Texas Law

by Barb Han

This morning, she felt a new lease on life and was ready to start making plans for a future. She hadn’t felt like she would have one, in so long.

  She took another sip of coffee. “I know that I said last night was the best cup of coffee I’d had in a long time, but this beats it.”

  He practically beamed with pride. “Are you hungry?”

  “I already helped myself to yogurt. I hope that’s okay.”

  “Of course it is. I make a pretty mean spinach omelet if you’re game.”

  The man was the definition of hotness. He cared about others, hence his job as sheriff. And now he decided to tell her that he could cook?

  “You’re not playing fair,” she teased. “I really don’t want you to go to any trouble.”

  “If it makes you feel any better, I plan to make some for myself. No bacon, though. I’m out.”

  “Well, in that case, forget it. What kind of house runs out of bacon?” She laughed at her own joke and was relieved when he did, too. It was nice to be around someone who was so easy to be with. Conversation was light. This was exactly what she remembered about biology lab and why she’d been so attracted to him all those years ago. Sure, he was basically billboard material on the outside, with those features she could stare at all day. But how many people did she know who were good-looking on the outside and empty shells on the inside? A conversation with a ten on the outside and a three on substance made her want to fall asleep thinking about it.

  Physical attraction was nice. It was one thing. It was important. But she’d learned a long time ago that someone’s intelligence, sense of humor and wit could sway their looks one way or the other for her.

  On a scale of one to ten, Colton was a thirty-five in every area.

  Chapter Seven

  Colton whipped up a pair of omelets and threw a couple slices of bread into the toaster while Makena finished up her cup of coffee at the granite island.

  “Is there any chance I can have some pain reliever?” she asked.

  “I have a bottle right here.” He moved to the cabinet at the end of the counter. Medicine was kept on the top shelf even though his sons had only just taken their first steps recently. “Ibuprofen okay?”

  “It’s the only thing I take and that’s rare.”

  “Same here.” He grabbed a couple of tablets and then put a plate of food in front of her. “You probably want to eat that first. Ibuprofen on an empty stomach is not good.”

  She nodded and smiled at the plate. Tension still tightened the muscles of her face but sometime in the past twelve hours they’d been together, she’d relaxed just a bit. Given her history with men, it was wonderful that she could be this comfortable around him so quickly, and Colton let his chest fill with pride at that, although her ease was tentative, as he could tell from her eyes.

  “Are you serious about these eggs?” She made a show of appreciating them after taking another bite.

  Colton laughed. He realized it had been a really long time since he’d laughed this much. The roller coaster he’d been on since losing Rebecca and then his father had been awful to say the least.

  To say that Colton hadn’t had a whole lot to smile about recently was a lot like saying The New Texas Giant was just a roller coaster.

  The exception was his twin boys. When he was with them, he did his level best to set everything else aside and just be with them. He might only have an hour or so to play with them before nighttime routine kicked in, but he treasured every moment of it. The last year had taught him that kids grew up way too fast.

  “I’m glad you like the eggs.”

  “Like is too weak a word for how I feel about this omelet.” Her words broke into more of that thick, heavy fog that had filled his chest for too long.

  “The roads are clearing up. After you eat, I should make a few rounds.”

  “Can you give me a ride to the RV?” she asked.

  “Happy to oblige,” he teased. “I just need to get dressed.”

  Her cheeks flushed and he wondered if it had anything to do with the fact that he was still in a towel. A rumble of a laugh started inside his chest and rolled out. “I just realized that I’m walking about like I don’t have company. Pardon me. I’ll just go get dressed now.”

  “Well, it hasn’t exactly been hard on the eyes.” Now it was her turn to burst out laughing. “I can’t believe I just said that out loud.”

  He excused himself and headed into his bedroom, where he threw on a pair of boxers, jeans and a dark, collared button-down shirt. He pulled his belt from the safe and clipped it on. It held his badge and gun.

  Colton located one of his navy windbreakers that had the word SHERIFF written in bright, bold letters down the left sleeve. He finger-combed his hair and was ready to go. Walking out into the living room and seeing Makena still sitting there in his robe was a punch to the chest.

  “I’ll go and grab your clothes from the dryer.” His offer was met with a smile.

  “I can go with you. Or you could just point me in a direction. I think I can find my way around,” she said.

  “Down the hall. Open the door in the bathroom. You probably thought it was a closet, but it’s actually a laundry room.”

  “That’s really convenient.” She tightened her grip on her robe and disappeared down the hallway.

  He was relieved to see that her hip seemed in better condition today. She was barely walking with a limp. Even so, he wondered if he could talk her into making a trip to the ER for an X-ray.

  Ten minutes later, she emerged from the hallway. She’d brushed her hair and dressed in the jeans and blouse she’d had on yesterday. “Ready?”

  “Are the pain pills kicking in yet?” he asked.

  “It’s actually much better. I mean, I have a pretty big bruise, but overall, I’m in good shape. The ibuprofen is already helping. I won’t be riding any bucking broncos in the next few days, but it’ll heal up fine.”

  “I like the fact that you’re walking more easily, but I would feel a whole lot better if we stopped off at the county hospital to get it checked out. The roads are clear on that route.” He hoped she’d listen to reason.

  She opened her mouth to protest, but he put his hand up to stop her.

  “Hear me out. You won’t have to pay for the cost of the X-ray. It’s the least I can do considering the fact that I hit you.”

  “Technically, I ran out in front of your car and you didn’t have enough time to stop. You also couldn’t see me because of the rain. So, technically, I hit you.”

  Well, Colton really did laugh out loud now. That was a new one and he thought he’d heard just about every line imaginable in his profession. He couldn’t help himself, and chuckled again. It was a sign she was winning him over, and he didn’t normally give away his tells.

  “I’m glad you’re laughing, because you could be writing me up right now or arresting me for striking an official vehicle. Does that count as striking an officer?” She seemed pretty pleased with that last comment.

  “All right. You got me. I laughed. It was funny. But what wouldn’t be funny is if there’s something seriously wrong with your hip and it got worse because we didn’t get it checked out.” Was it him or had he just turned into his old man? He could’ve sworn he’d heard those same words coming out of Finn O’Connor’s mouth for most of Colton’s life. His dad was great at coaxing others to get checked out. He didn’t seem to think he fell into the same category.

  And it was only recently that Colton and his brothers had found out his father had been dealing with a health issue that he’d kept quiet about until his death.

  “Don’t you think we would know by now? Plus, what’s the worst it could be? A hairline fracture? I had one of those in my wrist in eighth grade PE. It’s an incident I don’t talk about because it highlights my general inability to perform athletics of any kind. But there wasn’t
much they could do with it except wrap it and put it in a sling. It wasn’t like I needed a cast. I’m sure my hip falls into the same category. I need to rest. I need to take it easy. Other than that, I think I’m good to go.”

  What she said made a whole lot of sense, and Colton knew in the back of his mind she was right on some level. The thought of dropping her off at the RV to fend for herself after witnessing the way she’d gobbled down food last night and cleaned her plate this morning wasn’t something he could stomach doing.

  He wanted to help her, but he didn’t want to hurt her pride. He needed to be tactful. “Since you’re going to be resting for a few days anyway, why not do it here?”

  The question surprised even him. But it was the logical thing to do. He had plenty of room here. He could sleep on the sofa. He’d done that countless times before, unable and unwilling to face an empty bedroom.

  “That’s a really kind offer. Maybe under different circumstances I could take you up on it...”

  “I didn’t want to have to pull this card out, but since you mentioned it, you’re leaving me no choice.” He caught hold of her gaze and tried his level best not to give himself away by laughing. “If you don’t stay here and let me help you heal, I might be forced to handcuff you.”

  He mustered up his most serious expression.

  Makena’s jaw nearly dropped to the floor, and a twinge of guilt struck him at tricking her.

  “That’s blackmail. You wouldn’t do that to me. Would you?” Her question was uncertain and he suspected she’d figured out his prank.

  “I don’t know.” He shrugged. “Is it working?”

  She walked straight toward him with her slight limp on the left side and gave him a playful jab on the shoulder. “That wasn’t funny.”

  “Actually, I thought it was ingenious of me.” Seeing the lighter side of Makena and her quick wit reminded him of why he’d been willing to walk away from the relationship he’d known his entire life, for someone he’d met in biology lab.

  Deep down, behind those sad and suspicious eyes, she was still in there. Still the playful, intelligent, perceptive woman he’d fallen for.

  “I’m probably going to regret this, but I’ll think about staying here until I get better. Maybe just a day or two. But...”

  “Why is there always a but?” He rubbed the day-old scruff on his chin.

  “But I sleep on the couch. You only have two bedrooms here. One is yours and the other has two cribs in it. The door was open on the way to the bathroom. I couldn’t help but notice,” she said in her defense.

  “Yes, you can stay here. Thank you for asking. And who sleeps on the couch is up for debate. We’ll figure out a fair way to decide.” There was no way he was going to let her curl up on the sofa when he had a king-size bed in the other room. Most of the time, he nodded off with a laptop open next to him and a phone in his hand anyway. It was easier than facing an empty bed on his own.

  “And hey, thanks for considering my proposal,” he added.

  Colton appreciated how difficult her situation must be for her to feel the need to hide in a random stranger’s RV, and he appreciated the confidence she put in him by staying with him last night.

  In the ultimate display of trust, she’d fallen deeply asleep.

  She didn’t speak, but he could see the impact of his words. Sometimes, silence said more than a thousand words ever could.

  Colton put his hand on the small of Makena’s back as he escorted her to the elevator. Emotions seemed to be getting the best of her, because she’d gotten all serious and quiet on him again. The lighter mood was gone and he wondered if it had something to do with what he’d said or the simple fact they were going back to the RV where she’d been staying.

  There were so many unanswered questions bubbling up in his mind about Makena and her need to hide. Abusive exes he understood. But she’d been in hiding for months, and he wondered how much of it had to do with losing her mother. He knew firsthand what it was like to have a close bond with a parent who died. Colton and his siblings were still reeling from the loss of their father. Worsened by the fact none of them could solve the decades-old mystery about their only sister’s abduction from her bedroom window.

  Frustration was building with each passing day, along with the realization their father had gone to his deathbed never knowing what had happened to Caroline. Plus, there was the whole mess of Caroline’s kidnapping being dredged up in the news ever since there’d been a kidnapping attempt in town a couple of months ago.

  Renee Smith, now Renee O’Connor after marrying his brother Cash, had moved to Katy Gulch with her six-month-old daughter, Abby, in order to start a new life. Her past had come with her and it was a haunting reminder of what could happen when a relationship went sour.

  Renee’s ex had followed her to Katy Gulch unbeknownst to her and tried to take away the one thing she loved most, in order to frighten her into coming home.

  Was Makena in the same boat?

  At least in Makena’s case, she knew what she was dealing with. Renee had been caught off guard because her ex had cheated on her and was having a child with a coworker before deciding no one else could have Renee. That was pretty much where the comparisons between the two ended.

  He’d brought up a good point, though. Colton wanted to know more about Makena’s ex so he could determine just how much danger she might be in.

  The fact she’d left the man a year ago stuck in Colton’s craw. The way he’d found her and discovered how she’d been living made him think that she’d either run out of money or couldn’t get to hers.

  But then, he didn’t know many people who could go a year without working and survive. Colton may have come from one of the wealthiest cattle ranching families in Texas, but all the O’Connors had grown up with their feet on the ground and their heads out of the clouds. Each one was determined to make a mark on this life and not rely on the good graces of their family to earn a living despite loving the land and the family business.

  Colton helped Makena into the passenger seat, where she buckled herself in. The drive to Mrs. Dillon’s place was short. Colton checked in with Gert on the way and the rest of the car ride he spent mulling over what he already knew.

  He hoped Makena was seriously considering his offer to let her stay at his apartment. He couldn’t think of a safer place for her to heal. It dawned on him that he hadn’t even asked her if she liked children. He just assumed she did.

  That was one of the funny things about becoming a parent: he was guilty of thinking that everyone loved kids. Growing up in Katy Gulch didn’t help, because most people were kind to children in his hometown.

  Colton had to stop a couple of times to clear the road of debris. So far, it was looking like Katy Gulch had been spared the storm’s fury.

  Gert had reported in several times last night and first thing this morning to let him know that very few people had lost power. Neighbors were pitching in to make sure food didn’t spoil and people had what they needed. It was one of the many reasons Colton couldn’t imagine bringing up his boys in any other place.

  The twins were fifth-generation O’Connors, but whether or not they took up ranching would be up to them. Both seemed happiest when they were outdoors. Colton prayed he could give them half the childhood he’d been fortunate to have. He and his brothers had had the best. Of course, they’d also had their fair share of squabbles over the years.

  Garrett and Cash seemed to rub each other the wrong way from just about the day Garrett was born. Make no mistake about it, though. Either one would be there for the other in a snap. Help needed? No questions asked.

  Was it strange that Colton wished the same for Makena? He wished she could experience being part of a big family. It sounded like since losing her mother, she’d lost all the family she had. He couldn’t even imagine what that would be like.

  She
’d remained quiet on the way over. They were getting close to Mrs. Dillon’s and the river.

  “Everything all right over there?” he asked her.

  “Yeah, I’m good.” The words were spoken with no conviction.

  From the way she drawled out those three words, he could tell she was deep in thought. Her voice always had that sound when she was deep in concentration. He’d once accidentally interrupted her studying and heard that same sound.

  He’d given her a lot to think about. To him, it was a no-brainer decision. Knowing Makena, she wouldn’t want to live off him for free even for a few days.

  It occurred to him that he was momentarily without a sitter. He wasn’t even sure if she was up for the job, considering her left hip. She was walking better today, but she would know better than anyone else if she’d be able to keep up with the boys.

  For the time being, it was a lot of bending over and letting them hold your fingers while they practiced walking. They also had swings and walkers and every other kid device his mother could think to buy for them.

  He could put gates up to make it easier for her. More and more, he liked the idea. It would give her some pocket money and a legitimate place to stay. She wouldn’t have to feel like she was imposing, if she took a short-term job with him just until he found someone permanent.

  “How are you with children?”

  “They seem to like me. I have been a music teacher in an elementary school. I don’t know about little-littles. I don’t have much experience with anyone younger than the age of five. But I do seem to be popular with eight-year-olds.” Hearing her voice light up when she talked about her career warmed his heart. “Why?”

  “It’s just an idea. I already told you my babysitter had an emergency in Austin and had to quit. I also mentioned having my boys with my mom at the ranch isn’t ideal for anything less than short-term. We have a lot going on in our family right now with our father passing recently. I was just wondering if you’d be interested in helping me out of a pinch. Would you consider taking care of the boys until I could find someone else full-time?”