A Cowgirl at Heart

by Christine Lynxwiler

  “You’re probably right.” Kaleigh closed her notebook and slipped it back into her bag. “I’d better just stick to Plan A.”

  “I have a bad feeling about this,” Crystal muttered.

  Elyse set down her pizza. “Me, too, but what can we do?” One thing about it. Life with Kaleigh was never boring. Of course, Elyse thought her own life was suddenly far from boring. And all afternoon she’d found herself thinking that if she got home early enough, maybe Andrew wouldn’t be asleep. She shook her head. That had to be nipped in the bud. Friends, remember? “So,” she said, “who wants to go bowling before we go home?”

  Kaleigh sighed. “Actually, I hate to break up a party, but I have a test in anatomy tomorrow.”

  “We really need to get home anyway,” Crystal said. “I have to take my business plan to the bank tomorrow.”

  Elyse blew out her breath. At this rate, they’d get back to the farm by 9:00p.m. And if Andrew’s light was on, she’d have to go by and say thank you for getting the Jeep cleaned. She smiled. Poor her.

  They gave Kaleigh the box of leftover pizza. “You’re a college girl,” Crystal said. “You need it worse. Besides,” she said quietly as Kaleigh got out of the Jeep at the dorm, “it takes a lot of energy to be someone you’re not. Believe me, I know.”

  Kaleigh turned back and looked at her, her green eyes wide. She nodded. “But maybe in my case it will be worth it. Love you guys.”

  “Love you, too,” Elyse and Crystal chorused.

  The trip home was quieter and more subdued, but Elyse wasn’t sorry they’d gone to see Kaleigh. Not only had she found out about Kaleigh’s crazy plan, but Crystal had opened up, too. It was good to know what was going on in her sisters’ lives.

  Guilt hit her in the heart. Funny how that didn’t work both ways. She had no intention of them knowing about her visitor last night. Not yet anyway.

  ***

  The second time he saw Luke go over and let Elyse’s dogs out, Andrew couldn’t stand it anymore. He sauntered up the walkway and waited until Luke came out the front door. “Everything okay with Elyse?”

  Luke glanced at him. “Yeah. Everything is fine.”

  “Okay then.” Andrew turned to walk back to his camper.

  “She and Crystal decided to take a girls’ night out and go see Kaleigh.”

  Relieved, Andrew turned around to face him again, and Luke nodded. “She said after you got the Jeep all cleaned up, she wanted a road trip.” He narrowed his eyes. “That was nice of you.”

  Andrew ducked his head. “It was nothing. I know how I’d feel if a lowlife like Zeke had been driving my truck.”

  “Speaking of that lowlife, you think he’s still around here?”

  If Andrew didn’t believe that, he wasn’t sure he would still be here himself. “Probably. But he could be anywhere.” He couldn’t tell Luke about Luis’s visit last night, but he needed him to be vigilant in helping keep Elyse safe. “He made some pretty rough threats to Elyse. In person and written in paint on the Jeep.”

  “That’s why you took the barn job, isn’t it? So you could keep an eye on her?”

  “The money’s nice, too. But yeah, I want to be sure she’s safe.” And be around if Zeke comes back.

  Luke tilted his head. “You’re not so bad.”

  “Thanks.”

  A vehicle pulled out from behind the main house and headed down the pea gravel path toward them.

  Andrew turned to look. He could tell from the headlights that it was a Jeep. “Looks like she made it back safely.”

  When Andrew turned back around, Luke was gone. In the distance, Andrew could see him walking back to his apartment at the barn across the property. Apparently his opinion of Andrew had risen enough that he wanted to give them some privacy.

  The Jeep pulled up next to him and stopped. Elyse got out and walked around toward him. Her hair was pulled up in some kind of loose bun. It made her look like a teenager, but it was cute.

  “Hey,” he said softly. “Thought you skipped the country.”

  She laughed. “What’s a girl to do with a Jeep that smells brand-new? Don’t you know that particular aroma screams ‘road trip’?”

  “Ahh, I should have told them to turn the volume down a little on it ... maybe to nice-short-drive-in-the-country.” He stepped closer to her. “You scared me to death, disappearing like that, after last night.”

  “I’m sorry.” She slipped her phone from her pocket. “What’s your cell number?”

  He called it out to her, and she punched it in.

  “Okay, I saved it.” She pushed a button and his phone rang. She grinned. “Now you can save mine to yours.”

  He did. “So if you’d had my number, you’d have called to let me know you were going?”

  “And give you a chance to talk me out of it?” She shook her head. “Probably not. But I would have called you after I was on the way so you wouldn’t worry.”

  “Did you have fun with your sisters?”

  She hitched her thumbs in her jean belt loops. “It was great.” She took a few steps toward the Jeep. “I’d better get in and check on the dogs.”

  “Luke let them out a couple of times.”

  “Good.” She turned back to him. “Luke’s really nice. He’s just...”

  “Protective of his sister,” Andrew finished for her. “And that’s definitely not a bad thing.”

  She looked relieved, and he couldn’t help but be happy that his opinion of her family mattered to her. “Good night,” she called as she climbed into the driver’s seat.

  “Good night.” He stayed outside until she parked in her driveway and was safely in the house. Only when he was back in the camper did he admit to himself how tense he’d been with her gone tonight. What he’d told Luke was true—Zeke could be anywhere. But what he hadn’t told Luke was what haunted Andrew. That the man who’d vowed revenge on Elyse might have already murdered once—and that he could have an accomplice who knew Elyse very well.

  CHAPTER 14

  In Jeremy’s driveway, for the first time Crystal faltered. Just as she and Elyse had discussed, she’d chosen her time to coincide with five minutes after Beka got on the school bus. He’d be home, finishing off his last bit of coffee before starting work. But there’d be no buffer. If he wouldn’t talk to her now, it was strictly because he didn’t want to. Her heart squeezed. Maybe she’d been wrong to let herself love someone so much.

  She knocked on the door and waited, suddenly remembering another time she’d stood here. Beka had still been missing, and Jeremy had just found out that her kidnapper, his ex-wife, Lindsey, had been found dead of an overdose, but there was no sign of Beka. When Jeremy had answered the door that day, he’d looked like all hope was gone. But Crystal had pulled together a community effort to find the little girl. If he’d lost hope in them now, in their future, was she up to making him find it again? She didn’t know.

  The door opened, and Jeremy’s blue eyes widened. “Crys ... what are you doing here?”

  She gave him an uncertain smile. “We need to talk.”

  He nodded. “Okay.” He stepped out onto the porch and sat down in one of the two chairs there.

  She stared at him. He couldn’t even stand to have her in his house. Her legs trembled as she sank into the other chair.

  They didn’t speak for a moment, until finally she said, “What have I done to make you act like this?” Her throat ached with the effort of speaking. She looked over at him and could see that his eyes were red-rimmed.

  “The only thing you did was give up your dream to be with me. And I’m such a coward that I let you.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “I told myself that Broadway wasn’t really your dream to begin with, that it was Cami’s.”

  “That’s true,” Crystal said quietly. They’d settled this a few weeks ago when she’d first come back. Where was this coming from now?

  He looked away from her. “Maybe, maybe not. But it b
ecame your dream. You fought like crazy to make it happen. And just as you got there, I pulled you away from it.”

  “Jeremy! Please tell me you’re kidding.”

  He shook his head, still not looking at her.

  “Why are you doing this?”

  “I want you to go back to Broadway.”

  “No!” She couldn’t imagine anything she’d like less. “I won’t.”

  “Maybe we can make a long-distance relationship work.” He finally turned to look at her. “I want you to be happy.”

  Tears trickled down her face, and she swiped them away, suddenly angry at his illogical decision. “You’ve got a funny way of showing it.” She stood. “I was happy with you. Happier than I’ve ever been. Until you decided to throw it all away on a whim.”

  “No, wait.” He stood, too, and reached for her hand. “I didn’t decide this lightly. You sacrificed too much for this relationship. I begged Lindsey to give up her desire to travel, and you saw how disastrously that ended.”

  I’m not Lindsey, Crystal wanted to scream. Instead, she said, “Did you beg me to give up Broadway?” Crystal jerked her hand away from his, all emotion gone from her voice and from her heart. Her chest felt empty and cold.

  He ran his fingers through his hair. “Maybe not in so many words. But you knew it was what I wanted.”

  “I have to go.”

  “Call your agent,” he said. “Please.”

  Crystal shook her head and ran to her car. Jeremy had lost his mind if he thought she would willingly go back to Broadway. But she wouldn’t stay here, on this property, where she obviously wasn’t wanted.

  ***

  Somewhere in the bottom of her purse, Taylor Swift was singing “You Belong to Me.” Kaleigh fished her cell phone out just before the last word died away. Squinting at the caller ID, she hit the answer button. “Hello.”

  “Kaleigh? This is Carlton.”

  “Carlton, how are you doing?” Kaleigh kept her voice evenly modulated, trying not to show her surprise. After their last date at Colton’s Steakhouse, she hadn’t expected to hear from Carlton again. Not that she would list the date in her top ten horrible dates, but she hadn’t enjoyed it the way she had expected to. Or hoped to.

  “Would you like to go to the Underground with me tonight?”

  “To the Underground?” Kaleigh hoped Carlton wouldn’t realize she was buying time while she tried to decide. The small restaurant was a favorite hangout of a lot of her friends, and she had been there several times. She loved the food, especially the chicken wraps. But did she really want to go with Carlton? “When did you want to go?”

  “One of my friends is doing a poetry reading there tonight. I thought we’d listen to it and get something to eat. Can I pick you up at six thirty?”

  Kaleigh pulled the phone away from her ear to check the time. Six. Not much time to get ready. Thankfully, the Underground was a casual place, so she could just wear the jeans and T-shirt she had on. “Sure. That sounds like fun.” Fun? Maybe that was overstating. But in an effort to implement her plan, she wanted to give Carlton one more chance. Even if he did wait until the last minute to ask her. Bad manners as far as she was concerned.

  “I apologize for asking you so late, but I just found out about the reading,” Carlton explained. Almost as if he could read her mind. Or short notice was considered bad manners in his circle, too. “I’ll pick you up in a few minutes, okay?”

  After agreeing, she took a couple of minutes to brush her teeth. No time to straighten her hair; she’d just have to pull it back in a ponytail. Dabbing on some lip gloss, she headed out.

  Carlton’s red corvette was parked in front of her dorm when she opened the glass doors. He quickly jumped out of his car and ran around to the passenger side. With his hand on the door handle, he hesitated and glanced at her. “Um ... we probably have a few minutes if you’d like to go back and change clothes.” He looked at her jeans and Hollister T-shirt. “And”—she felt his glance run over her hair—“you know, get ready. I’m sorry I rushed you so much.”

  “No, it’s okay.” Kaleigh reached for the door handle. “I’m good. Let’s go.”

  He dropped her at the door to get a table while he parked the car. The room was crowded; the sofas, chairs, and most of the tables were taken. She waved and smiled at people she knew as she snagged an empty table near the small stage. Carlton handed her a menu as he took the chair opposite hers. When they’d decided on chicken wraps, Carlton went up to the counter to place their orders. Kaleigh relaxed in her chair as the lights were dimmed and a guy she had seen a few times around campus took the stage.

  Carlton returned and pulled his chair around beside hers so they could both face the stage.

  “That’s Bryan, the friend I told you about,” Carlton whispered in her ear.

  Kaleigh nodded, and the audience quieted as Bryan began his poem. It was something about dirt. Was this guy serious? Kaleigh glanced at Carlton. He looked entranced. Well, it was his friend, after all. She glanced around the room, trying to read expressions on other faces. Most looked as interested as Carlton, but a few looked as bored as she felt. She bit back a smile as she saw Nathan across the room rolling his eyes.

  Kaleigh breathed a sigh of relief as she applauded along with the rest of the audience.

  The lights came back on, and a waitress began making the rounds delivering food to tables. She placed a tray with their order on the table. “Wasn’t that awesome?” She smiled at Carlton and Kaleigh. “Bryan is amazing, isn’t he?”

  “He certainly is.” Carlton looked up at her. “His poetry reminds me of the early works of D.H. Lawrence.”

  “Yes, I agree. Hey, we’re getting together Saturday afternoon around four at the Heritage Center for a poetry discussion.” She unloaded the tray onto their table. “Would you guys like to come?”

  “Yes,” Carlton answered quickly. “What about you, Kaleigh?”

  “Um...” Kaleigh cast around for a polite answer. She couldn’t stand another second of this. But what about Operation New Me? She’d have to figure out another way. Her face brightened as she remembered that she did have plans. “Actually, I have to work this weekend.” Too bad.

  ***

  Elyse sighed as she walked out of the store with a cart full of groceries. She hated when she stayed so long in the store that she forgot where she parked. Especially on a Friday night when normal people were on dates. And people like her were buying dog food by the ton. Okay, maybe that was an exaggeration. She finally spotted her Jeep, but a man was bent over the closed hood.

  She froze. Had Zeke come to sabotage her vehicle? The man moved a little, and she recognized him. Anger shot through her. Why was her biological father doing this after all these years of no contact? She shoved her cart hard across the crosswalk and practically ran toward him.

  He looked up from what he was doing and took off. Something fluttered to the ground behind him.

  She stopped, out of breath and shaking. Why would he be stalking her? Unless Luis had changed drastically over the years, Zeke was way too crude to be his associate.

  Two rows over, a yellow truck roared to life then shot out of the parking lot. A white piece of paper on the ground caught her eye. Had this been what she’d seen fall as Luis was running away? She picked it up and looked at it. It had only one word on it—Watch.

  She shivered and walked around to throw her groceries into the back of the Jeep. She climbed into the driver’s seat, laid the note on the console, and started her motor.

  The truth was she didn’t know how much her—how much Luis—had changed. Maybe he’d gone from con man to thug. But even if he had, he wouldn’t join forces with someone to hurt his own daughter. Would he? What could be the reward?

  She hated how in her thoughts he was “her dad” and she had to stop every time and mentally correct herself. How could two people be her dad? She remembered how glad she’d been that the McCords called Jonathan “Daddy.” In the early years, it
had given her a way to separate him from Luis in her mind. Luis had always been Dad, and Jonathan was Daddy. That had been an easy way to calm the ten-year-old’s confusion. But the twenty-six-year-old needed more.

  She drove home looking in her rearview mirror. Was Luis following her everywhere? If not, how had he known she’d be buying groceries? Had Zeke known where she was, too? She shivered as she pulled into the lane.

  Andrew was outside his camper. She smiled, amazed by how her nervousness disappeared as soon as she saw him. At least she’d called him this time and told him that she was going to get groceries after eating supper at her parents’. Of course, he’d tried to convince her to wait until daylight. But she wasn’t going to stop living just because there might be danger. She’d spent her whole life doing that, and now that she was finally breaking out of that mold, she wouldn’t be forced back into it.