That Woman in Wyoming

by Sherry Lewis

  More than anything, he wanted to spend the rest of his life seeing himself reflected through the light in Reagan’s eyes instead of the harsh glare of his mirror.

  But could he change his life so drastically? There was a long, tough road ahead before he’d even get the chance to find out.

  CHAPTER NINE

  IF THEY’D DECIDED the contest by the first try, Max would have lost hands down. In spite of the steady breeze, his kite climbed for about two seconds, then took a nosedive and skidded to a stop near a small stand of trees. Luckily, no one else did much better, so when Reagan suggested time to practice before the contest began, everyone agreed enthusiastically.

  Max practiced for a few minutes, then realized now was as good a time as any to have a one-on-one with Travis. He waited until Reagan was busy helping Danielle—Jamie was still moping on a small hill a few feet away—then worked his way across the lawn and came to rest a few feet from Travis. He’d caught a tail wind and was busy letting out string as his kite soared into the air. Max’s swooped and swirled out of control, nearly tugging the ball of string out of his hands.

  “Looks like you found the good air,” he called.

  Travis grinned at him. “Good air, nothing. You’re looking at pure skill.”

  He looked so much like Danielle when he smiled, Max had to remind himself that he wasn’t an innocent young kid. That he’d used a gun to commit a crime. That he was a fugitive on the run from the law, not just the brother of the woman Max was falling in love with.

  Max had no idea what he wanted out of this conversation. A confession? A better understanding of what made Travis tick? Maybe just a deeper look into the eyes of his quarry so he could find something to dislike about him and make his job easier. He did know that if Donovan could see him now, he’d either split a side laughing or tell Max to turn in his gun and license.

  Max moved a few feet closer and watched Travis at work. “You do that like a pro. I have a feeling we won’t be eating chili for dinner.”

  Travis laughed and nodded toward Max’s kite. “You’re not doing so bad. We’re not judging on how high or how steady your flight is, just on how long you can keep it in the air.”

  Max moved slightly and felt a tug as the wind finally caught his kite and lifted it. “Reagan tells me you travel a lot.”

  Travis glanced at his sister and shrugged. “Yeah, I guess so. I don’t like staying in one place for too long, that’s for sure.”

  “Where will you be heading after this?”

  Travis turned his attention back to his kite. “I haven’t decided. I’m weighing my options.”

  “Yeah?” Max kept his tone easy. “What options?”

  “Oh, you know. This and that.”

  “Well, I’ve lived all over the country. My father was in the military.” Max sawed on the string and tried to save his kite from another savage nosedive. “I could probably tell you about almost any place you’re interested in.”

  Travis pulled his eyes away from the sky. “Okay. If I have any questions, I’ll know where to go, then.” His kite started to dive and claimed his attention for a few seconds. “So, what made you end up here?”

  Max answered without losing a beat. “Work.”

  “You like it here?”

  “Yeah. Yeah, I do.” Max realized suddenly that his answer felt like a small fib instead of a blatant lie.

  “What do you do?”

  “Acquisitions.”

  “Sounds like the big time. What is it?”

  “I look for things other people want.”

  “Yeah?” Travis sent him a sidelong glance, but Max didn’t see any suspicion in his expression. “How do you get into something like that?”

  “I heard about it through a friend who did the same thing. I signed up, took some training, and here I am.”

  “What kind of training?”

  He’d be asking Max for a job next. Max shrugged indifferently. “Some general stuff, some more specialized. What do you do for a living? I don’t think Reagan mentioned that.”

  “Probably not. I kind of move around there, too.” Travis shoved a shaggy lock of hair out of his eyes. “It’s easier to get a good job when you have an education. But since I never finished high school, nobody’ll give me a break.”

  “You could go back. Most places have night classes for adults who want to get their high school diplomas.”

  Travis shook his head. “Not for me. I sucked at school when I was a kid, and I’ve probably forgotten everything I ever knew. Even if I did go back to school, what good would it do? I’m not going to spend the rest of my life working at some minimum-wage job.”

  “There are technical schools where you could get training for something that would pay better.”

  Travis made a face. “In what? Computers? Auto mechanics? Bor-ing.”

  Compared to the “thrill” of robbing people at gunpoint? “A lot of what makes a job feel right is the people you work with,” Max told him. “Even the most exciting career in the world can be a pain if you work with the wrong people. And there’s nothing like the feeling of doing a job well—don’t you think?”

  “There’s no feeling like having a wallet full of money,” Travis said with a grin. “When you’re poor, everybody’s got something to say about what you should do or how you should act.”

  “Money won’t change that. There will always be people who have something to say about what you do.”

  “Yeah, but when you have money you don’t have to listen.”

  “You don’t ever have to listen. I just hope I’m smart enough to listen when the other person’s right.”

  Travis took another long, appraising glance at him. “That makes sense, I guess. You’re all right, Max. I think Reagan’s going to be okay with you.”

  Max could have gone all day without hearing that, he thought. Travis’s concern for his sister made it harder for Max to keep his feelings compartmentalized. He started reeling in his kite. “You through practicing? I think it’s about time to get this show on the road.”

  “Sure.” Travis grinned and began winding his string. “If you’re ready to get your butt kicked.”

  Max forced a laugh and wished he’d waited to talk to Travis until after the fun was over. He had the unsettling feeling he’d just made his job a lot harder.

  Travis left him and walked over to the hill where Jamie sat. The girl had made no effort to hide her displeasure at being here. But within minutes, Travis had her on her feet and walking down the hill to join them. The guy had a way with people, that was for sure. Max found himself agreeing with Reagan. Travis could do something good with his life if only he’d try.

  Max took his cue from Reagan, who acted as if Jamie’s sullen attitude had been a figment of someone’s imagination. Reagan, Jamie and Danielle jockeyed for position on the lawn, nudging one another as they vied for the best spots. Travis found a place a little removed from the others, and Max wandered up the hill Jamie had abandoned.

  When Travis gave the countdown, they raced like kids across the dry grass, whooping and shouting as they tried to get their kites to catch the wind. The spirit of competition took hold of Max, and everything else flew out of his mind as his kite caught a steady breeze and soared straight into the air.

  A shout from Travis pulled his attention back to the others, and he watched Travis battle for control as his kite dipped, swooped, and then spiraled back to earth.

  Laughing, Max gave his string a little tug and felt a sense of satisfaction as his kite responded. “What else are you planning to serve with that chili?” he shouted.

  Travis waved the question away, but he was grinning broadly. “Looks like you have the good air now.”

  “Good air, nothing,” Max called back. “You’re looking at pure dumb luck.”

  THAT NIGHT, Max paced until his feet hurt, stared at the walls until he knew where every single knothole was in the logs and could have drawn the pattern on the ceiling with his eyes closed. He�
��d stared out the window for hours, watching the changing shapes of the street lamps as the moon climbed the sky.

  Finally, at nearly midnight, when it became clear that he wouldn’t sleep until he did something, he punched in Donovan’s number. It was an hour earlier in San Diego and Donovan rarely went to bed before Letterman was over.

  “You’ve gotta help me, buddy,” he said when Donovan’s sleepy voice came over the line.

  Donovan murmured something to Holly and yawned noisily into the phone. “What is it? Where are you?”

  “I’m still in Serenity. And I’m in big trouble.”

  Donovan was instantly alert. “What did you do, lose him?”

  “No. I know exactly where he is.”

  “You’re not hurt, are you?”

  “No. No, nothing like that. It’s just that I—” Max mopped his face with one hand and let out his breath in a whoosh. “The thing is, I’ve met a woman here. I think I’m falling in love with her.”

  Donovan let out a whoop that earned a grumble from Holly. “Sorry,” he said, and lowered his voice to a whisper again. “You’re kidding, right?”

  “Believe me,” Max said miserably, “I wish I were.”

  “What’s the problem?”

  “The problem?” Max paced toward the luggage stand. “The problem is, she’s Travis Carmichael’s sister.”

  Stunned silence echoed between them.

  “Did you hear me?” Max demanded. “I’m falling in love with Carmichael’s sister.” He was suddenly, unreasonably angry with Donovan—as if this were his fault. If Donovan hadn’t taken Holly to Cancún, they’d have done the damn job together and Max wouldn’t have been in this situation.

  “I heard you.” Donovan groaned softly and the bed creaked as he climbed out. “I’m just trying to figure out whether you’re drunk or I’m dreaming.”

  “Neither.”

  A door shut in the background and Donovan’s voice came louder. “Are you crazy, then?”

  “Probably.” Max kicked the luggage rack, but it didn’t relieve his frustration. It only made his foot throb.

  “How in the hell did this happen?”

  “I didn’t know who she was when I met her. I didn’t find out until Travis showed up, and by then I was already three-quarters gone.”

  Donovan chuckled. “In less than a week?” That’s even faster than I was. Are you sure? I mean, you can’t possibly know her, much less love her.”

  “I don’t need you to throw my own words back in my face,” Max snarled. “I need help. Nothing like this has ever happened to me before. And the worst part of it is, I can’t make myself tell her who I really am.”

  “She doesn’t know?”

  “If she did, it wouldn’t be a problem.” Max resisted the urge to give the luggage rack another boot. “This is crazy, Donovan. I don’t know what to do.”

  Donovan lit a cigarette and exhaled noisily. “There’s nothing like falling in love to make a man do strange things.”

  “I’m not sure I like this feeling. I like having control over the way I feel and the things I do.”

  “Love ain’t about control, Max. The minute you start caring more about another person than yourself, control flies right out the window.”

  “You’re not helping. I’ve been here six days and Travis is walking about as free as he’s ever been. The more I get to know him, the more I doubt whether I can bring him in. And the thought of disappointing Reagan makes me feel about an inch high. I can’t bear to think about how much she’ll hate me when this is all over.” Max peeled open a package of crackers and munched one. “That’s where you come in.”

  “Where I…?”

  “I’ve changed my mind. I need you to fly out here and take him into custody.”

  “You’re a day late, buddy. Slate already has me working another case. I’m heading up to Palo Alto in the morning, and to Denver after that.”

  “Perfect. This is just a short hop on a commuter flight from Denver.”

  “No can do, Max. Slate’s lost two men already because of the changes he’s making. He’s got half a dozen jobs lined up and he’s counting on you being back tomorrow or Tuesday to take a few of ’em. You either need to get Carmichael into custody and bring him back here, or let Slate send someone else after him.”

  “I can’t do that. You know what loose cannons some of those guys are.”

  “Then bring him in yourself. You want the bottom line? I’ll give it to you. You can squirm around all you want to, but if you want to keep seeing her when this is all over, she’s going to find out what you do for a living. It’s inevitable.”

  “I know you’re right,” Max said quietly. “And I also know that it would be better to tell her myself than to have her find out some other way. I just keep hoping I can avoid her finding out at all—even though I know that’s not possible.”

  “Sure it is. Just make an anonymous phone call to the police department there, let one of them pick him up, chalk this up to experience and hightail it out of there. Even if she does find out who you are, you’ll never see her again.”

  “That’s the trouble,” Max finally admitted. “I don’t want to leave. I don’t want this to be over.” He laughed shortly. “And I don’t believe I’m saying that.”

  “That makes two of us. So, then, I guess you have a problem, don’t you?”

  “I thought that’s what I said when I called you.”

  “You’ll have to forgive me. My brain’s a little slow tonight. You’re going to have to tell her, buddy. There’s no way around it.”

  “She’ll never forgive me.”

  “If that’s true, maybe she’s not the right woman for you. You, my friend, need someone very understanding.”

  Max let out a weak laugh. “I know. Thanks for reminding me.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Tell me something. How does Holly deal with the risks of your job?”

  “One day at a time. Is that an issue for you?”

  “It will be if I can get past the rest of this mess. Her husband was a cop who was killed in the line of duty. She’s not real big on taking risks, and she’s got her kids wrapped up in a protective net to keep them safe. I’m not sure she’ll be able to get around what I do.”

  “I don’t know what to tell you on that one. Either she’ll be able to, or she won’t. If she can’t, you’ll have to decide which you want more—the woman you love or your career.”

  “That’s not a choice I want to make.”

  “I’m sure it’s not. But if I were you, I’d quit worrying about what might happen and take care of your most pressing problem first. Now, hang up and let me get back to my wife, would ya? I’m freezing.”

  Max disconnected a minute later and paced once more to the window of his room. Donovan was right, of course. There was no honorable way out that didn’t include Reagan finding out the truth. But telling her would probably be the hardest thing he’d ever done.

  REAGAN WAS BATTLING exhaustion as Travis switched channels on the TV. The girls had gone to bed, Max had gone back to the Wagon Wheel, and she could almost hear her bed calling to her from the other room. But Travis had headed into the living room and she so desperately wanted to reach him during his visit, she forced herself to stay awake.

  She sat in one corner of the couch and leaned back against the arm. Travis sat on the other end, one leg cocked over the other, the television remote dangling from his hand. He kept one eye on the television as she made herself more comfortable.

  “I had a good time today,” she said, battling a yawn. “I hope you did, too.”

  “Yeah. It was great.”

  “The girls are excited to have you here, you know. And I’m glad they’re getting a chance to know you. I’d love to see more of you in the future than we have in the past few years.”

  Travis flicked a glance in her direction. “Yeah? Well, maybe. It’s hard to make promises. I never know what’s going to happen.”

  Reagan tried not to let his a
nswer disappoint her. “Maybe some day,” she said, then changed the subject. “What did you think of Max?”

  “He seems okay.” Travis took his eyes away from the TV long enough to really look at her. “You like him, don’t you?”

  “Very much.”

  “Well, then, it doesn’t really matter what I think, does it?”

  “It matters.”

  “You mean, if I don’t like him, you’ll dump him?”

  Reagan smiled and shook her head. “Not necessarily. But it’s not that serious, anyway. He’s leaving town in a couple of days.” She ignored the twist in her heart and tried to keep her smile in place. “But your opinion has always been important to me.”

  Travis laughed and turned back to the television. “No, it hasn’t. I didn’t like Paul, and you married him.”

  “Only because the reasons you gave me for not liking him didn’t make sense to me at the time.” She’d never understood Travis’s dislike of the police, but she’d chalked it up to a general disapproval of authority figures. He hadn’t liked his teachers or the school principal, either.

  “Do they make sense now?”

  “A little. You were right about one thing. I wasn’t happy being a cop’s wife. But not for the reasons you thought. He wasn’t egotistical or pushy. He didn’t throw his weight around and act like a jerk. He was never mean to me or the girls, and he didn’t try to dictate what I did or how I did it.” All dire predictions Travis had made before her wedding. “The thing I hated was the risk he took every time he went to work.”

  “Dad liked him, didn’t he?”

  “Dad and Paul got along okay.” She deliberately downplayed the closeness they’d shared, sensing that it would only reinforce some of Travis’s feelings about their father.

  “They were exactly alike.” Travis paused to listen to the beginning of a news story about a robbery in Cheyenne, then pulled himself back to their conversation. “Paul didn’t like me, either.”