by D'Ann Lindun
“My dad and Henry didn’t see eye-to-eye,” he said. “Henry didn’t speak to me, us. Even after Dad died, Henry refused to make up with me.”
“He didn’t speak to my mother either,” Elizabeth countered, “but he left her everything he owned. Doesn’t that seem odd to you? It had to hurt you that he didn’t patch things up with your family, too.”
“Henry held a grudge all right,” he said noncommittally.
“Then why blame Mr. Cooper for his death if Uncle Henry was so difficult?”
“The only person nastier than Henry is Cooper. Just ask his ex. She’s right there.” Tom nodded toward the waitress.
Elizabeth felt the blood drain from her face. “That’s Cooper’s ex-wife?”
“Yeah, right up until he offed Uncle Henry. She divorced him quick as a rabbit.”
Elizabeth glanced at the waitress with new interest as she came over with two sweating long-necks. The buttons of her western-style shirt strained to stay together and her black jeans fit like a diver’s wetsuit. Waves of blue-black hair fell over one shoulder. “Rufus wants to talk to you, Tom.” She set the bottle in front of Elizabeth. “This one’s for you. He’d like an introduction.”
“Speaking of introductions, Esperanza, meet Elizabeth,” Tom said with a malicious grin. “She’s into your ex.”
Her stomach tightening, Elizabeth looked up and forced a cool smile. She held out her hand. “Hello. Mr. Cooper has been very helpful.”
Esperanza took it, her grip icy cold from the beer she’d been holding. The woman threw her head back and laughed through full, berry-colored lips. The row of men sitting at the bar turned to look. “Honey, that isn’t a word I’d ever spend on Cooper. No. Cold, angry … make that bitter, but he isn’t ‘helpful.’”
Tom threw Elizabeth an ‘I told you so’ look. “Esperanza should know. She was married to him long enough to learn all his nasty secrets.”
“Yep. Too long, if you ask me.” She flipped a wave of long hair over her shoulder. “Honey, there’s a whole town full of men, and not one of them has half the problems Cooper does. Find you another one, someone who won’t break you like you’re a filly.”
A sudden unbidden image — one of Cooper taming her — filled Elizabeth with quivering, aching heat. She took a sip of the icy beer.
“You got that right.” Tom swatted Esperanza’s round rear as she turned away. “Stay away from Cooper, Elizabeth. Even his ex-wife thinks he’s a walking time bomb.”
“Maybe she’s the one who’s trouble.” Elizabeth watched the waitress. She looked like a woman men would hurt each other for.
“Heed my warning.” Tom stood. “I’ll not say anything again.”
“That’d be a relief,” Elizabeth whispered as he went back to join the men at the bar. Esperanza was nowhere in sight. The fact Cooper had an ex who looked like a supermodel left Elizabeth stunned.
A bombshell like Esperanza wasn’t who she’d picture him with. No, someone much more serious would be a better match. Yes, that was it. A woman who could appreciate his reflective side. A woman who didn’t automatically assume he was guilty of every crime committed in Salt Lick.
Someone like her.
Where had that idea come from? Elizabeth took another pull on her beer and made a face. She’d only had a few sips, surely she wasn’t drunk. Maybe she ought to get that way. Any thought of her and Cooper together was just ludicrous. She’d been warned off him by Tom, Sheriff Marlowe, and even his ex-wife. They couldn’t all be wrong.
Turning her attention to the rare steak Esperanza set in front of her, Elizabeth swallowed hard. It wasn’t nice to tease someone as hungry as she was. There wasn’t any way she could put a half living cow in her mouth. She poked the potato instead, grimacing as about a half-pound of butter and sour cream ran out of it, causing her stomach to jump gleefully.
Elizabeth took a bite. As the flavors ran over her tongue, she forgot her resolve not to eat anything that wasn’t healthy. An image of her friends back in LA, all frowning and wagging perfectly manicured nails went through her mind. Deliberately, she took another bite and banished her aerobic-bound friends from her conscience. They’d be back, she knew.
As Elizabeth’s stomach began to get full, she started to unwind. Esperanza had placed a third beer in front of her several minutes ago. Elizabeth was beginning to see why all these fellows liked the flavor so much. She sighed and leaned back in her seat.
The steak remained untouched on her plate, but the potato and the mounds of butter and sour cream she’d consumed filled her belly. Well, almost. The apple pie Esperanza had suggested sounded too good to pass by and she ordered a piece with a scoop of cinnamon ice cream.
First she had to find the little cowgirls’ room. Standing up, Elizabeth’s head swam. Shaking it off, she staggered toward the bathroom. Washing her hands in the small basin, she told her reflection, “You better sober up. This isn’t a safe environment to get drunk.” She feared it was too late.
As she headed back to her table she noticed the man who’d said he didn’t want to be part of something sat hunched over a drink, alone. The others played pool on a scarred table. Maybe he knew something. This was her chance to ask him a few questions. She veered toward him. As she reached his shoulder she said, “Buy you a drink?”
The cowboy looked up, surprised. “Huh?” Up close he was younger than she’d anticipated. But he looked tired, used. “I’m offering you a drink,” she repeated.
He lifted an empty shot glass. “Got one. Thanks.”
“My name is Elizabeth Adams. May I talk to you?”
“About what?” He didn’t offer to introduce himself.
Elizabeth pulled a recent picture of her mother out her pocket and held it under his nose. “Did you happen to see this woman in here in the last month? Maybe around town?”
Something — recognition? — skittered across his face. “No.”
“Please, if you know anything — ”
“I said I didn’t,” he said roughly.
She tried a different approach. “A man was killed in my barn last night, and I wondered if you might have been acquainted with him? Lyle Pritchet?”
“Why would I know anything?” His gaze darted past her to the quartet playing eight ball. “I don’t know nothin’. Leave me alone.”
“I have a hunch you know a lot.” Elizabeth dug in her pocket for a business card. She scratched Henry’s number on it and handed it to him. “If you think of anything, please call me.”
The man dressed like Johnny Cash motioned to her as she went back to her table. Elizabeth ignored him. She wasn’t a dog to be called to her master. As she sat and took a bite of pie she was startled to notice a shadow over her head. Glancing up she looked into flat, oddly colorless eyes. “Yes?”
Without waiting to be asked, the Johnny Cash wannabe pulled out the chair opposite her and settled his lanky frame in it. “I’m thinking you have an unhealthy interest in subjects that ain’t your concern.”
Although her heart felt like it might burst out her chest, Elizabeth forced her features to remain serene. “Such as?”
“Lyle Pritchett.”
“What about him?” Could he tell she was bluffing? Pretending to be unaffected? The meal turned over in her stomach, souring. From the movies, she knew what came next. Big trouble.
“Word is you’re sticking your nose in where it doesn’t belong.”
“Your information is incorrect. My mother is missing, and a man was murdered in my barn last night. I would like to know why. I don’t know you, sir, and I’d appreciate it if you would remove yourself from my table.” Out of the corner of her eye, Elizabeth noticed the men at the pool table watching the exchange. Tom had left. Her mouth felt dry. This bar was no place for someone like her. It had been a mistake to come here. The stranger in black reached across the table and lifted her beer. Taking a slow, deliberate drink from it, he studied her with those unnatural eyes. “You live all alone don’t you? Way out at the
old Harper place. A long ways from anyone.”
Her ears rang and her scalp scrunched up like a used newspaper. Was he threatening her? “That’s none of your concern.”
He leered at her. “Those are funny words coming from someone who doesn’t know enough to keep her nose out of other folks’ business.”
“I only want to find my mother.” Her palms were drenched.
The door swung open and Cooper walked in with a gust of snow. Elizabeth almost wanted to cry with relief. Their eyes met and he strode to her table. “This seat for me?”
“Yes. I’ve been saving it.”
“What are you doin’ here, Cooper?” the unwelcome guest asked. “You don’t show your face in town very often.”
“Miss Adams and I have things to discuss, Rufus,” Cooper said. “And it looks like you’re bothering her. So, if you don’t mind — ”
“I do mind. The lady was taking my advice.”
“Such as?” Cooper’s voice dropped several degrees.
Elizabeth shivered. Once again, she was reminded of a cougar. Tension vibrated from him. He looked poised to spring. The other man didn’t seem as aware of the danger.
“Butt out, Cooper.”
“Nope. Not until you leave Miss Adams alone. We want to have a peaceful cup of coffee.”
The Johnny Cash wannabe — Rufus — glared at him. “That’s a funny statement coming from you. Considering what you did to old man Harper. Thanks to you, he’s resting in peace.”
“I’m not arguing with you,” Cooper warned. “Lay off Elizabeth.”
“Oh, I’ll lay her, all right.” Rufus leered at Elizabeth and licked his bottom lip.
Before she could open her mouth, Cooper moved so fast it looked almost casual. He leaned across the table and punched Rufus in the mouth. Blood spurted out of his split lip. He covered his lower face with his hands as his eyes went deadly.
“You’ll wish you’d never done that.”
Cooper stared at his opponent with cold eyes. “Don’t threaten me, or talk to that way to Miss Adams again. You’ll wish you were never born.”
Wide-eyed, Elizabeth could only close her mouth with a snap. She hadn’t expected Cooper to react like that. Harsh words, she’d anticipated. Maybe a threat or two, but never had she expected him to strike out like a wounded animal. Movie heroes didn’t have a thing on him. Maybe Cooper watched old spaghetti westerns, too.
The men with cue sticks circled the table.
“Don’t,” Cooper warned them still staring at Rufus.
With a glance at their wounded boss, the three men backed away. Esperanza rushed up, a damp towel in her hands. She handed it to Rufus. “I thought you would’ve learned to control your temper by now. But you haven’t changed. Get out, Cooper. Just leave before I call the sheriff.”
Without a backward glance, Cooper picked up his Stetson and walked toward the door.
Elizabeth leaped up and followed him, jerking on her coat as she went.
“Hey! You didn’t pay your ticket,” Esperanza called after them.
Chapter 6
A gust of wind hit Elizabeth square in the face as she dashed behind Cooper. Icy snowflakes whipped into her eyes, temporarily blinding her. Blinking rapidly, she saw at least an inch of powder had already accumulated, and the blizzard didn’t look like it was going to let up anytime soon. She came up short when she bumped into Cooper’s back. “Oops.”
He turned around. “Go home, Elizabeth. What Esperanza said is true. I’m too quick with my fists. My temper can be deadly.”
“That man got exactly what he had coming.” As the words flew out of her mouth, Elizabeth couldn’t believe she said them. She was totally anti-violence. She’d even marched with a peace group in college. If Cooper hadn’t struck Rufus, she might have done it herself.
“Stay out of this mess before you get hurt.”
Elizabeth still shook from the encounter inside. “I can’t. Not until I find my mom. But I do think I’ve had enough fun for one day. I’m going home.”
“Best plan I’ve heard all night.” Cooper ushered her to the SUV and waited until she unlocked the door and climbed inside. “I’ll follow you.”
After she fastened her seatbelt and started the engine, Cooper went to his old truck and climbed in. He flashed his headlights at her and she pulled out on the deserted street with him right behind. The few overhead lights lit up the heavy snowflakes like millions of floating angels. They created an eerie, yet beautiful sight. Her mother would love them. Elizabeth’s throat grew so tight she couldn’t swallow.
Not another car was on the road, for which she was grateful. The pavement had grown slick, and it took all her concentration to keep the SUV on course. When she’d made the decision to come to Salt Lick, Elizabeth had picked out the most up-to-date vehicle the car dealer had on his lot. With a flick of her finger, she switched on her four-wheel-drive.
Glancing in the rearview mirror, she saw Cooper followed her at a safe distance, his headlights twin beacons in a sea of snow. His presence reassured her. Why she was so trusting of a man she barely knew? Maybe because he’d saved her behind more than once.
Elizabeth turned off Main Street to Highway 191, a two-lane road which led straight to her place. Nothing moved but the dancing snowflakes. Once in a while, she spotted a yard light off in the distance. In spite of the heater blowing full blast, she shivered. The thought of being out here all alone was a sobering one.
A sharp curve in the road seemed to come out of nowhere.
Reacting on instinct, she yanked the wheel, sending her vehicle went into a full skid. The wheels seemed to take on a life of their own. No matter how hard she wrenched on the steering wheel, Elizabeth couldn’t straighten the sliding car. She noticed a road sign fly by, then Cooper’s headlights.
With a sudden bone-jarring jolt, the SUV slammed into a ditch. Then the engine died. The headlights still burned on full beam. Shaken, but unhurt, she took a few weak breaths. “This snow driving is going to take a little practice.”
Pounding on the window caught her attention. She opened the door a crack. Cooper stood there. “You okay?”
“Fine.” Elizabeth nodded. “Fine.”
“You sure?” he demanded.
Elizabeth began to giggle. The entire situation was just too funny. No matter how hard she tried to quit, the funnier it became. Chortles erupted from her like bubbles from a champagne bottle. Impossible to stop. “N … n … e … e … vv … er bbb … b … e … tt … er.” She wiped away tears from the corner of her eyes.
Cooper looked at her like she was crazy and opened the door. “Scoot over.”
As she slid over the console to make room for him in the driver’s seat, her mirth began to die. All laughter went when the engine failed to start. “What’s wrong?”
“Don’t know.” He tried again. The engine growled, but refused to fire. After several attempts, it became obvious the motor wasn’t going to cooperate. With a muffled curse, Cooper said, “We flooded it now. Or maybe the fuel injector switch got turned off. I don’t know.”
“I wonder how long it’ll take to start again?”
“Probably a while,” he said.
Elizabeth shivered. “I’m freezing.”
“It’s going to get colder,” Cooper said. “I think it’s best to leave your rig here and come back for it in the morning. I’ll drive you home.”
“Leave my car?” She shook her head. “No way.”
“It’s safe enough,” he said. “You’re off the road. No one is going to hit you, and no one is going to be out in this storm. If we keep sitting here, we’ll just get colder. There’s no sense in that.”
She wasn’t cold with him this close. But he made sense. She couldn’t think of a counter argument. “Be sure to get the keys.”
He held them up in his fist. “Right here.”
Elizabeth walked to his old truck, climbed in and reached for a seatbelt.
“Don’t have one,” he said.
>
“That’s dangerous,” she said.
“I know,” he replied dryly.
“Turn up the heat,” she countered, “if it works.”
Giving her a sour look, Cooper switched the heater on high. He put the pickup in reverse and it backed up easily.
Elizabeth released the breath she didn’t know she’d been holding. “How far from my place are we?”
“Not far.” He shifted. “About four or five miles.”
“My house is going to be freezing,” Elizabeth said. “I only have a woodstove which I’m not very adept at working yet.”
“They can be tough until you get the hang of it,” Cooper agreed. “I’ll come in and start it if you want.”
“Oh, that would be great.” She was afraid he could start another kind of fire if she weren’t careful. Somehow she knew Cooper wasn’t the love ’em and leave ’em type. Which was a good thing because she didn’t go for one night sort of relationships. Relationship? She and Cooper barely had a speaking acquaintance, why was she thinking about a physical thing? He wasn’t her type.
Elizabeth wondered what would her mother think about this man? Would she believe the gossip, or would she give him a chance? Elizabeth stared out the window. The storm swirled around them, cocooning them in the cab. Silence enveloped them.
Cooper was lost in thoughts of his own.
Since Elizabeth Adams had come into his life, two short days ago, she’d stirred up things like a range cook with a spoon. Nothing had been calm since she’d come around. It had been more years than he could remember since he’d struck someone. No matter how hard he tried, though, he couldn’t make himself feel bad about punching Rufus in his smart mouth. Elizabeth reminded him of an orphaned calf — bewildered and scared without its mama. In spite of his instincts to stay away, he couldn’t abandon her to the wolves.
Focusing on the road ahead, he pushed his thoughts back.
A narrow beam of light cut through the darkness, flashing into the rearview mirror. Who was it? Other than his own place, and Elizabeth’s, no one else lived this far out. A touch of apprehension nudged him. “Damn.”