The Cowboy Says I Do

by Dylann Crush

  “What are you talking about?” Her heart stuttered at the fear in his eyes. He was scared. The man she’d looked up to most of her life was basically telling her to sell out.

  “They have deep pockets and hands that can reach down to the bottom and beyond.” His mouth set in a grim line; his face was devoid of any hint of humor.

  “You’re serious.”

  “I am. And you’d better start taking them seriously, too. They’re not the kind of people you want to piss off.”

  “Wait, what happened?”

  Her dad moved past her to clear the mugs off the table. “Just let them go about their business and be done with them.”

  She let him walk away, deciding not to pursue the conversation for the time being. But her dad’s reaction made her more determined than ever to stand her ground against the Phillips family. Someone had to. The only thing that gave her pause was wondering which side Bodie would end up on.

  eleven

  “Dammit. Think you could have handled that any worse?” Bodie slammed the door to his truck behind him. Pops had climbed in the backseat while his dad took up more than half of the front.

  “It’ll work out the way it’s supposed to, you’ll see. I know you’ve got a soft spot for those folks. Talk some sense into that filly before she goes and gets in over her head, will you?” His dad pulled one of his cigars from his front pocket.

  “I don’t know what you’ve got planned, but Lacey Cherish is off-limits, you understand?” He shot a glance at his dad. “And put that thing away. You’re not smoking in my truck.”

  His dad ignored him, lighting up the cigar with the custom filigreed lighter he picked up in Mexico. “I knew I shouldn’t have let you spend so much time at their place when you were a kid. Luke was all right but their dad’s got a soft head on his shoulders. And now his daughter’s following in his footsteps. She’d best mind her own business and work out her little wedding plans without mucking up what we’ve got going on.”

  “Dad, you understand it’s my job to uphold the law, right?”

  “Of course. You don’t know how proud it makes me to be able to say my son is a member of Idont’s finest.”

  Bodie shook his head. “You know Lacey’s changing the name of the town. Better start referring to it as Ido. And can you please put that thing out?”

  His dad rolled the window down an inch. “Nonsense. Don’t you go getting all soft on me, too.”

  A firm hand clamped on to his shoulder. Pops leaned forward, between the bucket seats. “Family comes first. Bodie knows that.”

  Bodie met his grandfather’s gaze in the rearview mirror. Pops’s blue eyes stuck out against his weathered, leathery skin. Yeah, family did come first. That fact had been drilled into him since he was a kid. But he’d recently noticed his dad and his pops seemed to adhere to their personal mantra only when it suited them.

  “You got time for supper at the house tonight?” Dad asked. “Your mother’s been cookin’ up a storm. I think she even asked Maria to make some of those tamales you like.”

  Bodie’s stomach gurgled at the thought of Maria’s tamales. She’d been best friends with his mom since grade school. The two of them rarely spent time in the kitchen anymore, but when they did . . . he’d gone into a food coma multiple times after indulging in Maria’s homemade family recipes.

  “I could stick around for a bit.”

  “Good. Gotta have something to wash away the taste of mediocrity.” Pops let out a gruff laugh.

  There had never been good vibes between his family and the Cherish family. At least not where the older generation was concerned. But Bodie and Luke had forged a fast friendship their first day of kindergarten and as much as his dad tried to encourage him to find someone else to hang out with beyond the Cherish family, Bodie held his ground. It finally got to the point where his dad gave up. He didn’t like to involve himself in the child-rearing part of parenting, preferring to focus on his business and leave the day-to-day stuff to his wife.

  Bodie had never quite figured out what caused the tension between his dad and Mr. Cherish but he and Luke had been gloriously ignorant of the details. For some reason, now it seemed like his dad had it out for the Cherish family. Mr. Cherish could hold his own, but Bodie wouldn’t have Lacey get caught in the crosshairs. Not on his watch.

  He’d spent most of his childhood looking out for Luke’s younger sister, so the sense of protectiveness didn’t surprise him. But the intensity of his need to keep her from harm did. He shook it off, leaving those thoughts for another day, as he pulled into the long drive leading to his parents’ house.

  A decked-out dually truck sat on the concrete pad next to the garage.

  “You expecting company?” Bodie asked.

  His dad flicked his cigar ash out the window as they came to a stop. “Just a little supper between friends. Come on in. Those tamales are waiting.”

  Pops scrambled out of the backseat like a man a third his age. What did the two of them have planned? Reluctantly, Bodie shifted the truck into park and followed the two men into the house.

  “Phillips!” A booming voice echoed across the tile floors, bouncing off the adobe walls of his childhood home. Mayor Buck Little of Swynton took long strides across the foyer to wrap Bodie’s dad in a half-hug handshake.

  “Sorry we’re a little late. We had some business to take care of with our illustrious mayor.” Bodie’s dad grinned—a kind of cat-devoured-the-canary type—as he nodded toward Bodie. “You remember my son? Deputy Sheriff Phillips?”

  “Of course.” Buck released his grip and stepped back, sizing Bodie up with deep-set beady eyes. “How are you, Son?”

  Bodie cringed at the familiarity. He didn’t want any link between him and Mayor Little. “Just fine. How about you, Mayor?”

  They shook hands, Bodie adding a little extra squeeze.

  “Oh, I’m fine, just fine. And I’ll be even better once we get the particulars figured out.” He winked.

  Bodie backed away, feeling the need to take a nice, hot shower to rid himself of the heebie-jeebies that seemed to ooze out of Buck Little and taint anyone within a five-foot radius. He left his dad and pops to the mayor and moved toward the kitchen, where the smell of cumin and cilantro called.

  “Hey, Mom.” He stopped behind where his mother stood at the counter, a glass of white wine in hand.

  “Well, hello, sweetheart. What a nice surprise.” She tilted her head up. The smell of expensive perfume hit his nose as he pressed an obligatory kiss to her cheek.

  “Dad said Maria was here with tamales.” He lifted his brows as he stalked toward where Maria stood, folding husks together to form her mouthwatering tamales.

  “Your mom didn’t tell me you were coming.” She turned, giving him a hug, being careful to hold her hands out since they were covered in cornmeal.

  “I didn’t know I was coming either until Dad mentioned your tamales.” He pulled her in close. Auntie Ria had been a fixture in his life for years. She and her husband had never had kids so she used to spoil him rotten when he was younger.

  “How long has it been?” She turned back to the task at hand.

  Bodie settled half his butt on a kitchen stool and watched her scoop, roll, and tie the tamales into neatly bound packages of deliciousness. “Been too long. You need to move back closer where we can see you more often.”

  She and her husband had moved to Austin years ago. Bodie couldn’t remember the last time he’d had one of her home-cooked dinners.

  “Why don’t you help set the table, sweetheart?” His mom took a sip of her wine.

  “Who else is coming?” Bodie asked, already heading for the cabinet where they stored the hand-thrown ceramic plates.

  “Who knows? This is your father’s deal.” She set her glass down on the counter and reached for the silverware drawer.

  B
odie nodded. His mom had always steered clear of his dad’s business dealings. He didn’t blame her. Ignorance was bliss. Or at least ignorance didn’t keep her up at night, wondering what kind of business her husband was dealing in. He wished he could look the other way like she seemed to be able to do. But it took more than shopping trips to Dallas or cruises to the French Riviera to distract him. His mom might be willing to embrace the oblivion, but Bodie had a moral obligation to keep his family on the straight and narrow.

  By the time dinner was ready they’d been joined by Mayor Little’s second-in-command along with his wife and son. Bodie felt for the ten-year-old kid. He’d probably much rather be home playing video games or out with his friends.

  As the older men covered safe topics like the price of oil and whether or not the Cowboys had been cheated out of a Super Bowl run, Bodie kept his head down, listening to the conversation and enjoying every single bite. By the time his mom pulled out the flan, he’d stuffed himself so full he couldn’t possibly eat anything else.

  “We’re heading over to the office to talk shop.” His dad rose from the table. “Gentlemen?”

  Although the meal had been one he’d remember for a long time, Bodie had no intention of getting caught up in conversation with his dad and Mayor Little.

  “Wish I could stick around but I’ve got to go.” He gave his mom a peck on the cheek, hugged Maria, and offered his hand to his dad.

  “Buck wants to have a little chat with you, Son.” His dad leaned in, his beer breath brushing against Bodie’s ear.

  “Not tonight. I’ve got a prior commitment.” He pulled his hand away and took long strides toward the foyer.

  His dad followed. “It would be in your best interest to join us for a cigar and a whiskey.” With his thumbs tucked into the belt loops of his jeans, he leveled a penetrating gaze at Bodie.

  “Like I said, wish I could.” Bodie grabbed his cowboy hat off the hook by the front door. “Maybe another time.”

  He left the house, pulling the huge hand-carved door closed behind him. As he walked down the path to his truck, he let out a breath. His dad was getting too close to Mayor Little. Something was going on and he’d better figure it out before Lacey did. If she caught wind of something unsavory taking place she’d latch on like a dog with a soup bone. He couldn’t let that happen.

  twelve

  “I can’t believe all the stuff they left behind.” Lacey opened up another cardboard box. She’d conned Zina into helping her sort through some of the stuff left in the warehouse. Shelves filled with boxes lined the walls. Valentine’s decorations mixed in with birthday party paper supplies. They’d even come across an entire pallet full of garden gnomes.

  “They had a very eclectic assortment.” Zina held up a figurine. “Why in the world would they carry something like this? I don’t even know what it is.”

  Lacey paused sorting through a carton of novelty pencil toppers. “Maybe they had an order to supply the high school mascot. Or one of their retailers could be big into beavers.”

  Zina snorted. “Big into beavers or into big beavers?”

  The beaver’s tail seemed disproportionately large based on the smaller size of its body. “Either way, they sure have a lot of beavers.”

  “Who’s got a lot of beavers?” Bodie rounded a tall shelving unit.

  Lacey’s face heated. “What are you doing here?”

  “Saw your truck parked out front and wanted to make sure everything was okay.” He had on a pair of jeans and a button-down flannel plaid shirt. It was nice to see him outside of his usual deputy uniform. Reminded her of when they used to just be friends, not grown-ups trying to navigate a new professional relationship.

  “I meant to lock the door. Zina and I are just taking a look at the inventory. Your family sure has some interesting tastes.” She took the ceramic beaver from Zina’s hands. “Any idea why they’d have hundreds of breakable beavers?”

  Now Bodie’s cheeks tinged pink. “No idea. They’re the high school’s mascot, right? Maybe they ordered them or they’re for a festival or something.”

  “The breakable beaver festival?” Zina asked.

  Lacey stifled a laugh. Bodie reached for the ceramic figurine. “Who knows? If there was a market for it, I’m sure my dad had a good reason.”

  “How’s Shotgun doing?” Zina asked.

  Bodie’s eyes lit up as he set the beaver down on the shelf. “She’s doing great. I’ve actually got her out in the truck if you want to say hi.”

  “I’d love that. Y’all carry on, I’m going to go give her a treat.” Lacey loved the fact that her friend didn’t go anywhere without a pocketful of dog treats. Zina made her way down the long aisle of shelves and disappeared into the front office.

  “So how’s it going? Find anything interesting?” Bodie asked.

  “Not really. Tons of Valentine’s decor and a bunch of weird stuff.”

  “Like cases of beavers?” His lips split into a teasing grin.

  “Yes, exactly like that,” she agreed. “Are your dad and pops still trying to get all of this precious stuff back? There’s a lot of it but I can’t imagine it’s worth much.”

  “What are you planning on doing with it?”

  “Well, some of it we can probably use.” Lacey fingered a bolt of white tulle netting. “I’m thinking of liquidating the rest so we can finance the project. If your family wants it back bad enough I suppose they can buy it from us.”

  Bodie’s long fingers traced the rim of his hat. “Sounds fair enough. How quick are you looking to move on it?”

  “Quick. Adeline heard what we’re doing and wants to be our first client so she moved her wedding from September to May.” She closed the box she’d been checking. “That’s good timing anyway since most weddings take place from June to October.”

  “You sure are becoming quite the expert on the subject.” Surprisingly, his tone held no judgment.

  “It’s kind of fun. A nice break from slinging burgers.”

  “I bet.” He glanced toward his boots and shuffled his feet around. “Hey, as long as we have a second . . .”

  Lacey looked up. Those gorgeous gray eyes focused in on her, making it impossible to look away. He bit his lip. If she didn’t know him any better she might think he was nervous. But Bodie Phillips didn’t get nervous. He didn’t get flustered, either—at least not unless he found himself holding a breakable beaver.

  “What’s up?”

  He shifted his weight, finally releasing her from that penetrating gaze. “I wanted to apologize for yesterday. The way my dad and pops acted over at your place. It was—”

  “It was fine.” Lacey took a step toward him. “Obviously they’re upset. I would be, too, if I dropped the ball and cost myself a mint.”

  “The stuff they said though. I just want you to know that I don’t feel the same way they do.”

  Lacey gulped in a breath. It wasn’t like Bodie to talk about feelings. He kept things lighthearted. Even when her mom passed, Bodie was the one who made her laugh again, who reminded her how to have fun. “How exactly do you feel?”

  She’d reached him by then, stood next to where he leaned against a shelf full of cherub-shaped tumblers. “That’s just it. I don’t know. My gut tells me something’s going down with the family business. Dad’s been talking to Buck Little a lot.”

  “Yeah, he said he’s moving his operation to Swynton for some big tax cut.” Lacey scoffed. “My dad said they had that conversation many times over the years.”

  “Be careful.”

  She eyed him through lowered lids. “Careful of what?”

  “I don’t know. It’s just a feeling. Something’s off.”

  “You aren’t responsible for the actions of your dad and your pops, you know.” Her breath caught in her chest as he lifted his gaze to meet hers.

  His fi
ngers brushed hers. “I know. There’s still no excuse for it though, and I don’t want you to get mixed up in it.”

  “What do you want, Bodie?” Silence pressed down around them. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears as his gaze flickered to her mouth.

  He took a step even closer, invading her personal bubble of space. “I want . . .”

  She wet her lips with her tongue, uncomfortably aware of the ball of warmth gathering in her core. “Yes?”

  He leaned down, his gaze searching hers.

  Lacey’s heart dipped, flipped, and tripped around in her chest. Just like the time she tried to boogie-board down in Galveston and got swept up in a wave then tossed and tumbled to shore, not knowing which way was up.

  He lowered his head, his mouth moving closer to hers. The realization that he was about to kiss her engulfed her, flooding all other thoughts out of her head.

  She fisted one hand in the front of his shirt and held on to his shoulder with the other. As her knees gave out he gathered her against him, his strong arms pulling her tight to his chest. Her breath caught in her throat as she focused on the midpoint of his bottom lip, so eager to feel his mouth on hers. She let her eyes drift closed then waited, the anticipation almost too much to bear.

  A loud crash came from the front-office area. Bodie pulled back, his eyes unfocused like he’d just been pulled out of a dream.

  Shotgun bounded through the warehouse, headed straight for them. When she reached them the dog jumped to her hind legs and bounced up and down, trying to lick Bodie’s face.

  “I’m okay,” Zina yelled from the front room.

  “What happened?” Lacey shouted.

  Zina joined them, holding a frayed piece of leash. “She looked so sad in the truck I wanted to bring her in. I didn’t realize she’d chewed halfway through her leash though.”

  As the shock wore off, Lacey stepped back, unsure about meeting Bodie’s gaze. “You’ve got your hands full.”

  “She’s keeping me on my toes.” Bodie barely looked at her as he rubbed his hands over Shotgun’s head. “I’d better get home. You’ll let me know when you decide to hold the sale?”