The Cowboy's Hunt

by Jamie K. Schmidt

  “I’m not crying,” she said into his shirt.

  He hugged her tighter, anger rippling through him. “I’ll get your money back,” he said.

  “How?”

  “Trust me.” If he had to, he’d wire it back into her bank account from his own savings. He’d just have to book more tours, that was all. “I told him to give the money back or we’d press charges. If he was telling the truth and he is connected to your friend’s brother-in-law, the police may be able to track him down.”

  “What if he was just pretending to be his friend, like…” Emily cut herself off, but he knew what she was going to say. She stepped out of his arms and went over to the horse he had been riding to groom him.

  “Like I did?” Donovan started to organize the tack area and clean up a bit. It gave him something to do with his hands that didn’t involve punching the walls.

  “I didn’t mean it like that.”

  “I know, but unless Bobby’s family is very rich, that isn’t likely.”

  “I can’t believe I screwed this up.”

  He sighed. He was going to have to make things worse. “Your father heard me confront Jules.”

  Emily’s knees actually wobbled.

  “It’s okay. I talked him down. He’s in the house with your mother.”

  “Did he get upset? Because his heart isn’t that strong.”

  “He was pissed, but not out of control.” Not like the way he was when he had punched out Trent a few months ago.

  “Shit,” she said. “What can we do? Can we track him down?”

  “Let the police handle it. We’ll give him a few hours and call him. If the phone’s been disconnected, we can bring them into it. If he answers, we can try to get him to meet with us. In the meantime, we can narrow down where he rented the Camry from.”

  “Do you know how many car dealers there are in Texas?” she groaned.

  “Or you can go inside and talk to your father.”

  “Car dealers it is.”

  Chapter Ten

  After two hours, the money wasn’t back in her account and the phone number she used to contact Jules just kept ringing. She sent an email to Bobby, asking him for his brother-in-law’s name and contact information. Hopefully they would get a lead that way. The car rental place was turning out to be a needle in a haystack, but at least she felt like she was doing something.

  “Are you ready to call the police?” Donovan asked.

  They were in his office. He was at his desk searching car dealerships on his computer and she was on her phone. “Not yet.”

  When she brought the police into this, it would become real. And if it was real, she was out five thousand dollars that she really couldn’t afford to lose.

  “Did you do this to a lot of people?”

  “Yes.” Donovan sighed.

  “What a shitty way to earn a living. Why did your father do it?”

  “He liked it. He like feeling superior and tricking people. It was a rush for him. Like how some people gamble on the horses, he gambled on people. But just like the track, it’s never a sure thing and eventually you lose.”

  “So you think tricking me gave Jules a rush?”

  “If it did, my calling him out soured it for him.”

  “I suppose that’s something,” Emily said. “Do you think he feels stupid now? Violated?”

  “And afraid he’s going to jail. Trust me, he’s having a worse night than you.”

  “Good,” she said. “Did your mother feel the same way? Was she addicted to the rush?”

  “She liked stealing. She was a magpie. She saw something bright and shiny and she had to have it. It didn’t matter if it belonged to someone else or not. If she wanted it, she took it.”

  “Did you like it?”

  “I liked pleasing my parents. I liked their compliments. I hated their disappointments. I never thought about how the marks felt. Not until Samuel Barton became my friend. I guess I thought that when we moved to Colleyville, that was our last con. It wasn’t. It was just the longest.”

  “Did you ever wonder what happened to Samuel and his father?”

  “I didn’t have to wonder. His father did some time for manslaughter. Ten years and he was out on good behavior.” Donovan huffed out a humorless laugh. “He missed his son growing up for taking my mother away from me. Ten years doesn’t seem like such a long time for killing someone. My father got thirty for all his scams. Samuel hunted me down a few years ago.”

  “Why?”

  “He was pissed. I disappeared without a trace. He lost his father, his best friend, and his life got turned completely upside down. All because of my father.”

  “What happened?”

  “I let him beat the shit out of me.”

  “Oh, Donovan.”

  She came over to him, pushed the chair he was sitting on back from the desk, and straddled his lap. Hugging him tight, she asked, “Why would you do that?”

  “Because I deserved it. Don’t worry, I had taken worse beatings.”

  “Is that supposed to make it better?”

  “It did for him, at least for a while. Every now and then, though, he tries to contact me again.”

  “Maybe he wants to apologize?” Emily said.

  Donovan stroked her cheek. “More likely, he wants to go another round. But he’s been quiet these past few years. Last time I checked, he was living in Silicon Valley and working at a tech firm. His mother divorced his father. I don’t know what happened to her, but his father sails around the world on his sailboat.”

  “I think it’s time you stopped blaming yourself for what your father did. He ruined their lives and yours. If anything, you have that in common. Don’t let Samuel or anyone in his family beat you up again. It’s not your beating to take.”

  “Sweetheart, I don’t plan on ever even seeing him again. Any of them.”

  “Good. My situation seems so small compared to that. You must think I’m a baby.”

  “No.” He hugged her to him. “I have lots of thoughts about you, but I think you’re all woman. And you’re all mine.”

  For the time being. She smiled sadly at him. Unless she could get him to stay. The more time she spent with him, the more she got used to their arguments. She became aware that they were in a rather fun position and hopped up on his desk.

  “Why don’t you come here and show me that I’m all yours.” Emily crooked her finger at him.

  “Now, why would I fuck you on my desk when there is a perfectly good bed right in here?” Donovan scooped her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck.

  Kissing her, he walked her toward the bedroom.

  And then her phone rang. She jumped down and scurried over to the couch, where she had left it.

  “Is it him?” he asked.

  “Worse. It’s my dad.”

  She considered not answering it, but that was only going to delay the inevitable.

  “Hi,” she said shakily.

  “We’re having supper as a family tonight. I’d like you to be there.”

  Like that didn’t sound at all ominous. “Can I invite Donovan?”

  Donovan cocked his head at her.

  “Of course. You owe that man a lot.”

  “I know.”

  “Six o’clock. Sharp.”

  “I know,” she said, but he’d already hung up.

  “What’s going on?”

  “We’re invited for dinner tonight.”

  “Is that a good thing?” he asked.

  “I can’t imagine how it could be.”

  Her feelings were confirmed when they showed up a good half hour early and everyone was not only there, but already seated at the big dining room table.

  Everyone.

  The table was set and a trencher filled with steaks slathered with mushrooms and onions was in the middle. Her father had been grilling. There were large platters of steaming baked potatoes and sweet potatoes next to several slabs of butter and
a dish of sour cream and chives. A crock of baked beans and a serving bowl overflowing with a garden salad comforted her that no matter how mad they were at her, at least they weren’t going to starve her. Her mother went back into the kitchen and came back with steaming loaves of garlic bread.

  “You’ve been busy,” Emily said as she and Donovan took their seats.

  “So have you,” her father said.

  “Frank, let’s say grace.” Her mother had them join hands and say a quick prayer.

  As the food was passed around, her father’s face grew more and more angry and she saw that he was building himself up to a terrible fury. Emily glanced at Kelly, who looked just as worried as she felt. Alissa sat between Kelly and Trent, blissfully unaware of PawPaw’s disposition. Nate was digging into his food with gusto, while Janice played with her salad. Her mother was resolutely piling toppings on her baked potato.

  The silence was deadly.

  Her phone beeped a notification and she looked down at it. Five thousand dollars had been deposited into her checking account.

  A text came through from Jules’s number.

  Tell Charlie I didn’t know.

  What the hell? She passed her phone to Donovan and saw him glance at it. He drew in a sharp intake of breath.

  “Please turn off your phone at the dinner table,” her mother scolded, giving her a reproving look.

  Her father saw that as an opening to start his tirade, but Emily cut him off just as he was taking a deep breath to launch into her. “The money is back in my account.”

  It set him off his game and he faltered. Her mother slumped in her seat in relief and the tension eased around the table. It had been too much to hope for that her father hadn’t filled in the rest of the family yet.

  “That’s good news,” Kelly said faintly. She clutched Trent’s hand. He gave her a reassuring smile.

  “I know that I was stupid.”

  “Naïve,” Janice interrupted. Emily hid a wince. In her mind, Janice was being helpful. In her father’s mind, being naïve was worse than being stupid. He encountered stupid every day. Stupid could be educated. Naïve was weak.

  “I should have been more cautious and spotted the warning signs. I let my eagerness for the project override my common sense and it was almost a disaster.”

  “Almost?” her father said, but he forked in a mouthful of rare and bloody steak. She looked away in disgust, but knew enough not to push her luck by complaining about it. This was his subtle way of punishing her. However, if he was eating, that was a good sign. He had a hard time holding on to his anger when his belly was full.

  Emily ate a spoonful of her mother’s baked beans and let the food comfort her. The brown sugar tasted like home. She knew that her mother had always made them vegetarian for her because Emily never liked the taste of pork, even as a child. She gave her mother a grateful look and accepted a piece of garlic bread from her.

  “I’m sure Emily had a good scare and she’s learned her lesson,” Kelly said, helping to cut Alissa’s steak.

  Of course, that made her sound like she was Alissa’s age. Emily wished her sisters would stop making her look like an idiot. Now, granted, she felt like one. But it was hard enough to earn her father’s respect without using the old excuse that she was too young to know any better.

  “It was nerve-racking for a few hours,” she admitted. “And now I know that there aren’t any shortcuts, so I’m going to hire the Sykes boys to clear the land and build a tower to test the wind speed. Then, if that’s good, we’ll go forward with the wind farm.”

  Of course, with five wind turbines instead of fifteen, it wouldn’t be the grand plan she had hoped for, but it would be enough.

  “What about that conservation museum you wanted to build?” her father asked.

  Ah, that was a trick question. “I’d still like to see that happen. We’ve got some beautiful creatures on our land, but it’s not a priority at the moment. We need to concentrate on making money, not spending it.”

  Her father eyeballed her to see if she was mocking him, but she wasn’t.

  “Hmm,” he said noncommittally and went back to his plate.

  Janice rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Well, that was easy,” she muttered.

  Nate nudged Janice with an elbow.

  She rubbed the spot and frowned at him.

  “The hayer is back up and running and the mechanic finally got the parts in so we don’t have to jury-rig the ATVs,” Nate said.

  Emily was surprised to see he was looking at her instead of her father when he said that. “That’s a relief,” she said.

  “Why are you telling her?” her father asked.

  “It’s her project.”

  “Hmm,” Frank said again.

  Emily counted that as a win. She mouthed thank you at Nate when no one was looking. He winked at her. “How’s that sick cow?” she asked.

  “Pete gave her a round of antibiotics. Should be fine in a few days. We’re keeping her isolated.”

  “Janice, you should look after her,” Frank said.

  “I will.” Janice smiled. “She’s a sweetheart.”

  “Don’t get attached. We’ll probably sell her at market.”

  Janice’s face fell. It wasn’t as if she didn’t know they sold their cattle to be slaughtered, but like Emily, she didn’t like it. If there was a way to make money selling vegetables, Emily would be all for it. And while they did have a large garden, it usually only produced enough to feed them. If they had a bumper crop, they would contact the local CSAs or restaurant and negotiate a deal or two. If they could just get ahead of their bills, they’d be all right.

  Emily got another text message from an unfamiliar number.

  “Emily, I said turn that off.” Her mother frowned.

  Tell my son to come and visit.

  Emily shut the phone off. But not before Donovan saw the text.

  Chapter Eleven

  “You don’t have to go with me,” Donovan said. In fact, the farther away she stayed from his father, the better. He was going because it was apparent that the promise of money wasn’t going to stop his father from butting into his life.

  “Oh no, you stuck with me through that dinner and dessert last night. I owe you.”

  “Sneak away tonight and we’ll call it even.” He smiled and ran his finger down her cheek. He had been hoping that she’d have come over last night, but with everyone around, it probably was hard to get away.

  “I was planning on it anyway, but I’m not letting you do this alone.” And to prove her point, she got in his truck.

  “It’s a four-hour drive there and back.”

  “Then we better get going,” she said. “We can stop on the way for snacks.”

  “This isn’t a road trip,” he said, exasperated. But because he wanted to be there before noon, he couldn’t waste any more time arguing. “Where did you tell your parents you were going?”

  “I didn’t. It’s none of their business. Besides if they need me, they have my cell phone number.”

  “Have you ever been inside a prison before?” Donovan started the truck and headed out of the ranch. He had planned on this being a grim and shitty drive, but he had a feeling Emily wasn’t going to let that happen.

  “Have you?”

  “No, but you should probably leave your purse in the truck. They’re going to frisk us and we’ll need to go through a metal detector.”

  “Don’t worry, I left my shiv behind.”

  “I’m sorry I got you involved in this. I should have never even mentioned my father to that asshole. I was just so sure he targeted you because of me.”

  She put a hand on his arm. “It’s not your fault. As far as I’m concerned, it’s over. I notified the bank not to accept any more wire transactions or to wire anything out without me providing a passcode for approval. I’m safe. And I got my money back because of you. Too bad I couldn’t gain back the strides I’d made with my father thinking I wasn’t a baby
anymore.”

  “You did all right. You held your own. You did the right thing by admitting you made a mistake and then accepting the consequences. Do you think he never made a mistake?”

  Emily snorted. “I experienced a bunch of them.”

  “There you have it.”

  “I just want him to take me seriously. I want all of them to.”

  “They will. They have to see that the girl who went to Africa grew up into the woman who came back. You’ll show them. Just keep on doing what you’re doing.”

  “I lost a lot of time being such a brat with your hunting tours.” She stretched over to lean her head on his arm.

  He gave her a brief hug, before putting his hands back on the wheel.

  “It was just so easy to slip back into old habits. Thanks for putting up with me.”

  He shrugged. “I know it couldn’t have been easy for you.”

  “About as easy as being a vegetarian in Texas.” Emily straightened back up and he missed having her by his side. “But I learned to adapt. Tomorrow do you want to go to the Mustard Seed?”

  “Sure, but you’re not going to turn me into a vegetarian. I love my steak and ribs too much.”

  “Hey, if I can get my parents on board with meatless Monday, you’ll come around eventually, too.”

  “I’ve got no issue with meatless Monday. Some of my favorite meals are meatless.”

  “Like what?” she challenged.

  “Pizza.”

  “That’s a good one.”

  “Eggplant parmesan.”

  “He likes Italian food.” Emily pretended to be making notes in a journal.

  “Your mom’s apple pie.”

  “Yeah, I knew that one. Who doesn’t?”

  “I got to ask this. How can you not like bacon?”

  Emily shuddered. “I hate bacon.”

  “And I thought you were the perfect woman.”

  “You did, huh?” She smiled in delight.

  “You blew me in a tree stand. It doesn’t get much better than that. But the bacon thing… Man, I don’t know.” He shook his head, teasing her.

  “I could blow you in the truck.”

  Have mercy.