“I’m not here to comfort you. I’m here to keep you alive.”

His breath whispered across her cheek.

“I didn’t realize you’d volunteered to be my bodyguard.” Erin fought the impulse to turn and touch her lips to his.

“I guess I have, by default.” Joseph shifted away. Perhaps he was battling the same urge, she thought. “There’s a positive side to my being on leave. Since I won’t have to work, there’s no danger of leaving you here alone.”

“Does that mean I can stay?” Erin asked, elated. Then guiltily, she added, “But I’m putting you out of your bed. Once I meet with Stanley, I should be able to move somewhere else.”

“If you like, I can put you in touch with a top-level security service.” He fingered a loose strand of her hair. “Or you can stay, if you prefer.”

She did prefer. Very much. “Yes. I’d rather be with you.”

Dear Harlequin Intrigue Reader,

To chase away those end-of-summer blues, we have an explosive lineup that’s guaranteed to please!

Joanna Wayne leaves goosebumps with A Father’s Duty, the third book in NEW ORLEANS CONFIDENTIAL. In this riveting conclusion, murder, mayhem…and mystique are unleashed in the Big Easy. And that’s just the beginning! Unauthorized Passion, which marks the beginning of Amanda Stevens’ new action-packed miniseries, MATCHMAKERS UNDERGROUND, features a lethally sexy lawman who takes a beautiful imposter into his protective custody. Look for Just Past Midnight by Ms. Stevens from Harlequin Books next month at your favorite retail outlet.

Danger and discord sweep through Antelope Flats when B.J. Daniels launches her western series, MCCALLS’ MONTANA. Will the town ever be the same after a fiery showdown between a man on a mission and The Cowgirl in Question? Next up, the second book in ECLIPSE, our new gothic-inspired promotion. Midnight Island Sanctuary by Susan Peterson—a spine-tingling “gaslight” mystery set in a remote coastal town—will pull you into a chilling riptide.

To wrap up this month’s thrilling lineup, Amy J. Fetzer returns to Harlequin Intrigue to unravel a sinister black-market baby ring mystery in Undercover Marriage. And, finally, don’t miss The Stolen Bride by Jacqueline Diamond—an edge-of-your-seat reunion romance about an amnesiac bride-in-jeopardy who is about to get a crash course in true love.

Enjoy!

Denise O’Sullivan

Senior Editor

Harlequin Intrigue

The Stolen Bride
Jacqueline Diamond

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The daughter of a doctor and an artist, Jacqueline Diamond claims to have researched the field of obstetrics primarily by developing a large range of complications during her pregnancies. She’s also lucky enough to have a friend and neighbor who’s an obstetrical nurse. The author of more than sixty novels, Jackie lives in Southern California with her husband and two sons. She loves to hear from readers. You can write to her at P.O. Box 1315, Brea, CA 92822, or by e-mail at JDiamondfriends@aol.com.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Erin Marshall—An independent-minded heiress, she’s blindsided by attacks, uncertain whom to trust—and has to take the gamble of a lifetime on her wedding day.

Joseph Lowery—A police officer living in the shadow of his father’s disgrace, he offers Erin his protection. But he may be unintentionally drawing her into greater danger.

Chet Dever—He lied to Erin about their wedding plans. Was he also driving the van that ran her down?

Lance Bolding—Erin’s stepfather may have designs on the Marshall Company, the firm she and her mother, Alice, inherited.

Brandy Schorr—Lance and Alice’s new housekeeper is keeping secrets of her own.

Tina Norris—Erin’s friend and maid of honor, she’s tangled in a web of relationships.

Gene Norris—Tina’s brother would do almost anything to realize his ambitions.

Edgar Norris—As chief of police, he blocks Joseph’s investigation of Alice’s near drowning and may have framed Joseph’s father for murder.

Marie Flanders—Erin’s missing aunt might be the victim of violence—or a part of it.

Rick Valdez—Is the detective sergeant playing a game of his own?

Stanley Rogers—Longtime accountant at the Marshall Company, he controls Erin’s trust fund.

Todd Wilde—Eleven years ago, he may have gotten away with murder. Now he’s back, but what does he want?

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter One

Erin Marshall first noticed the van a little before 6:00 p.m. She wasn’t sure why it caught her eye, since there were still quite a few cars parked in the paved area roped off from the Healthy Children’s Fund carnival, which she’d helped organize.

It wasn’t just the peeling beige paint or dented bumper that drew her attention. Despite Orange County’s reputation for affluence, the daylong carnival in the centrally located city of Tustin had drawn not only late-model cars and SUVs, but also plenty of old clunkers.

Maybe it was the way the van lurked to one side, half-hidden in the shade of an office building that sat empty on a Saturday. And the fact that, despite an obscuring shadow, she could tell there was someone sitting behind the wheel, unmoving as the minutes ticked by.

Was he waiting for someone? Why didn’t he come out and enjoy the September sunshine?

“Wanna buy a candy bar?” a girl’s voice asked.

Erin tore her gaze away from the van. Before the booth where she’d been handing out pamphlets stood a teenage volunteer with one thick, nutty chocolate bar left on her tray.

“I just have to sell this one and I can go home,” the girl said. “You look hungry. How about it?”

It was on the tip of Erin’s tongue to say, “I can’t eat that stuff.” Even though she was only twenty-six, she’d stuck strictly—well, almost strictly—to health food since a heart attack killed her father two years ago.

What was a couple of dollars? And she had skipped lunch, and for heaven’s sake, it was one chocolate bar.

“Sure.” She fished a few crumpled bills from her shoulder bag.

“Thanks!” With a grin, the girl handed it over and hurried toward the cashier’s booth. Beyond her, workmen were disassembling the carnival rides on a far section of the asphalt. The scents of popcorn and cotton candy lingered in the air as the vendors closed up shop.

People streamed by, heading home. From the parking area, Erin registered the sound of cars starting. No one seemed the least bit interested in taking a pamphlet describing the fund’s free health screening programs.

After tucking away the candy to savor at leisure, she decided to make the rounds to see if anyone needed help closing up shop. Although many tradespeople had decamped, it was her responsibility, as administrative assistant at Conrad Promotions, to keep things running smoothly.

Erin glanced toward the building. The van hadn’t gone anywhere.

It probably belonged to one of the craftspeople, she told herself. Any minute, the driver would get out and begin loading unsold wares.

Still, she felt vulnerable. For comfort, she instinctively touched the gold pendant nestled against the front of her blue Healthy Children’s Fund T-shirt.

It was hard to say why she’d worn it today. Although she sometimes took it out of the drawer simply to enjoy the precious memories it stirred, Erin couldn’t remember the last time she’d worn the jagged half heart design. Maybe it was because, after tomorrow, she’d never be able to wear it again.

It reminded her of someone she’d once loved, someone who’d probably thrown away the other half of the heart years ago. Erin wished that didn’t bother her so much.

A tablecloth flapped in her path, startling her.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t see you,” called a woman shaking wrinkles from the fabric. She’d already tucked her unsold teddy bears into a box beneath her display table.

“I hope your sales went well,” Erin said.

“Terrific!” That was good news, since the fund netted a percentage of everything sold.

Erin moved on through the nearly empty carnival section. She was about to check on the van again when a boy of about four pelted toward her. Behind him lagged his weary mother, pushing a baby stroller.

“Whoa!” Erin held out one arm. “Wait for your mom.”

The boy halted in front of her. “I want to go home!”

“Are you planning to drive the car yourself?” she asked.

“Can I?” he asked hopefully.

“Well, no, so I guess you better wait for your mother.”

That seemed logical to Erin, but the little boy’s face reddened. “I’m hungry!” he wailed.

“I’m sure your mom will feed you as soon as she can,” she said.

The woman caught up in time to hear the last remark. “We ate about an hour ago, but he was too excited to finish his sandwich. I promised to split a chocolate bar with him, but I can’t find any.”

At the thought of the candy tucked into her purse, Erin’s stomach growled. Despite her devotion to health food—or perhaps because of it—she could almost taste the chocolate melting on her tongue and the nuts crunching between her teeth.

The little boy whined. His mother’s shoulders sagged.

“Here.” Erin took out the bar and handed it to the woman. “It’s courtesy of Conrad Promotions. We want everyone to go away happy.”

“How kind! I’ll pay for it, of course.” She reached for her wallet.

“It’s on the house.”

“Are you sure?” Receiving a nod, she said, “That’s great! Thank you.” The mother broke the candy bar in two and gave a piece to her son.

The smell of chocolate drifted through Erin’s senses. Her stomach rumbled again. She hoped nobody heard it over the clamor of workmen dismantling the rides. “Have a good evening.”

“You too!”

After the family left, Erin couldn’t find a single food stand open. Well, she’d eat a yogurt later at her apartment.

“Erin!” Bea Conrad waved from the cashier’s booth. The owner of Conrad Promotions had a friendly face and fluffy honey-colored hair. The T-shirt and slacks she’d worn instead of one of her usual tailored suits made her look younger than her late thirties.

Erin strode in her direction. “Anything I can do?”

“Actually, yes. I have a favor to ask,” Bea said.

“Name it.” Too late, it occurred to Erin that she might get stuck here without dinner. Well, she’d survive. Maybe.

“What a great attitude! I hope I’m not going to lose you.” Bea shook her head apologetically. “Don’t mind me. Chet’s a real catch. When are you giving him your answer?”

“He’s driving down tomorrow.” Erin felt an inexplicable urge to touch her heart pendant again. She didn’t want to talk about Chet. “How were the receipts?”

“Even better than last year,” Bea said. “I don’t have the final numbers, but I’m guessing the profit will be around fifteen thousand. That’s not counting our mysterious benefactor. I can’t believe it! Someone managed to sneak a cashier’s check into the donation box again this year.”

“Let’s not complain about it,” Erin teased. “How much was it this time?”

“Twenty thousand,” Bea said. “It’s from Friend of a Friend Foundation again. I’m surprised you never heard of them. I mean, you are from Sundown Valley, and that’s where they’re located. But I guess you don’t pay much attention to what goes on there anymore.”

Erin shrugged and said nothing. In fact, she subscribed to the Sundown Sentinel and kept close tabs on her hometown.

“I don’t know why they’re so mysterious.” Bea had telephoned the previous year and learned only that the foundation made donations to worthy causes on behalf of an anonymous sponsor. “Well, I’m not going to look a gift horse in the mouth.”

“What was the favor?” Erin asked.

“Oh! Thanks for reminding me,” said her boss. “I know you made two runs to the bank already, and I was going to make the last trip myself. But my babysitter just called and said Kiki’s fussing.” That was her two-year-old daughter. “I hope she’s not coming down with something. Would you mind making the drop?”

“No problem.” Erin ignored a twinge of apprehension when she remembered the van. Tustin was a safe city and it was daylight, although fading fast.

Bea handed over the cash box. The heavy metal container was ridiculously obvious, Erin thought. Well, if someone stole it, she’d send another anonymous check to make good on the loss.

It hadn’t been easy keeping her secret while working for Conrad Promotions the past three years, she reflected as Bea turned to accept compliments from an exhibitor. It helped that hardly anyone in Orange County knew her family.

In Sundown Valley, everybody knew about the Marshall Company. The development and management firm owned everything from the local mall to the medical center. Two years ago, Erin had inherited a half interest in it.

She didn’t dismiss the advantages of wealth, but it had drawbacks, too. If her mother, Alice, weren’t wealthy, would her stepfather, Lance Bolding, have materialized out of nowhere during a cruise last year and charmed the grieving widow into marrying him? And if he hadn’t done that, he couldn’t have managed to come between Alice and her daughter.

Erin’s concerns deepened dramatically four months ago when her mother nearly drowned in the lake near the new home Lance had persuaded her to buy. Although the police had ruled it an accident, she feared for her mother’s safety.

But Alice had refused to let her intervene. In fact, they’d quarreled on the phone right after the accident. Since then, her mother had refused to let Erin come to visit. Lance had managed to isolate her almost completely.

Except from Chet Dever. As CEO of the Marshall Company, he’d been her father’s right-hand man and, since Alice served as the company’s chairman of the board, he often consulted her on business matters. He’d kept an eye on her for Erin these past few months.

After dating her casually in the past, he’d also begun to court her in earnest. Last weekend, he’d asked Erin to marry him. After taking a week to think about it, she’d decided to say yes tomorrow.

Chet was handsome, smart and eloquent. She admired his focus and his ambitious agenda as a leading congressional candidate in next spring’s primary. And he was one of the few men she’d met for whom her money was neither an obstacle nor her chief attraction.

Erin’s free hand closed over the pendant. The boy who’d given it to her in high school had been her first love, but it made no sense to compare Chet to someone she hadn’t seen in nearly ten years. And probably never would again. During their painful breakup, Joseph had made it clear he wanted nothing further to do with Erin.

Yet touching the heart gave her a sense of connection. Why was she thinking about him now? Why did I wear this today?

Suddenly she knew the answer, although she hadn’t wanted to face it. Because it reminded her of someone with whom she’d felt things she could never feel with Chet: a visceral excitement, an eagerness to touch him, the joy of spontaneity.

Until another man affected her that strongly, she had no business getting married.

“Is it something I said?” Bea asked. “You’re off in your own little world.”

“I’m sorry.” Erin realized she’d been standing there like a zombie.

“I know it isn’t the effect of holding so much money, because you handled more than that earlier,” her boss pointed out.

“It’s Chet,” Erin blurted. “It’s a mistake.”

“What’s a mistake?”

“I was going to say yes. I can’t marry him.” She let out a long breath and was surprised by the intensity of her relief.

“Marriage is a big step, but I thought you really liked him,” Bea said. “He made a great impression on my husband and me.” Chet had taken them all out for a French dinner.

“I do like him,” Erin said. “I just don’t love him.” And if I don’t love him by now, I never will.

She realized she’d been hoping all along that she was falling in love. Life would be so simple if she could marry Chet.

Her mother would approve, and they might grow close again. And Erin liked Chet’s goal of stimulating the economy by shrinking government and encouraging private investment. She’d always wanted to make a difference in the world and with him, she could.

Why had she believed that was enough reason to get married? By now, she ought to know her own mind and have her own purpose in life. Although she’d made a start by working for Conrad Promotions, it wasn’t enough.

“You’re the only one who can make that decision,” Bea told her. “I’m sure you’ve given it a lot of thought.”

“Not nearly enough, or I’d have realized this sooner,” Erin answered. “Maybe I should call and save him the drive.” Sundown Valley was fifty miles away.

“This is the kind of news he deserves to hear in person,” cautioned her boss.

Erin sighed. “You’re right. Well, you’d better go make sure Kiki’s okay.”

Bea gathered her possessions. “See you Monday. And thanks again!”

“Sure thing.”

Erin headed for her car. She hoped tomorrow’s confrontation wasn’t going to be awkward. She knew Chet better than to believe he would accept her refusal without trying to change her mind.

As she ducked beneath the ropes that separated the fair from the parking area, she noticed how quickly twilight was settling in. And how empty the parking lot loomed, isolated in the midst of a huge office park.

To one side, Erin heard a motor spring to life. In her preoccupation with Chet, she’d forgotten the van.

She was disturbed to see it pull away from the building and move slowly toward her. There was nothing between them save a few planters filled with ficus trees and aromatic, flowering bushes.

Erin clutched the cash box tighter. She wondered if she should make a run for it or if she was just being paranoid.

She was quite a ways from her car, which sat forlornly near the rim of the lot. Her legs, weary from a day of standing, protested when she lengthened her stride and the heavy cash box weighed her down.

Surely she was imagining the threat. Yet although there were people not far away—the workmen taking down the rides, a few vendors disassembling their booths—no one paid attention to Erin.

The van speeded up.

Erin reversed course back toward the fair. The van swung toward her.

She hadn’t imagined the threat.

“Hey!” she shouted toward the workmen, trying to make herself heard over the racket of their equipment. No one looked up.

A few thousand dollars wasn’t worth getting killed for. At least, she hoped the driver was a thief and not some crazed stalker. Although it infuriated her, Erin set the cash box on the pavement and forced her stiff legs into a trot.

The van veered to follow her.

The driver either hadn’t noticed that the receipts were sitting on the blacktop or he didn’t want them. Disbelief mingled with panic. This couldn’t be happening. It was too bizarre. And terrifying.

Erin ducked past the ropes into the carnival area and broke into a run. But with the booths gone, the blacktop here was also nearly bare.

The van tore through the ropes.

Erin put on a burst of speed despite aching lungs. This felt like a nightmare, the kind where she was doomed to fall off a cliff no matter how hard she tried to flee.

She wasn’t going to give in easily. If the driver grabbed her, she’d fight and scream for all she was worth. But she prayed it wouldn’t come to that.

The ficus sprouting from a nearby planter was too slim to offer protection. There was no time to make a cell phone call, no time to do anything but try to cross a span of pavement that seemed to stretch into infinity.

Even now, none of the workmen had noticed her. The whole incident, which loomed so large in her mind, had to have transpired in a minute or two.

Winded, she turned to face the van. Maybe this was some kind of sick game. Maybe the driver just wanted to scare her.

Glare on the windshield obscured his face. Erin stumbled backward and, at a different angle, the glass cleared.

She saw who it was. And couldn’t believe it.

This was no random assault. It was no robbery, either.

The van shot forward. In a burst of desperation, Erin leaped aside, too late. The bumper caught her hip with an agonizing whack.

She flew into the air and through a planter, helpless to stop her flight. Time slowed as branches tore at her arms. The perfume of crushed jasmine blossoms filled her senses.

As if from very far away, she heard one of the workmen shout. Finally, they’d spotted her.

She had to survive. She had to tell someone what she’d seen. The danger was enormous, not only for her but also for her mother.

Erin’s shoulder hit the ground and a thousand stars exploded. Then there was only darkness.

Chapter Two

“You’re the most beautiful bride I ever saw!” Tina Norris, Erin’s maid of honor, gushed as they studied themselves in the full-length mirror.

“Thanks. And you look gorgeous in that shade of green,” Erin responded.

“I guess we’re just a pair of femmes fatales.” Her friend grinned.

Erin had to admit that her mother’s ivory heirloom wedding gown fit her five-foot-five-inch figure to perfection. Above the scooped neck glittered a diamond choker, and a matching tiara sparkled in her chestnut hair, which was folded into a French twist. Except for the pallor of her skin, the image was smashingly bridelike and yet it seemed to her that it belonged to a stranger.

A buzzing filled her head and the bridal dressing room at the Sundown Valley Country Club began to spin. With the ceremony less than an hour away, Erin didn’t want to get sick.

In the six weeks since the accident, her memory had been a complete blank about that day. She’d also been plagued by confusion, anxieties and nightmares, which the doctor attributed to post-traumatic stress.

Erin pressed her temple. The dizziness ebbed.

“Do you want to sit down?” Tina asked. “You don’t look well.”

“It’s not bad,” she said. “Just nerves.”

She wished the wedding could have waited until she was stronger, but by next month Chet would be caught up in the full swing of his congressional campaign. Even now, he only had time for a short honeymoon in Lake Tahoe. Erin knew she ought to be excited at the prospect of being alone with her groom, since she’d saved her virginity for her wedding night, but in the past few weeks it had become difficult to summon any emotions at all.

According to Chet, she’d been bubbling with enthusiasm when she called him to accept his proposal. Since her head injury later that day, however, she’d experienced what the doctor called emotional flattening. With her inner compass out of whack, she’d relied on family and friends to guide her.

Thank goodness Chet had proved a rock-steady source of support. No wonder she’d been so eager to marry him, Erin thought. She didn’t doubt that the happy emotions would come flooding back in time and, meanwhile, it would be a relief to move forward with their lives.

She was grateful, too, for Tina, her best friend from high school. Tina, now a junior high school life-skills teacher, had come to see Erin after she was transferred to the local hospital. She’d continued to visit during the past month while Erin recuperated at her mother’s home.

No one from Tustin had visited or accepted the wedding invitation. Erin had been particularly disappointed when Alice reported that Bea had declined.

Tina broke into her reverie. “How’s your leg? Think you can make it down the aisle without limping?”

Between her badly bruised hip and the head injury, Erin had been mostly housebound until now. “Probably. If Chet doesn’t step on my feet.”

“I’m sure he’ll be careful. If he isn’t, I’ll pound him into dust.”

“Spoken like a true friend!”

A loud knock startled both women. “Not the photographer again!” Erin didn’t think she could summon one more artificial smile.

“It’s probably Chet.” He planned to walk Erin down the aisle, since her mother was recovering from yet another bout of bronchitis.

She’d declined to let her stepfather fulfill that function. Although Lance had been pleasant this past month, Erin couldn’t bring herself to like him. She hadn’t entirely lost touch with her emotions after all, she supposed.

Tina peeked outside. Before Erin could see who was there, her friend stepped into the hall and shut the door behind her.

It had to be Tina’s boyfriend, Rick, a detective sergeant who braved her father’s disapproval to date her. One might expect more sympathy from a chief of police who’d risen through the ranks, but Edgar Norris had always been a bit of a snob. Now that he’d joined the country club, he preferred that his children move in elite social circles.

Fortunately, Tina didn’t share her father’s preoccupation with social status. Erin hoped he would come around eventually, because she liked Rick.

Her friend hurried back. “There’s a detective here to see you. Can you talk to him?”

“You mean Rick?” she asked.

“No. Someone with a few questions about your accident.”

“Now?” Erin could hardly believe the timing, less than an hour before the ceremony. Besides, she’d told the Tustin Police Department everything she remembered—which was a big fat zero. “They drove all this way on a Saturday to talk to me?”

“It’s someone local.” Tina cleared her throat. “Erin, it’s Joseph.”

Joseph. It couldn’t be him. She knew he’d joined the police force and that he was friends with Rick, but she hadn’t expected to meet him. Not unprepared like this. Not in her wedding dress.

Once, she’d been closer to him than to anyone in the world. Then he’d broken her heart, or maybe she’d broken his. Most likely both.

“My accident was in Tustin,” she heard herself say. “That’s a different jurisdiction.”

“I know.” Tina picked up her bouquet and fingered the ivory, blue and green flowers. “Joseph investigated your mom’s accident. He thinks there might be a connection with what happened to you.”

“How could they be connected?” Alice’s near drowning and Erin’s hit-and-run had occurred four months and fifty miles apart.

“I’d better let him explain it. He promised it won’t take long.” Tina sounded torn.

“I can’t see him.”

“He said he tried to talk to you before, but Lance objected and my father ordered him to back off. He seems to think it’s important.”

The boy she’d adored when she was fifteen was standing right outside in the hallway. Joseph might not belong at her wedding to Chet, but he was already here. How could she send him away? But how could she see him when she already felt so shaky?

The woman Erin had been until six weeks ago could have handled the situation with quiet self-possession. Now, she didn’t trust her own reactions. During the past month, she’d found herself doubting everyone around her and getting upset for no reason. How could she maintain her poise with Joseph?

She remembered something that had slipped her mind. At the hospital, she’d learned that, when admitted, she’d been wearing the broken-heart pendant he’d given her in high school.

She wished she knew why she’d put that on, apparently right after calling Chet to accept his proposal. It didn’t make sense.

A lot of things didn’t make sense, she acknowledged with a start. She didn’t know why her friends in Tustin had abandoned her. Also, at her mother’s house, she’d imagined that conversations stopped abruptly when she entered a room. That the phone rang and was answered in hushed tones so that she couldn’t understand.

In high school, Joseph had been the one she’d turned to with her thoughts. Maybe he could help her sort things out now. In any case, she refused to send him away without saying hello.

“All right,” Erin said. “For a minute.”

“I’ll warn him not to overtire you.” Tina went to the door.

Not overtire her? That was going to be hard. She just hoped that, after the interview, she could recover her composure in time to walk down the aisle at Chet’s side with an appropriate smile on her face.

Tina ushered in a man. When his eyes met Erin’s, emotions pricked and stung like blood flooding through a sleeping limb.

The gray vagueness she’d known since the accident lifted. This was Joseph, her Joseph. She’d missed him terribly, even if she’d refused to acknowledge it.

The years had broadened his shoulders and given him an air of authority, but if she buried her nose in his chest, she knew how he would smell. If she smiled up at him, she knew how his face would glow with warmth. Or perhaps she was imagining it.

His dark blue eyes riveted Erin with their intensity. He hadn’t forgotten anything that had passed between them, she was sure of it, yet she saw no sign of tenderness or welcome. This muscular man wearing a navy sports jacket and tan pants had changed in ways she couldn’t even imagine.

Joseph glanced toward Tina. “This will only take a few minutes.” It was a polite dismissal.

With an apologetic shrug, the bridesmaid left the two of them alone.

“Thank you for seeing me.” Remaining where he stood halfway across the room from her, he took out a notepad. “I need to run over a few details with you.”

“Your timing leaves something to be desired.” She hoped for a wry smile.

“I’m afraid I had no choice. I wasn’t allowed to see you sooner.” No smile. No eye contact, either.

“This is awkward. I’m getting married, you know.” Realizing what she’d blurted, Erin felt spectacularly foolish. As if the fact that she was standing here in her wedding dress didn’t give him a hint! “Is it that urgent?”

“You nearly got killed recently and so did your mother.” Although Joseph kept his voice level, she noted his tightly coiled tension. “I’d say that’s one heck of a coincidence.” The look he slanted her suited his tone: edgy and challenging.

“They were accidents,” Erin responded. “I don’t know what else I can tell you.”

“Were they?”

“Were they what?”

“Accidents.” He tapped his pen against the pad and waited.

“I don’t know.” She gripped the arm of the nearest chair, expecting to get light-headed again. It was the way she’d reacted all month when Chet and Lance and her mother told her things that didn’t match her distorted perceptions.

They’d said Alice was fine, even though to Erin she seemed gaunt and nervous. They’d said it made sense to go ahead with the wedding even in her befuddled state.

But her mind stayed clear. This hard-faced policeman wasn’t arguing with her perceptions. Instead, he’d implied that someone had deliberately attacked her and her mother.

It was the first thing Erin had heard in the past six weeks that made sense. And it scared the wits out of her.

JOSEPH HAD BEEN prepared to confront a wealthy young woman subtly dismissive of the man she’d once been foolish enough to date. He hadn’t expected to care whether she respected him, let alone liked him. No one knew better than he did the uselessness of holding on to the past.

After spending five years among police officers who worked high-stress jobs on rotating shifts, Joseph had seen relationships crumble right and left. People who’d once believed their hearts irretrievably shattered simply picked up the pieces and got over it, and so had he.

Or so he’d believed. Right now, he wasn’t sure.

Seeing Erin took him back to the innocent, hope-filled days of high school before his world fell apart. He wanted to cup her heart-shaped face and to smooth those quizzical eyebrows. He wanted her to melt into his arms and help him find the trusting young man he used to be.

Yeah, sure, she’d been pining for him all these years. That was why she was marrying Chet Dever, big-shot candidate for Congress and a superslick operator, judging by the way he came across in television interviews. That was why she sported a diamond necklace and crown that probably cost more than a policeman earned in a year. Or ten.

Still, it bothered Joseph to see her hanging on to a chair for support. What was the darn hurry to get married so soon after a major accident? If he were Chet—well, he’d be in just as big a hurry, he supposed.

“I apologize for the inconvenience, Miss Marshall,” he said. “Please bear with me and I’ll make this as brief as possible.”

“My name’s still Erin. And please tell me why you think that van hit me.” Despite the pallor of her complexion, she released her grip on the chair and held herself straight. Her late father would have approved.

Joseph forced his attention to the task at hand. He’d better make the best of these few minutes because, after Erin became Mrs. Chet Dever, he’d never get a chance to talk to her again unless this whole case blew wide open. By then, it might be too late.

“I don’t know the motive,” he said. “I don’t even know for sure that a crime’s been committed. Call me naturally suspicious.”

“The Tustin police called it an accident,” she said.

“The witnesses said they thought it might have been accidental. The police aren’t so sure.” He’d spoken at length with the investigating officer.

Her brown eyes widened. “Chet told me he read the report himself.”

“He probably read the cover sheet.” Joseph knew better than to call a man a liar without hard evidence. “Basically, no one saw the van hit you, only the aftermath, and there are several unexplained issues.”

“What…” Erin broke off, swaying a little.

Joseph caught her arm. “You okay?”

“I get dizzy.” She took a couple of deep breaths. In the formfitting gown, the movement made him uncomfortably aware of her bosom, and as soon as she looked steadier, he let go. “What do you mean by unexplained issues?”

Joseph referred to his notebook. “For one thing, the van had been stolen. It was recovered, stripped, twenty-five miles away in Los Angeles.”

“If it was a stolen van, that could explain why the driver didn’t stop to help me,” Erin replied. “What else?”

“Here’s the puzzler,” Joseph said. “You were carrying two thousand three hundred and forty-seven dollars in a cash box, which you left on the pavement about a hundred feet from where you got hit.”

“I did? Why?”

“You got me,” he said. “It was sitting there neatly with no sign of damage. It doesn’t look as if you dropped it. Why did you set it down?”

“I don’t know.” Erin’s blank expression confirmed that, as she’d told the Tustin detective, she didn’t recall the circumstances surrounding the hit-and-run. Crime and accident victims often blacked out the event, even if they didn’t suffer from head injuries. Sometimes the memories returned, sometimes not.

“Tustin PD finds that odd and so do I,” he said. “It’s possible you believed someone was trying to rob you and left it there so he’d leave you alone. But no one took the money. That might indicate some other motive.”

“Nobody told me that before.”

He had to ask a hard question, even if it upset her further. “Can you think of anyone who might want to kill you?”

Her horrified look went straight through him. “Of course not!”

She was being naïve, of course. The Marshall Company, of which Erin was half owner, wielded tremendous power in this town. It had developed major parcels of property and owned the mall, the hospital and several office complexes. There had to be people with grudges, from competitors to former leaseholders to outright kooks.

Apparently, she’d been sheltered from threats and lawsuits. Although technically Erin held the title of vice-chairman of the board, her position appeared to be largely ceremonial.

As CEO, Dever ran the Marshall Company in conjunction with Alice Marshall Bolding. Erin’s mother, who’d become chairman of the board since her husband’s death two years earlier, maintained an office at Marshall headquarters and apparently also conducted business from home.

“That brings us to your mother,” he said. “I’ve never been comfortable with the idea that she simply went boating by herself at twilight and fell out.”

He knew his report hadn’t made a strong enough case to convince his superiors that there’d been a crime. After Erin was nearly killed, however, his concerns had doubled. Although the Tustin police were doing their best to find the driver, he wondered if Erin herself held the key.

“Your mother decided to take out Lance’s motorboat even though it was nearly dark and there was no one around,” he continued. “Does that sound like something she would do?”

She shook her head. “I can’t imagine my mother sailing in anything less than a yacht.”

“She said she’d had a couple of drinks and lost her balance,” he went on. “What do you think of that?”

“Even if my mother did get drunk, she’d never admit it.” Erin plucked at her lace skirt. “She’s always insisted on keeping up appearances.”

Although he felt uncomfortable talking with his high school sweetheart as if they were strangers, at least she was willing to hear him out, Joseph mused. Alice Bolding had become annoyed at his implications and her husband had gone ballistic.

His goal was to resolve his case, and perhaps Tustin’s case as well. That was it. Then Erin could marry any darn fellow she pleased.

“Your stepfather claims he went shopping that evening, but he didn’t buy anything so there are no receipts,” he said. “I haven’t found any salesclerks who remember seeing him.”

“I’ve never trusted Lance,” she said. “So I can’t be objective. But if he tried to kill my Mom, why wouldn’t she say so? You must have asked her.”

“She denied it,” he admitted. “But her body language was extremely tense.”

“That doesn’t surprise me,” Erin said. “I’m sure she didn’t like talking to the police.”

Alice had always been a proud woman. Joseph hadn’t liked her much when he’d dated her daughter, because she’d had a way of making him feel about six inches tall. Even so, he’d been surprised by how coldly she’d behaved when he arrived at the lake, as if she resented his attempt to set the record straight.

Of course, she might have been in shock. Or could she fear that someone would retaliate if she spoke freely? Police dealt with abusive situations all the time, and they weren’t necessarily confined to poor homes.

“Did you ask her what happened?” he probed.

“I tried,” Erin said. “I phoned her as soon as I heard. I wanted to come up and find out what was really going on, but when I asked whether Lance had anything to do with it, she ordered me to stay away. For months, she would hardly speak to me, and she refused point-blank to let me visit. We didn’t reconcile until after I got hurt.”

“You’ve been staying with her. How has she seemed?” He watched her reaction closely.

“Moody,” Erin said. “Sometimes she’s giddy, then she gets kind of mad at the world.”

“Was she always like that?”

“She could be touchy, but I don’t think she feels well. The water must have affected her lungs.” Concern thickened her voice. “She says she’s been fighting off bronchitis, so she rarely goes out and she never invites anyone over except on company business.”

Abusive spouses often isolated their victims. “Did you talk to her about this?” Joseph asked. “It sounds like she needs help.”

Erin’s lost expression tugged at his sympathies. “I didn’t dare say anything. My perceptions have been so screwed up, I thought I was getting paranoid. I…” She hesitated.

“What?” he pressed.

“It’s silly.”

“The things people believe are silly often turn out to be important.” Joseph could feel her wondering whether to trust him. He waited, willing her to cooperate. Whatever was going on here, he might never find it out without her help.

“I thought people were whispering behind my back,” Erin confessed. “Does that sound crazy?”

“Not at all,” Joseph said. “Has your stepfather threatened you in any way?”

She swallowed. “No, actually, he’s been rather mellow. That doesn’t mean I like him.” She twisted her gloved hands together. “After my father died, my mother asked me to move back here, but I refused to leave my job. If I’d been around, maybe she wouldn’t have turned to Lance.”

“This isn’t your fault. Your mother’s always had a mind of her own.”

“She’s changed,” Erin said. “I don’t think she’s in control anymore. Can’t you help her?”

Joseph wished he could. He’d become a police officer to help people, and there was nothing more frustrating than when a woman insisted on protecting a man who was abusing her. But there were limits to what the police could do.

“The chief ordered me to close the case,” he said. “He puts a lot of stock in making nice with the town’s ruling class, and I suspect Mr. Bolding told him to back off.”

“You’re not supposed to be here today?” Erin said.

“That’s right.”

“You are trying to help.” The quaver in her voice hit him in the gut. “You could get into trouble because of me.”

“It wouldn’t be the first time.”

Their gazes met and held, and then she smiled. Just like that, he knew he wasn’t over her. He had never been over her. She was the reason every woman he’d dated since high school seemed to lack something vital, only he hadn’t understood that until now.

“Why the hell are you marrying Chet Dever?” Joseph braced himself for her to say, “Because I love him.”

“I don’t know,” Erin said.

“What do you mean, you don’t know?” Relief mingled with pain as raw as it had been more than ten years ago. “How can you marry a guy if you don’t love him?”

“I must love him. I said yes, didn’t I?”

“Why are you asking me?”

Erin scrunched her nose the way she used to do when an idea hit her. Like defying her parents and going to play Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus at a Christmas party for poor children rather than attending their school’s winter formal. Joseph treasured the photo he’d kept from that escapade.

“I don’t remember saying yes,” she said.

“Excuse me?”

“That whole morning is a big blank,” she explained. “He’d proposed the previous weekend. The morning of the accident, I phoned and said I couldn’t wait another day to tell him I wanted to be his wife. That’s what he told me.”

Joseph hadn’t expected anything like this when he decided to inject himself into Erin’s wedding day. “Whoa. Is it just me or does something smell rotten around here?”

“Smell,” she said.

“What?”

“I just remembered. Something smelled sweet. Flowers.” She blinked. “I’m sorry. I must be thinking of the hospital.”

She was so confused she could hardly follow her own train of thought. “You’re in no shape to marry anybody.”

Erin gestured at her wedding dress. “I made a commitment, and I always keep my promises.” Her voice wavered slightly as she added, “Besides, I’m sure it’s what I want.”

“You don’t sound sure to me.”

She hesitated. “I guess I’m wondering why I didn’t accept his proposal right away, why I waited. If I could just put my finger on what happened that morning, I’d feel better.”

In a little over half an hour, this woman was going to walk down the aisle with a man who, in Joseph’s estimation, was both cunning and amoral, and who would dearly love to come into possession of Erin’s millions. She had only his word that she’d agreed to marry him.

He gripped his notepad. Erin wasn’t his problem. As far as this town was concerned, he had no business getting anywhere near her.

Not only weren’t the Lowerys in the same league as the Marshalls, they’d been virtual outcasts since his father, a former policeman, was arrested and convicted of murder eleven years ago. The fallout had destroyed his relationship with Erin. It had destroyed his father, too.

Although Joseph and his mother had stood by him, very few people shared their belief that Lewis Lowery had been framed. After he died in prison and the years ticked by without new evidence emerging, the chances of clearing his father’s name had become negligible.

Erin was another matter. If she’d just become engaged, surely she had confided the happy news to someone. There was no reason to rely on Chet’s testimony.

“Is there a friend you might have talked to that day?” he asked.

“My boss, Bea,” Erin said. “We were working together at the carnival.”

“Do you know her phone number?”

“It’s in my organizer.”

He retrieved her purse from a chair. “May I?” It might take her a while to get those gloves off.

“Go ahead. It’s in the side pocket.”

He found the number and dialed her cell phone. While it was ringing, Joseph handed it to Erin.

After a moment, she exchanged pleasantries with her boss. He heard her ask if, before the accident, she’d mentioned her engagement.

“I don’t understand,” Erin said. “What do you mean you didn’t know I was engaged?… Well, to Chet, of course. You received the invitation, didn’t you?… What?”

He’d thought she was pale before, but some previously unsuspected color drained from her cheeks. “Oh, my gosh,” she said. “Oh, Bea. You won’t believe—well, I don’t have time to explain. Thank you. Yes. This helps a lot. I’ll be in touch.” She clicked off.

“Well?” Joseph said.

She swallowed hard. “I didn’t promise to marry Chet. I told Bea I was going to turn him down.”

Much as he welcomed the news, Joseph had to make sure it was valid. “Could there be a misunderstanding?”

“She talked to me that afternoon, right before I got hit.” Erin spoke in a dull, shocked tone. “I said the whole thing with Chet was a mistake. I planned to give him the bad news in person the next day.”

Joseph couldn’t believe Dever had lied so baldly. “Maybe you accepted him and then had a change of heart.”

“I don’t see how that could have happened,” Erin said. “Chet described how overjoyed I was when I called. He said I could hardly wait to walk down the aisle. I’m not the kind of person who would say that and then change my mind a few hours later.”

“When he told you, didn’t you wonder why you’d agreed? I mean, you ought to know whether you love him or not.” He knew he was being rough on her, but it was nothing compared to the storm that would sweep over Sundown Valley if Erin Marshall left Chet Dever at the altar.

“I believed everything I was told. I couldn’t rely on my memory or my feelings.” She sounded dazed. “I didn’t trust my perceptions.”

What a violation! What Dever had done might not be a crime, but it ought to be. “You can’t marry him.”

Erin dropped her cell phone into her purse. “What a mess! Everyone’s going to be so upset. I don’t know how I’m going to deal with them.”

“The only person you have to deal with is your fake fiancé,” he said.

“No.” Tears welled in her eyes. “There’s my mom. And all those people out there.” She started to shake. “I’m sorry. I know I ought to be able to take care of myself, but I can’t think straight.”

Joseph couldn’t help it. He knew he was compromising his investigation, but he wrapped his arms around Erin and pulled her against him.

She needed him. He’d never believed such a thing could happen, in view of their past and their relative situations in this community. Regardless of whether he crushed his career along with her wedding dress, he refused to let her down.

“Come with me,” he said. “I’ll help you sort it out.”

“You don’t have to.” She rested her cheek on his chest. “This isn’t your problem.”

“Tell me how many people you trust right now, besides me.”

“My mom,” she said.

“Even if she’s under Lance’s influence?”

“No.”

“So there’s just me,” Joseph pointed out. “That makes it my problem.”

Soon enough, she’d have all the support she needed—from lawyers, security guards, accountants, whatever. But for this small, precious space of time, she needed a friend and she’d turned to him. “Let’s get the heck out of here.”

“Thank you.” Erin’s eyes looked huge as she peered up at him. “I can’t tell you how much this means.”

“Cops are the modern equivalent of knights in shining armor, aren’t we?” he teased, and reached for the door.

Eerily, the knob turned just before he touched it, and someone in the hall pulled it open.

Chapter Three

Erin stared in dismay at the man standing in the doorway. In his tuxedo, Chet loomed larger than life, his chiseled face set in an unaccustomed scowl.

He was a big man, several inches taller than Joseph although less tightly knit, with anchorman-perfect dark blond hair and an air of authority that swept people before him. Until now, Erin hadn’t dreamed of standing up to him—at least, not lately.

Since she’d awakened in the hospital, Chet had taken command of her life the way her father used to do. Bruised and aching, uncertain about what had happened, she’d been grateful for his strength.

She wasn’t ready for this confrontation. She hadn’t weighed her plans or gathered her courage. On the other hand, that might take days, and she needed to stop this wedding in its tracks.

Behind Chet in the hallway, Tina hovered uncertainly. Whatever she’d told the groom, the news had annoyed him. His guilty conscience had to be pricking, Erin thought with a trace of her old resilience.

“What’s going on?” he demanded. “I do not want my bride harassed.”

“I don’t believe we’ve been introduced.” Joseph thrust out his hand. “I’m Detective Lowery.”

Chet ignored his hand. “I know who you are.” It was unusually churlish of him, Erin thought.

“Everyone knows who you are.” This last came from Tina’s brother, Gene. Thin-faced and sharp-featured, he, too, wore a tuxedo, since he was Chet’s best man as well as his campaign manager. He and Joseph had disliked each other in high school, she recalled.

Joseph’s eyes flicked over Gene with the barest of recognition and returned to Chet. His air of quiet watchfulness impressed Erin. “Miss Marshall is assisting with an investigation.”

“Well, Detective, your time is up,” Chet said. “We’re having a wedding here and I don’t recall your being invited.”

“If you’re looking for trouble, take it elsewhere,” Gene added.

Tina’s cheeks reddened. “He just wanted to ask a few questions.”

“He’s exceeding his authority,” returned her brother. “And he knows it.”

Erin felt the tension in Joseph’s body. It was obvious that Chief Norris would hear about his intrusion, given his son’s attitude.

If she planned to retake charge of her life, Erin decided, she had better start now. “Joseph was just leaving, Chet, and so am I. I’m sorry but I can’t marry you. In fact, under the circumstances, you’re the one who should be saying you’re sorry.”

The groom’s reaction was subtle but unmistakable: a tightening around the eyes, a flare of the nostrils. Erin’s chest squeezed. Something about him frightened her.

Tina gasped. “Five minutes ago, you were fine. What on earth is going on?”

“Five minutes ago, I was deluded,” she said. “Tina, I was going to turn Chet down the day of the accident. He lied to me.”

“Tell me what kind of nonsense this man’s been spouting.” Chet reached for her shoulders, a gesture he frequently used, she realized, when he wanted to assert control.

She stepped away. “He didn’t have to tell me anything. I called my boss in Tustin. According to her, I was planning to turn you down before I got hit. I never promised to marry you. You lied to me.”

At some level, Chet must have been prepared for her accusation, because he immediately changed tactics. “You’ve been promising to marry me for the past six weeks. If anyone lied, it was you.”

Erin could hardly believe his nerve. “I was flat on my back in the hospital with a head injury! You convinced me we were engaged.”

“The hospital released you a month ago. You could have called off the ceremony at any time. No one forced you to do anything, Erin.” He spread his hands placatingly. “Look, this is an obvious case of prewedding jitters. We’ve got a whole ballroom full of guests waiting for us to walk down the aisle. Do you want to humiliate your mother in front of her friends?”

This last statement stopped her. By refusing to move home again after her father’s death, she’d already let her mother down once and left her vulnerable to an opportunist like Lance. The last-minute cancellation of her daughter’s wedding would embarrass Alice in front of Sundown Valley society. She didn’t deserve to be treated that way.

That wasn’t a good enough reason for Erin to marry the wrong man, however. And if she hadn’t already been convinced there was something amiss, Chet’s behavior these past few minutes had made it crystal clear. Instead of showing concern for her happiness, he’d done nothing but try to finesse her.

“When I told you I didn’t want to rush things, you described how eagerly I accepted your proposal and how I insisted we get married right away,” she said. “You stage-managed the whole thing.”

“This is a misunderstanding. This policeman’s been playing on your vulnerability. I don’t know why he’s done it but I’ll find out.” Despite Chet’s conciliatory tone, his pale blue eyes had turned to ice. “What I don’t understand is how you think you’re going to get away with this.”

She couldn’t seem to drag her eyes from Chet’s. It was like staring at a cobra. “Joseph?”

“I’m here.” His evenness broke the spell.

“You can’t stop me.”

“The problem is, you’re not stable,” Chet said in that same persuasive tone. “We’ve all tried to smooth things over, but your behavior this past month hasn’t always been rational. You need someone trustworthy watching over you.”

“I’m an adult,” she told him. “I can watch over myself.”

“Unfortunately, there’s a lot more at stake here than a young woman’s whims,” he said. “You’re half owner of a major company. If you go off half-cocked, you could not only endanger your inheritance but threaten the stability of a large chunk of this town’s economy. Maybe it’s time someone asked a judge to appoint a trustee until you regain your mental health.”

To have a judge declare her incompetent—what would that mean? She couldn’t be forced into a marriage, but could they lock her in a psychiatric facility? The prospect terrified Erin.

She moved closer to Joseph. He was a police officer and her friend. She just hoped he hadn’t changed his mind about helping her.

His next words were reassuring. “Miss Marshall is under my protection. If she wishes to leave the premises, that’s her right. You want to talk to a judge? Fine. My mother works for a lawyer. We’ll make sure Erin’s properly represented.”

“You used to be her boyfriend,” Gene put in. “For all we know, you’re playing on her weakness for your own advantage.”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake!” Tina blurted. “She’s not crazy and Joseph isn’t here to trick her.”

“Stay out of this,” her brother warned.

“Why? What’s it to you?”

“Let’s save the family quarrel for later, okay?” Chet was too intent on his goal to let the conversation get off course. “We’ve been going together for a long time, Erin. I could tell when I proposed that you intended to accept. I just simplified matters at the hospital because you needed someone to take care of you. What’s wrong with that?”

Thank goodness he’d backed away from making threats. At the same time, she marveled at how skillfully he twisted the facts. “I’m sorry if I’ve disappointed you,” Erin said. “But it’s useless to argue.”

“You’re going to run off and leave your mother to handle the fallout?” Chet pressed. “Do you have any idea how upset she’s going to be?”

His renewed attempt to corner her annoyed Erin. “I think I know my mother better than you do.”

“Is that why you’ve been asking me to run interference with her this past six months?” It wasn’t a question but a challenge. “You don’t have the first notion what Alice is going through.”

Angered flipped a switch. Andrew Marshall would never have allowed an employee, even a CEO, to address him in this condescending manner. “I’ve been dealing with my mother since long before you came to work for us.” Erin heard her father’s commanding inflection in her voice. “I can handle her without your help, thank you.”

Chet flinched. It was all the encouragement she needed. “Let’s go,” she said, and caught Joseph’s arm.

She did indeed owe Alice an apology. If that meant she had to endure a tongue-lashing, it couldn’t be any worse than facing up to Chet had been.

Adrenaline carried her along the carpeted hallway and outside into the October afternoon and down a walkway toward the guest wing, where her mother had taken a suite for the day. The hacienda-style country club, built sixteen years ago by the Marshall Company, opened onto a landscaped courtyard.

Ordinarily, Erin relished its lush vegetation. Today, she was in no mood to admire the flowers.

Joseph slanted her an admiring grin. “I love the way you pulled rank on him.”

“Is that what I did?” She would have found the notion amusing, except that Chet’s warning still rang in her ears. What I don’t understand is how you think you’re going to get away with this. What exactly had he meant?

“He jumped as if someone yanked the carpet out from under him,” Joseph said. “I think you missed your true vocation. You should have been a drill sergeant.”

The darkness inside Erin dissipated. “He scared me. I couldn’t have done it without you standing there.”

“Don’t underestimate yourself.” The autumn breeze ruffled his light brown hair, which always seems to stick up no matter how short he trimmed it.

“Do you think he was right?” she asked.

“About what?”

“I have been out of the hospital for a month,” she said. “No one forced me to do anything. I could have called it off. I don’t honestly know why I didn’t.”

“The Tustin report mentioned amnesia and post-traumatic stress disorder,” Joseph said.

“That’s what my doctor said,” Erin agreed.

“Mind telling me your symptoms?”

“I’ve had nightmares, and I haven’t been able to think straight. Sometimes the people around me seemed like strangers, even my mother. When it came to Chet, I drew a blank, but I figured that was temporary. Why didn’t I recognize that I don’t love him? It seems so obvious now.”

“Trauma victims often feel detached from their emotions,” Joseph told her. “Does that fit what you’re talking about?”

She nodded. “I didn’t really come alive until today. But I’m not sure that’s an excuse.”

“You’ve always doubted yourself,” Joseph said. “In high school, even when you knew your parents were trying to micromanage your life, you needed reassurance before you would trust your instincts. Between the trauma and your lack of confidence, Chet played you like a violin.”

“You think he did it on purpose?” He’d made a convincing case about believing he was following her wishes.

“He’s as ruthless as they come,” Joseph said. “If you want my opinion, the man’s capable of anything. Of course, I’m not the world’s biggest fan of politicians.”

“He seemed convinced I mistreated him.”

“He may really believe it. In his view, anyone who doesn’t give him his way is mistreating him.”

“That’s true!” She’d forgotten what a great sounding board Joseph made. “You have a gift for putting things in perspective.”

“And you have a gift for being so sweet-natured, you give the world your heart on a platter,” Joseph said. “The problem is, the world’s a tough place, Erin.”

“I don’t want to be tough,” she said.

“And I don’t want you to be.” His voice grew gentle. “But you may have to, for your own protection.”

Stumbling on the rough walkway in her satin slippers, she brushed against him. The contact sent sparkles shimmering through across her skin and Erin registered that she’d been right about one thing. She did remember how he smelled: like a woodland in a spring rain.

He righted her, but otherwise kept his hands to himself. There were none of the casual caresses that had come so naturally when they were younger.

She knew better than to expect a return to their old closeness. Joseph had done more than enough for her already.

When they reached her mother’s suite, Erin saw that the curtains were drawn against the afternoon brightness. Alice had to be feeling ill again, she thought worriedly.

This news was going to be hard to break. Her mom had always been a formidable figure, able to intimidate Erin with a mere lift of the eyebrow. Only since her father’s death had it become apparent that beneath the resolute exterior hid an uncertain sense of self.

Even so, Erin figured she was in for a rough time.

At her knock, the door cracked open and Brandy Schorr, her mother’s housekeeper, peered out. Despite her smooth bun and trim blouse and skirt, the pouches beneath Brandy’s eyes gave her a dissipated air. “Is the ceremony starting, Miss? I’ll send her right out.”

“No, thank you. I need to talk to my mother,” Erin said.

Brandy spotted Joseph. She didn’t even try to disguise her antipathy. “What’s he doing here?”

“I’m assisting Miss Marshall,” he said. “At her request.”

The housekeeper chewed her lip before responding. “Mr. Bolding told me your investigation was finished. He said he doesn’t want you near Mrs. Bolding.”

“He isn’t here about her accident. He’s with me.” Erin pushed the door wider, ignoring Brandy’s half-hearted protest. Although she’d found the housekeeper pleasant during the past month, she had no particular ties to the woman, who’d only worked for the Boldings for a few months. Apparently, Lance had driven away the previous one.

“I can’t let you…” Brandy let the sentence trail off as Erin quelled her with a glare worthy of Andrew Marshall.

“Mom?” she called into the interior. Despite the brightness of the day, the front room lay in darkness save for one small lamp beside the couch. “I need to talk to you.”

“What is it?” The familiar rasp of her mother’s voice rang out as Alice materialized from the shadows. “Is something wrong?”

For weeks, Erin had feared her mother was letting herself go. Today, her upswept strawberry-blond locks emphasized both her patrician features and the sharp protrusion of cheekbones. Her peach-colored dress with its pearl-seeded jacket clung to a figure that was much too thin.

“Mom, I’ve called off the wedding,” Erin blurted.

“What?” Alice, who’d been eyeing Joseph dubiously, turned her full attention on her daughter.

“I can’t marry Chet. I don’t love him.” The words poured out of her. “I never accepted his proposal. He lied to me about that. I trusted him because I couldn’t trust myself, if that makes any sense. It’s lucky I found out the truth in time.”

She braced herself for a needle-sharp rebuke. She knew full well that the cream of Sundown Valley society was gathering and that countless hours of hard work had gone into whipping up the wedding.

“Have you told Chet?” Alice asked.

Erin nodded. “Of course.”

“Well.” Her attention returned to Joseph. “What is this detective doing here?”

“I had a few questions for your daughter,” he said.

“Mom, I’m sorry,” Erin rushed on. “I don’t think I can face all those people. Is there any way…could someone else…”

Alice sighed. “Lance will tell them. You come home with us, sweetheart, and we’ll take care of you.”

Erin threw her arms around her mother and started to cry. “Thank you.” She should have known her mother would come through when her daughter needed her most.

“We’ll work this out.” Despite her casual tone, her mother’s tight smile seemed pained.

Fearing she might be hurting her, Erin let go. She hadn’t realized until she felt the delicate bones how frail Alice had become. Although she was only forty-nine, the events of the last few months had taken their toll.

Lance had done this to her. Erin couldn’t let Alice stay there alone with him.

“I’m not going home,” she said. “Neither are you.”

“Of course I am.”

“It isn’t safe,” she said. “Think about what’s happened to both of us. The accidents.”

“We’ve had a run of bad luck but it’s over.” Alice retreated into haughtiness. “You know your father never approved of running away from problems. What do you think he’d say about all this?”

A noise inside the suite made Erin’s heart leap into her throat. Her stepfather thrust his way out of the bedroom, tugging irritably at the bow tie of his tuxedo.

Although for the past few weeks he’d behaved courteously, today his fleshy face wore a peeved expression. “I heard voices. What the hell are you up to now?” he demanded. Erin had never heard anyone speak to her mother that way.

Alice took a shaky breath. “Erin’s called off the wedding. She’s got that policeman with her.”

Lance thrust forward with such fury that Erin retreated onto the doorstep. “I told you to get lost!” he roared at the detective. “You’ve got no business showing up on my stepdaughter’s wedding day.”

“It’s not my wedding day anymore,” she said.

The corner of Joseph’s mouth quirked as he joined her on the step. “She requested my assistance with the bridegroom.”

“Erin, get in here. If there’s a problem with Chet, we’ll deal with it,” Lance snapped.

“I’ve already dealt with it,” she said. “Mom, come with us.”

Her mother uttered a short, mirthless laugh. “I’m fine, believe me.”

“Mrs. Bolding, if you need assistance…” Joseph began.

Lance blocked their view of his wife. Arms folded, he glowered. “She doesn’t need help from either of you. Erin, you may not like it but I’m Alice’s husband now and I’m tired of your attitude. In the future, if you want to talk to her, you can go through the board secretary at the Marshall Company.” He slammed the door.

Erin stood there, too shocked to stir. Her stepfather had just banned her from talking to her mother, and Alice hadn’t said a word.

Desperately, she turned to Joseph. “She’s obviously terrified. Can’t you do anything?”

He made a frustrated noise. “Not unless I can demonstrate abuse.”

“He almost drowned her!”

“I can’t prove that, and believe me, I tried.” Joseph steered her away from the building. “Unless he does something overt or she asks for help, our options are limited.”

Erin could hardly bear to walk away, knowing that once again she was failing her mother. “She was always so strong until Dad died. I don’t know what’s happened to her.”

“You can’t predict how people will react to losing a spouse.” They kept to the edges of the country club as they circled toward the parking lot, avoiding the golf center where people might gawk at her bridal gown. “I thought my mother would fall apart when Dad died in prison. Instead, she went back to work as a legal secretary and made a new life for herself.”

Suzanne Lowery had been a full-time mom, devoted to her family and always kind to Erin. She’d suffered when her husband’s alcoholism ended his police career. She’d supported him through rehab and encouraged him to apply for a job at the Marshall Company, where he’d risen to chief of security.

Then, during Joseph’s senior year in high school, his father had been accused—falsely, Erin believed—of robbery and murder. She’d tried to stand by the Lowerys but Joseph had pushed her away. She wished now that she hadn’t let him.

“I’m glad she’s okay,” Erin said. “For my mom, Dad’s death was like the bottom dropped out of everything. I guess I should have let her lean on me, but I was selfish. I took a month’s leave and went back to work.”

“It isn’t selfish to grow up,” Joseph said. “You couldn’t have known what would happen.”

Erin wanted to accept his absolution, but she retained a brutish image of Lance storming at her mother. What good was being rich if she couldn’t protect the person she loved most?

Joseph had left his aging sedan in a side lot. “I figured my dent magnet would stand out like a sore thumb next to all the Lexuses and Cadillacs in front,” he said, unlocking it.

“Is this an undercover car?” Erin moved aside a couple of files and a fast-food bag before shifting into the seat. At least there was plenty of legroom for her full skirt.

“Nope, it’s mine. Not much to look at, but it’s paid for.” After tucking her inside, he closed the door.

In Tustin, Erin had driven a low-priced model bought with her own earnings, but she knew it wasn’t the same thing. In the hospital, realizing how much trouble it would be to deal with the car while recuperating, she’d donated it to charity. Once she got permission from the doctor to drive again, she could always buy a new model. Joseph didn’t have that option.

Money only made a difference if you let it, she thought. In essential ways, the two of them were equals.

When he settled behind the wheel and stretched his shoulder muscles, the vibrations traveled along the bench-style seat. Erin relaxed. She used to love riding beside him.

“Let’s stop by your parents’ house,” he said. “While they’re out, it’s a good time for you to pick up a few clothes. Then tell me where to take you.”

“I have no idea,” she said.

“No hurry. Give it some thought.”

She fell silent as they headed between the emerald slopes of the club’s golf course. Beyond it, atop a steep rise, stood the grand house where she’d grown up. Her father had built it to command a spectacular view.

She missed it, although she was glad Lance Bolding didn’t get to preen himself in the mansion Andrew Marshall had cherished. The house now belonged to Dr. Ray Van Fleet and his socialite wife, Jean, old friends of her parents. They were probably sitting in the ballroom right now, waiting for the wedding to begin.

The wedding. Already, it seemed unreal. Erin had virtually sleepwalked through the past weeks, as if the preparations and the wedding belonged to someone else.

Now she tried to think of a place to go. Although the Marshall Company owned a number of apartments, she didn’t like the notion that Chet could get a key to any of them. A hotel room? Employees could be bribed, she thought.

Joseph had asked who might want to kill her. If that was really a possibility, she needed to be careful. Very careful.

She started to tremble. Everyone in Sundown Valley seemed to pose a threat. Except for Joseph, of course.

As for Tustin, she didn’t want to be fifty miles away if her mother needed her. Besides, she’d been attacked there.

She tightened her grip on her purse. She wasn’t going to get hysterical in front of Joseph. She’d think of somewhere to go.

His next words drove that concern out of her head—and replaced it with a more immediate one.

“Don’t get excited,” Joseph said, “but I think someone’s following us.”

Chapter Four

“What?” When Erin twisted in her seat, her face betrayed her alarm. Joseph disliked upsetting her. The words had slipped out before he’d had time to think.

He’d noticed the luxury sedan in his rearview mirror on the way around the lake. It had shot off Golf Club Lane some distance behind them, speeding away from the country club until it caught up and then slowing to trail a dozen car lengths behind.

“Do you recognize it?” he asked. “I thought maybe it was a friend of yours.”

Erin shook her head. “I don’t think so.”

There were too many curves and trees for him to make the plate, and the car was painted a neutral shade. The driver appeared to be alone, although Joseph didn’t discount the possibility of someone hunkering down.

He wasn’t ready to phone in a report, however. Joseph didn’t want to get the department involved in what might be simply a Marshall family dispute.

“It’s probably nothing,” he said. “Just some golfer going home.”

“If you think he’s following us, he probably is.” Erin’s hands clenched.

“I shouldn’t have mentioned it.”

“Don’t treat me like an invalid! Even if I am one, sort of.”

“I won’t. But it was premature to say anything.” Joseph hadn’t intended to make his friend any more paranoid than she already was. He felt edgy enough himself after those unpleasant scenes at the country club.

They passed Rainbow Lane, which led to the old fishing area where Joseph and some of his high school buddies used to sneak forbidden beers. But the pier had been declared unsafe years ago, and Joseph had given up drinking after alcoholism cost his father his police career. Joseph didn’t intend to run that risk.

When they swung right on Aurora Avenue toward the Marshalls’ property, the luxury car continued on along Via Puesta del Sol. “False alarm,” Joseph said.

“Good.” Erin beamed. He wondered if she had any idea of how appealing she struck him with those lively eyes and a mouth that fit naturally into a curve.

She’d never been vain about her appearance or her social position. Sometimes Joseph used to forget she came from a rich family. It hadn’t mattered so much when they were kids, but he’d learned long ago that it mattered to adults.

They passed a cluster of cottages. Farther along the pavement, a Do Not Enter sign marked the point where the road became private.

They curved past a stand of eucalyptus on the sprawling estate. When the Boldings’ house emerged into view, Joseph didn’t like it any more than he had the first time he saw it six months ago. Maybe less.

He’d arrived the night of Alice’s near drowning to see police spotlights playing across the water and red lights blinking atop a welter of emergency vehicles. The structure sat in a hollow, its jutting roof giving it the appearance of a brooding misanthrope with hunched shoulders.

He wondered again how Lance Bolding had persuaded aristocratic Alice Marshall to give up her palace for this low-slung house on the far side of the lake, away from her friends and the country club. Although the wooden structure, painted tan with brown trim, had its own pier on the glittering lake, he found it depressing.

The place hadn’t grown on Joseph during his investigation. After reading about Erin’s accident, he’d disliked the thought of her staying out here. He found the atmosphere toxic, both literally and figuratively.

He halted on the turnaround. A covered porch the width of the house supported a glider seat and small table. “This place reminds me of a Louisiana plantation gone to seed.”

“It is gloomy, isn’t it?” Erin made no move to get out. “But the lake’s pretty.”

“That depends.” He decided not to make any further reference to her mother’s close call. “You’ve got a key, I hope?”

“Yes.” Erin reached into her purse. Joseph came around to escort her.

As she emerged, sunlight picked out the blue-white clarity of the diamonds in her tiara and choker. “You’d better leave those behind unless they belong to you,” he said. “I wouldn’t put it past Lance to file a theft report.”

“Actually, they were a wedding present from Chet.”

“Chet makes that kind of money?” He stopped short of asking how much they’d cost. Maybe they were artificial, but he doubted it.

“We pay our CEO well,” Erin told him. “I’ll send them back, of course.”

When they entered the house, the smell that hit Joseph was a mixture of furniture polish and stale air heavy with moisture from the lake. Drawn curtains plunged the living room into semi-gloom.

At least Alice had brought with her the beautiful antique furnishings from her former home. Chosen with taste, the curving divan and beveled-glass china cabinet retained a lightness that brought to mind happier times. Inside the cabinet, row after row of charming bells—glass and ceramic and metal, lovingly collected over many years—sat silent.

He knew from his investigation that no servants lived on the property, and the only full-time staff was the housekeeper. Even so, Joseph called out “Hello?” a couple of times and listened to his voice echo through the rooms. No one answered.

“Wait while I check it out,” he told Erin.

She frowned in confusion. “There’s nobody here.”

“Humor me.” Drawing his gun, he moved quickly from room to room. It wasn’t a proper search. He would never go through a house alone if he believed there was someone lying in wait. But it reassured him that they weren’t likely to meet any surprises.

“Go ahead,” he told Erin on returning to the front room.

“I have to change,” she said. “I’ll work as fast as I can.”

“Need any help?”

“Changing?” She started to smile. “That’s quite an offer.”

“I didn’t mean…” Joseph ducked his head. “I was thinking your dress must be complicated. But you wouldn’t want me fumbling with it. I’ve got butterfingers.” And a tongue tied in knots, he thought in embarrassment.

When she was amused, Erin glowed. It should happen more often, he thought. “You don’t have to tell me! Remember that Santa Claus costume? When you first put it on, you had a beard growing out of your ear.”

“I did not!”

“Yes, you did. It was cute.” Her face tilted toward him. For a moment, she became again a laughing girl of fifteen and he was seventeen, so much in love he couldn’t see straight. He had to kiss her.

Joseph stopped. He wasn’t a kid, and besides, he’d come here to protect Erin, not indulge himself. “Better hurry. We don’t want to be here when your parents get back.”

“Oh.” With a visible effort, she recovered her poise. “I won’t be long.” She whisked away, leaving a floral scent in her wake.

Since he considered himself to be on an investigation despite the chief’s orders, Joseph scanned the area. In violent households, one might expect to find a broken lamp or a dent in the wall. He saw none.

Moving to the lake side of the house, he glanced into the sunroom. Through a wall of windows, daylight gleamed across enough wedding presents to stock a department store. Despite the brevity of the engagement, friends had showered the bridal couple with heaps of silver, crystal and china.

After checking through a front window to make sure no cars had pulled in, Joseph paced the living room as the minutes ticked by. Finally Erin rejoined him, toting a suitcase and an overnight bag. She’d swapped the wedding gown and diamonds for a pair of jeans, a pink sweater and a simple pearl necklace.

“I hope I didn’t take too long.” She glanced past him to the table covered with gifts. “Oh, my! Those all have to be returned. I should write notes to the guests, too.”

“Unless you plan to hire a moving van, I suggest you let your mother take care of it,” Joseph said. “Besides, no one expects you to write notes in your condition.”

“But it’s my responsibility.”

“Who appointed you the world’s only perfect person?” It was a phrase he’d used often when they were teenagers.

“I’m being Little Goody Two Shoes again. You’re right. Without your healthy corrupting influence, I slipped right back into the role,” she teased.

He didn’t bother to ask how a corrupting influence could be healthy. He understood what she meant.

On a message pad, Erin wrote a message to her mother. “Okay, how’s this? I’m asking her to return the gifts and give the diamonds to Chet. She can leave them with Betsy—she’s the board secretary at the office.”

“Sounds good.” Joseph was glad she didn’t insist on handing them to Chet herself. No matter what the etiquette books said, as far as he was concerned, the less contact between them, the better.

“Well, that’s that.” Erin signed the note. “Mom can reach me on my cell phone.”

“Have you decided where you’re going?” Taking the suitcase, Joseph led her onto the porch.

“Not yet.” After locking up, she dropped the key through the mail slot. Joseph would have advised her to hold on to it in case of emergency, but she’d beaten him to the punch. “Before I know what I can afford, I need to consult Stanley Rogers at the company. In addition to being the chief financial officer, he manages my trust fund. Until he gets in on Monday, I don’t have much money with me.”

“Excuse me?” A multimillionaire, and she made it sound as if she were broke!

“I’m not trying to plead poverty. It’s kind of complicated.” Erin beat him to the car and let herself inside. But once there, she sank back as if she’d expended most of her energy. She must have been operating on adrenaline, Joseph reflected as he stowed her possessions in the trunk.

When he got in, Erin resumed her explanation. “The fund makes a quarterly deposit in my account, and I turn it over to the Friend of a Friend Foundation. That’s confidential, by the way.”

“You’re behind the Friend of a Friend Foundation?” The organization had made a generous grant to the after-school tutoring program founded by his mother and a close friend of hers, a teacher.

“Even Tina doesn’t know that.”

“Obviously not.” Tina volunteered at The Homework Center, and she’d been as mystified as anyone about who was behind the donation.

“I’ve been living on what I earn at my job,” Erin said. “Believe me, that doesn’t go far. My bank account in Orange County has a couple of hundred dollars at most. Of course, there’s always my credit card.”

“Card, singular?”

“I told you, I’ve been living on my income,” she said. “I’m not sure when the next quarterly payment is due, but maybe I can get an advance.”

“You could call this financial guy at home.”

“I’m not that desperate,” Erin said. “I don’t think it’s right to force an employee to go into the office on his day off just to suit my convenience.”

As he drove, Joseph reflected on the contradictions in her attitude. On the one hand, she saw herself as an owner with an obligation not to abuse her authority. On the other hand, she seemed to doubt her ability even to tap into her resources for a small advance. She owned a half interest in the Marshall Company, for heaven’s sake!

Well, these decisions belonged to her, not him. What she needed from her old friend, he mused, was emotional support and physical protection.

He knew he tempted fate by getting involved where no one except Erin wanted him, and he wasn’t entirely sure how she felt. Perversely, the prospect of defying the rest of the world appealed to him. If he ever stopped leaping before he looked, life could get awfully boring.

“Well, if you still haven’t decided where to stay, I’m taking you to my house,” he said.

Erin didn’t answer.

“If that’s all right,” Joseph added.

She gave him one of those sweet, enigmatic expressions that made him want to kiss her and poke her in the ribs at the same time.

“Or I could drop you at the mall,” he said with mock solemnity. “Considering that you more or less own it.”

“There’s a tempting thought. I could pitch a sleeping bag in the food court.” She made a face.

“Well?”

“I’d love to go to your place, but I don’t want to get you in trouble,” Erin said. “You worked hard to get where you are.” She might not know the details, but she obviously suspected the hurdles he’d had to leap to get hired on the force, not to mention making detective so quickly. After what had happened to his father, some people had been waiting for him to fail. They still were.

“It’s only for the weekend.” Joseph negotiated the curving side streets toward Old Lake Highway, the most direct route into town. “It’s too isolated for you to stay there next week while I’m at work.”

“Where exactly do you live?” she asked.

“In the woods.”

“You always said you wanted to be close to nature,” Erin recalled. “If I remember right, at one point you talked about becoming a forest ranger.”

“I’m too stubborn for that,” Joseph said.

“Too stubborn?” After a moment, Erin answered her own question. “You mean, if you left town, everybody would think you were running away.”

“Exactly.”

“You gave up your dream to prove a point?” she demanded.

“I’m stubborn, but not that stubborn,” he said. “I like being a cop.”

“You don’t have to convince me about being stubborn.”

“I thought I was downright accommodating in the old days.” After all, he’d poured his earnings from a lawn-mowing job into movie tickets and hamburger dinners, not to mention a couple of tuxedo rentals that nearly broke his personal bank.

“You were, except when we broke up,” she reminded him. “I wanted to talk things over. I wanted to give our friendship a chance. You insisted it was hopeless.”

“Don’t remind me. The past is dead and buried, Erin. If you’re going to be staying with me, we have to agree on that.” He didn’t want things hitting too close to home.

Just being around Erin made Joseph want things he shouldn’t. He’d long ago made his peace with the injustices of the past. He didn’t need a nest of stinging emotions stirred up again.

“Okay,” she said after a long pause. “I agree. Under protest.”

“Duly noted.”

They fell into silence. During the eight-mile drive into town, the gentle rocking of the car, combined with her exhaustion, put Erin to sleep.

A lock of her shoulder-length brown hair, crinkly where she’d brushed it out of its twist, floated in a draft. Joseph imagined how it would feel against his cheek, as silky as a whisper in the night.

In the old days, he’d have slung his arm across the back of the seat and she’d have scooted close. It was ridiculous how natural it felt to be riding with her again, as if the intervening years had evaporated.

He’d expected to fall in love with someone else by now. When one potential relationship after another failed to develop, he’d attributed it to the rigors of a policeman’s schedule and to the difficulty of trusting anyone.

Maybe taking her home with him ran the risk of reigniting an old flame. But under the circumstances, what else could he do?

He returned his attention to his driving. As they made their way through the heart of town, Joseph spotted a luxury sedan like the previous one, again lagging a few car lengths behind them. If it had followed them on the highway, he hadn’t noticed.

He made a couple of turns, and the car disappeared. Gone, he hoped. Most likely a different vehicle.

On Little Creek Lane, which wound through a grove close to his cabin, he caught sight of it again. He hadn’t imagined it; they were being followed.

Erin’s eyes blinked open. “What’s wrong?”

“I thought you were asleep.”

“I was dozing. I felt the car speeding up.”

“We’re being tailed again.” Before she could sit up, he added, “Stay low.” He didn’t expect the guy to start shooting, but you never knew.

Erin obeyed. “Can you see who it is?”

“Not yet.” Joseph considered his options. The other car hadn’t broken any laws, so he could hardly call dispatch. Normally, he’d pull into a public place such as a gas station, but there was only woodland on both sides and the road was too narrow for him to reverse course.

Although he carried a gun, he didn’t want to risk a shoot-out in the middle of nowhere. While he hated to lead whoever was tailing them to his house, his property would offer cover and a chance for Erin to escape inside.

The funny thing was, the vehicle seemed familiar. Not just because he’d seen it earlier today, either. That particular make, that beige paint—well, they were common enough. The only thing he could say for sure was that the figure behind the wheel didn’t appear as large as Chet.

Maybe it was another resident. Although the houses were set far apart, including vacation cabins that frequently lay empty, it was possible the guy lived nearby. Maybe that was where Joseph had seen the car before.

They passed one driveway, then another. The vehicle didn’t turn. Finally, the only one left was Joseph’s.

“Looks like we’ve got a visitor.”

“Can’t you call someone?” Erin kept low, as he’d instructed. “Cops can call 911, can’t they?”

“Sure. Or I could use my radio. But I’ve been out conducting an investigation against the chief’s orders, and I’ve got a feeling whoever’s behind us wants to talk about it,” Joseph said. “I’m not real eager to bring in the rest of the department unless things get sticky.”

“Okay,” Erin said. “I didn’t mean to cause trouble for you.”

“If there’s any trouble, I caused it for myself.”

He hoped his decision not to call for help wasn’t putting her in unnecessary danger. For himself, Joseph never worried. Except for the pain it would cause his mother, he didn’t fear death nearly as much as disgrace or false imprisonment, the fate his father had endured.

His driveway wound uphill through dense woods. Normally, Joseph enjoyed the sense of leaving civilization behind. In all but the worst weather, he rolled down the windows to enjoy the twitter of birds and the scent of pines. Not today.

With Erin at risk, he had to assume that whoever was tailing them might turn nasty. He made some quick calculations.

“You may have to duck inside,” he said. “There’s a spare gun in the bedroom, in the nightstand.”

“I don’t like guns,” Erin said.

“Ever fired one?”

She nodded. “My dad took me to a shooting range a couple of times. He said I needed to know how to protect myself.”

“Watch out for the recoil,” he told her. “It’s a .38. That’s powerful but we don’t know if this guy’s on drugs, so if you have to shoot him, fire at least two or three rounds. One bullet might not stop him.”

“You’re scaring me.”

“Don’t get scared. Get mad.” He’d adopted that slogan as a teenager, and it had served him well. “Okay, enough of the pep talk. When I turn off the motor, I’ll hand you the keys. There are two, one for the car, one for the door. Stay out of sight until I give the word, then bolt for the house. He may not know you’re here, so you’ve got surprise on your side. The bedroom’s the first door to the right.”

“Thanks,” Erin said. “I’ll be okay as long as I know the plan.” She sounded steady and determined. Joseph respected people who kept their heads in an emergency.

Cresting the hill, they came within sight of the cabin. A gravel clearing fronted the wood-and-stone building, which had a carport situated on the far side.

“I’m going to stop in front of the porch,” Joseph said. “If you have to duck out the door, you’ll be right there.” Pulling into the carport would have given him more cover but would slash Erin’s chances of making it inside. “Don’t go until I tell you to.”

“I won’t.”

So far, there’d been nothing threatening about their pursuer other than the fact that he was following them. Unexpectedly, the other car jolted forward, almost hitting Joseph’s bumper. It felt like a threat.

In the rearview mirror, the driver’s eyes met Joseph’s. Cold fury radiated at him.

At least he understood why he’d recognized the car. The man behind the wheel was Edgar Norris.

Judging by the chief’s taut jaw and the angry gesture with his car, he was royally ticked about having his orders disobeyed. That didn’t explain why he’d left the wedding and lit out after them. Or why he emerged from the car with one hand hovering near his gun.

Eleven years ago, as detective lieutenant, Norris had headed the investigation into the robbery-murder of jewelry store owner Binh Nguyen. It was Norris who’d evaluated the evidence against Lewis Lowery, recommended that he be charged and sat at the prosecutor’s side during much of the trial.

He’d never liked Joseph, but he’d always treated him fairly. In return, Joseph had given the chief the benefit of the doubt. Although he was certain his father had been framed, he’d assumed Norris simply failed to recognize that.

Now he wondered if he’d been wrong. And whether his shortsightedness was going to get him and Erin killed.

Chapter Five

Joseph stopped in front of the porch. “Remember the plan,” he told Erin in a low voice.

“You bet.” She didn’t chatter or seek reassurance. Not that he would mind comforting her, but not under the circumstances. “Can you tell who it is?”

“It’s the chief.”

“Why would he follow us?”

He kept his face averted as Norris approached, so he couldn’t be seen conversing. He hoped the chief believed that he’d left Erin at her mother’s house, and he intended to keep it that way. “I don’t know. He looks mad.”

“He wouldn’t shoot us, would he?”

“Let’s hope not.”

After slipping the keys to Erin, Joseph opened his door and eased out to face his boss. He had a good three inches on the chief, but you didn’t judge a man like Edgar Norris by his size. Or by the spare tire around his waist or the fact that he dyed what was left of his hair. He had kick-butt body language and the grit to back it up.

Norris’s fist pounded Joseph’s trunk, making the car creak on its aging springs. “What the hell did you think you were doing when you barged into Erin Marshall’s dressing room?”

“I wanted to wish an old friend well,” he replied evenly.

“Don’t lie to me,” the man growled. “I told you to leave Alice’s case alone. You’re harassing one of this town’s leading families, and now you’ve managed to screw up the wedding of the year.”

“I needed to clarify some points to wrap up my report,” he said. “I didn’t expect to discover that her fiancé had pulled a con job on her.”

“Nobody forced that woman into a bridal gown.”

“There’s more than one kind of force,” he said.

“You don’t know understand the kind of fallout there’s going to be,” the chief snapped. “Do you have any idea how a public humiliation like this is going to hurt Chet Dever’s campaign?”

“What does Chet Dever’s campaign have to do with the Sundown Valley Police Department, other than the fact that your son is managing it?” Joseph shot back. It wasn’t the smartest remark to make under the circumstances. Sometimes retorts flew out of his mouth before he could stop them.

Although the chief’s face darkened, he kept himself under control. “You’re injecting your personal feelings into police business. When it comes to the powerful people in this town, there’s a chip on your shoulder and everyone knows it.”

“Everyone being Gene?” He’d gone too far, Joseph thought. “I take that back.”

“You’re going to wish you could take a lot of things back,” Norris said. “You’ve made enemies all over town, embarrassed this force and contradicted my direct order. As of right now, I’m busting you back to patrol.”

“Wait a minute!” A demotion made it unlikely Joseph would ever advance in this department or, possibly, any other. Thank goodness the police union had established protections for its member. “I have the right to appeal.”

“I’ll throw in a few more charges to make it look good.” Satisfaction was written all over the chief’s face. “Like the fact that you drew a gun on me.”

“I haven’t touched my weapon!”

“It’s my word against yours. Who do you think people will believe?”

Joseph’s passenger door swung open. Before he could call out that the situation might still be dangerous, Erin’s resolute face appeared above the car. “I think they might believe me,” she said. “I heard the whole thing.”

The chief’s Adam’s apple performed a couple of rapid bobs. “Miss Marshall. I didn’t see you.”

“So I gathered.” She studied him levelly.

“This officer violated a direct order.” Norris recovered a trace of his bluster. “I have an obligation to discipline him.”

“What I don’t understand,” Erin said, “is why you accused him of drawing his gun when I can see that it’s still in its holster.”

She probably couldn’t see that, since Joseph’s holster was beneath his jacket. It didn’t matter. She’d made her point.

The chief gritted his teeth. He wasn’t accustomed to backing down and Joseph knew he’d take his pound of flesh one way or another. Finally, he said, “You’re on administrative leave for a month, Lowery. Paid leave,” he said in Erin’s direction.

“You need to rethink your priorities,” he continued, turning toward Joseph, “and decide whether you’re ready to follow the chain of command or whether you’d rather work somewhere else.”

“And when I come back?”

“There’ll be no action taken unless you do something else to deserve it.” Shutting off further discussion, Norris returned to his car. He gunned the motor, shot backward and spun away. Gravel spattered off Joseph’s car.

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