Hot Target Cowboy

by June Faver

  He drove straight to the bank, only to learn that Fred Hamilton had gone for the day.

  Colton drove back to the Garrett ranch, frustrated and angry. He had told Hamilton he would be returning that afternoon, so this felt like a deliberate evasion.

  He blew out a breath and loosened his grip on the steering wheel when he realized he had it white-knuckled.

  There was definitely something going on. Colt intended to find out what it was and put a stop to it. He was determined to protect the rights of Misty Dalton, the woman he loved…his partner.

  Colton pulled off the interstate and drove through the gate of the Garrett ranch. He tried to release his anger as he wound along the drive leading to the house.

  The school bus would deliver Gracie and Mark before Misty got home. He didn’t want to spill anything to Mark. That was Misty’s job, but he thought she might want him to come along.

  If she chose to make the trip with Colton and not include her little brother, the whole evening would have a different focus. He would have to wait and see.

  He parked in front of the ranch house, next to Big Jim’s truck. That meant his dad was nearby and he would have to be careful not to let anything slip. He didn’t want to stir up a hornets’ nest until he had everything locked in.

  He strolled into the house and found Leah in the kitchen. “Hey, Leah. Where is everyone?”

  She turned from whatever she was stirring on the stove. “Well, I’m someone. But if you’re talking about your dad and brother, they’re out in one of the barns. I don’t remember what they said they would be doing, but it had something to do with animals.” She flashed an enigmatic grin and turned back to stirring.

  “Thanks.” Well, he would just have to avoid the barns for a while. “It was very nice of you to help Misty get a job and train her on how to do it. She seems to really like it.”

  “I enjoyed the job, but now, with so much going on, I’m just glad to pass it along to Misty. Breck is great to work for, so she should do well. I hope she feels comfortable there.”

  Colton slid onto a stool, leaning his forearms on the granite breakfast bar. “She does.” He grinned, remembering how cute she looked typing away at the computer.

  Leah turned around, giving him a calculating look. “You went into Langston today, didn’t you? You had to check up on Misty.”

  Colton frowned. “Well, I went to Langston, and I thought I would take her to lunch. I wasn’t checking up on her.”

  “Yes, you were.” She chuckled. “You’ve got it bad, Colt.”

  He expelled a lungful of air. “Yeah, you’re right.”

  “I like her. The two of you make a great couple.” She leaned on the other side of the bar. “Don’t worry. Everything will play out as it should.”

  He heaved a huge sigh. “I hope you’re right.”

  “Misty has been through a lot. She’s been taking care of her father and her brothers for years. Now, she’s lost everyone except Mark, and her whole situation has changed. Give her a chance to find some balance. Everything’s still topsy-turvy.”

  He nodded, not willing to share with her what he had planned.

  Just then, Leah’s phone rang. It was a special ringtone Ty had created of him singing a song he had written just for her. Her face reflected her feelings as she answered. “Hi, Ty. What’s going on? Where are you?” She put it on speaker.

  “Hi, baby. I miss you something fierce. We’re on our way to Kansas City. We’re opening for Brad Paisley at the Sprint Center. I hear it’s a sold-out performance.”

  Leah’s eyes teared up. “Oh, that sounds wonderful. I’m so proud of you…and yes, I miss you too.”

  “What are you up to right now?” he said.

  “I’m waiting for Gracie to come home and hanging out with your big brother.” She giggled. “We’re discussing his love life.”

  “What? My big bro has a love life? Since when?”

  She let out a derisive snort. “You know I’ve told you about the Daltons coming to stay with us. Misty is just the loveliest person, and Colt is completely smitten. I think they’re perfect together.”

  “Really? Well, let me talk to that rascal.”

  Leah laughed and held the cell toward Colton.

  “Hey, Little Bro. Sounds like your tour is doing well.”

  “It is. There are promo people who sell my T-shirts and music before the shows. That’s been amazing. I may be able to put Gracie through college.” He paused for a moment. “Now, what’s all this love stuff I’ve been hearing about?”

  Colton sighed. “Yeah, the love bug got me too. I’m a goner.”

  “About time, big fella. When you find the right girl, you gotta grab her right up, like I did.”

  Colt glanced at Leah. “You got a good one, all right.”

  “Listen, I’m sorry your girlfriend has gone through so much lately, but I’m sure things will work out. I remember when Beau hung out with Joe Dalton. He was an okay kid for the most part…but he started hanging with some other kids. Eddie Simmons was the ringleader. Joe just sort of went off course.”

  “So it seems. But Misty and her little brother, Mark, are great. I’m glad to have them here…although Big Jim seems to have some reservations.”

  There was a long silence on the other end.

  Finally Colt heard Ty expel a long breath. “That’s too bad. I’m glad Dad fell in love with Leah and Gracie right away. I know they’re safe there at the ranch under his watchful eyes.”

  Colton nudged the phone back toward Leah and went to the refrigerator to help himself to a glass of iced tea while she finished her conversation.

  He hung out with Leah until Gracie and Mark walked in the door. Then he sat with the kids while Leah fed them a snack.

  “Okay, let’s get started on your homework now,” Leah announced.

  Gracie opened her backpack and started pulling out her books and worksheets.

  Mark, however, left the table. “I need to work with Sam and the horses. I’ll do my homework when I get done.”

  Leah frowned, staring after him, but pressed her lips together.

  Colton met her gaze and nodded. He followed the boy out to the stables, catching up to him as he put a hand on Mark’s shoulder. “You could finish your homework first, you know?”

  Mark’s brow furrowed. “I can do homework when it’s dark. Now I need to do my job. Sam expects me to come after I get home from school.”

  Colton could see his reasoning. “I see. Well, let me know if you have trouble with any of your subjects. I can help.”

  Mark gazed up at him. “Really? I’ve never had anyone help me before, except Misty.”

  Colton shrugged. “Well, I’m here if you need me.”

  “Thanks.” A grin spread across Mark’s face as he opened Sam’s stall. The horse neighed and tossed his head in greeting.

  Colton saw the friendship between the boy and the animal, smiling when he recalled his past experiences. This young one definitely had a natural affinity for horses.

  He watched the boy set to work and then walked back to the house.

  “Hey, Colton,” Big Jim called. “Where have you been all day? I was looking for you to help inoculate the calves.”

  Colt stopped in his tracks. It was inevitable he would have to answer for his absence, but he would have put it off a bit longer. He turned to see his dad and youngest brother advancing toward him from the direction of the barns. “I went into town. Had some things to take care of.”

  Big Jim’s eyes narrowed. “What kind of things?”

  Colton let out a snort. “My kind of things. That’s what.” He fell into step with Big Jim and Beau. “All you had to do was call me if you needed my help. Or you could have told me last night.”

  “Whoa!” Beau slapped him on the shoulder. “I think my big bro is keeping s
ecrets.”

  “Appears so,” Big Jim said. “Now, I wonder what could have my son sneaking off to Langston in the middle of the day.” He stroked his chin and pantomimed thinking. “Could her name be Misty Dalton?”

  “Colton’s in love!” Beau singsonged.

  Colton heaved a sigh. “She’s a nice girl.”

  “She’s very pretty,” Big Jim said, but his inflection indicated there was an unspoken “but” attached to his sentence.

  Colt felt a muscle in his jaw twitch. “She’s more than pretty.”

  Big Jim made a noise in the back of his throat. “Just be careful, Son. Take it slow and easy. You don’t want to rush into anything.”

  Colton gave his father a sideways glance. “What makes you think I’m rushing into something?”

  “Damnation, Colt!” Big Jim erupted. “You’ve brought the Daltons home like a couple of stray puppies, and now you feel responsible for them. You bought their horses. Leah got Misty a job and lent out her car. Next thing I know you’ll be booking the church.”

  An uncomfortable silence followed.

  Colton knew his father wanted him to deny the accusation, but he couldn’t. He figured anything he said would just add fuel to the flame. Without commenting, he stormed into the house.

  * * *

  Big Jim was stunned. His normally coolheaded oldest son had just stalked off in a snit over some girl.

  He expected his sons to bring girls home, but not the Dalton girl. Her father had been a drunk, and her older brother was a thug. He just couldn’t stand by and let Colt make a huge mistake with his life.

  He stood stock-still, staring at the door Colton had just stomped through.

  Beau cleared his throat. “Dad, maybe you shouldn’t make it such a big deal. The more you attack Misty, the more Colton’s going to think he has to defend her.”

  Big Jim swallowed hard. “You think?”

  “Yes, I do. Just reel it back, and let him get over it.”

  “Perhaps you’re right.” Big Jim felt his shoulders sag. “Why couldn’t he fall for some nice girl he met in college?”

  “Well, he didn’t.” Beau removed his Stetson and raked his fingers through his hair. “Is that what you expected me to do too?”

  Big Jim shrugged. “Well, it wouldn’t have hurt you none.”

  “Let me tell you, Dad. Most of the girls I met in college weren’t interested in living in the middle of nowhere and being a rancher’s wife. They had their sights set on having careers. Being professionals.”

  Big Jim snorted.

  “The ones who came to college to get married were looking for husbands in the professions that pay big bucks…doctors, lawyers, football players.” Beau flashed a grin, as though trying to lighten his father’s mood.

  “Is that so?” Big Jim wasn’t happy with either Beau or Colton at the moment. It seemed they had ideas about what would make up a suitable bride…ideas that differed from his.

  Beau chuckled deep in his throat. “I’m afraid so. I’ll probably find my wife at a dance at the Eagles Hall.”

  Big Jim snorted. “It sounds like you’re on Colton’s side.”

  Beau set his hat back on his head. “Not really. I think Misty is a sweet young woman, but from that family, how could she turn out any different?”

  “Exactly.”

  * * *

  Misty pulled into the driveway about five thirty.

  Colton had been watching for her. He went out to meet her, and when she climbed out of the car, he gave her a hug that lifted her off her feet. “Do you want to take Mark with us to the ranch or not?”

  “Maybe not this time. I don’t want to get his hopes up until I’m sure everything is set. He’s had too many disappointments for a boy his age.”

  “Then let’s go while it’s still light. We can drive around and make sure everything is in order.”

  She nodded, and he gestured to his truck. He helped her up on the passenger side and went around.

  “Are they expecting us for dinner?” she asked when he had climbed in.

  “I told Leah we were going to run over to your place for a while. She said she would save us some food.”

  Misty grinned. “I’m getting so spoiled. Leah is a great cook, and she’s a whiz in the kitchen.”

  He pulled out of the drive and headed back to the interstate. “You don’t like to cook?”

  “I guess so,” she said. “The last six years since my mother died I’ve cooked for my dad and brothers. And the last three years, since Daddy got sick, I’ve just tried to make something he could eat. I never thought about doing the fancy recipes Leah tries.”

  Colton turned onto the interstate and headed for the Dalton ranch. He was still upset over his father’s words, but he wasn’t going to allow them to destroy the time he had with Misty. “How did your afternoon go? Did Breck come in to the office?”

  “Not today, but he plans to be there tomorrow. He has some client coming in.”

  “Good. Maybe I need to call for an appointment.”

  She giggled. “Or you could just tell me. That will work too.”

  He ruffled her hair. “Okay, Madame Secretary. Can you fix me up with an appointment with Breck tomorrow?”

  “Sure thing. I’ll call you when he gets there and tell you what he says.”

  “That will work.” He turned off at the entrance to the Dalton ranch. The farm had a windmill turning close to the house and a couple of barns and outbuildings.

  “Okay, tell me where to go.”

  “Just keep driving down this road. This cuts through the middle of our property. It’s actually two sections of land. My grandparents owned one section to begin with, and Daddy inherited the land from them. Then my father bought the rest when he was able. A couple of years before my mother died.”

  “So part of this land has been in your family for some time.”

  She nodded. “I know that we have a total of 1,280 acres.”

  He winked at her. “Yeah, that equals two sections of land.”

  An old rusted truck was pulled close to the house when they passed it.

  “That’s Paco’s truck,” she said, as though reading his mind.

  “He’s the one who helps out around here?” Colton said.

  “Well, he’s getting pretty old now. He does what he can, and his wife helped me with my dad. They’ve lived here since before I was born. I know that for certain.”

  He reached over and gave her hand a squeeze. “That’s nice.”

  They rode for a while in silence. Misty held his hand in both of hers. This made him very happy. He tried to overlook the run-in with Big Jim earlier.

  “Do you know how many head of cattle you have?” he asked as they passed a pretty decent herd for the size of the ranch.

  “I have no idea. Mark might be able to tell you.”

  He glanced at her. “You don’t know?”

  She shrugged. “Mostly, the guys talked when I was fixing dinner, and then when I put everything on the table, they were stuffing their faces. Seriously, Mark probably knows. He was a part of the male bonding thing.”

  Colton felt a little rancor on her behalf, but Misty didn’t seem to take the slight too seriously. “Well, from now on, you and I will share everything.”

  She gave him a sharp look.

  “Everything we know about the ranch,” he added. “No secrets.”

  She breathed out a sigh. “That will be a totally different situation for me.”

  “What’s that up ahead?” he asked, gesturing toward a ramshackle house and outbuildings. He slowed the truck and inched along, surveying the damaged structures.

  “Oh, it’s abandoned. It was the farmhouse on the second section of land. My father rented it out for a time, but it’s almost falling down now. Nobody’s lived there the
past few years.”

  “I hate to see an abandoned farmhouse. That means a farming family didn’t make it.”

  “I guess you’re right. This place was owned by the Simmons family. You probably know Eddie. He was in the same class as Beau and my brother Joe.”

  Colton frowned as he glanced at Misty. “This was Eddie Simmons’s place?”

  She shrugged. “Sort of. This was the house where he grew up. Then when he was about twelve, his parents lost the ranch and moved away. Eddie went to live with his uncle, Levi Blair. He was the same age as Mr. Blair’s son, Nate.”

  “The boy who disappeared? I remember the whole county searched for that young man, but they never found any trace of him.”

  “I remember. Mama was still alive then, and she organized prayer vigils. It was so sad. The house looks sad.”

  “It looks as though the farmhouse and outbuildings are in pretty bad shape.” Colton weighed the pros and cons of pulling it all down and hauling it off. It was probably a haven for varmints. Rats, mice, snakes. Yeah, demolish it and haul it off. No sense in keeping it there.

  It was getting dark by the time they had made a complete tour of the land and headed back to the Dalton house. There was an outside security light spilling brightness in the area from the house to the largest outbuilding. And one light shone inside the house. The little cottage where he had made love to Misty was dark and looked closed up.

  Colton pulled up in front of the ranch house. Almost immediately he saw a face peering out the window beside the door. “Your hand is checking us out.”

  “Yes,” she said. “That’s Paco.” She opened the passenger-side door before Colton could react and slid to the ground. “Paco, here I am.”

  The door opened, and the elderly Hispanic man stepped out. He grinned when he recognized Misty, and immediately Rosa came out to join him. The woman held out her arms, and Misty rushed to embrace her. “Rosa,” she cried.