That Wild Texas Swing

by MJ Fredrick

  He hooked his arm around her shoulders. “You don’t need to be lucky when you’re talented.”

  She drew back to look at him. “Are you saying you aren’t talented?”

  “I’m saying that I am really good at talking to people, and I’m okay at seeing bigger picture stuff, but no, I’m not particularly talented. I never really had to be.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “You know what it means. I was handed a lot of stuff as the mayor’s kid. I didn’t have to even be particularly charming to get it.”

  “But you are charming.”

  “Because I learned that people respond well to it, because if you’re charming you get more of the same. More flies with honey and all of that. But I’ve never worked that hard for anything.”

  “You worked hard to get in shape.”

  He stopped, his hand on the car door that he held for her. “Yeah, I guess. But that’s not really work.”

  “It’s discipline, which not a lot of people have. Even though you’ve met your goal, you haven’t stopped. I think that’s really admirable.”

  He chuckled as she sat in the seat and buckled herself in. “Admirable is not really what I’m going for here.” He leaned in the open door. “I’m kinda hoping my luck holds.”

  She lifted her chin. “Maybe it will.”

  They drove by a couple more amusement rooms, two isolated like the first, the third right there on the access road leading to the coast, in what used to be a porn shop, but they didn’t go in. The one on the access road had a full parking lot, another had only one car, and the third was much like the first.

  The sun set as they drove along the highway and Killian pulled into the drive-in.

  “I feel bad eating ice cream in front of you.”

  “Don’t. I’m going to be tasting it from you in a little while.” He winked, and placed the order.

  They ended up back at the reservoir, but this time sat in the car, with the top down. Liz leaned back, her head against the rest, to look at the emerging stars.

  “There are some things to be said for a small town,” she murmured. “No light pollution. I can’t remember—other than the other night—the last time I stopped to look at the stars.” She turned her head without lifting it from the rest. “You make me slow down.”

  “Is that bad?”

  “Not bad. But it feels dangerous.”

  He took a sip of his diet drink. “What do you mean?”

  “I feel like if I slow down, I’m going to lose the momentum I’ve built with my business. That I’m going to miss an opportunity.”

  “Would that be the end of the world?”

  “For the first time in my life I feel like I am somebody, like I can be somebody, even if it’s just the hairdresser. But it feels good, and I want to build on it. I want to be successful. No one thought I would be.”

  “Anyone who knows you would have figured it out.”

  “Maybe.” She scooped a spoonful of ice cream. “Angie found a beautician to rent one of my chairs.”

  “Angie did?”

  “Yeah, she’s my accountant, did you know that?”

  “I don’t think that I did.”

  She looked at him a moment, befuddled by his reaction. “Anyway, I’m trying her out this week. Know anyone who wants to be a guinea pig? How about your mom? Oh, speaking of your mom, how did it go with Maggie? She went back to the Sagebrush the other night. I wonder if she met up with Jackson.”

  “She didn’t talk about it at dinner yesterday, but I saw her sitting with him at lunch today.”

  “As in, she went and sat with him?”

  “He went and sat with her.”

  “Interesting.” She dragged the word out. “I hope she comes in tomorrow and gives me the lowdown.”

  “Better you than me, because I really don’t want to know.” He slid from beneath the steering wheel and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “And I really don’t want to talk about my sister’s love life anymore.”

  *****

  She was still coming down from the buzz of kissing Killian—when had she forgotten how nice it was just to be kissed?—when he pulled onto her street. She’d wanted to go back to his place, to burn off this desire that hummed in her blood, but he’d brought her home instead. She had to admit, she liked that he didn’t expect her to go home with him, though, dang, she was guaranteed some sexy dreams tonight.

  A strange car was parked in front of the house when Killian brought her home. Odd, since it was almost ten o’clock, and her mother and usually Gracie liked to get to bed early. Her father had a truck, so it wasn’t him. Did Brianna have a boyfriend? She didn’t think so, not since she was so obsessed with her quinceañera, but Liz kicked herself for not asking.

  “Want me to come in?” Killian asked.

  She shook her head. “No, I can kick out whoever it is.”

  “Call if you need me. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  She leaned across the seat for another kiss, then slid out of the car and hurried up to the house.

  The kitchen light was on and happy chatter poured out of the room. At least Brianna wasn’t unsupervised with a boy, though she didn’t hear a boy’s voice.

  She stepped into the room to see both her sisters and her mother standing around. Where was the owner of the car? Maybe it was a neighbor, parked in front of their house, but she didn’t see why they would. All of them had plenty of room in front of their own houses.

  Brianna saw her first and lunged forward, grabbing her hands. “I’m having my party at the church. Papa said he’d pay for it. In fact, he’s going to go put the money down tomorrow.”

  Was it her father’s car? Where was he? She looked around. “Is he here?” God, was he moving back in? She looked at her mother’s happy face. No. She wouldn’t, would she? Wouldn’t give into him after he’d hurt her so bad?

  “No, he’s gone,” Gracie said. “He was sorry he missed you.” Her voice bubbled with excitement.

  “So whose car—?”

  “Mine!” Grace burst out. “Brand new. I’ve never had a brand new car. He said it’s really good on gas mileage, which will help with going to school, and if I don’t like the color, we can take it back and exchange it. I’m not crazy about it, but we’ve been driving around in it and I just absolutely love it. Do you want to go for a ride?”

  Liz’s chest squeezed with something—not jealousy, exactly, but something like envy, that he could do for her sisters what she couldn’t, when she’d been working hard all along for them. She glanced at her mother, expecting to see a similar expression, but no. Sophia’s eyes were bright and her shoulders relaxed.

  “He’s going to make the payments?” she asked her sister. She wouldn’t put it past him to stick them with the payments.

  “He paid cash for it. I have the title.” She twisted to pick up a paper from the counter.

  “Good,” Liz said, and wanted to mean it. She didn’t want anything from him, not a car, not a party. Mostly she didn’t want him here buying his way into her sisters’ affections. Maybe he’d changed, but she couldn’t let herself believe it.

  Her sisters were so happy, but were watching her with a wariness she couldn’t allow. So she brushed off her own doubts.

  Jessica Vargas was a baby, not much older than Gracie. As Liz talked to her, she learned the girl had gotten her GED after she dropped out of high school to go to beauty school.

  Sophia had volunteered to be the first guinea pig for a new cut. Her hair was a challenge, thick and wavy. Liz had kept it in a bob because the style was easiest for her mother to care for. But as she watched, Jessica transformed the cut into something modern, shorter in the back, longer over the ears and with bangs that made Sophia look years younger. Nia from the antique store came over and let Jessica give her a sleek new style, and Bev the manicurist, who was mid-forties and a natural redhead, got two electric blue streaks.

  When Jessica was done, she sat in the chair and faced Liz, who s
at in her own chair. Sophia had headed back to work, thrilled with her new style. Bev was working on Amber’s nails while her high school friends sat in the waiting area. Liz was aware that Jessica wasn’t much older than those high schoolers, that she was going to be younger than most of her customers.

  “Are you sure you want to move out here? It’s a good hour away from shopping centers and movie theaters. We’ve got two decent restaurants and a couple of fast food places on the highway. Not exactly an exciting place. Most of our young people are looking to get away from here as soon as possible. I mean, you’re talented. You could get a job in the city.”

  Jessica folded her hands around one knee. “I’m only nineteen. It’s not easy to get a position that will pay me enough for rent. And I’m not really someone who parties a lot, so I don’t need a lot of places to go.”

  “There are cowboys,” Bev volunteered from her table.

  The corner of Jessica’s mouth hitched. “I’m not looking for a guy, either. I just got rid of one of those he-men. I don't need another one.”

  Liz couldn’t stop herself from smiling, though damn, that was cynical for one so young.

  “I’m going to need you to sign a contract. Six months?”

  Jessica’s eyes widened. “I’ve never signed a contract before.”

  “Well, we’ll put in that you have to make a certain amount of money a month, and if you don’t, you can get out of your contract.” She had a similar contract with Bev and Mrs. Wachowski. “I want to be able to plan my business growth, but I also want you to have a secure position.” Nerves fluttered in her stomach. She didn't feel responsible for Bev, who was old enough to make her own choices, who wanted away from the busy cities, and who was interested in finding a cowboy.

  Jessica didn’t seem all that excited. She stood and extended her hand to Liz. Liz got the feeling, as she shook the girl’s hand, that she had just taken responsibility for yet another young woman.

  If she thought business would slow after the Sagebrush’s grand opening, she was wrong. Women found all kinds of excuses to come in to meet the new girl, to quiz her. Jessica played her cards pretty close to the vest. Liz wondered how long that would continue.

  She had to admit to some curiosity herself. How did a barely-nineteen-year-old with some serious talent end up with an RV in a tiny Texas town? Her application said she was from San Antonio, had gone to high school there. So why wouldn’t she take a job there?

  Liz shook her head. She was just as bad as the other gossips in town, letting someone else’s choices consume her.

  Killian stopped by after lunch with a bag from the Coyote and leaned on the reception desk.

  “It occurs to me that you’re not making healthy choices by skipping lunch,” he said, motioning to the bag. “I know you can’t probably sit down and eat, so I brought you a sandwich, cut into pieces, and chips. You can grab a bite between customers.”

  She stepped away from her customer to approach him warily. “Are you trying to keep my energy up for something?”

  “Yeah, I thought we could go hear some music at the Sagebrush tonight. You have anything else going on?”

  “I’ll meet you there.”

  Disappointment creased the skin between his eyebrows. “I can pick you up.”

  “It doesn’t make any sense, you coming to the house, then taking me home, when you live right across from the Sagebrush. I’ll meet you.”

  “Seven o’clock?”

  She nodded. She hadn’t been back since opening night, and hoped Sage wouldn’t give her a bad time. She’d be a paying customer this time, at least.

  “Are you seriously dating the mayor?” Naomi, one of the other teenagers, asked from the manicure table.

  “Not seriously,” Liz said flippantly. Never seriously.

  *****

  Killian arrived at the Sagebrush early and claimed a table near the stage, one with chairs. It didn’t quite feel like a date since he hadn’t picked Liz up, but she was being practical. He got that. He waited to order drinks, and kept his eye on the door.

  The Ranger who’d come into town earlier, Ryan Keller, was at the bar, flirting with Sage, who, of course, was having none of it. He didn’t get that girl, Sage. She was gorgeous, smart, wealthy. But she didn’t seem to want a man in her life. She had Jackson hanging around, now Ryan. What did she want?

  Ryan finally got Sage’s message and turned away from the bar, scanning the room. When he apparently couldn’t find another woman to hit on, he raised his beer to Killian and crossed the room to join him.

  “Mayor.”

  “Ranger.”

  “Waiting for someone?”

  “I am, but you can join me.” Killian motioned to a chair.

  “A woman?”

  “Yep.”

  Ryan leaned back in his chair. “Must be a challenge, dating when you’re the mayor.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Well, you have to wonder, does she want you, or does she want to be a mayor’s wife?”

  “Actually, I’ve found the opposite to be the problem. The women I want don’t give a damn about being the mayor’s wife, probably wish I was a storekeeper or a cowboy or something.”

  “Is that right?”

  “What about you? Single?” Killian cast a glance at the bar, letting the Ranger know he’d been watching his failed attempt to charm Sage.

  “Ah, yeah, and I like it that way. Makes it easier to move from place to place, meet new people. What’s her story?” He motioned with his beer to Sage.

  “She’s the owner, daughter of the biggest rancher in the area. She owns most of the shops on the square and is pretty active in revitalizing the town.”

  Ryan’s eyebrows lifted. “She seeing anyone?”

  “Not in a long time. I think she’s more interested in the town than men right now.”

  Ryan took a pull of his beer and grinned. “I do love a challenge.”

  “She’ll give you one.” Killian sipped his water. “So you move around a lot? You have a home base? How does that work?”

  “I have an apartment in San Antonio, work out of the office there. I tend to get to go farther afield than other Rangers in the office because I’m single, can stay longer without a wife bitching or kids crying.”

  “Helps that you have such a positive view on marriage.”

  Ryan laughed. “You know what you grew up with, right? Dad was an ER doc, never home, missed all kinds of recitals and family activities, Mom got bitter, sister cried. So I figured, why put another family through that?”

  “So what kinds of cases do you usually cover? Seems to me gaming halls are kind of low priority for the Rangers.”

  “Might be, most of the time. Most of the time these guys just get a misdemeanor charge, so it’s hardly worth it for even your guys to pursue them. What I’ve seen happening in some counties, is the county charges high taxes for the businesses to run, hoping to make them unprofitable.”

  “Does that work?”

  “No, these guys are making good money. They pay the taxes and keep on operating. Or they charge outrageous licensing fees per machine, and bring money into the county that way.”

  “Isn’t that giving tacit approval to these places?”

  “Sure, and that might require its own investigation, but as far as I can tell, it’s legitimate.”

  “So why did the Rangers answer Treviño’s appeal?”

  “We want to know where this money is originating, to open these things. Just south of here, we had a building with a hundred machines. Who has the start-up for that kind of investment?”

  Killian lifted a shoulder.

  “Drug money, smuggling, something like that.”

  “Why would they do something like that?”

  “To get a foothold in the states, to start selling drugs to the people who frequent the halls, getting them to start selling.”

  “I could see that, if they’re in debt to the house or whatever,” Killian said. “Bu
t these are eight-liners. It’s not blackjack or poker or anything like that.”

  “That you’ve seen. But you haven’t been to all of them, seen back rooms. They lure these guys in, but then take their money, and when the money’s out, offer them loans with an interest they can’t repay. Then they don’t have a choice and they’re doing something they never thought they’d do.”

  The idea of drug smugglers anywhere near Evansville sent a chill down Killian’s spine. Sure, he knew the kids sometimes got a hold of weed, or even manufactured drugs, but they got it out of town, not here. And if these guys were selling in his town, they needed to be stopped. Evansville was on its way up, and he wasn’t going to risk the young people.

  “So what are you going to do?”

  “We have an investigation underway that’s been in the works awhile. I’m just here for the final stages. Who’s that?” Ryan’s gaze had continued to drift throughout the conversation, and he straightened now, his gaze on the door.

  Killian turned and smiled. “What I’ve been waiting for.” More than minutes, more than all day, more than weeks, even.

  Liz wasn’t as dressed up this time, which made sense but still disappointed him. She wore painted-on jeans and a loose shirt that slipped off one shoulder, leaving it absolutely bare.

  Suddenly he understood why the glimpse of a wrist or ankle was so scandalous back in the day, because just the sight of her collarbone and shoulder made him want to throw her over his shoulder and carry her to his apartment.

  He wondered what she’d do if he took charge like that. Kick his ass, maybe.

  He rose, and the minute she saw him, her defensive expression softening. He wished her default wasn’t defensiveness, but he understood why. Still, this was her town, and she belonged here as much as anyone else.

  He was aware that Ryan stood as well, drawing her attention, and her brows furrowed.

  “Liz Salazar, this is Texas Ranger Ryan Keller. Killing time between picking up women. Ryan, this is Liz, who owns the salon across the square.”

  Her smile of greeting was a little too bright for his comfort, so he shifted his weight closer, signaling possession. She gave him a questioning look over her bare shoulder, but he merely lifted a brow, letting her know she needed to deal with it.