Calculated Risk (The Risk Series: Bree & Tanner Book 1) Read online

  “Might as well finish them now,” he said. “I hate to waste food if I don’t need to.”

  That was all the invitation she needed. He even reached out and took Beth from her so she could more easily cut and engulf the pancakes.

  She took Beth back when she was finished. She was pretty amazed how a couple hours of sleep and a full meal made her almost feel like she could handle the situation she found herself in.

  Although that was just as much fiction as any sitcom. Except not as funny.

  Because what was she going to do once she left here?

  “Thank you.” She took the plate back to the dishwashing sink and began washing it off.

  “It’s my pleasure. I enjoy seeing someone partaking in my food with such exuberance—”

  Cheryl came rushing back through the kitchen door, Christian sleeping in one carrier, the empty one in her other hand. “We just had a bus full of tourists pull up. I sent Judy home an hour ago because her husband’s been so sick. I didn’t think we’d have much business tonight.”

  Dan began setting out items of food he’d need for the group. “By the time you call her and she gets back here, it’ll be too late.”

  “I can help.” The words were out of her mouth before Bree knew they would come—a common problem for her—but it was still true. It was the least she could do given that they’d basically allowed her to set up camp here. Tanner had told her to put it on his tab, but there was no way she was doing that. “The kids have been fed, and if you’ve got an office or somewhere we can sit them, I’ll keep an eye on them while I wait or bus tables or whatever you need. Consider it payment for today’s room and board.”

  Both Dan and Cheryl were shaking their heads no, communicating silently with each other, and she thought they weren’t going to let her. She didn’t blame them—they didn’t know her at all. But Cheryl opened the door off the back of the kitchen to a small office. “If you don’t mind, we can definitely use your help. Dan and I are getting too old for rushes like this alone. But you’re definitely going to get paid. That’s not negotiable.”

  “I sort of lost my purse. I don’t really have stuff for tax purposes.” She didn’t like lying to them, but the less they knew about her, the better.

  Dan tossed her an apron. “We’ll worry about Uncle Sam later. Right now, get those young’uns stashed away and let’s get these tourists fed.”

  Chapter Four

  Eight days after watching Bree drive away, Tanner walked from the department’s office over to the Sunrise Diner. His body nearly dragged with exhaustion. He wanted a good meal and fifteen hours of sleep in his own bed, as soon as possible.

  He’d spent the last eight days working almost nonstop on an interstate task force a couple hours away, in a town only slightly larger than Risk Peak, combating a rising gang problem plaguing Colorado more and more. Tanner didn’t mind helping out, even though he’d never be able to put in for all the overtime hours he’d worked.

  The way he saw it, stopping these types of criminal situations before they made it to Risk Peak was worth the extra hours.

  And the hours had been hell. As he and his fellow law enforcement officers had moved in for arrests after days and multiple sleepless nights of undercover work and observation, one of the suspects had grabbed a preteen boy—skinny and terrified—as a human shield. Before Tanner could even talk the perp down, he’d stabbed the kid and run.

  They’d caught the guy, but someone way too young and completely innocent had paid the price.

  The overall outcome had been heralded a success. The gang had been broken up before it could take root in the community. But none of the men and women working the case had felt like celebrating. They’d driven out a criminal element, but not in time to save the life of that one boy.

  Tanner knew it could happen in any town at any time. He was willing to volunteer hours to keep the front lines away from Risk Peak. Because if he didn’t fight it when he could, it might end up being some kid from here in the morgue.

  He walked down the streets he’d been walking his whole life. These people were his to protect, and he took that very seriously, just like his father had.

  He was looking forward to a meal with friendly faces and people dropping by his table just to say hello. Today he would not be taking for granted that there was always tomorrow to chat.

  But inside the Sunrise, everybody seemed too busy to pay him much attention. The diner wasn’t particularly full even though it was nearly dinner, but everyone seemed preoccupied.

  A couple of people gave him a little wave, but nobody came over to talk to him. He rubbed his fingers against his tired eyes, then down his cheeks that definitely needed a shave again. He was being too sensitive. Exhaustion could blow a lot of things out of proportion.

  But why the hell were five people huddled around the back corner booth—including Mrs. Andrews? He couldn’t recall her sitting down during a dinner shift his entire life.

  Judy Marshall, who’d gone to school with Tanner’s younger sister, brought his normal cup of coffee over to his table. “Haven’t seen you around for a while.”

  “Yeah, I’ve been working over in Pueblo County helping out with a gang issue. I’m ready to sleep for a week. I’ll just have whatever’s on special.”

  “Sounds good. I’ll get Mr. A started on it for you.”

  “Is Mrs. A feeling all right? Why is she sitting in the booth rather than working? That’s not like her.”

  Judy rolled her eyes. “She finally found something she loves more than Mr. Andrews and the Sunrise. Not that I can blame her.”

  Tanner raised an eyebrow. The older woman might have found someone she loved more than her husband, but more than this diner? No way.

  Whatever was causing the commotion over in the corner, it definitely had everyone’s attention. He was too tired to worry about it. Nobody was hurt or breaking the law, so he was just going to sit and enjoy his meal and get home.

  That resolution lasted about two minutes.

  He grabbed his coffee and started making his way toward the corner booth, to see for himself what the fuss was about. He wasn’t quite there when he heard a baby’s muffled cry. That would explain it.

  And it immediately made him think of Bree. She hadn’t been far from his mind all week. Was she all right? Had she and the babies made it safely to wherever they were going?

  The chances of him ever knowing were slim to none.

  He caught Mrs. A’s gaze and gave her a little salute with his coffee cup. Then the woman uncharacteristically shifted her eyes to the side and down. If Tanner had been interrogating a suspect, he would’ve taken it as an indication that the perp was hiding something. Acting suspiciously.

  Exhaustion was definitely clouding his judgment. The Andrewses were as straightforward and honest as people came. And Mrs. Andrews wasn’t someone who hid her actions from anyone. Other people’s opinions had never concerned her.

  He shrugged it off and was turning back to the table when a second cry joined the first. Even louder.

  That set of pipes Tanner recognized. He immediately spun back toward the booth, marching all the way to the edge. Sure enough, there they were. Twins.

  He didn’t know a lot about babies, but he was willing to bet these were Bree’s. He looked around but didn’t see her anywhere.

  He crossed his arms over his chest. “What’s going on, Mrs. A?”

  The older woman raised a single eyebrow. “I’ve got a couple of infants here crying. It happens. You cried quite a bit too when you were this age, if I recall.”

  Tanner just studied her. Overfamiliarity was an issue from time to time, since he’d known most of the people in Risk Peak his entire life. Generally, Tanner used it to his advantage.

  But today it wasn’t going to be so easy.

  “I have no problem with babies crying,” h
e finally answered evenly. “I’m fairly certain they’re not doing anything against the law. Where is their mother?”

  Because she, he wasn’t so certain about.

  “To be honest, I’m not entirely sure right at this moment.” Mrs. A shifted the baby in her arms and wiggled a pacifier in its mouth until it latched on and stopped crying. Across from her, Glenda Manning, who had a couple of teenage children of her own, cooed at the baby she was bouncing.

  “Whose children are these, Cheryl?” He didn’t take the use of her first name lightly.

  Neither did she. “Why do you care, Tanner?”

  One of the women sitting across from Mrs. Andrews looked like she might speak up, but was given the stink eye so quickly she abruptly looked away.

  Why would Mrs. A be making such a big deal out of this if Bree wasn’t in more trouble? Why wouldn’t the older woman just say they were holding the babies while the mom was in the bathroom or at the gas station or wherever she was? Tanner would’ve believed that with no suspicion at all. The fact that Mrs. A refused to give any information was what made it suspicious.

  A husky feminine voice spoke behind him. “I’m through for the day, Cheryl. Thank you again so much for watch—”

  Tanner spun around to see the woman who hadn’t been far out of his thoughts since he’d watched her drive away over a week ago. His breath almost whistled through his teeth. She was definitely as beautiful as he remembered. The long brown hair falling around her shoulders made him want to reach out and touch it to see if it was as soft as it was in his dreams.

  “You.” Her big green eyes widened, and the small smile faded from her face. Tension instantly ratcheted through her slim body.

  He tilted his head to the side and raised an eyebrow. “Me.”

  “You two know each other?” Mrs. Andrews asked.

  Tanner nodded then looked back at Bree. “We met at the drugstore a few days ago, although I don’t think you got my name. Tanner Dempsey.”

  “Bree,” she whispered.

  “I remember. I was under the impression that you were in a hurry to get out of Risk Peak.”

  “I, um...” She looked over at Mrs. A. “I, um...”

  Mrs. Andrews stood with the now-quiet baby and walked over to stand beside her. “Bree was kind enough to come work for Dan and me. We needed some help around here.”

  There was definitely more to this story than was being given, evidenced by the silence surrounding them. But no one seemed to want to provide any details.

  “Tanner, got your dinner here,” Judy called out from behind him. “Mr. Andrews made country-fried steak just for you.”

  The Andrewses never let anyone forget that they’d lived in Georgia before moving to Colorado. This was probably the only place in the whole state where you could find genuine Southern cooking.

  Tanner studied the two women in front of him. Bree was reaching over to get the baby Mrs. Andrews was holding. This one was in pink.

  “Thanks for watching them, Mrs. Andrews,” she whispered before kissing the child’s fuzzy head.

  “Call me, Cheryl, sweetheart. We’ve already talked about that.”

  He crossed his arms over his chest. “Why does she get to call you Cheryl and I have to call you Mrs. Andrews?”

  She narrowed her eyes at him. “Because I haven’t known her since she was in diapers. And I didn’t have to take her out of a Sunday School class one time and swat her butt because she put a frog down Linda Dugas’s dress.”

  Tanner chuckled with everyone else. It wasn’t the only time he’d been dragged out of Sunday School class.

  And he was smart enough to know when a battle wasn’t going to be won head-on. He gave them both a nod. “Fine. I’ll go eat. There will be plenty of time to talk later.”

  Because he sure as hell wasn’t going anywhere. The exhaustion that had plagued him was gone. He ate his food, watching Bree pack up the babies and get ready to leave. The other women tried to get her to sit down and talk, but she didn’t seem interested. And she was very careful not to look over in his direction.

  This woman had trouble written all over her. Whether she was chasing it or it was chasing her remained to be seen.

  He grabbed Judy as she drifted by with a coffee cup, watching Bree walk out the door without once looking his way. “Is the new girl with the babies staying at one of the hotels?”

  Judy looked uncomfortable. “Actually, I’m not exactly sure where Bree is staying.”

  “It’s okay, Judy. I’ll talk to the officer.” Mrs. Andrews put her hand on Judy’s shoulder before sitting down across from Tanner.

  Tanner took another bite of his steak. “You going to threaten to snatch me out of Sunday School again? My mom might be a little shocked to get the call.”

  “I just don’t want Judy stuck in the middle of anything. You seem pretty interested in our new employee.”

  “My interest became piqued because you were dodging my questions.” He chewed his food. “That’s not something I’ve ever known you to do.”

  Mrs. Andrews let out a little sigh. “That girl wandered in here last week half a minute from a complete breakdown. She needed help, so we offered her a job. Nothing wrong with that.”

  Tanner took a sip of his coffee. “No, nothing wrong with that. Did she mention she and I met last week also, probably right before she came over here?”

  This was obviously news to Mrs. A. The older woman bent her head to study her nails. “No, she didn’t.”

  “I caught her shoplifting. Stuff for the babies, but Bree very definitely had no plans—and probably no means—of paying for it.”

  Mrs. A straightened in her seat, eyes narrowing. “Well, you just tell me how much it was and Dan and I will pay for it ourselves. I’ll go over and talk to Gary, and we can get it worked out.”

  “There’s no need. It was handled before she even got out of the store. So technically, no laws were broken. But the point is, she’s trouble. I’m not sure what kind yet, but I know we don’t have all the facts when it comes to that woman. Has she told you anything about herself?”

  “No. She keeps quiet. Does any work we ask her to and either keeps the babies with her or lets us hold them out front. She’s got quite a fan club now. Everybody wants to hold them. But Bree never really talks much to anyone.”

  All Tanner’s exhaustion was back. He rubbed a hand over his eyes. “And none of this seems unusual to you?”

  “She’s not a bad person, Tanner.”

  He gritted his teeth. “Let’s not forget that my father once felt that way about someone. That kid seemed young and innocent and helpless, too. Ended up costing Dad his life.”

  Mrs. Andrews reached out and took his hand on the table. “It’s not the same. That gang situation was trouble from the first moment he got involved. The people were bad seeds. That’s not what this is.”

  Wasn’t it? Not gang related, but definitely trouble.

  “No offense, but we don’t know what this is. Maybe Bree isn’t a criminal outside of an occasional shoplifting charge—”

  “She did that because she was desperate!”

  Tanner let out a sigh. “Fine, let’s say I agree with you, which I actually do. Let’s say she’s not a criminal, only desperate. Desperate people do some pretty dangerous stuff, too. It’s my responsibility to look out for the well-being of the town.”

  “So what do you want us to do? Just kick her out? Send her on her way?”

  “How about if you just give me her full name and Social Security number from her tax stuff, and I’ll run her through the system. See if anything comes up. At least that way we’ll know.”

  “I’m afraid we can’t do that.”

  Tanner raised an eyebrow. “Can’t or won’t?”

  Mrs. Andrews let out a sigh. “Can’t.”

  He muttered a curse
under his breath. “You’re paying her under the table.”

  Her lips tightened. “We are allotted a certain amount of labor wages every year without having to claim it on our taxes.”

  He rubbed a hand across his face. “I’m not going to turn you into the IRS, Mrs. A. I’m concerned for your safety. You don’t even know this woman’s Social Security number.”

  “Actually, we don’t even know her last name. She didn’t want to give it, so we just let it go.”

  Tanner swallowed a curse that would definitely get him snatched out of the Sunday School class. “I can’t just let it go.”

  She nodded. “I understand, but she’s not the bad guy.”

  Tanner thought of those big green eyes and the exhaustion and desperation that seemed to hang over her like a cloud even now. “Maybe not. But I’d still like to talk to her further. Which hotel is she staying at?”

  “Neither. She’s staying at the apartment just outside town Dan and I spruced up last year for when the kids come to visit. We’re letting her have it for free for right now, until she gets back on her feet. And don’t you try to talk us out of it, Tanner Dempsey. Both Dan and I agree it’s the right thing to do.”

  He took the last sip of his coffee. “I’m not going to try to talk you out of it. But I’m not going to ignore that she could be a threat to this town. That woman has secrets, and I intend to find out what they are.”

  Chapter Five

  Bree waited for the knock at her door she’d known would be coming from the moment she saw Tanner Dempsey in the diner. She’d done her best to avoid eye contact with the sexy officer but had no doubt he’d be showing up here soon.

  He wanted answers. And he didn’t strike her as someone who would stop until he got them.

  Should she run? Try to get out before he arrived?

  She looked around the small one-bedroom apartment that Dan and Cheryl were letting them stay at as part of her “salary.” The last eight nights had been the closest Bree had come to a full night’s sleep in the six weeks since her life had been thrown into total upheaval with the care of the twins.