Leigh gave his arm a gentle squeeze. “Thank you.” She took a deep breath. “I just wish I knew if Jamie was in actual danger or if the killer is just trying to intimidate him. Either way, he needs protection,” she added in a mumble.
“Nick might be able to help,” Cullen suggested.
It’d been a while since she’d seen his brother, but since Nick was an ATF agent, it was highly likely that he had other contacts in law enforcement. Nick might be able to streamline the process for Jamie.
When she heard the sound of an engine approaching the house, Cullen and she hurried to the front window. But it wasn’t a police cruiser. It was a big silver four-by-four truck that maneuvered over the dirt and gravel like a bulldozer, and it pulled to a stop behind Cullen’s truck.
Cullen groaned. “It’s Bowen.”
Leigh wanted to groan as well. She didn’t have time for a visit from a man who was likely there to give her grief.
She disarmed the security system so Cullen could open the front door, and Leigh went onto the porch with him when he faced down his father. Bowen stepped from his truck, leaving the engine running and door open as he started toward them. He sighed in obvious disapproval when he saw them.
“It’s true, then,” Bowen said to Cullen. He stopped at the bottom porch step and stared up at them. A stare from narrowed eyes. “You’re staying here with Leigh.”
Yep, she’d been right about the grief-giving, and apparently Bowen was going to dole some of it out to Cullen as well as her.
“Last I heard I didn’t have to check with you about my sleeping arrangements,” Cullen fired back.
“Well, you should because you know Jeb will use this to try to lock you up.” Bowen flung his index finger at Leigh. “And she might not be able to save you. They’re trying to kick her out of office.”
“Yes,” Cullen agreed, “and they’re trying that because she won’t give in to the gossip that I killed Alexa.” He put his hands on his hips, shook his head. “You and Jeb are a lot alike, you know. He was at the station and had the same complaint.”
“Of course he did,” Bowen snarled. “He’d rather see you dead than with his daughter.”
That might be true, but Leigh didn’t believe Jeb would do anything to cause Cullen’s demise. However, Jeb might indeed want to rid her of her badge so she couldn’t tarnish the reputation he had in the county.
“I’m pretty sure I’m in love with Leigh,” Cullen said, stunning his father.
However, Bowen’s reaction was a drop in the bucket compared to Leigh’s. “What?” she managed to say.
Cullen had likely tossed that out in anger. Something to get his father off his back. But one look at him, and Leigh thought it might be true.
Well, heck.
This wasn’t good. Not now, anyway. She didn’t have the focus or time to sort out how she felt about that announcement. Or how she felt about Cullen for that matter. Yes, she had feelings for him. Deep ones. Always had. But love?
It was something she had to push to the back of her mind though because the cruiser pulled into the driveway. Dawn was behind the wheel, and she pulled up in front of Bowen’s truck.
“This conversation isn’t over,” Bowen said like a warning. “I’ll come back after you’ve dealt with business.”
“Just stay put a couple more seconds,” Leigh instructed, keeping her attention on the cruiser. “You can leave after Jamie’s inside the house.”
“Jamie?” Bowen asked, and there seemed to be genuine concern in his voice. “What’s he doing here?`”
“Business,” Leigh said, using Bowen’s own choice of words.
The young ranch hand got out from the back seat of the cruiser. There was a white bandage on his head, and he looked more than a little pale and wobbly. The unsteadiness was probably why Cecile rushed around the cruiser to take hold of Jamie’s arm. Leigh went into the yard, too, with Cullen right behind her. Something Leigh appreciated. If Jamie was about to collapse, they might need Cullen’s muscle to get him into the house.
Leigh intended to call the doctor as soon as Jamie was safe. No way did he look ready to have been released from the hospital. Then again, maybe Jamie had pushed for his release because he’d been afraid the killer would get to him.
With Cullen on one side of Jamie and Cecile on the other, they started toward the house.
“Is the boy all right?” Bowen asked.
Leigh was asking herself the same thing. But she didn’t get a chance to answer Bowen.
Before someone fired a shot.