Deadly Intent

Chapter 4

The Halls Creek Hospital had been built in the 1950s as a nursing outpost before being upgraded to its present modern level. Having helped out with many medical flights, Judy knew the compact size belied the wide range of health services the facility provided to the people of the hundred and fifty thousand square mile shire.

When Ryan pulled up outside the main building on Roberts Avenue, Judy saw Cade’s old Holden parked nearby. Her heart began to pound and a headache tugged at her temples. She had known this moment would come, but now it was here her hands felt clammy with fear. Her father’s life was in the balance. Not even the roughest landing on the most inadequate airstrip could compare with the dread gripping her now.

Ryan cut the engine and took her hand. “He’ll be okay, trust me.”

Feeling his strength flowing into her, she resisted the temptation to cling. “You don’t know that for sure.”

“We don’t know he won’t.”

“Mr. Sunshine,” she snapped, but a little of her fear had receded in the face of his quiet confidence. “Let’s get this over with.”

Inside the hospital they found Cade pacing, his features taut with worry. He returned Judy’s hug and nodded toward Ryan. “What’s the latest news?” she asked.

“He’s having some tests now. We’ll know more when they’re done.”

Aware of Ryan shadowing her, she said, “I should have been at home.”

Cade’s gesture negated this. “Wouldn’t have made any difference. He was fine until just before dinner. Then during the meal he complained of chest pains and had difficulty breathing. I brought him straight here.”

“You did the right thing,” she agreed.

“When do they plan on airlifting him to Perth?” Ryan asked from behind her.

Cade’s shoulders lifted. “Not until they’re sure he’s strong enough to handle the transfer.”

She felt Ryan’s hand press on her shoulder. “You’ll be able to see him before he goes anywhere.”

“I’m going with him if they’ll let me,” she vowed, not wanting to admit to herself how much comfort she took from his touch. Cade didn’t seem to find anything untoward in the gesture. Only she knew how differently Ryan viewed their relationship.

Damn him, why did he have to choose tonight to complicate everything? She wanted to keep her mind clear to focus on her father’s problems, not have to agonize over where she stood with Ryan.

She didn’t have to, she resolved in a snap decision. Just because he’d declared his desire for her didn’t mean she had to reciprocate. She didn’t have to do anything except carry on as she was. It had nothing to do with her.

Except she knew it wasn’t so simple. She had feelings for him, whether she acknowledged them or not. Tonight she’d realized she was fooling herself if she thought she could remain uninvolved with him around. If she could have managed without his help, she might have had a chance to resist. As it was, she needed him.

Ryan was the original all-or-nothing man and he was in danger of sweeping her along on the tidal wave of his determination. She was going to have to tread water like crazy to keep ahead of this particular tidal wave without being dragged under.

“Have you heard from Blake and Jo?” she asked to divert her unruly thoughts.

Cade shook his head, his long raven hair falling across his piercing blue eyes. “Blake was rounding up a rogue crocodile that’s taking cattle on a property near Broome. Jo went with him to write about the capture for her magazine. I couldn’t reach them by phone, and they aren’t expected back until tomorrow.”

She touched him lightly, grateful for his steadiness. He might not be as muscular as Ryan, but his tall, thin build concealed an inner strength she appreciated. “I don’t know what Dad would have done without you.”

“Running Diamond Downs is good therapy,” Cade said, making her wonder why he needed such a thing. “It doesn’t leave much time for anything else.”

Didn’t she know it. Before Cade came home, her flying business had suffered as she’d tried to hold everything together in her father’s stead. Her brain refused to deal with the possibility that he might not make it. Logic told her she would have to lose him someday, but not now. She wasn’t prepared.

“Ryan, what are you doing here?”

Hearing the feminine voice, Judy’s hackles went up instinctively. She turned to see a woman only a little younger than herself planting a kiss on Ryan’s cheek. The woman’s hair looked as if she’d combed it with her fingers and the skin beneath her eyes was smudged with violet, but she still managed to look glamorous. And familiar for some reason.

Before Judy could place her, Ryan took the woman’s hand and tugged her into their group. “Judy Logan and Cade Thatcher, this is Heather Wilton, one of my favorite women in the world.”

The woman extended her free hand and Judy shook it automatically. “Hi Judy, Cade. I’ve heard a lot about your family from Ryan,” Heather said.

Her voice was low and sexy. Beautiful in an interesting sort of way, she had fluffy blond hair, huge blue eyes beneath winged eyebrows, and indecently full, roseate lips. Judy saw a keen intelligence in Heather’s gaze and tried not to feel envious of the way she made a watermelon-colored tank and denim shorts look like high fashion.

Judy didn’t recall seeing Heather around Halls Creek or on any of her regular aerial routes. “Why do I feel as if I know you from somewhere?”

“Heather used to present the weather reports on Perth television. You might have seen her there,” Ryan said, sounding proud of the woman’s accomplishments.

“But I live at Citronne now,” Heather supplied quickly.

Judy felt her eyebrows lift. “The cattle station near the edge of Lake Argyle? That’s a long way from Perth TV.”

The woman rolled her eyes. “Tell me about it. Moving up there was a huge culture shock but I love it.”

“Did your work bring you to the Kimberley?” Cade asked.

Heather beamed a secretive smile at Ryan. “It was nothing less than true love.”

Judy felt ill. They were supposed to be worrying about her father, not rehashing Ryan’s love life. It didn’t seem to matter that mere moments before, she’d resolved to let him be love-struck on his own. She didn’t like to think meeting one of his old flames—current flames?—had changed anything.

“Shouldn’t we see how Dad’s doing?” she asked pointedly.

Ryan gave her an amused look that said he knew exactly what she was thinking. But all he said was, “I’ll see what I can find out.” He moved purposefully toward a nurses’ station.

“I gather your father is the patient,” Heather said. “Is he going to be all right?”

“We hope so.” Judy felt her stomach clench with nerves as she fought to stop herself imagining anything else. Briefly she explained the situation to Heather, who nodded in sympathy. “What brings you here?” Judy asked in turn.

Heather nibbled on her lower lip. “I escorted a group of children from our area to Halls Creek as a reward for doing so well at school. But my son Daniel had a bad asthma attack this morning and had to be rushed here.”

“I hope your son will be all right, too,” Judy said, ashamed of being tempted to jump to yet another conclusion. She’d already been wrong about Ryan on several counts. No need to add any more to the list.

Heather smiled wanly. “The doctor says he’s over the worst for the moment. They’re keeping him in the hospital for another day as a precaution.”

“Better to be safe than sorry,” Judy murmured. “Who’s minding the children while you’re here?”

“Luckily I’m mainly the escort. Our host is one of the former teachers from the local school, Tracey Blair. She has a house in town with plenty of spare room, so she invited the children to stay for a few days. She’s well-known to their parents, and the kids jumped at the chance to stay with her. I was happy to accompany them, and enjoy a change of scene for Daniel and myself.”

Judy’s smile broadened. “Tracey’s an old friend. You should ask her to call my foster brother, Blake. He runs a crocodile park near Halls Creek and would love to show the children around while they’re with her.”

“I’ll be sure to pass on the suggestion. The kids are used to seeing crocodiles in the waterways at home, so it would be good for them to learn more about them from an expert.”

Judy was scribbling Blake’s telephone number on a piece of paper for Heather when Ryan came back. A moment later his smile registered. “Des is fine. The heart attack was a false alarm, according to his doctor,” he assured her.

She felt her knees turn to jelly. “What about the pain and shortness of breath?”

His arm came under her elbow as if he sensed her need for support. “Brought on by stress, they tell me. The tests show it wasn’t a heart attack at all, so he won’t need to be airlifted out.”

“Thank God.” Cade’s heartfelt statement echoed her feelings. “When can he come home?”

“Not tonight. He’s sleeping. After this, they’re going to advise him to stay in town to be closer to medical help.”

Judy looked at the phone number she’d just written down. “Dad could move into Blake’s house at the crocodile park. Even if he’s called away to take care of a problem crocodile, there’s always someone at the park to keep an eye on things.”

“And Blake’s house is a lot closer to town than Diamond Downs,” Ryan agreed, adding, “Although I don’t fancy having to convince Des of the necessity.”

“Blake will pen him up with the crocs if that’s what it takes,” she said grimly. “And we’ll back him up.”

Heather smiled. “Must be nice having a large family to share responsibilities at such a time.”

Judy handed her the phone number and clasped her fingers around Heather’s in silent support. “Don’t you have family?”

“I come from Tasmania originally, so all my family is there. Not that there were many of us to begin with. Jeff doesn’t have anyone other than Daniel and me.”

Judy knew her tone reflected her confusion. “Jeff?”

“My husband. He hired Ryan to help us resolve a fraud case a couple of years ago. One of our workers claimed to have been injured at work and was suing us for a fortune, when he’d actually been drunk at the time of the injury, and was nowhere near as badly hurt as he tried to claim. The case was decided in our favor, thanks to Ryan’s evidence. We’re in his debt.”

So much for conclusions, Judy thought. Ryan was right, she would have to stop jumping to them where he was concerned.

Cade gave Ryan a curious look. “Sounds as if you get up to a lot more than jackerooing.”

He made a gesture of demurral. “I was only helping out a friend.”

Cade looked unconvinced, but accepted the explanation at face value. “Suit yourself.” He stood up. “Since there’s no point in me hanging around here any longer, I’ll head to Diamond Downs and come back to see Des in the morning. Are you okay for a ride, Jude?”

She wavered. How easy it would be to return to the homestead in Cade’s uncomplicated company. But she had to deal with what was between her and Ryan, and avoiding him wouldn’t help. “Thanks, but I want to look in on Dad for a moment then I’ll come home with Ryan. He brought me in his car.”

Cade feigned amazement. “And you got here in one piece?”

Ryan punched him on the arm. “Show a little more respect, mate.”

Cade grinned. “I’m showing as little as I can.”

Heather gave Judy a slightly bemused glance. “Do your brothers always carry on like this?”

“Ryan isn’t my brother. When we were kids he spent some time with our family, probably where he picked up so many bad habits,” she heard herself state. Why was she denying their relationship to others, while trying to act like a sister to him herself?

She ignored Cade’s startled look but was well aware of Ryan’s satisfied expression. All she’d done was state a fact, one he’d reminded her forcibly about earlier in the evening. It didn’t mean she was interested in any other kind of relationship between them.

“Will you be all right?” she asked Heather.

The other woman pushed her hair back from her face. “I’ll be fine.”

“You have my cell phone number if you need anything,” Ryan reminded her.

“And an open invitation to Diamond Downs anytime,” Judy added. Strange how easy it was to be hospitable now she knew there was nothing between Heather and Ryan. She still had trouble understanding how Heather could give up a glamorous career in television—or any other career—to be an outback wife, but the liking was strong and, Judy suspected, mutual.

Heather gave her a tired smile. “I appreciate the offer. Don’t be surprised if we accept your hospitality while we’re here. I presume Tracey’s whole group is included?”

Judy inclined her head. “Of course. The more, the merrier.”

She and Cade walked out together leaving Judy alone with Ryan. For a normally busy facility, the hospital had gone strangely quiet. “I’m glad Des is okay,” he said into the lull.

“You told me he would be.”

“And I’ve never lied to you. Maybe not told you everything, but never deliberately lied.”

“I know.”

Feeling awkward now she had acknowledged the basic truth that they weren’t brother and sister and never had been, she found herself at a loss to deal with what they were. She took refuge in practicalities. “I’ll ask if it’s okay for me to see Dad now. Do you want to come?”

“I’ll see him tomorrow. You go ahead. I’ll wait for you at the car.”

She hurried to the nurses’ station, wondering what she was hurrying away from. Not the kindness she’d seen in Ryan’s gaze. No, not kindness. A deeper connection she was far from ready to deal with, she admitted inwardly.

As she’d been promised, she found her father sleeping peacefully surrounded by a tangle of monitoring equipment. She took his hand and stood looking at him for a long time, willing him to improve. There wasn’t much chance unless he received a heart transplant, she knew, but she could still hope.

His eyes fluttered open for a second. “Hello, Jude,” he murmured. “I’m a silly old bugger, worrying you over nothing.”

“Never mind about us, you rest now,” she reproved gently. “We’ll be back to see you in the morning. Don’t give the nurses a hard time.”

“Spoilsport,” he said but his voice faded on the word and soon he was asleep again, the monitors bleeping with reassuring regularity.

She felt her vision blur. “You may be a silly old bugger, but I love you, Dad.” Bending, she kissed him lightly, careful not to disturb him, then tiptoed out.

Ryan was leaning against the car, the shadows from the street lights giving his angular features an austere look. “Everything all right?” he asked straightening.

“For now. He stirred long enough to call himself a silly old bugger.”

“Then he’s definitely improving.”

She shook her head. “He won’t until a transplant becomes available.” And we can persuade him to go to Perth to have the operation, she added to herself. That wasn’t likely to happen until they’d resolved her father’s concerns about Diamond Downs’s future.

Too much pressure on too many fronts, she thought, feeling tiredness sweep over her. She was glad now she hadn’t piloted the Cessna to Halls Creek, and could look forward to closing her eyes on the way home if she wanted to.

“This has been rough on you, hasn’t it?” Ryan observed.

“Rougher on Dad. He’s used to being independent and strong.”

“Nobody can be strong all the time.”

Not even you. She heard what he didn’t say. For a fleeting moment she was tempted to lean against him and let his arms come around her. He would find her mouth with his and his fingers would thread through her hair, pressing her closer to deepen the kiss until she shivered with pleasure. With him, she would have no need of strength. He had more than enough for them both.

But there would be a price. He would insist on more, and she already knew he wasn’t a man to take no for an answer. Before she knew it, she would want a ring on her finger and the course of her life would be set. A course she was determined to avoid.

She shook herself like a blue heeler cattle dog shedding water and stiffened her spine. “Time we were heading back.”

“Would you like to go for a drink first?”

At the hotel they were likely to run into dozens of people she knew. She’d have to talk about her father’s problem endlessly, meet their friends’ concern with reassurances she barely believed herself. “I’d rather go home.”

“There’s still that bottle of wine in the fridge at the cottage.”

She gave up trying to make sense of her feelings, knowing only that his suggestion was the best one she’d heard all evening. “Sounds good to me.”

About to get into the car, she was waylaid by a man hurrying up to them. Tall and tanned, he appeared fit enough until you looked closely and saw the signs of too much good living. Unlike most bosses in the Kimberley, Max Horvath preferred to let his men do the hard work around the cattle station he’d inherited from his father. So where he might have been muscular, there was a hint of flab that was set to get worse as he got older. His charcoal hair was streaked with premature gray and his brown eyes were dulled by too many late-night drinking sessions.

“Judy, sweetie, I called at the homestead and they told me the news. Is your dad all right?” Max asked.

As he approached, her heart sank. “It was a false alarm brought on by stress, Max,” she said, thinking how much of that stress could be laid squarely at their neighbor’s feet.

He went on, seemingly unawares. “You should have called me. I’d have brought you to the hospital and stayed with you.”

Precisely why the thought hadn’t crossed her mind. “It all happened too quickly. Luckily Ryan was available to drive me to town.”

Max had barely given Ryan a second glance. Now he looked at the other man with more interest. “You’re new here. Do you work for Des Logan?”

“Ryan is…”

“Ryan Smith. I’m looking for work around here.” He cut across her smoothly. “Judy was interviewing me for a job when Mr. Logan collapsed, and I offered to give her a ride.”

“Late hour for an interview,” Max said stuffily. “Still, you probably have your hands full with everything that’s been going on. I didn’t know you were looking to hire more people, Judy.”

He didn’t know she could afford to hire more people, she translated. “We’re not really hiring,” she said, taking her cue from Ryan. “Ryan was recommended to us by a friend, so the interview was a courtesy. Under the circumstances, we can’t afford to take on anyone new. I’m sorry to be so blunt after you’ve been so helpful,” she said with a deliberately apologetic look at Ryan.

“That’s okay, something will turn up,” he said. “I’m not fussy what I do.”

She could hardly believe her eyes. In a few seconds Ryan had somehow transformed himself from a take-charge figure into a slump-shouldered ne’er-do-well who could barely manage to meet her eyes. It was all she could do not to laugh. How could Max possibly be taken in by such a performance?

However, it seemed he was. “Maybe we should talk. My name’s Horvath. My place borders Diamond Downs to the northwest.”

“That would be good, Mr. Horvath. Judy’s letting me sleep at the bunkhouse tonight, so I’m not far away. “

“Come and see me tomorrow at nine. Judy can give you the directions.”

With that, Max dismissed Ryan as no more than a lackey who might be useful to him, and turned his full attention to Judy. “What’s happening with Des now?”

“They’re keeping him in the hospital overnight as a precaution, then releasing him tomorrow. He’ll be staying with Blake for a while.”

Max nodded. “If there’s anything I can do, let me know.”

Start by tearing up the mortgage over Diamond Downs as Clive had intended to do, she wanted to scream at him, but she kept silent. Max was a different character from his father, who’d been one of the most generous people in the district. Clive would never have taken advantage of Des the way Max was doing.

“There’s nothing,” she said, meaning it.

“Then let me buy you a drink at the pub before you head home.”

She let her shoulders drop. “Can I take a rain check? I’ve had a rough night.”

“Sure. I should have thought of that myself. Why don’t I look in on you tomorrow morning? Smith and I can talk then, if it’s okay with you?”

Inviting Max home was the last thing she felt like doing, but knowing what Ryan was up to, she gave a weary nod. “You can use the office.” When they attacked Cade and stole the file, Max’s men had already taken what he wanted from there anyway.

She tensed as Max leaned over and kissed her on the mouth. His drink at the pub wouldn’t be the first of the night, judging by his whiskey breath. She restrained a shudder as his cheek rasped against hers. “Good night, Max.”

“See you tomorrow, then. You, too, Smith.”

Ryan reached to tip an imaginary hat. “Good night, Mr. Horvath.”

“Snake,” she muttered as the other man walked back to his vehicle.

“Me or lover boy?” Ryan asked, coming around to open the door for her.

“You decide.” She was capable of opening her own door, but allowed the gesture in case Max was still observing them. Or so she told herself.

“What was that all about?” she asked when they were on the road at last.

“I’ve seen him before,” Ryan said.

In the darkened car her startled gaze went to him. “I thought you’d never met Max.”

“He was involved in the insurance scam that got me into the P.I. business. We were sure he was part of the money-laundering end in Perth, but there wasn’t enough evidence to lay charges against him. He went by an alias for that deal, so the name Horvath didn’t mean anything to me.”

“Why am I not surprised? You’re lucky he didn’t recognize you.”

Ryan’s fingers drummed a tattoo on the wheel. “People like him are users. To them, the likes of me are dirt under their feet. They don’t even see us most of the time. We were never introduced, so he would only have seen me from a distance, and he was away when I lived around here. He took me completely at face value.”

She would have done the same, she thought, still amazed that he could transform himself so effectively. No wonder he was good at undercover work. Uneasily she wondered how she would know when he was sincere about anything, then dismissed the thought. They weren’t going to get involved, so why did it matter? “Did you notice how he reacted when you said you weren’t fussy what you do?”

He nodded. “Exactly why I said it. I wanted to sound desperate enough that he’d think of me as a potential replacement for Eddy Gilgai.”

Fear gripped her anew. “Most of the work Eddy did was probably shady.” And had cost him his life, she couldn’t help thinking.

“So Max needs someone with the same low morality to fill Gilgai’s shoes. Don’t be surprised if Ryan Smith acquires a police record by tomorrow.”

“You’re good at this,” she said, not sure she meant it as a compliment.

“I’m good at a lot of things. I’m also very, very persistent,” he added, his tone redolent with meaning.

“You will take care, won’t you?”

“Worried about me, sweetie?” There was laughter in his voice as he mimicked Max, lacing the endearment with a heavy dose of saccharine.

“Only if you keep calling me that. I think I liked you better when you were acting tame and meek.”