Stoneface

Chapter Seven

Gwen stepped out of her car and listened to how quiet it sounded. Tim lived in a nice house about fifteen minutes south of town, on a wooded hillside overlooking a small valley. Beautiful country. When Tim noticed her reaction, he turned and pointed to the west.

“Black Hills National Forest is that way. We’re right on the edge. You haven’t made it to Mt. Rushmore yet, have you?”

She shook her head.

He clapped his hands together. “Oh. My. God! I get to play tour guide!” He grinned. “You’re going to have a blast! Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Custer State Park, the whole nine yards.” He grabbed her suitcase and led her into the house, down a hall to a bedroom with an attached bathroom. “This room shares the bath with the other guest bedroom,” he explained, flipping on the light. “I’d give you the other bedroom, but that’s where Jack’s mom sleeps when she stays with us and it’s better equipped.”

“I know I’m stressed, but that made no sense.”

He laughed. “Sorry. You said your brother has MS. The other bedroom’s larger, set up so a wheelchair can move around. See? Bathroom’s converted, too.”

She rubbed her arms when a chill ran up them despite the warm afternoon. How perfect was this? The bathroom was totally accessible. No doubt even if Liam didn’t need it, he’d still bring his wheelchair rather than risk busting his ass.

And now she wussed out and he’d have to come get her.

Tim spotted her face and pulled her in close for a hug. “Have you eaten anything today?”

“No,” she admitted.

“You look horrible. Let’s get you some food.” He led her to the kitchen and sat her down at the small breakfast table. “What’s your poison? Sandwich? Omelet? Salad? Kitchen’s open and if I have it, I’ll make it for you.”

She couldn’t get over how cute he was. The only picture she’d seen of him was his Facebook profile pic, and that hadn’t been a very good one, just a lousy cell phone image. “Surprise me.”

“Gotcha.” Ten minutes later, she was noshing on probably the best omelet she’d ever had in her life. He sat across the table from her and watched her eat. “Now talk to me, and start over from the beginning because I think I missed something during the crying portions of your tale.”

Talking to him in real life felt as comfortable as it did in e-mail. Except for the fact that he looked hunkier in real life, and turned out to be a fandamtastic cook, he was the same person. She retold the story.

After she finished, he nodded, a serious look on his face. “I think you and your brother are right. There’s something funky going on. You don’t even know for sure if she’s okay, or maybe being held against her will. A text message isn’t the same as talking. Anyone can send a text from a phone, or an e-mail from a computer, if they’ve got their hands on it.”

“I think my mistake was telling the cop I’m a writer.” She frowned. “Well, that and insulting him. Cute guy, but what an asshole. I’m probably lucky I’m not in jail for telling him off. Me and my temper, I got into it with him.” She set her fork on the empty plate. “I didn’t help matters any, that’s for sure. Liam always had to bail me out of trouble in school. I was always getting into fights with older kids.” She laughed. “I had two senior football players ready to pound me once when I called them fucking pussy assholes for picking on a freshman. Liam got there to pick me up from band practice just in the nick of time.”

“Ballsy kind of girl, huh? No wonder I’m in love with you. Like I said, Jack’s a detective. I’m sure he’ll help you.” He glanced at his watch. “Dammit, he’s supposed to be in court this afternoon, though. We’ll have to wait until he gets home tonight. Meanwhile…” He cleared her empty dishes for her. “You are coming with me to see the sights!”

No wonder I’m in love with you.

She wistfully sighed, even though she knew he meant it innocently. If only. Damn, he was cute. More than cute enough to make up for Detective Dorkhead that morning. Tim would most definitely be her next hero. She’d write him into a book. Maybe even make him the hero in a series. She sure as hell wouldn’t hesitate to jump his bones if he was interested.

Well, if he was straight, single, and interested.

Depending on how cute his boyfriend was, maybe she had her next ménage couple and could write herself as the heroine.

It was eleven thirty when they headed out in Tim’s car. He pleasantly chattered almost nonstop as they wound around the Black Hills and through the small scenic town of Keystone to Mt. Rushmore. “There they are, the original Stonefaces,” he joked as they rounded a curve and the mountain came into sight. “Unlike Jack, who’s just an imitation.”

“What?”

“My boyfriend. We’re proof that opposites attract. He’s an über-serious cop, I’m the bouncy beach boy.”

She laughed. “He’s a lucky man.” She wondered if she could get away with flirting with him in real life the way they did in e-mails. “I’d steal you if I thought I had half a chance.”

He pulled into a space in the monument’s parking garage, then turned and winked. “Honey, who says you’d have to steal me? I don’t think you can steal the willing.” His playful grin dampened her panties.

“You are so getting a character modeled after you, you realize that, right?”

“Good guy?”

“Very good.”

“Charming? Witty? Well hung?” He waggled his eyebrows at her.

“Very well hung.”

He grinned. “Excellent.”

Tim’s plan didn’t just involve sightseeing, but following Amy’s trail through the notebook. “One of my customers is a ranger here,” he explained as he led her to the Park Service office. “She might be able to help us out.”

They tracked her down, but she had no recollection of seeing Amy. She returned Gwen’s BlackBerry to her after looking at Amy’s picture. “That doesn’t mean someone else didn’t see her or might remember her,” the woman said.

Tim perused the notebook. “Let’s try down at the Sculptor’s Studio,” he suggested. “Looks like she took a lot of notes about it. Probably talked to someone there.” He led the way. Gwen stopped for a moment to look at the mountain.

“You know, I never realized it was set up like this.”

He followed her gaze. “Like what?”

“I just always thought it was in the middle of nowhere.”

He laughed. “Well, to a Laguna Beach boy, South Dakota is the middle of nowhere. Must be culture shock for you, too.”

“I meant I always thought it was like out in the open by itself. Like in the middle of a field somewhere.”

“Ah. I see what you mean. I thought that, too. I guess a lot of people do, but nope, it’s tucked snug as a bug here in the Black Hills.”

She thumbed through Amy’s pictures in her BlackBerry and found one, held it up, and studied the view. “This is close, isn’t it?” She pointed. “Look, there’s that column in the view.”

He took her phone and looked. “You’re right.” He turned around and took her into the bookstore where they asked the clerks on duty if they’d seen Amy and showed her picture. No one remembered her.

“Okay, so to the studio like we planned,” he said. They made their way down the stairs to the studio, Tim being a gentleman and slowing down so Gwen could catch her breath. Once there, Gwen followed him around as he talked to staffers.

One older woman, a volunteer, nodded as she studied a picture of Amy. “I remember her. She was with a man. We had a very nice chat. She asked me a lot of questions about the history of the studio.”

Gwen’s heart raced. “Do you remember the man’s name?”

“No, ’fraid not. I didn’t get either of their names. I just remember her taking notes in that notebook,” she said, pointing to the one Gwen held. “That’s the only reason she rang a bell for me. I’m sorry, but we deal with over a million visitors a year at the park. Very few usually stand out in our minds unless they do something particularly memorable to draw our attention. If you’d come a few weeks later, I probably wouldn’t have remembered her at all.”

Gwen sighed. “Thanks anyway.”

“Oh, I do remember them asking me if I was familiar with the Crazy Horse monument, if that’s any help.”

Tim nodded. “Yes, thank you.”

They climbed the trail back up to the main level and Tim led her to the parking garage. “We’ll have to come back with your brother so he can see the place. I’m sure they’d let us drive him down there to the Sculptor’s Studio instead of making him hike. I didn’t even get to take you into any of the exhibits.”

“So where to next?” she asked.

He looked at the notebook. “Crazy Horse. It’s closest. And she took a bunch of notes there, too, from the looks of it.”

Gwen tried not to keep her nose pressed to the car window while he drove. They wound through hills and woods that took her breath away with their beauty.

“It’s pretty land, isn’t it?” he asked.

She tore her gaze away from the scenery. “Yes, very.”

“If you’re terrified to fly, I guess you don’t get to see much of the country, do you?”

“Nope.”

“Listen, and I mean this in all sincerity. Is there any reason you two have to rush off? There’s so much to see and do around here. I’ve got to fly back to LA next week on business for a couple of days, but you and Liam are more than welcomed to stay with us as long as you want. When I get back, we can do more sightseeing.”

“That’s really sweet, but I don’t want to be an imposition.”

“Hey, my favorite writer literally drops in, if you think I’m in a hurry to get rid of her, think again.” He winked at her. “Maybe I can convince you to move out here.”

“Hmm. Don’t tempt Liam too much. A chance to escape our mom and dad? You might be stuck with a permanent houseguest if you don’t watch it.”

He grabbed her hand and squeezed it. “So he’s the weak link in the chain, huh? I’ll make sure to bribe him well.” He grinned.

She couldn’t help but laugh. “You are a tease, aren’t you?”

Mock horror filled his face, “Moi? A tease? I think not, girlie.” He raised her hand to his lips and kissed it. “I mean every word I say.”

She fought back another wistful pang. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”

By the time they pulled into the Crazy Horse Monument parking area, Tim couldn’t help but hope there was a chance to talk her not just into visiting for a few days, but maybe moving. She was everything he thought she’d be and more.

Contingent, of course, upon Jack liking her.

And, duh, being able to convince her to stay. Maybe it was wishful thinking on his part, but he really hoped he could talk her into staying.

Tim didn’t love easy, and only once before, with Jack, had he felt the instantaneous, soul-wrenching attraction he felt with Gwen. A single gal who wrote the kind of stuff she did, she had to at least be open-minded to the possibility of two guys in her life, right?

His cock hardened at the thought.

He wouldn’t let her pay her own way into the park. They found the main office and repeated the routine of asking around to see if anyone remembered Amy. It wasn’t until they wandered through the artisan displays that Gwen thought of something. One woman sold gorgeous handmade silver jewelry. Amy had taken a picture of the same woman working on a piece.

When Gwen showed her Amy’s picture, the woman nodded. “Yes, I remember her. We had a nice chat. It was a slow day, so she sat down and we talked for quite a while.”

Gwen’s gut tightened. “Did you get the name of the man she was with?”

The woman frowned. “She wasn’t with a man. She was alone.” She thought about it a moment longer. “Although she did take a phone call from someone, it sounded like she was meeting them nearby.”

Gwen fought the urge to groan in frustration. “Thank you for your time.”

Tim led her back to the car. “So close, and yet no cigar. Dammit, I wish Jack didn’t have court today. I know he’d help us.”

“Silent Lucidity” rang on her phone. “Okay, I’m flying in tomorrow afternoon. Can you meet me at the airport, or do I need to get a taxi?”

“I’ll meet you—” Tim tapped her leg to get her attention, then pointed at himself. She smiled. “I’ve just been told Tim will be coming with me to pick you up.”

“Too bad he’s not single,” Liam joked. “He sounds like a great guy.”

“Hey, if anyone gets dibs on him, it’s me,” she replied. Tim smiled and waggled his eyebrows at her. “How are you breaking the news to Mom?”

“I’m not. I’m simply going. Ruthie’s sworn to secrecy. Mom’s out at one of her church group things for most of the day. I already snuck home, and Ruthie helped me grab some more stuff. No dice on Amy’s bank card. I found the log-in info, but there’s only some restaurant and gas charges, no hotel charges.”

“How’d you get home?”

“You left me your keys, remember?” His voice changed with another movie imitation. “I’m a very good driver.”

“All right, Rain Man. You’re lucky I love you. She catches you driving, she’ll kill me.”

“This is why I’m glad I’m living with you now, even if they don’t know it yet. Go have fun with your new boyfriend. Lucky girl. Maybe him and his boyfriend will want to help you reenact one of your books.”

She reddened a little as she glanced over at Tim, who was doing a poor job of pretending not to listen to her end of the conversation. “Thanks. Talk to you later.”

Tim started the car and smiled. “You are single, aren’t you?”

Gwen laughed. “Yeah. Why?”

He shrugged. “Wouldn’t want to be accused of stealing another guy’s girl, that’s all.” She didn’t question him or his playful, teasing smile.

Jack had stewed all day. The woman from that morning started his day off badly, and it went downhill from there. The DA gave a methhead a plea bargain in exchange for turning on his dealer, but it meant the addict would be on the streets later that night on probation.

All he wanted to do was go home, collapse, eat dinner, get a backrub from Tim, and hopefully get laid before falling asleep. The unfamiliar car sitting in his driveway would make that impossible, apparently. Tim’s car was gone, and he found no one home even though strange luggage and a laptop case sat on one of the guest room beds.

Fantastic.

He wondered who they belonged to. It wasn’t unusual for Tim to invite friends out from Cali, but usually he warned him about their arrival.

He poured himself a bourbon over ice and sat by the hot tub on the lower back deck to stare out over the valley. He loved this view. He knew Tim missed the ocean and surfing, but he’d never quite lost his taste for a quiet Black Hills evening. There were definite benefits to living near LA, like not having to hide anything about themselves, and being able to hold hands in public if they wanted without too many worries of getting the shit kicked out of them.

Not having to deal with behind-the-back snickers of his fellow officers.

Despite those benefits, Jack knew his heart lay here in South Dakota.

They hadn’t sold the Laguna house, only rented it out. Maybe in a few years they could go back there and resettle. He couldn’t believe Tim handled the move as well as he had, including opening the second store.

True love.

He sipped his drink and tried to relax. Jesus, if only he could forget that woman. Her voice sounded different than Melodie’s, but her face had brought back both painful and happy memories.

He closed his eyes and couldn’t help but think about Melodie. Nearly two decades later, and he could hear her voice clear as day in his head. Smell her perfume. Remember the feel of her hands on him as the three of them snuggled in bed.

He knew damn well Tim’s ménage “fantasy” was more an attempt to feel him out than an effort to get a hotter orgasm out of him. Tim’s kinky streak ran as deeply as his own, even though he was content to be monogamous.

Yes, if the opportunity presented itself, he might be open to another triad. Only if he knew he wouldn’t lose Tim in the process. Being poly had its benefits, but the drawbacks could be heartbreaking, and Tim had never experienced anything like that. His sweet beach boy literally had led a mostly sheltered life in terms of tragedy. He’d grown up with liberal parents who’d embraced and loved him, even when he came out to them as a teenager. He’d never had to endure the fears and risks of living openly as a gay man in Laguna Beach. Rapid City had grown up in the past two decades and become a little more tolerant than it was when Jack left for California, although they were still more cautious here than they’d had to be in Laguna.

Tim hadn’t grown up having to worry about every nuance when out in public, always looking over his shoulder to make sure no one could overhear him, never able to do something as innocent as holding hands without worrying who could see.

Even after they’d had Melodie with them, they still had to live a lie, only able to freely be open when safely at home behind a locked door, or when they took a trip to California to visit her parents…

Lost in his thoughts and memories, Jack startled back to reality with the sound of the front door slamming shut and Tim’s voice as he talked to someone upstairs.

Jack pulled himself out of his deck chair and carried his half-empty glass up to the kitchen. Tim must have heard him, because he raced out of their bedroom and nearly bowled him over as he grabbed him and spun him around in a happy embrace.

“Guess what?”

Jack struggled not to spill his drink. “We won the lottery?”

“Nope! We have a guest!”

“Yeah. Saw the car. Thanks for the warning.” He set his glass on the counter. “Could have used a call.”

“You were in court this afternoon. I remembered. See? I do listen to you.”

Jack dropped his voice. “I wish you’d given me a heads-up. I’m not much in a dealing-with-guests sort of mood. I’m sorry.”

“There’s nothing to deal with. You’ll love her! I want us to take her out to dinner—”

“Her who?”

“Our guest!” Tim grinned. “You’re going to be so surprised! I know I was, this is incredible!”

Jack grabbed him by the arms to hold him still. He already felt the first warning throbs of a tension headache. “Tim, babe, please. Who is our guest?”

He heard the guest room door open seconds before the woman from that morning in the station hesitantly stepped into the kitchen.

“Fuck.”

Tim either didn’t hear him or ignored his epithet as he walked over and draped his arm around her. “Gwen, honey, this is my boyfriend, Detective Jackson Kelly. Jack, this is Gwen! You know, my writer buddy!”

She glared at Jack. “We’ve met.”

Dammit. Figures. How small a town is Rapid City anyway?

“You’ve met?” Tim looked confused.

She nodded. “Deputy Dickhead.”

His eyes widened. “What? You mean you dealt with Jack this morning?”

Her heart sinking, she pulled away. That’s what she got for indulging herself in a little hot fantasy, fueled by Tim’s fairly serious flirting. There obviously wouldn’t be any help to find Amy, either. “Yeah. I’m sorry, Tim. I’ll pack my stuff and head for a hotel.”

Detective Dingdong leaned against the counter, crossed his arms over his chest, and nodded. “Probably a good idea.”

Tim wore a desperate look and refused to let go of her. “No! You are not going anywhere, lady. Your brother will kill me if I let you leave. I promised him I’d take care of you.”

“I’m sure your boyfriend doesn’t want me staying here.”

“You’ve got that right,” Officer Dildo chimed in.

Tim grabbed her hand and pulled her down the hall to the guest bedroom, where he shut the door behind them.

“Look,” he whispered, “I don’t know what the hell’s wrong with him, but I’m damn sure going to find out.” It surprised her to see how angry Tim looked, and she suspected she wasn’t the target. “Please, baby, promise me you’ll stay.”

She couldn’t stand the desperation in his blue eyes. “I’ll stay, but we should forget about dinner tonight. I’ll just stay in my room out of his way, and when Liam gets here tomorrow, we’ll get a hotel room near the airport. She’s probably fine. This was just a wild-goose chase.”

He pulled her close and it took every ounce of will she had not to rise up on her toes and kiss him. “You listen to me,” he said, his voice serious. “He’s not the only one who lives here. You’re my friend, and you aren’t going anywhere.” Then he kissed her, full on the lips with every bit of passion she ever wrote about in a first kiss between her fictional characters. It shocked the hell out of her, so much so she didn’t have time to react or respond before he lifted his mouth from hers. He winked. He did that a lot, she’d noticed. “You be a good girl and stay here, and maybe there’s more of that for you, if you want it.”

Stunned, all she could do was nod.

He smiled, sexy and soothing and playful all at the same time. “You can’t leave because I’ve been dying to ask you about your work. Especially where you get your ideas for the ménages.”

She forced her voice to work. “How’d we get on this tangent?” she managed to gasp, still recovering from that mind-blowing kiss.

Tim pulled her tightly into his arms, and it was then she realized that huge, hard bulge digging into her hip wasn’t his cell phone. Oh, fuuuck me, baby!

“Because if you want a little real-life inspiration, I for one would be happy to give it to you.” He kissed her again before stepping away to the door. “Wait right here, don’t go anywhere. I’m going to find out what the hell’s going on with him. Okay?”

Unable to find her voice, she nodded.

He grinned. “That’s my good girl.” He left the room, closing the door behind him.

Her knees unhinged. She sat on the bed and touched her lips with her fingertips.

Holy fuck!

Yeah, he’d kissed her, all right. She still felt the slight scratch of his afternoon stubble against her cheek, and where his fingers had dug into her ass.

And the memory of his well-endowed cock pressing…

Yowza!

She fell back on the bed, unable to decide if she should laugh or cry.