni was missing. There was no way he could ignore that.
He felt emotions stirring to life he’d long ago tried to bury. This time, he didn’t try to suppress them. Cade closed his eyes for a moment, letting them rise to the surface. Letting his instincts take over because he knew that was the only way he could save Leni.

Chapter Ten

She’d done the best she could with the medical supplies, but she knew the wounded man was going to die if they didn’t get him to a hospital. She also knew his friends had no intention of doing that. They were drug runners, associated with the group the Texas Confidential agents had brought down last year. Because of her participation in the sting, they thought she was an agent, too. She hadn’t been kidnapped for her nursing skills so much as for revenge.
She gazed down at the wounded man. Apparently, he’d been shot by a rival drug cartel while crossing the border. Leni had heard the men talking. They couldn’t move their hideout because a major shipment was due anytime. Nor could they risk detection by taking their comrade to a doctor. Bullet wounds had to be reported to the authorities.
Thinking of the police made Leni think of Glen. Maybe if he drove by the cafй, he’d realize something was wrong. But why would he? The lights were off. He’d think she was closed.
How long before anyone missed her? Not until Luis got to work tomorrow morning. And even if the Texas Confidential agents got involved, it could take several hours to ascertain what had happened and to form a search party. By then, the trail would be cold. No one would know where to look for her. She could be dead before anyone figured out where she’d been taken.
And Cade Walker? What had happened to him? She’d known the moment she heard the white-haired man speak that he wasn’t Cade, but why had Cade disappeared so suddenly before her attack? Was he in with these men? Had he left his gloves in the cafй to purposefully draw her outside?
Leni still had the gloves. She pulled them out of her pocket and slipped them on as she leaned against the wall. They were warm inside, as if he’d just withdrawn his hands from them. She lifted them to her face, imagining for a moment the way Cade might touch her. The way he might kiss her...
She jerked herself out of the fantasy with a cold dash of reality. It was stupid to fantasize about a stranger, especially when she had more pressing concerns to worry about. Like getting the hell out of here.
The main cavern was fairly large, but the tunnel narrowed as it ran back into the mountain. There was no way of knowing how far back it went. Leni debated on whether to take her chances in the tunnel or to try and subdue the guard. On the one hand, she was no match for an armed killer, unless she could catch him by surprise. On the other hand, for all she knew, the tunnel only went back for a few yards before it dead-ended, in which case she would be trapped.
Then again, the mine could go on for miles. She could end up getting hopelessly lost. She could fall into a pit, break a leg or something. She might even starve to death.
But she had to do something.
She gazed around for a weapon. If she could knock the guard out or disarm him, she might be able to get away before the white-haired man returned.
Outside, she heard the guard stir. He coughed, then all fell silent. She started to inch toward the entrance, but something moved in the far recesses of the tunnel. Leni whirled.
Someone — or something — had materialized from the shadows. Leni started to scream, but he was on her before she could utter a sound.
"Don’t move," he whispered against her ear. "Don’t make a sound."
And this time the voice did belong to Cade Walker....

Chapter Eleven

"It’s okay. I’m going to get you out of here," he whispered. "Understand?" When Leni nodded, he lifted his hand from her mouth. "You okay?"
She nodded again and swallowed, never so glad to see anyone in her life — especially now that she knew he wasn’t one of the bad guys. She’d never really believed that, Leni realized, and she had to fight the urge to throw her arms around him. "How did you know where to find me?"
He put a gentle finger to her hurt lip, and Leni winced. Cade’s eyes darkened in the lantern light. "No time for that now. We’ve got to get moving." He glanced around the mine, his gaze falling on the wounded man. "Where are the others?"
"One is just outside," Leni whispered. "The other one...I’m not sure. But they’re both armed."
Cade nodded grimly. "I figured that. Come on." He pulled her toward the tunnel, but before they’d taken more than a few steps, Leni heard a sound behind her. She glanced back and froze.
The blast of the white-haired man’s rifle was almost deafening in the mine.
The rock wall beside Leni exploded, and she screamed.
Cade dove for the deepest shadows, dragging her with him.
"Run!" he yelled, spinning to fire as Leni’s captors opened up on them.
Leni ran.
Away from the lantern, the tunnel was pitch black and narrow. The walls in places brushed both of her shoulders, but she hurried as fast as she could. She was getting farther and farther into the mine, going deeper and deeper with each step. A mountain of stone and dirt lay over her, and she tried to fight off a claustrophobic panic.
Cade caught up with her as another volley of gunfire shattered rock nearby.
"Hurry!" he urged her.
The tunnel forked ahead of them, and Cade guided her to the right. Leni could see the night sky through a hole in the roof. A rope was suspended from above, and she hurried toward it.
But suddenly everything started to tremble. The floor beneath her shook, and she lost her balance. She tumbled to the ground, not knowing what was happening at first, but then in a flash, she realized she was trapped in a miner’s worst nightmare.
A cave-in!
Somehow Cade managed to reach her, and he pulled her to her feet, dragging her back from the rope. Rock and debris bombarded them from above as the hole caved in, and a heavy dust filled the air, making it impossible to breathe. There was no way out, Leni thought in panic. She and Cade would be buried alive.
He hugged her tightly to the wall. His arms covered her head, and for what seemed an eternity, the mine collapsed all around them.
Then the tremors stopped. The dust cleared.
Cade and Leni were both coughing, bruised and battered, but they were alive. Yet for the longest moment, he still held her. As if he never wanted to let her go.
And Leni realized in the aftermath of near death, she was in no hurry to move from the protection of Cade Walker’s arms...

Chapter Twelve

Cade shrugged. "Who knows? This place has probably been here for years. The braces are rotting, so it didn’t take much to bring it down. These old mines are all over the mountains."
"You know this area?" she asked in surprise. "I thought you were new in town."
"I am."
They were moving steadily deeper, and signs of the cave-in grew sparser. At first, they were constantly having to clear the tunnel of rubble, but for the last several minutes, the way had been clear, making it a little easier — and safer — to carry on a conversation.
"Earlier when I asked if you had family here, you said ‘no, not anymore’. Which suggests you used to have family here," Leni said.
"I don’t have family anywhere."
"Then why come to Rio Rancho?"
"I told you. It seemed as good a place as any to settle down."
She stopped behind him, forcing him to do the same so he wouldn’t get too far ahead of her. The flashlight beam was still strong, but Cade knew it wouldn’t last forever. Once the batteries were gone, they would be completely in the dark, and moving through the tunnel would be even more dangerous. He took her arm and tried to urge her forward. "We need to keep moving while we still have light."
Her gaze dropped to the flashlight, and he saw a flicker of what might have been fear cross her features. But still she lingered. "Before we go any farther, I need to know something."
He braced himself. "What?"
"How did you know where to find me?"
He shrugged. "I stumbled across this mine a few days ago while I was exploring the ranch. I saw signs it was being used. I don’t know." He shrugged again. "I had a hunch they’d brought you here."
She gazed up at him for a very long time. "That’s funny," she said slowly. "Because my husband used to get hunches like that, too."

Chapter Thirteen

He stared down at her, his battered face enigmatic in the flashlight beam. "I’m not a cop."
"Then what?"
"Does it matter?" He sounded impatient. "The only thing we need to worry about is finding a way out of here."
"I know, but — "
"What?"
Leni drew a breath. "Why did you come for me? You don’t even know me."
If possible, his expression grew even harsher. "You ask a lot of questions."
"And you don’t seem to have the answers," she countered. "At least none you’re willing to share with me."
"Maybe you wouldn’t like my answers." He started walking along the tunnel in front of her.
Leni followed the beam of light. "Maybe I wouldn’t," she said. "Maybe the fact is, you didn’t come for me at all. Maybe you came to get what those men have been hiding in this mine."
When he didn’t respond, she moved up behind him. "Is that it? Is that why you came? Were you after the drugs?"
Without warning, he spun and grabbed her arms, hauling her up against him. The flashlight was angled downward, but the beam bounced off the floor, casting a sinister shadow over his features. Leni realized that she might have gone too far. If he had come looking for drugs, it probably wasn’t a good idea to force his hand. But that was exactly what she’d done.
Not too smart, Leni, girl, she could almost hear her Pop admonishing her.
"I came to get you." Cade said in a low, dangerous voice. "Don’t you get it?"
And then, still holding her, he lowered his mouth to hers.

***

He hadn’t wanted to kiss her. Hadn’t meant to touch her at all, but there she was, gazing up at him. Looking for all the world as if she wanted to be kissed.
And even with a fine coating of dust still lingering on her skin and in her hair, she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever known. Beautiful inside and out. Brave. Strong. Capable.
Leni.
With a shock, he realized he’d groaned her name out loud. He hadn’t meant to do that, either, but he had no control all of a sudden. Didn’t want to be in control. He wanted Leni to fill his mind, take away the emptiness of the last three years.
He knew that he should draw away, but Leni’s mouth opened beneath his. She wound her arms around his neck, pressing her body close to his, and even though they both wore coats, Cade imagined the warmth of her skin, the rhythm of her heartbeat beneath the heavy layer of clothing.
"Leni." He whispered her name again, caressing the smoothness of her cheek with his hand. She felt incredible, and it had been so long. So very long...
He broke the kiss, resting his forehead against hers. Neither of them said anything for a long moment, but remained almost motionless in one another’s arms.
Finally Leni took a step back. "I don’t know what came over me."
He almost smiled at that. "That’s a clichй, Leni. We both know what came over us."
He couldn’t see her expression clearly in the dim light, but he thought she might be blushing. Not something she would want him to see, he thought. She pulled a hand through her tangled hair. "Okay," she said with a sigh. "Then what’s your take? Adrenaline rush? A reaction to danger?"
Yes, he thought. All of the above and something more. Something she didn’t want to admit. Something she didn’t want to recognize.
Something that Cade had no intention of telling her...

Chapter Fourteen

"I don’t think we’re going to get out of here," she said wearily.
"Sure we are. There’s bound to be another opening somewhere. We just have to keep going." But Cade wasn’t as certain as he sounded. The flashlight beam was almost gone. If they didn’t find an opening soon, it might be better to turn around and go back, take their chances on clearing the tunnel near the mine’s entrance.
"Look," Cade said. They’d rounded a corner in the shaft, and a large cavern-like room opened up before them. He played the light over the walls, probing the corners. There was a bedroll on the floor and candles scattered about.
"Someone’s been here," Leni whispered, as if that same someone might still be lurking nearby.
"Sometimes the miners would spend days at a time underground, especially if they’d struck a rich vein, or thought they were getting close. This stuff’s probably been here for years." Cade walked over and kicked the bedroll. A cloud of dust drifted upward.
With a match, he lit the wick of one of the candles, and the light flickered to life. Quickly he extinguished the flashlight, preserving what little was left of the batteries. Then he stuffed some of the other candles in his pocket, in case they didn’t find a way out any time soon.
"Let’s take a breather." He shook out the bedroll, stirring up another dust storm. "Come to think of it, the ground might be preferable," he said, coughing.
Leni walked over and sat down beside him. "Do you really think we’re going to find a way out of here?"
Cade shrugged. "I’ve been in tighter situations than this."
"Such as?"
He hesitated. "Let’s just say, I’ve faced death a few times and lived to tell about it."
"I don’t know if that makes me feel better or not," Leni murmured. Her gaze was on his face, on the scars. Without warning, she reached out and touched the one at the corner of his mouth.
He caught her hand. "Sure you want to do that?"
"Do what?" she asked softly.
His gaze was dark and mysterious as he stared down at her. "Start something you might not want to finish."

***

Leni wasn’t certain how long she’d been sleeping, but she awakened suddenly with the realization that she was lying on the ground and her head was pillowed in Cade’s lap. He stroked her hair gently, almost lovingly, and a shiver coursed through her. She couldn’t remember the last time a man’s touch had affected her so deeply.
In candlelight, the tunnel was even spookier. It should have been frightening, but it wasn’t. It should have been cold, but it wasn’t. Leni felt cozy, almost content, and she sighed, reaching for Cade’s hand.
Like a blind woman, she explored his callused palm, tested lightly the jagged ridge that ran across the back. Another scar. She moved to his fingers, brushing them with her own until she came to the smooth metal band on the third finger of his left hand.
And then she froze.

Chapter Fifteen

"I was," Cade said carefully. "I lost my wife several years ago."
Something flashed across her face. Not pity, Cade thought, but compassion. Empathy. "I’m sorry," she said. "I know what it’s like to lose someone you love."
"But you said your marriage was over before your husband died," he reminded her.
"That didn’t mean I didn’t love him." She grew surprisingly defensive. "Even through the worst of times, I never stopped loving him."
Cade’s heart gave a funny little twist. "Then he was a very lucky man."
"I’m not sure he felt that way." She hesitated for a moment, then said, "How did your wife die?" Before he had time to answer, she shook her head. "I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked that. It’s none of my business. It’s just..." She trailed off as her gazed moved over the scars on his face.
"The accident came later," he said softly.
"A car accident?" When he nodded, she turned to stare at the candle flame, hugging her knees to her chest. "My husband died in a car crash."
Cade didn’t know what to say, so he remained silent, wondering how much more of herself she would reveal to him. Wondering if it was fair to listen. And yet how could he not? He wanted to know what her life had been like. He wanted to know everything about her. He especially wanted to know if there was a chance she was still in love with her husband.
"He worked Narcotics," Leni said. "Undercover. Sometimes deep cover. The assignments were dangerous, and the least little slip-up could have meant his life. He always said the only way to pull off an undercover job was to become the cover. To live it and breathe it. And he did. He did it very well. He did it so well that I don’t think he even knew who he was anymore. I know I didn’t."
She drew a long breath, her gaze still watching the flame. "Foul play was suspected in his death. He’d penetrated a very powerful drug ring, and his cover was blown. They put out a hit on him, but it wasn’t so much for what he knew as for revenge, the police said. And to use him as an example. His car was forced off an overpass one night. It exploded on impact, and he was trapped inside."
Cade closed his eyes, her words conjuring powerful images.
"Sometimes I still have nightmares about it," she said. "Sometimes I can see him in that car, calling out to me for help. But I can’t get to him. I can’t do anything but watch him die."
The anguish in her voice tore at Cade’s resolve. "Leni, don’t. It wasn’t your fault."
She turned in surprise. "I’m...sorry. I didn’t mean to sound so maudlin. It’s just...I’ve never told anyone about this before. I guess I needed to open up to someone, and it may sound crazy, but I feel as if I know you. Maybe because of the danger we’re in. Maybe because we’re trapped in here together." She shrugged. "I don’t know. I just feel as if I can trust you."
"Maybe you shouldn’t," he said darkly. "Trust me, I mean."
"Why not?" Her eyes deepened in the candlelight, and it seemed to Cade that he could lose himself in those eyes, if he wasn’t careful.
The only way to pull off an undercover job is to become the cover.
He glanced away from her probing gaze. "I’m not the man you think I am, Leni."

Chapter Sixteen

"Then who are you?" she demanded.
"That may not be something you really want to know." Candlelight flickered over Cade’s face, making him seem even more mysterious. Even more dangerous. "I’m a wanted man, Leni."
She caught her breath. "That’s why you came to Rio Rancho. You’re hiding from the law."
"We’re all hiding from something," he said grimly. "Even you."
She started to deny it, but couldn’t. It was true. She was hiding out in Rio Rancho. Hiding from her past, yes, but even worse, she was hiding from a future.
"What did you do?" she asked hesitantly, not certain she really wanted to know.
"It’s not what you think. I’m not a criminal. But there are people who want me dead."
"Those men who kidnapped me...are they looking for you?" Leni asked. Or was she their only target?
"No. If they’d been looking for me, I’d be dead right now." Cade gave her an enigmatic glance. "You don’t seem frightened. After what I just told you, you should be running scared."
Leni glanced around the tunnel. "In case you hadn’t noticed, there’s nowhere to run to. We’re stuck here together, and no, I’m not afraid. Not of you."
He gave her a long, measured look. "You’re a brave woman, Leni."
"Or stupid."
He smiled at that, and Leni’s gaze fell on his mouth, remembering what it was like to have those lips on hers. To have his hands moving through her hair, against her skin. She wondered what it would be like to lie with him in bed, sated from his lovemaking and yet still hungry. Still wanting more.
She lifted her gaze to his. He knows what I’m thinking. She could tell by the dark glow in his eyes, and before she could stop him, he reached out a hand to touch her face.
His knuckles skimmed along her jawline. His thumb traced her mouth, moving gently over the cut. "What happened to your lip?"
"It doesn’t matter."
"Oh, it matters," he said in a voice Leni hardly recognized. "It matters very much."
And then he kissed her, softly at first, pulling back to gaze down at her. "I don’t want to hurt you."
"You won’t." She cupped his neck and pulled him toward her.
He resisted for only a moment before his arms came around her, and he drew her to him, kissing her almost fiercely. Almost desperately. He broke apart only long enough to whisper her name, and then he was kissing her again. And again. Until Leni grew dizzy with need.
She’d never wanted a man the way she wanted Cade Walker.
No, a voice inside her insisted. She’d wanted Danny this way. She’d loved Danny with her heart and soul. She still loved him.
But Danny was dead. And Cade was...Cade...
It took her a moment to realize he was no longer kissing her. His arms around her had stiffened, and he was holding her as if he wanted to push her aside.
Leni tried to draw back to see his face, but his grasp on her tightened.
And then, through the lingering haze of passion, she heard a sound that chilled her blood. The unmistakable clatter of a rattlesnake coiled to spring.

Chapter Seventeen

He tightened his grip on her arms and whispered in her ear, "When I give the word, I want you to lunge away from me. As fast as you can. Okay?"
She barely nodded. He saw her swallow hard as she steadied her nerves.
"Now!"
As she sprang forward, Cade grabbed the rotting bedroll and threw it over the rattler. The snake struck at him, but not in time. Cade wadded up the cover and tossed it to the far corner of the cavern. The snake slithered out, unharmed.
He grabbed Leni’s hand. "Come on. Let’s get out of here."
Obviously, the rattler was using the mine to hibernate for the winter, and Leni and Cade had disturbed its rest. Where there was one, there was apt to be others. Dozens. Maybe hundreds.
Cade suppressed a shudder. He hated snakes, especially the kind with fangs. He’d been badly bitten as a kid, and the venom had almost killed him.
He reached for the candle and used it to light their way along the tunnel.
"You think there’re more snakes in here?" Leni asked, as if reading his mind. Her voice was steady. She didn’t seem nearly as affected by the incident as he was, but then, she hadn’t seen the size of that rattler.
Cade shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe that one was a loner. But I don’t want to stick around long enough to find out."
Behind him Leni laughed suddenly.
He turned at the sound and held up the candle to see her face. "What’s so funny?"
"I don’t know. This whole thing." She laughed again, as if she couldn’t help herself. "You were in a gun battle with drug smugglers. You’re hiding out from someone who wants to kill you. And yet the only thing that’s rattled you — no pun intended — is a snake."
He arched a brow, irritated. "And your point is?"
"I guess you’re human after all."
That took him aback. Stung him more than he cared to admit. "My appearance to the contrary," he muttered.
He started to turn away, but Leni grabbed his arm. Her expression was completely sober now. "I didn’t mean it that way. I meant...you’re vulnerable. I like that," she said softly. "I like the way you look, too."
"Right."
"I’m serious. You’re a very attractive man, Cade."
"I’ve seen a mirror, Leni. I know what I look like."
"The scars don’t matter," she insisted. "You’ve got something...powerful. I don’t know how to explain it. It’s...magnetism, I guess." She trailed off, gazing up at his face. A curious expression came over her features. "My husband was a very handsome man," she said slowly. "But that wasn’t what first attracted me to him. He had the same quality as you. The same allure."
"I’m not sure I want to be compared to Danny Crowe," he said grimly.
Leni stiffened as she gazed up at him. "How did you know his name?"

Chapter Eighteen

Cade shrugged, but his expression darkened. "I don’t know. You must have mentioned it."
"No, I didn’t."
"Then someone else — "
"I don’t think so." Leni started backing away from him. He put out a hand, but she slapped it away. "Don’t touch me."
"Leni, come on. We’ve got to get out of here — "
She shook her head. "I’m not going anywhere until you tell me who you are. How you knew my husband’s name. Why you have his eyes."
Cade glanced away, as if no longer able to meet her gaze.
Leni put a shaking hand to her mouth. "You get hunches just like Danny did. You’re afraid of snakes just like he was. You reminded me of him the first time I laid eyes on you. Oh, my God."
"Leni — "
She shook her head, refusing to believe what her instincts were telling her. "It can’t be. It isn’t possible."
He said nothing, but this time, he didn’t turn away from her. He stared down at her for the longest moment as a thousand emotions crashed over Leni.
"Who are you?" she asked in a desperate whisper.
"You know who I am, Leni. You’ve always known."

***

"Danny?" A look of joyous disbelief transformed her features, and for one crazy moment, Cade thought it was going to be okay. She took a step toward him, and then she was in his arms, and he was holding her close. So close it was hard to breathe, but Cade didn’t care. He never wanted to let her go. His eyes filled with tears, and he squeezed them closed. He had never thought to feel this way again. Had never thought he would hold Leni like this again.
Wiping away her own tears, she drew back and searched his face. "It is you," she whispered in wonder. "I can’t believe it. I don’t understand. How — "
"Shush." He knew she needed an explanation and he would have to give her one, but not now. Not yet. The truth would bring a whole new set of problems, but for now, for one moment in time, he had his wife back.
He pulled her into his arms, but something had changed. Leni wasn’t quite as pliant, wasn’t quite as joyful as she had been a moment ago. She hung back, still studying his face. "Why?"
The word was softly spoken, but there was an edge of anger in her voice.
"I can explain," he said, just as softly.
"Can you? You can explain why you let me think you were dead all this time? Why you let me grieve for you? Why you let me live with the almost unbearable guilt of having asked you for a divorce on the night I thought you were killed?"
"You can explain why for three years, you left me in a living hell while you...while you..." She seemed overcome with fury all of a sudden. She tore her hands through her hair. "While you were doing what?"
"Leni, please calm down — "
"Calm down?" she all but screamed at him. "Don’t you think I have a right to be upset? Oh, God, when I think of all the nights — "
Cade felt the tremors at the same moment she did. He was watching her face and saw her eyes widen as they both glanced at the roof of the tunnel. Dirt sifted down over them.
Cade threw down the candle, and grabbed Leni’s hand. "Come on!"
He managed to flip on the flashlight as they raced through the narrow passage. An avalanche of rock and dirt tumbled into the tunnel behind them. The air grew thick with dust, but they kept going, running as fast as they could away from the collapse.
Finally, as the air began to clear, Cade slowed their pace. But if he thought the new crisis had bought him a reprieve, he was dead wrong. When he turned back to Leni, the look on her face told him everything. Told him just what the last three years had cost her. Told him that there was a very good chance he’d lost her forever this time.
"Why?" was all she said before she slid down the wall and began to cry.

Chapter Nineteen

Danny was alive! A part of her had never felt such intense elation, but even in that first moment of wonder, the sense of betrayal had already set in. He’d let her think he was dead, and Leni didn’t think she could ever forgive him for that.
Still, even in her anger, she found it difficult to keep her distance from him. She felt the need to touch him, to reassure herself he was real and this wasn’t some kind of crazy dream. But if she touched him...if she let herself want him again...
Cade tried to put his arms around her, but she pushed him away. "Don’t touch me!"
"I’m sorry." He rose and gazed around in frustration, as if not having a clue what to do or say. "I’d like to tell you what happened," he finally said.
She sniffed, wiping her nose on a tissue she found in her pocket. "I can’t wait to hear it."
He came back and sat down beside her. "Everything the police told you was true. My cover was blown, and a hit was put out on me. My car did go over an overpass that night, but I somehow managed to climb out of the wreckage before the explosion. When I came to in the hospital, I knew I was going to be a wanted man for the rest of my life, and worse, your life could be in danger as well. When the feds offered me a deal, a new identity in exchange for what I knew, I took it. I had no choice. I was moved to a series of safe houses the first year, and then I was let go, with a new identity, but very little else. I settled in Denver for a while, then L. A., then Montana. For three years, I’ve been drifting, because the one place I wanted to be was the only place I couldn’t go."
"Why didn’t you tell me?" Leni cried, caught up in the urgency of his story in spite of herself. "Why make me think you were dead?"
"Because it was the only way to convince them I was dead. These people are ruthless, Leni. If they’d suspected I was still alive, they might have come after you to get to me. I couldn’t take that chance."
"Might have," she said slowly. "But you didn’t know for sure they’d come after me. You let me think you were dead because of what might have happened."
"You wanted a divorce, remember?" he asked grimly. "You didn’t want to be married to me anymore. I thought it was the best way of setting you free. Letting you get on with your life. At least if I was dead, you’d have my pension. The city had to give it to you, because it would have looked suspicious if they hadn’t. It was the only way I had of taking care of you."
"You thought I’d want money that came from your death?" she asked incredulously. "I haven’t touched a cent of it."
"I guess I should have known it. That sounds like you." His gaze was suddenly tender, but Leni didn’t trust it.
She turned away. "You can’t imagine what my life has been like for the last three years. The hell I’ve been through."
"I have some idea, believe me." His voice grew harsh again. "Besides, I thought that’s what you wanted. I thought you wanted to be on your own."
"What I wanted was my husband back. I didn’t want to be married to a stranger, a man who was hardly ever home, and when he was..." Leni trailed off, the pain of remembering almost too much to bear. "You changed so much."
"I know. I lost sight of who I was. What I was. I got so caught up in living a lie, I didn’t know what the truth was anymore."
"Why did you come to Rio Rancho?" she asked him. "To finally tell me you were alive?"
He shook his head. "I didn’t think you’d recognize me with all the surgeries I’ve had since the accident. Even my voice has changed." He touched his throat. "I didn’t plan to interfere in your life. I just wanted to be near you. Even if you were with someone else. I told myself I could deal with that, but seeing you that first night with that deputy. And then Cantrell — "
"Jake Cantrell? He’s just a friend. So is Glen Reardon."
"Are you saying there’s no one in your life?"
Leni’s gaze met his. "There’s no one," she said. "And that’s the way I intend to keep it."

Chapter Twenty

They’d moved on, and for the last several moments, Leni hadn’t spoken a word. Cade couldn’t blame her. She was probably still in shock. Probably still angry and hurt, and he wanted to believe that she would come around in time. She would understand why he’d done what he had. Why he’d had no choice. But Leni was a proud woman, and she could be stubborn as hell. Besides the hurt, he’d abused her trust in him, and that wasn’t something that could easily be repaired.
He stopped for a moment, and lit one of the candles he’d stuffed in his coat pocket earlier. The wick caught, the flame danced to life, then went out. Cade struck another match. It went out before he had time to light the candle.
He glanced around. The air in the tunnel was colder. A draft was getting in from somewhere.
"I feel cold air," he said.
"So do I." Leni moved up beside him.
He wanted to take her hand and pull her forward, but he knew she wouldn’t welcome the contact. "Let’s keep moving. Maybe there’s another hole somewhere ahead of us."
Thirty or 40 feet ahead, the air grew almost frigid. The tunnel had collapsed again, and a wall of rock blocked their way. But toward the top of the boulders, the night sky glimmered with stars.
"Look!" Leni started to hurry toward the opening, but Cade held her back.
"We need to be careful," he warned. "We could start another cave-in if we loosen the wrong rock."
Leni nodded. "What should we do?"
"We’ll have to climb up. There’s no other way. But we’ll do it one at a time. You go first. You’re lighter than I am," he said when she started to protest. "If my weight shifts the rock, then we’ll both be trapped in here."
As carefully as she could, Leni began to climb. The boulders at the bottom were stable, but toward the top, the rocks were smaller, and once or twice she unwittingly sent a shower of dirt and gravel tumbling down on Cade.
With something of a shock, Leni realized that she thought of him as Cade, not Danny. He was the same man, and yet he wasn’t. The last three years had been torture, and she wasn’t certain she could ever forgive him for that. But at the same time, she’d seen the evidence of his own pain, and not just physically. He’d suffered, too. He’d been lonely, too. It was possible he’d been through an even darker hell than she had.
But she wouldn’t think about that now. She had to concentrate on climbing toward that opening. Pulling herself up and out of the tunnel.
She was almost there!
The cold night wind blasted against her face as she struggled through the opening. Leni lay on the ground for a moment, unable to believe she was finally out. She was finally free.
But Cade was still trapped inside.
She rolled over and peered down the hole. "Cade?"
He’d left the candle on the floor of the tunnel, and Leni could see him as he climbed toward her. At the sound of his name, he glanced up.
And the rock shifted beneath his feet.
Leni gasped as she saw him fall, and she reached down to try and grab him. But he was too far away. And before she could lean down any farther, the pile of rocks came crashing down on him.

***

Leni heard the telltale snap of a dead twig a split second before a voice spoke from behind her. She whirled as the white-haired man stepped carefully out of the shadow of a boulder, his rifle at his side. But it was the other man who held his gun on Leni. He cocked the trigger as he eased over the rocky terrain toward her. "You didn’t think you could get away from us that easily, did you, Red?"
"Where’s the other one?" the white-haired man demanded.
It took all of Leni’s willpower not to glance at the hole. "He’s dead. He was buried in the cave-in."
He pointed to the opening with the barrel of his rifle. "See if you can spot him down there," he said to his partner.
The other man knelt at the opening and shined his flashlight inside. "He’s not moving. I think he’s dead."
A fist of dread closed over Leni’s heart. No! Not again! She couldn’t lose him again!
"Go down there and make sure," the white-haired man ordered. "That fool rancher almost got away, thanks to you. Don’t make the same mistake with these two."
The second man took a coil of rope from his shoulder, fastened one end to a boulder, then dropped the other end into the hole. Within seconds, he’d disappeared into the abyss.
"Cade, watch out!" Leni screamed. She tried to run to the opening, but the white-haired man grabbed her arm and threw her to the ground. In the next instant, a gunshot sounded from below, and for a second, Leni felt as if her own heart had stopped beating.
Terror surged through her, and then a dark rage came over her. "No!" She lunged toward the white-haired man, but he stopped her with a rifle butt against her shoulder. She fell hard against the frozen ground, the breath knocked out of her.
She was going to die. Leni knew there was no way out of this, but she almost didn’t care. Cade was dead. What did she have to live for?
Revenge, a little voice whispered inside her.
The white-haired man smiled down at her, as if he’d read her mind. "You let my friend die back there. Now it’s time to pay up." He lifted the rifle. "I’m going to enjoy this."
Leni didn’t close her eyes, but gazed at him steadily, almost defiantly. "You won’t get away with this. There are men in town right now looking for you."
"They won’t find me. They never do."
Leni watched, breathless, as the man’s finger squeezed the trigger. She heard the sound as it echoed down the mountain, and for a moment, after he’d fired, she wondered why she felt no pain.
And then, as if in slow motion, he tumbled backward as a hand closed around his ankle and jerked.
Using the rope, Cade pulled himself up out of the hole. But before he could get to his feet, the white-haired man had regained his balance. He swung the rifle around as Cade sprang toward him, and the two went crashing to the ground.
The rifle between them, they fought viciously. To the death. Then suddenly, the ground shifted beneath them as they rolled toward the opening into the tunnel. The white-haired man clung to Cade for a moment, then screamed as he fell. Leni rushed toward Cade. Dropping to her knees, she grabbed his arms and helped him over the edge a split second before dirt and rock collapsed inward, sealing the opening — and the white-haired man’s fate.
Breathless, Leni and Cade found their way into each other’s arms.
"Leni, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry," he muttered, over and over. "I didn’t think I had a choice."
She closed her eyes. "I didn’t think I could ever forgive you. I didn’t think I’d ever be able to trust you, but when I thought you were dead...again..." She trembled uncontrollably. "I don’t want to lose you a second time. I couldn’t stand it."
"I’ve changed," he warned her. "I’m not the man who lost his way from you, but I’m not the man you married, either. Danny Crowe is dead. He has to be."
"I know. And a part of me will always miss him. He was my first love, but — "
Cade lifted a brow. "But?"
"You’ll be my last."
And then, after a long moment, they rose to their feet. Cade took Leni’s hand, and with nothing but moonlight to guide them, they started down the mountain together.

THE END

Last Chance Cafй

by

Amanda Stevens

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

***

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

No way they could move all that rock, he thought grimly. They’d starve to death first. Or run out of air.
He moved the beam over Leni. She appeared to be all right, although stunned. Scared. Panicky.
Who could blame her?
But when she spoke, her voice was surprisingly calm. "Can we move the rock?"
Not in a million years, he thought, but he shrugged. "Maybe. It would take awhile though. I think our best bet is to keep going, see if we can find another way out of the mine."
"Or we may find another cave-in," she said.
"That’s possible. Are you okay?"
She brushed off her clothing, but her face and hair were coated with dust. "I’ll live, I guess. How about you?"
"A few bruises, nothing serious. Let’s get moving."
Using the light, they crept through the shaft, mindful that any sudden move or noise might bring down another onslaught of rock and dirt.
"What caused the cave-in?" Leni asked quietly. "The gunfire?"
Cade shrugged. "Who knows? This place has probably been here for years. The braces are rotting, so it didn’t take much to bring it down. These old mines are all over the mountains."
"You know this area?" she asked in surprise. "I thought you were new in town."
"I am."
They were moving steadily deeper, and signs of the cave-in grew sparser. At first, they were constantly having to clear the tunnel of rubble, but for the last several minutes, the way had been clear, making it a little easier — and safer — to carry on a conversation.
"Earlier when I asked if you had family here, you said ‘no, not anymore’. Which suggests you used to have family here," Leni said.
"I don’t have family anywhere."
"Then why come to Rio Rancho?"
"I told you. It seemed as good a place as any to settle down."
She stopped behind him, forcing him to do the same so he wouldn’t get too far ahead of her. The flashlight beam was still strong, but Cade knew it wouldn’t last forever. Once the batteries were gone, they would be completely in the dark, and moving through the tunnel would be even more dangerous. He took her arm and tried to urge her forward. "We need to keep moving while we still have light."
Her gaze dropped to the flashlight, and he saw a flicker of what might have been fear cross her features. But still she lingered. "Before we go any farther, I need to know something."
He braced himself. "What?"
"How did you know where to find me?"
He shrugged. "I stumbled across this mine a few days ago while I was exploring the ranch. I saw signs it was being used. I don’t know." He shrugged again. "I had a hunch they’d brought you here."
She gazed up at him for a very long time. "That’s funny," she said slowly. "Because my husband used to get hunches like that, too."