Wild Horses. B.J. Daniels

he said as he took in first Cooper and then her before returning his gaze to her companion.

      “Is this him?” Cooper asked, looking over at her as if nothing would surprise him.

      This man was old enough to be her father. “No,” she said, a little too defensive. She was still reeling from the fact that she’d never seen this man before in her life. For a moment she’d thought she had the wrong house. Then she looked past him into the living room. No mistake. This was the house—just not the man.

      “We’re looking for the owner of the house,” Cooper said.

      “I’m the owner. What is this about?” the man asked.

      Knowing that Cooper wasn’t leaving until they got answers, Livie said, “We’re sorry to bother you, but may we come in for a moment?”

      A woman appeared at the man’s elbow. She was Livie’s age, yoga-class slim, blonde and classically pretty, dressed in jeans and a pale blue sweater. What struck Livie was that there was something vaguely familiar about her. The daughter of the man she’d met?

      Livie realized her mistake as the woman put a possessive hand on the man’s arm, her huge diamond glinting on her ring finger.

      “Howard?” the woman asked as she eyed Livie and Cooper with concern. “Is anything wrong?”

      “If you can give me a minute,” Livie said. “I would be happy to explain why we’re here.”

      Neither moved.

      “Who was staying in this house this past winter?” Cooper demanded, cutting to the chase. “That’s the person we need to speak with.”

      Howard frowned. “No one was staying here. The house was closed up for the season. I think you have the wrong—”

      “There was a man staying here the end of January,” Cooper said.

      Livie quickly explained. “My car went off the road in a snowstorm and the man brought me here.”

      “That’s impossible. It couldn’t have been this house,” Howard said, and started to close the door on them.

      “I’m Olivia Hamilton from Beartooth,” she said as Cooper reached to stop the man from closing the door. “I know this all sounds—”

      “Hamilton? From Beartooth, Montana?” The man studied her. “By any chance are you related to...”

      “Senator Buckmaster Hamilton?” Cooper said with a slight chuckle. “She’s his daughter.” He said it in a way that made clear he hadn’t meant it as a compliment.

      The man quickly brightened and stepped aside. “I know your father. A fine man. I was so glad to hear that he’s running for president. I’m sorry, please come in. I can’t imagine how I can help, but I’ll certainly try.”

      Cooper put his hand in the middle of her back to urge her forward. His touch, while fleeting, sent a pleasurable shiver through her. She realized with a longing that this was the first time he’d touched her since her confession.

      “Your daddy said his name could open doors for me,” Cooper whispered next to her ear as they entered the house. “I guess he was right.”

      * * *

      THE INTERIOR OF the “cabin” was as opulent as Cooper had expected after seeing the exterior. No expense had been spared. He could understand how Livie would have felt at home here. She would have felt safe because this was what she was used to, only the best of everything.

      “I’m Howard Wellesley,” the man said, extending his hand. “And this is my wife, Amelia.”

      “Cooper Barnett,” he said, taking the man’s hand.

      When he said no more, next to him, Livie added, “Cooper is my fiancé.”

      Both Howard and Amelia offered congratulations and invited them into the living room. The open-concept living room and kitchen made the room with its high log ceilings feel even larger.

      “Could we offer you something to drink?” Howard asked after they were seated in the leather chairs in front of the fireplace.

      When they declined, Amelia said, “I met your father last summer. It was at a party not far from here.”

      “Small world,” Cooper said under his breath, not surprised the Wellesleys would know Buckmaster.

      “Yes,” Howard said. “As a matter of fact, he came back here for drinks after.” He waited a heartbeat, then asked, “Now what is this about someone using our cabin last winter?”

      Cooper noticed Livie looking around. She was pale, as if she might be sick at any moment. His heart went out to her before he remembered where they were and why, and also that the baby might not be his.

      Howard cleared his throat to get Livie’s attention.

      Startled out of her thoughts, she looked up. Cooper could see that she was reliving that night. With that other man. He ground his teeth.

      “I’m sorry, what did you ask?” Livie said, and then told Howard that she’d changed her mind. She would love a glass of water if it wasn’t too much trouble. The trophy wife stepped into the kitchen and returned with a glass of wine for herself and a crystal glass filled with water and ice for Livie.

      Cooper watched Livie take a drink, seeing how upset she was. What was she remembering? When she finally spoke, though, her voice was controlled.

      “As I told you, my car went off the road near here. A man driving an SUV much like the one parked outside rescued me and brought me here. He led me to believe that he owned this house.”

      “I can’t understand this.” Howard glanced to his wife, who was looking intently at her freshly manicured fingernails. “The cabin was closed up for the winter. At least, I thought it was. This happened in January, you say?”

      “The twenty-seventh.”

      Amelia looked up from her nails. “I’m sorry, but I have to ask. Why are you concerned about it now, months later?”

      “The man who used your cabin is blackmailing Olivia,” Cooper said. “I came here to put a stop to it. I have to assume that whoever he is, he knows you. Perhaps a relative or a friend who knew you would be gone?”

      “No, no,” Howard said, clearly insulted that Cooper could suggest such a thing. “No one I know, let alone am related to, would be involved in blackmail. That’s preposterous. What did this person say his name was?”

      * * *

      LIVIE COULDN’T HELP REMEMBERING. The living room looked exactly as it had that night. The fire crackled in the large rock fireplace. The deep leather chair next to the fire had the same feel to it as she had sunk into it now.

      Mostly, she remembered being so relieved and grateful to be out of the storm. She could have frozen to death in her car if he hadn’t come along when he did.

      What scared her was that her life outside of Beartooth, Montana, had seemed so far away that night. Was that also why she’d lied about her name? Or had she just wanted to be someone else that night and not think about Cooper and their problems? For weeks, she’d felt exhausted by their arguments, his stubbornness and her hurt that he wouldn’t give an inch. She’d been so tired of making excuses for him to her family.

      As she now took in the room, she knew why she’d felt safe here and she figured Cooper did, too. She would have been comfortable here because it was what she’d grown up with. And she’d trusted the man because she’d thought they’d had that in common.

      Why hadn’t she sensed that things weren’t what they seemed? Or had the man who’d pretended to own the house also wanted to be someone else that night?

      She could feel Cooper’s gaze on her. She’d seen the way he’d taken in the cozy scene